Defyance was not too far away from Maledorian, which was often the case. Darci wondered if anything was going on between those two besides warrior comradeship. For a moment, the young girl was distracted by the bizarre thought. Quiet often, both happened to be missing at the same time. When everyone was on deck and awake on the Elspeth, both had remained below deck, while when everyone was ready to sleep, both were the last to tuck themselves in at night. Yet, throughout the day, they almost ignored each other. Darci shrugged her shoulders unnoticed. Whatever was going on it did not concern her anyway.
Defyance was sitting on the second sled with her weapon of choice in hand. Darci watched in awe as her slightly obsessed friend began to twirl the blade around her fingers, going faster and faster until the weapon was a gold/silver blur flicking from hand to hand. Looking harder, she realised that the dagger’s sheath was occupied with yet another blade that looked exactly the same. Darci thought that she had been given only one dagger. She shrugged again.
Her thoughts were broken by the sound of footsteps followed by giant claws scratching on the ice. Taslessian walked over with Sahat following behind with his strange dragon gait. “As you all know the situation, you also know what has to be done.” The humour from the previous day seemed to have drained from the dragon’s face. Where last night his eyes were bright and clear, now, they were almost unfocused and dim. “I was hoping to instruct you each on how your weapons can be used, but there is no time…” Sahat allowed his sentence to trail off, shaking his head.
Defyance quickly sheathed her dagger before looking up at him. Squaring her shoulders she walked over to her sleigh. When no one else moved she sighed in frustration. “If we have so little time, why are we still here?”
Sahat looked at her with the briefest flicker of a smile before continuing. “We can waste no time, therefore I must send you on your way. Now, some of you may not enjoy this, but you are going to Menarik.”
Sahat took two steps towards the smooth ice wall of his home. “Taslessian has been given the staff of his master, which has been infused with the power of Grisham the great. With that comes immense ability and great knowledge – power and knowledge enough to send you straight from here to Menarik. I must warn you though, this is hardly a safe way to travel and I do not advise doing it without a dragon’s assistance.”
With his warning, he glared at Defyance then Maledorian in turn making sure that no matter what happened, they would not try this particular way of travel again.
Sahat had nothing left to say, so with a nod of his great head, Taslessian walked determinedly through the group to stand in front of the ice wall of the cave. With a face of great concentration, he began to mutter words that nobody but Sahat could understand. He held his staff into the air as his chanting rose and fell to the rhythm of a dragon’s breath. A loud crack resounded through the cave to be met by silence. No one dared make a peep. With a ringing in their ears, the sound that silence brought was more deafening than Sahat’s mighty roar. Everyone looked to the unchanged wall with anticipation and without looking back to see if he was being followed, the newly ascended wizard walked straight through the ice to whatever lay beyond.
The last flicker of Taslessian’s cape had soon disappeared, and so had the sleighs, guided by Defyance and Maledorian. The Dahnaga followed as if in a trance, responding to the instructed handling of the two prominent warriors; a sign of more magic at work. Lief was about to step through when he turned back to look at Darci. She stood looking at the once solid ice that now moved like a lake being violated by a small pebble.
The elf smiled reassuringly, taking her by the hand. Both of them waved a friendly goodbye to Sahat and his snowmen. “Thank you, for everything…”
“Go,” Sahat interrupted in a strained voice. “It takes a great deal of effort to keep the gateway open.” The great dragon’s back knees faltered, thudding to the ground with a resounding crack of ice. His front legs were shaking as they tried to cope with his immense weight.
Without further delay, Darci and Lief jumped through the liquid ice together, landing instantly on a cobbled road, stumbling to keep their footing. Sahat and Taslessian had reduced a three-day journey to a split second, landing them on the quiet street between the evergreens that lead towards Menarik.
Chapter 2
To the north, just over the tops of the pine trees, the tip of the morning sun could be seen peeking out of the clouds. The sky was awash with the light colours of daybreak, starting with the light blue to the east, ending with the vibrant oranges and reds to the west as the sun lit the clouds. A pleasant, but slightly chilly breeze was blowing through the woods, bringing again the relaxing fresh scent of pine to the outskirts of Menarik.
Taslessian’s form was slumped over the top of one of the sleighs. His chest rose and fell to the soft rhythmic sound of his breathing, but he was as limp as the dead. Such a magical feat would drain any wizard of energy, not to mention one so new to such power. Already, Defyance was driving the first sleigh into Menarik while Maledorian stood waiting until Darci had come through before he jogged off after his ride.
If luck was with them, they would be able to obtain passage to Chinta that day, but their chances were slim; vessels did not often visit this cold corner of the land, and their only chance would be if the Elspeth was still in port. If they had no more encounters with monsters on the return trip, they could have their horses and be on their way down to Chinta sometime during the third week.
“Come on, Darci,” Lief encouraged. “We can’t let them beat us.” With a single foot thrust on the snow he urged the Dahnaga forward. Sensing familiar lands, the animals took off with a jerk, flying through the forest then careening through the sleepy streets of the small city once again. The houses flew by with wind pulling at their hair and soon they were level with their friends.
It had taken them three days to get to Sahat’s cave but they had only stayed at the great dragon’s abode for a single rotation of the sun, so their guide would not have yet returned. Instead of causing trouble by returning their sleighs to his family, they decided to sell the sleighs and the Dahnaga. Money was no problem, considering one of the parting gifts had included coin, but time, however, was their enemy.
By necessity, they returned to the same inn. Out of all the places in Menarik, this would hold the most influential sailors. They only paused outside long enough to unload their belongings to the deserted stable. Maledorian, Darci and Taslessian kept their things, and then, without a word, Lief and Defyance were off to find a buyer for their sleighs.
Arriving at their inn with at least some rest behind her, Darci marvelled at its quaint appearance, an aspect that had gone unnoticed previously. Built entirely out of grey stone, the charming two-storey building gave off a friendly and inviting look despite the windows being fogged up from the inside. Smoke still wafted out of the inn’s chimneys.
Walking through the sturdy wooden door first, the Knight Protector was relieved that the taproom was empty, except for a single serving boy and one of the previous night’s customers. The chairs had all been neatly arranged and all evidence of the previous night’s activities cleared away to make ready for the next day’s activities. Any sailors still staying at the inn would be sleeping off whatever they had drunk the night before. Darci and Taslessian stood behind the knight, the young girl unsure what to do with herself, while the young wizard was too tired to even care where he stood.
“Boy, tell me, is the sailor Gemal still staying here?” Maledorian pulled his burly hand out of his pocket to flick a coin around his fingers, throwing it into the air in front of the boy’s eager eyes. However, before the boy could reach out and grab it, the knight swallowed it within his grasp.
“Yes sar. Gemal the sailor is still ’ere, ’e’s up in the room last to yer left sar… true.” Maledorian flicked the coin to the boy before making his way up the stairs with Darci in tow. Taslessian was sitting in a chair now, head slowly dropping towards his chest
. Unlike most inns, this was a place safe enough to leave all your belongings to be guarded by one whose eyes were closed.
Quickly up the wooden stairs to the last door on the left strode Maledorian, Darci jogging behind to keep up. The knight knocked sharply on the door three times, and when no response was forthcoming, he, turned the unlocked handle and let himself in. Despite the intrusion, the sailor wrapped up in bed sheets did not even stir. Gemal lay fast asleep on his bed, and it was not an elegant sight. One bare foot hung over the side of the straw covered table doubling as a bed, the hair on his toes providing the foot’s only warmth. The sailor’s face was mushed against the pillow, his mouth wide open next to a small puddle of drool, snoring loudly.
Darci stifled a giggle as Maledorian tapped the man on the shoulder. Gemal grunted and rolled over but did not wake. Maledorian was going to shake him then, but Darci reached up to put a hand on his shoulder. Instead of using the knight’s abrupt approach, she crept up to her unlikely hero, gently squeezing his nose with her finger and thumb.
“Wha… Wha… Huh?” Gemal got up on one elbow to look at who was playing with his nose, hoping that it was the bar lady he had been dreaming about. After a couple of blinks to focus, he finally recognised his assailant. “Oh… Well now, I had a feeling that I’d see yer again despite the fact that you lot left without a word the other morn. How’s it goen, lass?”
Maledorian was in no mood to chat, so before Darci could reply, he got straight to the point. “Gemal, we need to get back to Chinta as soon as possible. How long will it take you to get your crew together so that we can sail?” The knight’s eyes, though commanding, held a hint of youthful exuberance.
“Well now, I’m glad you didn’t want to beat about the bush…” Gemal yawned loudly, stretching his arms over his head. “But before we talk, kin I get dressed?” The sleepy sailor looked pointedly at Darci, an action that was punctuated by an embarrassed cough. Her presence was no longer needed. Darci mumbled some excuse about checking on Taslessian before fleeing out the door.
It was not too long before the heavy footsteps of the Knight Protector and the sleepy sailor could be heard thumping on the well-built wooden stairs of the inn. Darci looked up from her seat at the largest table in the tap room. Taslessian was still asleep, his head rested on his folded arms, slumped on the table. A soft, sometimes interrupted snoring, emanated from somewhere in the depths of his crumpled form. She was sitting quietly next to him, yawning loudly as her friends sat down. Before the presence of the knight and bosun, the young girl’s chin had fallen to her chest, only for her head to be lifted a moment later. As she looked at them, her eyes were bleary and half open. Taslessian was not the only one who was tired, and if Maledorian and Gemal had taken much longer, she would have joined Taslessian in his much needed slumber.
Gemal instructed the serving boy to have some breakfast prepared for them all. With another gold coin, the boy quickly made his way to the kitchen, began to sort through the various pots and pans that surrounded them. Even though the boy seemed busy, his head constantly turned to look through the kitchen door that had conspicuously been left open, his eyes again looking upon the heroic and mysterious strangers.
“As I said before, Gemal, we need passage to Chinta as soon as possible. It is most important.” The knight sat down next to Taslessian, but instead of leaning back into the chair like the rest of them, he leaned forward to place one arm on the table. The entire time he had been upstairs with Gemal the question of ship and crew had been avoided. Instead, the bosun had rambled on about some of the things that had happened in their absence.
“There might be a problem with that.” Gemal ran his hand over his baldhead, scratching it at the back. “Ye see, our captain, Argon, is convinced that the ship would not have been attacked if the lass ere, weren’t on board. He and the remaining crew are convinced you’re all bad luck. There be only a few of us that know ’im for the coward that he is! Bunch of superstitious sissy sailor sacks of…” Gemal slapped his hand down on the table in frustration, amazed that anyone could believe such tripe.
“I can help that.” Taslessian lifted his head to look at the sailor. His voice was soft and unsteady yet strong enough to be heard. “All I need is the boat. Once the sails are up I can get us to Chinta.”
Gemal was going to question the young wizard, but before he could open his mouth, Taslessian had allowed his head to drop back to the comfort of his arms. Looking at his other two acquaintances, he thought better of asking how, what or why, gladly leaving the mystical to the unknown.
“Meet me at the stable of this inn tonight after darkness has fallen,” Gemal instructed. “Only then will the rest of the crew be occupied enough for me to depart…”
* * *
The moon hid its bright face behind wispy clouds, obscuring the six dark figures creeping quietly around the Menarik waterfront. All were glad to be rugged up in dark clothes that night, as the wind blew in from the sea, making everything that it touched feel the breath of ice.
Maledorian had explained almost everything to Gemal, and the sailor had agreed to hijack his own ship, reasoning that he did not like Captain Argon anyway. When they got to Chinta, he could sell the ship to get the money he was owed for so many years of service.
Maledorian, Lief, Defyance, Taslessian, Darci and Gemal walked up the gangplank of the Elspeth in silence. There were only two sailors on watch that night, and in such a sleepy town, they were not being particularly watchful. Both were crouched, rolling a set of dice under a single lamp. Gemal knew that Argon’s displeasure was no match for their own lives.
Darci’s body shook with excitement as she watched the two sailors on guard trip over themselves to get away as soon as Maledorian raised his mace. With the echoes of their retreating footsteps, all heads turned to Gemal, crowding around him so that his cautious whispers could be heard.
“We don’t have time to stuff around I’m afraid,” he said as he directed them to separate parts of the ship. Through a relay of whispered instructions, Lief and Maledorian unfurled the mainsail with an all too loud crack that called for a moment’s pause before continuing. Darci and Defyance wrestled with any loose ropes, clumsily tying them in barely sufficient knots to whatever their bosun pointed to. Gemal stood on the quarterdeck, his barely distinguishable silhouette blending into the fixtures of the ship, wind tugging at his clothes.
Lief sprang from the deck of the ship to untie the mooring ropes. With the breeze finally filling the sails, Gemal began to steer the vessel slowly out of the tiny harbour. Steering it as close to the pier as he dared, Gemal watched in wonder as Lief ran alongside, finally leaping onto a stack of creates before making one almighty jump to land on the side of the ship, hands comfortably hanging onto the side rail a moment before he swung himself back on deck to await further instructions.
Slowly the ship began to move, threading its way through the dark ripples of the night. The water lapped at the side of the ship with increasing loudness, yet no call of alarm sounded. Already more than a stone’s throw from the pier, it was too late. The Elspeth slipped away from the sleepy town unnoticed.
* * *
At first, darkness reigned supreme, but with time, their eyes adjusted and the moon and stars began to shine through the clouds. As soon as they were out of the harbour, Darci wandered up to the quarterdeck. Gemal stood tall, holding the ship’s wheel with a single sturdy hand while he looked up at the sky using the stars as his guide. Eventually he let his gaze fall to the young girl who stood next to him, waiting for her to say what she was going to say.
“Why were you never the captain, Gemal?” To her it seemed like a reasonable progression.
“I never wanted to be a captain, lass,” Gemal replied as he turned his eyes back to the sky. “Being a captain requires so much and there’s always the first mate there, wantin’ yer job, so bein’ the bosun is much easier and you tend to have a longer life span.” Both sailor and young girl remained silent for a
while. Darci looked ahead to see only the infrequent reflection of the moon dancing on the horizon. With a sigh that echoed on the wind, they sailed towards the city of Chinta.
When only ocean filled the horizons, Taslessian climbed up to crow’s nest. At first unheard, he began chanting in the language of the ancients, with his staff in the air. All on deck soon began to hear his rising voice and with a blinding flash from the tip of his staff, silence once again filled the air. Like the touch of a gentle finger, a breeze began to blow past those on deck, building gently until it filled the sails, moving the ship faster than ever before. With his master’s staff, some brief private instruction from Sahat and practice, the young wizard was becoming stronger with every spell. The more magic he used, the energy he expended grew less and the greater the distance between his old self and the new became.
He would stay in the crow’s nest for hours on end, resting only momentarily to try to recoup his energy, eating copious amounts of highly sweetened meat.
The rest of the makeshift crew simply did as they were instructed by Gemal. Maledorian’s muscles bunched up, knotting and cramping as he lifted his own body weight up and down the railing, tending to the needs of the sails that filled and emptied to the whims of Taslessian’s magic. Darci’s hands soon became red raw from pulling on the ropes, arms constantly straining. With an almighty gust of wind from Taslessian, one of the ropes began to drag the tired girl along the deck, her shoes squeaking on the salty wood. With a silent smile, Defyance picked up the end of the rope, both women working together to tie it down.
When Gemal was too tired to keep his eyes open, Maledorian would take over the helm, making sure they stayed on course. Sleep was rare given the scarcity of crew, and Darci found herself almost sleeping against the ship railing on more than one occasion.
Finally, on the dawn of the third morning, the sun rose to reveal land on the distant horizon. Their voyage was almost over.