Chapter 3
Soon they were far from land with only the sea from horizon to horizon, and the sky empty of gulls. The fair wind continued for the next few days and they made excellent progress. Ataji, who tirelessly monitored their speed and direction using lodestone, quadrant and log and line reckoned they had covered more than one hundred leagues in the first three days, which was excellent progress. If they had been able to maintain this speed then they would have arrived at the Tyll Eglain a full three days earlier than expected, but on the fourth day from Caras Eden the wind dropped and came round to the east, dramatically slowing their progress. Lauriel was unconcerned however, the winds could be fickle and they had made a good start. The Gwael was running perfectly and her Bosun Gildor, another seasoned veteran who had sailed with her for many years had spent the first few days relentlessly drilling the crew until every new and existing crewman knew his job backwards.
Life aboard ship on a long voyage soon settled down into a regular routine and there was more time for leisure between the daily chores and periodic changes to the sails. At those times Lauriel made it her business to go amongst the thirty strong crew, spending time with them and getting to know the newer men better. It was a habit that had always served her well, for it helped make them more loyal and allowed her to gauge the general mood on board. Knowing them better was also useful whenever she was called upon to solve the inevitable disputes that would arise from time to time amongst men who were closely confined together for long periods, and in punishing any indiscipline.
Though she maintained an easy manner with her crew they knew from reputation and past experience that she would not tolerate insubordination or wrongdoing from them, for no good sea captain could do so without risking the safety of their ship on any long and uncertain voyage. Other captains, she knew, kept iron discipline aboard their vessels but she had always found that her ways worked better. It had been hard at first when she first took command of a ship following her brother's loss, doubly hard too with her being a woman. However because she had already proved herself competent and had earned the respect of many of her crew from previous voyages this obstacle was soon overcome.
That had been a long time ago, and now with Amado at her side, the fiercely loyal Gildor on deck and a loyal and seasoned crew she had little to trouble her. There was always something to worry about though, and now it was landfall at the Tyll Eglain. If Ataji's measurements and calculations were correct they would reach the islands sometime later that day, but there was always an element of doubt even on short journeys across open water even with someone of his skill and dedication, and compared to most this had been a very long journey indeed.
Furthermore the less favourable winds of the last few days and the tacking that they necessitated at times had made his calculations all the more difficult. She knew him well enough not to speak to him unless absolutely necessary when they were expecting a landfall, for he always became even more withdrawn and anxious, fearing what was to him an unbearable failure and loss of face . Worse still if things didn't go to plan he would start to blame Adanor the helmsman for having failed to follow his directions correctly, which always drew a predictable response.
By Ataji's reckoning they should be approaching the islands from the south east and they would appear somewhere off the starboard side. Lauriel had duly set a watch on the mast, but their task was complicated by a deterioration in the weather with low scudding rain clouds on a white capped sea and showers which filled the horizon with a grey murk and made the identification of any land much more difficult. Not only that but the islands themselves were low, flat topped and featureless.
As the day wore on there was still no sign of the islands, nor any indications that they might be nearby such as foraging sea birds. Lauriel knew full well that even the best navigators needed a large element of luck to arrive directly at their intended destination when the journey covered such a great distance. The further you travelled the greater the uncertainty, but at least their ultimate destination was something approaching two hundred leagues across if the old maps were to be believed. It was a situation they had faced many times before, even with a navigator as skilled and conscientious as Ataji. Usually they would arrive at a coastline somewhere near their destination and could then reach their destination by sailing along it. Trying to find a small group of islands was a different matter though and this time it was essential they found them. She knew the next stage of the journey would be far longer if the old map was accurate and they would need to take on every last bucket and barrel of water they could stow before they attempted it.
As the day wore on the atmosphere on board grew more tense, and the crew, or those without tasks to undertake gathered at the rail or climbed in to the rigging to try and be the first to sight land. Lauriel felt increasingly sorry for Ataji, who constantly paced back and forth and continued to take intermittent measurements, much to the irritation of Adanor at the helm.
In the event the islands were sighted on the port side, off the stern, and the cry of 'land' was greeted by a hoarse cheer on board and much relief. It was fortunate for them that the evening sky had begun to clear, for if it hadn't they might well have sailed right past the islands as Lauriel had feared. Ataji's demeanor changed completely and his crewmates gathered round to congratulate him on his latest success as if it had never been in doubt. Even if the islands hadn't turned out to be quite where he had expected they all knew it that was still a great feat of navigation, one that few others could have achieved, and he had done it twice now.
Lauriel ordered the ship brought round at once into the wind, and later as night fell they dropped anchor in the shelter of the bay on the north side of the largest of the islands, the central pad of the dog's paw. The much lightened mood on board improved still further when Lauriel ordered a tot of grog for all hands to celebrate the successful completion of the first leg of their voyage Temporarily released from their responsibilities the men remained on deck singing songs and gaming long into the night. Lauriel too remained on deck for a little while before retiring to her cabin, happy and relieved.
All resumed their work with a will in the morning however, the ship's boat was put into the water and began to ferry men and empty water barrels to the beach, where they were filled slowly from a small rill that tumbled from a low bluff onto the beach. A little while later the heavily laden boat completed the first return trip and the freshly filled barrels were hauled back aboard and stowed in the hold. By early afternoon every single available barrel had been refilled and stowed safely, leaving the Gwael sitting noticeably lower in the water. Lauriel hoped it would be enough to take them to the fabled land they sought, and all her calculations suggested it was, but so much still remained uncertain.
Afterwards Lauriel and most of the remaining crew went ashore, leaving just a handful of men aboard under the supervision of Ataji who rarely ever went ashore once a voyage was in progress.
The crew were given the rest of the day to dispose of as they wished on condition they returned to the beach one hour before sunset. Some went hunting or exploring but most remained where they were, for those that had already seen the island knew it held little of interest apart from dense scrub and a colonies of seabirds on its rocky shoreline.
Lauriel remained with Amado and Norumir for a while, and fell into reminiscing about their previous voyage to the islands for a little while until an impulse took her and she rose to her feet, made her excuses and struck off inland alone. She walked for a while through the scrub, following the coast from a distance until she came to a small stream in a narrow ravine, which she then descended to a sheltered cove. After checking that nobody had followed her she stripped off her clothes and strode into the surf. The cold made her gasp and the breakers nearly took her off her feet but after a brief effort she was in clear water and swimming vigorously out to sea. Eventually she paused, treading water, rising and falling regularly as the unbroken waves rolled towards the shore. She was totally alone in the endless ocean, a mere speck under a boundless and she felt an irrational surge of happiness, for nobody had ever done what she was doing, and maybe nobody would again. She turned in the water and dived, pulling herself downward towards the gloomy depths until her lungs and ears hurt as she had done many times as a fearless child. When she could bear it no more she struck back upward towards the light and broke the surface, gasping for breath and laughing with delight. She then let the tide and the waves push her gently back to shore, where she ran shivering from the water to dry herself and quickly dress again. A little while later she returned through the brush, the masts and rigging of the Gwael a distant landmark for her to follow on the horizon.
Her companions looked askance at her damp hair when she eventually returned to the beach but said nothing. The men had collected driftwood and brush and had lit a fire on which they now roasted fish and sea birds and Lauriel, who was now hungry after her exertions was eager to accept their numerous offers of a portion. For who knew how long it might be before they would eat hot food again?
Then at last it was time to go back aboard, and Lauriel took the first boat as the sun began to set in the west. She was eager to get under way for the winds remained favourable and the weather was set fair. Once the rest of the crew were all back aboard and the boat had been raised and lashed on deck the anchor was hauled up. Then with a nod from Lauriel Amado boomed out the order to set the sails and the whole ship was once again a hive of well ordered activity. The next stage of their journey had begun.
Once all was settled Lauriel and Amado strode off together inland and the others knew better than to follow them, or to make any unwise remarks. They walked side by side at first, retracing a path they had trodden when they first visited the island which led to a hidden cove under low cliffs. Here at last, freed from the bounds of convention and the sight of others they could for a few fleeting hours be truly free. Now she was one of the richest and most powerful woman in Caras Eden Lauriel had often sworn she would disregard the opinions of others and take Amado openly as her husband. But he always foreswore her as gently as possible, pleading that they already both had everything they could wish for, and not to do anything that could put that happiness at risk. She would reluctantly concede, seeing the wisdom in his words, but it stung and chafed that she would always have to keep their love a secret, or worse still the subject of speculation and gossip.
All too soon the hour at which they had instructed the crew to muster on the beach approached and they reluctantly left the cove and retraced their steps. None remarked on their reappearance together and they joined the crew for their evening meal, before organising the return to the ship. It was sunset by the time all the men had re-embarked and Lauriel's original plan had been to spend the night at anchor and sail first thing in the morning. However a favourable wind had sprung up and loth to pass up such an opportunity the order to weigh anchor and set the sails was given. The second leg of their voyage had begun.