by Dawn Chapman
Sven pointed to the wagons and the horses. “I know you said you need them all to bring back the meds and equipment you need, but there might not be enough room for everyone. I can only hope that his larger ship is fixed. Last time we were there the bigger one was in the dry dock with a few holes in it.”
I suddenly felt sick, but I was glad he’d not said it in front of the others. Abel’s face contorted with worry too, though. What if we went there and there was no way across? Would the mission have failed already, would we have more time or a better chance to try again, backtrack on ourselves? I sighed. “If it’s not fixed, then we’ll have to fix it with them,” I said. I had no clue to how to fix a boat though, but if it needed it, I’d try, just as I knew the others would. “Right?” I asked Abel.
I could sense his apprehension, though. A lot of what-ifs.
“He’s a good guy, just a little down on his luck,” Sven said. “Everyone needs a break.” And with a grin, he put more food into his mouth.
“I can understand that,” I said. I’d had enough bad luck to last a lifetime. I knew needed some good luck. I wondered if I could increase my chances of that? I’d really have to try it. The Karma point I had from the ebolos would be useful if our luck could increase. But saying that, what else could I actually do with it? What would it change to my character? When they were all settled, and I had a chance to look at and read more of this system, I’d study as much as I could before making a decision on what to do. If it were life altering in here, I’d have to think hard about my choices.
Chapter 15
We travelled for a few more days. The land changed so many times, I wondered how we’d negotiate through some of it, but we continued on. My muscles grew stronger, my back straighter, and I practised with my bow as much as I could. It was difficult, but I could now hit most targets and had learned to skin and cook most of what I killed.
Tallying it all up, this was my tenth day in the game. That meant only a couple had passed in my real world. This was hard to grasp. By the time six months of real world had gone by, I would have had the adventure of a whole lifetime. Two years? That seemed way off.
The path Sven led us on to get to the boatyard was now even bumpier. Bracer and I had pulled ahead of the wagon to show a better way through for them, but it wasn’t really helping anymore. Nothing was stopping the wheels from bouncing off the wagons. The pace had become painfully slow, and because the wagons were moving slower, it was a larger strain on the lead horses.
Ferris called me over with a wave of his hand, and I stopped Bracer off the path until they caught up with me.
“I need a way of seeing much further ahead. I’m going to send Myleen on with Sven. They’ll have to go to the boatyard and meet the owner, and then we’ll decide if this is worth continuing on for.”
“No, it should be Sven and me. I think the boy’s pretty trusting, but I’m not sure he’d like going with anyone else.”
Ferris’s eyes rolled. “I want your arm to heal more. You can’t keep putting yourself in danger.”
I laughed. “That’s what I’m here for!” I waved at the young boy who was riding with his sister while one of the other members of our team got some shuteye. Yes, even in these conditions, people had to rest. Although, it boggled my mind how this was even possible while on the move.
Sven came over, and I told him our new plan. He agreed to leave his sister with Myleen, but I could see his reluctance. Time was essential to our plans. We all had to keep going.
As we moved away from the camp on our horses, I kept glancing back and worrying about Ferris and the equipment. That’s when I heard Myleen curse as the inevitable happened. I turned just in time to see one of the wheels split from the wagon, shattering, and even with a second wheel, there was too much pressure on it. The second wheel split, cracked, and then was no more. The wagon came to an ear splintering halt, the horses yanked backwards.
I turned Bracer around and rushed back to settle the other horses. Myleen had already started a healing spell on the leader. He had a large gash where his halter had dug in deep. Ferris was off the wagon and rooting around for everything he possibly could.
Within a minute, everyone had stopped, and the chaos that ensued as we calmed the animals was no more.
Ferris took stock of the damage, and he motioned to Myleen. “Get the animals off this road where they can rest, and we’ll fix the wagon. Akillia, you need to get to the boatyard. Make sure we’re doing the right thing going down this route.”
I nodded, and with a tug to Bracers reigns, we headed back away from the party.
“How far have do we need to travel?” I asked Sven.
He almost looked confused and worried as he bit his lower lip. “I don’t remember it being so tough to travel on, but this is the right way.”
“You’re not sure, are you?” I tried not to feel like I needed to slap the boy, but that was exactly how I felt. If we were on the wrong pathway, the wagon and party would be in real trouble. With no way of getting across the seas, we’d be tracking back and losing more daytime. Time we didn’t have to lose.
I stopped the horses, pulling in closer to Sven, his pale face giving me pause to think seriously about how I should approach him. I took the reins from his horse, and they settled into eating some of the shrubs.
“Listen to me carefully,” I said calmly. “You don’t need to panic.” I watched as the veins in his forehead pulsed quickly, his breathing erratic.
“But everything is riding on this, me… I shouldn’t have led you this way. What if I got it all wrong?”
When tears appeared in the young kid’s eyes, I reached over and wiped them away. “Close your eyes,” I said. “Remember where you came from, the way the road turned and dipped, the trees that were around you and even some of the plant life. There will be something here that you will find familiar.”
Sven did as I suggested. When his eyes were closed, his breathing slowed down, and I noticed how his shoulders relaxed too, but he reached out and placed a hand on mine. I didn’t pull back. I waited.
A minute ticked by and the soft breeze around us rustled the trees. I glanced away from him to admire where we were, the game. Its brilliance was astounding. I really wanted to get more from this experience here, and that meant taking small bits of time out to see and feel the things that were going on.
Sven then whispered to me. “I remember the cold. The grasses were so very wet, but there was something…” He paused. I looked back at him as he smiled and pointed towards a bright purple flower. “I remember the Gadidia pods. They’d only just seeded, the stems white, readying for the spring.”
“So we’re on the right track then?”
I still waited as he looked around, the sharp purple flowers were everywhere, and he nodded. “I’m sure of it.”
“Good,” I handed him back the reins and nudged Bracer onwards. “We can pick up the pace and see where your friend actually lives. Then we will report back to the others.”
Our horses were both okay at a steady trot. I’d gotten used to the bumps and slips as Bracer negotiated around the pathway, hidden rocks and other tree stumps getting in his way, and he avoided them deftly. This wasn’t going to be an easy way at all for the wagon, but if they had too, we’d clear the path before them, and we’d get it here. Come hell or high water.
An hour later, and not stopping for any refreshments, I spotted what seemed to be a lookout high into the trees.
YOU HAVE DISCOVERED A FIRST-RATE SHIPPING YARD.
Sven nodded. “They’ll have seen us coming.” On top of the building now flew a red flag. I could only presume it was a warning.
I slowed Bracer down as we approached the bottom of the tower.
Then I heard a voice boom above me. “Hold, stranger!”
I stopped dead. My instincts to reach for my weapon strong, but I didn’t want to die here, not getting what I needed to help the others.
Sven called out. “We’re friends of Marris.
We’re looking for safe passage across the seas for a party of twelve and two wagons.”
The booming voice laughed. “You’re not serious, are you?”
I didn’t know what to say but to tell the truth. “Prince Horalies has not sent for the Hismaw. The cities and towns will fall without it. We’ve been sent to try to obtain it in time, but time is running short.”
Sounds above us of creaking branches and twigs, and with a flash, something dropped before us.
Standing there in grey slacks and a shirt was a furry cat person. There was no other way to describe him. His ears twitched, and his tail lashed from side to side. He was as angry as I’d ever seen a cat behave.
“So, you are serious?” He turned quickly and started to stomp off. “Better get the crew together. We’ve a lot to do before my boat sets sail for you.”
I turned to Sven. “We have our answer. We should return to the group.”
Sven shook his head. “No, I’ll return to the others. I’ll get them here. By the look of things, this guy needs some reassurance. I can’t do that. You must.”
“I can’t let you go off on your own,” I said.
He smiled and moved to turn his horse around. “You don’t have a choice. Get them on our side… We need them.”
And then he was gone. I gently nudged Bracer on, following the cat person. “Sir,” I called out, “what’s your name?”
The cat turned around, and he stopped my horse with nothing but a look before nodding his head continuously. He seemed to stare at me for quite some time before he padded on over, reached for my reins, and offered me a hand. “Let’s get your horse settled in the far field. It looks as if he could do with some food and rest. Then I’ll consider introducing myself and my home.”
This shocked me. I had no idea why his name was so precious, but the more I looked at him, the more I saw his reasons. “Your species is not something I’d usually associate with wanting to travel on water,” I said.
The cat laughed, but at least his tail stopped slashing back and forth. “Young miss, you’re definitely not from around these parts of the world if you don’t even understand the basic understandings that sometimes a person’s name can have great meaning and power. For me just to divulge who I am might lead a great mage to take my life—just in uttering my name. It’s not something I hand out freely.”
When I thought I understood, I took his offered hand and let him lead Bracer to the field. He was quick to untack him and set him free. I must admit seeing Bracer running off to greet the three other horses in the field was something nice to watch.
“Thank you,” I said. “No, I’m not from around here. I’m a Visitor trying to do the best I can for the people I’ve made friends with.”
The cat watched me for a moment, and then he held out his hand once more. “My name is Taffie. This is my family home. There are seven of us that live here, and we cross the seas because it’s something that we love. Yes, most furries don’t like water, but we’ve become accustomed to pushing our boundaries, and we love doing what others don’t expect.”
I shook his hand, feeling the roughness of his paws and the softness of his fur. “I’m pleased to meet you, Taffie. I’m Akillia.”
“Nice to meet you too. Now let’s get you introduced to the rest of my family. They’re working on the boat now, but we’ll need to step that up if you need her to sail anytime soon.”
“What’s wrong with her?”
“Mostly winter preparations, but we noticed a few developing problems, so we hauled her out to fix. She’s in the dry dock at the moment.”
My heart sank as we walked. A dry dock could mean many things for a sailing boat. I just hoped she wasn’t as bad as my mind was now thinking.
Rounding a copse of trees, there before us was Taffie’s ship, nestled down in the dry dock. Scaffolding surrounded her port side, and two guys were working and hammering away. She was big. Bigger than I expected, but then again, I had no idea how large a ship we would need to get the party across safe and in one piece.
“Wow,” I stood with my mouth open while Taffie made his way towards the vessel and shouted down to the working men.
They eventually caught onto his hollering and stopped working to look up at him and then me. Moments later, they were jumping from the scaffolding to join us.
Taffie’s smile at these two younger guys was obvious. “Akillia, may I present to you my sons, Dovol and Cris.”
I shook their hands, admiring the firm strength that Dovol had compared to Cris. Their fur was similar to Taffie, just Cris’s was a lighter shade of orange. They both were handsome despite them being furry. I almost laughed at myself for thinking this and then felt myself blush alongside it.
“How are the repairs coming?” Taffie asked.
Cris glanced back to the boat. “She’s more damaged than we thought. Water’s been leaking in, and the whole section has to be replaced.”
Taffie actually growled, and I felt anxious as his sons both flinched. He turned to me and asked simply, “How long until your party arrives?”
I shrugged. “The road’s not really wagon-worthy. They’re struggling.”
“An approximate time?”
I thought for a moment and looked at the sky. It was late in the day already. “It took us over an hour, trotting. They’re almost walking pace and had an issue to fix before they moved on again. Honestly, I don’t think they’ll be here until noon tomorrow.”
Taffie clicked his fingers. “Then we have the day to get this ship ready for the seas again.”
Dovol’s eyes widened. “Father, we can’t get her ready in twenty-four hours, just the two of us!”
“I’ll get the girls to help. They can prep the wood and do the carrying while you fix the sides. We have to get this in the water by tomorrow, and we’ll work through the night if we must.”
I swallowed. I could only guess that meant a serious amount of work for the guys.
But they nodded. “We’ll have her ready.”
Taffie motioned for me to follow him once more. “If I take the girls from their duties to help out, would you be okay in preparing the meals and bringing refreshments?”
“Of course, but I’m a basic chef. I can’t do too much.”
“It doesn’t need to be fancy, but those boys will need lots of protein if they keep going through the night. Same for me.”
“Why do you want to help us that much?”
Taffie stopped and held up his paw. In the centre of it was a glowing red patch. “Raise your hand for me, Akillia,” he said.
I did so and noticed the red glow of my own hand. “What?”
“I mentioned the power of my name and introducing you to my family was the highest honour. That moment you became a member of that family. If you are in need, so we help. Besides,” he grinned a grin so wide I could see his sharp teeth, “you’re doing this, not for yourself, but for the others on this continent. That takes not only guts but also sacrifice. I like that about you. I think my wife will too.”
A few moments later, approaching a wooden and thatched cottage, the door flung open, and a lithe and stunning woman stood before me. I watched as Taffie’s ears settled backwards as his fur rose. I didn’t understand—if this was his wife, why the hostility.
She stalked out of the house, her piercing yellow eyes staring straight at me. “Who is this?” she asked. “And why have you allowed her inside our sanctuary?”
Chapter 16
Taffie’s ears, however, didn’t stay back. He lowered his head and motioned towards me as this feline woman stalked around me. “This is Akillia. She’s come to us with a grave quest, which we must fulfil. I’m to ask the girls to the boatyard. We set sail tomorrow evening.”
Not only did the feline woman continue to circle me, her sharp claws glinted in the sun. Watching her closer, I also noticed a glow around the edges to her eyes. Was she using some kind of magic on me? I swallowed. My instincts were to grab a weapon to defend myself some
how, yet I knew my life would be forfeited. This woman was not only a predator but also talented.
The woman’s face changed as her claws retracted, and I sucked in a breath forcing my shaking hands to still. Phew, she might not kill me, yet. Finally, she stopped circling me, and the glow to her eyes faded too.
Her anger subsided, and she lowered her head to me. “Apologies, Akillia. I was taken aback for a moment, and I forgot my manners. My name is Uula, and of course, Taf. Let us go inside so I can call the girls.”
Uula ushered us into the building and shouted, “Macie, Anlea!”
Uhh… okay, I guess we’ll just ignore that. I noticed how wonderfully well kept the house was. Decorated with the bare essentials—dining table, chairs, sideboard and huge kitchen range with several units of pots and pans. There sitting at the table was an older man. He flicked through a reading device, but he didn’t look up until two young girls came rushing into the kitchen.
“What is it, Mama?” They both chimed. Obviously, twins. These girls were totally identical and around fifteen in age, but that was a complete a guess.
Uula motioned to the front door. “Quickly, get changed and join the boys at the yard. They need your help to get the ship ready for sailing tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?” They exchanged looks, and then their eyes met mine.
“The seas are too wild this time of year to be sailing.” A gruff voice spoke out. This time, I turned to the man sitting at the table. He still didn’t look up, and I noticed a device in his ear. I moved closer to him, but it didn’t draw his attention.
“We really need to get across to Port Troli,” I said. “It’s the only way we can save this country’s main cities. We need to gather the Hismaw.”
“A foolish mission, my dear.”
Taffie moved to my side and placed a hand on the older man’s shoulder as he finally looked up. “Father, we’ll need your guidance here. Akillia’s a Visitor on this very important mission. She must succeed.”