They walked with me after our dinners, which had become my favorite part of the day. The sun sat low, the shadows long, and the air turned cooler. We were sailing to the Brown Lands, no matter the name of the kingdoms. There were fewer mountains, larger deserts, and the heat of the day had us hiding in our cabins, the chill of the night huddled under covers.
My dark little hole was located below the waterline of the ship and remained cool through the afternoon heat. However, in the late afternoon or early evening, the dry air and breeze attracted all the passengers to the open decks. We gathered on the main deck, most of us hugging a rail and looking out at the endless sea. Now and then a bird flew past. Or a larger fish leaped and drew our attention. That was the extent of the excitement while sailing.
Kendra said, “I could get used to this—if the food was edible, a band played my favorite music, a few friends accompanied me, and I owned a trunk of books. No, a few dozen close friends would have to be here to help, too. Not just a few.”
She had a point. I hadn’t slept so well in years, nor so much. The constant motion of the ship, the calls of the sailors, and the fluffing sounds of the sails kept me in a state of perpetually wanting to nap. I was not sleepy, but my mind told me I should take the opportunity.
I said to her, “You’d soon get bored.”
“Not if the few dozen friends I spoke of were handsome, young, and male. Of course, all you’d need is one little girl with wild red hair that refuses to be tamed or combed to fill your days.” She made a face where she wrinkled her nose at me, and the girls laughed as if they knew what was going on.
Perhaps they did. “We are due to dock early in the morning.”
She looked at me with a tired expression this time. “And you believe that we need to be told that, so we can all go ashore and have a splendid time in Trager. Trust me, we will be ready long before you.”
I returned her steady gaze. “Then, it is settled. We are all leaving the ship?”
“Why would there be any question about that? The girls cannot stay here alone. We have shopping to do, food to buy, and hats. We need hats to keep the hot sun off our faces.” Kendra said in an almost desperate tone, her words coming in a torrent.
“We will have most of a day, almost until dark to shop. From conversations with other passengers, the city does not sound inviting. It’s constructed of wood. Old wood that is dry and easily burned. Parts of the city have caught fire in recent years and have not been rebuilt.”
“We will avoid those areas.”
“The political climate is one of strife and conflict. An internal war, from what they say.” It wasn’t as if I wanted her to stay aboard, but the excitement of shopping had to be quelled. We were not going to Trager for pleasure. The danger was real and pervasive.
“Carry your sword,” she advised me.
She would carry her new blades hidden in her sleeves. Although she hadn’t had much time to practice throwing them, they were a surprise to attackers and might provide a few extra seconds of time. If they struck their targets as planned, they might reduce any odds by two.
The idea of planning a trip ashore in a military fashion would sound outlandish if discussed out loud in my home kingdom of Dire. In Trager, it seemed prudent. “I’ve spent several mornings and afternoons in the salon listening to conversations and even joining in a few. I played blocks at the gambling table a few times as an excuse to talk.”
“Win?” she asked, more out of curiosity than for any coins that may have changed hands.
“No. Winners are freer with their conversation, so I intentionally lost.”
“Of course. Did you use magic to manipulate the game?”
Again, I nodded.
“Good. Now, why did you continue playing? Boredom or because you learned something interesting?”
My response was slow. “Boredom, for sure. But Trager is whispered about, never spoken aloud without a glance around to see who might be listening. There are hints the fires were not natural occurrences.”
Her eyes narrowed as she considered what I’d not said. “Mages?”
“Yes. Again, mages.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
T he conversation with Kendra lagged as she let the hints and suppositions swirl around in her mind. Her expression turned flat, her eyes squinted a little as if she could see something far off. She was always better than me at coming to accurate deductions when provided only a small amount of factual information. While I waited for her conclusions, my eyes drifted over her as if for the first time, trying to see her as others did. She was taller than most women from Dire, thinner, too. Almost delicate. Her skin darkened with even limited exposure to the sun until her arms and face were the shade of brown tea. Her thick hair resisted the wind blowing off the sea.
It was not as if I’d never looked at her before but standing alongside Emma and Anna enhanced her features. The girls were simply smaller copies.
She said, “Where would mages in other lands draw their power from? Not from Mercia, for sure. It has to be too far away. They must have a closer source of essence. We still do not know precisely what essence is, you know. We only know mages can make use of it.”
She had hit on one of the two topics that concerned me, although I didn’t consider myself a mage. Others might dispute that and decide I was a weak one, but still a mage.
Kendra continued, “The common thread in each city and kingdom seems to be the rightful rulers are being supplanted by mages and their appointees. We know of at least three and suspect another.”
“But where are they getting essence to use their magic? I thought you freed the last dragon.”
“There are also the issues of the Wyverns and Waystones.” She glanced around to ensure we were alone before continuing. A ship has a lot of ears in a small space. “There is more to them than we know, and of magic in general. You aren’t the only one to listen to others talking on this ship. A belligerent woman from Trager mentioned the old ways as for how to travel quickly from place to place. As we discussed, the two names, Waystones, and ways sound too similar to be an accident. Her statement almost confirms what we suspect.”
I said, “The two Waystones we’ve seen have been old. Ancient. The carvings were weathered and worn like they were hundreds of years old.”
“Is it possible there was another civilization or manner of life long ago that made them? One more advanced in the use of magic?” she asked.
“One more advanced than us? One that maybe lived in conjunction with dragons and other mythical creatures? I guess so, but if that is true, are the Waystones all that is left of them?”
Kendra’s slight smile widened. It was a new idea to her, one she liked. Emma tugged at my shirt and pointed. In the distance to the west, the vague outline of the shore merged with the water at the horizon. Clouds banked against it, while the sky over the sea remained blue. It was the first land we’d seen in five or six days but felt like twenty.
“Thank you, Emma,” I said.
“You’re welcome,” she replied as clearly as if Common was the only language she knew.
We agreed to meet for the morning meal and discuss our questions again after sleeping on them. Kendra would keep the girls in the new cabin, while I spent the afternoon and evening in the salon at the gaming tables again where I might pick up more useful information. The night before arriving in port could have passengers gossiping about Trager, and I wanted to hear all they said.