Chapter 126: Passage
Even though Ember had been brought up by the ocean, the journey to Brynnlaw was the first time she'd ever sailed upon it. In many ways, the experience was far from as pleasant as she'd imagined it might be. She couldn't get used to the ever-changing pitch and swell of the vessel, and at night, the creaking of the Galante's hull would awaken her from dreams of falling from trees or being trapped in collapsing buildings. The air smelled different, the sky looked different; even their food tasted different from what she was accustomed to. On the open sea with no land in sight, she was unable to reliably gauge the speed of their passage, and time seemed to pass at a snail's pace.
Thankfully, there were aspects of the journey were more enjoyable. She had always liked watching the ocean, and even though she was surrounded by a bit too much of it for her tastes at the present, she still enjoyed looking at the waves; even as she yearned to see a patch of green again, she found beauty in the shifting blues and greys of the sea and sky. Through her morning meditations, she soon discovered that the waters around her - or beneath her, as it were - were teeming with life, and much of it came in shapes and forms that were unlike anything she'd ever experienced before. A whole different universe lay hidden beneath the seemingly barren waves, and each morning, she felt blessed to be the only one on the ship who was wholly and completely aware of it.
And then there was Anomen.
Everything had changed between them; in a way, she felt like she was getting to know him for the first time all over again. He was no longer just her companion and fellow healer, no longer just the knight who had sworn himself to her service; now, he was the man who openly loved her, the man who'd confessed to wanting to pledge her his heart along with his service back at the Order's headquarters, the man who made her heart beat faster just by the way he looked at her. He was the same man as before, but at the same time, he was someone new and infinitely different.
"I almost feel like my entire life's been turned upside down," she told him one late evening as they sat together in a quiet spot on the port side of the ship. Above them, the vivid colours of the sunset had all but faded away, giving way to a deep blue twilight. "So much has changed in only a few days."
"More for the better than for the worse, I hope," he said.
"I think so," she said. "I'm more worried about Imoen than ever, but at least I'm on my way to her now. And... even as anxious as I am to find her, I don't think I've ever been happier."
"May I flatter myself that I might bear some responsibility for that?"
"What, for my being anxious?" she asked with a wry grin.
He chuckled softly, and smiled at her. "I must admit that I, too, have never felt happier than these past few days. Nor has my heart ever felt so calm."
"You've seemed much more at ease with yourself ever since your Holy Vigil."
"Aye, that is part of it - even more so than passing my Test, I believe - but my happiness has a different source," he said, looking intently at her. "A scant tenday ago I would not have thought this to be possible," he murmured.
"Me neither," she said, and took his hand, idly running her thumb over the calluses that years of weapons training had left on his palm. A tenday ago, she'd thought his Order was on the verge of taking him away from her. "I was so certain we could never..." She glanced at him, and smiled. "I'm glad I was wrong."
"As am I, my love," he said. Gripping her hand, he pulled her close and pressed his lips to hers. Behind them, one of the sailors that manned the ship gave a loud whistle; another sailor cheered. Anomen sighed, and released her. "I would be gladder yet, were we elsewhere!" he grumbled exasperatedly.
"I'd settle for them being elsewhere," she said, and watched the sailors move on towards the ship's prow, where they joined several others in working on something that was hidden behind a large sheet of canvas. As the canvas shifted, the sailors' faces were lit by brief bursts of light. "Strange. What do you think they're doing?" she asked.
Anomen frowned. "I have a notion or two," he said. "Come, let us find out."
Following the sailors to the prow, they found captain Havarian, instructing his men as they masked and unmasked a large lantern by raising a smaller sheet of canvas in front of it. Sime was there too, watching the sailors with a displeased scowl on her face.
"So, more of our guests wish to join us," Havarian said as Ember and Anomen approached. "Have no fear, you are more than welcome to watch the proceedings!"
"Whom are we signalling?" Anomen asked.
"Why, nobody," the captain said, grinning broadly. He pointed towards the southern horizon, where two ships were outlined against the rapidly darkening sky; both ships were signalling with flashes of lights. "You see those? They're pirate vessels, and we're letting them think we are one of their kind."
"This is a bad idea," the Shadow Thief protested. "How could mimicking their signal -"
"Don't worry yourself, young lady," the captain said in a patronizing tone. "I've dealt with such pirates before. Wait and see."
Sime glared at him, but said nothing, and moved to stand beside Ember and Anomen while the sailors continued working with the signal lantern. After a while, the flashes in the distance ceased, and the sails on the horizon disappeared. The other ships, whatever they were, seemed to be drawing away.
"There! What did I tell you?" Havarian said with a satisfied smirk, and instructed his men to extinguish the signal lantern. "Our ruse worked. We are safe, and our journey continues."
"If you say so, captain," Sime said evenly. She gave Ember a meaningful look and started walking towards the main deck; Ember and Anomen followed her. "I do not trust that man," the Shadow Thief murmured quietly, shaking her head. "He has the manner of a fool, but his behaviour tells me otherwise. This signalling could easily be something other than what he claims. It worries me."
"I don't like it either," Ember said. "Why would he know what to signal to the pirates? It makes no sense!"
"I could allow for such knowledge to be a means of survival in these waters," Anomen said. "However, I must say that in the three days we have spent on this vessel, I have seen naught that would lead me to believe Havarian would have any scruples whatsoever about associating with such... people."
"I agree," Sime said. "He may not run a pirate crew himself, but I could easily see him trading with them, for instance."
"He could be trading us," Ember grumbled.
"'Indeed, if he intends to act against us, it will not be directly," Anomen said. "His men do not strike me at all as the mercenary sort, or, truth be told, even remotely combat-worthy. If it were to come to blows, I believe we should easily overpower the entire crew."
"In all likelihood, we need not be too concerned," Sime said. "Havarian would have to be insane to go against Linvail's wishes, and he is fully aware of that. I made certain he was."
"Threats, then, secure our safety on this passage?" Anomen asked dubiously.
"Threats, and the common knowledge of what happens to those who cross the Shadow Thieves," Sime said, her voice hard. "Suffice to say that our threats tend to be unnecessary."
"Nevertheless, we must be alert and vigilant, even more so than before," Anomen said.
Sime nodded. "Just continue to follow your tenets, Helmite," she said. "And your group should keep posting a watch at night, as I've noticed you've been doing - unless it's that you all have problems sleeping, that is. It's a wise precaution, and in this situation, it's probably the best thing you could do."
"It seemed like a good idea," Ember said. "We're not exactly on familiar ground on this ship, after all."
"In more ways than one, hm?"
"I suppose so," Ember smiled.
Sime grinned. "With any luck, this'll be our last night on board. We should reach Brynnlaw tomorrow, and then we can go back to worrying about more important things than Havarian."
"I can't wait," Ember said with mock cheer. Anomen squeezed her hand.
"I know, my friend," Sime said, smiling understandingly. She bid them goodnight, and went to her cabin.
With a heavy sigh, Ember looked out over the ocean. There was a chill in the night air that hadn't been there earlier. "Why can't we be there already?" she lamented.
"Patience, my love," Anomen said. "Anything might happen between now and our arrival at Spellhold, but I would not have you dwell on worries that might well prove needless. For now, let us be on our guard, and keep in mind that those ships did recede rather than approach."
"I know, I know. It's just that we're so close..."
"I understand," he said, and took her hands in his. "Ember, I will not see you thwarted at the very threshold of reclaiming your sister. Whatever surprises Havarian or Brynnlaw might have in store for us, we shall overcome them."
She looked at him. "Promise?"
"Most solemnly," he said, and embraced her. "You should go and get some sleep, my lady. The first watch is mine."
Compared to being in his arms, leaving him in order to sleep in a small, creaking cabin held very little allure. "Do you mind if I keep you company for a while instead?"
"You know I do not," he smiled.
They sat down together on a large wooden supply chest. He put his arm around her, and she leaned against him. Even in this seemingly relaxed position, she felt an alert tenseness in him; even as he held her, his attention was mainly on their surroundings. He was on watch now, doing his duty as their guardian.
Her guardian.
Safely nestled against his warmth, she closed her eyes and let her mind rest.
-.-.-
The following afternoon, a craggy, lopsided island loomed out of the cloudy haze on the southwestern horizon. "That's Brynnlaw," Sime said. "Spellhold is built on its northern cliffs; you can just about see it, jutting out from the shape of the island."
Squinting, Ember could just barely make out an irregular shape sticking out from the rest of the island's outline. Was that what Sime meant? "It's that big?" she asked uneasily.
"Its intent is that of an asylum, but it is built like a fortress," Sime explained. "After all, it was designed to contain mages and other... talented people. It had to be able to withstand anything its inhabitants could throw against it."
"I am certain many are there deservedly," Yoshimo muttered. "Yes, of that I am certain. Some must deserve it."
"Perhaps, but Imoen does not," Ember snapped. Even from such a distance, the mere sight of the place sent chills down her spine.
"I did not mean to suggest otherwise. Just that some must deserve it," Yoshimo said, and added thoughtfully, "Can it be so cruel a place?"
"Cruel or kind," Minsc bellowed, "Boo and I have several talents we will unleash upon it!"
"And so you shall, my friend," Mazzy said, patting Minsc's arm. "Come, the island is still far off, and I, for one, do not like the sight of it. Let us busy ourselves elsewhere while we wait."
Ember glanced a final time at the island and followed her friends away from the prow.
