by Callie Kanno
A flash of exasperation caused Adesina to scowl. “Of course I do,” she argued. “I could no more leave you to die than L’iam or E’nes or my father.”
Ravi studied her for a moment before saying, “I love you, too, Ma’eve.”
She grinned. “I did not say that.”
He returned the smile. “Yes, you did.”
Adesina shrugged and leaned back in her hammock. “Besides, Rissa would never forgive me if I allowed her beloved brother to come to harm.”
“There are legends,” Ravi began on a more serious note, “that tell of miraculous healing when a Rashad has Joined with a Serraf. It is said that their combined strength can accomplish what is impossible to do alone.”
Adesina mused over the possibilities. “Really?”
“So, in a way, you may be helping me to heal already.”
She laughed softly. “I think you are just trying to make me feel better, but I do not mind. Let us hope that those legends are true, and that we will both heal faster than what should be possible.”
Chapter Twenty-two: Landing
Adesina felt a cool hand touch her arm. She opened her eyes, expecting to see Faryl with another dose of herbal tea. Instead, she saw Suvi’s youthful face.
“I am sorry to wake you.”
The young queen smiled and shook her head. “Do not trouble yourself. I am glad to see you. You have been busy the past few days.”
Suvi’s bright smile lit across her face. “Yes, we have all been quite busy. Some of the crew says that it is a miracle that the ship does not fall apart, but Pa says that Zephyr will never fail us. Even so, she needed help getting to port.”
Adesina sat up. “Have we arrived?”
“Almost,” replied the teenage girl. “It will probably be another hour before we can disembark, but you can see the city from where we are.”
An hour. Adesina wanted to jump out of her hammock and begin gathering her things, but she knew that it would be foolish to prepare so early. She took a deep breath and reminded herself that she still had time.
“Have you ever been to Zonne before?” asked the L’avan.
Suvi nodded. “Oh, yes. We come here every year. There are special spices that can only be found in the desert, and merchants on other continents will pay dearly for them. The Zonnese will trade for almost anything, because there are so few natural resources on this continent.”
Adesina smiled at the girl’s knowledge of the world economy. Zonne was said to be the most desolate land in the world. One might find a small oasis here or there, but the majority of the land was an arid desert. Her Shimat instructors had explained this by its location. Zonne was the only landmass that could be found along the planet’s equator.
That is not the reason. Zonne was the location of the decisive battle during the Great Wars. The struggle was so great that the land died.
It was a passing thought in Ravi’s mind, but it seemed to take prominence in Adesina’s. Perhaps this was because it was new information to her.
Suvi went on, displaying even more of her trading knowledge. “Sehar really only trades in dyes. They supply their own food, and have no real interest in exotics. At least, none of the exotics that we trade. We pay for the dyes with money—along with any other supplies we buy—and then we sail to Zonne. Zonnese love the dyes we bring, since there is so little natural color in the landscape. There is also a demand for dried fruits and vegetables, goats, and a special type of stone that purifies water. We trade in all of those things.”
“What about other things, like silk or tools?”
Suvi waved a dismissive hand. “Those things are also in demand, but we do not trade in them. We dock in Joura during the stormy seasons, and from there we trade the Zonnese spices for coin and for the purifying stones. Then we sail back to Sehar, and begin the process again.”
Adesina smiled at her matter-of-fact tone. “How long do you stay in Joura?”
Her forehead wrinkled in thought. “A few weeks. After that we can safely sail west, and the storms have moved on.”
“Do you like it there?”
“In Joura?” Suvi leaned against the doorframe and crossed her arms. “I do not really know. Most of the crew will go ashore during that time, but a few of us just stay on the ship. Pa says it is safer than an inn. We make repairs, and find other ways to pass the time. There is a library in Joura’s port city, so Pa and I read a lot of books. We walk to the library together since it is not far from the docks.”
Adesina’s brow creased slightly. “Do you never go out, other than to borrow books? See the city?”
The teenage girl shrugged carelessly. “Pa and I have walked around once or twice. I am sure he would be happy to go with me anywhere. I just know that he does not care for life on land, and I do not mind staying on the ship with him.”
“Why is that?”
“His size does not matter on Zephyr,” she replied with simple honesty.
A distant call sounded on deck, and Suvi straightened with a sudden sense of urgency.
“We are arriving sooner than I expected. You should probably begin gathering your things.”
The L’avan felt her heart leap, and she immediately climbed out of her hammock. Suvi grasped her hand and held it tightly.
“Will I see you again?”
Adesina was startled by this pleading question. “I do not know, Suvi.”
Her big blue eyes were filled with eagerness. “I would like more time to talk with you. Will you be staying in Jame for long? We will be staying here while the ship is repaired.”
Adesina could not help but smile fondly. “I am sorry, Suvi, but we must leave right away. I do not know when we will be returning to Sehar.”
The disappointment was clear on her face. “Oh.”
The queen felt the urge to cheer up her new young friend. “The next time you are in Sehar, convince Satosh to take a vacation with you. Come and visit us at our L’avan settlement. I know your father does not care for life on land, but we would love to see both of you. And his size would not matter to us, just like when he is at sea.”
Suvi’s face brightened. “Where is the settlement?”
“About two weeks northwest of Emerald Harbor. I can draw you a map before we disembark.”
The girl could hardly contain her excitement. She squeezed Adesina’s hand and gave her an ecstatic grin. “We will come visit. I promise.”
The call from above sounded again, and Suvi gave a guilty start.
“I am shirking my duties. I must go, but do not leave without saying goodbye.”
She ran off, leaving Adesina to smile to herself as she gathered her belongings.
“That child has a rare soul.”
Ravi had been sitting quietly throughout the exchange, but now he also began to prepare for their departure.
“Yes,” agreed Adesina. “She is special.”
They will come to us someday.
The young queen turned to her guardian. “Was that your thought or mine?”
There was a pause before he replied, “I am not certain. Perhaps it was both of ours.”
It did not take long for Adesina to repack her saddlebags and to hoist them onto her shoulder. She climbed the stairs to the deck, and walked over to join the rest of her party. They all stood along the starboard railing, gazing at the city as they approached.
Jame was much larger than Emerald Harbor, and it was clearly more populated. The masses of people could easily been seen, and they seemed to push at each other from all sides. There were rows of palm trees that lined the streets, but no other plants could be seen. The buildings were all made out of the same brown clay, making them even more monotonous than the High City had been.
In contrast to the High City, the people were dressed in vibrant, many-hued fabrics. Suvi was clearly accurate in her description of the Zonnese desire for bright dyes. Many of them wore draping robes that consisted of no less than three different colors. A number of them wore turbans or
scarves on their heads, adding even more tones to their ensembles.
The crew of the Zephyr bustled about, preparing to bring the vessel into the harbor. Captain Zulimar was leaning over the side, shouting to a man in a rowboat that had pulled along the side of the ship.
Adesina did not recognize the language, but she assumed that it was one of the Zonnese dialects.
The man in the rowboat pointed to one of the docking stations, and Captain Zulimar waved in acknowledgement.
“We have been given permission to land,” he announced to the helmsman. “Take us into Number Twelve.”
The helmsman accordingly adjusted their heading, and began easing the ship into the docking station that the Zonnese man had specified.
Kendan appeared at Adesina’s side and gave a great sigh of relief. “I have never been so glad to see a city. It almost seems worth it to me to stay here in Zonne than to suffer through a return trip over that wretched ocean.”
She smiled at his joke. “You would not be happy here. You dislike extreme heat.”
He was surprised by her observation. “How would you know that?”
“We spent every day together for a year,” she reminded him. “The hottest days of summer were unpleasant for both of us. You, because you dislike heat, and me, because I was the recipient of your surly temper.”
“I was never surly,” defended Kendan.
Adesina gave a small laugh. “You were surly,” she maintained.
“It is the duty of every Shar to push their Shi to excel,” he said in a lofty tone. “Perhaps you are projecting your bad temper on me because I drove you so hard.”
“My other Shar also had a high standard of excellence, but they were always perfectly controlled. Why would I ‘project’ onto you and not onto them?”
He grimaced at her logic. “Psychology was never a strong subject for me.”
They smiled at one another and then turned their eyes back to the busy port city. Now that they were drawing closer, Adesina could see more of the details of the people and places.
It was a diverse place, just as Emerald Harbor was, but the Zonnese were clearly the dominant ethnicity. They all had dark hair and skin the color of cinnamon, but their eyes seemed to have a wide variety of shades. They walked on sandaled feet, apparently disdaining to ride any sort of animal. There were horses, camels and donkeys used by the other inhabitants of Jame, but none of the native Zonnese chose to use them.
There appeared to be an open market set up right on the dock. Some merchants chose to land their ships and then set up shop right there. There was a great deal of shouting as the merchants tried to attract customers, which added to the clamor that already existed.
The Zephyr pulled into harbor, and ropes were thrown down to the dockworkers to tie her off. The gangplank was lowered, and Captain Zulimar had the honor of being the first to descend.
A grizzled man in vibrant robes of blue, green, yellow and orange walked up to the captain and embraced him warmly. They kissed each other on each cheek and spoke a few fond words.
The Zonnese man turned to look at the vessel. “Eh! What happened to your lady of the water? She has had better days, no?”
Captain Zulimar’s dark face was somber. “You should have seen her a few days ago, Meerca. I am blessed that she made it this far.”
“What great misfortune has befallen you?”
“An aekuor.”
“Eh! How is it you survived?”
“Only by the mercy of the gods, and with the help of some new friends.”
The two men walked off, leaving the ship in the hands of the crew. Satosh immediately took over, shouting orders and supervising the unloading of their merchandise.
Suvi could be seen running back and forth, following the instructions issued by her father. She kept looking in the direction of the L’avan, and it was clear that she dearly wanted to speak to them before they disembarked.
“Our horses are being unloaded,” remarked Mar’sal. “I will go check on them.”
He was followed by Than’os, Kendan and Maizah. Faryl tried to join them, but she was accosted by one of her burly admirers.
“Yeh know, life at sea ain’t always rough. I would be good to ya, treat ya like gold. Yeh sure ya don’ want to stay on with me?”
Adesina suppressed a smile as she turned away from the tender scene. Satosh beckoned for her to come closer, and she did so readily.
“Captain said he would be back soon, and he would like to speak to you before you go.”
“Very well.”
Satosh leaned against a staff he was holding in his hand. “You know, I have learned enough about history to believe that there is no such thing as coincidence.”
She cocked an eyebrow. “Oh?”
He gave a decisive nod. “If you look at the seemingly chaotic events of the world over the course of time, patterns begin to emerge. I am not saying that I believe in fate, but I do believe in human nature and the mercy of the gods.”
Adesina smiled warmly at his uncomplicated faith. Life seemed so simple through his eyes. “What has brought this up?”
“I am an unimportant man, and my role in this life is modest. I have never been part of any historic event, nor do I anticipate that I ever will. I do not mind, really. There is nothing wrong in leading a simple life.”
His eyes swept out over the azure waves of the ocean, and his expression became distant. “This voyage may not be recounted in history books, but it has changed the way I see my life. For whatever reason, the gods saw fit to send you to us. Because you were with us, we were able to escape destruction from the aekuor.”
Satosh returned his direct gaze to the young woman standing before him. “I never thought my life mattered much to anyone, but the gods value it enough to have sent you to save it. I have come to realize that each of us matter more than we imagine.”
Adesina felt her heart swell, and she knew the truth of his statement.
“Some may argue that the only reason you were on the Zephyr was to get to Zonne, and it just happened to be during that time that we were attacked. After all, the risk is high for those of us who choose to brave the sea. But, I do not agree with such thoughts. I do not know why you are journeying so far from your home, but we were brought together because we needed each other. There is no coincidence in that.”
Satosh extended his hand to her, and she grasped it in her own.
“A bond is created between people when they experience such things together. I will not forget that you saved my life, and the life of my daughter.”
Unexpected emotions brought tears to Adesina’s eyes. She was still trying to find the words to speak when they were approached by Captain Zulimar.
His brawny form was still daunting to behold, and his dark skin shone in the sunlight. Yet, on his face was a humble and kind expression that dispelled any apprehension.
“I have not had the opportunity to properly thank you, Mistress Adesina. You have saved my crew and my ship. To a man like me, that is everything.”
The L’avan was beginning to feel a bit embarrassed at all the attention she was receiving. “I cannot express how grateful I am that you were willing to take on passengers. You may feel that we have rendered you a great service, but that the service you have rendered us is greater.”
A wide smile broke across his face, and he shook his head. “I cannot agree with you, but I will not start an argument.”
The three of them laughed freely.
The captain reached up and removed a pendant from around his neck. It was a long oval, roughly the size of Adesina’s little finger, and it hung on a thin silver chain. It was elaborately decorated with symbols and etched designs, none of which were recognizable to the L’avan.
“In Lotannir, my homeland, we are given these pendants when we come of age. Each one is unique, as is each Lotanniri who receives it. When someone does a mighty deed, such as saving a life, it is our custom that the recipient of the deed give them their pe
ndant—to show that their honor and identity has been preserved through that act.”
Captain Zulimar reverently placed the pendant around Adesina’s neck.
“You have given all of us the gift of life, and we will never be able to repay such a deed.”
She wasn’t sure what custom required her to say, so she simply stated, “I am honored to wear this pendant.”
The captain smiled again. “If you are ever in need of a vessel, the Zephyr stands ready at your call.”
“Thank you,” she said sincerely.
The two men walked away to continue their duties, and Suvi took the opportunity to dart up to Adesina and embrace her.
“Promise me that we will see each other again.”
The young queen laughed breathlessly. “I do not know if I can keep that promise, Suvi, but I will certainly try.”
“I will look for you every time we are in Emerald Harbor,” vowed the girl, her blue eyes wide and solemn.
“Be safe in the meantime,” admonished Adesina.
A conflicting mixture of sadness and anticipation swirled within Adesina’s chest. She had grown quite fond of her new friends aboard Zephyr, but she was eager to continue her journey to rescue L’iam.
Suvi gave her hand a squeeze and recited the traditional farewell of those who traveled the sea. “May fair winds fill your sails.”
***
It seemed to L’iam that he had only closed his eyes for a moment, but when he opened them again he was far from where he had been standing.
The forests of Pevothem had been replaced by the rolling sands of an endless desert. The air shimmered with heat and the smell of dust and lifelessness filled his nostrils.
“Where are we, Father?” he asked in bewilderment.
There was no answer.
L’iam looked around and realized that he was completely alone.
“Father?”
King L’unn was nowhere to be seen.
L’iam had not expected to have a constant companion through this trial, but he was surprised to find himself in solitude so abruptly.
