Maggie Furey - Aurian

“Are you all right?” he asked nervously,

“Yes.” The voice was little more than a whisper—then to his relief, she sat up straight, settled the infant on her lap, and put the handkerchief away. “Yes,” she repeated firmly. “I’m fine. I don’t like leaving Dad, but I always wanted adventure. I’m sick of sitting at home sewing, and all that tedious female stuff!”

Yanis grinned. She was going to be all right, after all, “You sound tike my mum,” he told her. “She wanted adventure too— and ended up marrying a smuggler!”

A chuckle emerged from the shadows of the girl’s hood. “Xt \east Ym going to the right pVace, then.”

She was a droll little thing, and no mistake.’ Snorting with laughter, Yanis picked up his oars and set off to row swiftfy downriver through the frost-glittering night, to his fast little ship that vjas mooted in a quiet cove around the headland from the port of Norberth.

Yanis, thankful that it was Solstice, and the hours of darkness were so long, ordered the ghost-gray sails to be unfurled. Steering his sleek little ship out of the twisting inlet that had shielded it from prying eyes, he headed, with a tremendous sense of relief, out to sea. His passengers were safely asleep below, tired out from their journey. Two children would only be in the way as he dodged along the treacherous coastline in the darkness, avoiding the safer sea lanes that were crowded with fishing fleets from the villages and the clumsy, wallowing vessels of the legitimate merchant-traders.

Besides, it was best to keep the youngsters out of sight of the crew, who were in a state of near rebellion after the disastrous voyage to the South. They had made it clear to Yanis that they were far from happy with the responsibility of these unexpected passengers. Vannor might have made the Nightrunners rich through his trading connections, but they were still in awe of his reputation as a dangerous man to cross.

“What if there’s a storm?” Gevan, the mate, had whined, “What happens if the young’uns fell overboard and drown? What will Vannor say if we’re caught with his brats on board, by one of Forral’s patrols? That big bastard from the Garrison is getting too clever by half!”

“What if—what if!” Yanis had mocked, “Why, Vannor himself sent his youngsters with us!”

“And what about that girl?” Gejran had continued, undeterred. “I always said a ship’s no place for a woman!”

“You’d better not let my mam hear you saying that,” Yanis grinned. “She’ll stretch your guts for rigging!”

“I don’t count your mam as a woman—she’s a sailor born and bred, that one—which that little lass below is not!” The mate stumped off, still muttering darkly.

In truth, Yanis had his own misgivings, but they differed from those of his crew, who had only seen Zanna’s small figure muffled up in cloaks. They thought she was still a child—but he had seen her up at the house, brawling with Vannor’s wife, and she was older than she looked.

During the long and tiresome trip downriver, Yanis had been putting two andjwo together—and he was far from happy with the result. Why had Vannor suddenly decided to send his children to the smugglers? Why had he not mentioned it earlier? Why had Aunt Dulsina appeared with them so unexpectedly, and hurried them off so quickly? There could only be one answer. “That cunning bastard!” Yanis muttered. “He’s sending his daughter to spy on me!”

Suddenly it was all too clear. Vannor, angry because Yanis had been cheated by the Southerners, had sent his wretched girl to mingle with the smugglers and probe their secrets. And then —Yanis swore. The leadership! Vannor meant to depose him, and take over the smuggling operation himself.

“Oh—we’re sailing!”

The voice, so close at hand, made Yanis jump. That wretched girl had crept up so quietly while he stood at the wheel that he was taken completely by surprise. Startled and unthinking, he gave voice to his suspicions. “Spying already, eh? Well, I know what you’re up to, girl, and it won’t work, see?”

Yanis had been so kind to Antor and herself on their way downriver that Zanna was shocked by his sudden hostility. Biting her lip, she fought back tears. The rest of the crew had looked so unfriendly when she ventured up on deck that she had been counting on the support of their leader. What had she done to earn his anger? Remembering the grave, dignified manner with which Dulsina deflated Vannor’s fierce rages, Zanna drew herself up to her full, albeit scant, height. “If you know what I’m up to,” she said coldly, “I hope you’ll tell me—for I’m sure I have no idea.”

“You have no idea, indeed!” Yanis mocked her. “You and Vannor didn’t think I had the wits to work it out, did you? Poor, daft Yanis—he’ll never guess he’s being spied on—he’s so thickheaded that he gets cheated by Southerners!”

Most of this outburst was a mystery to Zanna, but she heard the bitterness in his voice—and caught the name of Vannor. “Dad? But he doesn’t even know I’m here—” Horrified, she caught herself up with a hand to her mouth, but it was too late. Yanis looked at her with narrowed eyes. “What?” he yelped. “He doesn’t know you’re here?”

Gods, but he looked so fierce! Zanna backed away from him, the words tumbling out of her as she tried to explain. “Well, he must know now, of course, because Dulsina will have told him, but he didn’t know, when we came away ...” Her words trailed off. Yanis looked at her, stone-faced, not helping at all.

“I had to get away from Sara!” she protested. “She meant to marry me off to some moon-faced merchant’s son—”

“Vannor didn’t send you?” Yanis was gaping at her.

Zanna sighed. No wonder he was cheated by the Southerners, she thought. “No,” she repeated. “Dulsina said you wouldn’t take us if you knew, so—” She shrugged. “I’m afraid she didn’t exactly tell you the truth—”

“Gods’ bloody teeth! I have to get you back, before he finds out!” Yanis spun the wheel, and the ship lurched and shuddered, heeling over as the wind spilled from its sails. Curses and shouts of protest could be heard all over the deck as the crew were tumbled about.

“No,” Zanna cried. “You can’t!” Without thinking, she tried to wrench the wheel from his grasp, to return the ship to its original course. For a grim moment they grappled, while the vessel wallowed and tipped.

“You idiot!” Yanis bellowed. “You’ll have us over!” Giving in to her, he let the ship swing round, heaving a sigh of relief as the tilting vessel straightened and the wind swelled its shadowy gray sails once more. “Get below!” he snapped at Zanna. “I ought to throw you overboard!”

“Not until you’ve heard what J haye to say.” Zanna stood her ground. “You can’t take us back,” she insisted. Didn’t this fool realize that she was trying to keep him out of trouble? Yanis was not to blame for the disappearance of Vannor’s children—but her father wouldn’t see things in that light! Desperately she tried to think of a way to change the young smuggler’s mind. “Do you want your crew to see how you were taken in? You’ll be a laughingstock!”

“What in the name of all the Gods are you playing at, Yanis? Are you trying to send us to the bottom?” Gevan thrust forward, his weatherbeaten face pale with anger.

“It was my fault,” Zanna said quickly, trying to look meek. “I—I thought I could steer it, but—”

“You let this child take the wheel?” Gevan turned on Yanis.

“Have you lost your mind?” The crew, limping and rubbing their bruises, were gathering around, awaiting the outcome of the confrontation with avid curiosity.