Daughter of Hauk (The Raven Chronicles Book 1) (21 page)

              The silence in the cabin was almost palpable as the implications of Lexi’s “confession” sunk in. Finally, Barek spoke up. “Okay, I can understand most of the why now. Senyan broke the rules himself, though. You could’ve stayed and helped. Or at least been there when we took off on this little trek you got us started on. Even if that elf still would’ve died, you could’ve been there to help Arwenna afterwards. I’m not sure I understand the reason you didn’t show up to us again before now. I’d think you’d do something with this new status of yours to help her out, not put her through hell.”  His quiet voice had a hint of anger.

              “I had to do some things to protect my followers, Barek. When I finished with that, I found D’Mitta. She told me where you all went off to. I followed and found the monastery about a day or so behind you. When I first saw the grave inside, I panicked. I can’t return him, only Hauk or someone who wields as much power as Arwenna can, but I was able to talk with Joss’ spirit enough to learn where you all went. I found the barge and kept far enough away not to alert anyone on it. I didn’t want anyone to get nervous and shoot at me. Took some asking this morning before I figured out which ship you were sailing on.”  A small tear fell down Lexi’s cheek. “I don’t want to hurt her, Barek. If I could’ve, I would’ve returned Joss and brought him with me.”

              “Vhat now, Lexi?”  Y’Dürkie’s voice broke the silence in the room. “Ve are on a ship headink in vhat ve think is the right vay. Vhat do ve do next?”

              Lexi tucked one leg up under the other, her impish grin back on her face. “Rest. Learn to like the sea. Not much we can do for the next two weeks. It’s down to the four of us. I don’t think it’s going to be easy finding the Gem once we get there.”

              A few hours later, Y’Dürkie and Barek watched from the bow of the ship as the Cygnet sliced through the deep water below. Lexi had stayed below to keep an eye on the still sleeping Arwenna. The open sea was massive, with only the occasional cloud to break up the sky. Storm clouds formed to the east, dark enough that the crew gave them no thought in the rush to secure everything before the weather turned bad.

              “I was hoping for a smooth crossing, but looks like I’m out of luck there.” Arwenna’s voice startled them both as she slipped into a space between them at the rail.

              “How are you feelink?”  Y’Dürkie kept looking at the clouds.

              “Better now than I will be later, if that storm keeps growing.”  They both heard her sigh slightly. “I wanted to apologize to you both for my behavior the last few days. It wasn’t right of me to take my anger out on you two.”  Her voice had a slight hint of fear in it, as if she were afraid they wouldn’t accept her apology.

              “Eh, ve are tough. Ve can take it.”  Y’Dürkie put a big smile in her voice. “Right, Barek?”

              Barek chuckled and looked towards Arwenna. “Next time you get mad like that, let me know. I’ll find a tree and give you a sword and let you tear that up for a while.”

              Arwenna nodded, laughing slightly as well. The wind picked up, carrying with it the mixture of sea and rain. All three of them scanned the horizon and the fast approaching storm before returning to the cabins.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

            
 
T
he excited knock on her cabin door pulled Arwenna away from where she had been kneeling in front of the chamber pot. The night of the storm was the worst by far, but her seasickness had remained during the entire voyage. Using the back of one of the chairs, she slowly found her feet as Y’Dürkie walked in.

              “Still sick?” she remarked, taking in the nearly full chamber pot. “At least I have some good news. Ve are comink into port now. Ve should be on solid ground again in under an hour.”  Y’Dürkie moved the pot out into the hallway for a good rinsing and then helped steady Arwenna as she moved toward the stairs.

              The grey of the clouds was almost a gift to Arwenna. Having spent most of the voyage in her cabin, she was dreading the bright light of day. Grasping the rail firmly, she took in the sight of Oranji.

              The city sprawled out along the beach and stretched inland as far as she could see. Strange but beautifully carved architecture reminded her that she wasn’t anywhere near her homeland. A vast array of buildings, painted in reds and oranges, stood roofed with tiles that would reflect the sunlight. On a bright day, the effect would be blinding.

              The port itself was a beehive of activity. Dozens of vessels crowded the four large piers jutting out from the beach. Some of the ships were elaborately carved in a manner Arwenna had never seen before. “They’re supposed to be dragons,” Barek’s deep voice reached her ear as he walked up to stand next to her. “Not like any dragon I’ve ever seen, but they might grow them differently around here.”  He offered her a tankard with water, which she gratefully accepted. “Y’Dürkie told me you might need that.”

              Arwenna took a long drink of the water, hoping it would help to quell the rolling in her stomach. “I know it’s been an easy crossing, but my stomach’s saying it wasn’t. Think we have the time to spend a night or two in town before we go searching for this island?”

              Barek nodded, “I don’t see why not. We’re not in any particular hurry, are we?  D’Mitta’s going to keep Senyan occupied until we’re done here. We probably shouldn’t make a long stay out of the trip, but a day or two resting up and getting used to land again won’t kill us.”

              “I appreciate it. I don’t think I’ve ever been this sick. You’d think I’d be able to heal myself. Tried that at first, but it would just come back in the morning.”  She took another drink of the water. “Any ideas where to find this island Sal mentioned?  I don’t think we’re going to be lucky enough not to need a boat to get there and back, but I’m hoping it’s a quick trip.”

              “From what Sal told us, it should be up around that way,” he pointed off to the right side of the shoreline. The land jutted out a small distance, concealing the next part of the coastline. “He said it wasn’t far from shore. We can ride the horses towards there and then use a small boat to row out and back. I don’t think it’s that big of a place, shouldn’t need the horses with us on the island itself.”

              Arwenna mentally took note of how many days they were looking at. It might be weeks of travel yet to get to where the relic was , but finding out where it lay hidden would be a major step in the right direction.

              “You doing okay, Arwenna?  Not counting being seasick, I mean.”  Barek kept his voice low, but the concern was evident.

              Sighing, she looked out at the fast approaching pier. “I guess so, Barek. I won’t lie, I miss Joss terribly. I loved him very much. I still do. And I’m still very angry with myself for not being able to do anything to save him. There’s power in me that I can’t tap yet for some reason.”  Arwenna wiped at the tears slowly trickling down her face with her hands. “I need to find a way to wield that power, Barek. More lives than just Joss’ will be lost if I don’t.”

              The ship jolted slightly as it finished sliding into a berth on the pier. A flurry of activity erupted as the crew started throwing ropes down to those on the dock so the ship could be secured.

              Captain Wolfgang took a moment to approach them before they disembarked. “I’m staying here for three weeks at the most. If I’m not here, look in an inn by the name of The Red Lotus. You can leave a message for me there.”  With that, he shook the hands of each of them in turn and shouted out orders to some of his crew to help them get onto the dock.

              It didn’t take long for them to reclaim their horses and start walking towards the end of the pier. Once on solid ground, they mounted up and began to maneuver their way through the crowd to the city gates ahead.

              As expected, an official looking man came towards them as they neared the portal. Arwenna took in the myriad of people around them, leaving Barek to deal with the official. There were a few elves, humans, and the occasional dwarf in the crowd. No half orcs, though. Barek was going to draw some attention here. People tended to remember things out of the ordinary. Some of the local folk were a race she couldn’t identify. While the dominant characteristics were human, the angular shape of their heads and eyes threw her off. The skin was reflective, much like that of a snake, changing in color depending on the surroundings. A noise from Lexi broke through to Arwenna, and she followed the others into the city.

              “Barek was asking all sorts of questions, Arwenna. He’s found us a good inn to stay in, and even found out there’s a temple to Hauk here if you want to go visit later on. Some of the surrounding warlords have been acting up, but otherwise things are peaceful. We should be able to get to where we’re going without much of a problem. There’s a small village close to the island we’re going to. Someone there should have a boat we can rent.”  Lexi kept a steady pace, which kept Arwenna’s mind from wandering off again.

              Arwenna absorbed it slowly, only partially hearing what Lexi had to say. “You know, Lexi, I don’t know that I’ve ever been in a Temple of Hauk beyond the little one where we caught the barge to Almair. At least not since I was very young. I’d like to go there before we leave. Probably not until tonight or tomorrow, though. I want to get used to walking on land again first.”  She let out a small chuckle at the last, as if laughing at herself.

              The inn Barek led them to was located near the center of town. The large gated courtyard opened after Barek rang a small bell attached to the gate. Grooms came out to help them dismount, while stable hands began to unload their packs. A short gentleman with a neatly trimmed beard came out from a side door and approached them.

              “Welcome!  Welcome!  A runner came ahead of you and told me to expect you. My name is Karl. We have a set of rooms ready for you and your companions.”  He clapped his hands and whispered something in a language Arwenna had never heard before to the group with the packs. They scurried off towards the inn. “Please, come in. We mustn’t let the ladies get ill from the weather.”  He bowed slightly and waved them in the direction he’d appeared from.

              The door opened to a small alcove, stairs heading up to one side and a door off to the left. Karl shut the door behind him and began to ascend the stairs, beckoning them to follow. “The door leads towards the common room, but I thought you would prefer to rest in your rooms before mingling down there. I’ll arrange for one of my girls to bring some food up shortly. There should be baths ready for you all in the rooms themselves.”  He retrieved a key from a pocket and opened up a door on the left as they reached the top of the stairs. Stepping aside, he handed the key to Barek as they entered the room.

              The main room was set up as a sitting room, with couches and chairs arranged near a fireplace. The fire was lit, giving a small touch of warmth to the room. Four smaller doors in opposite walls led towards small, private bedchambers. Each room had a copper bathtub set up in the middle of the room, filled with steaming water. Towels were neatly folded on top of a dresser to the side of the bed. The bed clothes were made of linen, with a down-filled mattress and pillow. Their belongings had been placed on the floor near the bed.

              Arwenna made her way back out from her room, looking questioningly at Barek. “Just how is it, Barek, that we got rooms like this?  How did that innkeeper know we were coming?”

              “One of the guards at the gate is a very devout follower of Hauk. Apparently, the local group has been anticipating our arrival. The innkeeper is going to gain a lot of prestige by letting us stay here. He also stands to lose a lot, as I understand it, if you aren’t treated well. It’s not going to hurt us to take advantage of the situation.”

              Arwenna’s hand reached back and touched the comb buried deeply in her braid. “I tend to forget about this thing. I suppose I’m expected to make an appearance of some kind while we’re in town. I was hoping for a quiet visit to the temple, too.”  She leaned against the doorframe; the steaming water in the tub beckoned her. “Well, whatever sort of appearance I’ll need to make will be best done once I’m cleaned up.”  With that, she stepped back into her room and shut the door securely behind her.

              In due time, she gingerly lowered herself into the warm water. Scrubbing the sea spray from her hair and skin took a while, but she finished at last and leaned back to relax until the water became too cool.

              The silence in the room surprised her. The inn was very well built; she couldn’t even hear the fire crackling in the next room. Closing her eyes, she dozed to the faint sound of her own heart beating within her ears. The rhythm was somewhat off. Listening a bit harder, she distinguished the faintest echo of a second heart beat mingled in with her own.

              “About time you figured it out, Cousin.”  Lexi chided from the bed.

              Arwenna jumped slightly and looked over at her, a flurry of emotions playing across her face. “Lexi, how…”

              “It’s one of the fun things that go with what I am now, Cousin. I get to come and go in ways most people can’t.” The impish grin on her face reminded Arwenna just how young Lexi was.

              Leaning back in the water again, Arwenna adjusted to the idea of being a mother. “And here I thought I was seasick.”

              “Well, part of it may have been seasickness. At least in the beginning. But very few people can be on a ship for two weeks straight without getting some control of it.”  Lexi’s voice carried more than a little amusement.

              “Well, now that I understand the nature of my ‘condition’, I should be able to do something about it. Enough to keep the nausea down and keep others from noticing before I’m ready for them to, at least.”

              “You don’t want to tell them yet?”  There was a note of curiosity in her voice that Arwenna picked up on easily.

              “No, not yet. Y’Dürkie would probably be fine and excited about being an aunt, but I’m not sure about Barek. He’s got a tendency to be overprotective of me. Finding out I’m pregnant isn’t going to change that.”  Arwenna sighed, rubbing at her eyes absently.
Barek didn’t get along well
with Joss for some reason, anyway
, she thought.
This might not be good news in
his mind
.

              Both remained silent. Arwenna waited for her cousin to continue, finally breaking the silence herself. “I know there’s something else on your mind, Lexi. Out with it.”

              “How do you feel about this, Arwenna?  Are you happy?” 

              “It’s part of Joss, Lexi. All I have left of him, really. If for no other reason than that, I’m happy. I’ll probably be more cautious with myself now. And, when all this is finally said and done, I’ll go off to some quiet village somewhere to raise our child. Watch him or her grow up as I grow old.”  Her voice trailed off.

              A loud rap at the door startled Arwenna. Glancing around, she saw Lexi had disappeared again. “Who is it?” she called out as she hurriedly climbed out of the tub and fumbled for a towel.

“Just me, Arvenna.”  Y’Dürkie’s voice called through the door. “Can I come in?”

              Arwenna quickly wrapped the towel around her and slid the bolt aside on the door, opening it up for Y’Dürkie. Once she’d stepped inside, Arwenna relatched the bolt. “What’s up?”

              “There are some people here to see you. They are from the local temple I think. Barek vanted me to see if you vanted to talk to them or not.”

              Nodding her agreement, Arwenna quickly added, “Tell Barek I’ll be out shortly. I’m not going out there in a towel.”  Y’Dürkie grinned at the thought, then darted back out the door as Arwenna opened it again.

              Bolting the door shut, she dried off and started rummaging through her packs for a clean dress. After a short search, she found the emerald green gown down at the bottom. She shook it, taking the worst of the wrinkles out. Another dive into the bag located the jewelry. Using a towel to remove most of the water from her hair, she decided against rebraiding it. Arwenna took a deep breath to steady herself before walking out of her room.

              Barek was leaning against a wall near the door, appearing relaxed but Arwenna could tell he was ready to move if necessary. Y’Dürkie sat in a chair near the fire, but her posture was much the same as Barek’s. The three other people in the room were strangers.