Ocean Voyage

 

Circling around to the north of the beach they had visited earlier the entire group came up a gentle rise of tall grass and dunes. As they cleared the crest, they saw the great ocean spread before them. Some distance from the shore was a large boat. The lead Sprint descended the sloping dune and the group of captives stayed within the circle of Sprints. As they neared the water's edge, the large ship approached the shore. It was as tall above the water as two warriors, as broad as four warriors, and as long as eight warriors. Four Fae riders rode atop large fish whose heads rose and fell as they pulled the boat through the water.

A smaller boat separated from the ship and came toward them. The larger ship circled in deeper water. Two familiar figures dipped flat pieces of wood into the water as the boat approached. Fallon recognized the clothing of Cawthingi. One of them said something and the lead Sprint walked forward into the water and lowered the playpen to the boat.

The Cawthingi said something to the group. Alpen looked to Fallon to interpret, but Fallon played dumb. "Little knife," he reminded Alpen. He signaled to the Cawthingi, asking if they should walk in the water to the boat. The Cawthingi nodded and swept his arm to motion them forward.

Fallon looked behind him to Alithea and Bebe, signaling to go forward. Sitting on his dad's shoulders, Erthen was scared quiet, a contrast to the joy they had experienced earlier in the water. Fallon came alongside the boat, then set the boy in the boat near the playpen. He waved the others forward.

Following Bebe and Alithea, a Fae rider on a Sprint held the caged bandit. Both women looked nervously behind them at the snarling of the creature. They meant to set the bandit in the boat with them. Fallon pronounced the word "surrender" in the Cawthingi language. He deliberately altered the pronunciation so that the Cawthingi would not think that he knew their language and would take him as a Jade warrior who had learned the one word. The Cawthingi squinted at him, then turned to the Fae rider and waved off the caged bandit. The Fae rider hesitated. Fallon muttered under his breath to Alpen and they both adopted the bowed posture of a warrior who admits defeat. That seemed to convince the Cawthingi and the captors.

They had to sit slightly apart from each other on the bench seats. Alithea gripped the edge of the wooden seat. Fallon watched the muscles of her jaw clench as the boat moved through the water. After a few minutes, the boat pulled alongside the great ship. Each of the four fish pulling the ship was longer than a warrior, muscled like an adult Ibik with sleek smooth skin that glistened wet in the sunlight. On the back of each animal, a Fae rider sat straddled, its mind tendrils stuck into tiny ear openings on the side of the fish's head. Was there any animal that a Fae could not control?

/////////////

The playpen was hoisted up onto the deck by two Cawthingi. Fallon tried not to think of the terror the babes must feel, hoping they would not remember the experience. A plank was lowered. Fallon heard the lead Cawthingi tell the other that they were done for the day. Fallon carried Erthen close to his chest and waited for Alithea to climb the plank.

When they were all on board, a Cawthingi pointed first to Alithea, and then the playpen set next to an opening leading to a hold below decks. Alithea looked to Fallon, then Bebe came alongside and together they carried the playpen down the stairs. Carrying Erthen down the stairs, Fallon's nostrils were assaulted by the foul smell. The boy squirmed in his arms as though to get away from the smell. Fallon shushed him in a calming voice. On the stairs behind him, Alpen swore at the smell.

Pressed against each other in the darkness, Alithea's voice trembled. "I'm afraid we will crush the babes." Fallon set Erthen on the top of the playpen, then they elbowed their way to face each other in a circle and held the playpen.

"I'm so scared," Bebe said. Each of them had to push against the other bodies to keep the circle of safety around the playpen. They stood on planks laid over the bottom of the boat. The darkness was kind in a way. The smell coming from below their feet was putrid with bodily fluids.

Fallon choked back the meat they had eaten earlier, but he felt Alithea retch up some of her food. "I'll take it," he told her and grabbed a corner of the playpen so she could wipe her mouth. Then he felt the boy throw up and held him away from his chest. In the darkness, the boy's whimpers tore at his heart. Alithea cooed soothing words to the boy to reassure him.

Adding to the mayhem in Fallon's mind, the sound of different languages chattered in his head. He tried to shut them out, but he could feel his mind chasing after word phrases swirling among the cries and whispers. He thought he heard the Jade language, their tongue. Were there others of the tribe here?

//////////////////

The ship shuddered to a halt and the throng of passengers in the hold swayed against each other. Fallon heard Alpen voice in the darkness, "Forked Wedge." It was smart thinking. They were near the stairway and there was every likelihood that there would be a stampede when the hatchway opening was removed at the top of the stairs.

Fallon nudged Alithea and translated the warrior talk. "Wing attack formation," he said in a command voice. Surely, she must have seen it. Two warriors formed a wedge with their shields, hiding a third warrior between them who burst forth to attack the enemy's line. In this case the hidden warrior would be Bebe and Alithea with the playpen.

"I know what a 'forked wedge' is," she said. Her voice was slightly ragged, but the tone of impatience reassured him. She and Alpen negotiated the close quarters until Alpen was alongside Fallon.

"We turn and block as we go up the stairs," Alpen said. "Alithea and Bebe, honey, you have the babes?" Both women acknowledged.

They stood ready to engage their plan and waited. They heard the dull sound as the hull banged against something outside. They heard thuds and footfalls on the deck above. They heard all these noises because most everyone down in the hold with them had gone silent except for a few whimpers, retches and moans.

The light from above blinded them into a paralysis.