“You can go if you’re with an adult. Sara will do. I’ll talk to her and give a few suggestions.” He climbed up the ladder and waited for Prin before replacing the hatch cover. They went to the next hold and repeated the process.
When done, she went to the rail where Sayed leaned and looked out to the land. “Where is your home?”
“Far from here.”
“What’s it like?”
“There is a great river that flows through a desert so dry there is no water for days in any direction. But along the river, it is green, and there are villages of farmers on both sides, as well as cities. Boats sail the river instead of using roads.”
“That sounds interesting. Will we be going there?”
“No, it is so far away, I’ll never see it again.”
She watched the mountains and found they were clearer than the last time she had looked. A few had snow on the peaks. The tall sides appeared rugged. She said, “It’s none of my business, but why did you leave home? I mean, were you escaping or did they send you away?”
“An old story. There was a girl. Her station in life was above mine. It was best to leave.”
“Do you regret it?”
“I think about her, sometimes, but do I regret leaving? No. Had I stayed, I would have worked with my four brothers on a farm too small to support half that many mouths. Or, I would have indentured myself to another farm with no sons, a farm I could never own. As the youngest, my options were few, but that is life, no matter where you live. At least, it was that way for me. My goal was to find work that interested me. I was lucky to find the sea.”
That was the most Sayed had ever spoken to her, and she suspected the most personal information about himself he’d shared with anyone on the ship. “Have you ever been to Donella?”
“Three times with this ship. It is a good place, if isolated. The mountains are impassable, they say, so there is no travel inland. They form a half circle, from the ocean to the ocean, so, the only access is from the sea. There cannot be an expansion of the city, so they make the best of what they have.”
“I heard the houses are made of mud.”
“Clay, plastered over shale. Most buildings are generations old. It does not rain much, but the roofs overhang and keep the walls dry, as well as providing shade. The people are friendly, if strange because they live differently, but that goes for all ports.”
“That people live differently?”
“Yes, and that they are friendly. In my land, we have a story that is true about people, all people. When you travel, you find the same sort of people as those you left behind. If they were kind where you used to live, that’s what you will find in a new place. If they were spiteful and hateful, again that is what you will find.”
“How can that be?” Prin asked.
Sayed looked off to the mountains and waited before answering. “I think it has to do with how you see others. How you treat them.”
“Jam said they are may not be nice in Donella, but he didn’t know for sure because he didn’t care.”
“That is about what I’d believe he would think. Either that or that they are terrible people who are lazy and do only a little work when the bos’n is around. And they blame their problems on others.”
She laughed.
He said, “You carry a knife for protection.”
“I do.” She didn’t mention the other, the one between her shoulder blades. There hadn’t been a time she needed it, and Sara had told her to keep it hidden.
“No matter what, there are good and bad people anywhere. Carry your knife ashore and hope you do not require it, but do not be fearful of using it. There are parts of any port where those who do not follow the law congregate. Stay away from there, and you should be fine. If you want an escort, I’m free.”
She thanked him, but she and Sara had private things to discuss. She’d ask Sara if they wanted to include him, but the offer to explore a new city unimpeded was too good to ignore. Sayed left her standing at the rail, and she watched the details of the land become more distinct. To her right, she saw where the mountain chain turned and went down to the sea. She imagined the same to the north, still out of sight. A small crescent of livable land in the hollow between the mountains and sea. She found she liked the idea. It seemed the mountains embraced and protected the city.
Jam eased up to her side as the sun went down and the last of the sky tinged pink, and then faded to dusk without speaking. Then he suddenly asked, “So, how much are they offering for your head?”
She turned to him. “More than you would think.”
“Who did you steal from?”
She glanced around. They were alone and out of sight of the rest of the crew in the dim light. He stood blocking her advancement, and the rail blocked her retreat. His smile grew nasty. He shoved his chest at hers, pushing her harder against the rail.
“I didn’t steal,” she said softly, leaning closer to him as her hand slipped between her legs and pulled the dagger without him seeing. “Some say I killed two boys about your age. Others say five. I don’t like boys with smart mouths who push me around, you see.”
He backed a step.
She cleaned her fingernails with the point of the knife, being careful to never point it, or threaten him in any way. He back another step, his eyes on the dull blade. She said, “You see, I’m the kind of person who only hurts those who hurt me, and those who try to.
“What do you do?” He took another step away until he stood near the base of the mast.
She glanced up. “See that little white spot in the mast?”
He turned to look, as the knife from her other scabbard filled her hand. She threw. It buried itself in the center of the white mark. He never saw where it came from, but it struck and quivered close enough for him to reach out and touch. She placed the rapier back under her skirt.
She said, “Would you mind bringing that thing back to me? Please?”
He spun and disappeared without returning the knife.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Sara appeared out of the darkness and joined Prin at the rail, the throwing knife in her hand. “You shouldn’t have done that.”
“I know.”
“His father is upset.”
“At me? I didn’t do anything but protect myself,” Prin protested.
“No, at Jam. He thinks the boy was down here causing you problems and now he’s up there telling all sorts of strange stories about rewards offered for you and knives almost taking his ear. Of course, his father already knew about the rewards from El.”
“That boy is going to be trouble for us,” Prin said.
Sara sighed, “I know. If he becomes too much, you and I can stay in port and catch another ship.”
“Maybe one larger than this, and we can sail as passengers instead of as part of the crew?”
“That would be boring. For now, be thankful for what we have. Tomorrow, we’ll find ourselves in a strange new land where we know nothing. I’ve heard the people have different customs and live in strange houses,” Sara said, her excitement evident.
“Sayed was telling me some of it. He sounded positive.”
“The captain told me. If only half of what he shared is true, we will enjoy ourselves.” Sara watched the darkness of the land, the white water near the bow, and then she turned and looked up to the wheelhouse where Sammy was probably standing watch. “Time for us to go hang our hammocks.”
The crew’s quarters were generally kept dim, the only light filtering down the hatch from the mess hall, which always seemed to have a lamp turned soft. As Prin scuttled down the narrow stairs and readied herself to climb into her hammock, she paused. There were eyes on her. She spun and found Jam pretending to sleep.