Survivors: Book 4 Circles of Light series (25 page)

Olam led the two men
through to one of the bedchambers and left them, making sure he
left two doors ajar to allow them to hear Hariko’s conversation.
Maressa and Sket had only just cleared the tea bowls away when,
without a preliminary knock, the door opened on Hariko.

‘I think I have just
the ship for you,’ the scholar began without preamble. ‘It is a
trader from Mienta – one of the westernmost islands. It returns to
its home port with a cargo of dyestuffs.’

It was obvious even to
Ren, who was far less adept at reading men than he was books, that
Hariko was over enthusiastic. ‘He sails tomorrow afternoon. If you
could be on board well before then -’

‘The Grand Harbour
Master has announced permission for ships to leave then?’ Gan
interrupted with innocent surprise.

‘Oh that is a minor
detail. Chevra has no idea what he’s doing at any time. There are
ways to leave the Harbour – I can provide documents the shipmaster
can show to the coastal defenders should one of their ships stop
him.’

‘And the cost of this
ship?’

Hariko waved his hands.
‘I will pay his charges – do not worry. It is an honour to be able
to assist the sacred ones.’

Gan gave a non
committal smile. ‘We find our plans may have changed a little,
Hariko. We cannot leave as soon as tomorrow. Perhaps it would be
best if we ask Taza to bring you a message regarding our
departure?’

Hariko stared at him.
‘But I thought you wanted to leave as soon as possible? I’m sure it
would be safer for you.’

‘Really?’ Olam’s voice
was soft. ‘I thought we were quite safe here. Whatever dangers
could threaten us?’

‘The City holds many
dangers,’ Hariko snapped. He looked across at Gan. ‘I have gone to
considerable trouble to find this ship -’

‘And we deeply
appreciate your efforts.’ Gan was on his feet, guiding the scholar
firmly to the door. ‘We will send to you when our plans are more
clear.’

‘I shall visit you
tomorrow -’

‘Do not trouble
yourself Hariko. We hope to visit Taseen tomorrow if he is
recovered enough.’

‘But I told you – you
should not go to the Palace, and you should not take the sacred
ones there.’

‘We will take all care
Hariko, be very sure of that. Goodnight.’

Gan stood a moment by
the door, ensuring the scholar really had descended the
stairs.

‘Well, well. What’s he
up to?’ Olam grinned as Gan returned to his chair.

‘Something, that’s
obvious, but stars know what. I think it may be that we are not so
safe here now. I wonder if we should move on?’

‘We have no coin for
guest houses,’ Maressa was saying when Taseen and Kasmi came
through from the bedchambers.

‘Someone is giving
Hariko orders,’ said Taseen, sinking into his armchair with a
groan. ‘Vorna? I doubt she’d think two sacred ones of much
interest. But who else could it be?’ The mage frowned in
thought.

‘So. There are no
Mientan ships in port,’ Kasmi said with a gleam in his eye.
‘Someone most surely wants your friends out of here and then what?
Will they be taken somewhere, or lost at sea?’

The shipmaster seemed
greatly amused. He stood opposite Taseen, by the fire, twirling
some of his bracelets. ‘So. I will carry you and your friends mage.
The other two ships are mine also and we voyage together. Three
ships you must hire therefore.’

Taseen nodded absently.
‘I’ll give you a banker’s order.’

‘You will give me
coin.’

The mage shrugged.
‘Worth a try. Very well, you shall have coin tomorrow. Can you get
us out of port without coastal defenders sinking us?’

‘The moon is dark
tomorrow and the next night. There are rumours that Chevra will
probably lift the restriction tomorrow anyway. So. I think it best
to leave on a night tide in case your scholar has friends watching.
I will consult my Sister of the Wind and we’ll sail on her advice.’
He grinned down at the old man. ‘Is it east or west
then?’

The mage tugged at his
beard. ‘East,’ he said decisively.

‘I don’t like Hariko,
and I hated his house and his friends.’

Taseen chuckled. ‘Come
child. Come and meet our shipmaster.’

Leaf hopped from her
stool and would have fallen over the edge of her cloak if Sket
hadn’t grabbed her. She tugged at the fastening and pushed the
cloak away with irritation. Ren pushed back his hood. Kasmi stared,
first into Ren’s silvered eyes then at the tiny gijan stepping
daintily towards him. The colour drained from the shipmaster’s face
and he could speak not a word.

At first light Maressa,
sitting quietly beside Taseen, sent her mind high into the air. She
saw the immense sprawl that was Harbour City, a huge crescent
against which grey, blue and green water surged and battered.
Higher, and she saw an island to the south west. She turned away
and sped towards the rising sun. Maressa saw islands below: some
merely a few rocks, others large enough to bear several towns and
many small villages.

Then there was water.
Maressa felt as though barely a moment had passed but knew from
tremors in her far distant physical body that she was nearly at her
limit. Finally she saw a long line of cliffs rising from the water
ahead and with a shuddering gasp, snapped back into her body. She
found Sket had put a blanket around her shoulders and she blinked
at the faces staring at her with concern. Ren chafed her cold
hands.

‘You were gone much too
long my dear. You must be more careful when none of us can follow
you so far.’

Pallin thrust a bowl of
hot tea under her nose and she let the steam warm her
face.

‘The longest stretch
over water is about thirteen leagues, perhaps a little more but not
much. The weather systems are very erratic over that part; I don’t
know if the Dragons could fly over them – they would have too much
difficulty flying through them.’

‘Are you sure they are
safe now?’ Taseen asked anxiously. ‘If they are seen there will be
pandemonium in the City. Everyone will rush to have a look at such
mythical creatures from the past.’

Ren smiled. ‘They are
safe. They are to the north east of the City and they are taking it
in turns to shield against prying eyes. They say they have found a
small cove where no one so far seems to come.’

‘Will thirteen or
fourteen leagues be too far for them to fly without rest?’ asked
the mage.

Sket chuckled. ‘Brin at
least could do twice that without too much bother.’

‘That is one problem
resolved. The next is how do we all get to Kasmi’s ship
unobserved?’ Olam looked round the group. ‘I’m sure this place is
being watched after Hariko’s comments last night. And Taza is well
known as the head priest of this temple. I couldn’t find my way to
the docks without a guide.’

‘Karn.’ Gan
exclaimed.

Navan followed his
thought at once. ‘You can’t go and ask him though – your height
gives you away every time. If Taza or Zada would guide me, I’ll go
and ask him to do us another favour. If the boy is his, perhaps we
could go in three groups with Taza taking one lot. We would be less
noticeable than all nine together.’

‘And if I leave off the
white cloak and wear one of those odd hats a lot of men seem to
wear here,’ Ren began.

‘Exactly,’ Taseen
nodded approval then frowned. ‘But little Leaf cannot go
uncloaked.’

Leaf trilled a laugh
from the window. ‘Funny old mage. I have wings. I will join my
siblings. No one will see me in the darkness.’

Taza came into the
room. ‘A boy from the docks came with a message. You must make your
way to the ship by twilight tonight. The shipmaster will send a boy
to guide you.’

Gan laughed. ‘No need
to bother Karn then. I’m glad – I would not like to think we might
land him in trouble.’

‘I will not be able to
hurry through the streets,’ Taseen warned.

‘I will hire a chair
for you, mage. Many chairmen are followers of the Way. I know who
can be trusted.’

Taseen looked much
relieved at Taza’s proposal. Zada and Salma arrived, loaded with
neatly folded clothes. The company found all their old garments
washed and mended, and extra shirts and trousers for all. Finally
Salma held up three wrapped bundles, one smaller than the other
two. She went to where Leaf still stood by the window. Shyly she
offered the gijan the parcels.

‘Maressa told me the
names of your brother and sister. See, I’ve written the names on
the outside? The smallest one is for you. I didn’t have time to do
more, but you have had two new trousers already.’

Leaf clutched the
bundles to her bare dappled chest. ‘Oh I will repay you Salma,
truly I will.’ Then her head tilted to one side and she lowered her
voice. ‘Have you something I can take for Tika?’

Salma laughed aloud.
‘That’s why I had no more time – I made something for her too.
Maressa has it in her pack.’

Leaf’s wings furled and
unfurled in excitement but as she opened her mouth Salma
forestalled her. ‘No. You must not open them now.’

She looked shocked at
her own temerity in speaking thus to the gijan and blushed
furiously. But Leaf nodded.

‘It will be fun to undo
the parcels all together.’

Her wings fanned
suddenly and Salma found herself completely enfolded in the gijan’s
embrace. Leaf murmured softly to her and then folded her wings
again. Salma stared at the gijan, a stunned expression on her face.
She nodded once and bowed deeply.

Zada left the room and
returned with various pouches and packets, which she gave to Sket.
They removed themselves to a quiet corner where Zada explained what
herbs and remedies each pouch contained and their application.
Taseen was busy writing: letters to Tavri and Sheoma he told them,
which Taza would deliver in the morning. Time flew past in the
bustle of packing their gear and thanking the three priests for
their great generosity.

Riff helped Taseen down
the stairs to await a chair and to watch for the boy Kasmi’d
promised to send. Leaf embraced everyone as they filed out of the
apartment. Then she climbed the narrow stairs to the roof,
accompanied by Taza, Zada and Salma. They waited a short while
until twilight had deepened to dusk. With a final embrace and still
clutching her bundles all tied in her white cloak, Leaf’s wings
extended and she leapt out over the garden. For a moment, the
priests saw her hover above them. Then she rose higher and was lost
to their sight.

Olam had had a firm
talk with Pallin, telling him he must keep his opinions to himself.
Which was just as well. Pallin had been aghast to discover that not
only men comprised a ship’s crew but women as well. And they wore
the same as the men – a scrap of cloth around their hips. Pallin’s
shocked horror was so great that Olam managed to get him down a
vertical ladder to a tiny room before Pallin recovered the power of
speech.

Riff perched on a bunk
and kept a straight face while Olam repeated his warnings to
Pallin. Pallin glared round the tiny room: two bunks, one above the
other, were fixed to one wall, two more to another. The space
between was just wide enough for a man to turn round in. The floor
lurched and Pallin grabbed hold of the nearest bunk in alarm. ‘Is
it sinking?’ he asked.

Riff craned to look out
of a small circular window. ‘I think we’re moving away from the
docks,’ he said. ‘I’m going back up to watch.’

The floor shuddered
then began to dip and sway in a more regular motion.

‘I’m going up too. If
you’re coming, remember what I’ve said.’

Olam turned in the
doorway and saw Pallin sink onto a bunk.

‘I’ll stay here. I feel
a bit strange,’ said Pallin.

They stood by a rail,
keeping out of the way of the crew, who raced round in a practised
routine.

‘Are you all right
Ren?’ Gan asked beneath the shouts of Kasmi and various members of
his crew.

‘I can’t say I find it
pleasant but I’ll be fine. I don’t know what Gremara did but
neither heights nor water fill me with terror anymore.’ He nodded
along the rail. ‘I don’t think Maressa or Sket feel too good,’ he
murmured.

Sket forced himself to
chew some herbs Zada had packed and made Maressa eat some as well.
No one could persuade Pallin to eat or drink anything: he said he
only wished to die, quickly.

On learning that three
of his passengers were sea sick, one apparently terminally, Kasmi
suggested they get out into the fresh air and try to eat at least
something. At dawn the company, less three, went on deck to find
they were surrounded by water; no land in sight in any direction.
Taseen sat on a hatch cover, his back against the main mast. His
beard was flattened over his chest and his eyes gleamed. Gan gave
him a quizzical look.

‘I was stupid enough to
forget how wonderful life at sea is,’ Taseen told him. ‘I should
have done this centuries ago!’