Paying the Price

by Julia P. Lynde

  By mid-afternoon, I couldn't have judged whether the other ships would catch us before dark. The cabin boys came by, handing out food. "Dareena, I left the sheets hanging up to dry."

  She said something to Francis who answered her. "Francis took care of it," she said. "He rewashed your original tunic and breeches; they grew musty. Everything is down below drying off. They will be returned tomorrow."

  "Thank you."

  She nodded.

  By late afternoon, I could see the hulls of both ships. They were still quite a ways off, but I didn't think we would make it until dark.

  "Dareena," I said. "Why hasn't Tendaria used battle magic in the war? I've been in several skirmishes, and in none of them has any magic been used."

  "That is a state secret," she said. "I won't answer questions like that."

  "If it's because you can't, then it perhaps might also mean that those ships aren't expecting battle magic to be used and may not have any means to counteract it."

  She turned to look at me. "This is a moot conversation."

  "Is it? Why am I wearing this amulet if I have no magic?"

  She laughed. "As if you would use your magic against your own ships. You want them to catch us."

  "Remove the amulet and the collar and I will disable both ships. Then you set me on a life raft and sail away. You can save everyone aboard. I can go home and confront my betraying sister. Everyone wins. Well, except my sister."

  "I am sorry, but I must decline your offer. I have a counter offer."

  "Oh, do tell."

  "If you vow to accept the collar and amulet afterwards, I will allow you to disable the ships and we sail away with you."

  "You would trust me not to sink us?"

  "If you vowed on your honor, yes."

  I thought about what she was implying. "Interesting offer. I must decline. You shouldn't trust me, anyway."

  "You would violate your oath?"

  "Why not? You did."

  She was silent for a while, and we went back to watching the other ships. Fifteen minutes later, they were noticeably closer. "Could you really disable them?"

  "Honestly? I don't know. It is a significant distance over salt water. I've never tried to use magic on the open sea. I also wouldn't know what to do."

  "Disabling their rudders would be sufficient."

  The next time the first mate drew close, Dareena talked to him for a moment, and he handed her a spyglass. She studied both ships for a time then handed the spyglass back to the mate.

  "May I see?"

  She looked at me.

  "I have been polite all afternoon. What would it hurt?"

  She nodded and talked to the mate. He handed me the spyglass. I extended it and peered through it.

  It was a trick to use it on the rolling deck of the ship, but I grew used to it after a few moments. I studied the nearest ship.

  "Oh, what do you know?" I said. "That ship is the Enigma."

  Dareena took the spyglass back from me and looked at the ship. "I don't see a name. It would only be on the stern."

  "Do you see the captain?"

  "It is way too far away to recognize the captain from here."

  "Do you see the unusual hat he is wearing? That is Mindo Grayson. I've known him all my life, and I've never seen him without that hat. He is a very experienced captain. Granted, he was a merchant captain before the war. Maybe he doesn't know how to conduct a sea battle."

  "Would he recognize you?"

  "Not at this distance, as you say. Not even much closer unless he has reason to expect me."

  "But if we were in hailing distance, then yes?"

  "Then yes. I would make a good ransom."

  She didn't respond. We continued to run from the Norinian ships, but it was clear we would be in cannon range long before dark.

  "You are going to lose, Captain," I said. "You can negotiate your surrender terms with me."

  She turned to look at me. "If you have any offers that get you to your trial, I will consider them."

  "You are awfully single minded."

  "You are awfully cheerful compared to earlier."

  There was a cry from the crow's nest. Dareena smiled. "We haven't lost yet."

  She didn't offer to elaborate.

  "Are you going to make me ask?"

  She didn't respond.

  "Captain, why haven't we lost?"

  "Because the lookout reports land."

  "Tendaria?"

  "Possibly Norinia, but more likely the Marsh of Neebo. I haven't taken a sighting since this morning, but I was aiming for the marsh."

  "Another fifty miles and you could have run us aground in Tendaria, perhaps made it to the port at Terini."

  "Yes. What bad luck."

  At that, the Enigma fired from one of its bow chaser cannon's. I couldn't even see where the ball landed.

  "That seemed silly," I said.

  "He is just saying 'hello'." Dareena turned to me. "It is time for you to go below."

  "Please let me stay."

  "It is too dangerous. Your life is too valuable. And yes, I recognize the irony."

  "The stern most cabin is going to be distinctly safer?"

  "You will be hiding in the safe locker. It will protect you from all but a direct cannon ball strike."

  "You're going to lock me in a closet for the next several hours?"

  "I'm sorry."

  I eyed the other ships. "You won't consider surrender?"

  "No."

  "You have time to tell me your plan at least."

  "We are shallower than they are. There are countless shoals off the Marsh of Neebo. Maybe they'll run aground. If not, and we can't escape, I'll drive the ship to shore. You and I will flee inland while my men draw them off in another direction."

  I started to laugh. "You have never been to the Marsh of Neebo. It is, well, a Marsh. There is no inland. If you wreck us there, the only way to leave is by boat. Plan accordingly. Where is the safe locker?"

  "Follow," she said. She headed to the ladder leading from the poop back to the main deck. I followed behind her, taking one last glance at the pursuing ships. It would be a fight soon.

  She entered the passageway to her cabin but stopped at the first door on the right. She held it open for me. It was an exceedingly thick door of solid timber. She ushered me in.

  "Please don't lock me in here."

  "I am sorry. Get in."

  Meekly I stepped past her. There was a small bench. I sat down on it.

  "Meorie, you will remain in this room with the door closed until someone comes to get you, the fighting has clearly stopped, or you are in immediate danger of drowning. You will take all precaution with your own safety. If you leave this cabin and are not in my company, you will make all effort to travel to the palace in Rendarin and present yourself to the guards. Do you understand?"

  I hung my head. "Yes."

  She pulled a watertight satchel from inside her tunic. "Meorie, you will keep this safe. Put it inside your tunic and do not lose it." I had no choice but was forced to do as she said. "You will leave it there until I ask for it back or until you present it to the queen in Rendarin."

  "It's the treaty?"

  "Yes."

  "It's real?"

  "Yes."

  She began to close the door. "Please don't leave me here, Dareena." I paused. "I will cooperate."

  She stopped closing the door and looked at me. "Why would you offer that?"

  "The worst is not knowing. Not knowing what will happen during this battle. Not knowing what will happen at the trial. Not knowing if you have been lying to me. Not knowing if my sister is suffering for what she has done, if you aren't lying. Not knowing how you will execute me." I paused. "Not to mention, this is a jail cell. I haven't been convicted of anything yet." I smiled wanly. "Will my time in here count towards my punishment after the trial, along with my tortures earlier?"

  She offered a small laugh. "I am truly sorry."

  Then
she closed the door.

  "Dareena! Please!" I said to the closed door. There was no response. I banged my hands against it several times, but she had forbidden me opening the door.

  I slumped in the dark.

  * * *

  A while later, there was cannon fire. I felt the ship maneuvering, changing direction. I wondered if people were dying.

  It seemed like perhaps there was a lot of firing with little effect. We would maneuver, and then I would hear the cannons, and then we maneuvered again.

  The door was thick. I couldn't hear any yelling or screaming. I couldn't tell if any of the noises I heard were of cannon fire ripping through the Ysura Martani.

  I hoped Captain Grayson remained unhurt. He had been kind to me as a child.

  I truly didn't know how I wanted this battle to end. I would have liked Dareena to surrender, but it was clear if she had any way of getting me to her home, she was going to do it. Surrender didn't seem in the cards unless it was her last choice.

  Then there was a loud groaning noise, and the ship heeled dramatically to starboard. After a moment, the grinding stopped, and we popped back to level.

  But something had changed. I couldn't tell what it was, but our motion in the water was different.

  When we were hit by a broadside of cannon, the sounds were obvious. Then our motion resumed, although sluggishly.

  We were hit twice more. I wondered who was still alive.

  There was another grinding sound, and all our motion stopped. The ship began listing heavily to starboard again, and the grinding sound came and went. I heard surf smashing into the ship, and it felt like perhaps we were being beaten against a large rock.

  The locker door opened. It was Dareena. "Meorie, thank the gods. Come quickly."

  Obediently I followed her.

  Due to the list of the ship, it was difficult walking. I had to brace myself on the sides of the passageway. Dareena led me to the main deck of the ship, offering me a hand to steady myself. I looked around.

  The masts were down and fouled. I saw a dozen dead or dying sailors. To the right, I saw the railing of the ship buried below the surging seawater. Looking across the water in the distance I saw land, perhaps a half mile away.

  Everything was chaos.

  "Hurry, Princess! They're coming back."

  "They would fire on us?"

  "Of course. We make good target practice now."

  "That's barbaric!"

  "That's war. A war you started."

  "I do not accept responsibility for the choices of others."

  "Now is not the time to argue." She grabbed my arm and pulled me along the deck. "Can you swim?"

  "Yes."

  "Jump!"

  We jumped together landing with a pair of splashes in the water. I was immediately pulled under for a moment, but bobbed to the surface. I thought about kicking off my boots, but I was sure I was going to want them.

  Dareena grabbed some flotsam and pushed it to me, keeping some for herself. I hung on, bobbing in the water. She clutched at me. "You will swim for that bit of beach. If you get there before I do, you will wait for me. If I do not make it, you will head to the palace in Rendarin. Do you understand?"

  "Yes."

  It was a long swim. We stayed together. Other crewmen swam with us, some faster, some slower. Dareena helped none of them. Her only focus was on getting the two of us to land.

  "Shouldn't we help them?"

  "There are others to offer help," she said. "Keep swimming."

  Behind us, the Norinian ships sent several more broadsides into the hull of the Ysura Martani. Twice we were peppered with shrapnel, but neither of us was hurt. Our safety improved as we swam further away.

  "Will they send long boats to rescue us?"

  "I wouldn't," she said.

  "Will they send marines to kill us?"

  "Why bother? The swamp will do it for them."

  Then something exploded on the dying ship behind us. Something -- I didn't see what -- flew through the air and glanced off Dareena's head. She slumped and began to slip under the water.

  I grabbed for her. I got a hand twisted in her clothes and pulled her above the water, then I grabbed the flotsam she'd been hanging onto and pulled it under her.

  "Dareena!" I yelled, shaking her. "Dareena!"

  There was no response. But when I checked, she was breathing.

  I thought about letting her sink. None of my orders involved saving her life. I could let her sink. I looked around, and none of the sailors was close. No one would see if I let her go.

  I held onto her and tugged her to the beach with me.

  Stranded

  We made it to the beach. It was a small, narrow strip of sand. I imagined in the highest tides, it might be completely underwater. I pulled Dareena clear of the water and collapsed in the sand next to her. I checked her breathing and she seemed okay.

  I lied next to her for a time. A few of the sailors were already lying exhausted in the sand around us, and two more emerged from the water a short while after Dareena and I had reached shore.

  Darkness fell, and none of us was moving.

  There was a three quarters moon offering some light. I sat up and checked on Dareena. She was unchanged.

  I looked at the moon, and I looked at the waves crashing against the shore. I decided the tide was going out but was near low tied. I couldn't tell how high the water would come, so I dragged Dareena higher from the water. No one offered to help me.

  The Marsh of Neebo is a section of land along the coast between Norinia and Tendaria. It is only about fifty miles wide along the coast and forty miles deep, but it is all marsh. Beaches like this were rare. It was impossible to travel by land through the marsh, only by boat.

  The coastline of the Marsh of Neebo was dominated by mangrove swamps. The beach we were on was a rare occurrence. I walked up the beach and discovered we were on a little spit of land, but everywhere I looked was either the open sea or a mangrove swamp.

  I walked up and down the beach, collecting any of the wreckage that looked useful. I even threw any driftwood I found further up the sand; we may want firewood. I didn't find much that was useful, but there were three jugs that turned out to contain fresh water. Those I carried back and set next to Dareena.

  Some of the men perked up at sight of the water. "Do any of you speak Norinian?" I asked.

  They all looked at me blankly.

  I crouched down near Dareena and said clearly, "Captain," pointing to her. Then "Princess," pointing to her, then "Princess" again, pointing to me. I set the jugs leaning against Dareena and said again, "Captain."

  I hoped they understood. She was in charge. If she woke up. And if they drank the water, I would tell her.

  I continued to prowl the beach, pulling things from the water, discarding almost all of them, checking on Dareena periodically. She didn't wake up. On the other hand, the men left the water alone. I wondered how long that would last.

  I wondered if there was any way to make a fire. I wondered if we wanted one.

  I found a wooden mug. I took it back to Dareena.

  The men were watching me. I wondered if they had seen me pull her from the water. They had certainly seen me drag her further up the beach. I checked on her. No change. I grabbed one of the jugs of water, used a tiny amount to rinse out the mug, then gave myself a small drink. After that I went around to the men, giving each of them a small drink.

  Several of them used a word. I didn't recognize it. I presumed it meant thank you.

  When everyone on the beach had had a drink, I set the jug back next to Dareena and settled down next to her.

  I grew tired. I collected the jugs and set them against Dareena's back, then I curled up and cuddled the combination of small captain and water jugs. I was asleep almost instantly.

  Sometime in the early morning, she woke. I woke with her. I checked. No one had stolen any of the water jugs. I checked on Dareena.

  "Good morning," I tol
d her. "Did you have a nice nap?"

  She rolled over to look at me, bumping against the jugs. She said something in Tendarian.

  "I hope you remember Norinian, Dareena, or we are going to have a difficult time negotiating my release."

  She blinked and looked at me. "Meorie?" She sat up and looked around, holding her head.

  "I recognize that look," I said.

  "What did you do to me?"

  "Me? Why are you blaming me?"

  "What are all these between us?"

  "Water jugs. I put them there so I would wake up if anyone tried to steal them."

  She looked around. The men were all asleep. It was just growing light in the east. The moon had set some time ago. "What happened?"

  "You got knocked out. I dragged you to shore." I gave her a summary.

  "You could have let me drown."

  "I could. I didn't. I will be heading north."

  She looked at me sadly. "Do you still have the satchel?"

  I thumped my chest. "Yes."

  "Please give it to me."

  I pulled it out of my tunic and handed the satchel to her. She looked it over. I hadn't disturbed it, but it had been in the water a long time. I had no idea if it had remained water tight. She looked at it dubiously.

  "Not my fault," I told her. "You told me to jump."

  "My head hurts," she said.

  "Welcome to my world," I told her. I gave her a drink of water.

  She sat quietly for a while. Then she turned to me. "I'm sorry."

  "I don't blame you for the shipwreck. Tendaria is that way." I pointed south. "Norinia is that way." I pointed north. "If you'll remove this collar and amulet, I will be on my way as soon as I can figure out how to build a boat. If you ask nicely, I'll help you build one, too. I just want one jug of the water."

  "Meorie, I am sorry."

  "You're not going to let me go."

  "I'm sorry."

  "You owe me. I saved your life. I could have let you drown, but I didn't. The collar would have released me. I was bound to you, not to anyone else. I would be free now."

  "I know. I'm sorry."

  I stared at her. "You are an honorless, evil bitch. I hope your soul rots."