Ambition and Alavidha (18 page)

Their
sea-journey had been, in the beginning uneventful, as the ship
sailed west through the Middle Sea. It was only when they had
passed through the gap in the Trent Reef and sailed north up the
Western Sea that the problems had begun. A squall had turned into a
full blown storm, a storm so horrible in its intensity that Daniel
had thought the end of the world had come. Cowering in the cabin he
shared with Ian he had heard the mizzen mast go with a crack like
thunder, felt the ship heel over, still plunging but with the mast
acting like a devilish sea anchor. The two had heard shouts from
the deck, the sound of feet (though faint) and the noises as the
sailors had desperately tried to cut it free.

Then had come
some more ominous creaking. Now, sitting on the beach and looking
back, he couldn’t decide just when he had realised that the ship
was going to founder. He just had. He had called to Ian, “we must
get on deck.”

Ian had not
been willing.

Daniel
submersed himself in his memory of that night.

* * * * *

Ian’s face was
white, stark white with fear and he was holding on to one of the
bunk struts with white-knuckled hands. He whimpered, “no.”

“Don’t be a
fool man,” Daniel yelled, opening Ian’s fingers with frantic haste.
“She’s going down. Can’t you feel it? Do you want to go down with
her? No? Then let’s go!”

The two of them
struggled against the heaving and pitching but managed to get the
cabin door open and lurch out into the companion-way. With each
roll their bodies crashed into the bulkheads to one side then the
other. By the time they reached the ladder leading to the deck it
had got easier. The ship was filling with water and the rolls were
correspondingly less frantic. They climbed the ladder and Daniel
gazed round the spraying deck. It was deserted. He was not to know
that the majority of the crew, including the Captain had already
been swept overboard.

“My Uncle?”
shouted Ian and made as if to go back below. Daniel held on to him
tighter. He dragged Ian to the side. He noticed that the
deck-rope-rails had gone.

He looked
towards the bow. It was already submerged, the deck was slanting,
precipitating the ship’s descent into the inky depths of the
Western Sea.

The lower decks
must already be underwater Daniel realised, probably the deck their
cabin had been on as well. They’d got out just in time.

“She’s going,”
he yelled. “Jump.”

When Ian
didn’t, Daniel pushed him in then followed.

The water was
freezing cold. Daniel gasped as his body plunged down and into it.
He believed he was drowning, he was sure he was. He had no idea
where Ian was. He swallowed a lot of water before bobbing to the
surface, coughing and splashing with his arms to keep afloat. He
was wondering about how long he could keep it up when his arm hit
something hard, a wooden something. With desperation he grasped it.
It was big enough for him to drag himself part out of the water and
after several attempts which exhausted him, he managed.

He was cold. He
was more than cold. He passed out.

When he woke it
was light and the sun, he could feel it on his back. He realised
too that he was not moving, except for his feet which were bobbing
up and down.

Swell.

Consciousness
was returning and with it came the realisation that he was alive.
He opened an eye.

Sand. Beach. A
small wriggling creature.

He dragged
himself out of the water then lost consciousness again.

He woke.

Thirst! He was
dying of the thirst. He had to find fresh water. Kneeling on the
sand, head thumping, throat feeling as if it was clenched together,
he spied some tracks, little prints and they were leading inland.
He followed the tracks and discovered a tiny streamlet of fresh
water.

The water saved
his life. Thirst gone, his stomach growled. Daniel then made the
acquaintance of the taste of raw shellfish and uncooked roots. They
upset his stomach but at least kept his hunger at bay.

It was during
one of his food gathering expeditions that he found Ian. He had
been washed up on to the shore too.

Ian was alive,
if barely and it was the fact that he had to stay to look after him
that meant Daniel had had to remain where he was and wait for help
instead of moving inland.

He had been
pondering this dilemma, to stay or to go and try to get help when
Thalia and Josei had appeared.

* * * * *

The Holad
doctor set to work on Ian Markwood at once, although one of his
team assessed Daniel’s injuries.

“Remarkable,”
she said after her examination, “you seem to have escaped with just
a few bruises, not even a finger broken!”

“I was lucky.
Ian?”

“Your friend?
Doctor says he’ll survive.”

Daniel breathed
in and out, long and slow.

“Thank the
gods,” he said then.

“I don’t think
your gods had a lot to do with it, lady luck more like,” she
replied, sitting back on her heels, “now, we’ve brought you some
clothes and boots. Other supplies too, a sleep bag and blankets.
Also shaving stuff and some soap. Not a sword, we’ve none to spare
but I expect you’ll be able to borrow one from one of the Supply
Stations. The coast is not the place to move about unarmed.”

“I would feel
more comfortable with one at my side,” admitted Daniel, “did you
bring a comb?”

She laughed,
“you can have mine, I can soon get another. First I want you to go
take a bath, here’s the soap and towel. When you get back I’ll put
ointment on your bruises then you can get dressed and have
something hot and sustaining to eat.”

“My
thanks.”

“Our duty and
pleasure,” she said with a smile.

* * * * *

The Holad
doctor complimented Thalia on her first aid.

“You did good
young lady. Probably saved his life. He was in all likelihood
almost gone when you and Josei got here. You didn’t move him, you
kept him warm, gave him some water.”

“I did my
best.”

“Well you did
right and more than right. You can go now, leave him to us. We’ll
be taking him back to the Station. Who is he again?”

“He’s some sort
of southern noble, a Count Daniel said, Count Ian Markwood, yes,
that’s it.”

“The other
one?” enquired the doctor.

“He’s a noble
too, Kellen-Heir Daniel Ross, I wasn’t paying much attention. Is
there a problem?

“No, not at
all, but I have to report strange and unusual happenings in this
part of the world.”

* * * * *

-19-

DAGAN – THE
OTHER NORTHERN CONTINENT

The Susalai,
Andei by name was almost overwhelmed by the problems requiring his
attention but he had put all such matters aside when he heard the
news from the Gtrathlin about the theft.

Murdoch,
he thought,
it must have been them
. It would have to be
dealt with too and who better to find one of their own but another
from that country?

He had by now
received the report from Artem and Larya.

It wouldn’t be
the first time men of Murdoch had used the islands as a means to
hide their real identities.

As luck would
have it Andei had also just received word about the finding of the
remains of the wrecked Murdochian ship and of the existence of the
two survivors. One of whom, if the report was accurate, was
uninjured. He was also from one of the ruling classes of the
kingdom, ideal for his purpose.

“Get word to
the Lind of the Holad man who sent in the report,” he instructed
one of his attendant Avuzdel. “A matter of urgency and send word to
Vya too.”

* * * * *

-20-

THE WESTERN
COAST - THE NORTHERN CONTINENT

The doctor
asked to see Thalia.

“Stranger and
strangest,” he said to her, “my Radya has just received word. This
Kellen-Heir Daniel Ross is not to go with us to the Holad Station,
he is to go north, to the Gtrathlin. Could you wait with him
please, we would but we really need to get the other one to the
Station as soon as possible. ”

“Of course,”
Thalia answered, greatly wondering. “Does he know?”

“Not yet,
better send him over and I’ll break the news. I think he’ll be
surprised, shocked that he’ll not be accompanying us.”

* * * * *

“I’m to go
where
?” asked Daniel.

“The
Gtrathlin’s domta. It is north of here, a long way.”

“How long?”

“Many days
ride.”

“Ride?”

Daniel know he
was looking like and sounding like an idiot but he couldn’t help
himself. He knew he was in shock after hearing the doctor’s news
and panicky? Daniel had never felt so panicked in his life. He felt
he was losing control of his own destiny.

He might have
been forgiven for thinking this.

“But I still
don’t understand,” he stammered, “why me?”

“You know our
Lind are telepathic?” asked the doctor, “that means they can send
messages to each other almost instantaneously.”

“Yes, I’d
heard.”

“Well young
man, an important item has been stolen at Gtratha and the Gtrathlin
reported that fact. No point in asking me what the item is, I don’t
know, but it is important enough to trouble the heads of persons
far cleverer and knowledgeable than you and I. I understand that
the item is in some way dangerous. Anyway, messages must have
passed to and fro, don’t interrupt and the decision was made. Your
orders come from your Ambassador at Vada and I don’t think refusal
is an option. To Gtratha you must go.”

“I still don’t
understand why me,” protested Daniel, “I am not of the north.
Wouldn’t some of you be better, or?” he added after a thought
struck him, “is the person who stole this item from my country? Is
that why I’ve been selected?”

“That’s a
distinct possibility,” answered the doctor, “probable I should say.
The message was most insistent that it was to be you. I know that
much.”

“So how do I
get there?” asked Daniel.

“These are the
rtathlians. A mount is being arranged I imagine, I don’t have any
details yet. Better go get yourself a bite to eat young man and get
some rest. I have the feeling that you’ll not have a bell to call
your own soon. Go sit with Thalia and Josei. They’ll look after you
tonight. Me, I’m going to continue to stabilise your friend’s
condition so that we can move out in the morning.”

“He
will
be okay, won’t he?”

“Don’t fret
lad, I’m a doctor and I don’t lie. I can count the patients I’ve
lost on my fingers and I’ve been in this business for years. Your
friend will be fine.”

The stunned
Daniel did as he had been asked and walked slowly to the fire where
sat Thalia and Josei. He sat down, cross-legged.

He spoke not a
word for quite a while and Thalia let him be. He would speak when
he was ready.

When he did the
words tumbled out of him in a rush and Josei and Thalia
listened.

* * * * *

“The King of
Leithe is behind this,” said Daniel at last. Normally he would not
have spoken aloud about his suspicions but this was not a normal
day. She was also the only person around with whom he could talk
to. In addition, she had saved Ian’s life.

“The King of
Leithe?” queried Thalia in disbelief. “By Lai’s wings, why would an
island king be wanting to steal an artefact belonging to the
Gtrathlin?”

“What is this
artefact?” Daniel queried in turn. “Do you know what is kept in the
cave?”

Thalia shook
her head.

“It must be
important, your Lind wouldn’t be getting their tails in knots
otherwise. Wonder what it can be? I think I must go there, do as
they say, try to find out. Ian will have to manage on his own. He
and his family have caused enough trouble already.”

“What
trouble?”

“I suppose I’d
better tell you. I’m going to need some help getting to this
Gtratha place of yours anyway.”

“What’s really
going on?” asked the intrigued and mystified Thalia.

Josei moved
closer to listen.

What Daniel and
Thalia didn’t know was that he was relaying their conversation to a
member of the Avuzdel some leagues distant.

“We go nowhere
until we hear the story,” agreed Josei settling down on his
haunches and tongue rolling in anticipation, an expression Thalia
knew of old. Of a certainty he, Josei would not be setting one paw
in the direction of the Gtrathlin’s domta until he had heard it
all. Without them even discussing it, Thalia knew that Josei was
intending to offer him and Thalia as escorts.

“Ok,” said
Daniel, wrapping Thalia’s spare cloak more securely around his
torso, he still felt cold and sitting down on an uprooted tree, “it
goes something like this …”

* * * * *

Three bells
later and Thalia and Josei were in full possession of all the facts
as Daniel knew them. They might not understand it all but were sure
that the theft of the artefact was linked in some way to the
troubles in Murdoch, however obscure the link was.

: We
must
go with him :
Josei informed Thalia
: I will tell
who need to know of our decision. Tell the man :

Thalia did. “We
will go with you. Josei is asking our superior officers if we can
escort you there. He feels that those in charge are right, you will
be able to help, to shed some light on the theft.”