Pathways by Dave Willmarth

Author:Dave Willmarth [Willmarth, Dave]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-06-02T06:00:00+00:00

Mace appeared in Jorin’s cabin aboard the Sea Sprite and waited a while for Shari to show up. When she didn’t, he checked his UI and saw that she was online. He left the cabin and found her on deck already talking to the rest of their group. There was a new woman in the group, whom Shari had mentioned briefly the night before. He held out a hand, saying, “You must be Kristen? I mean… Ska, was it? Welcome.”

The woman in chainmail turned and instantly bowed to him. “Yes, Your Highness. And thank you.” She kept her gaze on the deck. Mace reached out and took hold of her hand, shaking it. “None of that formality here. I’m just Mace, okay?”

Ska nodded, giving him a nervous smile. “Of course, High-… of course, Mace.”

Turning to the others, he asked, “So, what did I miss?” Shari had filled him in on some details, but he’d been focused on his code and only half heard some of it. He gave her a sheepish smile, and she just rolled her eyes.

“Not a thing, lad. It seems yer new kingdom be runnin’ just fine without ye! Lady Shari here’s already made ye obsolete,” Stonehand said with a straight face.

Mace pretended to be relieved. “Oh, good! I was thinking of taking the next month off and just exploring, anyway.”

The others smiled as Stonehand huffed over his ruined joke, mumbling something about drow having no sense of humor.

Jorin filled them in on the journey in progress. Sailing upriver against the current meant a slower pace than when they’d come downriver from the lake, so it would be dark before they reached the lake. After their encounter with the leviathan, none of them were anxious to cross the lake after dark. Which meant it would be around midday tomorrow before they reached Lakeside.

Mace noticed a large number of the new citizens were milling around on deck, trying to keep out of the sailor’s way. When Jorin noticed him looking, he laughed. “We brought Shari’s new pet along for the ride, and… well, let’s just say some folks felt it a bit crowded down below.” Mace vaguely recalled Shari telling him she’d bonded with the wyvern.

Shari’s eyes got wide. “Oh, my! She didn’t hurt anyone, did she?”

Jorin shook his head. “She’s been a perfect lady. Though she did hiss at a mother who stumbled and dropped her child. The child wailed, and the wyvern moved to protect her. She hovered over the wee one, sniffed at her. When she found the mother’s scent on the child, she gently nudged the baby forward with her nose and backed away. No one was hurt.”

Mace looked at the people standing around, and the frustrated sailors. “Uhm, Shari? Maybe you could go down there and dismiss the wyvern? Just until we reach our destination?”

Shari nodded and headed belowdecks to do just that. Snuffles and Mion remained with Layne, who was playing a calming tune on her lute. Thinking of pets, Mace summoned Minx.

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