Father ended his discussion with the big man. Tag-Gar nodded, and the two clasped hands in the way of the warrior. Her traveling companion looked over at her and nodded. Toria was confused for a moment before realizing that she was the guide here, The Legend was waiting for her to show him the way. Feeling more proud than she had ever been in her life, Toria hooked her thumbs in the straps of her pack and started out down the pathway which led in the direction of Olvion. This would be the first day of the three day journey and quite possibly the best day in the young woman’s life.
CHAPTER FIVE
Kal sat naked upon the sawn wooden floor of his own ship. The Wind of Aspell had two cabins above the main deck, two smaller ones below decks along with two large crew berth spaces. Kal was in none of those. He was sitting in the dank and smelly void which is a hollow shell that separated the outer hull from the inner construction. The purpose of the void was to add buoyancy and protect the ship from being holed should they strike a reef or submerged hazard. Now it was Kal’s prison.
It was two days past when he and the crew had jumped and laughed at the sight of sails approaching them from the distant horizon. The crew had been at sea for twenty days and Kal had been on the verge of turning back. They were halfway through their stores of dried beef and hard biscuits, and the smoked meat was gone after the tenth day.
Then the lookout had signaled the spotting of the sails, and they had cheered and broken out the watered spirit that they called moog. Mugs were passed around, and their course had been altered. When they were finally close enough to see details they saw there was a total of three ships, all of them flying huge green sails. On the top of their main masts flew a two-legged banner which was white with a bright red eye painted in the middle.
An hour later the ships could be seen to be manned by large crews. It was the sight of those crews that caused Kal to interrupt his celebrating even as it went on around him. Gann, the ship’s captain had walked quietly up beside him. Gann was not celebrating either.
“They’re a rough-looking lot, are they not?” Kal asked.
“Aye. Plenty rough,” the captain replied. “Would you be thinking that our men should quietly arm themselves? Before they get any closer?”
Kal looked at the face of the old ship captain. He bore the stamp of a life on the water, his naturally light brown skin burned darker by the sun. His face was lined and his forearms were massive from pulling on lines and climbing the mast-works. He wore a simple sleeveless white jerkin and tough black linen trousers.
Kal took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He mentally sorted through the instructions given to him by his king. This was to be a venture of discovery. The whole point of it was to seek out and establish a relationship with previously unknown civilizations. They had valuable gifts in their hold which were to be given to the people of any such kingdoms and, if possible, a treaty should be reached and trade goods decided upon.
Those goals would be jeopardized if their first meeting with these people was a violent one.
“No Captain,” Kal answered. “We have our instructions, and we will carry them out. Let us put on our best faces.”
The Captain made a sound that was much like the growl of a cur. He pointed a plump finger at the crewmen lining the rails of the newly-discovered ships. Many held grappling hooks tied to sturdy ropes. The three ships had now spread out and gotten into a position to come up on the Wind of Aspell on both sides and from behind.
“It matters not now anyway Good Engineer,” Gann said. “We have been flanked and all of their ships have more sail than we do. We couldn’t outrun them if we tried. The Stars hold our fate now. Let us pray they favor us.”
The men had swarmed onto Kal’s ship in a manner which left no doubt that such action had not been their first time. There had been a smattering of resistance from Kal’s crew, but he and Gann had quickly ordered them all to stand down. There was nothing to be gained from getting them slaughtered. Afterward they had been separated from their crew whom the pirates had divided up and taken aboard the other ships. What happened to them after that Kal had no idea.
Kal and Captain Gann had been put into one of the upper cabins where they were guarded until the door opened and a man entered. He was dressed much more colorfully than the rest of his crewmen with calf-high black leather boots, linen trousers and a leather vest with a blousy green shirt underneath. His upper lip glistened with sweat from the heat, and he delicately wiped it away with a rag. He was a tall man for this world, which is to say he was about five feet, eight inches tall. There was a foppishness about him which seemed inconsistent with the image of a pirate and outlaw.
“My name is Tallun,” he said in a high voice. “I am the leader of this fleet and the Captain of the Necromancer.” He paused slightly as if he expected them to recognize the name. When no such recognition materialized he walked up to Kal and smiled showing surprisingly white teeth.
“Are you the Captain?” he asked.
Gan took a step forward. “I am the captain of this vessel. What have you done with my crew?”
One of the guards made as if to push Gann back, but he was waved away by the newcomer.
“Relax, Captain. Your men are safe, and they are being well-treated. You are to be commended, not all Captains ask about the welfare of their crew before seeing to their own safety.” He held his smile while he sidestepped over to Kal. “And who would you be? Let me guess; you are the nobleman who owns this beautiful ship.”
Kal had a momentary flash of pride at the mention of his ship’s appearance. “No, I am no nobleman, and I do not own this ship. The people I represent have no nobility, only equal citizens. I am the engineer who designed this brig. We are on our maiden voyage and under orders to seek out new friends with whom we can trade.”
The man pointed his finger at Kal and raised his brows. “Orders? You claim you have no nobility in your land. Who, then issued these orders?”
Gann butted in. “His Majesty King Tyner of the kingdom of Aspell, is who. He will not take kindly to the way you have treated his citizens.”
The man studied Gann intently for a moment before the smile returned. He turned to the guard whom he had addressed before. “I’m confused, Bonn. The one claims no nobility in his land while the other boasts of a king who will severely chastise us for our actions.” He sat on the edge of the chart table. “You,” he pointed at Kal. “Are you already telling me lies? I’ve only known you for a few moments yet you insult me with your lack of honesty.”
Kal grew angry. He had been holding himself in check because of the situation that he and his men found themselves in. He did not want his temper to result in harm being visited upon his crew. This latest accusation however, was too much for him to hold back. “We of Aspell do not dishonor ourselves with lies. Our system of government is much too complicated to relate in a few words. I fear it would take quite a number of words before one such as you would understand.”
A few of the guards tensed, but their leader shook his head and wiped his lip again. He walked slowly over to the Captain’s desk and examined the items on top. He picked up a silver inkwell and showed it to the man standing closest to him. He replaced the item and walked around the room with his hands clasped behind his back. Finally, he seemed to arrive at a decision. He walked back over to Kal. “I don’t believe you. Kings with no noblemen to enforce his rule? Only the people of the Kylee live their lives unyoked in that manner. Our flag bears the Eye of Kylee, and since I see no such flag on your vessel you may consider it seized.” Gann lurched forward with his hands aimed for the neck of the pirate leader, but he was immediately overpowered by two of the guards. Tallun looked at them, and jerked his head in the direction of the door. The two dragged Gann out of the cabin. Tallun watched the activity and smiled when the door shut. “I like him,” he said. He turned his attention back to Kal. “Now then, Lord Engineer, where is your Kingdom?”
Kal had refused to answer, and he had been taken to the void
s. He expected to be tortured and had steeled himself to tell his captors nothing. He prayed to the Stars that the crew would be strong enough to resist. Under no circumstances could he allow the location of Aspell to be discovered by this band of pirates or whatever they were. Kal was unaware of the size or strength of these Kylee fleets, but revealing the location of his kingdom would imperil all of the Coastal Kingdoms and that of Olvion as well. With Olvion’s army being largely depleted from the Great War, all of the kingdoms would be in danger.
He knew he had been locked away for two days because every morning the ship’s bell rang, and whomever was on watch announced the arrival of first light. Kal had not been stripped of his clothing, he was naked because he had removed his clothes in an effort to deal with the insufferable heat in the voids. Several times he had attempted to open the hatch, but it had been tightly dogged down from the outside. Sounds from the other side indicated that there was a guard there anyway.
At about midday there were sounds at the hatch. The portal was opened, and two of his captor’s crewmen beckoned for him to follow them. He gave a brief thought to trying to overpower them, but they both carried truncheons in their hands. Besides, Kal was honest enough with himself to know that he was not a fighter. He had put in the required years of warrior training when he was younger, but no one really expected him to be a soldier. He was always a man of letters and scrolls, and loved educating himself. The years that he had since spent in libraries and universities had robbed him of much of the muscle that he had once had. So he pulled on his trousers and followed.
Kal was taken up to the main deck where he was surprised to see all hands gathered. The man who had called himself Tallun was there along with the huge sailor that he had previously referred to as Bonn. With alarm Kal saw that Gann had been gagged and tied to the main mast.
Seeing his friend in such a situation filled him once more with overpowering anger. “Is this your idea of proper treatment of our crew?” he demanded of Tallun.
The pirate leader was frowning as he examined Gann. “No. This is most decidedly not proper treatment. I fear we now have even more for which to answer to your noble king. Of course…” the man made a show of looking about himself, “…your noble king is not here.” He paused as his crew laughed. “I must tell you I have enjoyed speaking with your crew. I confess I am very much impressed with the manner in which they have been prepared for a situation such as this. To a man they all swore to the fiction of your form of government. Really now, a King who is voted into office and can be removed by the people themselves should he fail to measure up?”
Kal started to confirm the manner of government adhered to by all four of the kingdoms in known existence up until now, but Tallun raised a hand to stop him. “Please, Lord Engineer, save your breath. I fear you will need it. You see, we are at a critical point in our…negotiations with your crew.” There was more laughter which Tallun stopped with a raised hand. “Try as we might we have been unable to extract a location for your kingdom. Your gallant Captain, a man for whom I have no small amount of admiration, has refused to furnish us with this small piece of information. Even the deaths of several of his crew loosened no tongues.” Tallun wrinkled his brow as if in deep thought. “So, I am afraid we have come to a point in our discussions where more incentive is called for.”
Kal felt two emotions competing for dominance within his consciousness. The first was overpowering pride at the knowledge that his crew had resisted whatever hellish tortures had been visited upon them by their captors. At least up until now, the location of Aspell was still kept secret from these criminals. The second emotion was absolute fear that it was now evidently his turn to be questioned. He prayed to the stars for strength.
As Kal watched, Tallun beckoned to one of his crewman, one of the ugliest humans that Kal had ever before beheld. The man produced a double-headed axe that he had been hiding behind his back. He handed it to his Captain.
Kal must have reacted to the sight of the weapon because the rest of the crew erupted into laughter again.
Tallun waited until it died out. Then he slowly advanced upon the engineer with the axe in both hands. “Now, this is where the process gets unpleasant, I’m afraid. I have decided that the people of Kylee should visit this kingdom from which you have come. We bear your people no ill will. We simply wish to discover for ourselves if this magical place where citizen and King are equal exists.
“Now then, since we have had no success with your crew and the noble Captain, I have no one else except you to ask. Even patience such as mine eventually grows thin, so this is how we will do this. I will ask you one question only. If you refuse to answer, I will remove one of the good Captain’s limbs, let us say… his left leg.”
Kal froze. Resisting torture to himself was one thing, but watching a good friend being brutally maimed was something else again. As frightening as that prospect was, Kal knew that he would not be able to comply with this maniac’s wishes. The lives of Gann and all of the crew were not so valuable that their beloved kingdom could be endangered in trade.
Tallun took a long look at Kal. He then turned to look at the gagged figure of the Captain. He shook his head, then took two slow practice swings with the axe. He then again faced Kal. “Now then, here is my question, and bear in mind that it must be answered in terms that my navigators and quartermasters can decipher.” He paused for a brief moment, then asked, “Where is your kingdom.”
Kal stood on the deck of the ship he had designed feeling totally helpless but resigned. In his heart Kal knew that Gann would understand, indeed he would approve. Aspell’s Chief Engineer stood as tall as he could. He looked directly into the outlaw chief’s eyes. “You can kill every man in my crew, including myself, but I will never give you what you seek.”
To Kal’s amazement the entire crew on the deck of the Wind of Aspell erupted into chaos. It appeared to him that roughly half of the outlaw crew was shouting curses while the others were cheering. Tallun himself was one of those cheering and laughing. The cacophony went on for several minutes before Tallun waved the crew into silence. He went over to Bonn, and held out his hand. The big sailor, who Kal was thinking of as the probable second in command after Tallun, was frowning deeply. He reached for a bag that was tied to his waist sash. With obvious reluctance he dropped the bag into Tallun’s waiting hands. The clinking of coins within could be heard. The cheering began again, and their leader rubbed Bonn’s bald head good naturedly. Among the pirate crew, other similar exchanges were taking place.
When the noise died down again, Tallun nodded in the direction of the main mast. Kal tensed, expecting that his good friend was about to be mutilated. Instead the ropes that were binding him were untied.
Gann rubbed his wrists, massaging the feeling back into them. He pulled the gag from his mouth and spit several times. He seemed as puzzled as Kal was.
Tallun walked over, and put his arm around Gann’s shoulders. “I told you I liked this man,” he said. Then he directed his comments to Kal. “Sorry to have so much fun at your expense but, you see, we were able to trick some of your crewmen into giving us the location of your kingdom on the first day. I’m afraid the bravery of your crew is far greater than their wisdom.” That comment set off another round of laughter. Kal reflected that this crew of outlaws seemed to be easily and frequently amused. “The cheers you heard were from the crew members who wagered you would not reveal your kingdom’s location. The curses were from those who thought you would.”
Tallun walked over to Kal, bringing Gann with him. He stepped back so that he could look at both of them comfortably. “In all seriousness, I really am impressed by the bravery of your crew. I pray you are not overly judgmental of the poor souls whom we tricked. We found several possible points of origin already drawn in on your chart table. We then brought up your crew one at a time, and confronted them with the charts. None of them actually revealed the correct location, we were able to discern that simply by watching their eyes
when they were asked the location of their home. The three men that we had determined to be your navigators all glanced at the same chart then quickly looked away. It is a cheap trick, I’m afraid, but it seldom fails.”
Kal gritted his teeth. Tallun feigned concern. “Have we upset you Lord Engineer?”
“If you knew the location as you claim, why were my crewmen murdered?”
Tallun stepped close to the Aspellian. When he spoke it was in a light tone as if he were discussing trivial matters. “To impress upon them the importance of obedience.”
CHAPTER SIX
Taggart watched the young woman as she walked…no, pranced…, down the lightly-worn trail. He knew her to be seventeen summers, but, she sometimes acted much younger. She had a spirit about her which reminded him of Dwan. He found himself smiling at her many antics along the trail. She would sneak up to insects and scare them into flight, then run along behind them chasing and laughing. She constantly practiced her knife skills as she walked, and enjoyed stalking small saplings and larger tree trunks, inflicting numerous slashes upon them. She would act as if she were silently sneaking up on the objects, then explode into a windmill of slashes and strikes. Even though Taggart was amused by her actions he took note of the very serious damage she could inflict with her knives. Her skill was impressive, and it went beyond the inevitable result of being the offspring of a warrior. The youngster had a natural quickness that Taggart had never before seen among the people of Olvion. That fact was impressive when one considered the fact that Taggart had trained with some of the best warriors in the walled kingdom. He would examine the marks she left on her imaginary victims as he passed. They were deep, and they were plentiful. Indeed, he was at a loss as to how she had been able to strike so many times in such a brief interval.
The Coastal Kingdoms of Olvion: Book Two of The Chronicles of Olvion Page 5
