But eventually they had reached the coast and found the fishing village. The village had been raided by a Saaur patrol, and the drying shed with the Brijaner ship burned down, and the six men left to guard it killed. The Saaur had left warriors behind for two weeks, but when no one returned they had left to rejoin their compatriots. A black despair had washed over all five of them, but after a day of dejection, Erik had organized the other three healthy men and begun a modest camp some distance from the village.
The villagers had been more than willing to help, in exchange for work, and because these men were obviously enemies of their oppressors. Not one member of the village had suggested they be turned over to the Emerald Queen’s army.
As they watched, the ship grew slowly on the horizon. At last Calis said, “It’s a Kingdom ship.”
Alfred and Renaldo let out a whoop of pleasure, while Micha gave a short prayer of thanks to Tith-Onanka, the God of War. Calis stood, leaning on his crutch.
“We’d better get to the village.”
Erik walked near Calis in case he needed help. He had taken more damage than any mortal should have to endure, and still he lived. He was healing. He would carry burn scars on the left side of his face, but his hair was growing back. For the severity of the wounds—which Erik had cleaned daily, and regularly performed reiki on—the scars weren’t bad. There was some weakness on his left side and he limped, but Erik was certain once they reached the Kingdom, some help, from the Prince’s chirurgean or one of the healing priests at one of the temples, would bring the Captain back to his former vigor.
They didn’t speak at all of Bobby de Loungville, alone in his icy tomb high in the mountains above. Erik had some vague sense that the unwillingness to speak of the dead was Calis’s elven heritage. He also sensed some deep personal loss: Bobby had been more than just a friend to Calis. He had been the first man recruited to Calis’s special cause, and he had endured longer than any man in Calis’s command.
As they reached the beach, Erik realized with something close to shock that now only Jadow Shati stood longer in term of service to Calis than he, and he had barely served for three years. He shook his head.
Calis noticed and said, “What?”
Erik shrugged. “I was just thinking that longevity isn’t a hallmark of this service.”
“That’s the truth,” said Calis. “And I fear the carnage has only just begun. Of us five here, none may be alive when this is all done.”
Erik said nothing. They reached the village, where one of the older fishermen, named Rajis, said, “Do you wish to meet that ship?”
“Yes,” said Erik. “It is one of ours. It will take us home.” The villager nodded, and shook Erik’s hand, then Calis’s and the others’. “We can only say thank you,” said Calis.
“If we help you in defeating the Emerald Queen, you need not thank us.”
They entered a boat and were pushed out into the surf and two fishermen began to row. As the ship approached, Erik said, “That’s not a royal ship.”
Calis nodded. “They fly a trading banner.”
“What?” said Alfred. “It’s a merchantman?”
“So it would seem,” answered Calis.
After a few minutes, Erik said, “I don’t know. . . .” He stood and began waving. As the ship approached, figures on the deck began waving back, then suddenly Erik recognized one of them. “It’s Roo!” he shouted. “It’s Roo!” A moment later he said, “And Nakor’s with him! And Sho Pi!”
Soon they were alongside the ship and a rope ladder was dropped. Two sailors shinnied down ropes and helped Calis climb aboard. Erik waited to be last, then bade the two fishermen good-bye.
When he got on deck, he found Nakor, Sho Pi, and Roo waiting. Roo came over and the two boyhood friends embraced. After a moment, Erik said, “It’s good to see you—more than you can ever know.”
Looking at the five men, sunburned, undernourished, ragged, and dirty, Roo shook his head. “Just you five?”
“That we know of,” said Calis. “Miranda had a dozen with her.”
Nakor said, “If they aren’t here by now, they didn’t get out. She got to Elvandar with a strange man named Boldar. I saw them there. Then Pug sent me to Roo so I could come get you.”
Calis stood. “There is much we must talk of, things I saw under the mountains that I don’t yet understand. Perhaps your odd perspective on things might help me sort it out.”
“We have a long voyage ahead,” said Nakor. “Plenty of time to talk. First you need to eat, then sleep. Then Sho Pi and I will look at your wounds.”
The other three men were shown below, and Erik said to Roo, “Why you?”
Roo shrugged. “Duke James was loath to lend Nakor a ship. I’ve come into some money and had a few ships lying around the harbor, so I thought I’d give him one.” Glancing at the retreating Isalani’ s back, he said, “Then when I considered what a maniac he could be, I thought it best if I came along to make sure I got my ship back.”
Erik laughed. Roo said, “De Loungville?”
Erik lost his smile. “Up there,” he said with a tilt of his chin toward the distant mountains, their peaks hidden by clouds.
Roo was silent for a long moment before he turned toward the quarterdeck. “Captain!”
“Yes, Mr. Avery?”
“Take us home.”