Suddenly, the trees gave way and Rejji could see the city approaching. It was a huge city and there was a large bridge over the river. Rejji stared up at the bridge as they passed under it and he could hear the horses clomping over it. He saw where the Lituk River joined the Khadora River and the boat traffic was immense. He could feel the movement of the barge as its handlers tried to avoid smashing into other boats.
Rejji tried to peer at the city on both sides of the river, but the barge was moving too fast for him to dwell too long on any one sight. He was amazed at the huge number of people moving every which way. Both sides of the river were lined with long wharves and all sorts of commodities were loaded on the barges tied up there. The people of the city were all gaily dressed in a multitude of colors. He had never seen such a wealth of color in one spot before.
All too soon, the city swept by and Rejji was presented with banks of forest again. The sun dipped below the horizon and Rejji made his way back to the kitchen. He grabbed some bread and dried meat and ate it before climbing the ladder and finding an empty bunk to bed down in for the night.
Sometime during the night, Rejji was awakened by the sound of horns and he scampered down the ladder and out onto the deck. He saw three huge barges loaded with some type of ore and it looked as if the Pikata barge was going to ram them. The three barges were tied together and the Pikata barge turned almost sideways as the handlers fought to fight the currents. The river made a right turn as its direction was changed by the large mountains ahead and Rejji saw another city at the base of the mountains.
“Deep Bend,” said a bargeman standing behind Rejji. “Half the city is built into the mountain. They mine iron there. I guess they did not see us when they launched the triple barges.”
“Will we hit them?” Rejji asked.
“Not likely,” the man declared. “The skipper knows this barge well. It’s not the first time he has run into this sort of thing. The ore barges are pretty hard to handle. They usually like to know the river is clear before they launch, but I guess the darkness hid us well.”
Rejji stared at the city in the mountain and saw the lights all over the mountainside twinkling in the darkness of the night. He could hear voices drifting across the water, but he could not make out any of the words. There was a strong odor of sulfur hanging in the air and as soon as the barge straightened out and the danger was over, Rejji went back inside and crawled into his bunk.
When he awoke, Rejji met Wicado in the sitting room and they had their morning meal together. Wicado returned upstairs to his private room and Rejji ventured out on deck. There were mountains on both sides of the river and a bargeman told him that the river ran between the Bear Mountains and the Three Sisters. The banks here were almost all forest and there was little to see. With nothing to entertain him, Rejji’s mind returned to the Pikata estate and his friends.
He knew Mistake would not last very long under slavery, but he could not find a way out of their predicament. Both Lam and Wicado had made it sound like there was no way out, but Rejji refused to accept that. He knew if he worked on the problem, he would find a way. He just hoped that Mistake could hold out long enough.
Late afternoon brought the city of Chantise where the Charl River joined the Khadora River. It was enough excitement to drag Rejji’s mind away from his dark thoughts. Sintula had been the largest city that Rejji had ever seen, but Chantise was much larger. Rejji turned from side to side as sights sped by. He had learned that each clan in Khadora had its own colors. Pikata’s colors were white and blue. In Chantise, Rejji saw a whole rainbow of warriors traveling by barge and wagon convoy. It appeared as if all clans came to Chantise to market their crops.
The land around Chantise was different as well. Here the land was flatter and the river wider. The forests also gave way to large estates that came right to the river’s edge. Rejji marveled at the wealth of Khadora as he floated past flourishing fields of every crop he could imagine, and many that he did not recognize. Wasooki herds were plentiful and clova flocks were numerous. The estate mansions also appeared to get larger as they progressed downstream.
Eventually, the sun set and Rejji made his way back to the kitchen. Wicado was just finishing his meal and motioned Rejji into the sitting room.
“In the morning we shall be in Khadoratung,” declared Wicado. “Get a good night’s sleep tonight because tomorrow will be a long day for you. I have written up a paper for you to carry with you. You must keep it on you at all times. It states where I can be found if the authorities have any problems with you. I shouldn’t have to remind you of your pledge, but if you get into trouble in the city, the consequences will be dire and I will not be in a position to help you. You are not allowed to leave the city walls. If you do, you will be killed. In short, if your offense is minor, they will summon me and demand I punish you. If the offense is major, they will kill you and then summon me. Do you understand?”
“I will not embarrass you, Sir,” Rejji stated. “I will gather the information on prices that you have requested and I will stay out of trouble.”
“I know you will,” smiled the Bursar as he gave Rejji a small pouch. “There are a few coins in there that you can use to amuse yourself. As I said earlier, your meals are included at the inn, so you should have everything you need to last a few days. Get some sleep and I will gather you in the morning.”
Rejji smiled and nodded and climbed upstairs to his bunk.
Chapter 9
Khadoratung
When Wicado woke Rejji, the sleeping quarters were already empty and the sun had risen. Rejji hurried down the ladder and grabbed the last of the bread from the food sack. He carried the empty sack with him as he left the structure and went out on deck. Wicado was waiting for him on the dock.
“We must move swiftly,” Wicado stated. “I have little time before my meeting starts and I want to get you settled at the inn.”
The Bursar turned and strode off the dock and Rejji hurried to catch up. The wharf area was lined with warehouses and taverns and men were busy unloading barges that had arrived during the night. The smell of old vegetables and fruits filled the air so strongly that Rejji was glad they were hurrying. Several streets past the wharf area the warehouses were replaced with shops for the various trades. Rejji peered down the cross streets and was amazed at the variety of services offered in this one area. There were several shops dedicated for each trade and anything that could be made was available here. Rows of metalworking shops were followed by rows of carpentry shops. Tailors, jewelers, bakeries, and leather shops filled street after street.
Finally, up ahead, Rejji could see the beginning of the market area. Some vendors appeared to have permanent locations and were opening their stalls, while others were pushing carts that contained their wares. Hundreds of people were moving swiftly around. Wicado turned to the right as soon as the market began. Rejji stole a glance to the left before following and could see no end to the market. Looking past Wicado proved the same was true in both directions. Several blocks down, the inns started and there were dozens of them.
Wicado turned and entered the Inn of the Rose. He spoke with the innkeeper while Rejji gazed around the common room. There were patrons having their morning meal but the room was far from full. Wicado reached back and pulled Rejji towards the innkeeper and handed him a room key.
“This is the lad,” Wicado stated. “He’s a good lad, but help him out if you see him getting mixed up with the wrong the crowd.”