come about. On the starboard bow quarter this tack.”
At the moment Nikolai opened the trap to go below and summon the crew, a blinding hurl of white engulfed the Eroean , the Cape of Storms living up to its name as wind-driven snow slammed horizontally across the Elvenship.
A sevenday plus two it took to round the cape, sometimes the Eroean seemingly driven abaft while at other times she surged ahead. And at all times the savage wind tore at her, while the greybeards struggled to wrench her down. Snow and ice weighed heavily on her rigging, and Men and Dwarves were sent aloft to break loose the pulleys so the ropes would run free. Tacking northwest up across the wind and southwest back down, Aravan sailed by dead reckoning, for no stars nor moon in the short nights did he see, nor sun in the long days. Nor did he see the southern aurora writhing far beyond the darkness above, shifting curtains of spectral light draped high in the icy skies, as if a strange wind blew out from the sun to illumine the polar nights.
Still, battered by wind and wave, the Eroean took nine full days before she could run clear on a northwesterly course, free of the cape at last, Aravan’s reckoning true, the crew superb in handling the craft and not a Man or Dwarf lost unto the grasping sea. Even so, all were weary, drained by this rugged pass, including her captain, a thing seldom seen by any of the crew. Yet finally the ship’s routine returned to something resembling normality though the winds yet blew agale, but they were steady on the larboard. And running on a course with the wind to the port, mains and crossjack and jibs back full, up into the Weston Ocean the Elvenship ran, the log line humming out at nineteen knots, the Eroean flying o’er the waves.
And once the ship was out of danger, Aravan fell into a deep sleep, and Aylis did not see him awake for a full two days.
A week later across the Doldrums of the Goat the Eroean fared, this time heading north, the ship laden with all sail set, yet moving slowly in the light air-“Slipping past the Horns of Old Billy,” as Noddy had said. Three days it took to cross the calms, three days ere the wind picked up again, now coming from abaft. North-northwest she drove, sweeping through the coastal waters of the wide Realm of Hyree.
Five days under full sail she ran on the northerly trek, the winds steady but moderate, until they came once more unto the Midline Irons, where they unshipped the gigs to tow the Eroean across the placid equatorial waters.
At last the winds returned, blowing lightly down from the northeast, and into these she fared, sailing through the gap between Hyree to the south and Vancha to the north, finally entering into the Avagon Sea along the Straits of Kistan. A day she coursed as the skies turned a sullen grey, and still to the north lay Vancha, but now to the south lay Kistan.
“Sail ho, crimson!” called the foremast lookout. “Sail ho on the larboard bow!”
Nikolai’s gaze swept the horizon forward and left, then stopped. A heartbeat later-“Ring alarm, Noddy, and stand by to pipe crew.”
Noddy hammered a tattoo upon the ship’s bell, and moments later crew and warband spilled onto the deck as Aravan came to the wheel. James stepped to Noddy’s side, but left the bosun whistle in the lad’s hands.
“Where away, Nikolai?”
“There, Kapitan,” replied the man from the Islands of Stone, pointing.
Just on the horizon, scarlet lateen sails could be discerned, a two-masted dhow heading downwind in the general direction of the Elvenship.
“Nikolai, bring the Eroean to a northeast heading. Put this rover on our starboard beam.”
“Aye-aye, Kapitan.”
Aravan turned to the wheelman. “Wooly, ready to bring her to the course laid in.”
“Aye, Captain.”
“Noddy, pipe the sails and then fetch Brekk.”
“Aye, Cap’n,” responded the cabin boy, and he blew the command and then handed the whistle to James and sped away.
As the Eroean came to the new heading, Brekk stepped to the wheel, the Dwarf accoutered for combat. “Where away?”
Aravan pointed.
Brekk looked long, then glanced up at the pale blue Elven-silk against the somber skies.
Aravan said, “Armsmaster, we should know within half a glass whether this Rover will be foolish or wise.”
Brekk grunted and said, “We will be ready.”
Then the Dwarf made a circuit of the ship to all the ballistas, readying the crews of missile casters for battle.
Steadily the Kistanian ship ran downwind west-southwest, and just as steadily the Eroean haled crosswind, northeasterly, up and toward the track of the freebooter. Time eked by, and still the Rover ran on his straight course, as did the Elvenship.
“Keep her on our beam, Nikolai.”
“Aye, Captain.”
“Wooly?”
“Aye, Captain, I’m ready, too.”
“James?”
“Ready as well, Captain.”
“Then pipe away.”
Gradually the Eroean headed up into the stiff wind, now running on an easterly reach. Still the crimson- sailed pirate fared southwesterly, running downwind, the vessel now nearing the Elvenship.
Of a sudden the raider changed course and fled toward the Isle of Kistan.
Down on the main deck, “Kruk!” barked Brekk. “Cowards all. She is afraid to take on Eroean .”
Beside him, Dokan said, “I think the Rover captain didn’t even see us until she was nigh upon us.”
Once again, Brekk glanced up at the cerulean sails against the dark grey skies, and then down at the indigo hull. Finally he looked toward the fleeing ship. Then he sighed and said, “Sometimes I wish we were harder to see.”
Ten days later in the heart of the night the Eroean haled into the wide waters of Hile Bay, and she docked at one of the stone piers below the city of Pendwyr.
All the next day and the one after the cargo was unladed, and new ballast was taken on to replace the weight of the porcelain ware, for it would not do to have the Eroean turn turtle at the first strong wind or great wave. When the ship was empty of cargo and laden with the proper ballast, Aravan had her tugged away from the docks to anchor in the bay.
He set the crew free to “do the town,” and knowing the crew as well as he did, he knew that most of them would try.
The very next morning, Aravan and Alyssa and Lissa and Vex all paid their respects to High King Ryon and Queen Dresha, Aylis and Lissa and Vex standing by as Dresha ooh ed and aah ed and murmured over the golden designs on black, while Aravan and Ryon stepped into the courtyard and flew arrows at distant targets.
After a private midday meal with the High King and his Queen, Aravan and Aylis and Lissa-the Pysk once again hidden in the hood of Aylis’s cloak-and Vex on his string tether, went to the libraries of Caer Pendwyr to see what they could discover about the City of Jade.
They carried with them a small jade statuette on which was carved a haiku in a strange tongue:
Thrice I dreamt the dream
From the City of Jade I fled
Nought but shades now dwell
36
