Chapter 6
Heather finished her preparations and headed to the dining hall for a bite to eat. She was met there by the Queen who handed her a small package. Through her tears she told Heather to be careful and to deliver the package to her father. She finished her lunch and squeezed the small package into her backpack. Betty was waiting for her with her own backpack on. Heather asked her, “Are you sure you want to do this? Who’s going to take care of your baby?”
Betty answered, “My baby be okay. A friend will take care of him. I need to go and help.”
Heather looked at her small frame and wondered what help Betty could be, but she had promised the Queen that she would take her long. They made their way down to the gate where the hunters from the forest were assembled. The young priest was also there, armed with a walking staff and carrying a hefty backpack. Heather acknowledged everyone and turned towards the gate where she saw Elrod walking toward her. He was dressed for travel and carrying a backpack and the traditional spear of the guards.
He greeted them saying, “Last night I was telling my Martha, about the journey and all you know. Well, she says to me that I should go and help protect everyone, what with my previous experience as a sailor and all. Well I had wanted to go, but I was afraid, Martha my wife wouldn’t want me to go but here she thinks the same thing and says she wants me to go. It was nice her figuring that I could help protect you…”
Heather listened to him for a while longer and realized that he was going to keep talking until she said that he could come. She finally held up her hands and said, “OKAY, you can come with.”
Elrod’s face lit up with a smile and he quietly took his place in the rear of the group. They headed off to Captain John’s ship. They didn’t look like much of an army; no uniforms, no banners, no music and walking in a haphazard way instead of marching in organized columns. But it was Heather’s army and she meant to do her best to help her father breakthrough the pass and carry the war to the Southern Kingdom. The people of the city waved at them. It was obvious they were up to something but nobody really knew what was going on. If their Princess was marching off to war something was happening.
They arrived at the boat and Captain John was waiting for them. He counted the crew as they boarded. When he realized Heather had brought three extra people he began complaining. When he realized one of them was a female half brain and another was a priest he really became upset. Heather let him vent for a bit and finally interrupted him asking, “Is your ship not capable of holding three extra people?” When he agreed the ship was indeed capable she continued, “I am paying you for passage and the use of your vessel; as long as the vessel is not overloaded I have the right to utilize its entire capacity.”
Captain John complained, “We had a bargain. I agreed to take you and a hundred men to the Southern Kingdom and now you are changing the deal. How much bad luck do you want to bring me? A female half brain and a priest, it was bad enough you wanted to come, but these two are surely going to make things go badly.”
Heather began searching through her pack and pulled out a small bottle which had been carefully sealed with the official church emblem. She leaned on her sword and offered the vial to Captain John. He could not help but notice her sword and interpreted the meaning of the gesture. He took the vial of sacred water and said, “Well, this should help balance out the bad luck. Get your stuff stored so we can push off before the tide changes.”
There was a small cabin for Heather which became even smaller when she had Betty move in with her. The rest of her troop filled the hold. Elrod immediately got everyone busy making hammocks and securing their gear. Captain John only allowed a few people on deck at any one time. All of the hunters wanted to see the countryside they were traveling through, so they continually rotated between the hold and the deck. Sailing down the large river was smooth going and they made good time. Things began to change as they neared the ocean. Darkness was coming on and the wind had begun to blow against them. They had the tide and the current pushing them out into the ocean but the wind was trying to blow them back upstream. Their smooth sailing had changed into a choppy battle with the wind. Captain John tacked his boat back and forth across the channel fighting the headwind but their forward progress slowed to the point he had to call out the rowers.
Elrod was busy cooking up a large pot of ginger tea. Many of the hunters were becoming slightly uneasy because of the ships rocking. Elrod knew that this was just the beginning. He had everyone drink a cup of his tea to settle their stomachs. He advised them to stay lying in the hammocks which were strung perpendicular to the ships motion. He was like a mother hen protecting her chicks. His genuine concern was appreciated by the hunters and they mostly did as they were told.
Heather had never been across the bar into the open ocean. The night was still lit by a small moon and she could see the surf crashing against the banks as they tacked back and forth in the ever widening mouth of the river. Captain John acknowledged her presence as he called out orders to a small crew to adjust the sails. His simple command of “Prepare to come about!” was met with a flurry of activity as sail lines were prepared. When Captain John called out, “Coming about!” one set of lines was released and the opposite set were tightened on the winches changing the angle of the sails at the same time that Captain John redirected their rudder and turned the ship into the wind. He told Heather, “Make sure your crew is situated. We’ll make it across the bar on this tack. It’ll be kind of rough for a bit.”
Heather went below and first checked on Betty. She was lying in her hammock over the small cot that Heather was assigned. When she asked Betty how she was doing, Betty replied, “This rolling around makes me feel like when I was pregnant.”
Heather made her way down to the hold. There were bodies everywhere with hammocks strung four high and all of the backpacks strapped to the posts. Elrod was moving around checking on everyone and positioning buckets around the group. Heather told him that the captain said they would be crossing the bar soon. Elrod replied, “The swells had spread out which means we’re closer to the ocean. I’ll make sure everyone is secure. We’ll be fine.”
Heather returned topside and watched Captain John concentrated on the waters ahead. The tide had slackened and the choppy waves that had accompanied them were being replaced by large swells. The ship would pitch and roll significantly with each swell. Heather wanted to know what the bar was, but did not want to distract Captain John. He must have been reading her mind because he said, “This bar isn’t so much a structure as it is the meeting place of the ocean and the river. Sand gets deposited at the junction which makes it shallower. The large swells from the ocean tend to be pushed higher in the shallower water which makes them more dangerous. I’ve timed our transit for slack tide. This tends to be much quieter. It’s a real bugger trying to cross here when the tides running hard. Is your crew doing okay?”
To Heather it seemed that Captain John was mellowing the closer he got to saltwater. She replied, “They are alright. Some mild sickness of the sea but otherwise okay. The air smells different.”
“It’s the salt air. Fills a man’s soul and invigorates him. Once you’ve taken a liking to the ocean and the ocean to you, you’re never complete unless you’re together. Hard for you landlubbers to understand I suppose.”
“Sounds like a love affair.”
“Aye, the ocean is a mistress alright but one that is mighty vengeful. You need to pay her attention or she’ll get angry and then you’re in big trouble. But if you take care and follow her rules she’s as faithful as can be.”
The moon had set and darkness was now complete. The waters seemed to glow slightly when they were disturbed by the swells breaking or the waves created by the bow of the ship. Heather could see nothing else in the blackness. Captain John steered by a compass illuminated by a small hanging lamp that had red glass in it. He seemed to be listen
ing as much as watching. The swells were obviously bigger and the ship would pitch down and to the side only to rise up again and roll to the opposite side. Heather had to hold on to keep her balance but Captain John seemed to stand without difficulty holding only a light touch on the wheel he used for steering.
Captain John said, “We’re crossing the bar. It’ll settle down in a few minutes. You better hang on tight until you get your sea legs. Once you learn the rhythm of the ocean you’ll be able to dance with her and not feel so off-balance.”
After about 30 minutes the severity of the pitching and rolling seemed to moderate. Captain John took a new heading of due west and called down into a tube, “Time to post the watch.” He then turned to Heather and said, “We’ll head out into the open ocean for the next day and a half. We’ll then turn north and approach the passage from the southeast. The southwest approach is heavily guarded and very difficult to approach without being seen. Not much left to do tonight so I’m going to get some sleep and I’d suggest you do the same.”
When one of the crew showed up to take the watch they left using the captain’s lantern to guide them. Betty awoke when Heather entered the small room. She wanted to know if everything was okay. Heather reassured her and climbed into the small bunk. The rolling and pitching of the ship now seemed to rock her and she quickly fell asleep listening to the creaking and groaning of the ship. When morning came she joined her troops in the hold for breakfast. About half of the Forest Folk still suffered from the sickness of the sea but the others were in good spirits. They ate their travel rations and again took turns rotating up to the deck to experience the ocean. The vastness and apparent emptiness of the ocean contrasted so dramatically with their Forest valleys.
They continued their westward journey all that day and into the night. Captain John was planning on turning north at midday of the second day. They arose on the second day to a beautiful red sky. The beauty of the sky was not matched by Captain John’s mood. Heather asked the first mate why Captain John seemed to be in such a sour mood. He explained their concern about a weather change, signaled by the red sky at dawn and the change in the fluid level of the pressure glass. A storm could be forming. At midday they made their course change to a southerly direction. The wind also changed to a more easterly flow. This seemed to aggravate Captain John’s mood even more. Several times Heather heard him mumbling about women bringing bad luck aboard ships.
By late afternoon the clouds were visible on the horizon. Captain John adjusted his course trying to reach Shelter Island before the storm hit. They didn’t make it. The wind and waves grew steadily and soon the clouds overtook them. The rain started as scattered drops but soon was a steady downpour which blocked visibility. The ship was headed abeam the wind which caused it to heal over significantly. This added to the rolling and pitching of the waves. Anything not secured quickly worked its way to the floor were it rolled from side to side with the pitching and rolling of the ship. The Forest Folk were now almost all suffering from the sickness of the sea. Elrod kept administering his ginger tea and emptying their puke buckets. He remained cheerful and somehow was able to maintain his balance amongst the widely swinging hammocks.
Heather made her way back up to the cockpit. Captain John was peering ahead through the rain coated glass trying to see anything. He was swearing and muttering to himself. His face showed his concern but also a look of excitement was evident. When he saw Heather he shook his head and said, “I told you letting a woman aboard was bad luck and then you had to bring that female half brain and a priest along. Well, we’re not going to be able to reach Shelter Island. There is a reef out from the Island and I dare not try to find my way around it with this poor visibility. We’re going to have to turn and run with the wind back towards the open ocean.”
Heather could not sense the turn because of the wild motions of the ship but soon the rolling motion quieted. The ship would pitch forward and seem to surge ahead only to slow noticeably as it plowed into the wave ahead and rose up again. Captain John left only enough sail up to maintain control. His humor seemed improved.
Nighttime was a simple transition into more complete darkness. The storm continued all night and dawn was just a transition from blackness to an intense grayness. Heather worried about their safety but Elrod assured her that Captain John could handle the storm. By midafternoon the sky began to lighten and the rain slacked off. The wind and waves continued to pound them and they were forced to continue westwardly. It was another night with little sleep for the Forest Folk as their hammocks swung wildly and their bellies protested. The ventilation in the hold was marginal and the smell of vomit added to everyone’s nausea. Elrod continued to nurse everyone without complaint. He seemed unaffected by the ship’s gyrations.
Morning dawned clear with only a gentle breeze but the swells continued. Captain John was in good spirits he told Heather, “Nothing like a good storm to get your blood flowing. If you respect the ocean and let her lead in the dance, things work out okay, but if you try to force your way, things go badly.”
Heather asked him where they were. He replied, “We’re a long way west of where we want to be and probably a day north of the archipelago. We’ll need to work our way east to the coastline and then down the coast to the mouth of the river. Somewhere we’ll need to stop for supplies.”
Heather objected, “You mean we’re starting over?”
“Not only do we have to start over but we’ll have to wait until the end of the moon month to set off again so that we have a dark night for making our way through the passage undetected.”
“There must be some way to get through without starting over.”
Captain John replied, “There’s only one passage and it is heavily guarded. Only on the darkest of nights can you get through without detection. Haven’t you learned your lesson, you must follow the rules of the sea.”
Heather left to pass information onto her troops. The moderating sea had improved their moods significantly. They accepted Heather’s announcement fairly well with only a few complaints about preferring to walk. The young priest however spoke up, “One of the old scrolls speaks of a second passage far to the East of the primary passage. Would it be possible for us to use the second passage?”
Heather responded, “Captain John said there was only one passage.”
The young priest shrugged his shoulders and said, “Very few people pay any attention to the old scrolls. But the scroll definitely describes a second passage which is very deep but narrow. The mountains are very steep and the winds followed the winding passage as the old explorers made their way through it. The winds blew one way in the morning but by afternoon they shifted around to the opposite direction. It took them less than a half-day to make the passage.”
Heather asked, “How would we find this passage?”
Young priest looked up as if he was reading something on the ceiling before replying, “The passageway begins partway down a large fjord that is bounded by mountains on both sides. The large mountain on the east is snow-covered and the mountain on the west side resembles an anvil. The main fjord turns to the right around the anvil mountain but the passage turns sharply to the left and follows the base of the snow-covered mountain.”
Heather went back to speak with Captain John taking the young priest with her. Captain John listened to their discussion of the second passage. He shook his head saying, “You want me to risk my ship and crew to explore some possible secret passage just because this priest sees words in his head. Even you should make more sense than that.”
Heather countered, “If the passage did exist would not this knowledge be extremely valuable to someone in your position? Since we must start over anyway, why not return along the archipelago and search for this secret passage.”
Captain John turned towards the young priest and asked, “If I show you a written page your mind remembers everything on it?” The young
priest just nodded his head in the affirmative. Captain John opened his ledger book to a random page and had the young priest look at it. He then asked him what was on the page. The young priest described the rows of numbers. Captain John asked him what the numbers were. The young priest looked upwards and began reciting a list of numbers. Captain John followed along in the ledger book and after the first row of numbers said, “Okay okay, you’ve made your point. I still don’t know if we can trust some old scroll, even if you can see it perfectly in your mind. Having my own passage would be an advantage.”
Heather asked, “You’re willing then?”
“We’ll have a look see, but I’m not promising anything.”
Captain John had the young priest recite the description of the fjord and mountains again. He then turned his ship to the south and headed for the mountainous archipelago. It was early afternoon when the lookouts reported land ahead. Captain John instructed the lookouts to watch for the Sentinel Mountains. He kept the ship within easy viewing distance of the land but far enough out that the water was less choppy and the sailing easier.
It was late afternoon when the Sentinel Mountains were spotted. They were just as described in the ancient scroll. Captain John made way into the fjord. The wind was going against them and progress up the fjord was slow. Heather and the young priest were standing by Captain John. Shelter was becoming an issue. The high cliffs provided no respite from the wind. Heather asked the young priest if the scrolls described any anchorages in the fjord. The young priest again looked upwards and spent several minutes apparently reading the old scrolls. He finally said, “The original explores found shelter just outside the passage in something called a bite which is protected by an island.”
Captain John was listening and relayed instructions to the lookout. They were almost to the base of the snow-covered mountain when the island finally became visible. The water calmed as soon as the boat glided behind the island. Captain John had the anchor dropped and when they were secure, everyone relaxed. Nightfall was still a couple of hours away so a crew was sent ashore to begin refilling their freshwater supply. Their small shelter was surrounded by cliffs with several small waterfalls present. Heather sent a hunting party ashore to see if any game was available. Darkness was settling when the hunters returned with two mountain goats. They had also picked fresh berries and some roots of wild turnips.
All the hunters were eager to set their feet on solid ground and evening meal turned into a celebration with the fresh provisions. Heather was surprised that it seemed as if the ground was moving. She was having trouble standing still on the solid ground. Apparently once you develop your sea legs you give up your land legs. Captain John refused to leave his ship and so his meal was ferried out to him. The night was getting late and Captain John ordered everyone back on board so they could depart at first light.
The crew was up and making preparations for departure before the sun had risen above the cliffs. Heather joined Captain John as they departed. The wind was now blowing from their stern and they made good time as they made their way into the passage. The water was deep but the passage so narrow that turning the ship was going to be very difficult. Captain John asked Heather to have the young priest available to answer questions. As the passage twisted between the cliffs the wind made a musical howling sound. The priest said, “This must be the siren song the scrolls speak of. It now makes sense.”
The lookout had trouble discerning the channel ahead because of the sharp twist. Heather developed a sense of claustrophobia because of the towering cliffs. Things were going well until the lookout called down, “Channel narrows ahead.”
Captain John tried slowing his ship but with the wind from astern and no room to turn into the wind the ship continued moving forward. He steered the ship carefully keeping it in the center of the channel which became so narrow that the shoreline was within a stone’s throw on both sides of the ship. Captain John was now worried about the safety of both his ship and his crew. He asked, “Are you sure this goes through?”
The young priest responded, “I assume this is the Perilous Strait written of in the old scroll. It will end when we see a waterfall of milk.”
The meaning of the old scroll became evident when a waterfall descending from the snowcapped mountain became visible. The small stream was heavily laden with glacial silt which colored the water white. They had no sooner passed the waterfall when the passage began opening up. It remained narrow but the severe claustrophobia they had felt resolved. By midday the wind began to calm and they sailed out of the passage into a short fjord which led to the open ocean. They had entered the ocean of the Southern Kingdom.
Captain John sailed away from land into the open ocean keeping only the mountains visible in the distance. He was unsure of his position but knew that they would need to sail eastwardly for at least a full day before entering waters he would recognize. The priest reported that the scrolls described another sheltered anchorage but Captain John preferred the safety of the open ocean. Without charts to guide him around possible reefs he preferred the safety of the deep water.
They sailed through the night and shortly before dawn significant activity awoke Heather. She dressed quickly and went above. Captain John was already there and said, “Nice of them to keep the signal fire burning. I don’t think they’re expecting us. Our timing is perfect; we’ll pass by them before dawn arrives.”
Heather asked, “Is this the passage we initially sought?”
“Aye, it is. T'is much safer to use our secret passage than risk detection here. They have several catapults positioned along the cliffs and if an unauthorized ship is seen they can sink it easily.”
“So you’re happy with our bargain now?”
“I am. So long as the passage remains a secret.”
Heather laughed and said, “I suppose as long as our taxes are paid, then the passage used should be of no interest to our officials. The knowledge exists in the old scrolls but I doubt anyone will seek it. I would expect the secret to remain secure.”
They continued making their way east. Captain John steered by compass keeping his ship safely away from land and possible detection. He determined the distance they traveled by dropping a float from the bow of the ship and keeping track of the time it took for the float to reach the stern of the ship. He kept making notes and comparing their progress to a chart. He explained to Heather that he was using dead reckoning to plot their course. He would put them ashore at a secluded anchorage on the mountain side of the great gorge. They would need to land at night and be gone by morning.
It was quite dark when Heather first recognized the crashing of waves against the shore. She went above and watched Captain John steer his ship parallel to the surf line. He was concentrating hard looking and listening at the surf which glowed slightly as the waves broke on the rocks. He suddenly turned the ship towards the shore and had the sails lowered. They glided into a quiet bay. Everyone was being quiet. They slowly released the anchor which grabbed the bottom swinging the ship into the wind. Captain John gave the orders to lower the boats. Heather’s army was quickly put ashore. She waited until the last boat to leave the ship. She released the remaining half of the jeweled clasp from her cape and handed it to Captain John.
Captain John took the final payment and joined it to the first half of the clasp. He said, “We struck a good bargain. Things have changed. With my secret passage I should be able to complete several more trips before the winter weather closes me down. My profits will be considerable.” He handed the clasp back to Heather saying, “You keep your grandmother’s gift. It has brought us good luck and you’ll be needing all the good luck you can get.” Without letting Heather respond he helped her into the boat and sent her ashore.