“They’re with the messenger over at the village barracks, talking to the local captain.”
“So you just got back from there?” Liselle asked.
“I didn’t leave your side,” Vevin told her with a hurt expression on his face. “I heard the rider come into the village at a gallop, so I listened to him ride to the barracks and start talking. Sir Danth and the innkeeper were sitting in front of the inn since it’s a really nice night. When the rider passed, they went to find out what was happening.”
Liselle felt like an idiot. “Oh. You heard all of this. I was thinking there had been a meeting to discuss it or something.”
“We would never have a meeting without you . . . unless you were unconscious from magic or something, but that’s the only reason,” he clarified.
“Let’s go wake up the others then.” She dashed upstairs and knocked on their doors. Tathan was the first one to the door. “Tathan, get your things, there’s another sighting of the ship,” Liselle said. She was excited to have him back. Emmaoen answered her door when Liselle knocked. “Emmaoen, the ship’s been seen . . .” That was enough for the duchess to get ready without Liselle having to finish. “I’ll meet you all in the common room.”
Sir Danth, the innkeeper, the local captain and the messenger all walked in together as the others came down the stairs. They sat at a large table in the middle while the innkeeper tended the fire and grabbed drinks for everyone.
“I did not expect you all to be awake,” Sir Danth said. “There is news.”
“Vevin overheard you,” Liselle explained right away. “The ship attacked Larfa, which is two villages away from here and we can reach it by nightfall if we leave now.”
She deflated the excitement the others felt at bringing important news. They exchanged glances and shrugs. “Yes. That is the news,” Sir Danth admitted. “I see you have all packed your things and are ready to go.”
“We haven’t been told anything,” Tathan responded. “Liselle just woke us up with the news that the ship had been sighted.” That news cheered up the others. Liselle decided to shut up and listen so as not to hurt any more feelings. It helped that the innkeeper brought food and drink. She was no longer ravenous, but still needed nourishment to replenish the energy she had used.
“Deliver your report to the duchess and her companions,” the captain told the messenger, who was also digging into the food.
The young messenger had red hair, an abundance of freckles and a wiry frame. Dirt covered his uniform. He had wiped his face ineffectively, so it was streaked with more dirt. Everyone waited patiently while the young man finished chewing the food in his mouth. “I’m with a squad that was sent to protect Larfa a couple of weeks ago. In the middle of the night, the ship attacked the village. I was on watch and I actually saw it!” The messenger gestured animatedly as he spoke. So much so that the captain scooted his chair away to give him some room.
The messenger took a drink to wash down the food then went on with the story. “Our captain had us on patrol outside the village in pairs, picking random routes so we wouldn’t be predictable. My buddy and I were walking through a pumpkin field in the dark when we heard creaking sounds like a sailing ship. I know what a ship sounds like because I was raised in Tillg and would always go to the docks with my friends and we would watch the ships sail in and out. This one time, me and . . .”
“Private, if you don’t stay with the story this time, I’m going to find a ship’s mast and hit you over the head with it,” the captain threatened in exasperation.
“Sorry sir. Anyhow, so we hear a ship creaking and the sails popping in the breeze as it moved. I think the sound of sails on a ship is really . . .” he looked at the captain’s expression, “. . . So we ducked low and looked around for the ship. Sure enough, it came into sight from around a nearby hill and glided over a lower field towards the village.” He swooshed an arm in a gliding motion across the table from in front of the captain over to where Vevin sat nearby.
“Glided over the field?” Tathan asked sharply.
“Yeah. That was the amazing thing. Anyhow, it didn’t need water underneath it like most ships and I could see the keel. It didn’t touch the ground or the plants, but glided a few feet above them.” The messenger moved his arms across the table again. Each time he did so, the captain leaned away from him.
“That’s interesting,” Tathan said. “What else did you notice about the ship?”
“It was a hundred foot long or more, with three masts. It had partial sails up, which is common in port. You don’t want full sails or the ship will come crashing in. This one time a ship’s crew had come down sick with some exotic disease and their ship had full sails up. It came in fast and . . .”
“Private! That’s not the ship they want to hear about.” The captain rolled his eyes. Liselle actually did want to hear what had happened to the ship with the sick crew. She realized that she still hadn’t seen the ocean. The morning wasn’t starting out very well and she found herself sinking into a bad mood.
The messenger reddened in embarrassment. “Sorry sir. Anyhow, the ship had low rails and moved smoothly. The aft, that’s the back, of the ship, was taller than the rest. Then we saw it attack. Fireballs shot from these large . . . tubes on the deck. Anyhow, there were three of them on each side from what we could see. The fireballs hit empty buildings, setting them ablaze.”
“Empty buildings?” Tathan asked.
“Yeah. My captain mentioned it. The ship only hit empty buildings. It didn’t target any with people in them,” the messenger said.
“I don’t remember hearing of any casualties in the other attacks,” Sir Danth said. “I was going to ask you, Duchess, if the ship only attacked empty buildings in other towns or if anyone had died in those attacks.”
Emmaoen frowned in thought. “There haven’t been any deaths, which was noted by my uncle’s generals, but no one has mentioned anything about whether or not the buildings were empty.”
“It speaks to intelligence, I think,” Sir Danth said. “This lad told us there wasn’t a single person on board the ship.”
The messenger nodded, his head bobbing back and forth. “It’s true. There wasn’t a soul aboard. Anyhow, the ship turned and sailed away after firing the shots. It turned like it was sailing in water, leaning to the inside of the turn, but it was fast and sharper than any ship I ever saw.” The messenger made a sharp turning motion with his hand and rammed his fingers into the captain’s cheek. He fell off his stool when the captain stood up and put a hand on his sword hilt.
Sir Danth put a calming hand on the captain’s arm. “It is not wise for an officer to murder the common soldier.”
The captain sat back down. “I know. That’s why I’m not a colonel.” He said the last part to the messenger. Sir Danth laughed and clapped the captain in the shoulder, knocking him forward. The officer set his jaw in anger and glared at the knight who grinned playfully in return.
“Anyhow, me and my buddy chased the ship,” the messenger said. He boldly sat back on the stool, though it was further away from the captain. “Other soldiers rode out from the village to attack it. It got sheep from one farm, but the men drove it off before it could get anymore.”
“How did it get the sheep?” Tathan asked.
“They just walked up the gangplank. I didn’t see it, but that’s what the captain said. Anyhow, I’m infantry so I didn’t have a horse until the captain told me to carry the message.”
“Why didn’t they send your partner?” the captain asked.
“Nah. He’s an idiot.” The messenger picked his nose and stared at the booger that came out. “Anyhow, it sailed off when the captain got too close with his men. They said it moved faster than their horses could ride. That’s the report.” He stood. “I’ve delivered it and now I’ve got to go. I have orders to deliver it all the way to the king and can only stop in each village to report and get a new horse.”
The captain stood up with him. “I
’m going to go back to the barracks with him so I can write a letter to include. Shall I write that you’re going to Larfa, Duchess?”
“Yes. Thank you, captain and thank you, private. May you ride with the wind,” Emmaoen told them. When the soldiers left the inn, she turned to the companions. “Are you still willing to go after this ship even though you’re all together now?” she asked.
Liselle jumped in first. “I consider you my friend, and I help my friends. I still want to help you.”
“I go with her,” Vevin said, pointing at Liselle.
Tathan nodded. “Your uncle is a good king. I’d do it even if I hadn’t agreed already.”
Anilyia chimed in. “I’m not eager to get married yet,” she said, holding on to Tathan’s arm. The duchess looked at her in disapproval, unhappy at the princess’s attachment to Tathan. Anilyia stuck her tongue out, irritating the duchess more.
“Sir Danth?” Liselle asked in order to get their attention off each other. “Will you continue with us?”
“But of course, Milady,” the knight answered. “I enjoy your company thoroughly. In addition, I swore to rescue the princess, which is a task not finished. I’d rather not break this oath. When we are done, I will spend time discovering what happened to my people. I believe that will take years of research.”
“What will you do when this quest is over, Liselle?” Emmaoen asked.
Liselle stared at her blankly. “I don’t know . . .” She turned to Vevin. “What do you think we should do when we’re done?”
“Get lots of treasure and make our home,” he said. “We can explore the world to get the treasure and we can also do whatever you want.” It was an excellent answer and she let him know by wrapping her arms around his neck and giving him a kiss.
“Eww,” Emmaoen said with a grimace. During their travels, Liselle had noticed the duchess didn’t like any signs of affection. “And will you marry the princess and take over the country of Mayncal?” Emmaoen asked Tathan haughtily.
Anilyia stood as though to strangle her. Liselle responded first though. “I don’t appreciate that, Emmaoen. I’m still naïve about a lot of things, but I’ve come to realize that nothing’s ever simple and I don’t like my cousin being judged.” Both Tathan and Anilyia looked at her appreciatively while Emmaoen hung her head.
Liselle put a hand on her friend’s shoulder. “What will you do after this?”
The duchess picked apart a slice of bread on her plate before answering. “I’m going back to my studies. I should probably get married, but I don’t want to. Magic is fun and I’m good at it. If Uncle Turman tries to make me marry, I’m going to run away,” she said defiantly, squishing the rest of the bread. Liselle squeezed her shoulder comfortingly. The duchess smiled briefly at her. “Let’s go get the ship.”
“That sounds like a good idea,” Liselle agreed. They gathered their things and rode out the village a short while later.
Chapter 22
Larfa was one of the smaller villages along the Southern Kethril Mountain Range. One hundred twenty people lived in the main town while the farms and small ranches around had a few hundred more. They reached Larfa as the sun was setting. Liselle could see a burned building at the edge. The captain and a few of his men met them at the lone inn.
“Greetings, Duchess Silverheart,” the skinny captain said as the companions dismounted. He was tall and twitchy. It was as though he had too much energy to handle and not enough body to hold it. Even his speech was rapid. “It’s an honor to have you and your friends here. My men will care for your horses, unless you’re riding out to search for the ship right away.”
“Thank you, Captain,” the duchess responded. “We’ve been riding since before dawn. We need rest, as do our horses. Please report.”
“We put out the fires quick, but the ship got away. It was different from any ship I’ve seen, having low rails and a high aft. When we got close, the sails were raised full and it moved faster than I expected.” He stopped and waved his hand for them to go in. “Here, I’m being rude. I can tell you the rest once you’re inside with food and drink.”
The common room of the inn was warm and crowded with locals in for dinner. The innkeeper placed them at a larger table in a corner away from the fire. Liselle pushed her stool next to Vevin’s and leaned against him. It felt nice when he wrapped his arms around her.
The captain continued the report in his rapid-fire manner while they ate. “It sailed to the southeast. We followed it as far as we could, but it was lost to our sight in the foothills. It only stole the sheep from one farm, making away with eighteen. As far as we could tell, the sheep went up the gangplank of their own free will. I’m certain there was no crew aboard.”
Tathan interrupted. “Duchess, can I see that map you have again?”
She stared at him for a moment, searching for a way to refuse before pulling it out of a small pack she kept with her at all times. Liselle knew the pack had valuables such as items of magic and some of her jewelry in case they had to attend a formal event. The map itself was worth a great deal.
Tathan moved his food aside and opened the map. They all looked closely as he pointed at the villages that had been attacked. He tapped a village called Uldram. “We need to start here. The mountains to the south are a little lower and I think the ship might be coming from them.”
“And just how did you come to that conclusion?” the duchess asked testily.
Tathan disregarded Emmaoen’s dislike for him. “A number of things led me to it. Uldram was the first village hit and the first crimes are usually done close to home.”
“You would know,” Emmaoen muttered. Her attitude was beginning to irritate Liselle.
Tathan ignored the comment. “North of these villages are plains and small wooded areas and there’s no place to hide a ship. It makes sense for it to sail . . . or whatever it does . . . into hills and mountains, so it’s most likely in the mountains south of Uldram.”
“It sounds logical to me,” Sir Danth said. “The description of the ship gives me an idea that I’d like to share.”
“Go on,” Tathan encouraged.
“Once we get to the ship. I can shift to the deck. If it’s not close enough, I can do a series of shifts to make it before it gets away,” he suggested.
“That’s an excellent idea. The fact that it’s faster than a horse had me worried.” He turned to Vevin. “I was hoping you would be willing to scout for the ship or track it by flying above. If it’s offensive of me to suggest that, I apologize.”
“Not at all,” Vevin replied eagerly. “I love flying and I don’t mind tracking it or searching for it. I was hoping you’d ask.” The captain looked at Vevin curiously, apparently not knowing about the presence of a dragon in the party.
“Excellent,” Tathan responded. He pointed Vevin. “You be careful of those fire tubes though.”
“I agree,” Liselle declared, looking over her shoulder at her mate.
“Oh, I will. There’s not much that can hurt me in the air. Not even my daddy could outmaneuver me,” Vevin said proudly.
“That leaves the question of what Liselle, the duchess and I do.” He held Anilyia’s hand. “You’ll stay out of danger. You’re an amazing woman, but I think you would be hurt in a fight.” He put the crook of his finger under her chin. “However, I’ll listen if you think you could help capture this thing.”
“So you do want to capture it then.” Sir Danth said with a nod. “I was wondering if you might want to do that instead of destroying it.”
“Wait,” Emmaoen interjected. “What do you mean capture it?”
“It’s quite logical,” the knight said. “If we destroy the ship, we’ll never know why it was stealing sheep and attacking the villages. Why isn’t it killing anyone?” He leaned forward. “If it shows compassion and mercy, then either the ship or the entity controlling it should be shown the same compassion and mercy.”
“Yeah,” Tathan agreed. “That’s . . . why. E
xactly my point. We want to . . . show compassion by not killing it.”
“That and you want to steal it,” Anilyia said, brushing a strand of hair from his face. “That’s why I like you so much. You steal the nicest things, like me.” She kissed his cheek, alarming the duchess and the captain. Liselle rolled her eyes. “What do we do with it if we capture it?” the princess asked.
“I’ll think of something,” Tathan answered with a grin. “I don’t know what my part is going to be though. Usually when there’s no clear course of action, I improvise. Until my role becomes clear, I’ll provide support and protection for anyone else, particularly when you’re casting spells.” He gestured to Liselle and Emmaoen.
The duchess rubbed her temples. “It was my intention to attack it with spells, but if we’re going to capture it instead I’ll have to think about other options.”
“If I hold the ship with magic or create barriers, you would be able to get on board, Cousin,” Liselle offered.
“A net,” Emmaoen said. “I can cast a magical net of great size that will prevent the ship from moving.” She narrowed her eyes at Tathan. “If we capture it, it will belong to Kethril, not you.”
“The task is to prevent the ship from attacking villages and stealing sheep,” Tathan replied. “You wanted to destroy the ship. If we prevent it from attacking, we will have accomplished our task for Kethril. If we capture it, it becomes spoils of adventure.”
The duchess pointed a finger as though to zap him like a spider, but Vevin spoke first. “Oh yes! The ship will be our treasure.” When Emmaoen turned her glare toward him, Vevin gave her a toothy smile. “You were born a princess and are not protected by the treaty. You look yummy and I haven’t promised not to eat you.”
Emmaoen shrank back on her stool. The table became very silent, though the rest of the common room was still noisy. For some reason, no one was paying attention to them. “Vevin,” Liselle started, not sure what to say to keep him from eating her friend.
Kethril Page 24
