Chabra: Betrayals

She was beginning to show a few grey hairs here and there, he thought to himself. After Arun was born, two years ago, she really looked her age. Thirty-three isn’t very old compared to some people—I’m forty-one, after all—but she’s got a pretty heavy load to pull here while I’m off running around Eudoxia or Karida.

Karadi reached out and brushed a wayward strand of hair from her sleeping cheek. Grey hairs or not, she was still the most beautiful woman he’d even met, he thought.

He leaned forward to kiss her forehead and as he did her face tilted upward to meet him.

“Well, good morning, sleepy head,” he greeted her after the kiss. “The sun’s already up, you know… I think everyone’s up except us. The children certainly are: just listen!”

The sounds of shouting children came from the garden.

“I’m glad Dhruv and Atisha are thirteen now, finally able to keep the young ones under control,” said Lajita.

“Unfortunately for the nannies, they have their own responsibilities now, too, though… If Dhruv is out there now his combat instructor will be furious. I’m not sure which tutor Atisha had today but I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re already here, tapping their foot impatiently.”

“Today is, um, mathematics in the morning, and geography in the afternoon,” she replied, stretching. “It does feel good to sleep late once in a while, doesn’t it?”

“Mmm,” he replied, voice muffled as he buried his face in the hollow of her neck.

“Stop that!”

“Spoilsport!”

“Isn’t ten children enough, you goat? Besides, I’m hungry.”

“Now that you mention it, so am I,” he admitted. “My mind was on other things…”

“Lecher.”

“Is it still leching if it’s between man and wife?”

The pillow hit him hard enough rip the seams with a spurt of downy feathers into the air.

* * *

The whole family came down to the waterfront to see him off.

The Salonitah was ready and waiting under Captain Ruk. It was actually the second of that name, after his original caravel had been torched by pirates down near the Boorsh Fens. It was also quite a bit bigger and nastier than the first ship had been, equipped with enough speed to catch most pirates and enough trained fighters to finish them off once they did.

There weren’t many major pirates left, mostly small-time operations that only picked on small, weak ships crossing the Night Ocean.

Ukos was one exception, of course… they’d crossed paths a few times since that memorable ransom a few years back, but somehow it had never ended up in battle. He’d even come to admire the man, in fact, after hearing how he only robbed the biggest ships and never took more than a third of their riches; shared his treasure with his men, earning their fierce loyalty; and had, on occasion, listened to the desperate entreaty of a ship’s crew and let them go untouched. He’d even saved the crew from one of Karadi’s own ships, caught on the rocks after a sudden squall… he could have left them there to die, but instead ferried them back to Cappadarnia under a flag of truce.

At the same time, he was a fierce and unforgiving enemy, and people that crossed him, whether merchants, pirates, innkeepers, or whores, almost invariably ended up either dead or fleeing to other lands.

They’d have to settle things one day—Karadi was determined to make the Night Ocean safe for merchanters, and Ukos was the last major obstacle. That was why he was on the way to Astarma now, in fact. He had set up a secret meeting with Ukos there, in hopes of finding a way to resolve the problem.

Only Lajita and Ruk knew why he was going to Astarma. He felt he could trust Ukos to respect the truce and meet with him, and assumed that he had only told one or two of his own trusted people about the meeting.

The Agnid Mountains ran along most of the eastern shore of the Night Ocean, with formidable cliffs in most places, leaving only three routes from the Three Cities of the Plains—Karida, Zeenar, and Ebnon—to Shiroora Shan, Eudoxia, and the rest of the Dreamlands to the west: through Shiroora Shan itself, by land or the Jasharra-Navi River from Karida; via the treacherous tracks over the Agnid Mountains from Zeenar to Istahn Village, perched at the edge of the glacier where the River Eidis was born, and thence down the river to Astarma by the sea; or through the deadly Boorsh Fens, where bottomless pools of scum and ravenous creatures lurked, to the desert of Cuppar-Nombo and on to Shang.

From Astarma, in turn, there were three sea routes: through the Great Seagate of Shiroora Shan to the western Night Ocean and then south to Adelma, through the Narrows of Cappadarnia, or around the south tip of the Low Isles, through the treacherous shallows and sea monsters of the water off the Boorsh Fens.

And, as it happened, Shiroora Shan controlled the Narrows from the growing town of Cappadarnia, which he had brought under his flag some years earlier.

If he could find a way to bring Astarma under his control as well, Shiroora Shan would have an effective monopoly on all trade across the Night Ocean, such as the enormously profitable indigo and silk of Ebnon, Zeenar cotton, and the prized paper, silk, and fragrant teas of unknown Gondara on the eastern side of the Athraminaurian Mountains, close to The Edge. There was a wide variety of traded goods, of course, but one shipload from Gondara would yield more profit than a dozen loads of common goods.

The problem was that much of the Night Ocean belonged to the pirates… ships could carry troopers for defense and usually bull through attacks by the smaller pirates, but troopers cost a lot of money and could easily turn a profitable trip into a loss. Plus, pirates like Ukos often attacked with two or three ships at a time, overwhelming defenses.

Over the years Karadi had built up his navy and whittled away at the pirates, but progress was painfully slow. Lajita assured him he would succeed, and Ukos would join them, but that didn’t make the work any easier or safer. He’d lost too many troopers and ships already and hated to think of losing more.

Lajita didn’t have much to say about this voyage to Astarma, strangely enough. She said the meeting with Ukos would go well, that he would accept Karadi’s invitation, and that they’d agree to wed their children—Fen and Asha—to each other, and Ukos would either absorb the other pirates or eliminate them. Later, he would assume the title of Lord of Astarma, and build a castle there.

She was vague on the details, though, and much as he respected Ukos he had difficulty believing the meeting would go as smoothly as her outline suggested.

He was sailing with two other ships, his old friend Redfang and the newer Hammerhead, and all three were ready for battle, with additional troopers on board just in case. The other two ships would anchor along the Low Isles, out of sight of Astarma, ready to sail at an instant’s notice, and the dinghy that would bring him to shore would wait there, ready to ferry him back again, or take messages to the waiting ships.

A filthy fishing boat had also called at Astarma a few days earlier, selling its catch and letting the crew relax for a few days before setting out again. It was well-known at the fishing port, selling its catch there often, but in fact it was Karadi’s ship and crew, keeping an eye on developments in Astarma. They’d be ready to move during the meeting, too, although, like everyone else, they hadn’t been told who was visiting Astarma, or why.

Even with those preparations he could still be killed very easily, and he knew it. He trusted Ukos not to kill him out of hand, though, and he had Lajita’s prophecies to lean on. He made sure his sword was sharp anyway.

The three ships followed The Spine south to the Narrows of Cappadarnia and anchored there for the night. The next morning they split up, Redfang and Hammerhead sailing farther south along the Low Isles coast, while Salonitah turned east, toward Astarma.

Astarma port appeared in the late afternoon: a small town of weather-beaten buildings surrounded by farmland. The Agnid Mountains running along most of the eastern shore of the Night Ocean curved east here, toward Zeenar, leaving a broad floodplain that could only be reached by ship, or through the narrow, twisting tracks over the mountains, beyond the headwaters of the River Eidis and Istahn Village.

“Ruk, take care of my ship,” he commanded as they lowered the dinghy. They clasped each other’s wrists in farewell. “I’ll be fine. But make sure you’re ready to go when I send word!”

“We’ll be ready; you just worry about yourself,” replied Ruk. “I still think this is a damn silly idea, and I’d be much, much happier if I went with you. Me and two dozen troopers.”

“When you’re married to a seeress you can do a lot of silly things in perfect safety, Ruk,” he laughed while hoping he was right.

“Safe voyaging, Master Karadi.”

“Safe voyaging, Captain Ruk.”

He clambered down the rope ladder and the dinghy pushed off toward the wharfs of Astarma.

* * *

He’d been here many times over the years, but always with a few troopers along. Merchants were happy to see him because he often bought their wares. The villagers didn’t care who visited as long as they paid in hard coin. The pirates who called Astarma home, however, felt quite a bit differently about Shiroora Shan, and especially about Karadi.

He was here in secret this time, but everyone would have recognized the Salonitah offshore, and might guess who the lone visitor was. He had to get to the designated tavern, the Blue Bottle Fly, quickly and rely on Ukos to keep his word.

Fortunately, the Blue Bottle Fly was one of the closest buildings to the waterfront, nestled between two enormous sheds where fishers sorted their catch and repaired their nets. The air stank of fish, both fresh and rotten, of sweaty fishermen, of sea-soaked timber and sodden nets, of well-fed cats padding silently in the shadows.

The hum of voices and the clatter of baskets and trays petered out as he walked toward the tavern, and faces began to turn toward him, hands falling still.

Whispers.

His right hand fell to his sword pommel, lightly touching it, ready to draw.

The tavern door was half-open.

He took a deep breath, wiped the sweat from his palm onto his tunic, and pushed it open, stepping into the relative darkness.

It took a second for his eyes to adjust, and in the dim light that came through the dingy windows and the scattered lanterns hanging, he saw half a dozen small tables and a dozen men waiting.

He scanned their faces.

No Ukos.

He stepped to the side, putting his back to the corner, and his hand dropped to his sword once again.

“Master?”

The voice came from the bar.

He turned to see the tavern master beckoning him.

“I’ve been waiting for you,” he said. “Through here.”

He gestured to the low door behind him, and Karadi stepped through into the back room.

A row of shelves covered one wall, and two enormous wood casks stood at the back: ale, no doubt.

In the middle of the room was a table, empty but for two tankards and a candle.

There was one vacant bench, and in the other one sat Ukos.

“The tavern master is an old friend,” said the pirate. “He’ll keep our secret, and warn us if need be.”

Ukos gestured at the casks.

“I’ve been waiting for you to get here, Master Karadi,” he smiled. “Plenty of ale to keep our tankards full.”

Karadi sat, and lifted his tankard, meeting the pirate’s midway over the table.

“To peace.”

“A good toast,” agreed Ukos. “To peace.”

The tankards touched softly, and the ale helped calm his nerves after the walk in.

“Culardi always has good ale,” said Ukos. “Not always the best, but always good.”

“You come here often, I hear.”

“And you were here last four months ago,” countered Ukos.

Karadi grinned.

“We both have our ways of keeping track of what’s happening on the Night Ocean,” he said. “You know I’ve got more ships standing by, and I know you’ve got more troops in the village.”

The pirate shrugged. “As you say, we both took precautions. I think it was a bit harder for me, though, because I had to make sure none of my men would kill you when you came ashore.”

“I appreciate the gesture,” nodded Karadi, lifting his tankard in thanks. “My wife would never forgive me if I got killed down here.”

“Ah, the Seeress of Shiroora Shan. I’ve heard much about her… is any of it true?”

“Probably doesn’t live up to the myths, but then again, who does?”

“And what did she say about our meeting today?”

Karadi examined the wet ring of ale left by his tankard for a moment, silent.

“Several things… she said you won’t kill me, which I found very comforting. You’re not going to kill me, are you?”

“Hadn’t planned on it, no,” admitted the pirate. “I may change my mind, though.”

“And she said I’d not kill you, which both of us will appreciate, I think.”

“Very kind of you, yes. And?”

“And she said that you will agree to work with me, that we will be successful in controlling the Night Ocean between us, and that our children will wed, in time.”

“That’s quite a prophecy!”

“It is.”

“For that to happen I’d have to go up against an awful lot of my friends, you know… you’ve killed off a number of them already, but it would take some convincing for me to want to kill off the rest.”

Karadi took another sip.

“I’m a merchant, as you know, and merchants like things to be quiet and predictable. When lots of exciting things happen there are certainly opportunities to make enormous profit, but they come with the risk of losing it all.

“Personally, I vastly prefer the quiet, because it lets everyone grow a bit instead of burning everything to the ground every so often. I have a family I want to protect, children I want to see grow up in a peaceful world. I know you have children, and grandchildren. Surely you’d rather see them safe?”

“Well, they are safe… nobody would dare bother them; I made that quite clear after one very foolish man kidnapped my daughter.”

“Yes, I was the one who rescued her, if you recall.”

“I do,” he admitted, nodding in thanks. “But it will not happen again.”

“While you’re alive.”

“Few people have threatened me and lived,” he said quietly.

“Not a threat,” denied Karadi. “An observation. Once you reach the top you always have to watch your back.”

“True enough,” said Ukos, relaxing. “And your proposal?”

“Let us join forces.”

“Me!? A merchant!?” He guffawed. “You must not know me at all!”

“No, not a merchant,” said Karadi. “My navy.”

His laughter stopped.

“Your… navy…”

“Ships, supplies, salaries, training, port facilities… the works.”

“And I do your bidding like a little servant boy?”

“Hardly. You do your bidding, keeping the Night Ocean safe.”

Ukos mulled that over for a bit.

“…It’s an interesting idea, I have to admit… I am getting a little old for this game.”

“If you’re willing to consider it, I’ll be more than—”

The door suddenly flew open with a bang and a dozen armed men burst in, spreading out quickly to face the pair.

“I trusted you, Ukos!” spat Karadi, springing to his feet and drawing his sword. He moved to put the wall at his back, trying to keep Ukos and all the newcomers in his field of view.

Ukos had also jumped up and drawn his sword, but it was pointed at the dozen who had forced their way in, not at Karadi.

“Not me, Karadi!”

“These aren’t your men?”

“Well, Captain Kanotic in the middle was my man up until this moment, but it seems he’s not any more,…” said Ukos. “And I see greedy old Chail standing outside the door.

“What is it, Kanotic? Finally decided to challenge me in public?”

“You’re finished, Ukos. And that triple-damned Karadi with you!” shouted Captain Kanotic, and leapt to the attack.

Ukos kicked his bench forward, narrowly missing Kanotic and forcing him to dodge to the side, off-balance.

“Your choice, Karadi!” called Ukos, focusing his attention and sword point on the approaching fighters. “We both die alone, or try Fate together!”

Buoyed once again by Lajita’s promise of a future life, Karadi made his decision instantly. He certainly couldn’t defeat this many enemies by himself, regardless of who they worked for. Partnering with Ukos gave him a better chance, however small it might be.

“Back to back, then,” he replied, stepping closer to Ukos and turning slightly to take the right half of the room, leaving Ukos to handle the left.

“We need to get to that corner,” whispered Ukos, using his chin to point at a corner of the room several meters away. “Trust me.”

Swords slashing, they slowly moved in the direction he’d indicated, using benches and tables as barriers to slow their attackers.

Karadi parried one sword stroke and sank his dagger into his attacker’s side. Her chain meant it wasn’t a fatal blow, but the tip penetrated and the force of his blow knocked her back.

He risked a quick glance at Ukos.

He was chest-to-chest with a half-naked black man, sword hilt pressed again the other’s axe handle. They strained for a moment, until Ukos’ leg snapped out to hook behind the other’s knee, pulling him off-balance for a split second.

Ukos twisted his sword-arm, mashing the fingers of the other’s axe hand.

His sword swung up and down again, and the axeman collapsed, his neck cut half-way through.

“To me, now!” shouted Ukos, and leapt straight at the back wall of the room where it met the side wall, right in the corner.

A section of wall popped out entirely, revealing the filthy alley running behind the tavern, and Ukos leapt through.

Karadi jumped, an instant ahead of a whistling sword blade, landing heavily on his shoulder and rolling to a crouch. Ukos was there, hand outstretched, to help him up, and pulled him down the alley. Right around the corner was a horse, saddled and ready.

“Up!” he shouted, pushing Karadi toward the horse as he toppled a pile of wood kegs into the alley to delay their pursuers.

Karadi used the stirrup to jump up into the saddle, yanked the reins, and extended one hand to lift Ukos up behind him as the horse broke into a gallop, down the alley and away from the ambush.

“Where are we going?” asked Karadi as they broke from the alley onto a wider street.

“Left at that willow up ahead,” replied Ukos. “They’ll be after us soon enough—wait, over there! That horse!”

Karadi understood what he meant, and twisted the reins to approach the other rider.

Ukos jumped onto the other man’s horse, knocking him off with a crunch and smoothly settling into the saddle. He yanked the reins to join Karadi, and they set off together for the willow, then left, galloping past street stalls and villagers about their daily business.

They could hear shouting behind them.

“Follow me!”

The two horses sped through the village, galloping down wider streets and cutting through alleys and markets without slowing.

They were heading away from the sea, up into the Agnid Mountains.

As the ground turned rougher there were fewer and fewer buildings until finally they were riding up a narrow trail. Karadi couldn’t see anyone else ahead or behind them.

Ukos slowed their pace, letting the horses cool off a bit, but kept them moving.

“As you said,” mused Ukos, “you always have to watch your back.”

Karadi grunted in agreement.

“And where to now? If we can get to the wharf, I can get us off to safety.”

“Your dinghy is gone, I’m sure,” said Ukos. “Dead, or fled back to your ship.”

“No matter. There is another way.”

“Well, if I didn’t know about it there’s a good chance they didn’t, either. Might still be there.”

“Wait until dark?”

“They’ll be thinking we only have two options: back there and get off to sea, or up the Agnids to Istahn, and over to Zeenar.”

“The trade route over the mountains? Pretty risky, isn’t it?”

“Yup. They could watch and ambush us easily,” agreed Ukos cheerfully. “There’s a third option, though.”

“You have a pet wyvern?”

“Hardly,” laughed Ukos. “I have a path back to the Night Ocean, and a boat waiting.”

“There aren’t any such paths!”

“Yeah, that’s what everyone says, and that’s why it’s so useful. Unfortunately, I’ll have to ask you to trust me once more, because I’m going to have to blindfold you for a while.

“It’s my secret, and I’d just as soon keep it that way.”

“Blindfolded. In the mountains.”

“If this was all some plan to kill you I could have done it much more easily back there,” pointed out Ukos. “I promise not to let you walk off a cliff.”

“I don’t seem to have much of a choice, do I? They’ll be waiting for me in Astarma, and on the Istahn road, too.”

“I’m in the same boat, you know. Except that once we get to sea we both have ships waiting, and troopers.”

“Hmm. All true, but still…”

Karadi ran over the possibilities. Going back to the village, or trying to make it over the mountains to Zeenar, were both very long shots. Longer if he had to try it alone. And Lajita said he’d be back.

“Do it,” he said finally. “Blindfold away!”

“It’ll only be for about twenty minutes, and most of that easy riding,” said Ukos as he began wrapping a turban cloth around Karadi’s head, top-down to the nose.

“I’m going to walk around in circles for a while, just to be sure you don’t know where we’re heading, and then up to the trail. Once we’re well in I’ll take off the blindfold again. Deal?”

“Deal,” sighed Karadi. “Let’s get it over with.”

Ukos led the horses around and round, back and forth, until Karadi was thoroughly confused. He gave up trying to keep track and just gritted his teeth.

“We’ll have to dismount and climb here,” said Ukos. “I’ll send the horses back on their way.”

He helped Karadi down, and led his to a nearby rock wall to wait while he took care of the horses.

There was a shout, the sounds of a hand smacking into the horse’s flank, and then hoofbeats fading off into the distance.

Karadi forced himself not to tear off his blindfold.

Ukos grabbed hold of his upper arm, pulling him to the left, then turning him to face the rock wall.

“I’ll guide you. A couple meters up, and then pretty flat walking. There’s a sheer drop on the right, so don’t lose your footing up there.”

“If I fall I’m taking you with me,” said Karadi.

“Yeah, fine. Left foot, up!”

Ukos guided his foot into a shallow toehold, then his hands, and they gradually climbed the rock wall.

“OK, you’re up. We can just walk most of it from here,” he finally said. “Just another ten meters or so, until the mountain hides our path, and I’ll take it off.”

Karadi grunted.

“Good breeze up here.”

“Keep your hand on that wall to your left,” warned Ukos. “That breeze is from the drop-off on your right.”

They walked slowly along the trail, Karadi feeling every step carefully with his booted foot before putting his weight on it. Ukos stayed beside him as much as possible, or behind when the trail was too narrow.

“Only a little further, Karadi. Sharp turn to the left here, and then we’re done.”

Karadi’s hand trailed over the rock face, and he slid his foot forward to feel where the corner was.

There.

His hand and foot located the corner at about the same time, and he shuffled forward, around the bend.

“Watch out!”

Just as heard the shout, a snake sank its fangs into Karadi’s hand, right behind the thumb. He yanked back in pain and surprise, and his feet slipped out from under him.

“Karadi!”

He slid and bounced down the cliff, unable to see because of the blindfold, screaming, and something hard hit him in the head.

Blackness.

* * *

Someone was shaking him, gripping his shoulder.

He groaned, realized he was lying on something hard and sharp, and opened his eyes.

Rocks.

A pair of straw sandals.

Dainty feet, slender legs… that wasn’t Ukos!

He sat up and grabbed his head at the splitting pain.

He looked up.

The woman, still in shadow against the sky, looked concerned.

“Are you alright? You fell and hit your head.”

“Yes, I… Who are you? Where is Ukos?”

“Ukos? There is no-one here named Ukos, just us, dear one.”

She was wearing a light, flowing gown that shimmered and rippled in the breeze. Behind her was a gentle slope covered in knee-high grass, dotted with grazing sheep.

Fluffy clouds overhead.

She had a garland of daisies on her head, yellow flowers almost the color of her blonde hair.

He stretched out a hand to leverage himself up off the ground, and his hand spasmed in agony.

He yanked it back—snakebite!

The twin punctures were beginning to swell and skin darken, blood oozing out.

“The snake… have to get the poison out…”

He pulled his dagger and moved to slash his own hand open, to suck out the venom, but she knelt next to him, and stilled his hand with her own.

“It is a minor matter, my dear, let me cleanse it for you.”

She leaned forward and kissed the wound, a brief touch of cool, soft lips, and the pain faded away like a dream.

He sat, somehow unable to think properly, bemused.

“Who… are you?” he finally managed to ask.

“You silly! You know who I am!”

He shook his head, unable to concentrate.

“I am Karadi of Shiroora Shan.”

“Why, of course you are, dear Karadi. Lucky thing your wife was here to help you!”

“My… wife?” He looked around. “Lajita is here?”

She leaned forward with the scent of lavender and cinnamon.

“The fall has addled your brains, dear Karadi. I am Lajita, of course!”

He shook his head again, rubbed his eyes.

Yes, of course she was Lajita. He recognized her now, familiar pitch-black hair framing deep brown eyes.

“But where are we? Why are you here?”

“Come, Karadi, let us go back home and rest a bit. The sheep will look after themselves.”

She took his arm, helping him up.

He looked at his hand: the snakebite was healed, only faint white scars marking where twin wounds had been mere seconds ago.

He shook his head again.

Something was strange. He felt like he had had a few too many ales.

His head didn’t hurt anymore, but it was hard to focus on anything except Lajita.

The sleeping mat was already laid out.

Had he forgotten walking to the hut? Suddenly he was there, and she was undressing him, wiping the dust off his body with a cloth.

She rubbed a fragrant oil into his skin, massaging his muscles deeply, working out kinks he hadn’t realized he had, her naked body sliding over his, legs entwining, lips caressing his neck, his ear, his lips.

He tried to concentrate, to throw off the inertia that gripped his mind… but not his body. Lajita. He tried to recall her face, her body, and his thoughts were shattered, blown away to dust by her kisses.

“Come to me, Karadi, my lusty Karadi,” she breathed as she straddled him, dragging him into her lavender and cinnamon scented paradise. He lost himself in her flesh, driving blindly until he reached release as she reared above him, riding him deep, head thrown back with an orgasmic scream, shuddered, shook, collapsed onto his chest panting.

“Man-seed, after all these years!”

He heard her words but couldn’t comprehend what they might mean, still drifting in a fog.

“Lajita?”

She began to dissolve into the air, tiny particles falling off like grains of sand, wafting away in the breeze, face melting in the sunlight. Sunlight. Where was the hut? Where was Lajita? What was…?

Her hands reached down to cup her belly, already swelling with new life, and she reached in and through herself to pull out a swirling cloud of glittering dust that clung to her hands like a living thing.

As the lingering traces of the phantom vanished into the air, Karadi heard the last whisper of a fading dream: “At last, a child! My long-awaited Shikhandi,” and she was gone.

Someone was shaking him, gripping his shoulder.

He groaned, realized he was lying on something hard and sharp, and opened his eyes.

Rocks.

A pair of leather boots.

“You alright, Karadi?”

Ukos!

He sat up, winced in anticipation, but there was no pain.

No pain in his head, or his hand.

He looked at it: the snakebite was healed, just those two faded white scars left behind.

“You’re a damn lucky man, Karadi,” continued Ukos. “If you hadn’t landed on this ledge, you’d be a couple hundred meters lower, and dead.”

Karadi sat up and looked around.

He was sitting on a narrow ledge jutting out from the steep cliff.

No grassy slope, no sheep, no beautiful woman, no Lajita.

A rope hung down from above; Ukos must have used it to descend.

“Let me see that snakebite, Karadi,” said Ukos, hand extended.

Karadi stood, held out his own hand.

“I think the snake missed me,” he said. “Just surprised me, that’s all.”

“Huh… no bite mark, but there’s blood on your sleeve there.”

“Must be from the fall, I guess,” said Karadi.

That woman—if she was a woman, and he doubted it—must have been real. The snakebit, healed. His head, his bumps and scratches, healed. His “seed,” as she had said… he couldn’t tell Lajita about this, not ever!

He stopped breathing as he recalled her final words. She had named the child Shikhandi!

“You OK? You’re awfully pale…”

“I’m… fine,…” he whispered. “The fall…”

“My pack’s up there,” said Ukos, pointing up the cliff. “Let’s get off this ledge, and get you some water.”

Had all that just been a dream?

He glanced at his hand… two little white scars stared back.

Karadi shook his head, dissipating the last traces of fog.

“Sorry,” he replied. “Let’s get going.”

He grabbed the rope, pulled two or three times to check that it was tight, and walked himself up the cliff, followed close behind by Ukos.

“You sure don’t climb like a man who just fell off a mountain,” chuckled Ukos. “Don’t look like it, either, except for your clothes.”

Karadi grunted.

“Just lucky, I guess. Thanks for coming to get me.”

“Well,” said Ukos, pulling himself up over the edge and coining up the rope, “You trusted me, and I didn’t see I had much choice in the matter.”

“Some people might have overlooked me on that ledge.”

“I’m not some people.”

He stowed the rope in his pack and brushed his hands off.

“Ready? We’ve about an hour’s walk, and then a short swim ahead of us.”

“And then?”

“And then we part ways, I think. You to the Salonitah, and me back to Astarma.”

“Astarma!? They’ll kill you!”

Ukos laughed.

“Oh, I won’t be going back alone. I’m afraid Kanotic and Chail won’t be with us much longer. You know any reliable lieutenants looking for a job?”

“Hardly,” smiled Karadi. “So are we still friends after we get home?”

“Well, perhaps not friends, but it seems we’re not enemies anymore, either.”

“So it seems.”

They walked in silence the rest of the way, and without a blindfold Karadi had no difficulty navigating the tricky places where the path diminished to almost nothing.

“Just up ahead,” said Ukos, breathing heavily. “Go slow.”

Karadi looked around the rock blocking their path to see the Night Ocean stretching out in front of them, blinding in the afternoon sunlight.

There wasn’t a sail in sight, and they could see quite a ways because the ocean was at least twenty meters below their feet.

Karadi leaned forward for a better look.

The cliff was almost sheer, with nothing to hold onto while climbing down. Below, the ocean was a deep sapphire blue: deep water.

“You mentioned the walk and the swim, but you didn’t tell me there was a little jump in the middle,” he complained.

“A minor oversight,” chuckled Ukos. “I’ve done this twice already, and I’m still alive, I assure you. Don’t think of it as a jump, rather consider it just one more step to reach the boat.”

“You sure there’s a boat down there?”

“Absolutely. Hidden, because I’d rather nobody steal it, but it’s there.”

Karadi frowned.

“I’ll go first, if you like, but I have to warn you that if you don’t join me, you’ll never find your way out of these mountains,” said Ukos. “When you jump, hit the water straight, feet-first if you can.

“And try not to land on top of me, if at all possible.”

Ukos dropped his pack over the edge, nodded, and stepped into thin air.

It seemed to take an awfully long time for him to hit the water, but once he did time sped up again, and he bobbed to the surface and waved.

“Water’s nice and cold, Karadi! Come on in!”

“Son of a bitch…” muttered Karadi, gritted his teeth, and jumped.

He started to flail instinctively, but immediately clamped down on his panic and brought his legs together, feet pointed down, arms at his side.

When he hit he was almost vertical, knifing down into the water with a shock that sent spikes of pain up his right leg. His impetus slowed rapidly in the water, and he swam upwards toward the air.

Ukos was waiting, his look of concern was replaced with a grin when Karadi’s head broke the surface, sputtering.

“See? Just one more step… nothing to it,” he said, and pointed toward the cliffside. “Behind that rock there. Help me get it out, and we’ll be on our way.”

There was indeed a tiny boat there, barely big enough for the two of them, but with both oars and sail.

“Where to? The Night Ocean is pretty big,” asked Karadi.

“South. My ship is waiting just a bit farther down the coast, out of sight.”

“And then?”

“And then we take you out to the Salonitah, and I make some preparations to go back to Astarma.”

“You could kill me once we reach you ship.”

“I could,” he admitted. “Or I could have just left you on that ledge.”

The wind was blowing from the west, and they were able to tack south very easily.

The pirate’s ship—the Wren—was waiting right where he’d said it would be, and Ukos scuttled up the rope ladder first to be sure none of his crew would raise their weapons when they saw who his guest was.

They didn’t.

They didn’t object when he commanded them to set sail for the Low Isles, either, or run up a white parley flag later as they approached the Salonitah.

And shortly after sunset the two ships parted ways again, the Salonitah turning north to head back to Shiroora Shan, and the Wren back toward Astarma.

* * *

Weeks later, a messenger came calling on Karadi at Shiroora Shan.

He carried a letter from Ukos, bound to hand it personally to Karadi.

Karadi snapped the seal and unrolled it.

 

Master Karadi,

My apologies for the difficulties we encountered in Astarma, and my thanks for the trust you showed me.

As you may have heard there have been a number of changes of late in Astarma, and in the pirate fleet. Captain Kanotic and several other pirates unfortunately passed away recently along with a number of respected merchants and other residents of Astarma. The village is being rebuilt now after some minor damage from fire.

Given the recent difficulties there and our mutual desire for peace in the Night Ocean, I felt that I had no choice but to assume the position of Lord of Astarma. We would be pleased to discuss further your proposal to hire the Astarma Fleet to patrol the Night Ocean.

Awaiting your favorable reply, I remain,

Yours faithfully,

Ukos, Lord of Astarma

END