Thugard felt uncomfortable and sticky in the heat. When they had arrived back at Sessailaine, Biort had insisted that another ship be sent to bring back the Islander trader while the mages met to discuss their options. In the end, it was agreed that Cadeyrn, Moiril and Jerrill would accompany Thugard. Bron, the arms master that was Aeronwyn's protector insisted on coming as well and Biort agreed. Other than Thugard, the crew was chosen from those of the Sessailaine that most looked like the Islander peoples.
When the trader had returned there was another surprise passenger. Cha'rai was standing at the rail as the ship docked. The young former slave was one of the Sky People who bore the stumps of the wings that her people had burned off at childhood. They had become slaves in the island nation and the few of them that were left survived only at the mercy of the cruel peoples there. With Aeronwyn's help the remaining Sky People had sent all of their children with Cha'rai to try and rebuild their shattered peoples elsewhere.
When Cha'rai disembarked Moiril was the first to greet and hug her joyfully. It was Moiril's people that had enslaved Cha'rai's race but the two had long since become close. After other had greeted the young Sky People leader, Thugard asked a question that had occurred to all of them.
"Good to see you, young Cha'rai but aren't you supposed to be helping your younger ones?"
Cha'rai smiled. "I would, if Bha'mak and the twenty Sessailaine families that are building them a new home needed me. Since your people were generous enough to find us a warm and comfortable home and supply all that is needed to establish a colony, I found myself more in the way than anything. Not much use for a former slave girl who knows who to change beds and wash linens when there are no beds to change and no linens to wash! When I heard you were heading into my enemies lands, I decided I could be of more help as an adviser."
Thugard scratched his head, puzzled. "You know Moiril will be with us and can advise us, don't you."
"No disrespect to Moiril. She is my sister and I love her," Cha'rai responded, "but her knowledge of her people is limited to social customs and dress. Remember she was a protected daughter in a noble house! As a slave, I was out in the market and know what common Islanders are like, how they behave and what you will need to do to pass for them."
Moiril nodded, "You know, she is right! Between us there is very little of my former people's life that we won't know. I am glad to hear her advice and you all will be as well!"
With that the discussion had moved on to supplies, clothing even the kinds of weapons that the Islanders used. Finally, Jerrill had broached Thugard's skin color and it was the solution to that which resulted in Thugard feeling so uncomfortable in the heat. They had come up with a kind of body paint that would transform the rich ebony skin of Captain Thugard into the paler, tanned skin of a Caucasian island captain. Once they had entered waters where Islander vessels sailed, a morning ritual had transformed Thugard each day. Each day he patiently stood almost naked as Cadeyrn and Jerrill slathered the paint on him.
It was the clogging of his pores by the paint that made Thugard so sticky and uncomfortable. Even as he stood on the deck of the trader and let the wind wash past him, it just didn't cool him down enough. He grumbled and even complained to anyone who would listen but realized as long as their disguise held they could get closer to aiding Aeronwyn.
Meanwhile, Thugard ran drills. This wasn't his usual crew so he ran simulated battle drills almost daily. After a week he was almost satisfied they knew their jobs but he was unhappy with how slowly the decks were cleared for battle. The few catapults the trader carried were, in his view, useless but Thugard knew the mages would more than make up for armaments. It was speed that mattered. If they were approached by an Islander warship, they had to behave like a merchant. If battle was engaged, the transformation from merchant to fighting vessel had to be almost instantaneous.
The crew, hardened Sessailaine warriors, grumbled good heartedly but understood Thugard's relentless drive for perfection. Besides the usual shipboard tasks of repairing rigging and ropes, the drills kept the crew occupied and on a long voyage that was always a good thing. The ship itself was, in Thugard's opinion, a wallowing fat old lady compared to Nereus. The few squalls they had encountered had show she could take weather but it was like riding a tub in a tempest after the handling of a three masted warship.
The mages spent most of their time re-thinking what they already knew about the patterns of magic and trying to visualize how manipulating the patterns could be used. Once, Thugard would have considered their exercises stupid but after seeing fireballs dropping on ships that came from the hands of these mages he allowed that perhaps there was some usefulness to mage craft. Cha'rai, it turned out, was as lithe and as quick as anyone could become in the rigging and joined the crew as an extra hand. Her ability to jump almost effortlessly across the deck from one sail to another even with the ship tossing in the water made Thugard wonder what her people must have been like with wings. Someday soon, Thugard realized with a start, he might even see that for himself!
They had successfully passed by Eastern Islands of the Island Kingdom with no glitches. A few passing ships had sent up flags of greeting to which they had responded in kind but no challenges had been made. So far it was all too easy. Thugard knew that couldn't last so the drills became even more intense as he prepared for what might come. For the same reason Thugard asked the mages to restrict their time on deck to evening and night when, from a distance no one could discern who they were. The Islanders did not have women on board their ships so the mages understood Thugard's reasons.
Cha'rai was less of a problem as slaves on board Islander vessels were uncommon but not unknown. The fact that they were well past the Eastern Islands and sailing west towards the Island Kingdom's core made Thugard very nervous. Moira and Cha'rai had given then a pretty clear idea of dress, customs and even speech but neither had any experience at sea. They could not tell Thugard if customs inspection or random boardings might be expected. Neither could either of them provide any advice on the larger islands that houses the bulk of the Islander's population. They would have to play it by ear and hope for the best.
