from the floor red faced, he says, “It takes some practice.” Hopping down from his hammock, he holds Miko’s open for him and says, “Here, sit down then lift one leg over.”
Miko hesitates a moment, but then comes over and does as James says. Once he’s straddling the hammock, James says, “Now, lie back and nestle in between the sides. Once you’re secure, bring your feet up together so you remain balanced.”
Nervous about hitting the floor again, Miko takes it slow and lies back until he’s nestled in the hammock. James keeps a firm hold of it while he’s getting in. Then, lifting his feet, he brings them into the hammock until he’s completely settled within it.
James lets the hammock go and it begins swaying with the rhythm of the ship riding the waves.
Miko panics and grips the side of the hammock tightly as soon as James lets go, but soon realizes that he’s not going to immediately fall out. After a few moments of not falling out, he begins to relax. His nerves settle down and he starts to enjoy the swaying rhythm the hammock makes with the rocking of the ship.
“Ever been in a hammock before?” James asks Jiron.
Shaking his head, he says, “No, never even seen ‘em.”
“Want me to help you in?” he asks.
“No thank you. I’d just as soon sleep on the deck,” he says as he makes a space for himself over in the corner.
“Suit yourself,” James tells him.
Going back to the door, he makes to leave when he hears Miko holler, “Don’t leave me in here!”
Smiling, he goes back over and helps him to get out of the hammock. Taking Miko with him, he leaves the room and walks out on deck where the salt air whipping off the water almost knocks him over in its intensity. Gaining his balance, he moves to the edge of the ship by the rail where he gazes out over the water.
Back the way they’d come, the land is now only a thin line on the horizon. Everywhere as far as he can see is water, blue-green water with a sky of crystal blue above them. A grin breaks out upon his face, always happens when he’s riding a boat. Taking a ferry back home elicited the same reaction. It just feels good to have the wind whip around you with just the sound of the bow breaking the surf. He stands there mesmerized by the experience.
Miko stands beside him, affected the same way. Coming in on Nate’s cousin’s ship from the mines had been less enjoyable. He’d been sick plus had had the added worry of Nate’s condition on his mind as well. Now, though, he can truly experience it. Ever since Al-Kur when the slave wagon had stopped to pick up several more slaves from a ship at anchor, he’s wanted to do this.
After standing there in quiet contemplation, the captain comes up behind them and says, “We’re making for Maradan, a city on a local island near here. We have some cargo to unload and others to procure before leaving. We’ll be spending the night at dock before lifting anchor in the morning.”
“Maybe we could do some sightseeing?” James asks, turning around.
“Might not be a bad idea,” the captain agrees. “When we leave there, it’ll be four more days until we drop anchor again.”
“Anything worthwhile to see on the island?” he asks.
“Not really,” he tells him. “There are several nice inns if you want to take advantage of them while we’re there. It’s possible you may find something of interest, though my men tend to just stay on the ship while we’re there.”
“Thank you anyway, captain,” James says.
“No problem,” he replies, “just thought you might want to know.” He then turns, and climbs the stairs to the deck over their room where the helmsman stands at the tiller.
James glances to Miko, “Wanna do some sightseeing while we’re there?”
“Sure,” he replies, “better than being cooped up on this ship.”
Just then, a large creature similar in nature to a whale from back home, suddenly crests the water and falls back, causing water to geyser up into the air.
“What was that?” Miko asks, wide-eyed.
“Not sure,” James answers, awed. “Back home it might’ve been called a whale.”
“It was incredible,” he says as he gazes out across the water, hoping to see another.
James looks out over the water too, but he’s more interested in the serenity it brings to him than trying to locate another of the creatures. He’d always found great peacefulness in watching the waves whenever he’d been on a ferry or charter boat back home.
By this time, the island they’d left has completely disappeared behind them. James stays by the rail until he begins to see another island coming up ahead of them. As they approach it, the captain begins hollering orders to his crew as they trim some of the sails to slow their approach.
“Looks like we’re making for the island over there,” Jiron says as he comes up behind them.
“I think so too,” James replies. “Miko and I are going to go exploring on the island while the captain makes some trades. He said we wouldn’t be leaving until tomorrow morning. Want to come along?”
“Sure,” he says.
They stay by the rail as the island ahead of them grows bigger and bigger. It isn’t long before they’re able to make out the docks and other ships at anchor there. The island itself is heavily populated, houses dot the land from one end to the other.
Commands can be heard being shouted by the captain as he makes ready to dock. The sailors begin furling the sails and several go over to the railing at the bow, readying lines to be cast to those who’re waiting on the docks.
With skill honed through years of practice, the captain and his men slow the ship as they approach the dock. The sailors toss the lines over to the men who’re waiting on the dock. With quick speed, the dock workers wrap the lines around mainstays and they can hear the dock groan as the ship pulls against the lines and comes to a stop.
Once the ship has stopped its forward momentum, the ship drifts backward and the dock workers take up the slack in the lines until the ship is securely tied to the dock.
The captain comes over to them and says, “You can disembark now if you like. We’ll be here for some time. Just be back by sunup.”
“Sure thing captain,” James says.
“That sure was something,” Miko exclaims. “The way you brought the ship right up to the docks, at just the right speed.”
The captain smiles at his exuberance and replies, “All in a days work, me boy.” He turns back to his men and begins barking out orders as they start getting the cargo ready to be taken off the ship.
“Shall we?” Jiron asks, indicating the gangplank a sailor had just put in place.
“Absolutely,” replies James as he heads toward it, with Miko just behind.
When they disembark, the first thing that James notices is the lack of soldiers on the streets. There was a reduced presence back in Corillian, but here, there’s a total lack of them.
“Guess the Empire doesn’t feel the need to have soldiers patrolling here,” he observes.
“Probably not,” agrees Jiron. Looking around, he sees not much more than houses and some stores. “Doesn’t look like there’s too much to this place.”
Feeling a tug on his arm, James looks to Miko who’s pointing to a bakery shop. “James, tarts!”
Smiling, he allows himself to be dragged over there where they buy a dozen tarts with a red berry filling. Miko pays for them from the money Miriam had given him and then they leave the shop. James hears Miko licking his fingers and glances at him, one tart had already bit the dust.
They come back to where Jiron is waiting for them and Miko hands him one. “Ever had one before?” he asks him.
Nodding, Jiron says, “Yeah, a couple times. Tersa really likes them.”
Moving along, they proceed down the street to see what there is to see. They come to a woodcrafter who has several wooden ships displayed and James goes over to inspect them. He picks up a small one and says, “This would make a good present for Arkie.”
The woodcrafter, seeing his interest, stops the work he was doing on another of the wooden boats and comes over.
