"Of course you're not," the captain said, smiling. "Now, do I have your word that you won't try to harm anyone on this ship? We have your woman under guard."
"I won't try anything."
The captain nodded to his men. "You can stand at ease. Please, leave us."
One of the men opened his mouth to say something, but shut it with a snap.
The captain looked at the sailor and smiled. "You have no need to be concerned." He reached down to touch his belt, and Miro saw he wore a beautiful sword, thin and perfectly straight, with a ruby set into the hilt. "The Holdfast champion, three years running. As good as he is, our man here is unarmed, and we have his wife. Besides," his gaze returned to Miro, "I feel I can trust him."
"Aye aye, Commodore," one of the guards said. He scowled at Miro. "We'll be just outside."
When they were alone, the captain sat down on one of the divans, gesturing for Miro to sit on the other. Miro was surprised at the hospitality, but noticed the captain kept his distance, as if Miro stank. Which, he reflected, he probably did.
"My name is Deniz, and I am captain of the Seekrieger, the ship you are aboard right now. You may address me as 'Commodore', or 'Commodore Deniz'."
"A pleasure, Commodore," Miro said warily.
"You are wondering why I did not have you killed, and in fact I am wondering myself."
"True."
"There are two reasons why you are still alive. The first is that you are one of the finest swordsmen I've ever seen. I'm not without skill myself, and I know it when I see it. I've been to the north, and fought your people, and never have I come across a barbarian with such skill as yours."
"I told you, Commodore, I'm not a barbarian."
"There you go again," Deniz said. "Of course you are a barbarian. You certainly aren't Veldrin. However your words do lead me to the second reason I've let you live. You are something of a curiosity." He counted on his fingers. "You sail in a ship that, while obviously inferior, I have never seen in the northlands. You and your woman — my apologies, wife — both wear men's garments."
Miro opened his mouth, but the captain continued.
"You speak with a strange accent. You sail in waters where barbarians haven't been seen in generations. You are the first barbarian I've seen without a tangle of facial hair — at last! Finally," Deniz had run out of fingers, "you have the light of intelligence in your eyes."
"Commodore," Miro said, "if you'll let me…"
"No," Deniz held up a hand, "this mystery is better unravelled by one wiser than I. Save your words, barbarian. We are not far from home."
Deniz stood, and Miro stood with him.
"I promised you I would not allow harm to come to you, or your wife, while you were aboard my ship. I cannot offer the same promise when you are out of my hands, but I will commend your skill to the Emir. You wouldn't be the first barbarian who has gone on to adopt civilised ways and serve. Do as you are told, barbarian, and you may yet live."
~
MIRO was led to a cabin, and breathed a sigh of relief when Amber turned at the opening door. He was surprised to see she wasn't gagged or tied. The door closed behind him, and Miro heard two guards talk in low tones as they took positions outside. Given the earlier battle, it could have been much worse.
Miro embraced Amber, holding her close. "These people are strange," was the first thing he said.
"They must have a peculiar code of honour," Amber said. "They hardly touched me. It was almost comical, watching them try to bring me here without putting their hands on my body."
"We seem to have struck a deal with the captain," Miro said. He told Amber about his encounter with Commodore Deniz. "He has guaranteed our safety until we reach port, and I believe him."
"What will happen then?"
"All he intimated was that we'd be handed over to someone else. He finds us curious, yet every time I tried to explain to him he wouldn't let me. It must be his way of deferring to his superiors, but I found it odd."
Miro moved over to the cabin window. It was large enough that Amber could look also, and they both cried in wonder at the same time.
They must have entered a harbour, for the wavelets were small and the sea was calm, yet at this stage, all they could see were ships, most at anchor, but some under sail.
More ships than Miro thought could exist in the entire world.
Miro saw scores of mighty warships like the Seekrieger and the vessel Miro had found on the island. He knew they were warships now by the rows of wooden shutters, knowing even the Buchalanti would find them formidable. Hundreds of cruisers were still bigger than any ship Miro had ever seen, while smaller boats abounded: flat-bottomed barges, two-masted caravels, three-masted galleons, speedy galleys and even pleasure craft. Longboats and jollyboats hopped from one vessel to another, ferrying passengers and carrying stores.
Miro saw a lighthouse at the end of a long wall of rock, and realised something he didn't want to admit.
This harbour dwarfed the great harbour at Seranthia.