The Journal of Dreams (The Tales of Tahana - Book One)

Chapter 10: The Pamaya

23-2-2-4012 DM, Kanay, Telama, Hilaraya

The bronze bell on the mainmast clanged to herald the coming of the third hour of light. Captain Kunapu had been optimistic when he made his assessment earlier. The loss of the mizzen mast and sails had cost them almost two hours off his expected arrival. The sun had already risen from the Gulf of Tayang, but it was still hanging low on the eastern horizon, making the clouds turn scarlet and gold in the early morning sky.

A light breeze blew from the west, scattering the mist that hung over the gulf. Aron pulled his grey cloak tighter around himself to keep the morning chill out. He stood by the starboard side gunnel under the foremast, looking straight ahead, leaning against his walking staff. The calm and smooth waters of the gulf reflected the golden light from the sky while the Seabird glided gracefully towards the grand harbour of Kanay.

Two fields away from starboard, the northernmost whitestone dock, which rose above the glassy waters, was filled with moored trade ships of different sizes and colours. There were four such whitestone docks stretching a field outward into the gulf. Each dock was a quarter field wide and about half a field apart at the ends. The docks converge into a central semi-circular platform, which was about a field in diameter where a massive beacon of the purest whitestone stood fifty arms high at the centre. At the edge of the port was a fifteen-arm high crenelated whitestone wall with a central archway, which was ten arms wide and five arms high. This served as a boundary between the harbour itself and the harbour market. Aron remembered seeing the entire harbour from the top of the beacon the last time he was in the capital. That was the time when he understood why the Kanayi called the harbour district, Pamaya, which meant "fan" in the Telami dialect. The entire port area looked like an enormous fan from the top of the whitestone beacon. The early morning light from the rising sun reflected on the whitestone that made up the entire port, making it shimmer in gold and scarlet hues amidst a thin layer of mist. It was the grandest port Aron had ever seen in all his travels, even eclipsing the beauty of the port of his hometown, Marenin, capital of the Illustrious State of Salandrin, in Kanaraya.

Aron ignored the chaos from the Seabird's crew, who ran about behind him, and continued to gaze towards the harbour as he thought about what happened the previous night. Dari was able to stop a storm by himself, and he was certain that no bayaharadu had ever achieved such a feat alone. A bayaharadu needed a piriharadu, one who had the Gift of the Waters, in order to stop a storm. He knew that Dari was given the Gift of the Winds despite being born in spring, which defied the Cycle of Gifts, but if he was able to stop the storm by himself, was he also given the Gift of the Waters? If so, can Dari be both bayaharadu and piriharadu because of the peculiar date of his birth? Had this ever happened before? He didn't know. He hoped that someone at the Garalahi in the city would know.

"Good morrow, Periji."

It was Rami's voice coming from behind. He walked to Aron's left side, settled the heavy pack he was carrying on the deck to his left, and placed both his hands on the gunnel. He yawned widely, then took a deep breath, closing his eyes as he did so, as if enjoying the saline smell of the air. Maybe he did. He was a fisherman after all. After a moment, he opened his eyes and looked towards the port.

"Did you get any sleep? You were already gone when I got up."

"Some, I think. I'm always restless when travelling by sea. I don't fancy the rocking motion of the ship at all, and that storm last night nearly made me weep," Aron replied, feeling uncomfortable at the memory of the previous night's catastrophe.

"You? Weep? But you were so calm last night. You even went to check in on the passengers yourself," Rami said incredulously.

"Rami, it is my duty as a Perayali to make sure that everyone is alright. The safety of everyone else always comes before mine. Besides, I have to show courage if I am to help those who were terrified? It wouldn't help if I'd show fear myself. But don't get me wrong, I still feel fear. I just have a way of keeping it to myself," Aron said with a smile as he regarded Rami.