All afternoon, Illan has been contemplating the words Kendrick said to him. Not just the words but the tone of voice. That, along with the fact he sent most of his crew away on shore leave, seems to indicate he wants them to get James off his ship.
He mentions his observations to Jiron and he readily agrees. “He doesn’t want the Empire against him, he lives there. But at the same time he wishes to please his daughter so is creating a situation for us to get him off without seeming to. He won’t be considered at fault and James will be free.”
“That’s how I see it too,” he adds.
They have Fifer take Dave into town to keep him out of the way while they wait nearby on the docks for everything to become quiet. The two sailors who survived the destruction of the Ambassador’s ship have gone into town with Kendrick’s crew and aren’t expected back until late or maybe not until the following morning.
Illan, Miko, Jiron and Qyrll wait in the deepening shadows of the dock as the crew from a neighboring ship disembarks. Once they’ve passed from the dock area, it grows quiet.
“Now?” Miko asks.
Illan nods his head and they make their way through the dark and to the gangplank leading up to the ship’s deck. The two guards posted outside James’ door sees them come aboard, one of them breaks into a grin. “Can we help you?” he asks.
“You know why we’re here,” Jiron states as he draws one of his knives.
The two guards step aside. As Illan moves to open the door, the other guard says, “You better rough us up. Gotta make this look convincing.”
Jiron nods understanding before lashing out, catching one in the stomach. As the man doubles over, he cracks him in the head with the butt of his knife, dropping him to the floor.
Miko turns to the other guard who says, “You better cut me.” Pulling out his knife, the other guard exposes his side for Miko as he strikes out. A red line forms in the sailor’s side from where Miko’s knife opens a four inch long wound. Then Jiron strikes him in the back of the head and he falls to the deck.
By this time Illan has the door open and James walks out. Upon seeing the guards lying on the deck, his expression darkens.
“We had to,” Jiron assures him. “We didn’t want anyone to believe Meliana’s father allowed you to be taken off his ship. This way, it looks like we came and rescued you.”
“He still may get into trouble,” Illan tells him, “but hopefully not nearly as bad.”
James looks down at the guard who isn’t unconscious and sees him nod agreement to what Jiron had just said.
“Alright,” he says. “Let’s get out of here.”
They move off the ship and cross through the docks. “Just where are we?” he asks.
“A port city called Westerlyn,” Illan explains. “It’s somewhere south of the city of Cardri, but still north of the Empire.”
As they make their way along the avenue through the warehouses bordering the docks, a shadow disengages itself from the darkness. James comes to a stop before he realizes it’s Mr. Bessin.
“Hope you didn’t kill the men standing guard,” he says.
Shaking his head, James replies, “Only roughed them up a little. Had to make it look convincing.”
“Indeed,” he says. He pulls a small sack out of his shirt and hands it to James.
“What’s this?” he asks as he takes the money.
“Something from a friend to help on your journey,” he explains. “Also, this friend said for you to find the horse trader, Ellias. That you should tell him ‘your ship left without you’.”
“Tell this friend we appreciate all he’s done for us,” says James.
Nodding, Mr. Bessin abruptly moves into the avenue and walks back to the ship.
James lightly shakes the sack and hears the coins within clinking together. “That was nice,” he says to Illan.
“Probably doesn’t want us captured anywhere near where he is,” Jiron says.
“Probably,” he agrees.
To Jiron, Illan says, “Go find Fifer and Dave and meet us at this horse trader Ellias’ place.”
“Will do,” he says. Moving away down the street, he is soon out of sight in the darkness.
They move further into town and after asking directions, find themselves at the eastern edge of town. Ellias’ place is one of the largest horse trading establishments James has yet encountered. Dozens of horses stand in the open corral outside the office building. A light shines from within and they enter through the front door.
A short man is there and looks up from where he’s jotting down notations on a piece of parchment. “Yes?” he asks.
James steps forward and says, “Our ship left without us.”
“Did it indeed?” he says. Resting his quill in the inkwell, he gets up and gestures for them to follow him through the back door.
Seven horses are saddled and ready for them. “Which one of you is James?” Ellias asks.
“I am,” James replies.
He pulls out a rolled letter and hands it to him.
Taking the letter, he says, “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome,” Ellias tells him. “These are yours and already paid for.” Turning around, he leaves them there and returns to within the office.
Having a wait before Jiron returns with the others, he unrolls the letter and moves over to take advantage of light coming through one of the office’s windows to read it.
James,
At first I was so mad at my father that he would hand you over. It wasn’t until we left the ship that he explained to me what was going to happen. I so much wanted to be with you, but understand why that cannot be right now.
I will return home with my father and hope one day to see you again. We will have other voyages to Cardri in the spring, this is to be the last one before the winter storms set in.
I wish you safe journeys and will always hold the memory of you precious. Thank you again for the figurine, it is special to me.
I love you,
Meliana
“I love you too,” he whispers to himself after reading the last word. He didn’t actually think he felt that way until he read this letter.
“Good news?” Miko asks him when he sees he’s finished.
Nodding, James rolls the letter back up and puts it inside his shirt for safe keeping.
Just then, they hear voices coming from the office and soon the back door opens as Jiron and the others join them.
“We got horses,” Miko tells Jiron.
“I see that,” he says.
Mounting, Illan says, “We better get out of here. When it’s discovered we’re gone, a search may develop.”
“I doubt it,” argues James as he gets in the saddle. “By the time the authorities here could be contacted and convinced a search should be implemented, we’ll be gone. They’ll know that. Plus I doubt if any of Kendrick’s crew is likely to go against him. He may not have publicly stated that he supported my release, but I’m sure they know. Woe to any of them who speaks out against me to his daughter.”
At that several of them laugh. Dave gives him a grin.
“What about you my Parvati friend?” Jiron asks Qyrll. “Are you going to return home?”
Shaking his head, he says, “I must stay with you until my debt is repaid.”
Moving away from the horse trader’s establishment, they head through town and take the road to the northwest along the coast.
“Where are we going?” Fifer asks from the rear.
“Home,” James said. “I presented myself as requested and the court did what it had to do. Now I just want to go home.”
Illan reaches into his tunic and pulls out the sealed letter Ellinwyrd had given him when he went to see him about helping James. Handing it over to James, he says, “In all the excitement, I forgot about this.”
Taking it, James sees the wax seal bearing Ellinwyrd’s symbol. “Where did you get this?”
Illan proceeds to relate to him the events leading up to his meeting with the Archive Custodian. “He said it had something to do with your last meeting,” he explains.