Heyna's Tale - Chapter Ten (cont.)
Down River
The river was calm. The suns warmed the air which smelled of sweet svella blossoms. Heyna, Tooly, Beetah, and Sronban all rode in the canoe down to Beoford. It was no work to drift along in the current with an occasional dip of a paddle to keep them on course. It was blessed relaxation after the weeks of strenuous work on Jakintu’s house.
They had divided the jewels evenly between them and put them in their carryalls. They were carefully wrapped so that they did not make any telltale clicks and rustles. The friends feasted on the food that Jakintu had prepared them, and took turns paddling, and watching for ursae.
“This is nice,” Heyna said. She trailed one hand in the water and leaned her head back. “Why can’t it always be like this?”
“We’ll be home soon,” Sronban said.
“I’ll kind of miss all the excitement,” Tooly said.
“To tell the truth, me too,” Heyna agreed. “The adventure bug has bit me. Pun intended.”
“Well,” Tooly said. “It’s not an adventure unless someone’s life is in danger.”
“Too right!” said Sronban. “I’ve had enough. I want to go back to my book shop. Misty mother, if no one ever shoots at me again, it will be too soon.”
The morning drifted away and Beoford, gloomy Beoford, came into view around a bend in the river. They tied up at the town hall and went in to see the mayor.
Heyna asked to pick up the crew of the Leviathan. Sronban insisted on glamouring Carerra instead of paying the exorbitant bribe that she demanded for their release. Heyna was glad to leave the place. Home of the Erda or not, she thought that Beoford was the last place in the world that she would ever think of settling. She couldn’t wait to get home to Xico. That’s how she thought of it. Home to Xico. Not home to Paititi.
The decrepit steamer, Leviathan, sat at anchor and was rustier than ever. Heyna had the idea of making the crew clean her up and paint her on their six day trip downriver. If they were going to turn old bucket over to Ak’ne, she thought it should be shipshape. Tooly thought it should have a more distinctive color scheme than gray and rust. Something definitely not pirate style, rainbow, perhaps? They got to work on the rust with wire brushes, and that’s what they painted her, a rainbow in broad, colorful, swooping stripes. Everyone laughed at the idea, even the glamoured Dreki crew.
*
As they drew closer to Merkataritza-hiria, they saw many boats heading upstream. Heyna didn’t think anything of it, but Beetah was worried.
“Look at the people. These aren’t sailors. And those boats are not normal transports for cargo and people.” There were all manner of craft heading north, from little steamers to sailboats and canoes. “They’re all overloaded.”
“You’re right,” Heyna said. “They look like they’re running from something.” Most were Erda, but there were a large number of Gryphon in the fancier boats.
“What’s going on?” Sronban asked.
“We don’t know,” said Beetah. “But I don’t like it.”
“Ahoy,” Heyna yelled to an Erda family in a rowboat. “What’s going on?”
“War! The dragons are threatening the city.”
“More raids?”
“Worse! Something about an Erda who stole something from Shiti… whatever their underwater city’s name is. We’re getting upriver. The city’s blockaded.”
“Blockaded?” Heyna’s went numb all over, and trembled uncontrollably. Beetah grabbed her or she would have fallen over. “What have I done? What have I done?”
She sat down hard on the deck and Beetah also sat, still holding her. All thought of settling somewhere safe went out of her mind. Xico! Would the sea snakes try and attack Paititi again? By the Trees! What was she to do now? She still had to get the Fennec home. She still had to get back to Xico. How? Run the blockade in this rust bucket?
“Blockade?” Heyna said. “Some Erda stole something? That’s me.”
“It’s not your fault,” Sronban said.
“Not my fault? How is this not my fault? By the Trees! I am so stupid. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! I didn’t even imagine what would happen after I got Xico and my brother. I figured they would chase us. But war? Stupid!” She slapped her forehead.
“Stop it!,” Tooly said grabbing her arm. “We all have a share of the blame. The Ryujin take the most blame for raiding Paititi in the first place. You just wanted your people back. You wanted restitution, not even revenge. We just needed the raw materials for our young to mature. Even Jakintu shares some blame for telling you to follow the turtles.”
“Tooly’s right,” Sronban said. “The real blame is on the Ryujin for attacking and killing.”
“Time to grow up,” Beetah said sharply, “and accept that the world is the world. We only survive and thrive by be being flexible and taking what comes. They attacked your family. You responded. Sounds like they are overreacting. But, you had every right to rescue our people. After that, it’s all on them. Whatever happens next…”
“We don’t give up,” Sronban said.
“We don’t give up,” Tooly repeated.
“We don’t give up, do we?” Beetah asked.
Heyna looked at them all. Warmth flooded into her breast. She found that she loved her companions as she had loved her brother. They really were her family now. It was only Xico that she loved more.
“No,” she said. “We don’t give up.” She stood up, gripped the rail and looked downriver. The wind dried her tears.
“Just have to figure how to deal with the blockade,” Beetah said.
“Well,” Tooly said. “That’s not going to be a problem. The Leviathan’s a Dreki ship, right?”
Heyna turned to the others and they all began to smile.
“The Leviathan’s a Dreki ship!” Heyna repeated.
“Anyone that tries to stop us gets glamoured, hard!” Sronban said. They all laughed.
*
There was smoke rising from the city. The great steel gates stood closed and ready to repel any hostile ships. Cannon roared an occasional warning shot out into the bay. Through a spyglass, Heyna could see a half dozen warships. They circled lazily out of range of the city’s big guns, but they looked ready for action.
On this side of the gates, the harbor was full of stranded ships. There was a long queue for turns at the docks for loading and unloading. Ships with perishable cargo would try to sell it at a discount in the city. Ships that were too heavily laden to try and run the blockade wanted to unload as well. Better to lose profit than to lose your ship. Some were anchored and battened down to wait.
There was an even longer queue to take on fuel. They had no choice. They needed fuel, so they waited their turn. Tooly and Sronban took up their Gryphon glamour. When they pulled up to the dock, Alvertos was waiting for them.
“Heyna,” he said. “It’s good to see you in one piece. Frankly, I’m surprised to see you at all. Quite a rumpus, don’t you think?” All around them people were hurrying. All around them people looked frightened. Alvertos was neither. “It happens,” he said with a shrug, “though not for a long time now.”
“What are you talking about?”
“This.” He gestured with his arms wide, taking in all the activity around them. “Our societies were frozen in ice, not moving forward. But the cracks were already forming. Pressure was already building. This was inevitable. Yours was just the light tap of an ice pick that broke it all apart.”
“You’re saying war was coming anyway? That it was not my fault?”
“No,” he said, “It is all your fault.” He looked at her with a stern look until Beetah pushed forward ready to argue. He stepped back, laughing. “Just kidding!” Alvertos held up his hands. “Yes, it was going to happen anyway. Not your fault. Hey! Nice… Er… ship. Bright colors!”
“Long story,” Heyna said.
“Well, I have news from Xico.”
“Is she okay? Did the sea snakes attack again? What’s going on?”
“Whoa!” Alvertos said. “Xico’s fine. She got to Paititi in time to raise the alarm. Janizaree are mobilized. Even the Quetz constabulary. The Ryujin are keeping their distance. No attacks yet. The Plesh’s are grateful and send their love. The truth is that Hazu is spread too thin. He’s sent ships in all directions looking for you. His forces are too weak in any one spot to do much damage. But the seas are dangerous.”
“Lucky we’ve got a Dreki ship.”
“About that,” Alvertos said. “Should I ask?”
“When this is all over, we’ll share some svella and a glass of smash,” Heyna said, “and I’ll tell you the whole story.”
“You’re still too young for alcohol,” Alvertos looked around the ship, at the Tooly and Sronban in their Gryph glamour, and the Dreki crew scurrying about and said, “Well maybe not too young anymore.”
“No,” Beetah said. “Not young anymore.” Beetah gave Heyna’s shoulder a squeeze.
“Here,” Alvertos said, and handed Heyna a satchel. “The Plesh’s wanted you to have this.” Heyna opened it and it was full of a king’s ransom of carved jewelwood and coins. “They thought it might come in handy.”
“Thanks,” Heyna said. “It will.”
“Where to now?”
“We’re going to try to run the blockade. Then… well…”
“Isle of the Fennec?” Alvertos offered.
Heyna flinched and Tooly and Sronban drew closer.
“Just a guess, but I guessed right, no?”
“Alvertos…”
“I put two and two together. No way you did all you did, rescued Xico, seriously pissed off Hazu, captured this ship, without help. The Fennec are real aren’t they? The legends are true, aren’t they? Are they here?”
“You are right. They exist. They are here.”
“I knew it! Can I see them?”
“Alvertos,” Heyna said, “it’s too dangerous for this information to get out.”
“I haven’t told anyone.”
“That’s good,” Tooly said, moving closer.
“I’m sorry, Alvertos,” Heyna said. Then she gestured to Tooly who made him forget. Alvertos staggered a moment and Beetah held his arm. He looked up and brightened when he saw Heyna.
“Heyna!” Alvertos said. “It’s good to see you in one piece. Frankly, I’m surprised to see you at all. Quite a rumpus, don’t you think? I have something for you…” He looked at the satchel of treasure that Heyna was holding, and scratched his head. “How? Well, never mind. I’ve got news about Xico… Did I tell you that already?”
“No worries, old friend,” Heyna said. They replayed the previous conversation without a mention of the Fennec. Alvertos bid them farewell and walked off toward the city. Heyna turned to her friends.
“I hate that we had to do that,” Heyna said.
“We had to do that,” Sronban said. “You know that.”
“Yes. But I still hate it.”
*
The Leviathan decked out in all her new colors, and gaily flying all her Dreki pennons, sailed through the gates and out into the harbor. Only Dreki crew were on deck. The warships did not move to intercept her but signaled, “pass.” The friends heaved a collective sigh of relief.
Tooly had the helm steer a course towards the Dragon Isles. Heyna thought that they shouldn’t steam directly for the Misty Isle. They would change their course once they were well past the blockade.
They were starting to breath easier when a shuuikan surfaced and hailed them. Tooly gave the order to man the deck gun and prepare to repel boarders. Heyna saw a flash of gold and crimson from the conn. She couldn’t hear what they were saying, but she recognized Ak’ne.
“That’s the Tachizame!” she shouted.
“All stop!” Tooly shouted to the helm.
“All stop, Ai!”
The steamer coasted forward towards the Tachizame, then maneuvered alongside. The Tachi’s captain came aboard the Leviathan.
“Nice paint job,” Ak’ne said.
“Good to see you, Ak’ne!” Heyna said.
“Seems we’ve kicked the beehive.”
“Yup.”
“Nothing for it, but to press on,” Sronban said.
“It’s been a rough ride, and bound to get rougher,” Ak’ne said.
“We had a little rest on the trip down from Beoford,” Beetah said.
“Well, we’re through the blockade,” Heyna said. “Figured we get beyond the range of the warships, then turn for the Misty Isle. If you can escort us there, and then on to Paititi, we’ll turn the Leviathan over to you, and a little extra.” Heyna held out the satchel that Alvertos had given her.”
“Too much!” Ak’ne said. “Take the ship, I will, and the coin. You keep the rest.”
“Thank you,” Heyna said.
“You sure you’re Ryujin?” Beetah asked.
“What d’ye mean by that?” Ak’ne bristled.
“Nothing,” Beetah said. “Sorry, bad joke. You’ve been honorable and kind. I meant no offense.”
“Then, none taken.” Ak’ne turned to Heyna, “We’ll shadow you the whole way. Signal, if you want a face to face. We can see your pennons. And if any ships get too close…”
“Don’t worry about that. Too close we can handle,” Tooly said.
“Stay aboard,” Heyna said. “Have dinner with us. We’ve got rotten fish.”
“I wouldn’t say no.”