Sea of Sorrows by Ree Soesbee

Author:Ree Soesbee
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pocket Books
Published: 2013-06-25T00:00:00+00:00

Twilight crept over the harbor, bringing with it the sweet scent of open flame and meals cooking in homes and taverns. The lapping of water against the ships on the docks matched the rhythm of drums and violins in the ale houses where sailors spent their pay on a night of drinking and debauchery. A light from the windows of the captain’s cabin aboard the Nomad shimmered on the waves.

Cobiah marched stiffly down the dock toward the clipper. He heard a distant bell ringing the hour in the town and paused at the gangplank to hear it toll. On the deck of the Nomad, the few sailors still on board called out to one another, saying their good-nights and walking the rounds before they turned in below. Cobiah twisted the cuffs of his blue frock coat and straightened the collar at his neck. He wished the walk had taken longer. Now that he was here, he had no idea what to say. Taking a deep breath, he considered turning on his heel and going back to the Pride, but even as he tried to convince himself to leave, Cobiah stepped out onto the gangplank, and he found himself striding up the walkway onto the Nomad’s deck.

“Ahoy!” a voice called from the deck. The soft glow of a lantern moved closer as someone approached the gunwale. “Who goes there?”

“Hail, aboard,” he answered, waving awkwardly. “I’m here to . . . I mean . . .”

“Is there some problem?”

“No, no problem. It’s Captain Marriner. I’d like to speak to . . . um . . .”

“Cobiah?” As the figure approached, Cobiah caught the shadow of gently fluttering black wraps on the wrist holding the lantern. “Dwayna bless my soul.”

Recognizing both the voice and the odd, bandagelike strips of fabric, Cobiah relaxed. “Verahd. Good to see you.”

Lifting the lantern higher, the elementalist pushed back his wire-rimmed glasses and studied Cobiah intently. “You look like a fop,” he said bluntly. “Where did you get that terrible coat?”

“Macha gave it to me. You don’t like it?” Cobiah looked down at the frock coat in distress.

“I can lie if you want, and say it’s very fashionable. Isaye, on the other hand, will tell you the truth. Probably through a lot of laughter.”

Grumbling, Cobiah took off the coat and tossed it to hang on one of the dock pegs. He walked up onto the deck and shook Verahd’s hand. “Thanks.” Verahd nodded with a sound that was half chuckle and half sigh and gestured for Cobiah to follow.

“Lucky for you, Henst’s at the tavern with most of the crew; you’d have never gotten aboard. She’s a bit miffed at you. What did you do?”

“Me?” Cobiah raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. “I didn’t do anything.”

Verahd snorted. When they reached the big oak doors of the captain’s cabin, the elementalist stared at him appraisingly and then shrugged and knocked three times. “Cap’n?” the elementalist announced with resignation. “You’ve a visitor.”

“At this hour? Who in the Mists .

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