by Garry Spoor
“Does that mean the war’s over?” Daniel asked.
“I wouldn’t go that far, not yet anyway,” Erin said. “This is not the first time the Uhyre lulled us into a false sense of security.”
“It could be the prelude to a large offensive,” Jasa added. “They could be out there right now, gathering their forces and biding their time.”
Erin shook her head. “I doubt that, Sergeant. If there’s going to be an attack, it won’t be down here.”
“One cannot be too careful when the Uhyre are involved. They are tricky little devils.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that, Jasa,” Elmac interjected. “The valrik have shown a serious lack of strategic thinking. In fact—”
“Stick to your books and your Tower, mystic. Leave the fighting to those who know how,” Jasa said firmly.
“I was only going to point out—”
“When I see a mystic on the front lines, defending the realm, I’ll be more inclined to hear your theories. Until then, I have better things to do.” Jasa turned his back on Elmac before walking away.
“Well, this is turning out to be a pleasant voyage,” the mystic said.
“You have to forgive the sergeant,” Eafer said. “Durra squad suffered some major losses after the last conflict, and the sergeant takes every loss personally.”
“It’s quite all right.”
“Well, if ya excuse me, lads, I have to see to the Charlotte, if ya wishing to depart on the noontide,” Dotol said with a quick nod to Heaney, before turning to Erin. “I suppose a drink will have to wait.”
“On your return, Captain.”
“Aye, if the winds favor us.”
Dotol gave one last look at Kile. He squinted his eyes and shook his head before heading to the Charlotte. It didn’t improve Kile’s feelings toward the expedition.
“Master Heaney, if I may speak with Hunter Veller for a moment.”
“Of course, Erin,” Heaney said, stepping aside. “Try not to take too long. As Dotol said, we are aiming for the noontide.”
“So soon,” Kile mumbled, following Silvia away from the others.
Erin laughed. “Don’t tell me the Wild Hunter is nervous.”
“Oh, please. Not you too.”
“Don’t worry about it. It took me awhile to get used to Lady Hunter.”
“At least your title sounds… royal, mine sounds like I should be running around naked in the forest covered in mud.”
“I wouldn’t go that far. I’ve heard great things attached to that title. You should be proud of it.”
“I was, at first. Now it’s getting a little ridiculous. It doesn’t help with Alex telling those stories of his.”
Erin laughed again as she scratched Vesper’s head. “Yeah, I watched a few of his tales when I was in Baxter’s Bay last month.”
“What did you think?”
“He has an… interesting imagination, especially when it comes to your appearance.”
“Don’t remind me. I have enough to worry about.”
“Well, I wouldn’t worry about the Charlotte. She’s a good ship with a good crew. If anyone can get you past the Custodians and back, it’s Captain Dotol.”
“Actually, that’s not what I was worried about.” Kile looked up and down the docks. “What do you know about the Sons of Terrabin?”
“So, you’ve heard the news too,” Erin said.
“It’s hard not to. I spoke with Sir Oblum a few days ago, and what he had to say was not encouraging. He talked about Guild members… disappearing.”
“I’ve been hearing that as well. I met with Adams about two months ago. He told me Guild Master Parker was shaking things up, and I’d better watch my back. At first, I thought he was being paranoid. Now, I’m not so sure. No sooner does he warn me, then I’m reassigned down here and he gets sent off to the archives in Littenbeck.”
“So, you don’t think it was a coincidence?” Kile asked.
“Hardly. As Guild Master Latherby once said, there are no such things as coincidences.”
“Have you heard from him?”
“Who, Latherby? Nothing, I’m afraid. From all accounts, he’s gone. But I wouldn’t worry too much about him. If there’s one thing to be said about Master Latherby, he can take care of himself. There is more to him than meets the eye. I’ve never been able to put my finger on it, but he’s one person I wouldn’t underestimate.”
“You think he’ll come back to reclaim the Guild?” Kile asked.
“I don’t think so.” Erin shrugged as she walked to the edge of the dock. She stopped and looked out over the ocean. “The Guild has changed too much. The fact is, with Master Parker running the show, I’m not even sure I want to stick around anymore.”
“You’re thinking of leaving?”
“Better to leave, than be thrown out, or worse. Who knows? I’ve done my time in the Guild, made quite a few connections. It shouldn’t be too hard for someone like me to find a steady job in the private sector. What about you? You quit once already.”
“And made the mistake of coming back.”
“True, but it was for a worthy cause.”
“Was it?”
“Somebody must think so. You’ve been chosen for this mission.”
“Yeah, I know. That’s something else that’s been troubling me. Why me? There are hundreds, if not thousands of more qualified Hunters who should be going on this expedition instead of me. And why Daniel? He’s not exactly a field Hunter. Sure, his Edge might come in handy, but I hate to say it, he seems more of a liability than an asset.”
“Yes, I know what you mean.” Erin nodded. “I traveled with Daniel when I was chasing you, and although he has potential, he was never cut out for the field.”
“Wonderful, and I thought I was just being paranoid.”
“No, something’s going on, but unfortunately, like always, Hunters are on a need-to-know basis and it would appear we don’t need to know.”
“So what? We simply play along?”
“For now, until there’s more information.”
“By then it could be too late.”
8
“You’ll keep an eye on Grim for me?” Kile asked before she boarded the ship.
“Yes, as much as I can,” Erin said for what must have been the third time, during their walk from the Seagull’s Rest. “Don’t worry. He’ll be fine. They’ll take good care of him.”
“I’m not so much worried about him as I am the stables. At the last place I left him for an extended stay, things didn’t fare too well.”
Erin laughed. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep him out of trouble.”
“I wish he could come along.”
“Oh, yeah, right. That would go over real well. A mountain pony on a sea voyage.” Daniel laughed as he came up behind her. “I can’t see the captain agreeing to that.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right. He doesn’t seem too fond of having me on board.”
“Dotol takes a bit of getting used to, but he’s a good man and a good captain. You couldn’t be in safer hands,” Erin assured her.
“I hope you’re right.” Kile looked over her shoulder at the wild-eyed captain, who was barking out orders to his men. He had the crew in a frenzy and she hoped they knew what they were doing.
“Come on, Ki. We have to stow our gear down below.”
“Get him,” she said, jerking a thumb in Daniel’s direction. “He’s been on this boat less than an hour and he’s already picked up the dialect.”
Daniel shook his head. “For starters, it’s a ship, not a boat.”
“As long as it stays above the water, I don’t care what it’s called,” Kile mumbled, following him across the deck.
“I’ll see you guys when you get back,” Erin called out. “First round’s on me.”
Kile waved good-bye to Erin when a feeling of dread came over her. The paranoia in the back of her mind had now moved to the front of her thoughts. This was going to be a one-way tr
ip, it tried to tell her. She’d already passed up one opportunity to run away. Was she honestly going to pass up another?
“Come one, Ki. What’s wrong? Getting cold feet?” Daniel asked.
“What? No, I’m coming,” she said.
Now that she was standing on the main deck, the ship seemed much smaller. There was hardly any place to walk. Most of the space was occupied by two long boats, strapped to the deck, and a large mast that rose from the center. On one end of the ship, the end facing out to sea, there were two small doors, and between them a ladder, which led up to a higher deck. On the other end of the ship, the end closest to land, was another small door with another ladder leading up to another deck. This was where Captain Dotol stood while calling out orders to the men. Ropes of every thicknesses imaginable ran this way and that. Up the masts and down to the rails, crossing over one another in a confusing pattern. It was as if she was trapped in a large web, and there was no way out.
“This way to the doghouse,” Daniel called out.
“They have dogs?” Kile asked excitedly as she quickly looked around the ship. A dog would be a welcome sight. At least she’d have someone to talk to.
Daniel looked at her as if she was crazy. “No, why would there be dogs on a ship?”
“You said there was a doghouse.”
The Hunter shook his head and pointed to a small wooden structure nestled between the longboats. “That’s the doghouse,” he explained.
She should have known it was too good to be true.
He pulled open the doors to the doghouse, which revealed a flight of steps leading down to the bowels of the ship.
“This way,” he said, descending out of sight.
As Kile followed him, she couldn’t help but feel that going down into the basement of a boat was not the best way to travel. It made the Mystic Tower appear rational.
“This is the main hold of the ship.” Daniel pointed out the different areas. “The workroom is over there and that’s where they store the extra sails. Back there is where they keep the wood for repairs.”
“Repairs? What are they repairing?” she asked.
“You know, if something happens to the ship, they have to repair it.”
“What’s going to happen to the ship?”
“Any number of things. We could run aground or run into a storm. We could tear a sail or break a rudder.”
“Oh, okay, have a good trip.”
“Kile, get back here.”
“I’m not going out to sea on a faulty ship.”
“Nobody said the ship was faulty. It’s a good ship. You heard Erin.”
“Well, sure. I’d say it was a good ship too if I were safely standing on the docks.”
“Come on. I’ll show you where we’re sleeping,” Daniel said, and he descended yet another ladder.
“You’ve got be kidding. We’re going deeper?”
“Yeah, we’re in the lower hold. It’s been set up for us.”
“Is it dry?”
“It’s fine.” Daniel sighed before disappearing. Kile reluctantly followed him.
The deeper she descended, the more uneasy she felt. The wooden walls of the ship were starting to close in on her. The only thing keeping the sea at bay were thin walls of wood and tar. Daniel didn’t seem to mind as he led her toward the rear of the ship, where Elmac was already settled in. The mystic was stretched out on a cot, suspended from the ribs of the ship. There were six in all, three on either side.
“Well, you finally got here,” he said, looking up from his book. “It’s not the royal palace, but it will have to do for the next few weeks.”
“Weeks?”
“You have to forgive her,” Daniel said, climbing into one of the vacant cots. “She’s not much for sailing.”
“Maybe you’re a bit claustrophobic,” Elmac suggested.
“I’m not… claustrophobic. I… don’t like small spaces.”
The mystic shrugged. “There’s that too.” He returned to his book.
“Can’t we go upstairs?” Kile asked.
“That would be topside, and I’m afraid not,” Daniel said. “The captain wants us down here until we’re out to sea.”
“Why?”
“I guess he doesn’t want us getting in the way.”
“So… we’re all going to stay down here in this little room?”
“Perish the thought,” the mystic chortled. “Sergeant Jasa, Heaney, Boraro, and that other chap, what was his name?”
“Creech,” Daniel said.
“Yeah, that’s him. They decided to take one of the forward rooms. The Alva have chosen to isolate themselves in the other. Not the sociable types.”
Well, that was one good thing. She wouldn’t have to put up with Master Boraro during the voyage.
Kile hung her pack on the provided hook and opened her courier’s bag to let Vesper out. The yarrow was not too keen on being cooped up in the bag for long periods of time. Chattering under his breath, he climbed up Kile’s arm to take his place on her shoulder.
-Damp,- the yarrow complained after he sniffed around for a while.
“Yeah, well, we are underwater,” Kile said.
-Food?-
“Don’t even think that, please.” The mere thought of food made her nauseous.
“Don’t tell me you get seasick as well,” Daniel said.
“How should I know? I’ve never been out to sea,” she said, taking a seat on the crates.
Crossing her legs under her, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath before falling into her Edge. She had to center herself, calm herself down. The last thing she needed was to go feral. There was no telling what would happen if that side of her got loose. Slowly, she let her consciousness fill the ship. There was little chance of confronting the Valgar on the Charlotte, so she was able to lower her guard. The only things she did find were a family of rats in the food storage and the captain’s cat, who she would definably have to speak with when she got the chance.
“Is she all right?” Eafer asked when he came into the room.
“Oh, I think she’ll be fine,” Elmac answered. “It would appear she doesn’t function well in small places.”
“Or civilized ones,” Daniel added.
Kile ignored him. Sleeping in the basement of the ship heading out to sea was not her idea of being civilized.
~~~***~~~
It was a good three hours before one of the crew came down to the lower hold to tell them they were well underway. Kile was all too eager to get topside. The meditation helped, but she still needed to see the sky and breathe the fresh air. The damp environment of the hold and the gentle rocking of the ship were only making her more nauseous. Fortunately, she hadn’t eaten anything before departure. Otherwise, it could have been an even longer three hours.
She nearly ran the poor sailor over when he didn’t get out of the way fast enough.
Taking the steps two at a time, she threw open the doghouse doors and stumbled her way to the ship’s rail. She was too busy looking down the side of the ship to admire the view.
“Still not feeling any better?” Daniel asked when he finally caught up to her.
“Does it show?”
“Here, let me help.”
He took her left hand in his and placed his right hand on her shoulder. Closing his eyes, he fell into his Edge. Even with the strong smell of the ocean, she was still able to pick out the scent of his magic as it filled the area around them. Silent blue tendrils of light, which only she could see, slowly encircled her arm. As the light grew in intensity, the queasiness in her stomach subsided.
When he was finished, he released her hand and stumbled. He looked pale as he rubbed his eyes.
“You all right?” Kile asked.
“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?”
“Yeah, but you look exhausted.”
“It’s only that—” He stopped and quickly looked around the deck. Although there were about a dozen men on the small section of wood
en real estate, they weren’t taking any notice of them. Daniel pulled Kile to one side. “Have you been feeling anything different with your Edge?” he asked her.
She looked at him.
“Yeah, right, look who I’m asking.”
“Why, what’s wrong?”
“It’s probably nothing.” He shook his head. “I think I’m a little overworked, that’s all.”
And there it was, Kile thought. The problems with mystic energy Morgan was telling her about. She never thought to ask Alex if he was having any problems, but it would appear Daniel was.
“So, how do you feel?” he asked her.
“What? Oh, much better,” she answered. She had almost forgotten her seasickness. Whatever Daniel did, despite the failing arts, helped.
“Well, if you’re feeling better, I’m going to go see what the cook’s got for supper. Do you want to come along?”
“Let’s not tempt fate,” she said.
“Suit yourself.”
Letting him go, she turned back to the ship’s rail. Although she was concerned about the troubles he was having with his Edge, the problems were well beyond her. As far as she understood, her Edge and his didn’t quite work the same. Her Edge wasn’t even linked to the mystic arts, or at least that’s what she came to understand. She thought of asking Elmac about it, but mystics were pretty tight-lipped when it came to such things. They believed the mystic arts were their own private domain and usually didn’t take kindly to people questioning them.
Kile figured she had enough problems to worry about and turned her attention to water instead. Somehow, the sight of the ocean had a way of putting things into perspective, and she couldn’t help but feel small and humbled. There was nothing out there, just blue as far as she could see. It seemed as if the water and the sky had become one and they were sailing toward the clouds.
It wasn’t so bad, she thought, as long as she could control her seasickness. Maybe, if she couldn’t cross the desert, she could cross the sea. Surely there were places to explore and animals to meet on the other side.
“She’s something, isn’t she?”
Kile turned to see Captain Dotol leaning on the rail beside her. She’d been so mesmerized by the view of the ocean, she hadn’t heard him approach.
