Toby Neighbors - Fierce Loyalty

“Henson, get those men aboard. I want them berthed down between decks. Have their gear stowed and each man assigned to his duty, then report back to me.”

“Aye, sir,” the sailor on the boat shouted back, knuckling his forehead. “Alright, you dandies, you heard the man. Get your gear and get aboard. This isn’t a pleasure cruise.”

Zollin watched in surprise as Mansel jumped up and grabbed a rope that hung from the side of the ship. He climbed hand over hand to get on board. He had his belongs in a simple sack that was the size of his sword. The sack was slung across his back on a leather strap, and when he got on board he hurried with the other sailors down into the bowels of the ship.

The deck was busy and most of the passengers had retired down to their cabins, but Zollin waited by the ship rail. He wanted to see what his friend had gotten himself into. It was a brilliant plan. If he couldn’t book passage on the ship, he had gotten hired as one of the many hands that worked the ship. Mansel had never been the kind of person to shy away from hard labor, but Zollin had to wonder if his friend knew what he was in for.

It only took a few minutes before Mansel came jogging back up on deck. The sailor who had rowed them across the harbor pointed to a short, leathery skinned sailor not far from where Zollin was watching. Mansel hurried over to the man and presented himself.

“Carpenter’s helper Mansel, reporting for duty,” the warrior said.

The sailor looked him up and down for a minute, his eyes mere slits in the bright morning sunlight.

“So you think you want to be a sailor, eh? I think maybe you wooed the wrong woman and now you’re looking for a quick way out of town.”

Mansel shifted on his feet but didn’t say anything.

“Well, you’re certainly a big lad. Have you got any skills?”

“I was apprenticed to a carpenter for three years,” Mansel said, darting a glance at Zollin. “I’ve never worked on a ship, but I learn fast and work hard.”

“You’ll have to,” the sailor said. “My name’s Ern, and we’re the only carpenters on board at the moment. You’ll have plenty to keep you busy. Get started by stowing all those supplies below.” Ern pointed to a pallet full of freshly milled wood. There were stacks of thick planking as well as oak staves and iron hoops for making barrels.”

“You want these…” Mansel obviously wasn’t sure where the supplies went.

“Down in the workshop,” Ern growled. “And make sure they’re stored away neat. I don’t want to find my shop littered with broken wood once we’re underway.”

Zollin decided he’d seen enough. Mansel was on board and they would soon be sailing south. The ship would make several stops, but its ultimate destination was Brimington Bay, the closest point to the Grand City in Osla. Zollin descended the steps that led to his cabin and found Eustice resting leisurely inside.

“He made it,” Zollin told his companion. “He had to come on board as one of the hands.”

Eustice made a gesture.

“There wasn’t enough space on board for more passengers, at least I think that’s why. The ship is full of people.”

They ate some fruit and then headed back up on deck as the anchored was lifted and the sails unfurled. Zollin had never sailed on a ship before. His first experience at sea had been on the little fishing boat, and it had not been an enjoyable journey. He was amazed at the sheer number of men it took to sail the ship.

The Northern Star was a simple vessel, with two large masts. It had three decks. One was elevated over the others and was only as long as the last third of the ship. The ship’s captain called all his passengers up onto the elevated platform as they headed out to sea.

“You’ll find no better crew anywhere,” he explained, “so there’s nothing to worry about. We’ve got favorable winds and should make good time. I’ll ask that you remain in your cabins or here, on the command deck. I don’t want anyone wandering the main deck-it can be dangerous. Supper’s at six bells. If you need anything, Lieutenant Yagger will see to your needs,” he said, gesturing at the man who had been shouting orders all morning. “Any questions? No?” the captain continued. “We’ll be leaving the harbor soon. If you are prone to seasickness, I suggest keeping a bucket in your cabin.”

Everyone filed back into their rooms. Zollin noticed that the haughty woman he’d seen in the passageway wasn’t present for the speech by the captain. He found that curious, but not entirely surprising. She was a beautiful woman, in Zollin’s opinion, although just admitting that made him feel ashamed. The people he loved most in the world had died with him, and it felt as if guilt was his constant companion. Not that he had any reason to feel guilty-the woman was certainly not interested in him. It was the way his mind worked though, puzzling out problems and imagining what might happen.

He stood on the command deck, well behind the captain, who stood next to the helmsman giving quiet orders to his lieutenant, who then barked out the orders to the men working the main deck or climbing through the rigging like spiders. Zollin looked for Mansel but he was nowhere to be seen. Neither was the ship’s carpenter, Ern.

The Northern Star sailed smoothly through the harbor with just one large sail unfurled. There was strong wind at their back and they made good time through the narrow pass between the Twin Cities. Once they reached the open waters, the motion of the ship became much more pronounced. Zollin felt his stomach trembling and his head began to hurt, so he let his magic sooth the pressure in his inner ear. Then he let his magic flow through the ship. It was a small space that was teeming with life. There were sailors in the galley, carefully preparing meals, some for the captain and his officers, others for the crew, and still others for the passengers. There were men sleeping in hammocks slung so closely together they lay shoulder to shoulder. There were men in the rigging and along ropes near the crossbeams where the sails were tied. Zollin watched as the lieutenant shouted for more sails to be released. Some of the sailors untied the carefully bunched canvas. As it fell from the crossbeams, unfolding as it went, other sailors caught the ropes and carefully tied the bottom sides of the sails with long ropes. The canvas whipped and popped as the sails filled with wind, and soon there were three sails on each mast, each one bulging full of wind and pushing the ship faster and faster through the gentle swells.

Zollin also found men working below decks. Some were checking the cargo, others doing routine maintenance. Zollin discovered Mansel, already feeling very sick. He wasn’t the only sailor made ill by the ship’s rocking motion, and many of the passengers were too, but Zollin was only interested in his friend. If Mansel had to work, Zollin didn’t want him feeling sick too. He used his magic to help his friend adjust. It took several minutes. The magic was warm, like standing next to a fire on a cold day. It felt good to exercise his power. It was tempting to let the magic fall into the water, but he was still afraid he might attract another magical creature like the kraken.

Once Zollin had helped Mansel, he went back down to his cabin. There was nothing more to do but wait, as difficult as that seemed. He found Eustice asleep in his bunk and decided to follow the mute servant’s example. As he lay down, he couldn’t help but think of Brianna. His heart ached at the thought of her. He couldn’t believe that she was gone. He missed her so badly he would have given anything to see her, even for just one more moment. He wanted to tell her so many things and to hold her in his arms one last time, to savor the way she made him feel and the smell of her skin. He fell asleep and dreamed of Brianna.