by Rosie Scott
Cerin, Anto, and Jakan were already here, sitting at a six seat round table near the left wall. A few bags sat near the floor by Anto's chair, proving that he and Jakan had gone shopping during the day as well. On the table before Jakan, there sat a box about the size of a satchel. Before Cerin, there was a small box of only a few inches.
Cerin stood as I went to sit beside him, kissing me on the cheek before we both sat at the table. “Happy birthday.”
“Thank you, sneaky bastard,” I replied, to which he laughed. Jakan and Anto repeated the nice sentiments. The Vhiri in particular seemed excited and happy today.
“How are you feeling?” I asked Jakan, with a knowing smile.
“Fine now,” he said, bashfully. “Though this morning I was paying for it.”
“You guys weren't waiting long, were you?” Nyx questioned.
“Only a couple of hours,” Cerin replied, before he smiled. “To be serious, we have been waiting here for a little bit. You're kind of late.”
“That's why you never leave Nyx in charge of anything,” I commented. I received a jab on my upper arm for my efforts. After I rubbed my stinging skin, I reached down into my bag to pull out the hair ties I'd gotten, and tossed them upon the table toward Anto and Jakan. “I got you both a present.”
Jakan grabbed the gift excitedly, though Anto simply sat back and said, “No, you got Jakan a present. I never lose my ties.” He reached up to his top knot, where his own hair tie kept his black hair pulled back from his face, leaving the shaved sides of his head free of imperfection. “I've had this one for years. Through coliseum fights, and everything.”
Jakan used a hand to teasingly mock the orc as he talked, like he'd heard this all before. Anto chuckled at his antics. “Well, we can't all be so perfect,” the elf jested, before reaching up to his own ponytail, and pulling it free of its tie. I realized, now, that it was a simple produce rubber band. Jakan went to work putting his long brown hair back into a high ponytail, wrapping the tie around it twice. “Thank you so much, Kai. No more tearing out my hair.”
“Until you lose those,” I remarked.
“Yeah, well, then I'll just borrow Anto's.”
“You will not,” the orc huffed.
Jakan ignored his lover's protests for the moment. “You didn't need to get us anything. It's your birthday, after all. Here.” He grabbed the box before him, and scooted it over the table toward me. “Your present. From the both of us.”
“Aww. Thank you,” I said, pulling the box toward me. “You didn't have to get me anything.”
“Sometimes, Kai,” Jakan began, “People do things because they want to, not because they have to.” He grinned cheesily at me.
“Yeah, yeah,” I replied, smirking as I opened the box. A shimmering black fabric was folded within. “Oo, what's this?” I commented, pulling the fabric from its box. It felt silky smooth. When I pulled it over to the side of the table to let it unfold between my chair and Nyx's, I realized it was a long black cloak. It was extremely similar to the one I owned, but it was much, much thinner.
“It's a little late for it, but I noticed your cloak was much thicker and heavier than that,” Anto commented. “In hot weather, I thought you might like something to wear that won't weigh you down as much.”
“Oh, definitely! This is great. And it's so soft.” I took a moment to watch Nyx as she pulled it over to rub it along her face.
“Oo, yeah it is,” she murmured. “I will promptly steal this. Thank you, Anto.”
The orc chuckled.
I pulled the cloak back from Nyx, causing her to pout dramatically. I ignored her, and started to fold the cloak back up. “Thank you both. It's not late at all. I'm sure this will be put to good use in the coming moons.”
“I picked out the color,” Jakan piped up.
I laughed softly at his enthusiasm. “Well, black is the best color of them all. Goes with everything.”
Jakan raised his eyebrows at Anto, as if to say, see? I figured the two had argued over which color to buy.
A flustered waitress came by to take our orders. Since we'd been talking with each other since coming there, Nyx and I quickly made up our minds from the menus as the others ordered so we didn't have to delay the food anymore. With our orders given, Cerin scooted his chair closer to mine, and nudged the small remaining gift box over to me.
I smirked over at him, and nudged it back. With a smile, Cerin repeated his earlier gesture.
“Did you find what you were looking for?” I asked him, finally pulling the box toward me.
“I did. Exactly what I was looking for, actually. I couldn't be happier with it.” His silver eyes watched my fingers begin to open the box. “I hope you like it.”
Only after the box snapped open did I let my eyes fall to its contents. A shiny, silver steel skull stared back at me, its mouth open as if in eternal torment. My jaw dropped a bit, and I started to pull the piece out, realizing it was an elaborate, expertly carved ring.
“Wow...” I trailed off, going to remove my current thumb ring in order to try the new one on. It was only now that I noticed my old ring was gone. “Where's mine?”
Cerin chuckled nervously, before he reached in a pocket and pulled out my ring. “Sorry, I had to take it for measurements,” he said, putting the old ring on the table before me.
“No, it's okay.” I put the new ring over my thumb. From between the skull's open jaw, my almond skin peeked through. “Wow.”
“...do you like it?” Cerin encouraged, clearly concerned about my opinion. Technically, this was the first gift he'd ever gotten me.
“This is the most beautiful ring I've ever seen, Cerin. Thank you.” I stretched my arm out before me, letting the skull glimmer from the nearby sconces.
“Oh, thank the gods,” the necromancer murmured. “The jeweler kept insisting it was a horrible gift for a woman. I kept telling her she didn't know you like I do.”
I laughed softly, still admiring the ring. “You know my tastes, Cerin. I will treasure this forever. It is like yours.”
“Yours is cooler,” he replied, lining his hand up beside mine. He was right; his ring was simply a skull. It did not have the open mouth like mine did.
“Thank you,” I repeated, before pulling him into a hug. “I love it.”
“So...” Nyx trailed off beside me, waiting to speak until Cerin and I were separated again. “What's this mean, bud?”
“It's a skull, Nyx. Kai's a necromancer, like me.” Cerin chuckled softly, as if it should be obvious.
“Oh, you know what I meant. It's a little telling when you give someone you love a ring, no?”
I stared over at Nyx. “Who are you, Bjorn?”
She chuckled, understanding the reference. Before Bjorn's death, he had spoken about giving Cerin permission to marry me, and we hadn't even been a couple at that point. “Forgive me, Kai. Cerin's just so much fun to tease.”
“To answer your question, bud,” Cerin retorted, “It means whatever Kai wants it to mean. She already knows I'm with her for the long haul. She doesn't need a ring to tell her that.”
“You're right,” Nyx conceded. “Because for some gods awful reason, everyone I know pairs up for life. Maybe we need to take a trip to the underground.”
“Ha! And be around many more like you?” I snorted a laugh. “You are trying enough!”
Nyx rolled her eyes. “You've seen nothing yet. I can't wait to be on a boat for weeks on end with little to explore.” Her tone was as dry and monotone as she could make it, which made us chuckle.
“You'll have fun,” I protested.
“Yeah,” she admitted reluctantly. “Probably. I just don't get why you all are so excited. It's just a boat.”
“You should be excited, too,” Jakan said, a mischievous smile on his youthful face. “I guarantee that no matter the boat we take, it'll be the largest piece of wood you'll ever ride.”
Cerin busted out laughing so hard he spit, and the rest of us laughed wit
h him. I had to admit, I hadn't expected such a joke from the Vhiri.
Nyx lifted both hands in the air in playful surrender. “All right, Jakan,” she said, her own smile contagious. “You have me intrigued.”
Six
As if I wasn't already impressed with the Naharan ships, up close they were simply daunting.
The sun was heavy and hot on our backs as we made our way onto the docks at last. A noisy seagull cawed above our heads, attempting to rival the ringing bells with its screeching. Even the docks here were sandstone, having been painstakingly built block by block from the underwater sands to above the ocean's level.
A Naharan guard stood at the intersection of dock just before us, his eye on an approaching trading ship. A scroll was rolled up within one dark hand, while the other sat upon one hip as he watched the ship come into the harbor. He only noticed us approach when we were just feet away, and gave us a curious smile.
“Hail! What business do you have here?”
I walked before my friends as they came to a stop, and offered the man the scroll Hasani had given me nearly a full moon before. The guard raised his bushy eyebrows when he saw the official seal, but he did not yet break it. Looking off to his left and down the dock, he called, “Barakah!” With one hand raised in the air, he summoned the other man.
We waited patiently as the second man approached us with interest. “Yes?”
The guard handed Barakah his scroll. “Take over for a few moments. I will return.”
With a nod, Barakah did just that. My friends and I followed the guard past a number of rocking ships, their wooden creaks so loud that I could feel the vibrations in the air. Each ship we passed towered so tall in the air that we fell within its shadow for a number of moments before moving on to the next. Even when not in shadows, it was cooler here by the water. It was a relief to know that our upcoming trip would be at least a little cooler than our treks through the desert.
Our guide led us to the end of a pier, where a tanned man with skin the consistency of leather was in the midst of yelling at a young woman, her hair kept back from her face with a bandana. A broken crate sat beside her, where a number of expensive looking painted plates were shattered on the sandstone. The worker looked relieved when we approached.
“Qaseem,” our guide announced toward the angered man, motioning back toward us with a hand. “Official business.”
The man known as Qaseem dismissed the worker beside him with little more than a flick of his wrist. She gratefully trotted away, safe from his wrath. He stared at us without a greeting, holding a hand out to our guide, who quickly handed him the official scroll.
“I swear to Aleyah, if we are being dragged into something else right now I will not be happy,” Qaseem rambled, breaking the seal on the scroll with an impatient thumb. I recognized the goddess he spoke of, given it was one of the sky trinity that Jakan had told us his parents worshiped. The goddess of travel, if I remembered correctly. It made sense that she would be one of the gods sailors would pray to.
I waited patiently for Qaseem to finish reading Hasani's handwritten words, before he looked up to us. His eyes fell upon Nyx, and then came back to me, where they rolled over my bright red hair. “You are Kai Sera, I presume?”
“I am.”
“And how am I supposed to know this is true? Do you honestly expect me to drop everything I am doing and give you a ship?” Qaseem glared at our guide, who still stood in silence. “Was it not just a week ago that we were told to prepare the navy? How am I supposed to prepare the damned navy if I am giving away ships?”
“You are preparing the navy because King Adar commanded it, just as he commands this,” I spoke up, impatiently.
“Hasani Samara commanded this, not the king,” Qaseem spat, turning the scroll around so I could see the signature.
“Disobey the prince's orders and we'll see how that fares for you,” I retorted.
The guide from the docks spoke up, his voice tense with anxiety. “Qaseem, look at the seal. It was official.”
“So was the last one,” the angry man spat, to which the guide frowned, just as confused as we were as to the man's point.
“We will not be using the ship in battle, and we are only going to Killick,” I explained. “Put us on your smallest ship if you have to. Your orders to prepare the navy are preemptive. There is no immediate threat from the seas.”
“How would you know?” Qaseem retorted, his eyes wild in mine.
“Because I am your king's ally, for gods' sake!” I seethed. “I have been working with him for the past year and know more than you do. Leave the bigger jobs for those who know better and just do yours.”
The older man glared at me for a moment. I could tell he wasn't experienced with receiving attitude, only giving it. The guide barely held a smile in from just behind his superior.
Qaseem finally shoved the official seal back at the other man. “Put them on the smallest fucking ship we have, and take your damn time. I have better places to be.” The old man started to shuffle off.
“I wouldn't really consider up your own asshole to be a place, but whatever floats your boat,” Nyx commented under her breath, to which we chuckled.
The man left with us bowed slightly. “I apologize for Qaseem's hostility. I am Amad.”
“Nice to meet you, Amad,” I said, bowing back politely. “If it were up to me, Qaseem would be fired.”
“If it were up to me, he'd take a long walk that way,” the man replied, pointing toward the end of the pier. I laughed softly. “Is it true that you would take a smaller ship, or were you just saying that in an attempt to compromise?”
“Oh, it's very true,” I assured him. “As much as I'd love to take your largest ship just to piss your boss off, our needs are just as I told him. We need transport from here to Killick, and we anticipate no battle. Hasani gave me this scroll to save me inconvenience and gold, nothing more. Your ship will be free to return here once we are dropped off in Killick.”
Amad nodded, understanding. “Very well. Will you follow me? I need to return to my post and take a look at my ship log.” When we agreed to do just that, he added, “Thank you for your patience.”
We followed Amad back to where we'd initially met him, waiting as he took the scroll back from Barakah, his eyes quickly scanning over its words. He turned his face to the docks, looking down the row of ships. “We have a schooner free that we mostly use for off shore fishing. It's faster than the larger boats, so I'd wager you'd be in Killick in a fortnight.”
I raised my eyebrows at the time. I hadn't figured we could make it to the other port that quickly, so this was good news. I turned to my friends. “Sounds like a deal,” I said, awaiting their input.
Nyx tilted her head at Amad. “Wait. You have a scooter-what-a?”
Amad chuckled, taken off guard. “A schooner. It's speedy and agile, and I assume that's just what you need.”
“Can I just call it a boat?” The Alderi asked.
Amad smiled. “You can call it whatever you like. I doubt it minds. It hasn't informed us of any identity crises.”
“Well, maybe you just don't speak boat,” Nyx retorted in jest.
“I speak boat, Miss. I've been dealing with them my whole life.” Amad glanced back toward me, taking note of the bags and gear with us. “Let me get a crew together, and we can prepare the ship. Are you ready to leave tonight?” I confirmed this with a nod. “Then I will have you on the water by sundown, hopefully sooner. Come, and I will show you where you can wait with your things.”
Amad took us to a fenced-in sitting area at the end of one of the dock's many piers, where we were to wait as the schooner was prepared. It felt as if we were on the water already, because outside of the small area we were surrounded by it. We were kept waiting for a few hours, but it was mostly relaxing as we watched all manner of ships come and go like it was a show on display just for us. I put my arm around Cerin as we sat on a sandstone bench together, and he smiled over
at me. This was the closest thing to a normal romantic date we'd probably ever get.
At one point, Nyx left to get some food from one of the restaurants beside the harbor, since she had grown hungry. Jakan napped quietly against Anto across from Cerin and I. We had been enjoying a peaceful silence, until the necromancer beside me decided to speak.
“Smells like home,” he murmured, his eyes on the blue expanse.
“You're going to be fishing like crazy if they let you from the boat,” I mused.
“Yep,” he agreed, looking excited.
I squeezed him close to me affectionately. “Was the boat you were on as a little boy a schooner?”
“Oh, no,” he chuckled softly. “It was a tiny little thing. Flat-bottomed. Barely bigger than a few planks of wood. My mother built it herself. She said the Icilic used to build these tiny little boats to take fishers out onto the small breaks of ice in the middle of Glacia. It was best on calm waters, so my dad would always bring it in when the ocean became moody.”
“Oh, it was small enough to pull up onto land?”
“Yeah.” Cerin smiled, reminiscing. “I remember my mom built it for him as a gift, because he was tired of having to rely on other people for his trips out, and then he'd be stuck out on the ocean for a night or two. She told me to get in it and row a couple of meters out, so I did. Then she led him out of the house with his eyes closed, and I remember the first thing he said when he opened them was, 'what am I supposed to do with that?'”
I chuckled. “Aww, I hope he ended up liking it.”
“He did. He loved that little boat. We'd take it out together sometimes, and then my parents would go out fishing together during other times. It only fit two people, and it had little room for fish and supplies, but it was easy to maneuver. He could take it out for a couple of trips. The other fishers started teasing him about how small it was, so he bought some paint from a passing trader and painted The Intimidator on the side. It became a running joke.”