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"The Assassin's Apprentice" is told in first person present tense and is edited for a smooth reading experience.
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Chapter 19
The port master regards me from across a pale oak tabletop.
"With the storm moving in, I doubt there's any ships at all leaving the harbor, lad. If there are, I don't have them on my roster. However, you might check with each captain. Sailors are not easily deterred from the sea. It's their home, something they trust."
I walk outside and look at Talen and Angelaria who are leaning against a wooden rail that overlooks the shipyard. The sky to the south is lined with dark purple clouds, and I can see white crests on all the waves.
"Now what?" Talen asks me.
"Let's walk along the wharf. We might spy a ship that'll be sailing tonight. If we do, I'll speak with the crew."
"I saw one a few hundred yards east of here," she gestures. "The ship's a big one... it looks like it could spare three more. Well, four more," she said, considering her kitten.
I nod. "Okay then. Any idea on how much they might charge us?"
"It's hard to tell. Probably not more than twenty gold crowns. With that kind of cash you could rent a mansion for two months. But there's only one way to find out," Talen says.
He's right. I swing over the rail and drop to the ground fifteen feet down. Talen follows suit. Angelaria grimaces and takes the stairs muttering something about "boys."
When we get closer to the boat she noticed earlier, I note that it's more than a hundred feet from forecastle to stern...maybe larger.
The ship's crew is scrambling all over it, hauling twine and patching sails. It's equipped with three masts and a crow's nest right beneath a flagpole. I walk up the dock and call out to a sailor that looks to be of some importance.
"What cans I help you with, maitee?" He asks. He has big black eyes with harsh wrinkles at the corners, one of them's lazy. His mouth's a wrongful, ugly thing; his nose is awful and thickly made.
"Where is this ship sailing to?" I ask him.
"As soon as we're loaded down, the captin' make his headin' toward Korimar and then on to Merenzar and the lands south of 'er in."
I look at Angelaria.
"Korimar's a little out of the way," she whispers in my ear. "Ask him if we can book passage. Perhaps he'd let us off near the Coast of Blood."
"The Coast of Blood?" I state, somewhat quizzically.
"Meron, silly. It's named after the savages living in the jungle. They're cannibals and leave the remains of their war feasts to feed the fish." More about cannibals I think to myself. Is everyone in the world turning to this disgusting taboo? Sometimes the way she talks about cannibals and murderers with such an offhand, matter-of-fact manner, makes my blood run cold. "It keeps down any deforestation efforts and consequently, there are no towns along the coast. That's why all the cities are inland. It's probably better that way, especially since monsoon season lasts about nine months out of the year."
"I need to book passage," I say to the man, "for the three of us. Would this be possible?"
The ugly man grins. "You can pay'n me if you'n liken too, laddy. An I'll keep the coins in safe keepin'."
Talen waves his hand in protest. "I don't think so. We'd like to see someone in charge. Not a barrel hand."
The sailor grimaces, presumably measuring Talen up. "I ain't no barrel hand," he hisses, "And I'm damned sure I can whoop your arse so you'd best be gettin' more civil er I'll take ye for a dunk, boy." I'm impressed. Talen got this guy wound up.
Talen glares at him. "What was that? Were you...threatening me? Cause if so, I'd really like an excuse to send you to a doctor." Talen has a way of popping his knuckles that's fairly intimidating.
"Please," Angelaria starts to say. "I'm sure we can settle this some other time. I, however, would like to see someone in charge. So, are you, or are you not, that person?"
He tugs at his beard as if considering her words. "Follow me."
We walk onto the boat which is rolling slightly as the swells from the open sea toss the ship. He shows us to a room filled with charts and maps. I see a dizzying array of navigational instruments, clocks, and straight edges. Angelaria calls one an astrolabe.
The captain's a robust man with thick arms of sinewy muscle, large hands and a well- trimmed beard and mustache. His skin's deeply tanned and his shirt's barely ample enough to cover his chest. It's torn in spots, and he speaks with a deep voice. He's hunched over the table, studying a chart carefully and recording notes in a ship's log. He wears soft slippers on his feet.
"Might'n has a moment with y'sir?" the sailor asks. "These three er wantin' to speak with yee on bookin' passage."
He looks up from his charts and regards the three of us with surprise.
"And who might the young lady be?" he asks.
Angelaria smiles, setting Verrr down to walk around the room. "Someone who needs help. These here are my friends Kian and Talen. We'd heard that you plan to set sail soon for Korimar."
"Aye, m'lady and you heard true. We sail today." He rises and offers her a chair. "But can I fix you a drink or spirits before we talk business?"
"Thank you," she says, taking a seat. "That'd be very nice."
"Would any of you like a drink?" the captain asks.
"What have you got?" Talen responds.
"Scotch, whiskey, and ale. We just re-provisioned. The ale's great. I like to add my own cinnamon apples to the brew. It gives the ale a kind of lively flavor."
"I'll take some of that," Talen says.
"How about you, lad?" he asks me.
"I'll pass," I answer.
"Suit yourself." He pours Talen his drink and hands it to him in a large pewter flagon. Next, he brings a small cup over to Angelaria. She sniffs at it, and I can tell she won't like it by the way her nose wrinkles.
"Now," he starts to say, looking for his chair, "What does a lovely girl like you want with Korimar?"
Angelaria arches her brow. "Actually...I want to get to the Coast of Blood. Can you take us there?"
"The Coast of Blood? That would take me two weeks out of the way." He scratches the side of his temple. "Can't you find any other ship that'll take you?"
I speak up this time. "Not one that'll leave during the storm. We've pressing business to attend in Meron."
The captain considers it over his ale. "Aye. And I should have thought about that. Very few people are braver than Prince Ja-Mir of Korimar."
I roll my eyes at the way he drops that last tidbit of information.
Angelaria bats her eyelashes. "Are you a Prince? I had no idea."
Ja-Mir leans back in his chair and folds his massive arms behind his head. He gazes up at the ceiling, but I can tell he's flexing his muscles subtly. I hope Angelaria doesn't stroke his ego. "Ahh...I'm sorry. I let that slip out. Yes...yes...I'm a prince. Though it's hard to keep from being recognized as such. Especially when I'm the bravest and strongest man from here to Korimar and two thousand miles in any other direction."
"Well then," Angelaria says, taking a sip from her flagon. "I can pay. We all have money."
"But what would a prince need with money?" I ask.
The captain's eyes narrow and he leans forward with his heavy arms resting on the desk. "I may be a prince," he whispers. "But business is business."
"Of course," Angelaria says. "How much do you require?"
"Fifty gold crowns."
Talen almost has a spasm. "Fifty... that's ridiculous!"
The man meets Talen's gaze. There's a moment of silence, and I begin to think Talen should've kept his mouth shut. The guy grins and laughs. "So is the request. The price is going to be fifty gold crowns. Non-negotiable. If you don't have the money, you don't have a ship."
She looks at me and I nod.
"I'll pay the price," I say.
There's a moment of stunned silence on his behalf.
"Are you criminals?" he asks. "I don't want any trouble from the law. I've enough trouble at sea as is without being pursued by the regional government."
Angelaria coos at her cat. I shift my stance. "Of course not," I say.
He watches me suspiciously.
"Well, then," he says, "I don't see a problem with it. Now, there are rules on this ship. I'm the captain. This man here that brought you in is Gunnar. He's my first mate. You can call me sir, or by my name-Ja-Mir. Your beds will be down below with the other men. The girl here, well, she can share my cabin with me. I don't want her downstairs with the others."
I start to object.
"Put yourself at ease lad. I'm a perfect gentleman, and I respect a girl's privacy. But no one rides for free on my ship. We all have duties in cleanin' and watchin' on deck. Both of you look to be in sad shape for sailing, but I'll make do."
Sad shape? Asshole, I think to myself.
He stands up, flexes again, and I can see quite clearly he must be immensely strong, perhaps even as strong as Logren. Angelaria stares at him and says, "Your muscles are so big."
Ja-Mir says, "Thank you." Then he looks at me and Talen. "I need someone to help climb the masts and act as spotters. You boys have the build of a pair of monkeys so that'll be your duties. You'll be expected to take odd hours and dinner is every man for himself. Understood?"
"And what shall I do, captain?" Angelaria asks.
"Why dear, keep me company, of course."
Her cat's rubbing up against my leg. I feel this sudden urge to kick it, but I restrain myself. Instead, I reach into my pouch and count out fifty gold crowns and hand them to him. His eyes widen a bit, probably wondering what I did to earn such money.
The first mate, Gunnar, leads us down below, and onto the sleeping porch. The bunks are crowded together, and it stinks like a sweaty armpit. When I walk down with Talen, there are four others down here. One's a dark-skinned man with painted skin. He's giving another sailor (a youth like myself) a tattoo on one of his arms. It's so stuffy that I can smell the blood. Another guy probably in his mid-twenties eyes us suspiciously as Talen and I set down our packs near our bunks. He has a shaved head and his body is pierced by gold rings in three or four different areas. Last, there's a skinny red-headed man smoking from a long pipe. The smoke floats about the room in a haze and makes my eyes water.
"Rough crowd," Talen whispers in my ear.
I plop down on my bed and wait for the ship to leave.
It's the worst choice I could've made. Within an hour I'm nauseous.
The ship sails directly against the swells. Up and down it goes, with an occasional wave splashing over the deck and sending water down the stairs and past my bunk. I just don't have the stamina for it. I start by puking my guts out. When that isn't enough, I swallow water so that I won't dry heave.
The sailors laugh at me.
"This storm ain't nothin'," one of them taunts.
Talen wipes the drool from around my mouth. My throat's so dry. "He's not used to it," Talen says. "Have some courtesy."
The big bald guy walks over to Talen and puts his hand on his shoulder. "Are you two white boys, lovers? If so, I got a little something for you too," he whispers and then licks Talen's ear.
Talen whirls around. "Let go of me," he says. He proceeds to insult the guy in ways that make my ears blister. The bald guy takes a swing at Talen's chest; it whomps him solid and knocks Talen off of my cot. I struggle to sit up, but I'm too weak from puking.
Talen's surprisingly quick, coming up with his foot into the man's balls with a loud "thump." He falls down. Talen doesn't have time to enjoy his shallow victory though, before the red-haired guy and the painted man grab a hold of his arms and pin his face to the floor in my vomit.
I rise up to try and help him. I get knocked to the floor too where I'm beaten so hard I can see flashes of light every time I close my eyes. I hear Talen moaning and as much as I can make out, he's getting hit repeatedly with the solid rhythm of someone tenderizing meat.
Then they stop.
I come to before Talen does. His face is swollen and one eye's damn near sealed shut. They've torn his shirt off and he has large angry welts all over his chest and back. I look at myself and see that I'm covered in blood.
I pass out again.
I awake with a cold compress on my head. I hear Talen coughing. It's bright outside so I guess it to be around noon.
"Give them a minute." It's the captain speaking.
I sit up, but I can't make out details for a minute or two. The ship's crew is staring at Talen and I, and I scan them for Angelaria's face. Surprisingly, she's next to me; I guess she bandaged up the both of us.
"Back to work," the captain informs his crew. "There's nothin' more to see here."
Angelaria turns to me. "You just couldn't stay out of trouble, could you?"
"What? How is this my fault!?"
"The sailors said you and Talen insulted them. You got what you deserve then."
"Don't try and argue with her, Kian," Talen says. "She could never understand."
"Oh," she says, "Try me."
"I was sick," I tell her. "Talen was taking care of me when the big bald guy came over and molested him. Talen kicked him in the nuts--that's how it all started!" I look around me. "You're all a bunch of assholes," I say. "We hadn't done anything at all and you jumped us."
They regard us with blank faces. A moment later, the crowd disperses.
"You've been delinquent in your duties," Captain Ja-Mir observes. "And you've stirred up my ship. Any more of this, and I'll set you adrift on the sea...both of you."
It doesn't escape me that he doesn't include Angelaria in that statement.
I look at Talen, who's holding his head. At least the swelling on his face has started to go down.
The first mate walks over, grinning. He kicks Talen in the leg, getting his attention. "That rope needs to be oiled and strung through the mast. When you're done with that, we'll raise the sails. And you there," he says, pointing at me. "We need two barrels of oil brought up from below. After you're done with that, you're to help your friend out here. Now get on it... every man earns his keep."
I struggle to my feet, which are a bit wobbly. It takes me a minute to find my sea legs.
Working on the ship is hot sweaty work. The sky's clear all day long and the barrels couldn't have been heavier. As with most of the crew, we walk around shirtless, preferring to get sunburned in exchange for staying cool... if that's what you call it. At night, I'm so sore, I drop into a coma. We're only allowed to take naps for six hours at a time because of watch.
I didn't think I could lose weight, but somehow I do. Talen's hair, normally mousy brown, lightens in all the sunlight; mine becomes almost white. We find a place on board that's pretty empty at about the time that the other sailors eat lunch. It's behind a bunch of stacked coffee bags marked for Korimar, and it works perfect for Talen to give me a daily blowjob.
While we work, Angelaria spends her time with the captain. He must've had a few dresses on board because she oftentimes emerges from the cabin wearing something I've not seen before. She's also the talk of the ship, guys asking each other if they think she's a virgin--typical male nonsense. In the end, they all want to bed her. I can't say I'm immune, but at least I'm getting semi- regular sex.
Talen and I endear ourselves to the crew during the second week. After a confrontation with the painted man where I don't back down, he reveals to me that he's from Merenzar. He's a former slave and escaped with Ja-Mir during a brawl in a tavern in some pirate town. His name's Ardis.
One afternoon during the second week, Ardis walks over to Talen and I. We're taking a break from the sweltering heat, and to be honest, Talen's wanting me to meet him in our "special spot" behind the coffee bags. There's a part of me that thinks Talen is trying to keep my libido under control, because he feels threatened by Angelaria. But whatever the reason, I really appreciate his efforts.
The ship's drifting in and out of a Sargasso, which is a very calm and still area of the sea. It's considered the worst of luck for sailors, as it can strand a ship far from anywhere, for long periods of time.
"Kian," he says, "and what are you thinking today?" He takes a seat next to Talen who's cleaning his nails with a knife.
"How long do you think it'll be before the wind picks up?" I ignore Talen who's gesturing toward the rear of the ship. Talen glumly settles next to me when it appears obvious that our fun is delayed.
Ardis shrugs his shoulders. "It doesn't matter what I think. The wind doesn't obey the matra. It is the essence of chaos."
"What's the matra?" I ask.
"It's the spirit. Call it the spirit inside yourself. Call it the spirit inside me or Talen here. It is the spirit of all things--the earth, the sky..." He clears his throat, taking some water into his mouth from a jug at his waist. He offers me and Talen some, which we readily accept. "Where I'm from, we don't believe in an all-powerful god which supposedly created the cosmos. Instead it's believed that the earth and the sky emerged from the chaos and that their spirit gave forth man which endeavors always to endear his spirit once again to the earth and the sky. It's a philosophy of clean living, emphasized by the idea that pure food promotes health and spirit. In the strictest sense," he continues, "it's a meditative experience in which a man seeks to be released from the confines of his individual experience and to see the world through the eyes of his eternal soul."
"What's that like?" Talen asks.
"It's beyond description, young one," he says. "May I see your hand?"
Talen shows him his palm, which, I note is as calloused as mine. Ardis traces his finger over the lines there, indicating to him that different fingers stand for different things. One, for example is the money finger, one the power and leadership finger, and so forth. He also indicates that Talen has a long lifeline and that the lines are not completely defined but broken. This demonstrates a poor family life. "You are to be rich," he says, "And," he adds, "you'll have two wives."
I look over at him. "How can you tell that?"
"These markings, here," he points to the side of Talen's hand. "Two wives... it's very clear to me."
I look at my own hand and see only one.
Ardis looks as well. "Ah, but there's plenty of room for concubines," he says with a laugh.
Talen puts his knife away and mops the sweat out of his eyes. "Where did you get all those crazy tattoos?"
"From many ports." He shows us one that looks like a small onion right above his nipple. "It's called a leek."
"Why did you get that put on your skin?"
He grins. "Have you ever seen a leek on anyone else?"
I think about it for a moment. "Not really. Usually people like dragons and unicorns."
He holds up a finger. "Precisely. A man is his body. He must make of it what he will but always obey the spirit."
Talen sits up. "I want to get my ear pierced. Can you do it, Ardis?"
He shrugs. "It is an easy thing to do."
Talen's blue eyes are beaming.
That afternoon, Talen gets his ear pierced. For the hell of it (and to be different) I get my nipple pierced. I'm surprised at how easily it's done. Ardis supplies us with small earrings made of gold; all in all, I think it's rather cool. I like mine so much that I ask Ardis to pierce my tongue. After it's over, I look at myself in the mirror. I can't eat for a day afterward...the flesh of my tongue's swollen. But I drink often and chew on some fruit when hungry. I can't wait to give Talen a blowjob, and see how he likes the feeling of the stud in my mouth playing along his glans.
"You're being ridiculous," Angelaria tells me.
It's night out now, and I'm at my usual place next to my boyfriend and lover. It's dark enough that we can hold hands without being spotted. The stars fill the night sky like a child's glitter box.
"Why?"
"Because it just doesn't suit you."
"How do you know what suits me?" I stick my tongue out at her.
She settles next to me and lets out a sigh. "I guess I don't," she says. "I'm sorry."
I hesitate a moment, wondering if I should put my arm around her. I loll my tongue around in my mouth as I think this course of action through to its ultimate consequences. I rub the tongue stud in my mouth like a worry stone. I enjoy the feeling of it. Finally, I just lift my arm up and settle it around her shoulders. She doesn't seem to mind.
Next to me, Talen shuffles his feet a bit, stretching. The moonlight shines off his bony chest with a subtle glow. Ardis walks over and offers Talen a pipe. "It's the good smoke," he says to the young thief. "It'll help you reach enlightenment."
Talen takes the pipe, drawing heavily from it. Finally, he exhales, coughing a bit. "Enlightenment is a good thing."
Ardis draws from the pipe and then passes it to me. "Enlightenment..." he gestures.
I take it from him and draw the smoke into my lungs. After I exhale, I'm a bit light-headed. There's definitely something in the smoke.
"A few more drags," Talen states, "and I think I'll be extremely spiritual."
As if in answer, Ardis passes the pipe back to Talen, who gets the cherry in the bowl really started.
"I still don't like it," Angelaria says.
"Like what? My tongue piercing?"
She nods.
Talen giggles and says, "Yeah but I think I will."
Ardis doesn't seem to notice Talen's blatant quip.
I reach up with my other hand and gently turn her face. "That's just because you're not used to it," I say to her. "If I kissed you, THAT might start you to thinking a bit differently."
"Do you want to kiss me?" she asks. "I mean...I've wanted to kiss you but it just hasn't worked out so far. I mean, you're so beautiful and..."
I move my face closer and press my lips to hers. I let my tongue play along the skin there and we kiss. I can feel her flesh and my flesh sliding together and apart.
"And what?" I ask, parting for just a moment.
She smooths my hair with her fingers. I've noticed girls like to do that with guys. "You're so worldly. I wouldn't know how to start."
"You've never kissed anyone," I ask.
She shakes her head no. "That time I let you kiss me in Clothol...right after you'd messed up my night's work...that was my first kiss."
I pass up other hits from the pipe, leaving Ardis and Talen to drift in their spiritual enlightenment alone. I am, after all, giving kissing lessons to a very lovely virgin. And, I discover Angelaria's a fast learner. And by the way, before midnight arrives I've completely changed her mind about my tongue ring.
Dawn arrives too soon, and with it comes the hint of a breeze. Ja-Mir doesn't hesitate before he orders the ship's sails tacked. Talen and I busy ourselves for a half hour, helping to tie down the boom. Then we climb the masts to make minor adjustments to the sails. By noon we're well on our way once again.
That night, I'm sitting up with Ardis under the full moon. Talen's fallen asleep on a pile of sails and is drooling on himself. It almost makes me chuckle: so much for enlightenment. I rub the sleep out of my eyes and stretch but I've a few hours left on my watch. Ardis grips my arm and points over the ocean.
"Do you see that light?"
I squint. "What is it? Another ship?"
Ardis nods. "We should keep an eye out for it. Pirates are like a plague on this sea, sinking ships carrying gold from the blood coast."
Pirates? I think to myself. And just when everything seems to be going so well.
I shall post Chapter 20 next week