The Faithful Traitor (Wizard & Dragon Book 2) Page 16

  This thought took Seagryn completely by surprise. “But — who? Who knew we were coming?”

  Nebalath’s eyes didn’t leave Seagryn’s as he murmured, “Think about it.” Then his gaze dropped away, back toward the road, and then toward that receding cloud of dust to the north. “We’ve fooled them this time, in any case. But what a nuisance! The Norck Stork is due to sail at midday! Without horses we won’t get there until sundown!”

  “The Norck Stork?” Fylynn said doubtfully.

  Nebalath glanced back at her. “The name fits. You’ll see when we get there.” Nebalath winced in frustration and continued. “Which won’t he by noon. I guess I’d better appear on the docks and try to delay the man —”

  “Don’t go!” Seagryn shouted, grabbing Nebalath by the shoulder. “I can get us all there before noon.”

  Nebalath rolled his eyes, then nodded his grudging agreement while Fylynn frowned. “How?” she asked.

  “By tugolith.” Seagryn answered, and he stepped back into the tower and descended the ladder. By the time that Fylynn reached the ground he had already taken his altershape and stood waiting in the middle of the road. “Get on,” be rumbled in a deep bass voice.

  “Oh!” the woman said first, gushing at the novelty of it. Then “Oh!” she said again, this time with less excitement and both hands clutching her nose. “What a smell!”

  “You call this a smell?” Nebalath snapped in an oddly defensive way. Then his tone softened. “Believe me, child — it could be much worse. Climb on.” The woman pulled herself up onto Seagryn’s forehead by means of his scales and soon was seated behind his horn. Nebalath climbed up behind her, then leaned over to call into one of Seagryn’s huge ears, “We’re ready!”

  “You don’t have to shout,” Seagryn grumbled. “My tugolith eyesight may be poor, but there’s nothing wrong with my hearing. Shouldn’t you cloak us?”

  “It’s already done,” Nebalath replied, shifting his bottom to try to find a more comfortable perch. Then they were off — one horned monster with two riders, whom nobody on the road would now see. Seagryn did indeed get them to Telimas before midday.

  The Norck Stork was a free trader, a vessel owned and operated by a certain Captain Norck. Seagryn had wondered how the man had avoided being incorporated into one of the giant trading houses. After one look at the Stork’s spindly masts and the awkward profile of its hull, he knew. It did look like an ungainly seabird. Nevertheless, Captain Norck was fiercely proud of it. As they cleared Telimas harbor and moved out into the open sea, he gestured up at its billowing green and orange sails. “You see those colors? They’re registered in Pleclypsa! The House of Norck. I’ve hoisted those colors all over the southerly sea, and I can assure you they’re highly regarded in foreign ports!”

  “Which foreign ports?” Nebalath asked.

  Norck looked at him, suddenly suspicious. “All foreign ports!” he answered firmly. “Why?”

  “You’ve been to Emerau, then?”

  “Emerau?” Captain Norck replied, his tone vague. “Emerau. No, I must have missed that one —”

  “But you’ve certainly been to Looulam,” Nebalath said.

  “Why — of course!” Norck responded with a false smile.

  “East or west port?”

  “East or west …”

  Nebalath watched the captain carefully. “Ports. On Looulam.”

  “Ah — yes! Both. Many times.”

  Norck was obviously lying, but Nebalath didn’t challenge him. “Very good. We want to sail past Looulam’s western port and southwest from there to the isle of Emerau.”

  “Ah.” The captain nodded. “And — you have the charts?”

  “Charts?” Nebalath frowned.

  “Charts. Maps, if you will.”

  “Maps of the spice islands?” Nebalath frowned.

  “Of the seas surrounding them, yes. I need charts to sail into those waters, my friend. Without them …” Captain Norck gave a doubtful shake of his head.

  “Hmm,” Nebalath mused. “I suppose I could find some …”

  “And how would you be doing that when we’re under sail?” Captain Norck smiled condescendingly. “Allow me to make a suggestion. We set a course due south to Mazeur on the northern tip of Faghar, and perhaps you can find your charts there. Or else another ship’s captain who knows this island … what was it?”

  Nebalath mulled this over. Suddenly he smiled pleasantly. “I think I may have the charts you need after all. Excuse me while I go look.”

  As the old wizard disappeared into the cabin, the captain gave Seagryn a puzzled look. “What is he going to look through? You’ve brought nothing aboard!”

  This was true. All of their possessions had been carried back toward Pleclypsa on the backs of their fleeing horses. Seagryn looked at Fylynn, who looked back at the captain and smiled pleasantly. “Rather a mystery, isn’t it!”

  “Here they are,” Nebalath called from inside the cabin as he stalked back up the stairs to rejoin them on the deck. When Norck saw the charts, he looked astonished.

  “Where did you get —”

  “Doubtless he’s been to Haranamous to fetch them.” Fylynn shrugged. She then patted the bewildered seaman on the shoulder. “He’s a most unusual travel companion. You’ll get used to him.”

  Nebalath unrolled the map and pointed to a particular spot.

  “We want to go here.”

  “But how did you —” Norck spluttered as he took the charts and looked them over. Suddenly the captain began trembling like a sail come loose in a storm. “There? But that would take us right past Ushlar and near the tip of Main!”

  “So it would appear.” Nebalath nodded, craning his neck to try to read the chart upside down.

  “But those are pirate waters!” Norck croaked.

  Nebalath absently scratched his chin. “Pirates?”

  “Pirates and more pirates! I cannot take you to Emerau,” Norck announced as he rolled the chart back up.

  Nebalath frowned, but the captain appeared to have his mind made up. The wizard didn’t argue. He just said. “Very well. You’re in charge.” But as Nebalath walked back to sit in the stern of the ship Seagryn saw a determined look on the old wizard’s face. He wasn’t at all surprised, then, when the captain had a most difficult day. As Norck did his best to direct his vessel to the south, he found with every check of the compass that they had moved further to the west instead.

  Late in the afternoon Seagryn came to sit beside Nebalath. “How are you doing this?” he asked.

  “Doing what?” Nebalath said, feigning innocence.

  “You know what I mean. Blowing us off course.”

  “As far as I can tell, we’re very much on course.” Nebalath chuckled.

  “Then you are doing it.”

  “And how could I cause such a thing?” the older wizard protested.

  “By changing the wind —”

  “The wind!” Nebalath laughed. “Can you direct the winds?”

  Seagryn frowned. “Well — no, but —”

  “I’ve never met a wizard who could shape the winds! Nor any other natural force of the weather or of the earth,” Nebalath said. “Oh, fire we can shape, surely. But not the rain that puts it out or the wind that spreads it. And fire is — well it’s right there in the air, all the time. People, Seagryn — we have an impact on people, through what they believe they feel and see. I’m doing nothing, actually. It’s the captain who is sailing us to Emerau — though he believes he is doing his best to avoid that very thing. And — yes. I am helping that along.” Nebalath glanced down the length of the deck. “Where’s Fylynn?”

  “She’s gone below. I’m afraid she’s a bit seasick —”

  “You may want to help her, then. I need to concentrate my attention on bending us toward the west —”

  Fylynn sat on a bunk inside the cabin, a bucket between her knees. As Seagryn came down the steps, she gave him a weak smile. “Do you think green is my color?” s
he asked, pointing to her face. “I’m not certain it goes with my hair —”

  “Can I get you anything?” he asked.

  “Some dry land might be nice …” she joked, then she swallowed and stared straight ahead for a few moments as she listened to what was taking place inside her stomach. When the tide of her nausea ebbed, she looked at Seagryn again. “You don’t seem to be — affected,” she said, choking on the last word.

  “I suppose I’ve grown accustomed to motion sickness. I’ve — spent a lot of time up in the air recently.” There were pillows scattered about on the bunks, and he propped several of these behind her back. “Better?”

  “A little. I’m certainly glad I came along to take care of you two —”

  Seagryn smiled. “I’m sure you’re here for a purpose.”

  “What purpose?” she asked. It was an honest question that caught him off guard.

  “I — don’t know. Yet.”

  “But why would you even think in such terms?” she asked, swallowing several times to maintain the momentary balance in her stomach. “I certainly don’t.”

  “You don’t?”

  “Of course not. I don’t have any purpose. I just — live.” She frowned. It startled Seagryn, for Fylynn rarely allowed that expression onto her face. “And as I do, I stumble into situations in which I don’t belong, and thereby cause those around me grief.”

  “You’re not causing me grief,” Seagryn said kindly.

  Fylynn grinned at him. “Just wait until I fill this bucket and you have to empty it. Then you’ll know grief! Ohh …” she added, for the ship suddenly seemed to shudder in the water, then abruptly floated upward. This was accompanied by much shouting on the deck above them. Fylynn looked up at him, her eyes lidded wearily and her body weaving on the bunk. “You’re a priest, aren’t you? You think prayer would do me any good?” He couldn’t tell if she was joking this time.

  “Pirates!” someone shouted, and Seagryn jumped to his feet in alarm.

  “Send them down here,” Fylynn murmured, pointing at her bucket. “I’ll give them something to remember me by —”

  Seagryn bolted up the stairs and searched the western horizon for a sail.

  “Dead ahead,” a voice above him called, and he turned to see Captain Norck standing on top of the cabin and pointing over the bow. “A bloodred sail — that’s their sign. Makes it easier on Paumer’s crews — all they need do is pull down their blue!”

  “You think the pirates serve Paumer?” Seagryn shouted up over the noise of battle preparations.

  “Of course they’re Paumer’s!” Norck called back bitterly.

  “How else could his fleet sail these waters unhindered, while any free trader that strays to the southwest is immediately boarded and scuttled! Tighten that line!” he shouted at one of his sailors. Then he jumped down off the cabin and ran forward, shouting instructions Seagryn didn’t understand.

  The shaper glanced around for Nebalath — and found him still seated quietly in the stern of the ship, in the place where he’d spent the whole day. Seagryn went to join him. “Looks like you’ve gotten us into some trouble.”

  “I told you before, Seagryn. I’m not afraid of a few pirates. But I would prefer not to reveal our abilities to these sailors. They’re notoriously superstitious. Suppose we just handle this between ourselves?”

  “Sounds fine to me,” Seagryn agreed.

  “But please don’t take your enormous altershape while we’re aboard this ship! Your weight would break it in two.”

  “I know.” Seagryn nodded. “I’ve sunk ships before.” He peered at the oncoming sail. He could see it clearly now, and it did resemble the shade of red used by the House of Paumer. “Norck believes these are Paumer’s ships in pirate disguise.”

  “Could be.” Nebalath nodded. “Or his son’s.”

  “Ognadzu?” Seagryn smiled. “But he’s just a boy!”

  “So is Dark,” Nebalath muttered seriously, his gaze focused upon that red sail. “I’d rather not cloak the ship. They’ve already sighted us, and if we disappear they’ll know there are wizards aboard. That might make them pursue us more vigorously, and I’d rather not have them follow us to Emerau.”

  “We could set fire to them —”

  “And how would we do that without revealing ourselves?” Nebalath asked wryly. “Shall we stand in the bow and toss fireballs, you and I? Use your imagination. Think of something subtle …”

  “Prepare to be boarded!” Captain Norck shouted as he raced around the cabin from the bow of the ship, wildly waving a sword in each hand. When he came in view of the two wizards he stopped, pulled himself up into his most dignified posture, and walked toward them, offering the weapons to them. “Gentlemen, I very much fear we shall be taken, but I’d prefer not to go without a fight. Prepare to defend yourselves.”

  “How are we to do that?” Nebalath answered for both of them. “We’re merchants, not swordsmen.”

  “Necessity makes sometime warriors of us all. Take these swords,” he ordered as he thrust them both into Seagryn’s hands. “I have other weapons in the cabin below. I’m on my way down to arm the lady — though I doubt she’ll be able to prevent her own ravishment unless she turns the knife upon herself —”

  “Ravishment?” Fylynn asked from the cabin doorway behind him. She stood supporting herself against the doorjamb with one hand while still holding her queasy stomach with the other. “That’s the best news I’ve heard all day …”

  Captain Norck entirely missed her humor. “Alas, my lady, I fear it is to be,” he mourned as he pushed his way past her and down the steps. “Come — I’ll arm us both.”

  “Don’t I have a better chance if I just wait around up here?” she called down after him, then turned her head and winked at the two powershapers.

  The red-sailed ship quickly closed on them. It was twice the size of their vessel and a sleek, speedy design. They would never outrun it. Seagryn looked at Nebalath. “Any ideas?”

  “It’ll come to me,” the old man said. A look of alarm suddenly passed across his face, and he pointed at Fylynn. “What’s she doing?”

  Seagryn whirled to look. The woman’s eyes were wide and round, and she was gulping like a fish. She suddenly raced for the gunwale and draped herself over it, and her whole body jerked. Seagryn crouched at her side. “Can I help you?”

  “No need,” she answered brightly. “I seem to be doing it quite well all by myself!” When she proved this again, Seagryn stepped back out of the way — and had a thought.

  The Stork was tacking to starboard to avoid the onrushing pirate, but the larger ship had veered to meet her. Norck scrambled out of the hold and climbed again on top of the cabin. He waved his sword and danced about, shouting meaningful threats across the water.

  “Good view from here, isn’t it.” Fylynn gulped, then her head bobbed downward again. It was indeed. Seagryn could clearly see the pirate captain — a fierce-looking man with bulging forearms and an ugly grin. Then he imagined what that captain might see if …

  The man’s grin disappeared, and his face blanched. It was quite apparent — as were the expressions on the faces of the pirate crew who lined the opposing vessel’s side, grappling hooks in hand. They were horror-struck. Norck, too, saw this abrupt change in their demeanor and stopped shouting. For a moment, poor Fylynn was the only person making any sound …

  Then the pirate crewmen burst into action, adding sail and steering hard away from The Norck Stork. The larger vessel had three oars on either side for navigating through reefs, and these now shot out and started cutting into the water. Norck watched them flee, his jaw sagging open in shock. Then he was shouting again — this time in triumph.

  Fylynn bobbed her head back up. Between swallowing and spitting she managed to gasp, “Are they leaving?”

  “They’re leaving.”

  “I guess this means I don’t get ravished …”

  Seagryn patted her on the back. “You sound genuine
ly disappointed.”

  “What did you do?” she asked, climbing unsteadily to her feet and sighing with deep relief.

  “Oh — never mind.” He smiled, turning to watch Norck’s victory dance around the ship. The captain raced from sailor to sailor, shaking each one’s hand and congratulating them on their glorious victory. Seagryn glanced back at Fylynn. “Do you feel better?”

  “Oh, much. For the moment, anyway.” She let him help her to the nearest freshwater barrel and dip her a drink with the ladle hanging on its rim. Then he helped her stagger back to the stern where Nebalath still sat like a king enthroned. The old wizard wore a smug look.

  “I played my part.” He chuckled. “Did you do anything?”

  “Of course,” Seagryn snapped, a bit miffed by Nebalath’s accusing tone. “Fylynn gave me the idea. I created — for pirate eyes only — the illusion that every soul upon our ship was throwing up into the sea. I’m certain they thought the plague was upon us, and that’s why they fled in terror. What?” he asked, for he’d noticed Nebalath’s eyes growing larger.

  The old man laughed out loud. “Why, I created the image of a crew of corpses!” Then he glanced away, a puzzled look upon his face. “I wonder what they actually saw? Seasick skeletons?”

  Whatever the vision, it proved horrible enough to cause that particular pirate vessel to put great distance between them. They saw no other ships over the next week and a half. Buoyed by his bloodless victory, now Captain Norck sailed fearlessly to the southeast, following Nebalath’s ancient charts to a shore he’d never before seen — Emerau.

  Chapter Eleven: VICTORY’S SCENT

  “I would come ashore with you, of course —” Captain Norck protested earnestly, his eyes fixed upon the silent green coastline.

  “Of course.” Seagryn nodded, trying to make it easy for the man.

  “ — but then who would stay here to watch the vessel?”

  “I understand. You’ve got to stay with your ship.”

  “I mean,” the captain continued, turning to scan the horizon from which they’d come, “there could easily be more pirates in this area!”