“You don’t think the kingdoms will offer aid?” Brist asked.
“I think it’s worth trying,” she said carefully. And she needed to try. There had been a connection to Tan that allowed her to speak to him much the same way that she now spoke to Nimala. Could she reach through that connection, and if not, could she at least use the elemental to reach him? “But the kingdoms might not reach us in time, Brist. We have to secure the borders, and we have to prepare Falsheim for the possibility of another attack.”
“The city can’t handle another attack like the last one. We barely survived then. Had it not been for Voldan—” Elle cleared her throat and Brist nodded, “and you, of course, the city would have fallen. Will you be strong enough to fend off another attack alone, were it to come? If they come with greater numbers, will we be able to stop them?”
Elle doubted that she could. The last time, it had been the fact that Incendin attacked at the same time, nearly as much as anything that she had done that helped Falsheim. In some ways, Incendin had saved Doma. That felt strange to admit, but it was true. They couldn’t count on the same thing happening again.
“If that is what the Sea Father intends,” Elle said.
Someone knocked on and opened the door. An older man with wire-framed spectacles entered, tottering slowly. Elle had never seen him before, but Brist rose and greeted him like an old friend.
“Dondal. You came.”
He tipped his head. “You asked for my help. You will have what I can give.”
Brist smiled as he turned to Dondal, completely ignoring her as they leaned to each other in quiet conversation. Elle cleared her throat to draw his attention.
The Lord Commander turned. “I will have the fleet search the shores. Maybe they’ll even find your missing villagers,” he said to Ley. To Elle, he went on, “But you must remain in the city. If you’re right,” he said, his tone making it clear that he still wasn’t convinced, “then you will be needed.”
20
Throngs of people moved through the streets outside the Lord Commanders post under the misty shadows of the midday sun. Elle stood just outside with Ley at her side, considering everyone moving through the city. How would they manage to protect all these people? How would she manage to protect all these people were there another shaped attack?
Most of the people in the streets were dressed in the traditional clothing of Doma. Women wore dresses that ended above their boots and men wore thin pants and jackets, clothing that would dry easily from the steady mists rolling through the city. Even on sunny days, there was always constant moisture leaving everything with a dampness.
“What do you intend to do now?” Ley asked.
Elle glanced over her shoulder toward the Lord Commander’s post. “We’re going to find the people of Ophan.”
“But, Elle, the Lord Commander instructed you to stay in Falsheim.”
She started into the street, quickly swallowed by the crowd around her. Ley managed to follow along, staying at her side. “He might have wanted me in Falsheim, but I promised you that we’d find your people.”
They went another dozen steps before Ley spoke again. “What do you intend to do this time? Are we sneaking aboard another Xsa ship?”
Elle shuddered at the thought. The last time, she hadn’t known if they were going to make it to shore. Even when they did, she wasn’t sure the Xsa traders wouldn’t drop anchor and come after them. Now that she better understood what they’d been doing in Falsheim, she understood the urgency with which they traveled. There had to be a way they could work together.
“Not sneaking, but if Xsa suffers the same as Doma, then don’t we need to understand what they know?”
They turned a corner and Elle continued toward the massive storm wall rising up above the city. If they were attacked, the wall could protect them, but it also trapped them inside during an attack like the one that had come before.
“I don’t think Xsa suffers the same as Doma,” Ley said.
She glanced over at him. “You heard what Calah said.”
“They’re bringing their women and children to Doma for safety. That’s worse than what Doma faces.”
Elle hadn’t considered it that way, but it made sense. If Xsa suffered, then how much longer before Doma dealt with the same? Would they need to begin shipping their people to Chenir or the kingdoms? Would they be welcomed?
Probably as enthusiastically as Doma had welcomed the Xsa. That was why Calah smuggled his people in, rather than bringing them openly. Given the reaction she’d seen from Brist, Elle understood.
“How do you intend to inspect the borders?” Ley asked.
They had been hurrying through the city and at the question, Elle paused. “Brist said he would send shapers with the fleet. The shapers can inspect the borders.”
“Elle, most of those shapers are little more skilled than me.”
“You’re more talented than you give yourself credit for,” she said.
Ley smiled, and she was reminded of the way he’d grinned at her when she made her first escape from Ophan. “Maybe, but I understand my limits. I was there with you when Voldan spoke with the shaper. I don’t know that I would have managed to recognize the way they masked their presence. Without the bond to the elemental, I’m not sure that I could. What makes you think any of the others would be able to do the same? You’re the only shaper in Doma able to speak to the elementals. Without that connection, I’m not sure that we can figure out where shapers might be hiding.”
Elle didn’t correct him to tell him that she was not only able to speak to the elementals but had bonded to them as well, but there was something in what he said that made her wonder.
Could they use the connection to the other elementals? Udilm had long helped Doma. The country might not have any shapers bonded to udilm, but that didn’t mean they had no connection to it. She could still speak to udilm and the nymid even though she had no bond to either.
Maybe that was the answer to keeping Doma safe.
She hurried forward, determined to reach the wall and then the docks. Passing through the wall took more time than usual given the crowd of people making their way into the city. Most were Doman, but there were some with the tattoos and piercings that marked them as Xsa, more than she’d ever noticed before.
Maybe it was that she hadn’t paid attention before, but those from Xsa kept their heads down and moved hurriedly through the city, sticking together with others from Xsa. Children clung to their mothers, many barefoot and with the beginnings of the distinctive tattoos of their people. None met her eyes.
As she started through the gate leading out of the city, a woman nearby tripped. Without thinking, Elle caught the woman in a shaping of water. The woman began thrashing, kicking violently as if to escape.
Elle released the shaping, letting the woman drop to the stones, unwilling to continue shaping her after that kind of reaction. The woman’s companions all circled around her protectively. Two held knives out, as if readying for an attack. Ley grabbed Elle’s arm and pulled her forward, leading her away from the crowd and out of the city itself.
“What was that?” Elle asked as they reached the road leading along the docks. “That woman… she almost seemed angry that I helped her.”
“You shaped her, Elle. If she’s one of the Xsa like we’ve seen, and if what we overheard was true, maybe they’re afraid of shaping.”
“Then they shouldn’t be in Doma,” Elle said.
“Where else would you have them go? Incendin? The kingdoms? Is there anyplace better than Doma?” Ley asked as they reached the docks. She couldn’t shake the way his question reflected her own concerns.
The docks of Falsheim were said to be different than in other ports. They were on enormous rollers that allowed them to be pulled from the sea when storms moved through. In this part of the country, every few months, they could expect another massive storm.
Three ships were moored at the docks at this time of day.
One was a long, sleek-looking ship with sails rolled up. Elle knew that when unfurled, the triangular sails would pull it quickly through the water. It was one of the fleet’s fastest.
Another was a small fishing vessel. Dozens of ships like it would be docked later in the day. A ladder leaned against the hull and two men passed a bucket up and down the ladder as they patched damage it had sustained.
The last ship was the one most surprising to Elle. It was narrower than the Doman ship, and not nearly as long. Three masts towered into the sky. Its sails were tied off, catching only a hint of the heavy gusting wind coming in from the south. A large figurehead shaped like a mermaid adorned the bow.
“That can’t be…” she started, making her way toward it. Calah wouldn’t have returned to Falsheim so soon, would he? How fast did the Xsa ships travel?
Ley tried to stop her but she made her way along the dock and stopped in front of the Xsa ship. Two men climbed the ropes leading to the sails. Neither seemed to notice her.
“You stare at my ship long enough, you might anger her,” a voice said from the deck.
Elle craned her neck to see who’d spoken. It didn’t sound like Calah, but she hadn’t been around him long enough to know. “You’re in port in Falsheim, so you better be prepared for people to stare,” she called up.
A face appeared over the edge of the deck and Elle relaxed. This man looked nothing like Calah. A large silver hoop hung from each ear. Tattoos ran along his neck and down each muscular arm. His youthful face considered her for a long moment before he tossed a rope over the edge of the boat and slid down it.
“Port, but does that mean I get harassed by your girl?” the man asked Ley.
Ley raised his hands and stepped back. Elle spoke before he had a chance to answer.
“Why do you Xsa always assume that I’m someone’s girl?” Elle demanded. “You’re not going to sell me and I’m not interested in learning how much you could get for me.”
The man tipped his head and pinched his chin. “With a tongue like that, I think you would have a hard time fetching more than a few silvers. Maybe ten shens, but that’s if I’m lucky.”
Elle glanced at Ley but he only shook his head and shrugged.
“That’s not what Calah said,” Elle told him, deciding to push the issue. It wasn’t that it would do her any good, but the way the Xsa seemed to treat women offended her, even if she saw none of it in the women brought into Falsheim.
The man stopped and the playful smile that had been on his mouth disappeared. “You know Calah?”
Elle nodded slowly. Maybe she’d said too much. It wasn’t so much that she knew him but that she’d snuck aboard his ship to get transport across the sea. It almost hadn’t worked. Had it not been for Ley’s shaping and the fact that Elle had gotten angry—and scared—enough, she might not have managed to reach Ophan.
What would have happened had she crossed the sea with Calah? Would he have forced her into slavery? Xsa traders had been coming to Doma for as long as she could remember, but she’d never known that they were slavers as well. Usually, they brought pallets of silks and casks of sugar and, occasionally, colorful woven blankets.
“How do you know him?” the man asked.
“He visited Falsheim, as you do.”
The man glanced toward the city. One hand squeezed the rope dangling from the deck. “Not visit. Trade,” the man said.
“Is that what you want me to believe?” Elle asked. She made a point of ignoring him and studied the mermaid figurehead on the bow of the ship.
This was different than the one on Calah’s ship, but the similarities were significant. On this ship, the tail flipped toward the starboard side, and one hand pointed outward, as if reaching for the sea. The other crossed her chest, covering her breasts. Long hair hung down over her shoulders. The paint on the mermaid was less faded than the one on Calah’s ship as well, as if it was newer. Given the age of the captain, she wondered if that weren’t the case.
“Believe or not,” the man said, “we bring silks into Falsheim.” He grinned and jutted his chest out toward her. “You Domans truly like silks.”
Elle shrugged. “Have you ever spent much time in Falsheim? The constant mist and the warm sun make it so you want something that dries easily. I think you should be pleased that we want your silks.” She reached toward the ship, trying to touch the mermaid. “You certainly charge enough for them.”
The man grabbed her arm, pulling her around so that she couldn’t reach the figurehead. “None but Xsa may step foot on our ship.”
“I wasn’t stepping foot,” Elle said. “Merely admiring your craftsmanship. This is your work?” she asked, pointing to the mermaid. The man narrowed his eyes as he looked at Ley, as if searching for help. Elle couldn’t help but laugh. “And I’ve stepped foot on a Xsa ship already. Calah is a skilled captain.”
Ley’s eyes widened and he mouthed a warning to her that she ignored. For some reason, she felt compelled to tweak this man. Mostly because he seemed to know Calah, and Calah hadn’t necessarily been the most welcoming to her.
“He would never—”
“He spoke of an attack on the Isles. Is that why you smuggle your women and children into Falsheim?”
“We are traders, not smugglers. Silks, I said.”
Elle motioned toward the crowd of people making their way into the city. “Perhaps you are traders, but why do you bring your people into my country if not for the protection of Falsheim?” Elle turned to face him, smiling. “And if you seek our protection, why hide this, unless you’re afraid of who might discover this fact? Tell me, who do you fear follows you?”
The captain pulled on the rope as if he wanted to climb back aboard his ship. “Who are you to ask such questions?”
“I am Elle Vaywand, a shaper of Doma,” she answered.
His eyes widened slightly at the mention of her ability. Then he let out a sigh and released the rope. “You speak for your Lord Commander?”
Elle could feel Ley’s eyes on her as if urging a warning about what she might say. Now that Voldan was gone, Brist had asked for her help in protecting Doma. Couldn’t that be construed as speaking for the Lord Commander?
“I speak for him.”
“Then we must talk.”
“Why not?” Elle asked.
“Oh, Sea Father,” Ley said, loudly enough for Elle to hear. She made a point of ignoring him as she started back into the city.
21
Elle sat in a crowded tavern, the voices all around drowning out the sound from the bandolin being strummed near the back of the building. Several lanterns hung on hooks around the tavern, providing what little light made it into the room. Windows were shuttered and the door remained closed, other than when another few people arrived. As Elle watched, she noted that nearly half the people coming into the tavern were not from Falsheim.
Servers pushed through the crowd, carrying mugs of steaming ale and food to tables. When one stopped at theirs, Merash, the captain of the ship, grabbed two mugs of ale. Elle started to wave him off, but he set one in front of him and the other in front of Ley.
Ley glanced over at her, as if waiting to see her reaction, but she ignored the slight. “Tell me, Merash,” she began, leaning into the table so that she could be heard, “why have you come to Falsheim? Why hide the fact that you’re sending your people into the city?”
Merash took a long swallow of his ale and wiped his sleeve across his mouth. “Do you ever let him talk?” he asked.
Ley took a drink, his face pinching at the taste of the ale as he did.
“He talks if he has something important to say,” Elle said.
Merash snorted. “And who decides what is important? Is it him, or do you decide that for him, too?” He looked around the tavern, his eyes catching on all the people gathered within. “I’ve never fully understood you Domans.”
“You understand us well enough to bring your people here,” Elle said.
Merash
took another drink. “By force. You spoke to Calah. You know what we face.”
“I don’t know what you face.”
“You said you traveled aboard the Sistal.”
Elle assumed that was the name of Calah’s ship. “I did.”
“Then you must have known where he traveled.”
Elle shook her head. “That’s what I’m trying to tell you. Calah didn’t share that with me, but the Lord Commander would like to know why he shouldn’t expel all people of Xsa from the city.”
Brist hadn’t exactly said that, but Elle had the sense that if he could, he might very well load up all the immigrants from Xsa and ship them back to the isles. Elle wondered if that might be more dangerous than simply allowing them to remain. Something had happened on the Isles, something frightening enough that the people of Xsa would leave their homes and crowd into Falsheim.
“They would have no place to go,” Merash said.
“Not back to Xsa?”
Merash continued to look around the tavern, his gaze jumping from person to person before finally settling back on Elle. He took another long drink of ale and then set the mug down, moving it to the center of the table, almost like an offering to her. She shook her head.
“Xsa is no more,” Merash said.
Elle frowned. “What? How can that be?”
Merash leaned on his elbows. His breath smelled of ale mixed with the salt of the sea. The hoops hanging from his ears glittered in the lantern light. The tattoos that twisted up his arms and around his neck seemed almost to move, a disconcerting illusion.
“You said you spoke to Calah. If that were true, you would know how that could be.”
“He said shapers attacked,” Elle said.
Merash sniffed and his eyes narrowed. “Shapers.” He said the word slowly. His mouth pinched in a grimace as he did, as if the word was unpleasant for him to utter. “Your land has shapers. The kingdoms, they have shapers. What attacked Xsa… that is something different. They use the land and the sea against us. What use were our ships when the ocean herself seems intent to swallow you?”
Shaper of Water: The Cloud Warrior Saga Page 14