Survivors: Book 4 Circles of Light series (24 page)

‘Along some parts of
the dock there were some very hard looking types,’ Olam ignored his
Arms Master. ‘And their ships looked hard too – very clean but
bare, nothing on their floors.’

‘Decks,’ Taseen put in
helpfully. ‘They may have been the coastal defence ships but more
likely they’re from further south west. An independent lot down
there. How many of them were there?’

‘Three,’ replied
Olam.

‘Definitely from the
pirate islands then. And not pleased at having to stay in dock at
our Grand Harbour Master’s whim, I’d guess.’ Taseen looked amused.
‘They probably had no names painted on their sides, but symbols
perhaps?’

Gan considered the old
man. ‘They had eyes painted on the front ends.’ He watched Taseen
wince. ‘You know something of these people?’

Khosa helped herself to
some pieces of meat from Sket’s plate. ‘He is one.’

‘Is one what?’ asked
Gan, already guessing the answer.

Taseen shrugged. ‘My
father was a pirate. One of the better ones. Highly successful for
many years. I was born on such a ship. And the front of a ship is
called the bows Gan.’

‘A pointy end and a
blunt end,’ Pallin muttered. ‘With floors.’

Briefly the old mage
and the old armsman exchanged glares, then Taseen
laughed.

‘It was long ago. Did
any shipmen have marks such as this?’ He pushed his sleeve up,
exposing a thin arm tattooed with an interlocking spiral
design.

‘Yes,’ Navan was
positive. ‘The first ship we reached in that section. Most of the
men had that pattern. The others were different. One group had
something like flames marked up each arm. The third had three sided
patterns.’

‘The men belonging to a
particular ship are called the crew.’ Taseen carefully didn’t look
towards Pallin who contented himself with a snarl.

‘I suggest if Hariko
tells you he has found a ship to take you westwards, you ask Grek
to check it thoroughly.’ He steepled his fingers over his beard and
tapped his lips. ‘Perhaps I might be able to help. Memories are
long in the pirate families. Let me see if I can persuade a
shipmaster to visit me here. Have you pen and paper I can
use?’

Ren fetched writing
materials then wandered over to Leaf, as usual by her window. A
short while later Taseen asked if someone could ask Taza to deliver
the letter he’d written. He folded the paper and drew interlocked
spirals on the outside.

‘It must be given to
any man with this tattoo. Tell Taza he need wait for no
reply.’

Riff accepted the paper
from Taseen and headed off to the priests’ quarters.

‘If the shipmaster is
interested in what I have written, he will come at dusk. I
understand Hariko does not visit until after dark? Ren and Leaf
should either be elsewhere or wear their cloaks if the shipmaster
comes.’

Ren turned back into
the room. ‘Which would be best Taseen?’

‘I would like you to
remain in this room so if you could wear the white cloaks? When
Hariko calls, I will sit in another place.’

Ren nodded, glancing
out at the sky. Mid afternoon: time to browse through the pile of
books still sitting invitingly on a small table. As he lifted the
top book, Grek announced his presence.

‘I have been to Namolos
as you suggested Taseen.’

Ren reluctantly
replaced the book and paid attention to the voice in his
mind.

‘Namolos berates
himself that he failed to see the connections. He learnt of the
Bound Ones only after he’d been on this world for many years. He
found their places of imprisonment but assumed the bindings would
be eternally secure. He sought them out while I was with
him.

‘The one Vorna is
trying to loose, is fully awake. One of the others, in the land of
Drogoya, is near wakefulness. He will do what he can but he does
not know or understand the magic you used for the
binding.’

Taseen looked
increasingly alarmed. ‘But I am one of the very few mages left and
I do not remember all the spells. I was badly damaged: many things
are lost from my mind.’

‘Namolos said he would
be more watchful of your land of Malesh but he urges that you go
with these companions to Wendla. He fears the Bound One in the sea
has become unstable.’

‘Me? I have travelled
no further than between the City and my estates twenty leagues away
in the last thousand years!’

Pallin snorted. ‘Born
on a pirate ship, you said. Know all about ships, you said. Can’t
see many problems for you then mage.’

Taseen gave Pallin an
ice cold stare but Gan intervened before he could reply.

‘Namolos wants all of
us to go to Wendla? We’ve heard that there is a huge expanse of
water to cross. Does Namolos expect us to leave the Dragons here?’
He shook his head. ‘I can’t see them agreeing to that, not Tika and
Farn for sure.’

‘Maressa would be able
to tell us how big the distance truly is,’ suggested Ren. ‘But I
agree with Gan. If the Dragons cannot reach Wendla safely, we will
not go.’

Chestnut brown eyes
surrounded by silver had never looked so hard. Gan smiled at the
Offering.

‘Then Grek, that is the
reply you can convey to Namolos: unless the Dragons can make the
crossing without danger, we do not go.’

‘And my opinion is the
same,’ Taseen concurred.

A breeze seemed to
riffle through Leaf’s feathers and she giggled.

‘I have to admit I
would have advised you to take this decision.’ Grek sounded
relieved. ‘I have spoken with Tika and the Dragons: they refuse to
allow the company to be divided. So.’ Now he sounded almost
mischievous. ‘Let Maressa check the way to Wendla and I will go
back to Namolos and tell him your decision.'

Chapter
Fourteen

Maressa returned to the
apartments helping Zada carry up yet more trays of the excellent
food they’d learnt to expect. She refused to say how she’d spent
her day with Salma, offering only a smug smile in response to
questions. She was swiftly informed of Grek’s visit and of
Namolos’s suggestion that they travel to Wendla.

‘It grows too dark now
for me to properly evaluate the distances.’ She told them. ‘But I
will do so at first light.’

She was also told of
the possible imminent arrival of a shipmaster. Riff had been posted
along the corridor to warn Ren and Leaf when to don their cloaks.
They were all watching with absorbed fascination as a great eyes
landed silently on Leaf’s arm. (Taseen told them it was called an
owl here in Malesh.) The bird blinked in the lamplight and was gone
as Riff hurried in. Maressa pulled a cloak around Leaf who drew her
feet up onto a higher rung of her stool. Ren had just tugged his
hood low over his face when a firm knock sounded on the outer
door.

Taza held the door
open. ‘A shipmaster to speak with you sir.’ He withdrew as soon as
the visitor had stepped inside the room.

The company stared. The
shipmaster stood about Navan’s height. His dark braided hair hung
to his waist and was festooned with shells, feathers and sparkling
stones. Four thick gold rings pierced one ear and two the other.
Jewelled rings flashed on every finger and both thumbs. He wore a
short sleeveless and buttonless jerkin of dark leather. His
trousers were full cut and a brilliant crimson. The boots on his
feet were of an eye watering shade of lemon. A pink sash was wound
round a narrow waist, its end falling loose down the side of his
left leg.

Taseen sat, his bared
forearms resting on the sides of his chair exposing the spirals
swirling over his skin. The tattoos were matched by those on the
shipmaster’s arms.

‘So. You are who you
say you are then Taseen.’ The newcomer bared white teeth in what
was presumably a smile. ‘I am named Kasmi.’

A quick glance round
the room checking the numbers and Gan noted the slight widening of
Kasmi’s eyes when he saw a white cloak. Kasmi’s tone was a little
less brash as he bowed in Ren’s direction.

‘I saw you at the docks
this morning.’ He turned his attention back to Taseen. ‘So. I
enquired after you of course and was told that you lay on your
death bed in the Xantip Palace. You have made a sudden and
marvellous recovery so?’

Taseen inclined his
head. ‘I have indeed as you see but it remains a rather – erm -
discreet recovery if you follow?’

Maressa rose and smiled
at the shipmaster. ‘May we offer you tea? I fear we have no wine or
ale.’

Maressa wore a green
robe scavenged from Zada’s charity box. Her long brown hair was
unbound and drifted over her shoulders as she moved. Kasmi eyed her
with open appreciation.

‘So. Tea will suffice.
I will send you some wine from my ship – I have several excellent
casks from Drasheer.’

‘Drasheer is famed for
the quality of its wine,’ Taseen explained.

Kasmi bowed again in
acknowledgement of Taseen’s assessment and a thin gold chain swung
free of his open jerkin. An oblong of gold hung from it and Maressa
glimpsed a Dragon face flanked by feathered wings enamelled on the
gold. A scowling Pallin accompanied her to the kitchen.

‘Please be seated
Kasmi.’ Gan indicated a chair. ‘Let me introduce our
company.’

By the time he’d done
so, Pallin and Maressa were back and Pallin offered a bowl to
Kasmi. Bracelets clinked as the shipmaster lifted a bowl from the
proffered tray but Maressa elbowed Pallin in the small of his back
before he could comment.

‘I have heard the Grand
Harbour Master forbids any ships to leave at the moment,’ said
Olam. ‘This must be an inconvenience to you?’

Kasmi began to reply
when he saw Leaf. The further end of the room was less well lit and
the gijan sat so still the shipmaster had failed to notice her
shrouded figure.

‘So. I was told there
were two sacred ones.’ Kasmi sounded wary. He bowed although still
seated. ‘Do you bring news of the Elder Races?’

‘Perhaps,’ replied Ren
smoothly. ‘We would know of your ship first. Where do you travel
once the Grand Harbour Master permits you to leave?’

Kasmi glowered. ‘I sail
when I choose. So. We wait another two days to see what transpires
then we sail with Chevra’s permission or no.’

‘And who do you spy for
– the pirate isles or Wendla?’

Kasmi smiled more
genuinely at Taseen’s question.

‘We take note of many
things mage. Whether they are of interest or value to others – who
can tell?’

‘Have you sailed to
Wendla?’ Taseen persisted.

Kasmi leaned back in
his chair, his expression bland. ‘Perhaps. You should know your own
people Taseen: we wander where we choose.’

Taseen grinned
suddenly. ‘Partly true I agree, but you also wander where wealth
might accrue.’

‘This is a City of
business men and traders,’ Kasmi observed. ‘So we also are aware of
the pleasures of profit.’

‘How much to hire your
ship?’ Taseen asked abruptly.

‘Where would you want
me to sail?’ Kasmi shot back.

Taseen’s eyebrows
waggled. ‘Far to the east, or far to the west. It has not been
finally decided as yet.’

‘So. What profits would
we see?’

‘I doubt there’ll be
much financial gain but it would certainly be an adventure worthy
of the spiral singers.’

Khosa leapt onto the
arm of Kasmi’s chair and dabbed a paw at one of the glittering
bracelets. Kasmi laughed suddenly.

‘We have a ship’s cat
already – will you fight him for his place?’

Khosa abandoned the
bracelet, turquoise eyes staring intently straight into the
shipmaster’s face.

‘There will be no
fighting Kasmi, once he knows who I am.’

Kasmi’s mouth opened
and closed. ‘Did this cat really speak in my head?’

For the first time his
composure slipped. The company were hard put not to laugh at his
expression. Gan cleared his throat.

‘Khosa is a very
special cat,’ he said, using the Malesh term for Kephi. ‘As I think
you have just realised. She is part of our company.’

Taseen set aside his
tea bowl and began to speak. He gave Kasmi a generalised account of
the reasons for the arrival of this group of strangers and an
edited version of Vorna’s plans. Kasmi concentrated wholly on the
old mage’s words. It was plain enough when Taseen spoke of the
Bound Ones that the shipmaster was shaken. Riff nudged Sket,
nodding at the dark windows. Gan saw him and knew he was warning
that Hariko would soon arrive. But before he could speak Taseen
pushed himself to his feet.

‘It is not the politest
way to treat a guest but I ask you to come with me and sit in
another room whilst the scholar Hariko visits. He says he may have
found a ship for my friends. I would like you to hear what he might
say.’

Kasmi rose. ‘So. I will
listen Taseen. I would also like to hear what course the sacred
ones would advise a follower to take in this matter.’