Edge of Worlds (The Books of the Raksura) (51 page)

“How did they find us?” Jade asked. Moon thought it was a good question. They stood out on the deck with Stone and Delin, with the others told to stay inside until they could be assured that the new groundling arrivals wouldn’t shoot at them by accident.

“We had shared the location of the city with them, though I didn’t think they meant to join the expedition this season.” Callumkal turned to gesture at the steering cabin. “Their ship is powered by the same varietals of moss as the sunsailer. The varietals have an affinity for each other, and clever horticulturals can use this to locate ships.”

“I see,” Jade said. It was unexpected, but at the moment it was hard to see it as a bad thing. The more fire-weapons there were to fight off the Fell, the better.

Beside him, Moon heard Delin make a hmph noise under his breath. Delin would clearly have preferred a wind-ship with his family aboard, and Moon had to admit that would have made the situation much less fraught.

Rorra came out of the hatch, squinting up at the flying boat. “I hope they have supplies they can give us.”

“That’s what Kellimdar and Vendoin are asking about now,” Callumkal told her.

Jade asked, “So are we keeping to the same course, and crossing back into the sea tomorrow morning?”

Looking up at the flying boat again, Callumkal gestured an absent assent. “As long as they have no new information to make us decide against it.”

“They shouldn’t,” Rorra said. “They came up from the south. It will be interesting to hear if they spotted any Fell from that direction.”

“Interesting?” Callumkal commented dryly. “This voyage has been interesting enough.”

Stone glanced at Moon, his expression opaque, and headed back toward the hatch. They would still be sailing across the deeps tonight and still have the opportunity to get rid of the object. Merit had already retreated to a corner of their cabin to scry on it, with Bramble and Song guarding the door to make sure no Kishan walked in on him.

“They’re coming back,” Jade said, watching the flying boat.

Vendoin and Kellimdar were returning in their flying packs, another Hian following. Callumkal said, “Don’t worry, Vendoin and Kellimdar will have explained about you. The Hians are not very excitable people; they won’t be afraid.”

Jade gave that a serious nod. “Good.”

The flying packs didn’t manage the wind very well, but the groundlings landed on the deck without ending up in the water. Vendoin shed her pack and said, “This is Bemadin, captain-navigator.” Bemadin nodded as Vendoin named everyone for her. She bore a close resemblance to Vendoin, at least as far as non-Hians were concerned, though she was taller and her body heavier. She stared as Vendoin named Jade and Moon, though like Vendoin, it was hard to read her expression.

When the introductions were complete, Bemadin said, “I am glad we could find you. As I told Vendoin and your colleague Kellimdar, we are anxious to hear what you discovered before the Fell forced you to leave.”

Callumkal said, “It’s a long way back. We’ll have plenty of time to show you all the inscriptions we copied.”

“And we will be bringing down supplies to see you through to the next port.” Bemadin added, “Perhaps you would all join us for evening meal.” She turned to Jade. “I invite the Raksura, as well. I have never met any of your people before, so I am anxious to get to know you.”

“Ah.” Jade managed to look pleased by the prospect, which was something of an achievement for Raksuran diplomacy. It wasn’t an appalling idea, it was just that Moon didn’t think Jade or any of the others were ready to take on a new group of groundlings, not while everyone was tired and tense. “I feel our time would be better spent here, helping the Kishan guard their boat. We don’t know what we’ll encounter on this stretch of ocean.”

“That’s true,” Callumkal said immediately. He didn’t look as if he was in the mood for diplomatic visiting, either. “Perhaps in a day or so, once we are safely back into the sea, and farther away from the Fell.”

“That would be best,” Kellimdar agreed readily.

“That’s right, best just to send some supplies down for tonight,” Vendoin said, giving Bemadin a friendly pat on the arm. “Some fresh food would be welcome.”

She was right about that. Bemadin said, “Very well, I will have the supplies moved immediately, and we can be underway again.”

As they began to discuss the arrangements, Moon managed to wander away down the deck with Delin, and after a moment Jade followed. “This worries me,” Delin said, keeping his voice low, even though he was speaking Raksuran. He twisted his fingers into his beard, a sure sign of agitation. “This sudden appearance.”

“You think Vendoin was planning to betray Callumkal, take his work, or something.” Moon looked off toward the horizon, as if they were worriedly discussing the prospect of being eaten by oceanlings.

“Perhaps, perhaps that.” Delin frowned at the deck, and Moon had the impression that of all the things he was worried about, that ranked fairly low down on the scale. Delin looked up at Jade. “We must take care tonight, when disposing of the object. Perhaps Merit will have some insights for us, as to how best to proceed.”

“We’ll take care.” Jade put a hand on his shoulder, and turned to steer him toward the hatchway. “You get some rest.”

Hians in flying packs carried down the round containers of supplies, and by mid-morning the sunsailer got underway again, the flying boat trailing along after it. Moon spent the time napping off and on and taking turns on watch with the warriors. Three times they spotted movement in the distance, as oceanlings far larger than the boat broke the surface and submerged again. It was nerve-racking, but being able to catch up on sleep, and not worrying about the lack of food, made the tense situation easier on everyone. The Kishan were starting to look better too, taking time to rest and clean up and change their clothes.

“I’ll be glad when this is over,” Chime said. He was sitting back to back with Moon on the top cabin as they took their turn at watch. Stone was on the lower stern deck, and Balm was up in the bow. At least the day had stayed clear and bright, the sky blue and cloudless, the sun glinting off the limitless ocean. The wind was fairly gentle, and still carried nothing but the scent of saltwater.

“Is it ever going to be over?” Moon didn’t like to bring this up, but it was worrying him more and more as the day progressed. “The Fell aren’t going to stop looking for that thing. If that’s what they were looking for.”

“There’s still too much we don’t know,” Chime admitted. “We don’t know if it really drew them to the city or not. I’m hoping the Fell sit around outside the escarpment until they all die of old age.”

Moon didn’t think that was likely. Especially with a Fellborn queen involved.

Late in the afternoon, Merit finished scrying and came up to join them in the upper cabin. Bemadin had sent down some containers with cooked food, including a stew with big pieces of fish in a spicy brown sauce and fruit in sweet syrup, apparently two Jandera favorites. Igalan, the crew member in charge of supplies, had made sure Bramble had been given enough for all the Raksura. Both dishes were surprisingly tasty, probably because both the fish and the fruit were much fresher than what they had been eating on the boat for the past few days. Briar, having already eaten, had gone outside to carry a portion up to River, and to take a turn at watch so Song could come inside to eat.

“Did you get anything?” Jade asked, as Merit slumped down on the floor. His expression wasn’t encouraging.

Merit sighed. “No, it was all confusing. I saw the ocean, I saw the Fell, the city, but it was all fragments. I don’t think it’s the same as before, where the trap in the city was clouding everything.” Bramble put a bowl of food in his lap and he took a bite. “I think there’s just too much happening right now.”

“Fragments are what you get when there are too many possibilities,” Chime explained to Delin. He took Moon’s empty bowl and his own and put them in the stack near the stove. “They’re usually just images of things that have already happened.”

His mouth full, Merit nodded confirmation.

Jade grimaced and set her empty bowl aside. “At least there’s nothing to change our plans.”

“No, I think we should do as we have already decided,” Delin said, so firmly that everyone stared at him.

“I’m glad someone is sure,” Chime prompted, but Delin ate some more fruit and didn’t respond.

Song stepped into the cabin then, reporting, “Stone is coming this way with Rorra.”

Moon leaned back against the cabin window in frustration. They wouldn’t be able to discuss this in front of Rorra. Not that discussing it was helpful.

Bramble readied two more bowls and handed them to Stone and Rorra as they came in. Stone sniffed skeptically at his, but tasted it anyway. Rorra took a seat on a bench and started to eat. Between mouthfuls, she said, “So what do you all think about Bemadin’s sudden appearance?”

Jade said, dryly, “I’m glad we’re not the only ones who noticed how sudden it was.”

Rorra’s nod was grim. “If they were going to show up, it would have been nice if they had done it while the Fell were trying to kill us.”

“What does Callumkal think?” Moon asked. Chime hadn’t finished his fruit, and Moon stole a piece. Chime glared at him.

Rorra grimaced in frustration. “He is very ‘diplomatic.’”

Stone leaned against the wall, giving in reluctantly and eating the fish and sauce. “Tell them what you told me about the Hians.”

“You know they were driven out of their old territory into the Kishlands because of the Fell?” Rorra asked.

“Vendoin spoke of it a little. And Delin mentioned it,” Jade said.

Delin, who had leaned back against the bench and started to drift off to sleep, snorted at the sound of his name but didn’t wake up.
That’s probably for the best
, Moon thought. Delin clearly needed the rest.

Rorra said, “The territory they live in now is heavily forested, and has deep gorges, and is very difficult to view from the air, if you see what I mean.”

Balm nodded understanding. “Lots of cover.”

“Yes. For a long time, the Kishan scholars who study the builders have believed there are more builder ruins there. Turns and turns ago, they discovered fragments of a road leading that way, and some of the other writings they found referred to something—people, trade perhaps—coming from that direction.” She waved a hand, setting her bowl aside. “I don’t recall all the details, but Callumkal and others believe it likely that there is at least one ruined foundation builder city in that region. But the Hians say they have searched, and it isn’t there.”

Chime was frowning absently. Jade said, “Maybe it really isn’t there.”

“Maybe. There seems no reason to hide it if it is. But it has made for some disagreement between the scholars of Hia Iserae and the Kish-Jandera.” Rorra blinked and rubbed her eyes. “I should go back to the bridge.”

As she got to her feet, she stumbled a little. Moon caught her hand to steady her. He said, “I’ll go with you. I’ll take another turn on watch so River can come in and rest.”

Jade gestured assent. Chime was already curling up to sleep, and Bramble and Merit were both yawning. Stone was still eating, frowning at his bowl.

Moon walked with Rorra to the stairwell. The corridors seemed quiet, but then everyone was probably eating while the food was still warm. As Rorra started up the steps, he told her, “You probably need more sleep, too.”

“Probably, probably.” She waved a hand absently.

Moon went on down the corridor toward the bow. He passed an open doorway to a cabin, but the several Janderan and Janderi inside were all asleep on the benches. Everyone breathed deeply, the sleep of the exhausted.

Moon was almost to the bow and the second stairwell when he caught a scent in the air. He couldn’t identify it immediately, which seemed odd in itself. But it was coming from the draft down the stairs. It was just strange enough to make him want to investigate. He started up the steps.

The scent in the air was blood, mingled with something else.

As Moon reached the top of the stairs, his shoulder bumped the wall as he swayed sideways.
A wave hit us
, he thought. But then his head swam and he realized it was him.

He grabbed a rope handle at the top of the steps, put there for unsteady groundlings, and pulled himself up. He blinked, not understanding why it was suddenly so hard to keep his eyes open. Someone lay in the passage, slumped against the wall. It was a Janderan, and Moon thought he recognized the red-trimmed jacket the figure wore. He stumbled forward and slid down the wall, and carefully lifted the man’s head. It was Magrim, and his dark eyes were open and staring; the warm fluid on Moon’s hands was blood, from the deep gash in Magrim’s throat.

A soft step on the deck made him look up. Vendoin stood there. She said, “Unfortunately, he didn’t like the food.”

C
HAPTER
T
WENTY-TWO

T
he world spun and Moon couldn’t sit up, couldn’t see, couldn’t shift; the feeling was terrifyingly familiar.
It’s Fell poison
, he thought.
Somehow they have Fell poison
.

He tried to shove the looming figures away but hands seized his wrists and dragged him down the corridor. The edge of a hatchway scraped his hip, then he was dumped onto the deck again. Footsteps moved away, then he heard the door slide shut. From the corridor there was quiet talk but he couldn’t make out the words. One of the voices was Vendoin’s. Then a set of footsteps moved away, but he could sense more than one groundling just outside the door.

Someone patted his face, whispering, “Moon, can you hear me?”

It was Rorra, her scent laced with anger and fear. He dragged his eyes open. She half lay beside him, supporting herself on trembling arms. Her gray skin had light and dark patches, and there were deep bruises beneath her eyes. She looked like she was dying. She said, “It was the Hians. Vendoin betrayed us. They poisoned the food.”

“I know,” Moon croaked. He managed to lift his arm and hold it close enough to his eyes to see his skin. His snarl came out as a weak groan. Yes, there was a faint ghost-pattern of scales, his scales, imprinted on the dark bronze of his groundling skin. He tried to shift again but nothing happened. It was like reaching for something that wasn’t there. This was Fell poison. It must have been in the food. It had no scent, and the weedy taste had been disguised by the spices.