Stormlands ( Book 2 of the Torrent Skies Saga)

Chapter Eight: Cheaters Never Prosper

Whatever tincture was in those little red bottles really did help Katerin keep her composure. She was able to work, sweat, eat, and sleep right alongside everyone else on the Mynyrri. It had been a tenday on the water and it seemed everyone was finally adjusting.

What a stupid idea, she thought as she looked across the pale wooden deck of the ship. She might be able to function, but she still got dizzy and queasy more often than not. The dwarves noticed, and did not hesitate to make jokes at her expense.

Jon, Fykes, Brazen, and Arjiah took to the water easily. Trunk seemed perfectly content, and spent most of his time with the ships wind-warder Moki. They worked on keeping the weather pleasant, and the wind in a favorable direction.

Magrum was wary, but ever attentive. If he spoke, every person aboard jumped to comply. Katerin supposed that the respect he had was well earned. His crew never doubted him, and from their words, Magrum was quite well-known.

Dinners were an amusing affair full of stories that Katerin still was not sure if she could wholeheartedly believe. The Meadalark did not sail sober. In fact, Katerin did not think they did anything sober.

The sun had finally stopped burning Katerin's delicate complexion to a crisp, and the red was now darkening into a tan. Maybe the first decent one she had ever had. Unlike Fykes, who spent nearly every second he could on the ship without a shirt, but still he never burned, and never tanned. The pale porcelain of his skin never wavered. No matter how burnt Katerin got, he stayed enviously pale and burn free.

The Mynyrri was not as large as the merchant ship she had been on before, but it had plenty of work to offer them. No day was spent simply bathing in the sun. Today Katerin was scrubbing the deck, and checking over various lines and rigging ropes. Making sure every knot was secure and intact. She paused and looked to the rigging on the side of the ship. Fykes and Brazen were both climbing up it, and Jon was shouting at them from the deck.

Jon was capable of climbing himself, but apparently he found it more amusing to razz the others.

Fykes and Brazen reached the top at near the same time. They each checked their section of ropes, and looked to each other. Both grinning wildly they began racing back down, as Katerin watched and Jon hollered.

It was a close thing, their race. Until Brazen simply let go of the ropes and fell the last twelve or so feet to the deck. He landed with grace and dropped into a crouch to absorb the pressure of the blow.

"I won," Brazen called.

Fykes shook his head and dropped to the deck, though he was only a few feet from it. "No. you cheated. And you're still on dish duty."

"But I won," Brazen said.

"Cheaters never prosper," Fykes said with a smile and a shake of his head.

"He did beat you," Jon said, throwing an arm over Brazen's shoulders and looking to Fykes with a stern expression.

Fykes narrowed his eyes, before turning his glance to Brazen. "See? Cheaters never prosper."

That drew a laugh from nearby Arjiah, who was the only one on the ship not asked to do a thing. It seemed the Meadalark had a respect for amerlyians. Even ones they did not know.

Katerin resumed her scrubbing, shaking her head as Fykes and Jon's conversation devolved into a rather childish argument. All the while Brazen stood between them with a blank expression.

Roahn tapped Katerin on the shoulder. "You've been at that awhile, have a drink."

"Thanks," Katerin said, rising from her crouch and stretching her shoulders. She took the water skin from Roahn's hand and took a long drink, before she realized who she was talking to. It was not water, but a very strong clear alcohol that burned bitter in her throat.