“Vand requires a lot of ship captains to man his fleet,” explained the mate. “He rotates captains on these voyages to train them. What better use of a spy then to watch a man that will be carrying a thousand of his warriors into battle? You are being watched and evaluated on this voyage, Captain. Make sure you put your best face forward.”
A crewman approached the helm and stood before the captain.
“Small boat away, Sir,” the crewman reported. “We can hear the surf from the starboard rail. I suspect the small boat will return fairly quickly.”
“Let me know as soon as we have it aboard,” ordered the captain.
“Aye, Sir,” nodded the crewman as he departed.
“Thank you, Mate,” the captain said softly. “I could not have imagined spies among my own crew.”
“My pleasure, Sir,” smiled the mate. “As captains go, you’ve been a good one. I wouldn’t want to lose you.”
“I was just trying to do my best,” shrugged the captain. “I just hope they get to the beach safely.”
“They should be there now,” replied the mate.
* * *
The small boat slid up on the beach, and the two men immediately jumped out and pushed it back into the surf. As the crewmen rowed the small boat back to its mother ship, Clarvoy led the mage away from the waterline.
“Which way?” asked the mage as he looked up and down the beach for any signs of life.
“North,” answered Clarvoy. “There is a small fishing village not far up the beach. That is the origin of the wood smoke we have been smelling. Do you know how to sail, Pango?”
“Somewhat,” answered the mage. “I sailed a bit in my younger days, but not extensively.”
“That will do,” replied Clarvoy. “Be very quiet as we approach the village. If we are discovered, use a memory spell on the villagers. Do not kill them. It is important that our passing not be detected.”
“I understand,” nodded Pango.
The two dark-clothed men walked quietly along the beach until they came to the edge of the fishing village. A row of tiny one-room shacks sat back from the water. On the beach in front of each shack sat a small fishing boat. Clarvoy stared at the boats in the darkness for a moment, waiting to see if anything moved on the beach. When he was satisfied that the fishermen were all inside their shacks, he led the mage to one of the older boats. He touched Pango on the arm and pointed to the chosen boat. Pango picked up the bow of the small boat and slid it into the surf. When he turned to help Clarvoy into the boat, he found the spymaster missing.
A shiver of fear raced up Pango’s spine as his eyes scanned the dark beach looking for his master. He sighed with relief when he saw Clarvoy emerge from alongside the shack. They quickly got into the boat and started paddling out to sea. Even before they emerged from the surf, Pango had the small sail hoisted to catch the breeze. Within moments the land was no longer visible.
“I was worried about you back there,” Pango admitted.
“The fisherman must have sensed something,” explained Clarvoy. “Fortunately, I sensed the fisherman. He will not remember anything in the morning.”
“Won’t he report his boat stolen?” asked the mage.
“Report it to who?” asked Clarvoy. “There is no law in villages like that one.”
“I hadn’t thought about that,” conceded the mage.
“There is much about the Sakova that will appear foreign to you,” nodded the spymaster. “Even the lessons that you have already had on Motanga will not adequately prepare you for this task. Fortunately, we have many hours alone on this boat before we part company. Let me spend that time by telling you all about your target host. By the time we dock in Alamar tomorrow with the rest of the fishermen coming in from the sea, you will know much about the Sakovans and how they act.”
“What can you tell me of the host?” Pango asked nervously.
Clarvoy smiled knowingly and shook his head. “Put such fears behind you, Pango,” he advised. “You will appreciate your new body. The Sakovans are a very fit and hardy people. You will luxuriate in the youth and vitality of your host.”
* * *
HawkShadow appeared at ease as he walked along the streets of Alamar, but the Sakovan assassin was never at ease. His head moved slightly as he walked. Although the movement appeared casual, it allowed HawkShadow to constantly gaze around himself, categorizing people, analyzing potential threats, and looking for that one person who stood out from the rest because of some anomaly. He discovered nothing disturbing on his walk to the Alamar School of Magic.
HawkShadow veered into the empty lot beside the school and placed his back to a tree as he observed the people there. StormSong was sparing with SkyDancer and had drawn quite an audience, not only of fellow Sakovans brought to Alamar to prepare the city for defense against the invasion, but also of regular citizens of the former Omungan city. The crowd cheered and groaned with each bold move or hazardous slip of the battling women. HawkShadow smiled broadly as he remembered such bouts in StarCity.
StormSong was a powerful and brutally aggressive warrior, while SkyDancer relied on speed and surprise to keep her opponent off stride. Judging from the amount of perspiration flowing over each of the women, HawkShadow knew that the bout had been going on for some time before he arrived.
The assassin’s eyes roved over the assembled crowd, noting the many familiar faces of Sakovans. Scores of his friends where assembled in this once-foreign city. He shook his head imperceptibly as he thought about what had brought them all here.
“It is good to see the young warriors unwind a bit,” came a friendly voice from behind HawkShadow.
HawkShadow smiled as he recognized the voice and footstep of Lyra’s uncle. He did not bother to turn and greet the old mage.
“They have a very physical way of unwinding,” chuckled HawkShadow. “Sweat is a great cleaner of the mind. Any word from the Star yet?”
“Just a few minutes ago,” Temiker replied as he moved alongside the Sakovan assassin. “LifeTender took the message. She says that we are to continue our preparations here at Alamar. The generals have accepted the fact that this city will be the prime target.”
“And Zaramilden?” asked HawkShadow.
“It is to be evacuated as we suspected,” answered the mage. “The Sakovans from StarCity are to complete the work here in Alamar quickly. Lyra has decided to hide the bulk of the armies in the heartland. That will require constant shipments of food and supplies from StarCity.”
“And a resumption of the patrols on the fringes of the Sakova,” nodded HawkShadow. “I am pleased. I am not a city boy, and I yearn to return to my homeland.”
“I can understand your feelings,” smiled Temiker as he gazed around at the crowd. “Still, you and your people will be greatly missed here. I never thought that I would live long enough to see Omungans and Sakovans enjoying each other’s company as I see today. It is a heart-warming thing to witness.”
“We will be back,” promised HawkShadow. “Besides, we still have a few days of work before we can leave, and not all of us will be leaving. LifeTender and some of the mages will stay to help out with your magic tutoring. I suspect that SkyDancer and I will be among the first to move out. We will have to choose encampments for the armies that will be arriving in the heartland.”
“Yes,” nodded Temiker. “I could not manage without the mages. We have a great bunch of students, but there is little time to get them ready.”
“What about the Khadoran mages?” asked HawkShadow. “Can’t they help you?”
“They already are,” answered Temiker. “We have sent over a thousand students north to be trained, but Khadora is going through the same problems that we are. It takes time to determine a student’s abilities. One cannot teach magic overnight any more than one can instantly become a great warrior.”
“We will all do the best we can,” shrugged HawkShadow.
* * *
The fishermen sailed into the port of Alamar in a mass of sails and hulls as they always did at the end of the day. The small ships darted every which way through the harbor as some headed for private docks while others tied up to the public wharves. Others, having no permanent dockage, merely ran their ships up on the beach. Hundreds of fishermen secured their boats and gathered their catch. The two Motangan men in the stolen boat blended in easily as people scurried about to finish their chores before the sun set.