Dragon Clan #6: Anna's Story

CHAPTER TEN

Anna scrambled aft and looked out across their wake to find a blue and white fishing boat with its sail high. It was so far back she lost sight of it a few times, but it always reappeared. Raymer joined her, obviously having been filled in by the Captain.

He said, “Captain Braise says he’ll turn south again after a while. We’ll watch to see if that boat does the same.”

“If it does?”

Raymer shrugged, “Then that boat is not there by accident.”

“This is not a warship. What can we do?” Ann asked without looking away from the blue boat.

“We have options. We can slip away during the darkness at night. Or we can dock at Fleming and if that boat also docks we can pay it a visit.”

“I like the second option.”

“I thought you would. Ever been on a boat before?” Then, before she could answer, he did it for her, “Of course, you have. You sailed from Shrewsbury to Fleming with Gray, a short but interesting voyage, I heard.”

“I thought you didn’t know much about what has happened in the last year.”

He said, “I was not the only Dragon Clan member in Castle Warrington. I searched out another, an old man who either sharpens your knives or sells you new ones. It gives him the opportunity to move about freely. He told me part of your tale. You didn’t think I was going to chase after you without confirming who you are, did you?”

“I guess not. But I have this knife I took from a highwayman that needs an edge. I wish you’d have mentioned the knife sharpener sooner.”

“Give it to Captain Blaise. Fishermen are good with knives, sort of the tool of their trade. You have quite a reputation, it turns out. Is it true your tongue is sharper than any blade?”

“Is it true you talk more than any member of our family in a hundred years?”

“One hundred? I heard it was two.”

The voice of Captain Blaise called, “Turning south now.”

The smallish sail on the single mast swung from one side to the other, and the motion of the boat changed slightly, as the boat turned and the sun was now setting on their right. The sail of the other boat continued on without turning and disappeared a short time later.

Anna reported that to the Captain. He drew in a deep breath and spat out the open window at his side. “Nope, still don’t believe it. Are you in a big hurry, or do you want to be safe?”

“Safe, but you can look for yourself. That boat is gone.”

He slipped a thong over the wheel to maintain a steady course and stepped outside where he removed a rope from a cleat and lowered his sail. He said, “You can see a sail from a lot farther away than you can a bare mast. Why don’t we just sit still out here for a while and see if that other sail comes back into view? I’m guessing it will, and before long.”

“Why?”

“Too many coincidences for me. Besides, it kept pace where it could see our sail most of the time, but not all. It stayed as far back as possible, but within sight on purpose. Boats have different hulls, weigh different, and the sails are not the same size. It takes skill to follow at the same distance, which just happens to be at the limit of what we can see.”

Anna said, “Then why didn’t it turn when we did?”

Captain Blaise spat out the window again, this time hitting the water. “That, my girl is the question, and there are two possible answers. The first is that I’m paranoid and seeing ghosts where there are none. The second is that I’m right, but they sailed on in case we did notice their mast.”

“That doesn’t make sense. The second part,” Anna said.

“Well, if itwase me back there, I’d have done exactly what they did, just in case. Look where we are in your mind. We left the port, so we’re going elsewhere. We turned south instead of north, the only two directions are possible unless we’re trying to cross the entire sea. We can’t sail west, or we will run aground. There is only south for us. They don’t have to keep us in sight, but now and then they will put on more sail and run faster until they spot us. Then drop back out of sight again.”

“It still sounds complicated.”

“Imagine you’re on land where you’re used to traveling. You follow someone into a long, skinny valley, but don’t want to be seen. The one ahead of you cannot climb the walls of the valley. Too steep. If they return in your direction, you see them and hide. But if they go on, you know where they are because that’s where they have to be. Ahead of you, but still inside the valley. Even if you can’t see them. So you can follow without being noticed.”

Anna pictured it in her mind and understood. The fishing boat rocked and pitched in the small waves. They waited. Captain Blaise uncoiled a hand line and placed a wool curl on the hook that dangled below the weight. He let the line out slowly, jigging it up and down to attract fish.

Letting more line out, he sat with one hip on the side of the boat and watched the sea behind. Anna got bored and considered a nap, but the Captain jerked hard on the line and fought to pull it in. Anna leaped to help. They alternated hand over hand until a fish the size of her leg came into view. The Captain reached for a club with an attached curved hook and grabbed it just behind the gills.

Once in the boat, it flopped and fought until the club struck its head. Thief and Raymer were sitting in the stern watching. Anna said, “Dinner.”

Raymer said, “I’m sort of hungry. Can you catch another one for me?”

She heard the humor in his voice and couldn’t resist. “At home, there’s a tradition we need to continue. Traditions are very important, don’t you think?” She didn’t wait for Raymer to answer and continued, “Those who don’t catch the fish must do the cooking and cleaning.”

Captain Blaise caught her eye, winked, and said, “She’s right. Law of the sea.”

“Is it?” she whispered.

“It is now,” the Captain laughed.

Raymer said, “While the two of you were playing with that minnow, a sail approached from back there. Then the sail went down.”

“Well, that tells a tale, don’t it?” The Captain asked. He went to a winch and cranked the handle. The sail went back up, and soon the wind puffed it out. He said, “Anna, what are your orders?”

“Sail on to Fleming. It will do no good to lose that boat tonight, he knows where we are headed.” She glanced at Raymer, “Cook and clean our dinner, please. Have you seen any dragons?”

He pulled his knife and reached for the fish. “One. A red was flying along the coast earlier.”

Both of them knew full well it was there. She was hinting that if the other boat became a problem, the dragon could attack it. He agreed. But more than attack, she wondered how to find out who was on board and why they followed. Thief had moved to Raymer’s side and held the slippery fish while Raymer sliced thick steaks.

When she looked at Thief, he shrugged and said, “No fish.”

Being from the drylands, fish was not something he would have seen. Anna said to the Captain, “I was not going to stop at Fleming, but now I think we should.”

Captain Blaise tightened the sails and made a slight course adjustment as he spoke, “I know it’s none of my business, but I have a suggestion. Flemming Bay is almost circular, the mouth narrow and deep. Then the city is around the side of the bay, to the right. But there is deep water to the port side, along with a few small islands. This boat could hide behind an island until the other is inside the bay.”

Raymer asked, “What good will that do?”

The Captain shrugged. “Any boat entering or leaving would necessarily come close to us if we block the channel. Close enough to throw a rock at . . . Or lower the dingy and row to them.”

“We could board them like pirates,” Raymer said.

“Yes,” Thief agreed, exhausting his vocabulary on the subject.

Anna also liked the idea. While Thief and Raymer took over the cooking, she stayed in the wheelhouse and talked with the Captain. He provided a wealth of information until he paused and said, “Look right over there, on the horizon just off our stern.”

She saw it. The small triangle of a sail.

He said, “They’re just checking up on us before dark. I expect them to drop back a little and stay out of sight, probably showing no lights tonight.”

“Know what I was thinking? We run for shore after dark and let them pass us so we can chase them.”

“That was my first thought, too. But it’s too dangerous with shallow water and reefs.”

Anna took the wheel and steered while the Captain ate. She offered to stand a watch at night, but he declined, saying that he would sleep in the wheelhouse and wake a hundred times to look around. They all enjoyed the fish, and there was more left for breakfast. The sun had hardly set when all three of them were lulled to sleep by the good food and the rocking of the boat.

In the morning, they ate again, and Raymer pulled her aside. “All that effort you were talking about in Fleming? Was that just for show for the Captain and Thief? Or have you forgotten I’m bonded to that red?”

“I sort of forgot, at first. Also, it seemed like a good idea that wouldn’t expose your dragon.” There seemed to be no reason to provide any other answer.

“Tell them I’m a bit under the weather and that you’re going to watch over me in the cabin where I can lay down. I’ll have my red fly over the other boat and tell you what I see.”

Later, she sat on the edge of the berth while Raymer closed his eyes. He mumbled, “We’re flying out to sea. The Red knows where I am. It also senses you, in case you didn’t know.”

“I didn’t,” she said but didn’t think he heard. Still, it answered a question she hadn’tasked, butt wondered about.

“I’m looking through the red’s eyes. I’ve passed over two boats, and looking for ours. He’s color blind, but can tell white and dark trim. I think we’re further out to sea than I thought.”

“Is that a problem?” She asked.

“No, he can fly for a whole day and night without rest, but it would take him a few days to rest up afterward.”

“I guess I should have known that. The greens that fly from Breslau have to cross the entire sea.”

Raymer didn’t answer, and again she realized she may as well only speak when spoken to. He was busy directing the dragon and who knew what else it took to make a dragon bend to your will? She waited.

“I see our boat. Now, I’m turning to fly behind us, can you see me?”

Anna ran from the cabin and looked behind, finding the dragon flying so high it looked more like a small bird. She ran back inside, “Yes, I see you.”

“Good, I see them, too. At least their boat. Following our wake.”

“What are you going to do?”

Raymer said, “Circle way around them and approach from the rear. Hopefully, they won’t be looking back there, and I’ll find them on deck and get a good look when they spot me. Usually, people can’t help but watch a dragon fly over.”