Toby Neighbors - Fierce Loyalty

Bartoom, Offendorl thought, pushing his will out toward the dragon with his magic. Bartoom, search for the young wizard. He is coming south, probably by sea. You must find him and destroy him, but do not endanger yourself. Frustrate his plans, and do not wander far from him. Do you understand?

Offendorl was suddenly struck by an image of Zollin and then the sea and then fire.

Good, go my pet. Do my bidding.

The elder wizard’s head was spinning. He pulled the heavy crown off his head and slumped back against the pillows. He had done it, he thought. He had done what he needed to do. He could not have risked showing how weak he was to the sailors on board the ship he had taken to Brimington Bay, but here he could rest. He could do the work that had to be done without having to explain his constant need for food and wine.

He ate the last bowl of food and drank the wine greedily. Then he fell asleep, his magic still churning and his mind trying to soothe the malice it had felt from the dragon. The beast hated him, but it would obey, and that was all that mattered to Offendorl. He didn’t need love or affection-just simple, unwavering obedience.

Things were different on board the Northern Star. Zollin and Eustice were treated with deference by the crew-even the first officer-but not by the captain, who avoided them. Mansel had gone back to work with the crew and found a new sense of respect among the crew. Slice recovered from his beating quickly enough, but his gang was in constant turmoil. They fought amongst themselves for supremacy while their fallen leader waited patiently, biding his time and planning his revenge.

It was three days before Zollin saw the Lady Roleena again. She was still arrogant, but she gave him a little more respect. They crossed paths on the command deck, both seeking a way to cool down in the sweltering heat. It was early autumn and in Yelsia the temperatures were falling, but the Northern Star had sailed far enough south that the days were sunny and hot still. Unfortunately, the winds had waned and the sun beat down on the ship without mercy. The ship still moved, but only in fits. The sails hung limp, only fluttering occasionally, and the captain forced his crew into boats to tow the heavy ship. It was hard, difficult work.

Mansel was called into service. He rowed until his back ached and his hand bled from blisters formed by the rough oars. It was a depressing time for all involved. Zollin was anxious to reach their destination. At first, sailing had been a relaxing way to travel, but it had become tedious. Now, he longed for a good horse and the open road, although he knew that the ship could carry them south much faster than riding ever could, even if they had to suffer through a few days of calm winds.

“You could do something about this wind, couldn’t you?” Roleena asked, raising an eyebrow at Zollin as they passed one another.

He ignored her comment. He could have filled the sails with magical wind, but he didn’t think the effort was worth an hour of travel. He wasn’t even sure he could keep up the magical effort that long, and he refused to tax his powers. It would only leave him weak and vulnerable. They might need his power for something else, and he didn’t want to waste it.

He walked to the end of the railing and was forced to turn and walk back. He couldn’t help but look at Roleena-she was beautiful, after all. Despite his attempts to ignore her, she wasn’t trying to hide the fact that she was staring at him. Zollin felt a little trapped on the ship-he was used to moving on quickly after a confrontation and rarely had to deal with the infamous reputation his power earned him. On the ship though, he couldn’t escape it. Rumors had spread among the other passengers, while Zollin and Mansel had become somewhat of heroes to the crew. Only Mansel’s superior, Ern, the ship’s carpenter, treated him the same, barking orders and checking his carpentry with a critical eye. Slice and the gang of bullies avoided Mansel, but the other sailors treated him kindly and even showed him favor in the cramped world between decks.

“Silence is a tactic I’m used to,” Roleena said to Zollin as they approached one another. “I doubt you have the fortitude to try my patience.”

Zollin still said nothing, he just kept walking. He wasn’t normally a pacer, but he thought he would go out of his mind sitting in his cabin with Eustice. He liked the mute servant, but even though they could communicate via gestures, it was still difficult not to be able to talk.

He had just reached the end of the deck and was turning around when the sails began to flap. The big canvas sails and long lines of rigging were extremely noisy in fitful wind. When combined with creaking of the ship and the shouts of the sailors, it was sometimes difficult to think straight. Everyone stopped what they were doing and watched the sails, hoping to see them fill with wind and begin propelling the boat again. Zollin actually held his breath as the canvas flapped, whipping and popping like a sheet before it was hung to dry in the sun.

A bead of sweat rolled down Zollin’s forehead and he reached up to wipe it away, when suddenly the sails billowed out and the ship lurched forward. The captain began shouting orders to the crews of the boats who were cheering the return of the wind. It took nearly half an hour to get the sailors out of the ship’s boats and back on board. They used the intricate systems of pulleys to hoist the heavy, wooden boats out of the water. The Northern Star was like a stallion set free-it seemed to rush headlong over the easy sea, leaving a long, frothy wake behind it.

Zollin stayed on deck, relishing the cool breeze and the sense of momentum returning to his quest. He was leaning on the railing, watching dolphins race along beside the ship, jumping and playing in the turbulent water beside the ship’s hull.

“They’re amazing creatures, aren’t they?” Roleena said.

Zollin looked up, frowning but not wanting to be rude.

“Yes,” he said sternly.

He was angry at Roleena for using her charms on him. If Eustice hadn’t come to the rescue, he’d have stayed in her cabin while Mansel was beaten for a crime he didn’t commit. It made Zollin’s stomach turn, but no matter how angry he was or how guilty he felt, he couldn’t keep his heart from racing when Roleena was close to him.

“Oh, don’t be surly,” she teased. “It doesn’t become you.”

“I’m not trying to impress you,” he said.

“Nor I you. I admit, I underestimated you. I took you for a merchant, or perhaps a healer, although I thought you much too young for that. But a wizard-now that is something. I’m rarely surprised, Zollin Quinnson, if that is your real name. I’ve never met a wizard before. The tricks you did with my guards were impressive. I don’t believe they’ve ever been thwarted before. It was a blow to their egos. They’ve been even more sulky than you.”

“I don’t care,” Zollin said.

“Of course you don’t. You have bigger fish to fry, as the saying goes. What takes you to Osla?”

“I have business there.”

“Oh, rubbish,” she said. “Wizards don’t conduct business, but I think I know. There is someone there you are trying to catch or kill. Isn’t that what wizards do? It’s all shadows and mysteries in the songs and stories, but when it comes right down to it, wizards are men. And men are all the same.”

“So why bother asking?”

“I rarely do,” she said. “But I must admit you intrigue me, and so few people can do that.”

“You have everyone figured out?”

“For the most part, yes. In fact, I’ll lay odds that you are going Osla to kill someone. Am I right?”

“It’s none of your concern.”