Abhorrent Practices - Book 1

Chapter 10 - Change of Heart

His leather-bound ledger tucked under his arm, Perrick strode across the deck, his long legs making short work of the distance to the ship's main store room.

"Are you m-missing her?" asked Skrawl, scuttling alongside him. His four eyes swivelled as he ran. "Marla thought you m-might be."

"Leave me alone, Skrawl." Perrick was in no mood for the excitable preen's chattering. The Jennie Seaholme had left Orrin's Rock three hours earlier, and he had things he had to do. Important things. "There's a Ship's Council in ten minutes, and I need to get this done by then."

"It's just that you and Alyss seemed to be getting c-close, so now she's been sent to Durhoun, Marla thought you might ..."

Perrick unlocked the door to the store room, and shooed the preen away.

"We were not close."

"I could keep you company," offered Skrawl. "You know, while you check the supplies. I w-wouldn't get in the way."

Perrick stepped inside the store.

"Yes," he growled, "you would."

Skrawl yelped as Perrick closed the door firmly in his face.

It was dark in the store room, but Perrick could make out the even darker shapes of the barrels and boxes of salted meats and pickled vegetables supplied by Brunlen. He could see at a glance that they had more than enough to reach the Isle of Charon, but he would still need to ration it carefully. Anything could happen on a sea journey, and keeping supplies in reserve could mean the difference between life and death.

But that wasn't why he was here.

He placed the ledger on a barrel, and lit the crystal lantern hanging on a nail to the right of the door. In the flickering blue light, the boxes cast sharp, angular shadows, around the room. He picked his way between the barrels until he reached a long rectangular crate laid on the floor against the back wall. The symbols on its lid indicated that it held new oars for the Jennie's tenders, and long-handled boathooks.

He took a crowbar, and eased the lid loose, the nails squealing as he prised them free of the wood. He grimaced. If Skrawl was still scuttling around outside the door, he must have heard them. Hopefully the preen would assume he was simply checking a few sample crates, to ensure Brunlen hadn't cheated them.

The last nail sprang free, and Perrick removed the lid. A long groan came from the crate, followed by a deep sigh.

"Are you all right?" he asked gruffly.

"A little stiff." Alyss squinted up at him from inside the crate, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the flickering blue light of the lantern. Slowly, she raised herself into a sitting position, and winced. "And I fear I may have bruises in places it would be far too indelicate to mention." She blinked in the flickering half-light and offered Perrick her hand. "Are you going to help a lady up?"

"No."

Perrick's rejection stung her. He was the nearest thing to a friend she'd had since leaving her homeland, but Alyss wasn't entirely surprised. She'd trusted him with the knowledge she was a witch. Outside of Grielle, few people knew how to react to that. She rose to her feet, and shook out the skirt of her dress.

"The Knights of Endurance?" she asked. "Are they gone?"

"Chasing one of Brunlen's ships to Durhoun," Perrick told her. "They took the bait."

Alyss smiled broadly. She didn't know where the Jennie Seaholme would next make landfall, but for the time being she was safe. As she stepped out of the crate, she reached for Perrick's arm to steady herself, but he jerked it away as if scalded.