The Dragonstone

CHAPTER 5 8

Delon stood on Ferai's balcony, singing bliss to the world at large, and people in the street below paused in wonder at the lyrical joy in his voice, though they understood not a word. And in the chamber behind him, soundly asleep with a smile on her face, lay the subject of his rhapsody.

And across the hall and down, Arin and Egil lay together and held hands and listened to the paean and smiled, for although they knew not for certain the cause of such gladness, they could not help but suspect.

And beyond their own balcony and down in the enclosed courtyard below, steel skirled on steel as two warriors practiced stroke and counterstroke, while shocked servants and guests stared in disbelief, for although one was a man good and proper, the other was of all things a female, and surely this bordered on blasphemy, or so the Fists of Rakka would say. But none suggested this to the woman, for she was entirely too formidable, and a person would have to be a camel-brained fool to even dare whisper to her such words.

And above them and alone in his bed, a one-eyed old man fell back to sleep while songs of love and steel sang all 'round.

Later that morning, Arin, Aiko, Ferret, Delon, and Burel made their way to the archive. When they arrived, once again Delon took station at the entrance, while the others went all the way in. As they approached the central desk, the scholar looked up and smiled, and then his eyes widened. "Burel," he breathed. The 'alim leaped up from his station and rushed to Burel and embraced him and kissed him on the cheeks, a string of Sarainese tumbling from his lips.

Burel smiled and hugged the man and kissed him in return and murmured, "Khuri Ustaz."

Aiko's tilted eyes widened. "You know this man, saia no hito?”

Burel nodded, saying, "He is"-Burel glanced about to see if any of the patrons were listening; none were, yet Burel lowered his voice-"another keeper of faith." He turned to the scholar. "Khuri Ustaz, let us go where we can speak."

The 'alim nodded and, motioning to Delon, led them back to the same chamber he had previously used. Once again Delon took station at the beaded curtain.

Inside, Burel said, "Khuri Ustaz, I would have you meet my companions: Dara Arin of Darda Erynian, Lady Ferai of Gothon, and at the door stands Bard Delon of Gunar. And lastly, let me present my kalb w nafs, Lady Aiko." Burel turned to his companions. "My friends, this is Khuri Ustaz, a priest of Ilsitt."

As the 'alim acknowledged the introductions, he said, "I have met all these before, Burel, though I did not know their names."

As he came to Ferret, she said, "No wonder you knew how to tell us where to find the temple, though your instructions weren't very clear."

The priest-scholar smiled and shrugged. "You could have been agents from the Fists of Rakka, though I am glad you are not."

Then he turned to Aiko and looked long at her and finally said, "So you are Burel's kalb w nafs." It was a statement and not a question. Then without warning, he stepped forward and embraced her.

Perplexed and wary and merely tolerating the 'alim's embrace, Aiko looked up at the grinning Burel. "What have you told him?"

"That you are my heart and soul."

The scholar stepped back and nodded. "Kalb w nafs: heart and soul." Then he turned to Burel. "My boy, I never thought to see you beyond the compound's walls. You must tell me what brings you here."

"Yilan Koy," said Arin. "They are Kistanian words meaning 'Serpent Cove,' or so said the scholar-priest."

"Serpent Cove, Serpent Cove," mumbled Egil, scanning the charts he'd brought from the Brise.

"Here," said Alos, jabbing a forefinger down to one of the parchments.

Egil rotated the chart 'round to the place where Alos had pointed. The map showed an inlet, long and narrow and sinuous. "Hmm. Yes. Shaped like a snake." Then he looked up at the oldster. "That was quick."

"When I heard the common name, I knew where it was," growled Alos, "for I've been there. And let me tell you, it's no place for an honest man."

Egil's eye widened. "You've been to Yilan Koy?”

Alos nodded. "The cove as well as the town in the viper's throat… if there's ever been a worse den of thieves, I've yet to see it." Then he glared with his white eye at Egil and Arin. "I swore when I was there if I ever escaped that pit I'd never go back."

"What wast thou-?"

"Delivering a shipload of pomegranates," snapped Alos, before Arin could finish her question. "Cap'n Borkson took on that damnfool cargo in Chabba because no Hyrinian dhows were in port at the time, and because no others would haul it. 'They gave us a pilot and triple fees,' the cap'n crowed… the more fool he. We barely made it out of there with our hides."

"Why so?" asked Ferret.

"Because once we'd been there, that meant we knew the way in."

Burel looked down at the chart. "The way in?"

"Why d'y' think it's called Serpent Cove?" Before Burel could respond, Alos pointed his finger to the mouth of the inlet and answered his own question: "Not only does it look like a snake on the chart, but there's rocks like serpent's fangs barring the way. This whole coastline's that way-for league upon league in either direction there's jagged stones to hole any hull that comes near. And as to the rocks, the fangs 'cross the inlet, tricky they are, and not just anyone can sail past 'em. I'd say there are no more dangerous shoals lying in any of the waters throughout the whole wide world."

Delon looked at the long narrow cove on the map. "Hmm. They don't show up here."

Alos snorted. "Any chartmaker that'd scribe it so would have his throat cut."

Now Egil's one good eye fixed Alos's. "But you know the way in."

"Of course I do; I'm a helmsman, ain't I? -Now wait a moment here. I said I'd never return, and I meant it!"

They reasoned with Alos the rest of the day, but the old man was adamant: he would not go back to the cove, and that was final.

As eve drew upon the land, Burel and Aiko retired to the courtyard, where again they drilled at swords, the big man now using a long, curved blade Aiko had selected for him that very morning from an obsequious arms merchant nearby. The kowtowing dealer had called it a sayf, but Aiko named it saber. It was rather broad bladed and had an ivory hilt with a hooked silver pommel that partially curved around the back of the hand. When sheathed, the weapon was meant to be carried in front, slung by a strap from two rings on a broad band high around the neck of the black scabbard, yet Aiko arranged for a belt which could be fixed across the back or secured around the waist. "But this is a weapon meant to be used from camel-back," had protested the merchant, adding an "if you please." But Aiko had replied, "Where we go there will be no camels."

And now in the courtyard she and Burel stepped through stroke and counterstroke, while dark-eyed men stood in the shadows and glared at the unveiled yellow woman and her red-headed outlander man, the cloaks of these disapproving observers bearing the sigil of a clenched fist.

The nighttide swept over the land, and Egil and Arin bade all good night and, holding hands, headed upstairs for their bed. Somewhere above, water splashed in the bathing chamber and a big man laughed and a female voice called out, "Bukotsomono!" but laughed as well. In the lanternlight of the veranda, Ferret, uncertain, glanced at Delon, and he smiled and gently took her hand and kissed her fingers and whispered, "I love you, my sweet Ferai." Tears trembling on her lashes, she clasped him to her.

Dawn came to Aban, and once again Alos awakened to the sound of singing and the skirl of steel on steel. Groaning, he rose from his bed and stumbled to his balcony. Below, Aiko and Burel were practicing, and even more dark-eyed strangers watched the drill, stirring and muttering among themselves.

"Hoy!" yelled Alos. "We're trying to sleep up here." Not waiting to see what his shout accomplished, the old man lurched back to his bed and fell asleep once more.

After another day of fruitless discussion, at last Egil sighed and looked across at Arin. "I suppose we'll just have to attempt it on our own, Dara. I mean, Alos is determined he's not going back." Egil turned to the oldster. "You'll have to tell us all you know about the town and the cove, especially about the way to get past the Serpent's Fangs."

The seven sat in long shadows at evening meal on the veranda, the last of the sun nearly sunk, the western sky orange, the eastern deep violet.

"Can't we make anchor elsewhere and go in overland?" asked Delon.

"That's a damnfool suggestion," barked Alos.

Ferret reached out and took Delon's hand and glared at the oldster.

But Alos ignored her and stabbed a finger at the bard. "Didn't you listen when I said the whole coast is fanged in that region? For decades of miles upshore and down it'll pierce any hull, sink any ship whose captain is fool enough to sail nigh."

Arin also reached out and took a hand-Alos's. "We cannot and will not force thee to guide us safely past the shoals. Yet heed, I deem that this is why thou art a one-eye in dark water, for this is thy hidden purpose in the rede. And without thee, we shall fail."

Alos looked down at the small hand gripping his, and then at the Dylvana. With his chin atremble he opened his mouth to say something, but at that very moment, Khuri Ustaz strode quickly onto the porch and, staying in the shadows and glancing left and right, hissed, "Burel!"

Burel looked up, but before he could say aught, Ustaz said, "The Fists of Rakka, they're coming to get you and your kalb w nafs, Lady Aiko. Blasphemers, they name you both. They come to punish you, to batter you to death in the public square."

Aiko growled and leapt to her feet. "If they want a fight, they'll get it," she sissed through gritted teeth, then turned to Burel and snapped, "Swords," and started for her room, all others springing to their feet to follow, all but Arin and Alos, the Dylvana standing and calling out "Wait!" while the old man shrank down in his seat.

They turned and looked at Arin. She pointed at Burel and declared, "We have what we came for-the cursed keeper of faith in the maze. The Fists of Rakka can wait."

Now Arin turned to the 'alim. "How soon will they be here?"

"A candlemark. Two at most," he replied.

"Then I say we get to the ship and leave."

Aiko growled in protest, but Burel said, "She is right- the green stone comes before all." He stepped to Khuri Ustaz and embraced him. "Thank you for warning us. Now you must go, else they will find you here."

As Burel stepped back from the 'alim, Egil looked at Alos still cowering in his chair and asked, "What about you, Alos?"

Before the old man could reply, Ustaz said, "The Fists will kill anyone left behind."

"Eep!" squealed Alos, and jumped to his feet. Then he whined at Aiko, "This is all your fault! Dragging me off on a damnfool-"

"Aru shizukana!" Aiko spat, and spun on her heel and headed for her room.

They collected their weapons and clothing, and Egil settled the innkeeper's bill. Then, with Aiko and Burel bringing up the rear, and with Alos squeaking in fear in the lead, they hied along the streets in the dusk, pressing through the throngs for the docks, Alos's trembling voice crying out, "Make way! Make way!" At last they came down to the river proper, its yellow-orange waters black in the oncoming night. Reaching the wharves where the Brise was moored, Alos scrambled over the wales to the tiller, all the while hissing, "Hurry, hurry,"as the others clambered aboard. Egil and Delon began raising the sails, while Aiko and Ferret cast off. Even as they pushed away to be carried downcurrent, in the yellow light of street lanterns men in dark robes could be seen striding through the crowd, the masses parting before them as they marched toward the jetties. Yet the sloop was well away ere the Fists of Rakka reached the abandoned slip. Finding it empty, they milled about in thwarted frustration, tulwars and scimitars slashing the remnants of the twilight air while the men called down curses upon the blasphemers and all their ilk. And even innocent believers drew back into the darkness and out of sight of these tyrannical followers of yet another intolerant one true way.

Tacking by the light of the glimmering stars, in twelve candlemarks they reached the wide lower part of the River Ennil. The tide began to flow against them as they tacked and hauled through the estuarial waters, and it took awhile ere they crossed the marge into the bay. Behind them a waning half moon slid above the horizon, adding its light to the gleam of the stars.

Finally the sloop reached deeper waters, where it could make good headway, and Alos brought the Brise around from her northwesterly heading to beat into the eye of the wind, her overall course now westerly.

After a while, Arin said, "Where shall we drop thee off, Alos?"

The oldster looked long at her, sighing and shaking his head. At last he said, "Not anywhere in these waters, but somewhere else instead. Somewhere after you've escaped Kistan."

"Escaped Kis-?"

"I'm a bedamned fool for pledging this, but I'll sail you past the shoals at Serpent Cove." He raised a trembling hand to his forehead to wipe away sudden sweat, and his voice quavered as he added, "I'll take you there and get you back out."

"You mean you'll go with us?" blurted Delon.

"Masani?" Aiko's eyes flew wide.

The oldster stuck out his chin and glared at the Ryodoan. "I said I would, didn't I?" Even so, he was gasping as if he couldn't get enough to breathe.

"But I won't go ashore to fight no Mage. And if you get caught, I'll not stay around. But if we sail out of there together, you can drop me off at the first friendly port, for then I'll be quit of this damnfool venture, you hear?"

"Well and good," cried Egil. "Let's give him a cheer."

And as Delon and Ferret and Burel and Egil and even Aiko sounded three hip, hip, hurrahs, Arin reached over and took the frightened old man's hand and simply said, "I thank thee."

Still trembling, Alos leaned back against the stern thwart. As if suddenly aware that all eyes were still upon him, he glared at the sails and snapped, "What are you, a bunch of lubbers? Look at those sails and the lubberly sheets. Trim up, you hear me, trim up."

Delon began singing as he and Egil adjusted the sails and cleated the sheets, and Ferret and Aiko coiled the spare, Burel lending a hand. But Arin slid over to the oldster and pointed to a guiding star as she put an arm about his yet quaking shoulders.

And thus did Brise sail away from Sarain by the light of a silver half moon.