"You mean you'll go with us?" blurted Delon.
"Masani?" Aiko's eyes flew wide.
The oldster stuck out his chin and glared at the Ryodoan. "I said I would, didn't I?" Even so, he was gasping as if he couldn't get enough to breathe.
"But I won't go ashore to fight no Mage. And if you get caught, I'll not stay around. But if we sail out of there together, you can drop me off at the first friendly port, for then I'll be quit of this damnfool venture, you hear?"
"Well and good," cried Egil. "Let's give him a cheer."
And as Delon and Ferret and Burel and Egil and even Aiko sounded three hip, hip, hurrahs, Arin reached over and took the frightened old man's hand and simply said, "I thank thee."
Still trembling, Alos leaned back against the stern thwart. As if suddenly aware that all eyes were still upon him, he glared at the sails and snapped, "What are you, a bunch of lubbers? Look at those sails and the lubberly sheets. Trim up, you hear me, trim up."
Delon began singing as he and Egil adjusted the sails and cleated the sheets, and Ferret and Aiko coiled the spare, Burel lending a hand. But Arin slid over to the oldster and pointed to a guiding star as she put an arm about his yet quaking shoulders.
And thus did Brise sail away from Sarain by the light of a silver half moon.
CHAPTER 5 9
Through deep waters indigo blue fared the Brise on her southwesterly course, the little ship tacking on long, long beats against the winds blowing west to east across the wide Avagon Sea. As before, the companions took turns sailing the ship, with Delon and Ferret and Alos crewing from dawn till dusk, while Burel joined with Aiko and Arin and Egil to sail the seas at night. A crew at a time, they also took turns sleeping in the cabin below, there being but four bunks in all. Still, there was considerable overlap between one crew coming on watch and the other crew taking leave, and during these times- unless it was raining-by unspoken consent the cabin was ceded for lovers' trysts, while those left on deck relaxed.
At the mid of night of the winter solstice, in the restricted confines of the sloop, Arin began chanting and stepping out the Elven rite hallowing the turn of the sun, with Delon and Egil guiding Burel through the steps, while Arin and Aiko guided Ferai. They were lost in the ritual and in Arin's chant when the silver half moon arose and cast its argent light aglance across the celebrants.
Below in the cabin Alos was awakened by the canticle and the pace of gliding steps. He listened for a while, but the rhythmic cadence soon lulled him back to sleep.
Six days later in early morn they sighted the Island of Gjeen, and for the next three days they rounded its southern flank. As the island disappeared over the horizon astern, Egil looked up from the charts. "Sabra," he proclaimed. "We'll head for Sabra to reprovision."
Delon glanced at the map. "The city at the edge of the Karoo?"
Egil nodded.
"Hmm, wasn't that one of the places where the Jutlanders might go to look for us?"
Egil grunted. "Aye. But that was two months back. I think that they would have come and gone by now."
"Jutlanders?" asked Burel, frowning. Then he looked at Aiko and his face brightened. "Ah, Queen Gudrun's hounds, eh?"
Aiko nodded, her gaze impassive, but she said nought.
Alos sighed. "I wouldn't want to meet up with them again."
Delon laughed. "Alos, old man, you were passed-out drunk both times."
Alos bristled. "Nevertheless!"
Egil held up a hand. "Look, we'll sail into the mouth of the port, and if we see a Dragonship we'll sail right back out. I think we've enough water to get us to Khalish."
"Khalish?" Delon leaned over and gazed again at the chart.
"Here, in Hyree," said Egil, pointing.
"Oh. Hyree. I'd rather not, if we have a choice, for they're almost as bad as the Kistanians."
At high noon on the sixth day of January they sailed into the harbor at Sabra, the curve of the city before them baking in the sun.
They discovered from the harbormaster that not only was there no Dragonship in port, none had been seen for a number of years, and that one but briefly.
With Aiko and Arin and Ferai's faces covered in veils, they pressed through the throngs and took rooms at the Crescent and Star, a modest inn on the slopes above the bay. From their balconies and to the south, and far beyond the city walls, they could see the great arc of the erg, the sands of the mighty Karoo shimmering in the heat. Yet this vast desert was not on their minds, but a serpentine cove instead.
"All right," said Alos, pointing at the sketch he had drawn. "Here's the fangs. See these three? They're the guide-rocks. We zigzag through all the other fangs this way"-on the parchment his finger scritched south-southwest, then jinked north-northwest, then scraped southwest-"we pass the first guide-rock close to larboard while running toward the second, jibing 'round the second one starboard tight, then running straight for the third one, taking it close to larboard, and then swing true southwest and into the throat of the snake."
"How do we single out the three guide-rocks?" asked Egil.
"The first two are taller than the other fangs"-Alos pointed-"the first tall one is somewhere out here on the edge, while the second is down 'round here among the other rocks. The third one, about here, is, um, marbled with white veins." He looked up at Egil. "See, it's simple, once you know."
Aiko, not taking her eyes from the map, asked, "Where is the town?"
"Just beyond the first bend. Out of sight."
Now the Ryodoan glanced up, first at Egil and then to Alos. "And Ordrune's tower?"
"I didn't see no tower," said Alos, scratching among the long hairs of his scraggly white beard. "Just the town, though the cove itself slithers way beyond-deep into the jungle for miles. We didn't go past the town."
"And the entrance to the cove," asked Burel, "is it warded?"
"They keep a daywatch," said Alos. "Sounded the alarm when we escaped. But as to a nightwatch, I don't know. There was some talk that the Rovers scavenge ships that founder on the rocks, and that's why they keep a watch on the entrance. As to the truth of it, I cannot say."
"I would think they keep a watch to warn of the King's fleet, and they hide the town for the very same reason," said Aiko.
"When is the best time to take the Brise in?" asked Egil.
"High noon, so I can see how to maneuver," replied Alos.
"No, Alos," said Aiko. "In the dark of night to avoid the watch."
"But I won't be able to see," snapped the oldster.
"How about dusk instead?" asked Ferret. "No, wait. If we can see to sail in, then the warders can see us, as well."
"Indeed," said Arin, "and unless we have a ruse we can successfully carry out, we must slip in unseen."
"We won't make it past those fangs if I'm blind," said Alos.
"I will be thine eyes, Alos," said Arin. "I see quite well by starlight alone."
"What about a ruse?" asked Delon. "Any ideas?"
"Does anyone speak Kistanian?" asked Ferret.
All shook their heads, No.
"Then a ruse is not likely to succeed. Besides, an Elf, a Ryodoan, and five white northerners do not look at all like Kistanians."
"I could stain myself as did my father," said Burel, "but I cannot speak the tongue." He frowned, then said, "Perhaps I could go in as a deaf mute."
"But we couldn't all stain our skins and pretend to be deaf mutes," said Ferret. "I mean, it would be beyond credibility."
Silence fell, and after a moment, "How about Hyranian? Anyone speak it?" asked Delon. "They're allies, I hear."
Again all shook their heads.
"Then for the moment I would think a ruse is out," said Delon. He turned to Alos. "And you say that the shore is fanged like this for miles?"