Gareth Ogilvie The Great Sea King

by J W Murison

  ‘Didn't they catch the human you mean?’

  ‘Aye they caught the human and put him on trial; condemned him to death for it. He denied the whole thing, then all of a sudden he confessed to everything. The next day of course he denied it all again, it was actually the prosecutor who realised what was going on, I think he was an Eagle; I don’t know you would have to ask the wife. Anyway he grilled the wife and began making enquiries; it wasn’t long before he discovered she was already married to an Eagle. They found a substantial amount of the plants used to knock the human out and put two and two together. The Eagle wife eventually confessed all. They executed him and let the human go. I have no idea what happened to the wife.’

  ‘A drug you say a plant. What does it look like?’

  ‘I have no idea sir, ask the wife she knows. I believe it was quite common at one time, but then it was banned; it makes us go into a very deep sleep and gives you the mother of all hangovers in the morning.’

  Gareth felt a chill go through him, ‘could you ask your wife to come see me when we return, don’t tell her about his conversation, or anyone else.’

  Steven shrugged, ‘no problem sir.’

  Gareth settled back his mind churning things over. He realised he already knew the truth but he would still like to confirm it before he faced them. He felt the fury build within.

  They returned a few days later and Glaciea came to see him. She seemed nervous and he smiled to put her at her ease. He congratulated her on the saving the life of Natina and seemed innocently curious as he asked her about the plants and how they would be used. She didn't seem very happy about answering, but did so honestly.

  His suspicions were all but confirmed when a thought struck him, ‘tell me would someone actually remember something someone else had done while in their body?’

  ‘No Sire,‘ he felt an immense sense of relief, ‘a person is virtually in a coma and can remember nothing, however when they first wake and are confused the person who shared their mind can place a memory of the whole experience into their mind and share it, or if they wish just pieces of it.’ She smiled innocently and Gareth struggled to return it. He dismissed her thanking her for her honesty.

  He went on the hunt and found what he was looking for in one of the servant’s quarters; it was one of the Eagle servants Melina’s father had given to her. He called for the woman and she turned up a few minutes later obviously upset he was there.

  He pointed to the flower, ‘what is this plant?’

  ‘It’s just a flower Sire.’

  ‘It’s a banned flower is it not?’

  He caught her flat footed, ‘ah not in this kingdom Sire.’

  ‘I want you to leave immediately, take this thing with you, destroy it, do not tell my wife or I will have you locked up for the rest of your life.’

  Her head dropped and she picked up the flower, ‘wait.’ He strode over and took it from her hand, ‘I will take it, now go.’

  They were waiting for him and they were furious, they had just returned from their vacations home and found out the boys were missing. They launched a full on attack at him demanding the return of their sons. Gareth listened until they took a moment to draw breath them from his plaid pulled the forbidden flower. They both went quiet and Catherine went pale.

  He tossed it onto the floor, ‘I know what you did and I know how you did it. The boys will stay with my father until they become men, if you try and retrieve them I will throw you both out and untie the threads of marriage.’ With that he turned away.

  A little later Graun found him in the map room, ‘man this place has a weird air to it the day, can you feel it?’

  ‘I caused it.’

  ‘Back are they, I take it they were mad as hell.’

  ‘Furious.’

  Graun frowned taking in Gareth's calm air, ‘what’s wrong with you?’

  Gareth shrugged, ‘I'm not ready to talk about it yet.’

  ‘Ok, so what the hell are you doing here?’

  Gareth rolled up a map, ‘going on a journey.’

  ‘When?’ Graun asked.

  ‘Now.’ Gareth stated flatly.

  ‘You mean right now.’

  Gareth nodded, ‘right now.’

  Graun followed, ‘where to?’

  ‘West I think, aye west.’

  ‘Alone.’

  ‘I’ll have a boat and a crew.’

  ‘Oh no yet no leaving without me.’

  Gareth stopped suddenly, ‘you sure, you could run this shit hole for me while I'm gone.’

  ‘How long you going for.’

  He shrugged, ‘couple of year’s maybe.’

  ‘Wow, you really are pissed off at someone, ok I'm in, I’ll go get the boys.’

  ‘I was just going to grab a ship.’

  Graun shook his head, ‘no your nae.’ He closed his eyes.

  It didn't quite go the way Gareth had planned it, ‘instead of commandeering a ship and fucking off into the sunset. He found himself on his own flagship with fifty scouts for company and Graun of course. He even had time to officially hand over the running of the realm to his administrators. It was a fight with Aswari but eventually he persuaded Gareth to let himself and ten men accompany him. He left his second in command in charge of the palace guard.

  They swung out of the harbour on the midnight tide. Gareth stood at the railings and watched the lights slip away behind. Bob Osgood slipped up beside him eating on an apple. Gareth raised an eyebrow and Bob grinned, ‘I never saw this coming. I thought they gave me this ship to piss me off.’

  Gareth looked back to shore, ‘I though the admiral gave it to you as a reward for your services.’

  ‘What, sitting on your arse all day long, week in week out making the fucking thing look pretty just in case you decided to go for a sail. It seems the last king damn near lived on this fucking thing but as far as I can tell this is the first time you’ve been on board.’

  Gareth nodded, ‘that's true.’

  ‘I'm getting the feeling you’re not going to tell me why either.’

  ‘You got that right.’

  ‘Any chance of telling me where we are going.’

  ‘To start with I want to visit Aswari’s home islands and then we are going exploring, do we have enough supply’s.’

  Bob snorted, ‘we are fully provisioned and have a full crew, however we are supposed to carry near three hundred soldiers, we have about fifty, I would say we will be alright for a while.’

  CHAPTER 31

  Gareth couldn’t believe the heat. Spare canvas was strung up across the decks to provide shelter for the men on deck. Gareth had his own awning in which he sheltered; it was just too bloody hot below. The Highlanders were all reclining in their lang shirts. Shirts that came to just above the knee. Their plaids were below. Some of the scouts had taken to wearing the trousers that the sailors had. Bob had taken his original crew with him from his first vessel; they were mixing well now with the original crew of flagship, but it had been touch and go for a while. Bob had beaten their heads together until they began working together.

  Two days out they had been joined by three other vessels, their escort. Gareth had tried to send them back but had been completely ignored. The admiral who sent them knew protocol even if their own king didn’t. He hadn’t been pleased about that and those who knew him steered clear when they knew he was in a black mood.

  One day Gareth found Scout at the prow of the ship as he prowled, ‘what the hell made you come along Scout?’

  Scout kinked his head to the side, ‘you got to be shitting me right, man this is living. Not a care in the world, a belly full of food and new sights on the horizon.’

  Gareth began to laugh and the dark mood that had been chasing him since they left harbour vanished.

  Aswari and the guards were becoming more excited and suddenly one of them burst out singing. None of them understood the words but all stopped to listen. Gareth had never heard them sing before and though it sad
but beautiful. He realised it must be a song they had sung in their captivity and wondered if at one time his people had sung the same type of songs when they were held captive by the sea king.

  A large cloud appeared on the horizon and a sailor in the crow’s nest cried down land in sight. They had been at sea for almost four months and had made good time. Aswari was grinning from ear to ear. Gareth had never seen him so animated.

  A few hours later they swung into a coral harbour. There was enough room inside for twenty large vessels. Small canoes rushed out to meet them and people shouted up at Aswari and his people. Some of them rushed back to shore and runners took to their heels. Gareth kept out of the way while Bob brought the ship gently against the end of the pier in the deeper water. Graun moved to his side.

  ‘What do you make of it Gareth?’

  Gareth was reminded of the first time they had seen the plains, how they stood and gaped. This was as different from that as chalk is to cheese but it was no less beautiful.

  ‘Man it’s bonny.’

  ‘Yer no kidding,’ the golden sand and swaying palms had them spellbound. ‘Aswari told me all they do all day is swim in the sea and do a bit of fishing for their supper.’

  ‘You would get bored.’

  Graun sighed, ‘aye I suppose you are right,’ he suddenly grinned, ‘saying that I used to dream of going home and spending my last few years in a small cottage somewhere high up in the mountains, fuck that. I’d rather toast here that freeze to death up there.’ They laughed easily together.

  It felt really weird standing on solid ground again after so long. Gareth wobbled a bit as he walked down the pier. There was a great commotion ahead and a strange party almost stumbled into sight. A giant fat man was being carried on a litter. The men carrying him looked to be in pain. They almost dropped him. Gareth smiled but stopped short of laughing at the pantomime.

  The man was fighting with his headdress made from brown woven grasses or palm fronds, and a strange coat made of feathers of many different colours. He threw himself on the ground in front of Gareth so hard he almost bounced back onto his feet.

  ‘Great Sea King you honour us with your presence, I am king Lulu, your humble vassal, I welcome you to my kingdom.’

  ‘Ah thank you very much Lulu, but please, you are a King, we are equals there is no need to humble yourself before me.’

  ‘It was not I who freed so many nations and their people from tyranny Sire it was you, I pledge to you my sincerity and loyalty and that of my people.’

  ‘Please stand.’

  It took a few of his men to lift him to his feet and Gareth could not help but laugh at the sand coloured grinning face and offered his hand. It was accepted and Gareth was pleased that the grip was a firm one.’

  They were taken to a large meetinghouse, Gareth was offered a lift in the chair but refused, he didn't think the bearers would be able to cope with his weight to. A big feast was very quickly thrown together. It took a lot of doing but Gareth managed to slip away for a while. He went back to the pier and found a good many men lying ill under the shade of the trees.

  He found Bob looking over the men, ‘what’s going on?’

  Bob shook his head, ‘it looks like long winters disease to me.’

  ‘How can that be, did they run out of food.’

  ‘No they ran out of vegetables and fruit, a few days will probably put them back on their feet.’

  He gathered the captains together and found a lack of sympathy for Bob’s conclusions; however Gareth knew better and roasted them. Some men had actually died during the passage. He knew what he had to do, these men would be useless in a fight. He found one of the Eagles and had them all returned home, but not to his kingdom, he had them return to the Eagle kingdom with a message for the Eagle king.

  Aswari’s king suddenly found himself hosting two great kings, tension between the two kings were high but no so between their people. Friends were greeted and bottle’s opened, it kicked off one hell of a party. Gareth and his father-in-law found a quiet corner.

  ‘You can’t run away forever Gareth.’

  Gareth eyed him coldly, ‘you knew, all this time you knew.’ The king opened his mouth then closed it again and Gareth was certain; he leaned forward, ‘I didn't want any of this, all in ever wanted was to be a good sword smith and find a nice woman to have a family with. Not really much to ask for when you look at life is it father?’

  ‘No Gareth I don’t suppose it is.’

  ‘Given my upbringing and where I was brought up, it’s as much as any man can hope for really, the best that any man can hope for. Of course some imagine themselves as great heroes, or political giants, even Great War Chieftains, but somehow that never really appealed to me. I only ever looked for my father’s approval on the work I was doing.’

  He raised his hands to the heavens, ‘now look at me, a great king at the far ends of the Earth. I have more wealth than you can throw a stick at. A huge kingdom with millions of subjects and children that can fly. Friends, I have been lucky with my friends, I even have two wives. A long way from a hovel on a hillside and some haggard bitch that grew old before her time nagging me about how much of the rations we didn't get or how much my brother’s wife got.’ Gareth smiled, ‘that's the kind of thing we would hear our mother complain about all the time.’

  Gareth took a drink and leaned back, ‘how lucky can one man be, I have to ask myself that father, I really do. That which I always sought is so far beyond my reach now I will never achieve it, yet I still have this burning desire to get up early in the morning and breathe in that pure air I took for granted all my childhood days. Light the fire in my forge and take a drink of water from the spring to clear the last of the sleep from my brain. To stoke the fire until its red hot then form same kind of magical sword that will become a legend in some heroes hand and carry my name into eternity as the best sword maker that ever lived.’

  The Eagle king found himself smiling, ‘I did find myself wondering what the child of a sword master dreamt of Gareth. Fame by proxy.’

  Gareth returned the smile, ‘aye it must seem simplistic to you.’

  ‘I used to dream of walking free from a cage one day, of stepping into the sunlight and flying for the very first time. I also had dreams of golden palaces, huge feasts and grand balls. Of being the master of all I observed and it has all came to pass because of you Gareth. I suppose I am as much to blame as my daughter and of course Leopold and Catherine. We saw in you a greatness Gareth that transcended your humble upbringing and have forced things on you that you did not want. I apologise for that, it was wrong of me, yet you have coped rather well with it all, your people love you and would follow you to the death even without your magic stick as you like to call it.’

  ‘Oh it isn’t hard coping with two women in my life, or the children, what it is hard to accept is the way it was done, I have been made a fool of, became a pawn of men and women of royalty. Am I a joke in your court, how many know of this? Of course what one Eagle knows all know, isn’t that the truth.’

  ‘It doesn’t work like that Gareth.’

  ‘I don’t fucking care how it works, I have been manipulated time and time again. I have been used by Melina and Catherine, you and Leopold and to what ends may I ask. Is it doing me any good, I don’t think so. I have freed your entire race and you reward me by going behind my back and conspiring against me. You are a true king father, that you have proved.’

  The Eagle king stood, ‘maybe we should talk again when you are calmer.’

  ‘Sit down.’ Gareth growled.

  The Eagle king felt a thrill run through him and was compelled to sit, ‘if you wish.’

  Gareth sat forward, ‘I had no wish to marry Catherine, none at all, it wasn’t who I was. My love for Melina was and is all consuming, every time I slept with Catherine my skin crawled, not because of her but because I thought I was betraying Melina somehow. Five years of guilt because of what they did and they didn't have the
decency to tell me. They have known how I have felt about it since the first day father, how I have hated myself, loathed myself for what I thought was my weakness. How I have punished myself for what I did to your daughter and now I find out it was she who did it to herself. You would be amazed by how many times I have given into her wishes against my own common sense because of the guilt I have felt or how many times she has played that particular card to get her own way. I am far beyond the point of being angry father and to be around them just now or to be manipulated by them would not be the safest thing for either of them. This is how it’s going to be from now on. I am going away for a while until I cool off. My sons will stay with my father and learn an apprenticeship. Any attempt to remove them will result in the deaths of any and all involved, that includes my wives, am I being understood.’

  ‘Yes perfectly.’

  ‘Good and if Leopold tries to remove his grandson I will descend upon him and his kingdom like the wrath of god, the same goes for you and your kingdom, am I being understood.’

  ‘Again perfectly.’

  ‘As for my wives, what will become of them depends entirely on their behaviour while I am away and I may be gone for a while. If I hear or learn of the slightest impropriety or indiscretion in my absence, divorce will be the least of their worries. They both have their daughters to keep them occupied and that should be enough. If they behave then they shall retain their positions and their husband, but things will be different when I return home. When I return home I will collect the boys to visit their mothers and if they are all very good I will let them stay the duration of the winter months. Now I must ask you if I have your support in this or not.’

  ‘You have it completely. I will also support your expedition into the unknown, I have better access to the fresh fruit you have asked for.’

  ‘Also command that my whereabouts will never be revealed to Melina. I will be severely pissed off if she should turn up one night against my wishes. I will get in touch with them when I am ready.’