by C. Litka
03
XinDi drew me aside after we had announced our plans.
'Please excuse my boldness, Cap'n,' he began, and hurried on, 'Cap'n Trin will be furious when she finds out. But I owe it to her. She saved our lives, no doubt about that. The thing is, me and my mates, her old crew, well, we were all small islanders back home. This...' he spread his hands to encompass the island, 'is the life we know. We've now taken wives and husbands, and settled in. This is our new home, and we've grown quite comfortable here. We've got a good thing going, and we know it.
'But Captain Trin is different. She comes from a family long in service to the Empress. She grew up on Iron Island, the daughter of an admiral. She was a career officer and had prospects? Prospects more grand than being the manager of a daffa distillery on a little island. She sees it as her duty to look after us, so she's been the driving force behind building our distillery and business. No doubt about that. But now that we're established, now that we know the business, and have family ties within the community, there's a lot less for her to do. I think she does our selling at the market just to get away to where there's some action. I know she's not happy and dreams, if not plans, to go away when she can bring herself to abandon us. Now, with all your talk of those islands of yours, the Saraime, with them big islands and big ships and modern machines, she's even more restless. I know she'd love to see those islands and perhaps find a new life more suited to her upbringing, since she knows that she can't go home.
'But, you see, she's too proud to ask you if she could accompany you. So I'm asking you - without her knowledge or permission. As her friend, not a subordinate. And mind you, I'm doing you a favor. She's been to Windvera, and knows its ways, as well as its written language, so that I'm sure she'd be very helpful to you in your travels. So, what do you think? Do you think you might agree to take her with you?'
'I'd be delighted,' I assured him quickly, adding only, 'But I'd have to clear it with my companions. Still, I see no reason why they'd object. I don't know if it is possible to return to the Saraime, so I can't promise her more than whatever we find on Windvera. But if she's willing to take the chance that our journey might end at Marsh Waters, I'd be happy to have her along, not only for her knowledge, but because I know her to be a very cool-headed companion in danger as well.'
He smiled, and nodded. 'Oh, Captain Trin is cool-headed enough. You can count on her in any mix-up. I know she wants to go - so don't take her first, second, or third "no" for an answer. And be sure to play up how useful she would be - knowing the language and all. And how she could keep you from making a hash of things, not that you would, sir. But to make her feel useful. Tell her you'd feel a lot safer if she was along,' he added with a wink. 'You're old shipmates after all. How can she refuse?'
'Trust me, Xin, I can say all that without a trace of a lie.'
I wasn't sure how Naylea would take to the idea, but to my surprise, she laughed, and with a ghost of her rather wicked smile, called out to Py, 'Do you have objections to TrinNatta joining our little band, Little Brother?'
I glanced to Py. He had a rather startled look - perhaps even a brief shadow of, well, of all things, embarrassment? But he quickly rallied and said, looking at me, 'If she wants to join us, I'd welcome her to our band.'
'Invite her. And don't take "no" for an answer,' said Naylea brightly.
I stared at one, then the other. Naylea was having fun, and I was pretty sure it was at "Little Brother" Py's expense. There was one obvious possibility, but that seemed very unlikely. It was likely all in my imagination. I turned and sought out TrinNatta - determined not to accept "no" for an answer.
I got several "nos" but I paid no heed to them. When she asked me point blank, who had put me up to this, I replied that she had many friends who were concerned about her and her happiness, and who now felt that this was her opportunity to find a life that she'd have a better chance of finding happiness.
TrinNatta ever cool, collected, and accustomed to keeping her thoughts to herself was clearly angry, embarrassed, and insulted that her crew should be so presumptuous to think that they not only knew what was best for her, but thought that they could get by without her. And yet, she was tempted.
'Shipmate to shipmate, TrinNatta. All of us want you to come with us. I'm certain you will make our journey easier and safer as well as more fun. As for your crew, they're only concerned with your happiness. They know they owe you their lives and the lives they're living. You've done your duty by them. They're happy, successful, established, and with the help of their new families, poised to continue building on what you've established. They see this as a chance for you to find your own life now. I think you should take it. I can't promise the Saraime. Our journey may well end on Windvera. If you want, you can look on this as just a long leave from the distillery. You've earned a leave and a chance to see what's beyond this little island. So why not take it with us?'
'I will talk to my crew,' she said.
I gather from XinDi that she read them the riot act. Nevertheless, XinDi was well prepared and in the end, managed to convince her that, though she'd be missed, they could continue on. Why, she'd been training people to do her various jobs for some time now. Moving on at some point was clearly on her mind, and now was a good chance. She protested that she was only planning to take over the Windvera import business when it grew big enough, but had to concede that they could, probably, get by without her. In the end, she gave in, but only after giving them very strict instructions as to how to run the distillery - and to expect her back to make sure they followed her orders, or they'd pay for it.
She told me later that she wouldn't have trusted any of her crew to keep it going for a thousand rounds - left on their own. They weren't businesspeople. But their new relatives were, and they'd see that it continued to grow and prosper.
She spent two rounds getting a big shipment of brandy to accompany us down to the Windvera city of Devere where they had a growing business. She was not one to waste a business opportunity.
Part Eight - Windvera
Chapter 38 The Bird of Long Feathers
