They walked outside into a late morning sun. The sky was clear, the air warm, and the crowds thin. Bear talked incessantly of nothing as they moved down one street and up another. However, his eyes traveled behind them, to all cross streets, and ahead. His eyes rested on every person sitting at an outdoor café. Bear greeted many of them, and waved to others, but his attention was on who was watching him, and Gray.
Bear guided Gray into a doorway and opened the handle as if he knew the insides well. Gray found weapons lining the walls of all sorts, but mostly bows. He glanced at the short, stout bows favored by the army, the longer lean bows hunters requested, and finally the long bows used in sieges to reach across distances, and arrows high enough to fly over a castle wall.
A man stood behind the counter and nodded to Bear in a familiar greeting. Bear said, “My friend, Gray, needs a bow. Will you see if you have what he likes and put it on my account?”
“You don’t have to do that,” Gray objected.
“If we’re to be business partners, I must pay my portion of the expenses.”
The man behind the counter watched the interchange and asked Gray, “What sort of bow?”
“I want a long bow. One to shoot an arrow as far as possible.”
The man glanced at Gray’s arms and powerful shoulders. He selected a bow from the wall and strung it. “Try the pull on that.”
Gray took the bow, noticing it was thicker than any he’d ever held. He tried the pull and found it slightly too hard. A second was perfect. He had to pull with all his might, but that’s what he wanted. Practice would strengthen his arms quickly.
“That bow will put an arrow from here to the waterfront and beyond. Hunting for large game, are you?”
Gray smiled and agreed with a nod of his head. Yes, he was hunting for large game, dragons to be exact. Twenty arrows held tightly together in a quiver were next.
“Sure you don’t want to go out back and try out a target?” The shopkeeper asked.
Gray said, “Thanks, but I know how to use this.”
They left the shop with Gray carrying the quiver in one hand and the bow in his other. The quiver had a shoulder strap, but Gray didn’t feel comfortable wearing it in the city. Bear directed them down to the docks and Front Street. Gray noticed the eyes taking note of him. They paused at a railing and watched the ships for a while then moved on to the bookstore.
Kelby worked the counter. Her eyes lit up when she saw Gray, but she addressed Bear. “The best of mornings to you, sir.”
“Would your father be in the back?”
“Where else?” she giggled as if he’d made a joke, but her attention was still on Gray.
Bear led the way to the back room where they found Shailer pouring over more maps and charts. He looked up while holding a rolled map flat on a table. His appearance was disheveled enough to have missed sleep the night before. “I have little new information, but it may be of use. It’s more about what is not on the charts than is. I have also managed to obtain two old shipping manifests for the Lady Marion by telling a cargo master you are looking for profit.”
Bear shrugged. “I’m always looking to doing that. I just bought and sold some imported cargo a few days ago. It should raise no eyebrows.”
“I only mention it in case you are asked. The manifests themselves are interesting in what is not there.” Shailer waited for one of them to tell him to continue, but when neither did quickly enough, he said, “What is not there, is enough cargo for a ship to earn a profit.”
Bear waited, thinking about Shailer’s statement. “The Lady Marion makes four ports as I recall. If Fleming is not earning them profits, it would be easy enough to shift this leg to Castle Warrington, or some other port.”
Shailer handed Bear a sheaf of documents. “Not just Fleming. They cannot make a profit on a single leg of their trade route.”
Gray blurted out, “Then how does the ship stay in business?”
“How indeed?” Shailer teased.
Bear said, “Somebody pays the expenses. Ships, crews, rigging, food, and materials for repair and other supplies are expensive. How short do they fall?”
Shailer passed Bear a tally sheet he’d been scribbling on when they entered. “Every voyage costs the owners a fistful of gold.”
Bear whistled at the sum. “Who are the owners?”
“They were hard to find, but after a long night of research, I believe I tracked them down. It’s listed as a company called, Embers Shipping.”
Gray caught the significance of the name instantly and tried to hide his excitement as he asked, “As in King Embers?”
Shailer shrugged. “Who knows? But I personally know of no other, but the crown who could sustain the losses that this ship accrues year after year.”
CHAPTER NINE
After learning the owner of the Lady Marion might be King Ember, Gray made another change to his plans before he looked up and faced Shailer and Bear. The information he’d seen was too important for his family. If something happened to him, his family wouldn’t know any of it. The news was potentially so devastating that it meant an immediate end to his mission.
The family also needed to know about Shrewsbury being the place where the others probably landed on this coast, and that the green dragons probably nested in the rugged mountains of the peninsula. They also should know about the lack of information of Breslau on any maps or charts.
The entire mission had changed in Shailer’s book shop. With a pang of regret, he remembered they also needed to know about Stinson’s fate. It was his duty to return and warn them of all those things. A future mission could continue his objectives. However, the search should begin in Shrewsbury.
“Something wrong?” Bear asked him, taking a small step closer.
Shailer also looked concerned. To be as honest with them as he could, Gray said, “Yes. My family sent me to learn about things that may place them in danger. I feel I’ve found so much I have to return.”
Bear said, “Too bad you didn’t bring someone with you.”
Gray shrugged. He started to explain, but held back.
Shailer turned and sat in a chair, a chart of an ocean on his lap if the blue coloring indicated water. Instead of looking at the chart, his eyes sought out Gray’s. In a soft voice that carried only to Bear and Gray, he said, “So, a short visit to your home and then you are off again to Shrewsbury? If so, we still have matters to discuss.”
The question solved Gray’s problems. He could simply detour and spend two days reaching Oasis and two traveling back to the road. Perhaps one to meet with the council and share his information. They would send out Tessa and, at least, one other messenger to spread the knowledge to other families, and those families would send out their own messengers. The information he’s stumbled across was not only for his immediate family but for all the Dragon Clan.
“I could use a cup of ale before we go on, but yes. A quick trip home and then on to Shrewsbury.”
“Will your family allow you to continue?” Shailer asked, still speaking softly.
Gray considered. They should have no reason to prevent him, but he couldn’t be sure. Yes, I can be sure. They cannot stop me. “I expect them to let me go, but in the end, it is my choice, and I will leave for Shrewsbury because there’s information in that port that we must know.”
“That we you mentioned includes Shailer and myself, I hope,” Bear grunted. “And I know you’re not an ale drinker, so I suppose the ale you asked for is your excuse to lay eyes on Shailer’s beautiful daughter?”
Standing near the charts, Shailer took pity on him as he left the small room and quickly returned. Almost right behind followed Kelby, carrying a tray with frothy mugs of ale. While setting the mugs in front of each of them, her eyes never left Gray’s.