An Exile Aboard Ship by M.C.A. Hogarth

Author:M.C.A. Hogarth
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: M.C.A. Hogarth

CHAPTER 19

“We’re good.” Eddings sounded as exhausted as she looked, and the triumph that should have accompanied the words was markedly absent. None of them had had time to check the news before the realtime comm alarm had jerked them from sleep. So far only she, Ra’aila, and Saul had made it to the bridge, but Surela wouldn’t bet on the others remaining abed long. “It’s over.”

“Over, over?” Ra’aila asked cautiously. “Or ‘we’re waiting for yet another shoe to drop’ over?”

“Over as much as any war is ever over,” Eddings said. “The Chatcaavan Emperor is on our side. They’re going to sign a formal treaty in the Selnor system while he’s there.”

“He really was on our side,” Ra’aila repeated.

“He was, yes.” Eddings looked past her at Surela. “Your ambassador’s doing.”

“My… what?”

“The Eldritch Liolesa sent the Alliance when they asked for a candidate as their ambassador to the Chatcaava. No idea how that worked, but somehow he turned the emperor.”

“God Almighty,” Saul murmured.

“Unfortunately, there are big chunks of his empire that disagree with him,” Eddings continued. “That’s the ‘as much as a war is ever over’ part. But Fleet’s backed down on the shipping warnings, so you can leave as soon as you pack us up something to eat.” Her smile was wan. “We could use some cheering up, so if you can bring us some ice cream, we wouldn’t be sad about it.”

“We’ll leave as soon as we can,” Ra’aila said. “All of us are sick of being stuck here.”

“We’ll be glad to see you back. Reese out.”

They exchanged glances, then brought up the news, and it was full of trauma and the shock of their reprieve. The battle had been heinous—Surela glanced at the casualty figures, added on top of the existing ones from the first attacks, and closed her eyes. Did it matter anymore that they weren’t Eldritch? The size of their disaster staggered the heart. She would have grieved for millions of birds, or horses. How much more so for these people who wore their animal seemings like dominoes for a masque?

“What’s going on?” Danica asked, popping her head into the bridge, and her eyes were grimy with fatigue, or with weeping. “Is it over?”

“The good dragons saved us,” Ra’aila said. “Our employer would like us to box up some chickens and ice cream and come home.”

Danica’s mouth worked in shock and nothing came out initially. Then: “You’re… not jesting.”

“Trade winds, no.” Ra’aila pressed her fingertips against her brow and let a laugh out. “Let’s go find some supplies. I can’t think through all this stillness.”

“I… I could buy supplies,” Danica managed, as if the prospect of doing so was novel and distant. “We could leave the ship.”

“We are leaving the ship. All of us.” Ra’aila rose. “Get everyone up, we’re rhacking leaving this ship.”

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