Wayfarer (Wanderlust 2)

Chapter Thirty-Three

It was her.

The Wanderlust was moored at the end of a long dock, her unique blue sails, and the way they were placed, made her easy to pick out even as the sun sank into the water. On top of her highest mast, the West Draulin and Zianna flags fluttered in the gentle wind. She was easily the most beautiful ship in the port. Long and graceful, dark wood carefully cleaned and maintained, her mermaid figurehead painted and polished.

Soren followed Tanden down the dock towards the ship. Tanden had sprung out of bed without a word, yanked on clothes, and was halfway out the door before Soren had even managed to untangle himself from Ara. After promising Jale they would be back, he had jogged to catch up with Tanden on the street. Now he was close behind as Tanden walked straight for his ship.

Without pausing, Tanden walked up the gangway. With his typical dramatic flair, he hopped onto the deck with his arms outstretched.

"Gentlemen!"

He was quickly surrounded by the sailors who had been on deck. As the news of his arrival spread, other crewmembers came up from belowdecks or climbed down from the rigging to greet him. Tanden was immediately back in his element. There could be no doubting that while he loved travelling and exploring, he belonged on the Wanderlust.

Soren stepped onto the deck after a pause, waiting until Tanden had most of the crew's attention. The ship swayed gently beneath him and felt right. Until that moment Soren hadn't really realized how much he missed the feeling of movement beneath his feet. The Wayfarer might have provided that feeling, a bit, but it wasn't the same. Nothing could match the feeling of standing on a ship.

He wanted to walk around, to touch the helm and feel the ropes. Soren just wanted to be part of the ship again. But before he could get a chance, he was noticed. Some of the sailors peeled away from the crowd around Tanden to greet him.

Then Ivern was beside him, pulling on his arm to turn him around. Roan and Jerios were nearby, and Soren realized with a sinking feeling that they were subtly warding people away from him and Ivern. He turned to Ivern and didn't like the look on his friend's face.

"What is it?"

"There's news from West Draulin."

Soren felt his stomach drop. Ivern's tone confirmed that something was wrong. "Should the Captain hear it?"

Ivern nodded. "Yes, but... I was hoping you could tell him. You'll know the right time, and he'll want privacy. I..." He sighed, and pulled an envelope from his pocket.

It was addressed to Tanden in neat writing. West Draulin's seal was pressed into blue wax on the back. It hadn't been opened. "Do you know what it says?"

Again Ivern nodded. "There was an... incident, in Zianna. I don't know details, really, but... his brother, Sir Lord Tandar. He's dead."

Soren couldn't help it. He looked up, instinctively meeting Tanden's gaze from across the deck. Tanden must have seen his expression, because suddenly his own face fell and he was pushing his way through the crowd.

Soren held the letter behind his back as Tanden got closer. "Not here."

"What is it?" Tanden stepped close enough to reach around him, but Soren moved the letter out of reach.

There was no delaying the news. No waiting for a better time. The least Soren could do was make sure Tanden had the privacy he needed. "You don't want to do this here," he said quietly. Tanden was, as he often was, the centre of attention. The crew was watching the exchange, puzzled by the sudden shift in Tanden's mood. "Captain. Tanden. Listen to me."