Ilse Witch

Walker nodded.

a?ell, well, well. This might prove interesting after all. What would bring a Druid out of Paranor these days? Dona? think it would be anything small.a?He stuck out a massive hand. a?a? Spanner Frew.a?/p>

Walker accepted the hand and shook it. The hand felt as if it had been cast in iron. a?ruids go where they are needed,a?he said.

a?hat must be extremely difficult when there is only one of you.a?Spanner Frew chuckled, a deep, booming rasp. a?ow did you have the misfortune to fall in with these thieves? Not that young Rue wouldna? turn the head of any man, mine included.a?/p>

a?icatrix sent them to me.a?/p>

a?h, a brave and unfortunate man,a?the shipbuilder allowed with a solemn nod, surprising Walker. a?ost everything but his mind in a shipwreck that wasna? his fault but was blamed on him nevertheless. Do you know about it?a?/p>

a?nly the rumors. I know Cicatrix from other places and times. Enough to trust him.a?/p>

a?ell said. So youa?e tied in with Big and Little Red and come looking for a shipbuilder. That must mean you have a voyage in mind and need a ship worthy of the effort. Tell me about it.a?/p>

Walker provided a brief overview of what it was he required and how it would be used. He gave Spanner Frew no more information than he had Redden Alt Mer, but was encouraging where he could be. He had already decided he liked the man. What remained to be determined was his skill as a craftsman.

When Walker was finished, Spanner Frewa? scowl deepened and his brow creased. a?his would be a long voyage youa?e planning, one that could take years perhaps?a?/p>

Walker nodded.

a?oua?l need your ship for living quarters, supplies, and cargo when you arrive at your destination. Youa?l need it for defense against the enemies you might encounter. Youa?l need it to be weatherworthy, because therea? storms on the Blue Divide that can shred a ship of the line in minutes.a?He was listing Walkera? requirements in a matter-of-fact way, no longer asking questions. a?oua?l need weapons that will serve on both land and air. Youa?l need replacement parts that cana? be found on your travelsa”adian draws and ambient-light sheaves, parse crystals and the like. A big order. Very big.a?/p>

He glanced at the workmen behind him, then off at the harbor. a?ut your resources are plentiful and your purse is deep?a?/p>

Walker nodded once more.

Spanner Frew folded his beefy arms. a? have the ship for you. Just completed, a sort of prototype for an entire line. Therea? nothing else like her flying the Four Lands. Shea? a warship, but built for long-range travel and extended service. I was going to offer her on the open market, a special item for those fools who keep trying to kill each other above the Prekkendorran. If they liked her well enough, and I think they would, Ia? build them a few dozen more and retire a rich man.a?His scowl became a menacing grin. a?ut I would rather sell her to you, I think. Care for a look?a?/p>

He took them north all the way through the shipyards to where the beach opened on a series of rocky outcroppings and the fleet Walker had seen earlier when entering the harbor lay at rest. There were nearly a dozen ships of various sizes, but only one that caught the Druid’s eye. He knew it was the ship Spanner Frew had been talking about even before the other spoke.

“That’s her,” the burly shipbuilder indicated with a nod and a gesture. “You picked her out right away, didn’t you?”

She was built like a catamaran, but much larger. She was low and sleek and wicked looking, her wood and stays and even her light sheaves dark in color, and her twin masts raked ever so slightly, giving her the appearance of being in motion even when she lay at rest. Her decking rested on a pair of pontoons set rather close together, their ends hooking upward into twin horns at either end, their midsections divided into what appeared to be fighting compartments that could hold men and weapons. Her railings slanted away and back from her sides, bow, and stern to allow for storage and protection from weather and attacks. The pilothouse sat amidships between the masts, raised well above the decking and enclosed by shields that gave ample protection to the helmsman. Low, flat living quarters and storage housing sat forward and aft of the masts, broad but curved in the shape of the decking and pontoons to minimize wind resistance. The living and sleeping quarters were set into the decking and extended almost to the waterline, giving an unexpected depth to the space.

Everything was smooth and curved and gleamed like polished metal, even in the faint, misted light of the cove.

“She’s beautiful,” Walker said, turning to Spanner Frew. “How does she fly?”