Guardians of the Flame #02 - The Sword and the Chain by Joel Rosenberg

Author:Joel Rosenberg [Rosenberg, Joel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Dead^Man, April 2011
Published: 1984-04-03T22:00:00+00:00

PART FOUR:

Melawei

CHAPTER TEN

TO EHVENOR

Practice is the best teacher.

— Publilius Syrus

As they rode down the shallow slope toward Ehvenor, the freshwater sea called the Cirric lay below them and ahead of them, rippling off across the horizon. Off in the distance, Karl could see the rainbow sails of a wide-beamed sloop, tacking in toward the harbor.

Ten, perhaps twelve, small ships huddled around Ehvenor’s docks, as seamen bustled like ants to load and unload their cargo. Just harborside of the breakwater, three large ships lay at anchor, attended by half a dozen small launches that swarmed around them like pilotfish around a shark.

The low stone buildings of Ehvenor cupped the harbor, flat and ugly. The streets were narrow, crooked, and strewn with refuse; the town of Ehvenor looked like one large slum.

There was only one exception: A cylindrical building, seemingly three or four stories high, stood in the center of town like a rose on a pile of dung. It shone whitely.

Karl rubbed his eyes. It was hard to make out the details of that building; the edges and details fuzzed in his eyes, as though he couldn’t focus on it.

“Ahira?”

The dwarf shook his head. “It doesn’t seem to suit my eyes, either.”

“You think that’s the Faerie holding, or embassy, or whatever they call it?”

The dwarf snorted; the snort was immediately echoed by his pony. “Not likely to be anything else; I doubt the locals build out of mist and light.”

Karl nodded. “I’d like to know how they do that.”

“Ever hear of magic?” Ahira fell silent.

After a reflexive check to see that the others, riding behind him, were doing fine, Karl patted at Carrot’s neck. “I wonder how you’re going to take to being on a ship.”

Did horses get seasick?

And how about the others? Chak, Tennetty, and Rahff had never been on a boat before. Fialt wouldn’t be a problem; he was a Salke, and apparently everyone in Salket spent a good deal of time at sea. Ahira wouldn’t be a problem, fortunately. A vomiting dwarf wouldn’t be any fun to be around. And Aeia was a Mel; according to Chak, everyone in Melawei was practically conceived at sea.

Well, at worst, we’re going to have four upchuckers among us. Probably including me.

Karl rubbed at his belly. Maybe this time will be different. God, please let this time be different. His only other time at sea had been on the Ganness’ Pride. The trip from Lundeyll to Pandathaway on the Pride was not one of Karl’s fondest memories; he had spent the first few minutes throwing up his breakfast, the next couple of hours vomiting up food he didn’t even remember swallowing, and most of the rest of the trip with the dry heaves.

Ahira chuckled.

“What is it?” Karl looked down at the dwarf. “You think seasickness is funny?”

The dwarf shook his head. “No. I wasn’t thinking about seasickness at all.”

“Oh. So it’s my nervousness about going on a boat again that’s funny?”

Ahira scowled. “Your nervousness? Karl, you don’t know what nervousness about being on a boat is.

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