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“Would you rather sail around aimlessly until we run out of food?” Kearan asks her. “Or worse. Until the king reaches us?”
“We could replace the mainmast with the mizzen, attach the mainsail to it, and—”
“It’s a good idea, Niridia,” I interrupt, “but we’ll never outrun my father that way. It would speed us up some, but not enough. We’ve no choice but to stop.”
It’s in Niridia’s nature to be cautious. She always suggests the safest and most practical course of action, but she never fails to follow orders when I say otherwise. She’s the reasonableness to my recklessness. And I always need to consider reasonable options, even if I don’t always end up taking them.
“Get us here, Kearan,” I say. “And let’s pray to the stars we can find a suitable trunk ashore.”
“Aye, Captain.” He leaves us, and I say a silent prayer of thanks that the rudder at least isn’t damaged. Then we’d really be in trouble.
***
I crawl into my room long after nightfall. After two days without sleep, I’m practically sagging from exhaustion.
“Get out,” Riden demands.
Oh,nohe doesn’t. I saved him. I worked out saving the ship and the rest of the crew. I’ve worked too hard and too long. Iwillsleep in my own bed tonight.
I offer him a vulgar gesture in response before stepping over him to reach my bed. “You didn’t see it,” I say, realizing it’s pitch black, “but I just suggested you go—”
“I think I can guess,” he says. I hear a shuffling noise, and I realize he’s trying to push himself off the floor to leave, just like he did before.
“You’re not leaving this room, Riden. Try it, and I’ll have Mandsy tie you down.”
He growls at me. It’s the last thing I hear before falling asleep.
Chapter 11
Clever, Alosa. Sending the land king after the keep. Oh, yes, I’ve heard word. My men are fine. The land king fled with his tail tucked between his legs. We’ll have to relocate now, thanks to you.
Your list of crimes is growing. I don’t know if there’s enough skin on your bones for the lashing that’s coming your way.
The last yano bird returned rather quickly. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say we were catching up.
MY FATHER’S LATEST NOTEsends a shiver down my back.
Land could not have come any sooner.
I reach for my telescope and peer toward the line of greenon the horizon. Tall trees stand sentinel over the island. They slope with the rolling hills. Gray clouds hang over the island, and an instant later, the ship passes into a light drizzle.
It is not unlike Lemisa, the closest island to the keep, save the weather is a bit warmer. At last, a bit of luck. Cone-bearing trees are the best to make masts out of, and this island is covered with them. Those closest to the shore are relatively small, but if we traverse inland, where there’s sure to be a freshwater source, we’ll find taller trees.
“Ladies and gents, we’re almost there!” I call out to the crew. Hearty shouts go up in response.
“Begging your pardon, Captain,” Enwen says, inching closer to me, “but are we sure going ashore is the best idea? The island could be haunted.”
“Sirens roam these waters, Enwen, and you’re worried about ghosts?” I ask.
“Ghosts, ghouls, banshees, wraiths—”
“Don’t exist,” Kearan cuts in from where he steers at the helm.
“Do so.”
“Have you ever seen one?”
“No, but there are stories.”
