The following story is a tangent to part of Keys of Aviandria. While it may be a bit more interesting to those who have read the book, it can stand on its own and still be quite enjoyable. There should not be any major spoilers.
The flickering of the tallow candle made an orange band that danced across the surface of the green glass bottle. Despite one of these smokey candles on every table, the pub was dim and riddled with shadows. It was unnaturally quiet for a place so crowded. Most of the patrons sat quietly by themselves, too absorbed by drink or the problems that had driven them there to converse with their fellows. Only in the corners where the shadows were deepest were there murmurs of whispered conversation.
Captain Downell sat in one of those corners, hiding behind the bottle with the flickering band of light, the amber liquid inside still untouched. His contact should have been here by now. Captain Downell tapped a meaningless rhythm on the scarred, wooden tabletop with the fleshy part of his finger to keep it from disturbing the others around him. A few more minutes. And if the man wasn’t there by then, somebody was going to be answering a lot of questions. Captain Downell looked up and scowled as the front door swung open, letting a burst of sunlight in through the gloom. It seemed sudden, almost surprising in the building designed to make it easy to forget the passage of time. Captain Downell leaned forward in his chair, trying to make out any features on the silhouette. The door closed just as quickly as it had been opened, returning the room to its dusky atmosphere, and Captain Downell saw the green feather in the man’s cap. This was his contact alright. The captain sat back to wait. It would never do to look too anxious.
The man’s eyes scanned the room before finally settling on Captain Downell in the corner. Captain Downell resumed his unconcerned drumming. “Took yeh long enough,” he said as the newcomer finally took his place opposite at the small table.
“Relax Captain.” The other man popped the stopper from the bottle on the table and poured a generous splash into the small glass waiting there. “It’s not like the trade will take all day. Soon enough you’ll be back aboard you precious ship… what was it again? Ah, yes. The Phantom Jay.” The man lifted his glass and drained it in one gulp. “There are some who think you’re a bit insane for that, you know. Personally, I don’t care what you make of a ship, but it can’t be good for business to have a masculine ship.”
“It’s nobody’s business whether my ship is male, female, or part dolphin,” Captain Downell growled, narrowing his eyes at the other man. It was the response he gave to anyone giving him difficulty about his ship. Many people found it strange to consider a masculine ship, but Captain Downell found it absurd that all ships had to be feminine. He’d heard captains say it was because they were so close to their ships it was like they were married. The ships were the lady in their lives. Ironically enough, Captain Downell strongly suspected many of those captains found a new woman to add to their lives in every port they visited. Captain Downell had only had one woman in his life, and that’s all he would ever have, even if it meant his ship was masculine. Unfortunately, that woman hadn’t felt the same way about him. He wasn’t sure what he had expected. It was a lot to expect a woman to faithfully wait months at a time when the man she was supposed to wait for was off sailing the seas. Still, she held his heart, even if he did not hold hers. No, his ship was not the woman in his life. A business partner, certainly, and perhaps even a very close friend, but that was all. Why pretend otherwise?
“Don’t go stickin’ your head in a hornet’s nest,” the other man said, then downed his drink. “I just said I didn’t care, didn’t I?”
Captain Downell scowled for a few seconds longer before he asked, “Have you got them?”
“Tut, tut, Captain.” The man lifted his glass again. “It’s bad manners to start the business until you’ve had at least three drinks.”
“Well, that’s two,” Captain Downell said with narrowed eyes. “Hurry and get your third, and let’s get this over with.”
“What about you?” The man tipped the bottle toward Captain Downell. “You haven’t even started. Are you still insisting on prudish sobriety?”
“What do you think?” Captain Downell didn’t falter in his icy glare until the man looked away. Captain Downell had learned from hard experience that drinking only made a fool of him. He hadn’t touched anything harder than a strong cup of tea in years.
“Your loss.” The other man poured another shot and gulped it down. “It’s really not bad, considering how much you probably paid for it. You always were a coin-clinger.”
“If you’re done with your insulting gabber, let’s get this over with.” Captain Downell leaned forward in his chair, putting his hand over the top of the bottle as the other man reached for it. “I need you to make the trade before you’re so drunk they have to drag you out by your ankles.”
The other man only laughed. “My dear captain, if you had to make the run through the hostile infested territory to get the goods rather than paying me to do it for you, you’d be drinking too. It’s not easy you know.”
“I pay you well enough. Don’t you try to get a copper fleck extra,” Captain Downell growled. This was already taking much longer than he could afford. He should have been at the broker’s storehouse ten minutes ago.
“Me? You wound me. I would never ask so little extra.” The man only grinned, irritating Downell even further. Why did he, a captain of an entire ship, put up with this insolence? Because it was profitable, he reminded himself. Otherwise, he would have severed this mooring long ago.
“The goods,” he barked at the man.
“All right, all right.” The man rolled his eyes. “I’ve got them here, and there are some very good specimens. I’ve outdone myself this time if I do say so myself.” He took a bulging pouch about the size of his hand out of his bag and tossed it onto the table.
“Careful with that. They’re not worth half as much busted up.” Captain Downell snatched up the pouch and peered inside.
“Relax,” the man picked up the bottle again. “They’re rubies, not glass. They’re supposed to be one of the hardest stones out there.”
Sure enough, the reddish chunks of stone sat in the bag. They were dull and largely unremarkable in the dim light, but he could see they had a good, deep red coloring, and many appeared largely translucent. These would likely be nearly transparent when cut and polished properly. His contact was right. He was holding a small fortune in that pouch.
“You’ve done well,” the captain admitted grudgingly, reaching into his own bag for a similar pouch. He tossed it to the man, who caught it surprisingly well, considering he was now on his fifth drink of the throat-scorching brew.
“Still determined not to give me a copper fleck extra?” The man slid the pouch of coins into his bag, not even bothering to check it.
Captain Downell scowled. Slowly he fished in his bag and brought out two extra pieces of silver. The gems really were better than usual. The man probably did deserve a bonus. People might be able to say a lot of things about Captain Downell, but nobody could rightfully accuse him of being unfair. “Just don’t spend it all on the bottle,” he grumbled as he threw it down in front of the man and stood up. “And the next batch better be just as high quality.”
He turned and stocked out of the shadowy room, blinking at the bright sun. It would take him a good fifteen to twenty minutes to make his way toward the broker, and he hated being late. It was bad form.
He was slightly out of breath as he walked into the office of the grain broker. A little bell rang above the door, announcing his arrival. A small bowl if incense burned in the corner, making the air inside feel thick. Captain downell frowned. He had never understood how some people liked to breathe in that poison. If good fresh air wasn’t enough for them, he supposed they deserved what prolonged use of such toxic fumes would do to their bodies. Best he get this business over with quickly.
A portly man entered through another door situated in the back of the office. He wiped ink-stained fingers on an apron cloth he wore around his waist. “I didn’t think you would come,” he said, his beady eyes taking in Captain Downell’s sunbleached sea jacket with obvious distaste.
“I said I’d be here, didn’t I?” Captain Downell eyed the other man’s over-colorful tunic with equal disdain.
“You said you’d be here a half hour ago.” The man sat down behind the desk under the window.
“I was unavoidably detained.” the captain strode over to stand right in front of the desk, looking down at the broker. “So, let’s get this over with so we can make up for the lost time. You take the money, I’ll take the grain, and I’ll be gone faster than you finish dotting the receipt.”
“I’m terribly sorry,” the broker said, not sounding sorry at all, “but I’m afraid we don’t have it anymore.”
“What do you mean you don’t have it anymore?” Captain Downell narrowed his eyes at the rotund grain broker. “We had a bargain.”
The other man shrugged, seeming completely unperturbed by the captain’s scowl. “Someone else offered more, and you were late. What else was I supposed to do?”
“A bargain’s a bargain,” Downell growled. “You don’t just back out the second it gets inconvenient for you.”
“I’m sorry.” The broker shrugged again. “You should have been here sooner.”
“I shoulda known better than to put my trust in a scurvy swindler such as the likes of you.” Captain Downell scooped up the bag of coins he had thrown down on the table before the idiot of a broker had broken the unwelcome news. “Don’t expect it to happen again.”
The captain turned on his hill and stormed out of the small room the broker used as his headquarters. He should have expected something like this to happen. It was his own fault for dealing through a broker instead of going straight to the source. Any merchant worth his salt knew better than to put too many others between yourself and the actual product. For every person the goods pass through, it gets that much harder to make a decent profit. Captain Downell would have avoided the brokers like a bad case of the pricking rash, only this time he wasn’t out to make a profit—at least, not a profit on the wheat.
Founder it all! He had needed that wheat as a decoy. Now what was he going to use to keep the port marshals from suspecting the real reason he was in Moraiethiea? Curse those ridiculous gem tariffs and curse the king of Moraiethiea who had decided they were a good idea. It wasn’t fair to all those merchants who had made a living of such things, and it wasn’t fair to the jewelers and gem cutters who lived in Moraietheia. Sure it was one of those things that seemed good on parchment, but it was a mess in reality. It hadn’t done anything to encourage Moraietheians to become merchants themselves or to only buy products from Moraietheia. It had only caused the economy to suffer in a country who was xenophobic enough as it was. Hopefully, the new king would see the ridiculousness of the tariff laws and revoke them. Then Captain Downell could get back to fair and square trading instead of smuggling, but until then Telinger was counting on him, and he wouldn’t let his friend down.
“Barlow!” He called, as soon as he had set foot back on the Phantom Jay.
A rough looking man with a scarred face hurried forward. “What do yeh be needin’ Cap’n?” He asked.
“The grain shipment has fallen through. Gather the men. Have them spread out and see if they can find something else that won’t look suspicious, but won’t cost us half our souls,” Captain Downell told the other man.
Barlow nodded. He may have looked rough, but like most of Captain Downell’s crew, he had proven his loyalty and competence a dozen times over. Hopefully, between Barlow and the others, they would find something to replace the grain by the end of the day. He still had a few days he could stay in port, but it might take that long for them to make arrangements and load the cargo. He needed to find the replacement now.
Captain Downell settled himself in his quarters with his ledger open before him. How much could he spare if they couldn’t find something less expensive than the grain? It was a good thing the rubies were going to fetch a good price. It was looking less and less likely that this particular venture was going to turn the profit he had hoped.
Barely a half hour had passed when there was a knock on the door. “What is it?” Captain Downell called, closing his ledger and shoving it under a stack of star charts.
Barlow stuck his head in and whispered. “I found some people who are looking for passage to Moraietheia.”
Passengers? That wasn’t what Captain Downell had expected at all. Who in their right minds would want to go to Moraietheia? Most people avoided going there. It was only an intrepid few who were either very thick skinned or already had reliable contacts who could stomach being shunned as an outsider for long. He almost told Barlow to turn them away, but the thought of failing to find another good reason to sail to Moraietheia made him reconsider. “Show ‘em in. I’ll at least talk to ‘em,” he sighed.
Barlow ushered in two people, a man, and a young woman, both wearing matching pants and tunics. Riders? They had to be, though they weren’t wearing their outer cover with the insignia. They obviously didn’t want to be associated, though he wasn’t sure how they were going to avoid that in Aviandria. A woman wearing pants would be suspicious enough, but when they were a perfect match to her companion, it was the only logical explanation. No matter, he didn’t really care who they were and what they were up to. It was none of his business. “So you need to get to Moraiethiea.” He spoke to the man, who had placed himself slightly before the woman.
“Yes, or rather my friend here needs to get to Moraiethiea.” The man nodded toward the woman behind him.
Captain Downell couldn’t entirely hide his surprise. That was certainly a twist. “A woman? Alone?”
The woman’s look turned cool, and Captain Downell had the distinct impression he had angered her. “Yes,” she spoke for the first time. “Why not?”
“Because it would be foolish.” True, they needed a decoy, but he wasn’t about to let a girl, rider or not, just dance off into a situation she knew nothing about without some warning.
“I may be a woman, but I do know how to take care of myself.” The woman had stepped forward so she was now the one in front.
Could it be she actually outranked the man? That would be a bit unexpected, but stranger things had happened. After all, he was the one with a masculine ship. He gave a small snort. Riders might be good at a lot of things, but he doubted they’d ever been trained for Moraiethiea. “Sure ya do.”
The girl narrowed her eyes. “This won’t be the first time I’ve ever found myself alone in a strange place.”
What did she think it would be? Some fancy diplomatic mission with polite words and lots of fancy tea and cakes? If that were the case, she wouldn’t be trying to sneak a ride on a ship.
“So have most of the men on these ships, and how many of them do you see going to
Moraiethiea? That’s right. None of them. They’re smart enough to know it’s foolish to go near Moraiethiea without knowin’ what yer doin’ and they’re wise enough to recognize that they don’t.” Captain Downell sat back down in his chair and folded his hands. Hopefully, they would take the hint.
Unfortunately, the woman didn’t. “And what about you? I suppose you know exactly what you are doing?” She leaned over the desk, her eyes still locked on Captain Downell. Blowing irritating! That’s what it was!
“Course I do,” Captain Dowell furnished his best scowl. “Otherwise I wouldn’t be going there, now would I?”
The impertinent girl stood straight again. “Perfect. Then you can tell me what I need to do.”
That was it. They would just have to find another decoy shipment. This was never going to work out. It was time to put an end to this conversation. “Stay away, that’s what you need to do.” Captain Downell stood and went to show them their way out the door—a much politer gesture than he felt they deserved. “Besides, this isn’t a passenger ship.”
“Wait!” the girl cried out, a hint of desperation in her voice. “I’ll make it worth your while.”
Captain Downell froze. Yes, she was irritating, but if she really could pay well, it might be endurable. If he did it right, it would cost him nothing. It would be pure profit. “You’re really determined to get to Moraiethiea, aren’t you?”
She nodded, hope sparkling in her eyes. “Yes, very determined.”
Captain Downell couldn’t believe he was really considering this, but it would have been foolish to turn down a double profit for mere personal prejudice. He sat back down, hoping he wasn’t going to regret this. “It’s a fool’s errand, whatever it is you’re up to, but it’s none of my concern if you want to act an idiot. It’s your choice. So long as I get paid, why should I care? How much are you willing to pay?”
“How much would it take?” The girl sounded a bit unsure. Good. The less confident she felt, the less irritating she would be. Captain Downell quickly calculated the price he usually charged and tacked on a bit extra to leave room for bargaining.
Although the young woman tried to keep her face impassive, it was obvious the quote he had given was much higher than she had expected. Why was it that people always expected passage to cost nothing more than a couple of silver coins? Passengers took special accommodations, and supplies, and always seemed to get in the way of everything. They weren’t like an extra barrel of pickled cabbage that you could just bring aboard and ignore.
“If you are set on money, it looks like we’ll just have to bid each other farewell right now, but since I can see you have a good sense of value, I can offer to trade you some other things which I think you will find more than ample.”
Captain Downell almost laughed at the girl’s bravado but was far more successful at keeping his face expressionless than she had been. Amature! “Let’s see what you have then.” What would it be this time? A bit of her grandmother’s jewelry? A few carved knick-knacks? So much for a handsome profit.
On the other hand, what the girl was removing from her bag was nothing like what he had expected. It wasn’t the fact that she had a mirror and a comb that surprised him, but what they looked like. He reached out and picked up the mirror. It was very small but no smaller than what he would expect a girl to travel with. The reflection though—it was perfect. It was so crisp and clear, without the slightest hint of distortion. And the frame was the most vibrant pink he had ever seen on anything except some of the brightest tropical flowers. It was smooth, like glass, but it felt somehow lighter and less fragile. Yet, it didn’t feel like wood either. For the life of him, he couldn’t place it. “This mirror is peculiar. What is it made from?”
“The mirror itself is glass,” the girl answered. “The rest is known as plastic. It’s a fairly common material where I come from, but it is quite rare in Aviandria and the surrounding kingdoms.” As if she had to tell him that. He’d figured that out for himself. She continued though. “It’s incredibly durable, yet light. See, this comb is made from the same thing.” She handed Captain Downell the comb. Its teeth were incredibly fine and close together. Whoever had made it must have been a true master.
“It doesn’t seem as brittle as wood or shell.” Captain Downell ran his fingers gently down the teeth, and they bent slightly under the pressure.
“It’s not,” the girl said. “It can break, but it won’t nearly as easy as those other materials. and see how small and close together the teeth are? You won’t find them like that anywhere around here.”
Captain Downell’s curiosity was taking over, despite his previous apprehensions. “And what’s this?” He picked up a small package that looked like some sort of bright paper, except smooth and shiny. It had other little paper-wrapped bundles inside.
“It’s called gum.” The girl reached over and took one of the little packages out. “You can chew it for hours. The flavor might leave, but the substance won’t. You usually just spit it out when you are sick of it. I’ll let you sample a piece.” She unwrapped the paper and broke the rectangular object inside in half. She offered it to the captain and he took it, not quite sure if it were wise to take strange food from strangers.
The girl nodded reassuringly, and he decided he’d done worse. He almost wondered if he had made a mistake when he bit down. The powerful flavor overwhelmed his tongue and he couldn’t hold back the surprise on his face. What was it? It was like some sort of fruit maybe. A citrus fruit? Not exactly. It was stronger than an orange, but not as sour as a lemon or lime. What in the far reaches of the ocean could it possibly be? “Where did you say you are from again?”
“I didn’t say, but it’s a long way from here. I’m guessing you haven’t heard of it,” the girl’s answer was completely useless.
“Try me,” Captain Downell had to know.
“Most recently I’m from Idaho.” The young woman’s eyes were locked on Captain Downell’s face as she said it.
Captain Downell watched her face in return. Was she trying to make a fool of him? He was as well traveled as anyone he’d ever met, and he’d never heard of anywhere called Idaho. However, he hadn’t been everywhere. “It must be somewhere inland,” he grumbled.
“Yes, it is. It’s quite far from any ocean,” the girl confirmed, and he let out a breath in relief.
“Thought so. I know all the coastal countries and ports. Been to ’em all. That would explain why I haven’t been able to place your accent. It isn’t like any of ’em.” Though that didn’t explain the partial rider’s uniform. There had to be something more. What wasn’t she telling him? “Do all women in this Idaho place of yours like to pretend they are men and run off on fool’s errands?”
She looked down at her strange garb and smiled. She actually smiled, of all things. Incorrigible woman! “It is common for girls to wear pants in Idaho if that’s what you mean.” Her answer was nearly as bad. “As for the errand, we have yet to see the wisdom or foolishness in it.”
“Well, that won’t take long, and don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Of course her errand was going to be foolish. Everything else about her seemed to be.
“You’ll take me then?” Her voice filled with excitement and Captain Downell realized his mistake.
“I didn’t say that,” he growled. “These are nice trinkets, but they still couldn’t bring in half what passage to Moraiethiea is worth.”
The girl’s face fell, but she started digging in her pack again, obviously not ready to give up. Blowing woman! Couldn’t she take a hint? Still, Captain Downell couldn’t help being a little bit curious as she brought out a few other items. One was in a bottle made of–what was it? Glass? No, it must be that strange plastic stuff like the mirror and comb. Captain Downell reached for the bottle and turned the lid. It had a strang, almost sweet scent to it. A small white cloud of something that looked like dust puffed up, and he turned the bottle over to dump some of the dusty powder in his hands. What in the world was it used for? Was it a baking powder? Nothing else he had seen was quite so white. But it almost seemed too fine for that, and it smelled nothing like the powder they got from the powder he shipped from the leaven flats. He looked up at the young woman. He was going to need a hint.
“Baby powder.” She read his hint correctly for once. “You use it to keep children from getting rashes when you change them. You can also use it to hide grease when you are unable to wash your hair.”
The captain tossed it back. “Keep it. I don’t think I could do much with it.” The thought of him sprinkling that stuff on his head was completely absurd. “Now, what are these?” Captain Downell fingered one of the paper packets the girl had also taken out of the bag.
“That is to make hot chocolate. If you can get some hot water, I will let you try it.”
Hot Chocolate. That was another strange word. What would it be like? Was it some sort of tea? If so, it might be worth a try. “Barlow!” Captain Downell called.
His first mate stuck his head into the door. Had the food been waiting there the entire time? “What you be needen’ Cap’n?” he asked.
“I need some water. I need it hot,” Captain Downell hoped they had a cooking fire going somewhere on the ship.
Captain Downell sat back to wait, fingers tapping his customary rhythm. This could take a little while. Fine with him. He could use a little quiet to work all these new things out in his mind. Apparently, the bothersome girl didn’t feel the same way.
“So, if you like it, will the hot chocolate be enough to get me to Moraiethiea?” she interrupted.
“I’ll give it to you straight.” Captain Downell looked down at the small paper packets. How much could she think tea was worth? “It would have to be better than anything I’ve ever tasted, and I’ve tasted some pretty good things. I wouldn’t get your hopes up if I were you.”
Captain Downell watched as the girl’s hopeful smile faded. Founder it all, he almost felt sorry for her. She really was determined. Would it really be that bad to let her come? It wasn’t like it would cost him anything, and he had to admire her tenacity. Besides, she really did have a few interesting trinkets. And he really did need a good excuse to go to Moraietheia. But passage for a few trinkets? “There may be another way.” It was a slim hope, but a hope. “What is this business you have in Moraiethiea?”
“My business in Moraiethiea is my own.” The girl answered without even considering. What was it she was trying so hard to hide. “It won’t bring any income if that’s what you wanted to know.” She seemed to realize her mistake.
Captain Downell was curious, but it was her business. He could respect that. Everyone had their own little secrets, and as long as she didn’t dig into his business, he would stay out of hers. That didn’t help him make a decision, however. He leaned back in his chair with his hands behind his head. “Well, in that case, you had better hope that hot chocolate is mighty fine.”
At last Barlow returned with a tin cup of steaming water. The girl let out an audible sigh of relief. Her fingers were trembling as she ripped open little paper packet and poured it into the water. She once again fished around in her bag and came out with a travel cake, which she broke in half and stirred the brown powder that had come out of the packet into the water. She pushed it over to the captain, looking on anxiously as he blew on it a little before taking a small sip. For the second time that day, he encountered an entirely new flavor. This time he was ready, but he couldn’t help being surprised. This flavor was much more pleasing, if not quite as sensational. He wouldn’t mind having some more for later. “How many more of these do yeh have?”
The girl took a quick inventory of the packets—not very professional. She should have known before she attempted to trade with them. “Seven,” she reported.
Seven wasn’t very many, but then again, that was seven more than he’d have if he refused, and he really did need a reason to go to Moraietheia. That was the biggest reason, he told himself. If it weren’t for that, he’d throw this irritating girl out on her hind end. Still, she couldn’t expect to be pampered. “I must be going soft,” he grumped, “but if yeh give me all seven, along with all the other stuff, I’ll get you to Moraiethiea. That’s passage alone, however. You provide your own supplies. If you get in the way or cause any extra trouble, you’ll find yourself dropped off at the nearest port, understand?”
The girl nodded quickly, a smile spreading over her face. She looked back at her companion, who had stayed strangely silent through the bargaining. Didn’t he have something to say about this? He certainly didn’t look as happy as she did about the success of their bargaining. There’s more to this than I’m seeing, Captain Downell said to himself, but stood and addressed his new passenger. “Right then. We leave two days after tomorrow with the morning tide. Be there or you will be left.”
“I’ll be there,” the girl promised.
There was one last thing Captain Downell had to know. Minding your own business was one thing, but there came a point he had to have some information. “And since you’ll be on the ship, what do I call out if I need to get your attention?”
The girl seemed completely unprepared for such a question. She stuttered worse than a cabin boy on his first voyage. Was it really too much to ask to expect her to know her own name? But then, if she was hiding as much as he suspected, she probably wasn’t using her real name. “Ebony. You can call me Ebony,” she finally managed, then grimaced. This girl wasn’t very good at this. The queen of Draconland’s name wouldn’t be believable in the best of circumstances.
“Alright then, Ebony.” Captain Downell said slowly, not hiding the fact he wasn’t buying any of it. “I’m Captain Downell. If you have no other reason to hang about, I have business to take care of, so I’ll say good-bye until two days from tomorrow.”
After the others were gone, he sat back at his desk, staring at the odd assortment of objects he had just traded for passage to Aviandria. He hoped he hadn’t just made a monumental misjudgment. There was something about the young woman that was bothering him, and it wasn’t just the fact that she was hiding something. That usually didn’t bother him in the slightest. In his line of work, almost everyone he met was hiding something. It was what she was hiding that had him so deep in thought. However, he shrugged it off and stood up. He had plenty to attend to without worrying about that. He mostly managed to forget everything for the next day or two, at least until the other two strangers showed up.
Captain Downell stood on the deck the morning they were scheduled to depart, waiting for the mysterious Ebony, or whatever her name was. He was starting to wish he had never made the deal, but a deal was a deal, and he wasn’t going to back out yet. The other two passengers had already boarded, and they were almost as mysterious as Ebony, yet they didn’t raise the same unbridled curiosity as she did for some reason.
She arrived just before they raised the gangplank, slightly out of breath. Thank goodness she had managed to find a skirt somewhere, though it looked like it had been sewn by a girl of barely six years. She didn’t say much as the wind caught the sales of the ship and slowly pulled him out to sea but stood looking toward where her companion from before stood on the dock. She seemed much more subdued that morning, almost as if she were having second thoughts herself. That was good. Maybe she would be less reckless when she got to Moraietheia than he had first supposed. He hoped so. There was just something about her. He didn’t want to see her fail.
He brushed the sentiment aside. Foolishness. All of it. Instead, he walked over to where she was still watching the retreating shoreline. She hadn’t brought much. Only her same bag from before and another burlap sack, presumably full of food and supplies. “Is that all you brought?”
“Yes, that’s it,” she answered finally turning her eyes away from the harbor.
“The others didn’t bring much with them either.” Captain Downell frowned. Not that he was going to complain. Less clutter banging around in the hold. “Maybe travelers are finally getting smart and leaving the frills home.”
“Others?” The girl’s eyes narrowed. She didn’t seem to welcome the news.
“Yeah, others.” Captain Downell’s frown deepened. This seemed far too big a coincidence. He’d been trying to ignore it, but the girl’s reaction had brought his suspicions back. “Seems everybody wants to get to Moraiethiea all of a sudden. I’ve never seen so many crazy people at one time.”
“Who are these others?” The girl demanded.
There was no use trying to hide it from her. The Phantom Jay wasn’t a big ship. They would run into each other sooner rather than later. “There’s a young man, about so big,” Captain Downell tried to remember the exact height as he held his hand up to demonstrate, “with dark hair and blue eyes, and a young lady. Kind of small, and she thinks she’s a man too. Keeps her hair short. They have strange accents too. Kind of like yours, come to think of it, though they say they come from different places than you. I didn’t think there were so many places I never heard of. The boy says he’s from this place called Californ-uh and the girl says she’s from some Oaky… Oaky-home—”
“California and Oklahoma,” the girl cut in, closing her eyes and grimacing. So she did know these two. What else did she know that Captain Downell didn’t?
“You’ve heard of them then? Must be close to your Idaho. Maybe you three will have something to talk about.” Captain Downell wasn’t going to pry, but he did wish she would offer some explanation. At any rate, he was going to find out how much they knew of each other soon. He could see the other two approaching. “Speaking of which, there they are now.”
The girl turned around, dread evident on her face.
“Hi, er…Ebony,” said the other passenger who had given her name as Brittany. She gave a little wave. Yes, they knew each other. They had even called the girl “Ebony.” They had either been fooled by her act—unlikely—or they were playing along with it.
“Fancy meeting you here,” said the boy, Chris.
Unless the Ebony girl had gotten a whole heap better at acting in the last three days, her reaction was genuinely surprised. This reunion seemed to be unwelcome as it was unexpected. She turned to face Captain Downell and said, “These two aren’t supposed to be here. We need to take them back.”
Captain Downell folded his arms. If she was going to act like that, it was going to be her he’d be tempted to take back. No time for that, however. The tide wouldn’t wait. “Can’t do that,” he said. “A bargain’s a bargain.”
“You have to turn around!” She demanded. “You have to take them back! They shouldn’t be here.”
Captain Downell shrugged. Why should he? Unlike her, they had even paid what he asked in good, solid money. “They paid their passage in full. They have as much right to be here as you. Besides, I don’t turn back just because one fussy passenger demands it. Who do you think you are? Queen of Aviandria?” For a second, Captain Downell was tempted to laugh at his own joke but stopped himself as a thought struck him. All of a sudden, it didn’t seem that funny, though the Brittany girl started giggling before a withering look from the Ebony one cut her off.
She turned back to Captain Downell, trying once again, her tone only slightly less demanding. “You can give them their money back. At least drop them off at the next available port.”
“Next stop is Moraiethiea,” Captain Downell looked hard at the girl, trying to see if there was something—anything—that would tell him what he was beginning to suspect. “They can get off there.”
The girl groaned. “Will you at least bring them back after we get to Moraiethiea?” she tried again.
“If they pay for it.” Captain Downell frowned. He didn’t care who she was. She wasn’t going to get him to start running errands for him without payment.
At last, the Ebony girl seemed to get the message and turned away from Captain Downell and began arguing with the other two. Captain Downell didn’t stick around. As much as he would have loved to know, it was really none of his business, and he had a ship to run. Besides, they were helping him get his rubies to Moraietheia, and that was all that mattered.
As the voyage progressed, Captain Downell kept a good watch on his passengers. Despite the Ebony girl’s objections, there didn’t seem to be any bad feelings between them, at least, nothing worth mentioning, unless you counted the Brittany girl’s complaining about some of the Chris boy’s habits. In fact, they seemed as if they were quite good friends. Even though it was obvious they weren’t there to protect her, it eased his mind just a bit to know that the Ebony girl wouldn’t be alone.
The more Captain Downell watched the little group of travelers, the more he came to believe they were really who they said they were. All except for the one called Ebony. But who was she really? Though she imitated a reasonable imitation of an Aviandrian accent around him when speaking, the accent that seemed to match Chris’s became dominant any time she thought she was talking alone with the other two. Yet, as clueless as she seemed in some aspects, she seemed to know a lot more about Aviandria and the customs there than the others. She fit in much more easily, now that she had gotten herself a mostly proper dress. Except for that something she was desperately trying to hide, she seemed perfectly ordinary in the way she talked and sometimes laughed with the others. Yet, she also seemed a bit more weighed down, as if she were carrying a heavy responsibility. But it wasn’t any concern of his, he reminded himself.
Captain Downell still hadn’t reached any solid conclusions by the time they sighted Moraietheia. He smiled as he saw the Ebony girl watching the thin line of land from near the bow of the ship. She really wasn’t so bad as she had seemed at first. She had been a relatively easy passenger, not complaining, and making a mess of things. She usually smiled when she passed him, and though she was often contemplative, she never came across as brooding or ill-humored. There was just something about her, but what was it? None of his concern, that’s what it was. Still, a little advice wouldn’t hurt, would it?
He made his way to where she was standing. She must have heard him coming because she didn’t even turn before she started speaking, not surprising, considering her obvious Elven heritage—something else to add to the puzzle.
“No, I haven’t figured out a plan yet, if that’s what you’re wondering,” she said. Must have been assuming he was one of her friends. Probably that Chris boy. That became even more obvious as she finished turning around and a horrified look crossed her face. “I’m sorry, I thought you were my friend,” she stuttered a bit and a shade of pink nearly as bright as her mirror frame crept into her cheeks.
What kind of a plan was she needing? A none-of-his-business plan. That’s all he needed to know. “Well, at least I’m not your enemy,” Captain Downell gave a little chuckle. “So, you’re not quite ready to conquer the world yet?”
The Ebony girl seemed to contemplate for a moment, as if not sure how to take the statement. At last, she answered. “I don’t need the world. I just need to find—” she broke off as if fearing she was revealing too much. “I just need to find what I’m looking for.” The pink in her cheeks turned to red.
“Don’t we all?” Captain Downell grunted in appreciation. Her statement had been a bit obvious, but profound in its own right.
“I guess we do,” she gave an embarrassed little smile and looked at her toes.
Captain Downell looked out toward Moraietheia. What could she want to find there? If he had only known, perhaps he could have helped her better. No matter though. It was none of his business. His job was to get the rubies safely and secretly ashore without being discovered. It wasn’t his job to play nursemaid to somebody who wouldn’t even tell him the entire truth. “You won’t find it by asking.” It was the best he could do under the circumstances.
The girl turned toward him, looking surprised that he would offer any sort of advice. “What?”
Did she need it spelled out for her? “Moraiethieans—they don’t open up to outsiders. Just the fact that you are a foreigner would be enough to keep them from giving you information, even if it was something relatively trivial. I have a feeling what you are looking for is far from trivial.”
“In that case, how would you suggest I get any information at all?” She seemed to be taking his words to heart. He must have guessed correctly.
“Don’t let them know you’re a foreigner and just listen. Don’t ask questions. People don’t poke into each other’s business in Moraiethiea.” That’s really how it should be everywhere. “If you don’t bother others, they will probably leave you alone as well. Listen to as many conversations as you can. Just don’t let them know you’re listening.”
The Ebony girl was nodding. “So blend in,” she muttered.
“As much as possible. Don’t know how successful you’ll be judging by your record so far, but do your best.” Captain Downell wondered if this advice would even be possible for them. Maybe. She could fake an accent when she was trying, and she did have a dress now. “You might make it, so long as you don’t try to pretend to be a man while you’re there. And if you do learn the accent, make sure you keep it consistent. You imitate an Aviandrian accent well enough when you’re thinking about it, but when you’re deep in conversation, it slips. Don’t let that happen in Moraiethiea, or you’ll find yourself flagged as an outsider in an instant.”
“Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind.” The girl’s shoulders slumped just a bit.
“Your friend though,” Captain Downell continued, remembering the Ebony girl wouldn’t be the only one having to blend in. “She’ll want to do something with her hair. It draws attention. She isn’t a boy either” Her accent shouldn’t be too much of a problem. It actually wasn’t all that far off from a Moraietheian accent. “The other one, that Chris boy, will probably be alright as long as he doesn’t open his mouth. His accent would give him away in a second.”
“Perhaps he can learn to hide it.” She frowned. Did she believe her statement to be as impossible as he did?
“Perhaps, but until then, all the more reason to keep your mouth shut and your ears open.”
“Any more helpful advice?” she asked. She was turning out to be rather receptive. That would serve her well.
Captain Downell tried to think of anything he would tell an apprentice he was trying to train to trade there. “Just don’t trust anybody you don’t know well. If you need to get a message anywhere, well, that could be a problem. You won’t be the only one seeking information.”
Captain Downell could read panic in the girl’s face. So she was planning on sending messages back somehow. Perhaps to the young man she had left behind? “I’ll tell you what,” he said, wondering why he was all of a sudden feeling so generous. It really shouldn’t be any of his business. “I do make occasional runs to Moraiethiea, and if you manage to catch me while I’m there, I could take a message as far as Accipitridaelynn or Diomedeidyn.”
The girl gave him a suspicious look. “I don’t know if I would be able to pay for it.”
Captain Downell shrugged. “Count it as part of the package you paid for.”
The girl still looked doubtful. A bit more hope that she wasn’t as reckless as she seemed. “They’ll be safe enough. You have my word on that, and I have never broken my word.” Captain Downell laughed a bit.
“What are you getting out of all this?” the Ebony girl asked.
That earned her a chuckle and a
He left her to her thoughts after that. He was still on duty, and it was her business whether or not she trusted him with a letter.
It turned out she decided to trust him. He felt strangely satisfied when she handed him a rolled up piece of paper. “And where is it going?” he wondered.
“I need it to go to Alvorach in Accipitridaelynn.” She looked carefully at Captain Downell and seemed to hesitate, then she added, “If you get it to Captain Perrian of the Sky Corps there, he will be able to get it to Alvorach.”
So, he had been right about her being a rider. And Alvorach must be her companion she had been traveling with. That didn’t answer all of his questions—not even close—but it did help clear up a few things. “All right then, Ebony. I’ll get it there, sure as there’s wind in a storm. May good fortune go with you, and may your business venture be a profitable one.”
Captain Downell started to turn away. Long goodbyes were hardly ever helpful. Then he remembered. He turned around again, fishing around in one of his pockets. “For your Brittany friend,” he pulled out the large scarf he had found in one of the drawers in his cabin. “She might need it. It’ll cover her hair. Make it a little less obvious.”
“Thank you!” The smile the Ebony girl gave him seemed genuine.
He watched the little boat row away and was surprised to find he might actually miss those passengers. If nothing else, they had given him some amusement. He couldn’t help shake the feeling that somehow, he had done Aviandria a service by delivering them to Moraietheia. Or perhaps it was a disservice, depending on how their mission turned out. He sighed and turned away. He may never know. Besides, it was none of his business.
He turned and walked to the second longboat. “We’ll row this one a mile north of the port,” he told the sailors holding the oars. “And let’s make quick business of it. We’ve got some rubies to deliver.”