“I’m not a baby. I don’t need a nap.”
This trip is going to be a lot harder than I anticipated. “Okay, no naps.”
A day later he went on deck with the excited boy to watch the island port as their ship approached the docks. Tad commented on the number of ships, the number of people, and how large the town was. Tad had never been off Bitters, and the sight of eight ships and a village/town of perhaps two thousand people amazed him with the size.
Before the ship tied up at the pier, Gareth escorted Tad around the entire ship, making sure he passed each of the eleven men of the crew he’d counted. Eleven times he reached out and placed memories of other faces into their minds. Each of them would vaguely remember passengers on the trip, but some would recall two women, other a short woman, and a man. Each would vary their description, but none would recall much detail.
Once off the ship and settled into a snug inn called the Leaping Goat, Gareth took Tad for a walk. This was an excuse to see the town and find a ship to Freeport instead of Princeton, the larger port city where most of the ships would sail to. Freeport was more southerly and smaller. He’d never been there so his appearance should be less known, except for the tales told by the Brotherhood. While walking, he’d do a little eavesdropping to local chatter in the streets as well as in the common room at the inn.
They moved through the streets paved with stones while examining everything displayed in the shop windows, shirts, candles, knives, and pastries. Tad wanted two of everything, no matter if it was cookies, shirts, or glass mugs. Gareth’s father had accumulated enormous wealth over his six lifetimes. He had shared part of it with Gareth so that all in his family could live well for generations. However, any display of wealth invited danger of attempted theft and wagging tongues. Gareth would be frugal, as always.
Tad carried a fried meat pie in one hand and a stick of honey-candy in the other. The street they followed terminated in a thatched roof with public seating under the welcome shade. The view was of the port, and in the distance, another ship’s sails came into sight. Instead of the smaller two mast cargo ships busy loading and unloading in the port, the new arrival was taller, sleeker, and the three tall masts held three tiers of sails.
Gareth turned to four sailors enjoying free their time by sipping ale in the shade as they played a gambling dice game. “Excuse me, do any of you know that ship?”
One of the four said, “Tis the City of Adelaide, good sir.”
Another confirmed his opinion. “Right on time.”
“Where does it travel after it leaves here?”
The first to talk answered, “The port of Reteam, on the south coast, then to Freeport along the coast. She makes a three port voyage.”
Gareth appreciated the information as well as the friendly manner of the four men. Perhaps later they would share more with him. He slipped a full copper from his pouch and lifted his chin in the direction of the girl hustling between the tavern and the public area. As she approached, he handed her the copper and said for only her ear, “Please, a round for my friends.”
“You don’t have to do that,” one of the sailors with above normal hearing protested, but not sounding sincere.
Gareth shrugged, telling the girl to do as he asked, and watched the ship pull into port, lowering a longboat attached to a line to help guide the ship the last part of the trip. Other men lined the pier, catching ropes thrown to them, and more waiting to unload cargo.
He turned to the four sailors again. “Is it a good ship?”
“That she is.”
“The master, is he fair?”
One of the sailors nodded as he said, “You ask the right questions, my friend. If yer sailing for the mainland, you can’t do better than the City of Adelaide.”
Tad tugged his sleeve. “Can we go now?”
Gareth shook his head and looked around for anything that might entertain the boy. Down the hillside were two boys playing that were near his age. They were closer to the water and throwing rocks at anything that moved and much that didn’t. They had been trying to throw stones further into the water than the others. Gareth could keep a watch on Tad as well as the ship at the same time. He pointed to the boys and told Tad to go introduce himself.
The boy held none of the reluctance to meet strangers that he’d probably have in a few years as he grew older and began doubting himself. He raced to join them and soon all were trying to out-throw the others, laughing and cheering for the best. Gareth watched them and the ship as he ate part of the fried meat pie that Tad left. He ordered an ale for himself and settled back to observe it all. Twice he touched minds briefly with Blackie, and once he attempted to locate the mind of his father.
He already missed Sara and his family and thought of sailing back with the next ship. After thirty years he felt odd being in public with so many strangers around that he didn’t know. Men and women strolled past selling pineapples, bananas, and slices of lamb skewered on sticks. Others sold small loaves of fresh baked bread, and one sold flowers of so many colors Sara would be envious. A soft afternoon breeze soothed him as he sat in the shade.
As his attention returned to the ship that had just tied up in front of him, two figures walked single file down the gangplank. Both wore heavy, long green robes that fell to their feet with hoods pulled so far over their heads that the shade protected not only their shaved heads and eyebrows, but their pale faces as well.
The Brotherhood. The words leaped into his mind even before he watched them pair up side by side and begin their odd walk that held little sway as they slithered along. The robes touched the sandals all of them wore. He hadn’t seen one of them in thirty years, and the sight brought back floods of memories, some good, most disagreeable.
“Ye’r looking a little green around the gills,” one of the friendly sailors at the next table said.
Gareth started at the voice next to him. He swallowed hard. “Those two men in green. Ever see any of them?”
All four turned to look. Three shook their heads. However, one said, “I seen the likes of them before. Just like them two. They watch what’s going on and hardly ever talk.”
“They dangerous?” Another sailor asked Gareth.
“Not exactly. Well, maybe, in certain circumstances. It’s best to stay well away from them and don’t answer any questions.”
The four nodded in agreement. The one who had seen the Brotherhood before said, “He’s right. They’re bad news. Always show up when there’s trouble.”
Another said, “We got a woman getting off that ship, too.”
Gareth didn’t bother looking at her as he watched the two Brothers walk up the hillside to the edge of town and enter an inn—not the same one he was staying at.
The tall woman wearing the heavy clothing suitable for a colder climate pulled a bonnet onto her head as she slowly looked around and took account. She followed the brothers up the hill, but at the last minute turned and walked down the street in the direction of the center of town instead of the inn.
Gareth had already sent for a ship large enough to carry his family and their possessions to Vespa and was going to stay and make sure the ship met his demands, but the sight of the Brotherhood in the islands for the first time changed his mind. The ship he’d ordered had a fine reputation, was large enough, and the captain would take on any provisions required. Gareth was simply a mother hen when it came to his family.
CHAPTER SIX
Tad was not eager to go aboard another boring ship and tried to argue with Gareth as he took them to the ship in the early evening, just after dark. He put up almost as much fight as he had about taking a nap earlier. After departing a port, one day at sea on a ship was much like any other for a small boy. No places to play and the same routine.