The Dragon Caller (Brightmoon Book 9) by Pauline M. Ross

Author:Pauline M. Ross [Ross, Pauline M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sutors Publishing
Published: 2017-12-13T06:00:00+00:00

20: Questions (Garrett)

Garrett swallowed his anger. Ruell was right, he couldn’t get quarrelsome with everyone who thwarted him, or told him what he didn’t want to hear. Besides, Ruell’s softer ways had got the information out of the woman, without any blood spilt or trousers soiled. So he sipped the beer and, when Elestra was longer than her allotted half hour, he ordered food for them, and sent Mikah’s two henchmen to watch the little boat, while the boatmen took some refreshments too.

So he was, if not relaxed, certainly mellower when Elestra finally reappeared, her smiling face peering round the tavern’s door, to a big cheer from the boatmen.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, it took longer than I thought.”

She looked so contrite that he couldn’t be cross with her. “At least we’re fed and watered,” Garrett said. “The others are just finishing their ale. Where’s your bag?”

“Bag? Oh, my things? Outside.”

He followed her through the door, to find a line of carts, each laden with a large wooden box of richly polished and inlaid wood, engraved with the initials‘EMgH’. “All this? Did you leave anything in your house? A chair or two, maybe?”

“Very funny,” she said, her sunny smile back in place. “I didn’t know what I might need, so I brought everything.”

“I can see that. Where are we supposed to put all this lot?” But there was no anger in him, merely amused curiosity.

“Isn’t there a place for cargo? The hold, or something?”

“TheSundancer isn’t a cargo vessel, and there’s no hold.”

“Well, they’ll have to go in my cabin, then.”

That made him laugh. “Well, you could try that, I suppose. Look, Elestra, let’s talk frankly. Your friend in the taproom told us you’ve never had any training for this and you’ve never seen the inside of a ship before. Is that true?”

“Oh yes! This is my first time out. It’s so exciting! I can’t wait to get going. Oh, are you worried that I can’t do it? You needn’t be. I’m a natural.”

He looked at her doubtfully. “So you can keep the ship moving, even without training?”

“Oh yes! It’s easy. Come on, let’s get up the hill and find a decent vantage point, then I can show you.” She took his hand, quite unselfconsciously, and towed him up a narrow alley between the tavern and the adjoining baker’s shop, to a path that wound back and forth across the steep hill at the back. Now they could look down on the little harbour and the bay beyond. “Oh, is that your ship?” she said, seeing theSundancer. “It’s beautiful. I shall like living on board it, I think. Right, let me prove my skill to you. Look, you see that small fishing boat? I’ll spin it round in a circle – watch.”

Her face changed, the smile replaced by a more serious look as she concentrated. At first nothing happened, but then the boom lurched, the sail flapped loosely and then filled with wind. Gradually the boat began to turn, and those on board could be seen scrambling to correct it.

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