Chapter 7

Spyder

She wasn't sure what woke her up, if anything woke her up at all. She lay in bed, her eyes still closed, listening, feeling, memorizing. What was left of the embers from her fire were still giving off a decent amount of heat and a faint pop or crackle. The early morning sun was starting to peak on the rivers horizon. She knew that the rest of the castle was still sleeping, except for maybe her brother, who was probably awake at this exact moment.
Today was the day that they got to inspect the ship, if it was worthy, which she was sure it would be, they would sail in seven days. Her stomach gave a little lurch at the thought of leaving so soon, but she had 4 months to prepare for this.
The last for months had been the most intense in training that she had ever known. She studied hard for her tests, memorizing new spells. She had also gone to the Bronze Dragon Barracks to practice sword play with her boys, as she now called them. She had a busy winter.
Her sister Damesun and Mahkei were wed the day after Solstice and were now living in Sorralmin. The wedding was grand beyond belief. This was a joining of two people who truly loved each other and joined two noble families and cities.

The week of the wedding the castle was swarming with guests. Servants cleaned and decorated madly. They were married in the castle arena, first thing in the morning. The sun coming threw the frost covered windows making everything look frosty and dream like. Their new family crest hung above the Cleric that married them, the crest that would hang in the Sarralmin hall as long as they reigned.
Willow never saw Damesun as radiant as she did that day. She wore an elaborate satin gown of white. It was delicately embroidered with silvery snowflakes. When the light from the windows hit her, she simply glowed. Mahkei wore a matching tunic with pale gray trousers and white lather boots. He was without a doubt the most strikingly handsome groom she had seen. Threw the entire right of marriage Mahkei couldn't take his eyes from Damesun.
Willow and Ambren stood at Damesuns side while Mahkei's older brother Gamher and younger brother Lesten stood on his side. Willow and Ambren wore silvery gray with the same snowflake pattern on them. Gamher and Lesten wore similar tunics but of the same silvery gray as the gowns.
The party that took place after was one to be never forgotten. The ball room was like a dream of an ice world. From the ceiling fell snowflakes, but they never hit the floor, nor was it cold. They simply sparkled in the light and disappeared before they hit the floor. Streamers of white and silver hung from the ceiling and gently danced in a non-existent wind. Ice sculptures of exotic creatures were scattered around the room, at the foot of each there was something to drink or eat. The banquette was too much to even believe. Several different types of poultry, two roast pigs, lots of baked fish, beef prepared several different ways, fruits, vegetables, pastries, cookies, pies; it was just to much to even remember.

The musicians took shifts and what a smart thing to do, they would have exhausted themselves within several hours. The dancing and the dining went on until morning. Damesun and Mahkei retired at midnight, probably wishing to consummate the marriage, but Willow didn't like to think about that. The lord and lady of the house retired shortly after, she had drank too much and was crying. Mahkei's parents were up slightly longer, but also retired. The younger crowd was up very late, drinking, laughing, eating, dancing. Willow had been dancing with both of Mahkei's brothers, both seeming to be in competition to see who danced with her the most. She thought his oldest brother, Gamher, was very suave and smooth talking, Lesten, on the other hand was funny and flirtatious. She didn't limit her dancing with just those two, she also danced with her boys, and even her and Ambren danced together she even managed to get some of her younger brothers to dance with her.

The following morning she awoke in just enough time to wash up, sober up and dressed to eat lunch with everyone. Breakfast was nice and sedated. Everyone was recovering from drinking too much so there wasn't much loud talk.
That night the family said good-bye to the new couple as they boarded the small ship that would take them up river to Sorralmin. There was some weeping, but it didn't last long.
Willow felt that after this day, things would be changing all too fast for her liking.
The rest of the winter was mostly training for the group. Willow and Kaydel helped move Ambren into her own section of the tower. Willow helped her purchase her things, helped her decorate, that sort of thing.

And now, her she lies, in her bed, the day she meets the captain.

Kaydell stared blankly at his breakfast plate, maybe expecting it to jump in his mouth, chew itself up and head on towards his stomach but it did not such thing.. He hadn't gotten a lot of sleep, he had been thinking about the ship, about the captain, about supplies...about everything that he had no control over at that time of night. His dreams were plagued with the same thoughts. Finally just as he had fallen asleep it seemed that he woke back up again, with the sun barely peaking over the river. He knew that Willow was awake, but she, like him, did not want to leave the splendid confines of bed, because once they did so, the day would progress much too quickly, then tomorrow would be upon them and then the day after that, then in no time it would be a week from today and they'd be leaving.

He sighed, looked up from his plate to look at his friends. Beldovin had come to stay with them for the last few weeks, finding it easier to be under the same roof with his companions for training purposes, he still wore his spectcials from his reading earlier this morning. F'vel had now seemed just as normal as any of the other people sitting at the table, his dark form nor his wings didn't seem so out of place. It also felt to Kaydell that Klayn had always been here at the castle, he was as much a part of this family as any of them. Willow sat across the table from him. Her long hair tousled, looking like she hadn't bothered to brush it at all today. She looked strained and tired, he could relate.

Even though they were all exhausted and nervous, breakfast seemed to calm them all down, by the end of the meal they were all smiling and chatting.
A servant came in and whispered to Lady Kailya, she nodded and thanked him, he turned and left.
She cleared her throat to have silence, "I have been informed that the ship has just docked, we shall inspect her in one hours time."
The table cleared slowly, leaving only the five.
"We should get ready." Klayn said.
They all nodded, but none moved yet, Beldovin sighed then added, "Indeed, there is still a chill in the air, we should get our cloaks."

Beldovin, F'vell and Klayn all left together, going to their living quarters for suitable garments.
Kaydel and Willow slowly climbed the tower stairs to their living sections. Neither spoke, there really was no need to, they both knew what the other was feeling, uneasiness.

Beldovin and F'vel were the first on the scene, Klayn was the next, shortly followed by Kaydel and Willow. The mid morning sky was clear as could be and the water at the dock quietly lapped at the boat and the dock.
Lady Kailya was already on the ship and talking to a man that she was blocking from view.

"Come aboard everyone," she called to them.

Kaydell and Willow were the last to board. Willow felt strange, Kaydell could sense it.

"What's wrong?" he whispered to her.
"I don't know...I think something is going to happen, but..." she said under her breath, "This is a Korbec, a Torin ship...just like the one I saw in my vision."
"Really? What do you think is going to happen?"
"I don't know...it's not bad though...it's like..." she frowned, "I don't know."

"Children," Lady Kailya announced, then chuckled, "and my adopted children, welcome aboard the vessel of your voyages and your home for as long as you need it to be."
Willow glanced at the man her mother had been talking to. He was a dark skinned human with hair lightened from obviously many years under the sun and he was also covered in tattoos.
"This is your Captian, Tadis Gain, the name he prefers to go by is..."
"Spyder." Willow had it out of her mouth before she could even comprehend what had just spilled out of her mouth.
Everyone looked at her, if she were not herself, she'd be looking at herself as well.
"Yes." Lady Kailya said, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.
"Have we met Lady?" The Captain asked.
Willow locked eyes with him, yes, this was one of them, one of the people from her vision 4 months ago.
"Uh, no, it...it was a lucky guess. I saw your tattoo on your shoulder...just a guess." Willow fumbled for an explanation, it beat "you were in my vision four months ago at the Temple of Perth, you and several other people who we have yet to meet".
"Perceptive, I see, good." Spyder nodded approvingly, "Let me give you the tour."

The all headed for the lower decks.
Kaydell grabbed Willows hand, indicating that they were to hang back.
He gave her a look of "was that one of them" and she nodded to him as they lagged behind the rest of the party. Kaydell raised his eyebrows to indicate that he was stunned and impressed at the same time, Willow shrugged to tell him that she had no idea that that is what was going to happen. He frowned a bit in thought, she frowned back, wanting to know what he was thinking but he only shook his head to tell her 'later', she nodded.
"When you two are done having your private twin conversation we'd like you to join the rest of us," Klayn called back to them.
"We're done, sorry." They both said.
The two caught up to the others and toured the ship. This was a newly constructed ship, the wood was unmarked, it didn't smell of sweaty sea men or of fish. This ship was also designed to carry taller company, something that the Torin Elves were good at constructing. They found that the actual living quarters for the group was on top in the forecastle sectioned into two parts, one section for the 'boys' one section for the 'girls', because of this, Willow was comforted , they were at least anticipating another female on this quest, if not several.

In the smaller aft-castle was the healers room, several beds, tables and shelves with doors lined the walls. It also seemed to be supplied with bandages, healing slaves, herbs and some wooden splints It seemed that these were just the basic needs, but she knew that other supplies would have to be added to the inventory later.

There was another room to the aft-castle, but there really wasn't anything in it as of yet, Sypder said that this room was left untouched fur future modifications, weather is be more bunks, a place for treasure, or the wall could be removed and a larger healers room could be made.

Atop the aft-castle was positioned two small catapults, the group of friends looked drearily at these attachments because they did not look forward to battle at sea. Not only were there two catapults but there were two small ballista's on the deck just below the forecastle, which the party gave the same hopeless glances at. On the deck was also fastened a skiff, turned upside down and tied down with ropes.

Three masts were fastened onto this ship, part of the Korbec design, it was a fast moving little ship, eighty feet long and about twenty five feet wide it made for a splendidly medium ship.

Upon inspection of the living quarters for the adventuring crew all made note of some very unique and practical designs. When one entered the living quarters the first thing that everyone noticed was the long skinny window that ran with the curve of the ship. The window looked to be made of very think glass, running ten feet long and only two feet wide but covered with several panels of curtains. Below the window, well fastened to the ship hall was a semi circular table with wooden stools tucked underneath for economical storage, so as not to clutter up what little walking space there was.

Directly to the long side of the front wall was the first sturdy bunk. Each bunk was equipped with two long draws on the bottom bunk. One drawer for each person to share the bunk. Next to that bunk was an inlaid cupboard, so to speak. It was seven feet tall and three feet wide, most of it was shelves and more drawers but there was a one foot gap of open space with some hooks and rods scattered on a pegged board, it looked as though each of these would have to be shared between bunk mates.

If one were to walk strait forward they would encounter the bottom half of the second bunk, the top end lay flush with the head of the third bunk so as it made the shape of an 'L'. At the foot of the second bunk was that bunks cupboard and at the opposite end, next to the third bunk was its' cupboard. At the far end of the room, where the room was the smallest due to the contour of the ship was a pillar of shelves that reached from the deck to the ceiling about three feet wide.

The one notably odd feature was the 'hole ' in the middle of the floor that was covered by a metal grate. The 'hole' was about 2 feet in diameter, there was really nothing very obscure about it at first glance, other than the fact it was a big grated hole in ones living cabin.

Spyder noticed the questioned look on their faces. "This is a new design from one of the mages in Erin," he knelt on the floor and opened it up. The box contained round red colored, porous rocks, the box was made of what looked like mythral and was probably only two feet by two feet in size, "This is your heat source," he explained, "The mage enchanted these stones to give off heat, fear not, though, these boxes will resist the heat so that no fire will be capable of escape from it containment. When someone indicates that they want the rocks to be warm, they will give off the heat. Here watch." He clapped his hands then rubbed them together like he was warming them by a fire, the stones flashed red then began to glow faintly.

"The longer you rub your hands together the hotter they'll get, but they'll never get hot enough to burn threw, the mage made sure of that."

Everyone began to reach there hands out to feel the warmth of the stones.
"Good captain, what does one do to get them to stop heating?" Beldovin frowned.
Spyder smiled, "Well, for starters, you can just call me Spyder and this is how you do it." He clapped his hands once more then blew one short puff of wind in his hands. The color of the stones faded, "Just like you were to blow out a candle. If you want to adjust the heat at any time all you have to do is clap your hands and very gently blow on your hands, like you're cooling off hot soup or rub them together, like you warm you hand by the frire."
Lady Kailya marveled, "That is simply amazing, what is this mages name, I wish to send him something."
"His name is Galic, he is very creative Lady, he would appreciate that very much."
"Just as I have appreciate his adeptness today."

Dinner was all to quick to come because right around the corner was tomorrow and after that was the day after that, it was a viscous cycle.
The boys and Willow sat closely together, bent in conversation.
"Willow, I don't mean to be prying but would you care to explain what happened on our lovely new ship?" F'vell asked her.
She sighed, "Promise me that none on you will panic when I tell you."
They all nodded, Beldovin, of course, whispered to her, "I can't promise that, if it's something that is good cause to panic then I'm going to panic, but I'll do my best not too."

They all stared at him, "I'm sorry, it's the truth," he added in his defense.

"Four months ago, the day of the Ball to be exact, I went to the Temple to pray, "she took a deep breath, "as I got ready to leave I...blacked out, sort of, but I saw...things, I had images in my head. One of the visions was of him, was of Spyder. I saw others too, a girl with goldish skin and silver hair and another human woman with black hair and one blue eye and the other green, and I saw dark waters and...oh, it's too much to try to explain. But when I saw Spyder, I knew it was him. I knew that he was the one in my vision. I don't know how I knew his name, it just came out of my mouth before I knew what I was saying."
They all stared at her, then Kaydell spoke, "I've been thinking about this. I think Perth gave her a sign, it was his way of showing her that this is the path that she needed to take. He would not lead one of his devoted worshipers into the unknown, I think he was giving her clues to let her know she was on the right course."
Beldovin nodded his agreement, "My god is brother to hers, they would not guide us wrongly, he must have chosen Wil to let all of us know that we are to do certain things, to make certain decisions for the quest. This should not be looked upon badly."
They all agreed again with what Beldovin added.
"I think this should also put us at ease, if this is what she saw then this is what we were meant to accomplish. This was meant to be our destiny." Klayn whispered.
At this, there seemed to be a weight taken from the group. That simple phrase made a world of sense to the others.
Willow did feel better, but she also didn't tell them of the dead body she envisioned, nor the dragon like creature, but she did not want to spoil the calm that now settled over them