Chapter 7: Carthak, Chaos, and Kingsford
Daine sat on a rock on the shore of Carthak thinking. Their retreat had been cut short by the accident that wasn't really an accident and by the relation of the Copper Isles in the whole mess. The king and queen felt it was necessary to return home as soon as possible to hold a council and to provide proper protection to Daine and Numair; this couldn't be provided by Kaddar's summer home because of its lack of security and close quarters to the river. They didn't take into account the dangers of the sea voyage home. Daine was worried. Never had she been targeted personally by anyone. She was usually attacked because she was at the castle at the time of the attack and she was never personally targeted. Now she was the one who was in danger; not Jon, Thayet, or Alanna as was usual. She sighed and shook her head. Then there was Numair. They weren't sure whether or not he was a victim or a bystander who happened to get in the way. She was definitely a target, but Numair...
"Daine, there you are! We're leaving with in the hour. If you're intending to stay in Carthak than by all means continue. If not, Get Onto the @$#@ Boat!" Alanna was yelling from the dock where their boat was preparing to leave.
Daine sighed again and hurried to the boat. She decided that the deck was too crowded and climbed down the ladder and into Numair's cabin. He was napping on the bed. Daine wanted someone to talk to and he obviously wasn't going to fulfill that little need. She decided to go to hers and Onua's bunk and just think which seemed to be her best bet, since Onua and Alanna were both too busy to talk.
Kitten was already sleeping on Daine's bunk so she picked her up and lay down. Kitten turned grey until Daine put her at the foot of the bed so she could continue to sleep. Daine lay and stared at the ceiling until she too drifted off.
Daine woke up several hours later with hunger gnawing at the pit of her stomach. She rubbed her eyes and walked down to the galley. Kitten was there nibbling at a loaf of bread and some cheese. Daine grabbed some grapes and climbed the ladder to the deck. It was dark and the stars were glinting brightly above. She flopped down on the deck and began to eat.
"Daine, where have you been? I was looking all over the ship for you. Kaddar told me to give this to you once we were underway." Onua said, holding out a package. Daine began to slowly unwrap it. Then the package moved and squeaked.
"What the." Daine cried as the package popped open to reveal a very disgruntled looking Zek.
Took you long enough to open, didn't it? He muttered grumpily. I decided that I wanted to see more of the world. I also wanted to protect you since you have a crazed water spirit after you. He finished matter-of factly.
Onua looked pleased for a moment, and then she ran to the edge of the ship and... (I don't need to explain, do I?)
***
Anis the water spirit swam quickly through a large seaweed bed towards a large rock cave, muttering to herself about how displeased the emperor of the Copper Isles had been after her failed first attempt at assassination on the mage and wildmage. Ah well, I didn't take into account the girl's magic. This time, however, she'll not be so lucky. She may be able to fight a river current. But a raging ocean will surely finish her off. It's a good thing the dragonet is too young to sense water-magic and that the mage is never paying attention when he's around the girl. She smiled, her sharp teeth glinting in the underwater sun; her blonde hair sporting blue-green highlights. She had escaped from Chaos several months ago when the barrier was weak and the gods were preoccupied. She had since been living here in a small inland Carthaki sea.
She swam into the cave and summoned a glow-fish with a swish of her hand, a hand without faults. She was pretty on the outside, unlike the water spirit that had almost succeeded in disposing of the mage a few months ago. Anis had an uncanny resemblance to her land oriented sibling Evara, also known by the humans as Varice Kingsford. (Explains something, Don't it?) Pity Varice was in love with the mage. She could have disposed of him in Carthak and I would have a much easier job. The spirit thought, frowning about her sister's foolish love. She soon began to select various herbs and the like with names like stormwart, everclear, and jack-be- stormy. She then began to brew a storm like no other.
Once done, a small ball of blue-green powder sat in the center of the bowl in which she had mixed it in. She then powdered up several leaves of ship rot and pressed them into a smaller, lighter ball of lime green. She chuckled: this would no doubt work, unless the girl's parents interfered.
***
As it so happened, Anis planned her attack at just the right time for them to do just that; with the help of a certain blonde stormwing, naturally.
Daine sat on a rock on the shore of Carthak thinking. Their retreat had been cut short by the accident that wasn't really an accident and by the relation of the Copper Isles in the whole mess. The king and queen felt it was necessary to return home as soon as possible to hold a council and to provide proper protection to Daine and Numair; this couldn't be provided by Kaddar's summer home because of its lack of security and close quarters to the river. They didn't take into account the dangers of the sea voyage home. Daine was worried. Never had she been targeted personally by anyone. She was usually attacked because she was at the castle at the time of the attack and she was never personally targeted. Now she was the one who was in danger; not Jon, Thayet, or Alanna as was usual. She sighed and shook her head. Then there was Numair. They weren't sure whether or not he was a victim or a bystander who happened to get in the way. She was definitely a target, but Numair...
"Daine, there you are! We're leaving with in the hour. If you're intending to stay in Carthak than by all means continue. If not, Get Onto the @$#@ Boat!" Alanna was yelling from the dock where their boat was preparing to leave.
Daine sighed again and hurried to the boat. She decided that the deck was too crowded and climbed down the ladder and into Numair's cabin. He was napping on the bed. Daine wanted someone to talk to and he obviously wasn't going to fulfill that little need. She decided to go to hers and Onua's bunk and just think which seemed to be her best bet, since Onua and Alanna were both too busy to talk.
Kitten was already sleeping on Daine's bunk so she picked her up and lay down. Kitten turned grey until Daine put her at the foot of the bed so she could continue to sleep. Daine lay and stared at the ceiling until she too drifted off.
Daine woke up several hours later with hunger gnawing at the pit of her stomach. She rubbed her eyes and walked down to the galley. Kitten was there nibbling at a loaf of bread and some cheese. Daine grabbed some grapes and climbed the ladder to the deck. It was dark and the stars were glinting brightly above. She flopped down on the deck and began to eat.
"Daine, where have you been? I was looking all over the ship for you. Kaddar told me to give this to you once we were underway." Onua said, holding out a package. Daine began to slowly unwrap it. Then the package moved and squeaked.
"What the." Daine cried as the package popped open to reveal a very disgruntled looking Zek.
Took you long enough to open, didn't it? He muttered grumpily. I decided that I wanted to see more of the world. I also wanted to protect you since you have a crazed water spirit after you. He finished matter-of factly.
Onua looked pleased for a moment, and then she ran to the edge of the ship and... (I don't need to explain, do I?)
***
Anis the water spirit swam quickly through a large seaweed bed towards a large rock cave, muttering to herself about how displeased the emperor of the Copper Isles had been after her failed first attempt at assassination on the mage and wildmage. Ah well, I didn't take into account the girl's magic. This time, however, she'll not be so lucky. She may be able to fight a river current. But a raging ocean will surely finish her off. It's a good thing the dragonet is too young to sense water-magic and that the mage is never paying attention when he's around the girl. She smiled, her sharp teeth glinting in the underwater sun; her blonde hair sporting blue-green highlights. She had escaped from Chaos several months ago when the barrier was weak and the gods were preoccupied. She had since been living here in a small inland Carthaki sea.
She swam into the cave and summoned a glow-fish with a swish of her hand, a hand without faults. She was pretty on the outside, unlike the water spirit that had almost succeeded in disposing of the mage a few months ago. Anis had an uncanny resemblance to her land oriented sibling Evara, also known by the humans as Varice Kingsford. (Explains something, Don't it?) Pity Varice was in love with the mage. She could have disposed of him in Carthak and I would have a much easier job. The spirit thought, frowning about her sister's foolish love. She soon began to select various herbs and the like with names like stormwart, everclear, and jack-be- stormy. She then began to brew a storm like no other.
Once done, a small ball of blue-green powder sat in the center of the bowl in which she had mixed it in. She then powdered up several leaves of ship rot and pressed them into a smaller, lighter ball of lime green. She chuckled: this would no doubt work, unless the girl's parents interfered.
***
As it so happened, Anis planned her attack at just the right time for them to do just that; with the help of a certain blonde stormwing, naturally.