For the third time that morning, Chap choked back a snarl, though a growl still followed, somewhat muffled by the straps on his muzzle. The sailor instantly lost his smile, but Chap’s annoyance at a flirting deckhand was outweighed by panic.
They had been spotted yesterday and followed at least as far as this vessel. Brot’an had either not noticed or—as with many things—never mentioned this.
Chap turned his head enough to look up at Wayfarer’s green eyes, now fully widened, as she likely came to a similar realization.
—Do not react— ... —Ask for the captain—
It took Wayfarer two breaths and then, “May we speak to Captain Amjad?”
“Of course,” the sailor answered, and, with one wary glance at Chap, he headed toward the prow.
Chap followed, tugging Wayfarer along toward a stout man giving orders, and Chap’s mouth filled with the same sourness from the day before. The few Sumans he’d encountered in his travels had been careful about cleanliness, along with exhibiting near-meticulous manners.
Captain Amjad proved a severe contrast.
With a protruding belly that nearly split the ties of his shirt, and a noxious odor and greasy hair, likely he had neither changed nor laundered his breeches and shirt in several years. It appeared that he did not bother to shave, though he could not grow a proper beard. His round face sported sparse patches of dark, straggly strands.
Amjad’s surprise at Wayfarer’s return quickly shifted to greed in his hard eyes.
“You have it?” he asked rudely.
“Yes,” Wayfarer answered, pulling Leesil’s pouch from under her cloak. “You will set sail tomorrow?”
“Midday,” Amjad said, and, when he opened the pouch and peered inside, he only grunted in satisfaction. “Be on board, or we leave without you. Only two cabins between you, and our cook serves two meals a day, morning and night. You eat whatever he makes.”
Wayfarer back-stepped and put her hand over her mouth and nose. “That ... that will be fine.”
—We go—
Chap turned away, and she followed, still gripping the rope. With their transaction completed, he wanted to return to the inn. If they had been spotted and followed the day before, it was possible they had been followed farther than the waterfront. And because of this, once they were off the ramp and onto the pier, he changed their tactics.
—No more ... playing ... an old woman— ... —Pick up the cane ... and ... follow me ... quickly ... without running—
She obeyed without question, though she was obviously confused and frightened.
“We should go to the greimasg’äh. I promised.”
—No— ... —To the inn—
“But,” she whispered, still walking, “if anmaglâhk are watching, we will lead them to Léshil and Magiere.”
She was learning and had reasoned the outcome, though this was not what Chap had in mind. He slowed a little to look at her more easily in using memory-words.
—When Brot’an sees ... us ... he will know ... something is wrong ... and follow closely— ... —If we are ... followed ... he will see.... He will ... keep them from ... reaching the inn—
Relying on the old, skulking assassin left Chap even more spiteful. Here and now protecting Wayfarer, and Leesil and Magiere’s location, was all that mattered ... and Brot’an would deal with any pursuit.
Dänvârfij lay flat on a warehouse roof two buildings south of the fourth pier. Though she had been successful in her secret task the night before, today she faced a new challenge.
Barely past dawn, she had gone to the captain of the Falcon and arranged passage for her team to il’Dha’ab Najuum. She still assumed this was necessary. To her relief, he had agreed, and even appeared glad for extra money in keeping his few passengers. Then he had told her the ship was setting sail today ... this afternoon.
Dänvârfij was caught in a dilemma, uncertain whether she could convince Fréthfâre to abandon this port so soon. If they missed sailing on the Falcon, there was no certainty of when they could find another ship headed south. She might be forced to disregard Most Aged Father’s instructions and attempt to capture Magiere or Léshil in Soráno to keep them from escaping yet again.
She did not like being pushed into a decision one way or the other, and then her tension was interrupted.
Up the fourth pier, the short, limping female and her large black dog made their way toward the Suman vessel. Dänvârfij’s thoughts cleared and were replaced with a new opportunity as she focused on the tainted quarter-blood girl ... and the deviant majay-hì.
She waited, though not long. The duo boarded the Suman vessel, but their stay was brief. Within moments they came back down the ramp onto the pier. At first the girl was bent and shuffling in her attempt to feign age, but then she stood straight and picked up the stick. As the dog trotted back up the pier, the girl had to rush to keep up. They were no longer trying to hide themselves in their hurry.
Something had happened.
Still flat on the roof, Dänvârfij scanned every rooftop in sight and the whole waterfront as well. Rhysís was posted somewhere on the waterfront’s north end, but she chose not to whistle a signal to him.
Why was this pair now in such a hurry?
Her thoughts turned to the best strategy as the girl and the majay-hì reached the base of the pier and stepped among the people hurrying along the waterfront. If she could capture the girl, then she and her team could lure the others out of hiding with proper bait for a trap.
Perhaps they would not have to sail farther south after all. Most Aged Father had been clear in his instructions, but he would not wish them to waste a perfect opportunity.
Dänvârfij retreated from the roof’s edge before she rose into a crouch. Before she had a chance to whistle, Rhysís landed lightly on the roof’s south end and hurried to her.
“I saw them,” he whispered.
“The traitor may be watching,” she whispered back. “We must act quickly and precisely. You will take the girl while I distract the majay-hì, and then we vanish.”
Wayfarer would never argue with a sacred being like Chap, but she had made a promise to Brot’ân’duivé ... and now she had broken it. The manners and customs of her people had long protected them and kept them safe; to break an oath to an elder weighed upon her.
Chap suddenly stopped ahead of her, and she froze as he looked up the busy main street through Soráno. She tried to follow his gaze but saw nothing that should have stalled him. Their inn was two blocks ahead on the right. They had taken the same route on both trips to the port.
Chap’s head swung sharply to the right, and then he looked up at her.
—Off this ... main street to ... a less traveled path ... should Brot’an ... need ... to intervene— ... —Quickly—
Wayfarer hesitated. Chap might be most concerned about protecting her, but she feared this change might place Léshil and Magiere in danger. She guessed he had discounted that she and he were leading the anmaglâhk. He placed too much faith in Brot’ân’duivé’s ability to both spot and stop any pursuit.
“You should not be more worried about me than about Léshil and Magiere,” she said.
When he glanced up, she could see his surprise.
—I am not— ... —We do not know ... if we are followed— ... —If so, then Brot’an is near— ... —In our last outing ... anmaglâhk may have followed ... may know where we stay— ... —We are in the dark— ... —We must warn Magiere and Leesil ... before we are caught— ... —Anmaglâhk may know ... the ship we take—