'Otalo got up from his evening meal to open the door, beating his steward and wife to the task. With a hand on his sword he slid open the small hatch set into it, relaxing as he saw Timo his brother. He flung the door open and grasped his brother in a wide embrace.
"Timo you're back! I was worried, you've been delayed."
"As Tava willed, we arrived back in Rihad harbour a day ago. As Tava willed I have brought a passenger and a guest..."
Timo stepped aside to reveal a large Nord, grey haired and skeletal with an empty but soulless and wild look to his eyes. Otalo struggled to hide his shock at the sight
"Sheogarath's orbs what happened to you? I've seen Draugr with more flesh on them!"
The man knew his formalities and bowed carefully, holding out his right arm for the Tamrielic armclasp in welcome.
"I am Beorning Wildfire of the Fire clan, I hail from Bruma in Cyrodiil and am honoured to meet my saviour's brother."
"I am Otalo of the Kha-Yham tribe of the Ra-Gada people you're welcome to take salt, bread and water with me and my household."
They completed the armclasp and Otalo pushed Timo and Beorning to a bench at the table.
"Nusrat, stable their horses and see to their equipment. Sadia bring sustenance and set the table, we have guests and a long night of adventures to hear! I will get the water for our guests to wash."
The grey bearded, wiry ex-hetman steward and Otelo's dark haired, dusky eyed wife, who still moved with a youthful grace, attended to their respective tasks whilst Otalo took a large bucket out to the well. Beorning stared hungrily at the bread on the table, he vaguely remembered his manners and the common customs of men although the beast within eyed the food with impatience.
The household moved efficiently and effectively to stoke the fire, bring wine, food and water to the table. In deference to his guests obvious hunger Otalo passed bread and mead to the man before taking him to bathe. As he washed the shaking man, who had little strength left in his emaciated body, starting with his hair, then face, arms, hands and feet he noticed many thousands of tiny scars along with the other older larger scars. He wondered at the nature of the small scars although the larger scars indicated he had been a warrior at some stage.
The table was brimming with food; chicken with spicy lemons, duck cooked in oranges, fried potatoes, shredded cabbage and plenty of bread. Then there were the sherberts, sweetrolls, apple pies and honey nut treats topped off finally with the golden desert wine of the Ail'ikr. The Wildfires eyes flamed at sight of the feast but his host had a warning
"Eat slowly and chew my friend, it will take days before your stomach is ready for a whole feast. Otherwise you will be looking for Peryite down the hole in the waste pit."
Timo ate readily whilst his brother impatiently waited for the news and the story, he couldn't stop himself once the first plates were cleared.
"So Timo... please start your tale I am starved of news of your voyage. Now your belly is fed please feed my head."
"Ok, ok. We set sail on The Marakib for Northpoint by way of Sentinel and Daggerfall, we took our desert wine for trade and our aim was to finally pick up rare gems and skins in Northpoint for a straight run back to Rihad. We made Sentinel in good time and traded your fine lemons and sherbert for silks there. Swiftly, for the Aedra were with us, we sailed to Daggerfall and made good money on the silks and wine. As you know, the Marakib is a great ship and can outrun any pirate as long as the Aedra are with us." He grinned at his brother.
"We loaded up with skins, hard woods and the gems then headed south for a straight run home."
Timo picked up a sweetroll and ate it thoughtfully, sipping a glass of wine. Beorning continued to eat and drink, at a steady pace, as his belly filled so the haunted bestial aspect retired from his features.
"Ha, it felt like the Aedra had left us on the way back. The seas were running against us and a headwind forced us to take long reaches and tacks just to make a little progress. Being made to wait by the weather can be perilous to the crew, yet the fishing was good and we had plenty of supplies so the crew were in good spirits. It was a week of this weather, before we saw the storm brewing in the distance. It was big and blowy, rain lashing and medium sized waves. We reefed the rigging and rode the storm. Running with the waves and often surfing their crests. The Marakib is a fine vessel and her crew a worthy one so it didn't cause us much trouble.
The storm blew out and most of the crew went to bed whilst I worked out just where we could be. I measured the angle of the sun against the lodestone for north whilst calculating how far we had sailed. Then measuring again to find we were just off Summerset Isle. Not a good place to be. I noticed that a long winged Gull had settled on the bowsprit, thinking it too was tired after the storm I threw some bread to the bird.
The Bo'sun's mate told me off."
"No, no, no sir it's unlucky to carry a non-paying passenger, even a bird, on a ship."
With that he threw water at the bird and shouted to get rid of it. Each time the bird would fly off and try to land again. This happened for an hour until the bird finally flew off and disappeared. An hour later a large squall appeared to the west.
"All hands on deck!" I shouted and then set about readying the Marakib. This storm was worse than the first. Not as long but harder, more unpredictable as if the weather gods were angry.
Just as dawn was breaking the storm eased away. I was left to find where we were again.
The white bird returned, I threw no food, the Bo'sun this time told me the bird was unlucky and eventually chased it off. Another storm raised even worse than the previous two. The crew by the end of it were haggard and exhausted, holding on to each other as the sun broke through the clouds.
The white bird returned but as the Bo'sun and his mate went down the deck with bows and slings the Cox, a wise man and priest of Tava, told them to stop. The crew all looked at me...
"I'm inclined to agree with the Cox but would like to know why; Abad-In why?"
Abad-In the Cox answered
“Tava has sent one of her long-winged spirits, an Albatross, as a messenger. We have been through a storm and on the first morning the bird was there. You shoo'ed it, when a big storm came that night the crew were convinced they were right. Now there has been the same pattern. During my morning meditation Tava has come to me and said there would be storms until You turn the Marakib and follow her messenger. Now we must hope that Tava will protect us if we follow her will.”
I am not one to argue with the Aedra, we threw food to the Albatross and when it took flight followed it. It flew low above the waves, strong and steady for several hours. Then, suddenly, it furled it's wings and appeared to be walking on the water. The crew cried out in amazement at this wonder.
As we approached, we realised it was not a wonder but a large tree, trunk with a skeletal figure wrapped around it. The crew raised their weapons in fear but I stopped them
"Tava has led us here, why would she lead us to harm? This must be the place."
We lowered ropes and brought the man, near death on board. Abad-In used all of his restorative arts to keep the man alive. He said he was wanted by the Dominion, so I smuggled him out of Rihad and here he is."
All eyes turned to Beorning, who had fallen asleep on his plate. Carefully the brothers took him to the spare room and laid him on the bed with a muttered prayer
"Tava protect you, friend."
No comments:
Post a Comment