The giant of a man looked at me and laughed. "But of course! Your master already asked. But you did not know that. Next time check." I swayed as he let me go. He stepped back. "Captain Ob Veeuhs at your service. And this is the Daphine Spirit. My barge and home." His arm motioned around us at the large barge that had obviously seem many days on the river. "Welcome aboard, now get out of everyone's way and stow your kit." He walked towards the back of the boat chuckling to himself. I looked up at the dock and realized that everyone had witnessed my encounter. I sighed yet again. "Interesting people you know Stain." Time to find my bunk and stow my kit as the good captain stated.
***
I made my way down the barge until I reached the ladder leading into the hold. That seemed the logical place for where the Captain wanted me to stow my kit, as he called it. I leaned over the opening and was startled to barely see a face looking back up at me.
"You would be Ott." A young voice seemed to waft up to me. "Captain told me you have not been on a barge before. I aim to help you get settled and oriented." A vague hand motion could be seen in the dark. "Come on down and I will make sure you get a good location in the hold."
Figures I would be the one assigned a guide. I slid down the ladder and into the hold. Darkness seemed to swallow me up. I looked around and saw that there were patches of light shining down from various openings.
"Over here Ott." My guide's voice called from deeper in the hold.
I headed towards where my guide stood.
"My name is Suzie. Get used to being in the hold. The Captain does not take kindly to visitors on deck unless he gives permission. Says that they just get underfoot." Now that I was closer I could see the feminine cast to her face. "This here will be your berth. You have a locker and a hammock." Her hand rested on a canvas sling hanging between two joints of the barges hold.
"Um... Hammock?" I felt lost and distracted. The longer I looked the more I realized that Suzie was very pretty. Not like Raven but more a soft, gentle beauty.
She smiled, which only made her prettier. "Yeah, that is where us on the river sleep." Her hands spread the canvas sling out until it was obviously much larger than it appeared. She jumped into the sling and arranged herself. "You lay out like this. That way the movement of the barge does not wake you." Somehow she flipped and flew out of the hammock landing on her feet. "But do not try that, just swing your feet out and land on the deck." She kicked a chest chained to one of the joints. "That is your locker. Put your effects in there."
I did as she instructed, placing my various personal items into the locker. After getting everything arranged I looked at her. "What now?"
She smirked, "Now you get a lecture." She leaned back and took a deep breath, which easily distracted me. "Now, it is understood that you have a variety of traveling companions. A dragonet, a gargoyle, lemur, and a fire salamander. You as their sponsor will be expected to make sure they all behave and take care of any problems. The dragonet is welcome in the rigging as long as it keeps out of the crews way. The gargoyle better stay in the hold. If it falls overboard we cannot fetch him from the riverbed. The lemur stays away from the cook or it might end up as dinner. The cook said something about thieves and such. And the fine salamander has her own accommodations that are suitable for her type. Make sure everyone is good and they do not interfere with the crew." She paused. "Now.. you might have noticed that the crew is mixed, male and female." Her eyebrow shot up at this. "If not you are blind. Anyway, keep your hands to yourself or risk losing them. If you get an offer that is different but make sure it is an offer. And if you get an offer you would rather not accept be polite." She smirked more. "You are a guest. If a crew member tells you to do something or go somewhere then you should do it. The only time that does not apply is if your master gives you a different order." Her smirk suddenly turned cold. "This is a King's barge. We all know Stain and what he is. Which means we understand what you are as far as his apprentice. However, only two people know the depth of the truth, me and the Captain. Everyone else thinks you are a regular apprentice, but we know you are able to manipulate all families of magic. This is the only time it is to be mentioned." She looked around. "The rest of the crew is busy getting things loaded and ready to head downriver. Since you and Stain will be with us a while you will be pretending to be a water only apprentice. I understand you have learned some earth magic. You cannot practice that on the barge, not enough earth here. Also when we make stops you will be too busy. Water magic will be all you do for a while. This comes from your master as well as the Captain." Her grin returned. "Any questions?"
I thought a moment. What she said made sense. If Stain was going to begin teaching me water magic then I needed to keep my other abilities secret. One thing did come to mind.
"What about sword practice?" MaPaine had made it clear that I was to practice every day. Where could I do that on a barge?
"Once we get loaded the hold lid will be put in place. It is strong enough and flat enough for you to practice. Just let the deck crew know what you are about. Nobody likes a bunch of steel flying around without some warning." She started back to the ladder. "Let's go on up and get you used to the barge."
The next hour was a whirlwind tour of the barge. It's design was fascinating with little surprises all over. Storage lockers in odd locations, areas that did double, even triple, duty at times. I even felt magic throughout the entire structure, it was light but it was there. Finally the tour was over and Suzie led me over to Stain and the Captain.
"Done Captain!" Suzie snapped at the Captain. She nodded to Stain.
The two men both looked at her and smiled. "She is more feisty then last time." Stain spoke affectionately. "I see that your magic is being used well on board. The ship seems to be in good shape and all the magic is very subtle."
Magic? She was a mage?
"Well, I had a good master. Even if he was annoying at times." Her own tone made it obvious that she was teasing Stain.
So not only was she a mage but she had been one of Stain's apprentices. Yet she was fairly young, only a few years older than me.
Stain must have caught some of my mental work. His smile grew, "Ott, Suzie was my latest apprentice before you. Even if the apprenticeship was not as formal." He winked at the Captain. "Some fathers just cannot let their children loose."
Well and evidently she was also the Captain's daughter. This day was just full of surprises.
"Well, I knew her gift was water. What good would traveling all over the dirt do her?" The Captain seemed to be rehashing an old, familiar argument. "And I was right. She learned both crafts just fine." He poked Stain. "Which you have just admitted."
Obviously they were old friends. Of course as they both worked for the king that only made sense.
"Ott expressed concern about practicing his sword work." Suzie interjected. "I figured he could do his exercises each morning on the hold lid. It should be sturdy enough for him."
The Captain looked at me and thought. "Well, that does sound like a decent idea. Just make sure that you let the deck crew know what you are doing or they may just launch you overboard." His eyes cut over to his daughter. "It might do your scrawny self some good to help him. Sword work is easier with a partner." He nodded and turned towards Stain. "Let's go talk in my cabin about the rest of the practice that might be going on board." They both headed towards the back of the barge where a small structure stood.
"His cabin." Suzie said and pointed. "No crew comes close without permission. No need to do so. It gives him a measure of privacy." She looked at me. "Now, what should I do with you?"
"OTT!!" A yell sounded from behind me. "Where have you been?"
I turned around to find Raven just behind me. Her expression was furious and dusty.
"The rest of us have been helping load the barge. What gives you the right to avoid helping?" She lunged towards me and suddenly grabbed my shirt. "You should have helped instead of being lazy! Every apprentice knows this!" Her face
was turning redder with every word.
Suddenly she was no longer grabbing my shirt but flying through the air. A burst of water magic exploded in front of me. Raven's scream was suddenly cut off by a splash.
"RAVEN!" I ran to the side of the boat. She did not surface.
"Can she swim?" Suzie suddenly sounded panicked.
"I have no clue but she is not surfacing!" I started climbing up the railing intending to jump in after her. Suzie yanked me back down.
"Stop. Let me get her." Her voice held a tone of command and ice in it.
I abruptly felt magic flowing from her and into the water. A lot of it. After a few seconds Raven surfaced, obviously holding her breath and struggling to swim. However her leather and harnesses were interfering with her efforts. The water lifted her clear of the river and dumped her and a lot of water on to the deck. The flow of magic stopped. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Suzie sag.
"The girl has a lot of metal on her. She is lucky I had enough strength to lift her." She sagged to the deck. "Do me a favor Ott. Do not let her hurt me." And she passed out.
So now I am on deck with a girl who is an expert knife fighter who is also soaking wet and furious and a passed out water mage who also happens to be the Captain's daughter. This day gets better and better.
***
"No matter what happened there is no laying hands on one another." The Captain seemed to be addressing everyone. He looked at both girls. "You both overreacted. Raven, Ott was being introduced to the barge by Suzie. Which were mine and Stain's orders. You do not have the right to question those no matter what else you believe. If for some reason you disagree I will personally throw you off this barge the next time we stop." He turned towards Suzie, "I expect all crew members to behave and obey all my orders. You laid hands on a traveler without provocation. Ott can deal with Raven if he finds that he needs to defend himself. He has different ways of doing that. Second, you never throw someone overboard if you do not know that they can swim or that they will be able to swim. That is almost as good as murder."
Both girls seemed to shrink within themselves.
"Now... as the master of this barge I am going to punish both of you. Raven if your master also chooses to punish you that is between you and her." He looked at me and smiled an almost devious smile. "Ott, come here."
I walked up to the Captain. He placed one hand on my shoulder and turned me around. That is when I realized that we had the attention of all the crew and everyone on board the barge.
"This is Ott. He is the apprentice of Stain. He is learning water magic on this trip. He has also studied under MaPaine. So he will be practicing most of the trip. He will be excused from most of the regular duties on board that apprentices are assigned. However he will help the cook with meals each day." He moved me aside and grabbed each girl. "These two girls are at differences. I have decided that the only way for them to come to terms with those differences is to force them. They will both have duties on board and they will be shared between the two. Each of you will help one another with each other’s duties. Raven you will be helping Suzie with her duties. Suzie you will be helping Raven with hers. You cannot be more than a few feet from each other until I and your masters decide that you have learned. What you will learn is based on you." He turned towards me. "I guess that means both ladies will be helping you with your sword work in the mornings."
He turned towards the crew. "Alright, the show is over. Get us ready to cast off. Give me notice when we have been cleared for departure." He turned around and walked back to his cabin where Stain stood. They both walked into the cabin and I could distinctly hear laughter erupting as the door shut.
I looked at the two girls and realized that I wanted to make myself extremely scarce. I quickly made my way to my berth to think about all that had occurred. And it was not even noon yet.
I made it to my hammock without anyone stopping me only to find it already occupied.
"What took so long Ott?" Pat was lounging beside Fiosrach who was in the bottom of the hammock.
"I told you he would eventually get here." Fiosrach's voice sounded sleepy. That reminded me.
"Do not fall overboard. Suzie said they would not be able to retrieve you easily." I did not want him to get hurt.
Fiosrach snickered. "I cannot drown Ott. I would just sink until I reached the bottom. Then I would walk to the bank and fly back to the barge."
Oh. Well that took care of that concern.
"Any directions for me?" Mophar called from the rafters.
"Yes. Stay out of the way and away from the cook." I smiled. "You are more than welcome to keep my company, just remember to act like a pet."
I looked at Pat. "And you need to stay out of the way also. You can fly around and rest in the rigging but do not be a nuisance."
Pat just looked at me. "I will be fine Ott. It will not be the first time for a dragonet to be on this barge. They have a few places I can lay out and soak up some sun." He moved around a little, seeming to try to find a comfortable spot. "Now why not fill us in on what just happened on deck. I felt a large surge of water magic and it was not you or Stain."
I smirked, "Oh, that was Suzie pulling Raven out of the river. After throwing her into the river." I enjoyed the surprise on their faces.
"Suzie threw Raven into the river? Why?" Pat seemed surprised.
I stopped and thought about it. "I am not really sure. Raven seemed pretty upset and she grabbed my shirt." Now that I thought about it I did not know why Suzie had reacted so strongly. "I do not know. They are both girls. So that is probably part of it. Now, out of my hammock. I want to stretch out for a little while."
They both flew up to the support structure of the hold and got comfortable next to Mophar.
"Ott, I would keep an eye on those two girls. There might be something going on there." Pat mumbled just before dosing off.
I laid there and thought about what he said. There did seem to be something going on between the two girls that I just did not understand.
***
The next day set the mood for the following days on the river. Rising early in the morning to help the cook prepare breakfast while Pat asked for food. Sword practice with the two girls until mid-morning, usually with Pat and Fiosrach commenting and Mophar hanging in the rigging. Helping cook with lunch. Magic practice in the afternoon, sometimes with everyone providing commentary. Helping cook with dinner. More magic practice after dinner, usually alone. Sleeping when watch was called. Fairly steady and boring.
By the third day on the river everyone had settled down to a routine, even me. The girls still seemed to be at odds but had at least stopped snapping at each other. The cook was spending as much time teaching me how to cook as she was cooking. Pat had decided on a favorite spot to sun. Fiosrach sat in the front of the boat watching the water slip by. Cracklecord stayed in her accommodations as it was the only fireproof location on board. The various crew already had a standard routine that seemed to exist outside of us visitors.
The cook was the main person I interacted with on the boat. I helped her prepare each meal and she took the time to make sure I knew how to use every object in her small but well appointed galley. Currently she was explaining how her bread was made.
"Now, what you have to do is make sure there are no lumps in the dough." Her voice was strong and firm as she worked the ball of dough in an odd bowl. The bowl looked like a platter but was deeper with a curved bottom. "This bowl is my kneading bowl. It helps me to work the dough." Her hands were strong and sure as she moved the dough around. She pulled out the ball of dough and placed it inside a large pot. "It will rise in here without being disturbed. That will be rolls for tonight."
She turned to me. "Your turn. How about some loafs for the morning?" As with everything she taught me she pointed out what ingredients and equipment I needed but made me do all the work. "Now be sure not to rush it. Good bread, like all good things in life, takes time." She chided. I slowed down and tried
to work the dough like she had worked hers. Slowly the various ingredients mixed to form a wad of sticky dough.
"Alright. put your ball in the pan." She motioned towards another pan set aside. "So, what should we cook for dinner tonight Ott?" This was the first time she had asked my opinion. The last couple of days had been mainly fresh items with bread.
I thought a moment about what I knew. "I have no clue. What do you think we should make?" I had learned that the cook appreciated honesty more than anything.
"How about some steak?" Pat always wanted steak.
"I am thinking a roast with tubers." She proceeded to start digging out various containers and ingredients. She spent the next hour showing me how to prepare the dinner meal.
"Okay, that is all we can do for now while it cooks. Go and do your magic lessons and come back before dinner to help with the bread." She shooed me out of the galley with her towel.
I enjoyed helping in the galley. Everything smelled so good and it gave me a chance to work with my hands. Leaving the galley I went to find Stain. He was usually on the deck talking or practicing his own magic. Since being on board the boat we had only worked water magic. I had learned a handful of spells. My favorite so far was the one that allowed me to call water from the air. I could see all sorts of uses for that one. Stain had mentioned that he wanted to try something new today. I was a little excited.
"Ott! Over here!" Stain's voice called out to me from the front of the boat. He was sitting with his legs hanging over the front edge and Mophar hanging from the rigging over his head. "So, today we start some serious spell work." He motioned me to sit beside him. "First, what do you think of the water spells you have learned so far?"
I thought a moment, "Well most of them seem simple and do not require much power."
"Very true. I wanted you to get a feel for water magic before doing anything that required a lot of effort." His feet dangled in the river. "Now we are going to talk about water and then you will learn a new spell. One that will push you."
The Wandering Apprentice Page 23
