by Jeff Kish
“Three reasons,” she says. “First, you can bet smugglers will know whether the military has recently increased inspections to find Di. Second, are you willing to leave your Allerian friend behind? Because she tends to draw attention in close quarters. Third, a normal transport vessel will have a lot of passengers, and it’s not uncommon for military officers to use civilian transport.”
Era raises his eyebrows. “Oh, those are good reasons.”
“We’ve gotten this far, but Canterin will be a different story,” she states. “They know she’s headed there. It was in the initial information.” She studies Di and says, “Come to think of it, do you always wear your hair like that?”
Di runs her hand through her long, blond hair. “Yes, it’s been a while since I’ve gotten it cut. Why?”
“The town guards might have descriptions of what you look like. Let me cut it off.”
“N-No way!” Di grabs her hair and runs behind Era. “Can’t I just tie it up?”
Fire sighs. “Fine, whatever. But if the guards spot you in the crowd because of it, I’m running up to claim your bounty.”
Era pats Di’s head, reassuring her. “Don’t worry. If that happens, I’ll come to your rescue!”
Di gives him an appreciative look. She finds some long grass, ties her hair into a ponytail, and looks to Fire with a triumphant grin. “Look better?”
She shrugs her indifference. “You ready to go?”
The young girl looks down over the city, nervous to be separated from her guardians for so long. “Tonight… tonight!” she whispers, encouraging herself with the hope of returning home.
Fire and Era creep closer to the road, remaining hidden while muttering to each other as various passers-by come and go. They scrutinize every traveler that happens past them, taking their time in selecting a good candidate to be Di’s adoptive family. The girl’s anxiety nearly turns to boredom by the time Era beckons for her to join them.
“See that family headed this way?” Era asks as he points up the path for Di to see.
“The one with the two kids?”
“That’s them,” Fire confirms. “Just run out of the woods and act like you’re trying to catch up to them. People will assume you were relieving yourself.”
Di nods, but her feet refuse to move. Fire unsympathetically gives the girl a hard shove, sending her careening out onto the road. Di shoots Fire a dirty look before jogging to catch up to her cover family.
Era is impressed at Di’s ability to get close. “She did a good job.”
Fire nods. “Now we wait and see if she gets in.”
The two watch the gate closely for activity as Di and her ‘family’ approach the town. Her blond ponytail is easy to pick out, and they each feel relief when she makes it well into the city and out of sight.
Era sits back and rests against the ground, his arms propping him up. “Guess I’m next, huh?”
Fire sits cross-legged next to Era. “We wait another few minutes, naturally. But if she can get in, we should all be able to get in. The brat and Allerian were the only ones who had any real description when they explained the job. All they knew of you was your earth shaping.”
Era glances at Fire, who has taken to drawing patterns in the sand to pass the time, and he smirks at the sight of a dangerous assassin doing something so juvenile. “So do you think it will be difficult getting into Canterin?”
“You tell me. Surely you and the ice queen had a plan for this part.”
Era sheepishly scratches his head. “We’ve been taking it one step at a time. Can’t say we’ve ever had a plan for that part of it. Or any of it, for that matter.”
“I’d be upset if that was the least bit surprising.” Continuing with her sketching, she says, “Canterin won’t be easy, especially since we don’t know why they’re after her. If it’s a family affair, they may already have her rich daddy locked up, so even if we get in there’s no guarantee we’ll be able to claim any reward money.”
Era hadn’t considered that possibility. “We’ll figure something out. Reward money aside, we-”
“There is no ‘reward money aside’,” Fire loudly interrupts. “You may be attached to the runt and want to see her get home safely, but all I care about is my cut. The ice queen feels the same way.”
“Look, I know that we’re not doing this out of the goodness of our hearts,” he sternly says. “But we owe it to her to-”
“We owe her nothing.”
“Would you let me finish a thought!?” Era shouts as his body tenses. “You may have a complete emotional detachment from anything that moves, but that’s not who I am, okay? All you care about is self-preservation.”
“Self-preservation is what keeps you alive,” Fire argues as she stands and tries to get in Era’s face, but she’s too short so she awkwardly backs up. “You’re too naïve and it’s going to get you killed.”
“How exactly am I naïve?”
“Would you stop and think about things for once?” she harshly replies. “The military… the Valvoran military wants Di, and they want you too. You think that will change once you drop her off? They’ll go to Canterin and capture her again, and they’ll leave the two million venni bounty on you and the ice queen for the rest of your miserably short lives.” She sits back down with a huff, fuming over Era’s lack of foresight. “And none of that is my concern. Once she’s in Canterin, I’m out.”
Era slowly sits, reeling from the reality Fire so brutally unloaded. He really had been naïve to think that Canterin was the end goal. Somehow he just figured Di would be safe at home, and laying low for a while would allow them to return to their normal lives. He wonders if such a thing is even possible at this point.
Fire is surprised by the silence. “Did you not consider any of that? What amateurs.”
Clenching his fist, Era forces himself to stop thinking about it. “All we can do is keep moving forward a step at a time. It’s gotten us this far.” He heads toward the road and mutters, “See you inside.”
Fire watches Era as he ducks into the moving crowds. “Complete emotional detachment, huh?” She wipes away her doodles and lies on her back, staring through the tree branches at the sky above as Galen’s words from last night echo in her mind.
* * *
Kemplen is far and away the largest of any town the group has visited along the way. As Di wanders aimlessly through the streets, she finds the port town atmosphere floods her with nostalgia for her hometown. Taking a deep breath, she closes her eyes and enjoys the smell of the seaside city, allowing the memories of her childhood to come flowing into her mind. Her time at the Academy had been one of devotion to her studies and refinement of her abilities. She had barely given her home a second thought, and now she’s returning under such awful circumstances. Despite what she knows will be a difficult finale to her journey, she wells up with tears at the hope of returning home.
Wiping her eyes, she wonders how long she’s been wandering around town. Though it has certainly not been two hours, she decides to locate the designated rendezvous point. The lighthouse is easily visible, towering over the other buildings, and it apparently doubles as an inn. Di has seen soldiers patrolling around the city, but nothing out of the ordinary for a port town. She wonders if taking the sky boat really did throw the military off. Glancing skyward, she marvels at how high they must have flown on their way here. She’s surprisingly envious Era got a private ride with a view last night, though the thought of another flight makes her shudder.
Before she knows it, she finds herself at the tower. Situated just off the beach, it sports a small but busy courtyard with wooden tables and chairs. To her surprise, Era is already sitting at a table, quietly sipping a drink. As she walks up to him, he finishes his water and sets the empty glass on the table. “You’re early!”
“You too. Guess Fire’s going to be mad, huh?”
Era shrugs and leans back in his chair. “She’ll be fine. By now she’s used to us not listening.”
A breeze comes across the water, bringing the smell of the sea along with it. Era closes his eyes to take it in, clearly enjoying it. “Have I told you I’m from a port city as well?”
Her eyes light up. “Which one?”
“Demantura,” he proudly replies.
“On the other side of the lake?” she recalls. “What was your childhood like?”
“As normal as possible when your dad is so famous! Though I guess he wasn’t famous until I was ten or so, at which point we had to leave town to protect ourselves. Mom was never happy about that.” His eyes soften as his mind wanders to the past. “We moved from Demantura to the outskirts of Maaman, where my father became really famous, and he provided for us while I grew up. I set out on my own a couple years ago, wanting to follow in his footsteps.” He looks at Di with a grin. “And what about you? What was your childhood like? I assume it was more normal than mine.”
Di leans on the table and looks over the sea. “I’m the daughter of a mayor of a wealthy town, so I probably haven’t had a normal life either. But it was good. Daddy always took care of me, even after my mother passed away.” She glances to their meeting landmark. “There’s a tower like this in Canterin called the Lidoran Lighthouse. Since I was seven years old, whenever I was upset with Daddy, I would run into it and hide. There were stairs leading all the way up with windows that overlooked the sea. I would relish a moment of self-pity before going back home.” Saddened, she adds, “I did that when Daddy told me I was going to the Academy. I didn’t want to go!”
“So why did he send you? Was it because of your air shaping?”
Di’s eyes sparkle as she speaks. “Part of it was to develop my natural talent, but there’s also a large market in port towns for runes, since ships benefit so much from them. Daddy knew he would get old and step down from being mayor one day, and he wanted to set me up so I could provide for myself.” She folds her arms with a huff. “But I was twelve! Do you think a twelve-year-old would understand that? I barely understand it now, and I’m almost fourteen!”
Era places his hands behind his head and leans back. “Maybe you’ll understand when you’re actually fourteen. I think your dad did a very good thing for you. One day you’ll realize that.”
The small girl nods, but she remains sad. “You would think he’d at least visit me now and again. I haven’t seen him in almost two years! But I guess it’s hard for a mayor to leave a big town like that.”
“Well, you’ll get to berate him for that soon enough. Maybe even tonight!” Era happily exclaims. Di takes a deep breath, trying not to get too excited by the thought.
Covered in mud from head to toe, Jem storms up to Era like she’s ready to smack him.
Her partner looks her over. “What happened to you?”
“Don’t ask!” Jem barks as she drops her bag and grabs a seat. Withdrawing a brush, she pulls at her matted hair, trying in vain to detangle it.
Di snidely remarks, “But Jem, you wanted a challenge!”
“Not in the mood, Di,” Jem grunts as she continues her work. Era leans forward and touches the larger dirt smudges, shaping the mud and effectively sucking it to his hand, leaving a wet spot behind. Jem gives him an appreciative nod as he continues to clean.
“What in the NAME of…?” Fire storms furiously up to the group, slamming her hands on the table while trying unsuccessfully to keep her voice low. “Of all the idiotic, amateurish, GREEN things to do! What did we just discuss about being seen together!?”
Era glances around sheepishly. “But, this was the rendezvous-”
“And you’re shaping in public, you moron!” She swings her arms and points all around the deck. “Could you not sit at different tables?”
“They’re all full!” Era complains.
Fire clenches her fists, actively resisting the temptation to punch him. “You are the most incompetent bunch! Why can’t I be tracking you instead of trying in vain to protect you!?”
Jem smugly grins, enjoying Fire’s exasperation, but Era decides to change the subject so as not to create a scene. “So? Did you find us a boat?”
“No, I didn’t.” Resigning herself to the group’s clustering, she sits with no small amount of annoyance. “Almost everyone was willing to talk price, but the cheapest came in at eight thousand. Eight!”
Era sighs. “We definitely don’t have that much.”
“And even if we did, there’s no telling whether our reward money would be worth that kind of expense,” Fire complains. “We’ll have to wait for another group of ships to dock. Hopefully one of them is willing to negotiate.”
“Why not just stow away?” Jem asks.
“Sneaking on is easy enough, but what about when the ship is inspected at Canterin?” Fire challenges. With disdain, she asks, “Do you ever think ahead, or do you just do whatever creeps into that tiny brain of yours?”
“You arrogant, low-life scum!” Jem snarls. “You think you’re so smart, yet look how many times we’ve had to bail you out of trouble.”
“You haven’t bailed me out of anything!” Fire argues, meeting Jem’s gaze. “I’m constantly bailing you out of your terrible decisions.”
“Era and I did fine on our own before you joined up, so our ideas must not be all that bad.”
“How would you even know which ship is going to Canterin!?”
“Well, that ship is going to Canterin,” Di interjects, pointing toward the harbor.
Everyone’s eyes fall on the largest ship docked, complete with three sails and a quarterdeck. The crew is loading crates clearly marked “OBELITE”. Apparently the hold below deck is full, because they’re tying several boxes to the central mast.
“Runes are one of Canterin’s biggest exports,” Di explains. “No other town on the Lidoran Sea would need that much obelite. At the very least, it’s bound to stop in Canterin eventually.”
Jem frowns. “Why would they mark the crates so clearly and store them on the deck? Do they want to get boarded by pirates?”
“That’s our ship,” Fire announces with confidence. Everyone is surprised by the declaration, and she explains, “That ship is large enough that they won’t be finished unloading by nightfall. Inspections will keep them overnight, and we’ll sneak off once the crew is asleep.”
“Why not wait and see if we can find a ship we know is going to Canterin?” Era asks. “Maybe one that won’t charge us eight thousand?”
“We can’t wait around,” Jem replies. “The military is closing in, right?”
Era glances around. “Yeah… about that. There aren’t many soldiers here. I’m not even sure it was necessary for Di to tie her hair up like that.”
Jem glares at Fire. “Are you saying I snuck in for nothing?”
“It was precautionary. We had no idea what we were going to find,” she says in defense. “It takes active effort to keep the military off the scent.”
“The military doesn’t have a clue where we are,” Jem insists. “We lost them, if they were ever even on our trail.”
Fire sneers but holds her tongue. ‘They’re closer than you think.’
“Okay, I’m in,” Era says. “It’s best if we keep moving, and the worst thing that can happen is we end up at another city. Then we just board another ship. That would really throw the military for a loop.”
“I know I’m the one who suggested this,” Jem says, “but how are we going to sneak onto a ship, anyway?”
Fire nods her head toward to the harbor. “Just a few crewmen are loading the last of the crates. Seems like the rest of the crew are going off to eat one last meal before departing.”
Jem looks at Era with uncertainty. “It won’t be easy.”
“What part of this journey has been easy?” Era pointedly asks. Still, he looks to the ship in excitement, ready for the next part of the adventure.
Chapter 15
Jem quietly hurries down the stairs to where her three companions are waiting, and she preemptively clamps her
hand over Era’s mouth to prevent him from loudly proclaiming success. The lower deck of the ship is cold and dark, lit only by a few lanterns located along the hallway. The ship slowly rocks in the mild harbor waves, and the hull’s creaking effectively masks the group’s noises as they look for a hiding place.
Eventually, Fire beckons back to the companionway, and they descend into the cargo hold. The hold spans the entire length of the ship, poorly lit by a single lantern hung from the far wall. The crates that were loaded are roped together and fill half the room.
Jem doesn’t like what she sees. “They’re loading cargo up top when the hold is this empty? That’s a strange thing to do, isn’t it?”
Era scratches his head. “I don’t know how ships work. Maybe they didn’t want to lower them all down?”
Fire walks toward the back, looking up to the closed hatch used to load from above. “I think we’re safe down here. I’m sleeping.”
“A-Are you serious?” Era stammers.
“Do you have any idea how many hours of sleep I’ve had these past days?” she challenges. “Do not get yourselves caught. Stay hidden until nightfall, then we’ll sneak off the vessel. With any luck, we’ll be safely in Canterin.” With that, she heads to the back, looking for a place to lie down in private.
Di sits down, and Jem notices she doesn’t look so good. “You grew up in a port town. Don’t you have sea legs?”
The girl shoots Jem a nasty look. “I’ll be fine! I’m still unsettled from the sky boat ride.”
“Hopefully so, because it’s going to be a lot worse than this out on the sea,” Era says with a grin. “Don’t go losing your lunch down here.”
“I haven’t had lunch. Or breakfast for that matter.”
Jem slings her bag to the ground. “It’s been a busy day, I guess. I’m hungry, too.”
“Hooray for stale bread,” Di groans sarcastically. “I don’t think my stomach is ready for food.”
“Suit yourself!” Jem hands Era some bread, and the two hungrily dive in.
