Seafaring on Jord

by Allan Joyal

  "Can we even do that?" Panalope shouted from the stern. "I thought the wind pushed you forward."

  "True for a sailed galley, but that's because of the way their sails are setup. They can't sail into the wind at all, but they are actually faster with the wind than we are. Our sails are set up to work better with the wind coming across the starboard or port side rather than from the stern," Ushcail called out.

  "How does that work?" I asked as Jessop signaled for me to take a rope and switch over to the starboard side.

  "That I can't answer," Ushcail said. "But we tried it out the day before you and Pan boarded Gypsy. We can't sail directly into the wind, but we can get closer than Marrisey expected."

  "How close?" Panalope asked as we shot past the galley. We could hear someone onboard booming orders to pull in the sail and turn the ship towards home.

  "The wind is out of the northwest and we are running just a tick past true west," Ushcail said. "We might be able to sail a bit closer, but we'd lose a lot of speed."

  "Captain, I can see Isla Magestica. It's less than a handspan north of direct west on the horizon," Culax called out.

  "So we are going to end up passing south of it? Where is the harbor?" I asked.

  "Northside of the island," Jessop said. "But that's not a problem. We'll get a lead on the galley and then tack to the north. We'll run north until we are in position to run southwest directly into the harbor."

  "Can we do that?" I asked.

  "Follow orders boy," Ushcail said. "Everyone, pull hard and make sure the sail doesn't break free. We'll run with the tides for now."

  Jessop nudged me. "Get to the bow where the lines from the foresail are tied off. When we turn it will be a quick change and we have to switch the ropes fast. You've got the speed to handle the bow lines, while Culax, Lucis and I deal with the mainsail."

  I ducked under the sail as I headed forward. This area was raised above the midship decks, but rather than a set of stairs I just had to step up onto the bow platform. Ushcail was standing there, but I noticed his eyes were angled to look at the top of the mast.

  "What are you doing?" I asked as I moved to grab the rope that Jessop had sent me to deal with.

  "I took an old wool sock and attached it to the top of the mast. I can see which way the wind is blowing by watching how it flies," Ushcail said. "Its something that Syrina suggested I do years ago."

  "What does it tell you?" I asked as I looked back at Jessop. The old man was in a conversation with Lucis. They were pointing at various lines holding the foresail in place and then pointing to the port side of the ship.

  "Mostly just the direction and power of the wind. This breeze is steady, but not all that strong. Sparentce will have no trouble when he asks his men to row against it. It will make the race interesting, but we still should be far ahead when we reach the harbor," he said confidently.

  "How?" I asked.

  "Worry about following orders and getting those ropes moved quickly," Ushcail said as he dropped his eyes from the mast. He turned around and looked out over the starboard bow. "When we tack, we need to make the exchange very smooth. If it goes too slow we might get caught facing the wind and the galley will overtake us."

  "We could turn away from the wind," I suggested.

  "We could, but that's a much slower turn," Ushcail said. "We should be fine as long as we have enough speed to carry us through the turn. Once we have turned so we aren't pointing the bow into the wind, the sail will catch the wind again."

  "Get ready," Jessop said.

  "What do I do?" Panalope shouted.

  "When I tell you that we're turning, you need to push the tiller as far to port as you can," Ushcail shouted.

  "Port?" Panalope asked.

  "Yes, you push the tiller in the direction opposite the direction you want to turn. We'll need to turn so that we are heading north. A turn to starboard, means the tiller needs to be pushed to port," Ushcail shouted.

  I was watching the ropes and trying to make sure I'd be able to quickly untie the knot holding the leading edge of the sail in place as soon as the command came. My attention was so intent I was actually surprised when Ushcail shouted. "Now, hard turn to starboard! Everyone, we need to get the sail switched."

  His command seemed to galvanize everyone. I grabbed the rope. It became slack as I put my hand around it. The loss of tension made it a simple process to untie the knot and then scramble from the starboard to the port side of the bow and begin the process of tying it down.

  "Don't tighten it," Jessop shouted. "If you tighten it too soon, it could damage the ship once it catches the wind. You just need to keep it from losing shape."

  "Got it," I said as I released the knot. I looped the rope around one of the pillars holding up the railing and then leaned back, giving the rope tension without preventing it from moving.

  "Heave!" Ushcail shouted. I noticed that he had ducked under the rope I was holding and had taken up a rope himself. The crew all leaned back as the ship rose up on a swell. It seemed to pivot as it reached the apex of the wave and then dropped of the swell facing northward.

  The sail fluttered for a moment and then started to billow out to the starboard. "She's catching the wind! Tie it down and then secure the boom," Ushcail shouted.

  The billowing sail pulled on the rope I had been holding. I found I had to strain to get the rope secured. It got free once, but I managed to wrestle it around the railing enough times to hold it in place.

  "We have to get you better at knots," Lucis said as I stepped away from the rope and looked up. "But that will work for now. Just be ready to untie the rope when we turn back to head for the harbor."

  "How are we doing compared to the galley?" I asked.

  "Look for yourself squid," Culax said. He pointed out over the water to starboard.

  I had to duck my head to see under the sail, but I could see the galley. It was still quite far behind us, but the oars were moving with a steady rhythm and the ship tore through the water.

  "They are aimed to try to ram us?" I asked.

  "We are too far ahead for them to catch us," Jessop said. "They are aiming for entrance to the harbor. Remember we were going to pass south of Isla Magestica until we made this turn."

  "And now we are heading away from the island," I said. "Wait, are we still turning?"

  Jessop laughed. "Ushcail made the order to stop the turn right after we made the heave to get the sail billowing. You were so intent on handling your part of the rigging that you never heard it."

  "Isn't that bad?" I asked. "I could have made a huge mistake," I said worriedly.

  "Not on seas this calm," Jessop said. He put a hand on my shoulder. "You'll be fine. Right now we are overwhelming you with instructions. Just try to learn from each one and we'll make a sailor of you soon."

  "I just don't want Ushcail to be embarrassed by the other captain," I said. "He seemed to know him."

  "Who do I know? Sparentce?" Ushcail said. He came over to lean against the railing. His eyes were focused to port. "I trained him long ago. He's not a bad soul, but he likes to brag that he's the best in the islands."

  "We all know you are," Lucis said. "You've been sailing longer than any other captain."

  "You have?" I asked. "I mean, you said you had a lot of experience."

  "Rowing a galley is a young man's game," Ushcail said. "You can't do it for more than a few years, even if you are on the best galleys and paid well. Most captains are already broken and battered by years on the oars before they are given their first ship. Only a few are willing to keep doing it after they find a wife."

  I glanced over the side of the ship. "While your wife appears to enjoy swimming with your ships."

  "She won't be with us for the rest of the trip," Ushcail said sadly. "Her people gather every year around this time. She will be going to that."

  I just stood there. "So what should I expect when we arrive at Isla Magestica?"

  "Marrisey will want to talk to m
e about how the ship sailed. He's probably going to want to talk to you," Ushcail said.

  "About?" I asked.

  "This sail west is your idea, or so he tells me. He just wanted to prove that a ship like this could be made. You convinced him that you could possibly find the old Empire."

  "And why are we doing that?" Culax asked. "I mean first I agreed to sail on this strange ship that doesn't have oars. You realize we could get stuck someplace if the sail rips? And not only am I sailing with the mad captain, but we have a woman on the tiller."

  "You can always get off," Ushcail said. "We'll be in port soon. If you don't want to sail with us, just leave."

  "Can we?" Lucis asked. "Or at least will we have a night ashore?"

  "It will probably take a day to get through all the meetings. I understand that High Guard Chasterman is very interested in Gypsy," Ushcail said.

  I nodded and then ducked my head so I could see the galley. The men were still straining on the oars, but I could see that they were no longer swinging in perfect unison.

  "They seem to be struggling," I said as I stood back up.

  "No galley can keep that speed up for long," Ushcail said in a voice that spoke of long experience. "That's why most of the galleys have set routes. We all try to take advantage of the ocean currents around the islands."

  "But wouldn't they just go in one direction?" I asked.

  Ushcail laughed. "The Empire's wizards did something. It locked in several circular currents around and through the islands. But I doubt more than a dozen men in the islands know about the magic."

  "And none can duplicate it," Jessop said. "We know magic exists, but all the wizards left with the fall of the Empire, or whatever it was that left us abandoned on these windswept pockets of land far from any wood."

  "Which I propose to try changing," I said. "The Empire might be gone, but there is no question they built great ships. We just have to find where they got their wood from."

  The galley was now directly to starboard, but more than a dozen boat lengths east of us as we sailed northward. Ushcail was watching to the west as we passed the galley. He seemed completely unconcerned.

  I looked to port and noticed that we were just clearing the northernmost point we could see on Isla Magestica. "Sir?" I asked.

  "We'll want to aim a bit more to the south to get the most out of the wind. We'll hold course for just a bit longer," Ushcail said. "Pan, be ready to turn when I call."

  "I take the tiller starboard this time right?" Panalope called back. "And we need to talk about the sea spray. My blouse is stiff."

  "We can't have her topless," Jessop said. "It might cause trouble."

  Lucis snorted. "I talked to her a bit earlier. She's Kaven's girl."

  "I never," I said as I glanced back at the young woman.

  "You should, its great fun," Lucis said. "But at least talk to her. She's a fine lady."

  "Later," I said. "Once I have something to offer her."

  "You're a good man," Ushcail said. "Remember that."

  He glanced over his shoulder. He seemed to be gauging the speed of the galley. "We'll be tied off before they reach the entrance to the harbor," he muttered.

  "Get ready," Jessop whispered.

  "Hard to port!" Ushcail shouted. "Heave those lines!"

  The ship leaned to starboard. The sail started to flap in the wind as the bow started to turn into the wind.

  "See, they lose way!" I heard shouted from the galley. "Put your backs into moving those oars. We have them now!"

  I had already untied the ropes I was in charge of from the port side of the ship. I leaned back and slid across the rolling deck. The toes of my left foot caught the edge of a post as I used my right foot to arrest my slide. The pain kept me from putting my foot down as I scrambled back to my feet and looped the ropes through the railing.

  The ship seemed to get caught facing the wind. It bobbed up on one wave and then slowly began to slide off the swell of the water and to the west. There was a long silence as the ship continued to turn.

  I watched the sail and held onto the ropes. At first I was not sure that we had succeeded in turning, but a moment later the sail began to fill. Gypsy seemed to leap forward as the sail billowed outward.

  A chorus of dismay was shouted from the galley as we raced ahead of that. "What witchery was that?" someone shouted.

  "The sail allows us to sail much closer to the wind," Ushcail shouted back. "I'd tell you more, but they are probably waiting at the dock. Look for me tonight at the Broken Tiller!"

  The galley seemed to slow down. Many of the oars were pulled from the water as Gypsy began to sail away. I tied off my lines and made my way towards the stern.

  "Did we win?" Panalope asked me when I reached the stairs ending the midship area. "I can't turn to look."

  "Hold course," Ushcail said. "They appear to be easing off. And unless the wind shifts, we should sail into the harbor shortly."

  "Think they are ready for us?" I asked.

  Ushcail pointed to a stone tower that stood on a promontory close to the water. I could see flashes of light shining from the top of the tower. "High Guard Chasterman has men watching the ocean. He'll have a report on what just happened long before we reach the harbor."

  "I want to hear what he thinks," I muttered as I turned around and then sank down to sit on the stairs. "But after a drink. I'm tired."

  The rest of the crew laughed at my words. They started coiling ropes as Gypsy sailed towards the harbor and our final stop before we ventured into the unknown.

  Chapter 8: Arriving in Isla Magestica.

  I found I recovered fairly quickly. However, when I tried to stand up the shirt I had been wearing was stiff with drying salt. Jessop came over and helped pull it off my body. "You need more clothing," he told me.

  "I didn't know we were going to race off from my home the way we did. I only have what I was carrying when I met you on the pier," I pointed out.

  "We can get you a couple things once we are in the harbor," Jessop said.

  "I have no money," I pointed out. "That was part of why I wanted to do this."

  "Hoping to find riches?" Culax asked. He held my salt encrusted shirt over the water and shook it vigorously.

  "Not especially," I said. "I did not have much of an opportunity to marry well at home, but it was more that I'm sick of seeing my friends and family fall into despair because of how hard it is to live in the islands. We all tell stories of wonders that we don't dream of ever seeing."

  "No chance to marry?" Culax asked incredulously as he looked over at Panalope. Jessop had taken over the tiller and the young woman was trying to shake the salt from her blouse without removing it.

  "Panalope said she liked me, but her father wanted a ship’s captain. He's a merchant and always said his son-in-law would have to be a successful trader before he'd agree to a marriage," I said.

  "He did, but I never agreed to that," Panalope said. "And if you are worried about money, I have a few coins we can use to purchase some clothing for both of us. I need something that won't grow stiff from salt."

  "You won't find anything," Culax said. "That's why we don't wear shirts. I think every fabric available has been used over the years. All become stiff from the sea and sun."

  "Wonderful," Panalope complained. "Well, we can get something then. Any suggestions?"

  "If you can find food that keeps, that will be welcome, but remember you only have a small box to hold your personal gear," Ushcail said. "I heard that Jessop set one up for you Kaven."

  I looked down at the stairs and realized that the box was directly below me. "It only has my boots, but yes, its right below us."

  "I'll put your shirt in there," Culax said.

  "Why are you helpful?" I asked the man. "You seem to alternate between friendly and angry at me for some reason."

  "If we do find something, I will become wealthy. Perhaps I can stop working on ships and finally open a shop someplace," Culax said. "I don
't hate you, but I do hate being on a ship. This was just the best chance I've ever been offered to finally get off the water."

  "No promises, but I am hoping to bring back something that will impress the Seres and end their constant raiding," I said. "Sere Komptan stopped worrying about his people long ago and I'd like to see that change."

  "Good luck," Jessop said cynically. "I've been around a long time, and no merchant or Sere cares about the people. They'll claim they do, but get them into a pressure situation and they'll turn on their people faster than a sea snake snapping at a clawfish."

  "And we are about to go meet the most powerful one in the Islands," I pointed out worriedly.

  "We'll be taking a berth that we can get out of quickly," Ushcail said. "Once we enter the harbor we'll head to the west pier. Its far from the old keep, but if we have to leave we can just raise the sail. The wind is mostly out of the northwest this time of year."

  "Won't that give us trouble?" I asked. "We are supposed to head west. We'll go slower if we sail west, when we can move at all."

  Ushcail laughed. "We already found that you can shift around. We'll mostly sail just south of full west, and occasionally we'll weave around and sail north for a while. That should allow us to sail mostly west."

  "How will we know for sure?" Panalope asked. "I mean, I know galley captains around here try to always keep one or more islands in view so they can tell where they are."

  Ushcail held up a strange metal device. "Syrina gave this to me. I had to polish it and I'm still not sure exactly sure how it works or why, but I've been using it for years. If you look at the angle of the sun at the same time every day, you can judge how far north you have gone. We'll be using this."

  I looked at the device that was a combination of a triangle of metal with some unusual tube mounted on it.

  "Where did she get it?" Panalope asked.

  "Her people know where a few shipwrecks lie. She pulled it out of one of the few Empire wrecks she can still get to," Ushcail said. "It was covered in barnacles, but I managed to eventually polish it. I'm not sure the metal its made out of."