The Book of Terrus: A Land of Sunlight

Chapter 11 - A Village

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As much as she had railed against going to Blue Stone, Lhara was absolutely beside herself with anticipation. One glimpse of the sleek, three-masted caravel which would sail them up the coast, and she had all but squealed. The mountainfolk had no concept of boats and sailing. The notion of trusting a collection of canvas sheets and timbers to carry them out onto that blue-green expanse was as exciting to Lhara as the suggestion of riding a dragon.

The trip from Utunma to the inlet of the Ramida River would take three days, perhaps more with the off-shore currents. According to Reyson, the waters around the port at Syrion were rocky and treacherous at this time of year. Lhara, Jath, Reyson, and Yidu would sail up the Ramida River to Blue Stone, built as it was on the shores of Aryna Lake. Kiiss' contact would be awaiting them in the city in five days time; Kiiss had managed to get at least that one messenger bird safely through Amenthere's falconers. With the caravel – stolen by Vinie's Factionists from the Bay of Torbos – the four of them would be able to travel with reasonable hope of evading notice. An Undorian ship that far up the coastline would run the risk of being intercepted at any port north of Danitesk.

Lhara had been told all this and more about their voyage, but at the moment the only thing she was interested in was the ship. Water slapped and dipped against the hull of the StormRider, bringing to mind the snorting and pawing of an impatient ram. The Undorian crew and their captain were already aboard, making final preparations to cast off. A cargo net filled with barrels of dried fruit swung overhead, scattering stray droplets of salty water onto the heads of the group standing on the dock below.

"This ship is much bigger than the one that Vinie and Gideo left on two days ago!" Yidu jostled Lhara's shoulder companionably. "Perhaps we'll even have a bunk to ourselves in the hold?"

Bakko shook his head. "Not likely I'm afraid, girls. With trade from the capital cut off right now, Undor needs to get as many goods shipped back and forth with this trip as possible. There are still merchants in Blue Stone willing to do business with the south, so long as it's done quietly. The hold will be packed full."

"Yes, and no doubt Madame Kiiss and the Regents will be scrambling to arrange similar trade with Derbesh once they reach Moaan," said Reyson. "We'll need both goods and arms, and plenty of both. Between that and shoring up the city walls, we'll be settling in for a seige in short order."

"Cheerful thought, that," muttered Tani. Bakko patted the boy on the shoulder.

"Don't you be worryin'. With Danitesk watching out by sea now and Moaan guarding the road to Amenthere, Mahir won't be reaching this far south again any time soon."

"We'll try to get a message sent to you once we reach Blue Stone," Reyson continued, undeterred. "Once we cross over into the Night Forest, I doubt we'll be able to report again until we reach Jath's contact in Hashodi."

Jath for his part stood quietly in the shade of a nearby uru, his worn grey cloak wrapped around him and his hood up even in the heat of the rising sun. Since arriving in Utunma and leaving the cool green cover of Undor's jungles, Jath had abruptly turned a rather brutal shade of red. The southern sun baked his sea-shell pale skin mercilessly, even burning his scalp straight through his hair. So, despite the heat, he had taken to covering himself completely whenever he went out. Lhara felt sorry for Jath; she was already beginning to sweat despite having long since traded her sturdy wool clothing for the light linens and vests favoured by Undorians.

"Cast off in five minutes!" the captain, a heavyset man by the name of Dagaan called out from his place on the quarterdeck. Ropes immediately began flying up the sides of the StormRider as they were loosed from the dock.