The Mujar entered a copse of tall trees and dumped the bag. A spring bubbled from lichen-covered rocks and trickled away along its mossy bed, a line of silver amid the green. Chanter selected a log and sat, looking up at her with a smile.
'I'll swim or fly. You have a choice.'
She knelt to unpack the bag. 'What's that?'
'Either you can buy passage on a ship, or purchase a boat and I'll tow you across.'
Talsy considered these options while she started a fire and set a pot of water on it. Now that she owned a tinderbox, she no longer needed Chanter to light fires. She placed the remains of an antelope in the pot and added vegetables, then sat back. Either choice meant going into the city, which she did not like.
'Are those the only two choices?'
He shook his head. 'I could carry you on my back, but you'd get wet. It wouldn't be pleasant. Or I could build a raft, but that would also be uncomfortable and slow.'
Talsy pondered. A ship would be by far the most comfortable method, but it would also mean she would be parted from Chanter for the voyage. She was not sure that she had enough money to buy a boat, even a small one, and a raft would take time to construct.
'How long will it take to swim across?'
His brows rose. 'Odd choice. Quite a long time. A day and a night, at least.'
'That's too long for me. I'll go into the city tomorrow and see if I have enough money to buy a boat, if not, I'll go on a ship.'
'Of course, there are other choices, but I don't want to draw attention to myself. I still have to free this boy in Rashkar. It will be easier if no one knows I'm there.'
Talsy stirred the stew, thinking about a Mujar's powers. If he could part a mountain, he could certainly part the sea, or make a bridge of ice for her to walk over. The thought made her shiver, and she glanced at him. With a friend like him, nothing was impossible, but was he her friend? Was it only clan bond that kept him with her, and how strong was that? If the effort of looking after her became too great, would he abandon her without a qualm? What did he feel for her? Was a Mujar capable of feelings? He treated her with kindness and respect, but had not touched her except to give her warmth or comfort. He had protected her from the Kuran, but had yet to announce that her wish was fulfilled.
Talsy still pondered this when she crawled into the tent to sleep, stretching out on the thin bedroll. Chanter joined her as he always did, to lie beside her and share his warmth before he disappeared into the night for his wild wanderings.
Chapter Ten
The following morning, she walked to the city, and Chanter accompanied her to the outskirts. When he decided that it was too dangerous to go closer, he leapt into the air and transformed into a gull with a rush of Ashmar. Talsy walked on, knowing that he kept watch high above. By the time she trudged through the city gates, the fascination of the great metropolis held her in its spell. The massive stone walls loomed over her, daunting in their solid, meticulous construction from chiselled stones that fitted together with almost seamless precision.
At the gates, two bored guardsmen leant on their spears and watched her pass. Within the walls, tall buildings seemed to crowd over the paved streets. Statues watched her pass with blank stone stares and well- dressed citizens stepped aside with grave courtesy. The clean, wide streets crossed each other at exact angles and measured distances apart. Carts and drays rattled along them, and fancy rigs drawn by high-stepping horses carried wealthy ladies in printed gowns. Shopkeepers displayed their wares under gay awnings and greeted passers-by with polite smiles. It all seemed ordered and peaceful to Talsy, civilisation at its height.
Finding the docks was simply a matter of following her nose. The smell of fish and salt carried on the inshore breeze, and the straight wide roads led her to a fish market populated by fat fishwives and salty fishermen. A flotilla of boats crowded the dock, four or five deep along the wharf. Ocean-going ships rubbed against fishing boats of all shapes and sizes. The bustle of loading and off-loading kept a constant stream of activity through the market. Brothels and warehouses bordered the docks, and fishing nets lay in great piles or were stretched between the gangs of men and women repairing them. The atmosphere was industrious, and people laughed and talked as they worked, while children played at their feet.
Stopping beside a grey-bearded man relaxing on a bollard smoking a pipe, Talsy enquired after a dingy for sale. He directed her to a vast, red-faced man repairing a net, who set a price well beyond her purse and assured her that she would not a get a boat for less. Despondent, she asked about buying passage on a ship, and he directed her to a handsome, lean-faced man clad in a smart olive coat, cream shirt, soft brown boots, fawn trousers and a peaked cap. He agreed to take her across for a mere two silver coins, which seemed reasonable, but she shivered at the way his grey eyes raked her. His ship sailed that afternoon, which meant she would have no chance to leave the city and meet Chanter. Wandering to a deserted end of the docks, she leant against a sea wall. She studied the wheeling gulls, wondering which one was the Mujar, and how she could get him to come down.
A rustle of wings beside her made her glance around. A gull had landed not two feet from her, and regarded her with silver-blue eyes as he shuffled his wings into place. Talsy smiled.
'I have passage on a ship,' she told him. 'It sails this afternoon.'
The gull stretched his neck and looked around.
'I don't know its name,' she answered the silent question. 'But you'll see me board it.'
The gull puffed out his feathers and shook himself. Glad of his presence, she sat on the wall beside him and watched the wharf's bustle and the ships sailing in and out of the harbour. At noon, her stomach growled, and she left the Mujar to purchase lunch at a nearby tavern. Returning to the sea wall, she brought a slice of bread, which she tore into little bits and fed to the gull. He took them from her fingers, and she longed to stroke the smooth soft feathers, but doubted that he would appreciate it.
'That's a very tame bird.' A voice behind her made her turn as Chanter took wing.
The grey-eyed sea captain sauntered up, smiling. He glanced up at the wheeling birds. 'They're good eating, you know.'
Talsy shuddered and swallowed the hot words that leapt onto her tongue at his callous observation. 'Are we leaving now?'
He nodded. 'They've almost finished loading the cargo.'
Once again, his eyes raked her, making her skin crawl, and she was glad when he turned away. She followed him to a gangplank that spanned the gap to a modest, well-built schooner. He helped her aboard in a gentlemanly fashion, but she shuddered at his touch. Bales were stacked on the deck, and the ship sat low in the water. The captain led her to a hatchway, where Talsy hesitated, unwilling to follow him into the ship's bowels.
'I'd like to stay on deck,' she said.
'For two days?'
She hid her dismay with a bland smile. Chanter had said a day and a night, but evidently it took longer on a ship.
Talsy followed the captain down a steep stairway, filled with trepidation. He took her to a cabin in the stern of the ship with a narrow bunk on one side and a desk and chair on the other. At the back was a diamond-paned window made from poor quality glass. She put down her bag and turned to find him smiling, his demeanour smug.
'This is my cabin, but it's yours for the trip.'
'Where will you sleep?'
'I'll bunk with the men. It's only two nights.'
Talsy frowned. 'I thought you said two days.'
'Yes, two days and two nights. We dock early in the morning of the third day. That's depending on the weather, of course.'
She fingered the hilt of her hunting knife, drawing his eyes to it. 'It's very kind of you to give me your cabin, captain.'
He raised cold eyes to hers. 'Think nothing of it.'
