by M. Gregg Roe
The clothing stores were a disappointment. What little was left in them was moth-eaten and falling apart. After a lengthy walk across the city, they searched one mansion. They found a few things of interest, but the clothes were entirely missing. Audrey suspected that some enterprising merchant had gathered a large quantity of clothing and taken it to sell elsewhere.
Since no one had bothered with Grasapa’s house, they decided to return to that area. It was unbelievable. Those types of undergarments were in nearly every single house that was obviously untouched. What seemed exotic to them had obviously been both commonplace and inexpensive. And the material they were made of had aged incredibly well, even retaining its elasticity. By the third house, they were trying things on and wearing what fitted. Audrey found a pale yellow bust-halter that fit her perfectly, then took all the rest from the drawer.
“This is getting out of hand,” said Siljan as they lugged their bulky bags of plundered goods toward a sixth house. “We need to steal a cart. Borrow, I mean. We’ll leave it at the docks tomorrow after we get everything on board.”
Audrey shook her head. “We’ll still have to travel back to Hamsa after they drop us off. The cart goes on the ship too.”
“I agree,” said Marryn. “Now open the door. I’m still looking for a bust-halter that fits these properly,” she said, pointing at her chest.
It took three more houses before Marryn found what she was looking for. And they also found what had probably been a gardening cart that was perfect for their loot. By the time they returned to The Gold Lantern, it was nearly time for dinner. Taking a walk with Saxloc afterward, Audrey sheepishly confessed what they had done.
“I guarantee you that Hankin was out doing the same kind of thing,” he said. “But he was probably looking for small valuables. The people who fled would have taken theirs, but some stayed until the end.”
That remark gave Audrey pause. She had spent the afternoon robbing the dead. On the other hand, everyone here apparently did that. “What did you and Gabriel do this afternoon?” she finally asked.
“We went to the docks to see the ship we booked passage on. It’s called Sea Maiden. It’s about twenty yards long and has three masts.”
“Do they have a large cargo hold?” she asked with a silly smile.
“Large enough. And now I’m thinking that I should take something back for Tabitha, my parents, and the girls.”
Audrey grinned. “We’ve still got a couple hours of light. Are you up for some larceny?”
After laughing, he said, “Lead the way.”
28
‡ Sailing ‡
With her lungs still burning from the noxious gas she had inadvertently inhaled, Siljan launched herself over the starboard railing. Her impact with the water was awkward; she could barely see through the tears her eyes wouldn’t stop producing. Siljan managed to close her mouth in time to prevent taking in any of the warm salt water, but she barely managed to slam her sword back into its scabbard as she fought to stay afloat. And then she needed to start swimming through the yard-high waves in order to avoid being left behind by the ship. But it was still better than facing an angry dragon in combat.
“Recovery!” she gasped hoarsely. It was difficult to both swim and concentrate, but she managed to heal the damage to her eyes, throat, and lungs without going under. Her magical leather armor had provided her with some protection, but now it was weighing her down. She found herself just behind the ship, barely able to keep up. Not that she was in a hurry to climb aboard. There was a dragon up there after all.
And things had been going so well! For the second night in a row, Siljan had thoroughly enjoyed herself engaging in sex with a total stranger. Well, technically it had been Gina, her foul-mouthed and slutty alter-ego, because Siljan still found it difficult to approach strange men. But it had been so much fun! Especially last night with the shy teenage boy who worked in the inn’s kitchen. She had taught him all kinds of things he hopefully wouldn’t mention to his parents. On the other hand, two straight nights of not enough sleep was not helping her current situation.
Not surprisingly, Saxloc and Hankin were both flying around and casting spells from a safe distance. That left Gabriel and Audrey to fight the creature, but the crew were all armed, and the captain actually looked pretty formidable. Although maybe not now after being enveloped in the dragon’s poisonous breath and then taking the brunt of the attack after she fled. But what was she supposed to do? Poke it with her shortsword?
The dragon had actually been pretty impressive as it exploded up out of the water and unfurled its wings. (She had forgotten that green dragons were amphibious.) And it had closed the distance to the ship in a remarkably short time, allowing no real chance for anyone to respond. The gas it had breathed out had been green too, a pretty emerald color. But it sure had hurt when it enveloped her.
“Yes!” she said, managing to grab hold of the rope ladder that was hanging down from the back of the ship which was higher up in the air than normal because there was a dragon weighing down the front. There was a crewman standing above her, but he kept glancing back fearfully. (Not that she blamed him. Dragon!) He called out something, but she couldn’t make it out over the sounds of combat and spells going off. And her left ear felt like it was still full of water. She began to slowly climb the ladder, and he soon leaned down and reached out his right arm. That would earn him at least a kiss—more if Gina had any say.
They had all had a really great time at first. The weather had been sunny, but with a nice breeze to power the ship. Captain Barnabas, a gruff middle-aged man with a scraggly beard but immaculate clothing, had left them alone after a terse greeting. His second-in-command, however, had promptly set her sights on Gabriel. Madella was dressed in a fashion no male could ignore although Gabriel gave it his best. Watching the two of them had been quite entertaining.
Now thoroughly waterlogged, Siljan stood at the back of the ship and looked around to see what was happening. She was behind the dragon now, which was definitely a plus. But the captain and at least one crewman were down, lying motionless on the deck. That was “not good,” as her father would say. The crewman who had helped her looked less handsome close up, and he wasn’t showing any signs of wanting to move forward. She wasn’t planning to either.
“Spirit Familiar!”
A ball of golden light the size of her head appeared in front of her, but she knew it was invisible to anyone not well-versed in spirit magic. It could be used to remotely heal someone, but nasty green dragons that had already taken out one of the ship’s masts were a higher priority. Hurt the dragon! was her mental command. It moved so quickly that it seemed to just disappear, but the dragon convulsed in pain moments later. “Take that, you not good dragon!” she called out, but not too loudly.
“Wind Arrow!” yelled Saxloc, hovering off to her left. The nearly invisible missiles shredded the dragon’s already injured left wing as it headed toward the port side of the ship. But it had too much momentum to stop, even taking a large section of railing with it as it went off the side. Relieved of the dragon's weight, the ship recoiled violently, knocking Siljan onto her butt. She remained sitting until the ship’s motion finally settled down. When she went and looked over the side, there was no sign of the dragon.
Then it was time to play priestess. Using her healing magic, Siljan managed to save the life of both the captain and the two crewmen who had fallen. Yeah! Then she ministered to Gabriel, finding not just contusions, but a fracture that was probably caused by trying to block an attack with his shield.
“Thank you,” he said. “It is fortunate that we were prepared.”
Now that she thought about it, it did seem strange that Gabriel had not only still been wearing his armor, but had his helmet and shield close at hand. She had only left her own armor on because it was a bit chilly that morning.
Gabriel eyed her suspiciously. “Shortly after we boarded, the crew informed us that two ships had disappeared rece
ntly, and that there had been a sighting of a dragon near where the wreckage of one was found. You clearly heard none of that.”
Siljan shrugged. “Nope. That’s why I decided to go swimming. And now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to put on some dry clothing.”
With his injuries healed, Gabriel had little difficulty removing his chainmail. He placed it, along with his shield, helmet, and sword belt beneath the stairs that led up to the ship’s stern. The crew were already at work furling the sails on the two masts that remained. The dragon had smashed into the foremast during its initial attack. It had broken near where it emerged from the deck, but the rigging attached to it had kept it from falling overboard.
The backpack that held his clean clothing was in the cargo hold, but first he needed to go to the small cabin where Marryn was staying. She had been in there since shortly after they departed Lancia because the way that the ship rocked in the waves made her ill. Gabriel enjoyed the sensation himself.
He opened the cabin door then hurriedly closed it, feeling himself blushing. His glimpse had shown Audrey in the process of washing the dragon blood off herself, and she had been unclothed. He chastised himself for not knocking first.
The door opened slightly, and Marryn quickly slipped through then closed it firmly. “Audrey wants to know if you’ll wash her back,” she smirked.
“You are feeling better?” he asked. She looked much less pale than she had earlier.
“I think I’m finally getting used to it. You need to clean up too. Audrey squeezed the blood from her clothing into a jar. She’s planning to give it to Oljot.”
“I see.” He should probably attempt that as well. Dragon blood was greatly valued by alchemists, and Oljot possessed considerable skill in that area.
“I was tempted to go up and watch, but I was just too scared,” she confessed. “And the fighting was making the ship move around even more.”
In the heat of combat, Gabriel had barely noticed that part. His enchanted sword had proven effective, shattering scales and cutting deep wounds. Still, the dragon had been a fearsome opponent.
Gabriel turned at the sound of someone coming up from the cargo hold below. The stout and swarthy crewman was carrying a wooden toolbox, and he promptly headed up the ladder to the top deck.
“I’m going to go up and look,” said Marryn. “And I don’t need an escort. When Audrey’s done, you can clean up in there.”
Gabriel headed down as Marryn climbed up. After retrieving some clean clothing, he returned to the cabin and knocked. “Come in!” called out Audrey. Cautiously opening the door, he saw her sitting on the bed pulling on her boots. “Did you enjoy the show earlier?” she asked, but her smile was friendly.
“I did,” he replied straight-faced. “Your body is in excellent physical condition.”
“So is what I’ve seen of yours.” She nodded toward the opposite side of the room. “The blood jar is over there. I’m going next door to the galley to get something to drink.”
After she departed, he set to work. The padded clothing that he wore under his armor had absorbed a considerable quantity of dragon blood, but also some of his own. By the time he was finished, the large jar was nearly full. After a cursory cleaning, making use of the bucket of water and sponge, he donned his clean clothing. He left the stained ones in the corner with Audrey’s. They would clearly be doing laundry tomorrow.
Back up on deck, he was surprised at the activity. Marryn walked over and pointed toward the elevated bow. “The crew is going to repair the broken mast. When they’re ready, Saxloc and Hankin are going to use magic to help lift it.”
He hadn’t thought it possible to repair the mast, but they certainly appeared to know what they were doing. All six members of the crew, and even the captain, were hard at work. The broken mast had been secured to the bow, and the ship was under sail again.
“The captain said that this is only temporary,” she continued. “They’ll have a new mast installed when they return to Lancia. I told him that we would help pay, but he refused. They’re just happy we killed the dragon.”
Gabriel was amazed that his sister had even offered such a thing. He was proud of her and told her so.
The sun was low in the western sky when everyone gathered on the top deck. Gabriel lent his strength to one of ropes routed through a pulley attached to the mainmast. He pulled hard as Saxloc and Hankin, now levitating near the top of the mast, began to raise it. Within a minute, the mast thudded down firmly onto its new base. Then the crew began working to further secure it.
That evening there was a great deal of drinking, singing, and general celebration. The captain and his crew were like a family, and Gabriel felt honored to be part of it, if only for a brief time.
Audrey paused to watch as the Sea Maiden approached the wide mouth of the Jumna River. It was the same river that ran by Hamsa, but here it was much broader, fed by three rivers that originated in the mountains to the north. Powered by the wind out of the east, the ship entered the river at speed. The repaired mast made groaning noises at times, but none of the crew seemed at all concerned.
No one had asked her to, but Audrey was doing all of their laundry, making use of a large wooden washtub and pulling up buckets of water from over the side. The saltwater had been good for scrubbing out the bloodstains, but fresh water would be better for rinsing. Then she would hang the wet items to dry in the bright morning sunshine.
Hankin was the only one of her companions who seemed to be up so far. The three young men had slept in the cargo hold because there was nowhere on the top deck that they wouldn’t have been in the way. The ship had continued sailing through the hours of darkness, but that was apparently normal, not an attempt to make up for lost time.
“Is there anything I can do to help?” asked Saxloc. He still looked sleepy and was holding a piece of half-eaten flatbread in his right hand.
“Ask one of the crew where I can hang things to dry without being in the way.”
He nodded and then walked off. Hankin was now helping the two men who were working on replacing the missing railing on the port side. The ship carried a large amount of lumber, making her wonder just how often it sustained damage.
Saxloc returned with Madella, and the two of them began to string thin pieces of rope between vertical pieces of wood that were fastened to the railing near the stern. The woman hummed a song as she worked, but not one that Audrey recognized. When they were through, she flashed Audrey a smile, said something to Saxloc, and then walked away with her usual swagger.
Audrey put Saxloc to work refilling the washtub with river water while she took a break, simply staring out at the thick woods that bordered both sides of the river which already seemed to be narrowing slightly. To the south, she spotted a wide stream pouring muddy water into the otherwise clear river.
After rinsing everything out and hanging it up, they turned their attention to Gabriel’s armor. He emerged from below just as they were laying it out to dry, and he promptly apologized for not having cleaned it himself.
“It’s fine,” Audrey assured him. “But there’s quite a bit of damage.”
Gabriel nodded seriously. “The armor did its job protecting me, but it is getting old. I may simply order a new suit of chainmail after we return home.”
“Won’t the Guard provide armor for free?” asked Saxloc.
“I will inquire about that,” said Gabriel after a moment.
“Is Marryn up yet?” asked Audrey.
Gabriel nodded. “She and Siljan were both eating breakfast when I left the galley.”
They had both been sound asleep when Audrey gathered up the dirty clothing and crept out of the cabin. And even though she had eaten something earlier, all that work had left her hungry again. She excused herself and headed down.
“Are we there yet?” were Siljan’s first words when Audrey entered. There was no sign of Marryn.
“No, but at least we’re going upriver now.”
There were
no cooking facilities aboard, but the ship’s larder was well-stocked. Audrey grabbed an apple and sat down next to Siljan. The taste was sweeter than the ones back home, and the skin seemed tougher.
“We’ll be lucky to get back to Hamsa before dark,” sighed Siljan, then popped the last of her cheese slice into her mouth.
The ship was taking them as far as it could—past the city of Kannaka the river was too narrow and treacherous—but Siljan was right. They were probably looking at five hours of travel on foot, but at least it would be on a road similar to the one they had taken to Lancia.
After yawning, Siljan said, “Tomorrow will be our last full day here, if you can believe it. I should probably spend it with Bjarni and Mina.”
Time really had flown. “I’m just going to take it easy, maybe walk to the lake.”
“I assume you wouldn’t mind coming back here sometime.”
Audrey smiled happily. “I would love to come back here. It’s so different from Andoran’s Realm.”
“I feel that way too.” Siljan rose to her feet. “Now I need to see if I can make myself useful around here.”
Audrey filled up the remainder of her time aboard by using her sewing skills to repair some damaged sails.
It was humiliating, but Marryn ended up riding the last few miles back to Hamsa in the cart they had acquired in Lancia. With everyone else pitching in that morning, she had felt obligated to ask the crew what she could do to help out. She ended up sweeping and scrubbing everything below deck. And after hours of walking, she simply ran out of energy.