Date: Fri, 15 Feb 2013 21:13:18 +0000
From: Michael Offutt <kavrik@hotmail.com>
Subject: Chapter 19 of The Assassin's Apprentice

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                                    *****

                                  Chapter 19

      The port master regards me from across a pale oak tabletop.

      "With the storm moving in, I doubt there's any ships at all leaving
the harbor, lad.  If there are, I don't have them on my roster.  However,
you might check with each captain.  Sailors are not easily deterred from
the sea.  It's their home, something they trust."

      I walk outside and look at Talen and Angelaria who are leaning
against a wooden rail that overlooks the shipyard.  The sky to the south is
lined with dark purple clouds, and I can see white crests on all the waves.

      "Now what?" Talen asks me.

      "Let's walk along the wharf.  We might spy a ship that'll be sailing
tonight.  If we do, I'll speak with the crew."

      "I saw one a few hundred yards east of here," she gestures.  "The
ship's a big one... it looks like it could spare three more.  Well, four
more," she said, considering her kitten.

      I nod. "Okay then. Any idea on how much they might charge us?"

      "It's hard to tell.  Probably not more than twenty gold crowns. With
that kind of cash you could rent a mansion for two months.  But there's
only one way to find out," Talen says.

      He's right. I swing over the rail and drop to the ground fifteen feet
down.  Talen follows suit. Angelaria grimaces and takes the stairs
muttering something about "boys."

      When we get closer to the boat she noticed earlier, I note that it's
more than a hundred feet from forecastle to stern...maybe larger.

      The ship's crew is scrambling all over it, hauling twine and patching
sails.  It's equipped with three masts and a crow's nest right beneath a
flagpole. I walk up the dock and call out to a sailor that looks to be of
some importance.

      "What cans I help you with, maitee?" He asks.  He has big black eyes
with harsh wrinkles at the corners, one of them's lazy.  His mouth's a
wrongful, ugly thing; his nose is awful and thickly made.

      "Where is this ship sailing to?" I ask him.

      "As soon as we're loaded down, the captin' make his headin' toward
Korimar and then on to Merenzar and the lands south of 'er in."

      I look at Angelaria.

      "Korimar's a little out of the way," she whispers in my ear. "Ask him
if we can book passage.  Perhaps he'd let us off near the Coast of Blood."

      "The Coast of Blood?" I state, somewhat quizzically.

      "Meron, silly. It's named after the savages living in the jungle.
They're cannibals and leave the remains of their war feasts to feed the
fish." More about cannibals I think to myself.  Is everyone in the world
turning to this disgusting taboo? Sometimes the way she talks about
cannibals and murderers with such an offhand, matter-of-fact manner, makes
my blood run cold. "It keeps down any deforestation efforts and
consequently, there are no towns along the coast.  That's why all the
cities are inland.  It's probably better that way, especially since monsoon
season lasts about nine months out of the year."

      "I need to book passage," I say to the man, "for the three of
us. Would this be possible?"

      The ugly man grins. "You can pay'n me if you'n liken too, laddy.  An
I'll keep the coins in safe keepin'."

      Talen waves his hand in protest. "I don't think so. We'd like to see
someone in charge. Not a barrel hand."

      The sailor grimaces, presumably measuring Talen up. "I ain't no
barrel hand," he hisses, "And I'm damned sure I can whoop your arse so
you'd best be gettin' more civil er I'll take ye for a dunk, boy."  I'm
impressed. Talen got this guy wound up.

      Talen glares at him. "What was that? Were you...threatening me? Cause
if so, I'd really like an excuse to send you to a doctor." Talen has a way
of popping his knuckles that's fairly intimidating.

      "Please," Angelaria starts to say. "I'm sure we can settle this some
other time.  I, however, would like to see someone in charge.  So, are you,
or are you not, that person?"

      He tugs at his beard as if considering her words.  "Follow me."

      We walk onto the boat which is rolling slightly as the swells from
the open sea toss the ship.  He shows us to a room filled with charts and
maps. I see a dizzying array of navigational instruments, clocks, and
straight edges. Angelaria calls one an astrolabe.

      The captain's a robust man with thick arms of sinewy muscle, large
hands and a well- trimmed beard and mustache.  His skin's deeply tanned and
his shirt's barely ample enough to cover his chest.  It's torn in spots,
and he speaks with a deep voice.  He's hunched over the table, studying a
chart carefully and recording notes in a ship's log.  He wears soft
slippers on his feet.

      "Might'n has a moment with y'sir?" the sailor asks. "These three er
wantin' to speak with yee on bookin' passage."

      He looks up from his charts and regards the three of us with
surprise.

      "And who might the young lady be?" he asks.

      Angelaria smiles, setting Verrr down to walk around the
room. "Someone who needs help.  These here are my friends Kian and Talen.
We'd heard that you plan to set sail soon for Korimar."

      "Aye, m'lady and you heard true. We sail today." He rises and offers
her a chair. "But can I fix you a drink or spirits before we talk
business?"

      "Thank you," she says, taking a seat. "That'd be very nice."

      "Would any of you like a drink?" the captain asks.

      "What have you got?" Talen responds.

      "Scotch, whiskey, and ale.  We just re-provisioned. The ale's
great. I like to add my own cinnamon apples to the brew.  It gives the ale
a kind of lively flavor."

      "I'll take some of that," Talen says.

      "How about you, lad?" he asks me.

      "I'll pass," I answer.

      "Suit yourself." He pours Talen his drink and hands it to him in a
large pewter flagon. Next, he brings a small cup over to Angelaria. She
sniffs at it, and I can tell she won't like it by the way her nose
wrinkles.

      "Now," he starts to say, looking for his chair, "What does a lovely
girl like you want with Korimar?"

      Angelaria arches her brow. "Actually...I want to get to the Coast of
Blood.  Can you take us there?"

      "The Coast of Blood? That would take me two weeks out of the way." He
scratches the side of his temple.  "Can't you find any other ship that'll
take you?"

      I speak up this time.  "Not one that'll leave during the storm. We've
pressing business to attend in Meron."

      The captain considers it over his ale. "Aye. And I should have
thought about that. Very few people are braver than Prince Ja-Mir of
Korimar."

      I roll my eyes at the way he drops that last tidbit of information.

      Angelaria bats her eyelashes.  "Are you a Prince? I had no idea."

      Ja-Mir leans back in his chair and folds his massive arms behind his
head.  He gazes up at the ceiling, but I can tell he's flexing his muscles
subtly. I hope Angelaria doesn't stroke his ego.  "Ahh...I'm sorry. I let
that slip out. Yes...yes...I'm a prince. Though it's hard to keep from
being recognized as such. Especially when I'm the bravest and strongest man
from here to Korimar and two thousand miles in any other direction."

      "Well then," Angelaria says, taking a sip from her flagon. "I can
pay. We all have money."

      "But what would a prince need with money?" I ask.

      The captain's eyes narrow and he leans forward with his heavy arms
resting on the desk. "I may be a prince," he whispers. "But business is
business."

      "Of course," Angelaria says. "How much do you require?"

      "Fifty gold crowns."

      Talen almost has a spasm. "Fifty... that's ridiculous!"

      The man meets Talen's gaze. There's a moment of silence, and I begin
to think Talen should've kept his mouth shut.  The guy grins and
laughs. "So is the request. The price is going to be fifty gold
crowns. Non-negotiable. If you don't have the money, you don't have a
ship."

      She looks at me and I nod.

      "I'll pay the price," I say.

      There's a moment of stunned silence on his behalf.

      "Are you criminals?" he asks. "I don't want any trouble from the
law. I've enough trouble at sea as is without being pursued by the regional
government."

      Angelaria coos at her cat. I shift my stance. "Of course not," I say.

      He watches me suspiciously.

      "Well, then," he says, "I don't see a problem with it. Now, there are
rules on this ship. I'm the captain. This man here that brought you in is
Gunnar. He's my first mate. You can call me sir, or by my name-Ja-Mir. Your
beds will be down below with the other men. The girl here, well, she can
share my cabin with me. I don't want her downstairs with the others."

      I start to object.

      "Put yourself at ease lad. I'm a perfect gentleman, and I respect a
girl's privacy. But no one rides for free on my ship.  We all have duties
in cleanin' and watchin' on deck.  Both of you look to be in sad shape for
sailing, but I'll make do."

      Sad shape? Asshole, I think to myself.

      He stands up, flexes again, and I can see quite clearly he must be
immensely strong, perhaps even as strong as Logren. Angelaria stares at him
and says, "Your muscles are so big."

      Ja-Mir says, "Thank you." Then he looks at me and Talen. "I need
someone to help climb the masts and act as spotters. You boys have the
build of a pair of monkeys so that'll be your duties.  You'll be expected
to take odd hours and dinner is every man for himself. Understood?"

      "And what shall I do, captain?" Angelaria asks.

      "Why dear, keep me company, of course."

      Her cat's rubbing up against my leg.  I feel this sudden urge to kick
it, but I restrain myself.  Instead, I reach into my pouch and count out
fifty gold crowns and hand them to him. His eyes widen a bit, probably
wondering what I did to earn such money.

      The first mate, Gunnar, leads us down below, and onto the sleeping
porch. The bunks are crowded together, and it stinks like a sweaty
armpit. When I walk down with Talen, there are four others down here. One's
a dark-skinned man with painted skin. He's giving another sailor (a youth
like myself) a tattoo on one of his arms. It's so stuffy that I can smell
the blood. Another guy probably in his mid-twenties eyes us suspiciously as
Talen and I set down our packs near our bunks.  He has a shaved head and
his body is pierced by gold rings in three or four different areas.  Last,
there's a skinny red-headed man smoking from a long pipe.  The smoke floats
about the room in a haze and makes my eyes water.

      "Rough crowd," Talen whispers in my ear.

      I plop down on my bed and wait for the ship to leave.

      It's the worst choice I could've made.  Within an hour I'm nauseous.

      The ship sails directly against the swells. Up and down it goes, with
an occasional wave splashing over the deck and sending water down the
stairs and past my bunk.  I just don't have the stamina for it. I start by
puking my guts out. When that isn't enough, I swallow water so that I won't
dry heave.

      The sailors laugh at me.

      "This storm ain't nothin'," one of them taunts.

      Talen wipes the drool from around my mouth. My throat's so dry. "He's
not used to it," Talen says. "Have some courtesy."

      The big bald guy walks over to Talen and puts his hand on his
shoulder.  "Are you two white boys, lovers? If so, I got a little something
for you too," he whispers and then licks Talen's ear.

      Talen whirls around. "Let go of me," he says.  He proceeds to insult
the guy in ways that make my ears blister. The bald guy takes a swing at
Talen's chest; it whomps him solid and knocks Talen off of my cot. I
struggle to sit up, but I'm too weak from puking.

      Talen's surprisingly quick, coming up with his foot into the man's
balls with a loud "thump."  He falls down.  Talen doesn't have time to
enjoy his shallow victory though, before the red-haired guy and the painted
man grab a hold of his arms and pin his face to the floor in my vomit.

      I rise up to try and help him. I get knocked to the floor too where
I'm beaten so hard I can see flashes of light every time I close my eyes. I
hear Talen moaning and as much as I can make out, he's getting hit
repeatedly with the solid rhythm of someone tenderizing meat.

      Then they stop.

      I come to before Talen does. His face is swollen and one eye's damn
near sealed shut.  They've torn his shirt off and he has large angry welts
all over his chest and back. I look at myself and see that I'm covered in
blood.

      I pass out again.

      I awake with a cold compress on my head. I hear Talen coughing. It's
bright outside so I guess it to be around noon.

      "Give them a minute."  It's the captain speaking.

       I sit up, but I can't make out details for a minute or two.  The
ship's crew is staring at Talen and I, and I scan them for Angelaria's
face. Surprisingly, she's next to me; I guess she bandaged up the both of
us.

      "Back to work," the captain informs his crew. "There's nothin' more
to see here."

      Angelaria turns to me. "You just couldn't stay out of trouble, could
you?"

      "What? How is this my fault!?"

      "The sailors said you and Talen insulted them. You got what you
deserve then."

      "Don't try and argue with her, Kian," Talen says. "She could never
understand."

      "Oh," she says, "Try me."

      "I was sick," I tell her. "Talen was taking care of me when the big
bald guy came over and molested him. Talen kicked him in the nuts--that's
how it all started!" I look around me. "You're all a bunch of assholes," I
say. "We hadn't done anything at all and you jumped us."

      They regard us with blank faces.  A moment later, the crowd
disperses.

      "You've been delinquent in your duties," Captain Ja-Mir
observes. "And you've stirred up my ship. Any more of this, and I'll set
you adrift on the sea...both of you."

      It doesn't escape me that he doesn't include Angelaria in that
statement.

      I look at Talen, who's holding his head. At least the swelling on his
face has started to go down.

      The first mate walks over, grinning.  He kicks Talen in the leg,
getting his attention. "That rope needs to be oiled and strung through the
mast. When you're done with that, we'll raise the sails.  And you there,"
he says, pointing at me. "We need two barrels of oil brought up from
below. After you're done with that, you're to help your friend out
here. Now get on it... every man earns his keep."

      I struggle to my feet, which are a bit wobbly.  It takes me a minute
to find my sea legs.

      Working on the ship is hot sweaty work.  The sky's clear all day long
and the barrels couldn't have been heavier.  As with most of the crew, we
walk around shirtless, preferring to get sunburned in exchange for staying
cool... if that's what you call it. At night, I'm so sore, I drop into a
coma.  We're only allowed to take naps for six hours at a time because of
watch.

      I didn't think I could lose weight, but somehow I do. Talen's hair,
normally mousy brown, lightens in all the sunlight; mine becomes almost
white. We find a place on board that's pretty empty at about the time that
the other sailors eat lunch. It's behind a bunch of stacked coffee bags
marked for Korimar, and it works perfect for Talen to give me a daily
blowjob.

      While we work, Angelaria spends her time with the captain. He must've
had a few dresses on board because she oftentimes emerges from the cabin
wearing something I've not seen before.  She's also the talk of the ship,
guys asking each other if they think she's a virgin--typical male nonsense.
In the end, they all want to bed her. I can't say I'm immune, but at least
I'm getting semi- regular sex.

      Talen and I endear ourselves to the crew during the second week.
After a confrontation with the painted man where I don't back down, he
reveals to me that he's from Merenzar.  He's a former slave and escaped
with Ja-Mir during a brawl in a tavern in some pirate town.  His name's
Ardis.

      One afternoon during the second week, Ardis walks over to Talen and
I. We're taking a break from the sweltering heat, and to be honest, Talen's
wanting me to meet him in our "special spot" behind the coffee
bags. There's a part of me that thinks Talen is trying to keep my libido
under control, because he feels threatened by Angelaria. But whatever the
reason, I really appreciate his efforts.

      The ship's drifting in and out of a Sargasso, which is a very calm
and still area of the sea.  It's considered the worst of luck for sailors,
as it can strand a ship far from anywhere, for long periods of time.

      "Kian," he says, "and what are you thinking today?" He takes a seat
next to Talen who's cleaning his nails with a knife.

      "How long do you think it'll be before the wind picks up?" I ignore
Talen who's gesturing toward the rear of the ship. Talen glumly settles
next to me when it appears obvious that our fun is delayed.

      Ardis shrugs his shoulders.  "It doesn't matter what I think. The
wind doesn't obey the matra.  It is the essence of chaos."

      "What's the matra?" I ask.

      "It's the spirit. Call it the spirit inside yourself. Call it the
spirit inside me or Talen here. It is the spirit of all things--the earth,
the sky..."  He clears his throat, taking some water into his mouth from a
jug at his waist.  He offers me and Talen some, which we readily
accept. "Where I'm from, we don't believe in an all-powerful god which
supposedly created the cosmos. Instead it's believed that the earth and the
sky emerged from the chaos and that their spirit gave forth man which
endeavors always to endear his spirit once again to the earth and the
sky. It's a philosophy of clean living, emphasized by the idea that pure
food promotes health and spirit. In the strictest sense," he continues,
"it's a meditative experience in which a man seeks to be released from the
confines of his individual experience and to see the world through the eyes
of his eternal soul."

      "What's that like?" Talen asks.

      "It's beyond description, young one," he says. "May I see your hand?"

      Talen shows him his palm, which, I note is as calloused as
mine. Ardis traces his finger over the lines there, indicating to him that
different fingers stand for different things.  One, for example is the
money finger, one the power and leadership finger, and so forth.  He also
indicates that Talen has a long lifeline and that the lines are not
completely defined but broken. This demonstrates a poor family life.  "You
are to be rich," he says, "And," he adds, "you'll have two wives."

      I look over at him. "How can you tell that?"

      "These markings, here," he points to the side of Talen's hand.  "Two
wives... it's very clear to me."

      I look at my own hand and see only one.

      Ardis looks as well. "Ah, but there's plenty of room for concubines,"
he says with a laugh.

      Talen puts his knife away and mops the sweat out of his eyes.  "Where
did you get all those crazy tattoos?"

      "From many ports." He shows us one that looks like a small onion
right above his nipple.  "It's called a leek."

      "Why did you get that put on your skin?"

      He grins. "Have you ever seen a leek on anyone else?"

      I think about it for a moment.  "Not really. Usually people like
dragons and unicorns."

      He holds up a finger. "Precisely. A man is his body. He must make of
it what he will but always obey the spirit."

      Talen sits up. "I want to get my ear pierced. Can you do it, Ardis?"

      He shrugs. "It is an easy thing to do."

      Talen's blue eyes are beaming.

      That afternoon, Talen gets his ear pierced.  For the hell of it (and
to be different) I get my nipple pierced. I'm surprised at how easily it's
done. Ardis supplies us with small earrings made of gold; all in all, I
think it's rather cool. I like mine so much that I ask Ardis to pierce my
tongue.  After it's over, I look at myself in the mirror. I can't eat for a
day afterward...the flesh of my tongue's swollen. But I drink often and
chew on some fruit when hungry. I can't wait to give Talen a blowjob, and
see how he likes the feeling of the stud in my mouth playing along his
glans.

      "You're being ridiculous," Angelaria tells me.

      It's night out now, and I'm at my usual place next to my boyfriend
and lover. It's dark enough that we can hold hands without being
spotted. The stars fill the night sky like a child's glitter box.

      "Why?"

      "Because it just doesn't suit you."

      "How do you know what suits me?" I stick my tongue out at her.

      She settles next to me and lets out a sigh.  "I guess I don't," she
says. "I'm sorry."

      I hesitate a moment, wondering if I should put my arm around her. I
loll my tongue around in my mouth as I think this course of action through
to its ultimate consequences. I rub the tongue stud in my mouth like a
worry stone.  I enjoy the feeling of it. Finally, I just lift my arm up and
settle it around her shoulders. She doesn't seem to mind.

      Next to me, Talen shuffles his feet a bit, stretching. The moonlight
shines off his bony chest with a subtle glow. Ardis walks over and offers
Talen a pipe. "It's the good smoke," he says to the young thief.  "It'll
help you reach enlightenment."

      Talen takes the pipe, drawing heavily from it. Finally, he exhales,
coughing a bit.  "Enlightenment is a good thing."

      Ardis draws from the pipe and then passes it to
me. "Enlightenment..." he gestures.

      I take it from him and draw the smoke into my lungs. After I exhale,
I'm a bit light-headed.  There's definitely something in the smoke.

      "A few more drags," Talen states, "and I think I'll be extremely
spiritual."

      As if in answer, Ardis passes the pipe back to Talen, who gets the
cherry in the bowl really started.

      "I still don't like it," Angelaria says.

      "Like what? My tongue piercing?"

      She nods.

      Talen giggles and says, "Yeah but I think I will."

      Ardis doesn't seem to notice Talen's blatant quip.

      I reach up with my other hand and gently turn her face.  "That's just
because you're not used to it," I say to her.  "If I kissed you, THAT might
start you to thinking a bit differently."

      "Do you want to kiss me?" she asks. "I mean...I've wanted to kiss you
but it just hasn't worked out so far. I mean, you're so beautiful and..."

      I move my face closer and press my lips to hers. I let my tongue play
along the skin there and we kiss. I can feel her flesh and my flesh sliding
together and apart.

      "And what?" I ask, parting for just a moment.

      She smooths my hair with her fingers. I've noticed girls like to do
that with guys. "You're so worldly.  I wouldn't know how to start."

      "You've never kissed anyone," I ask.

      She shakes her head no. "That time I let you kiss me in
Clothol...right after you'd messed up my night's work...that was my first
kiss."

      I pass up other hits from the pipe, leaving Ardis and Talen to drift
in their spiritual enlightenment alone.  I am, after all, giving kissing
lessons to a very lovely virgin. And, I discover Angelaria's a fast
learner. And by the way, before midnight arrives I've completely changed
her mind about my tongue ring.

      Dawn arrives too soon, and with it comes the hint of a breeze.
Ja-Mir doesn't hesitate before he orders the ship's sails tacked. Talen and
I busy ourselves for a half hour, helping to tie down the boom. Then we
climb the masts to make minor adjustments to the sails.  By noon we're well
on our way once again.

      That night, I'm sitting up with Ardis under the full moon. Talen's
fallen asleep on a pile of sails and is drooling on himself. It almost
makes me chuckle: so much for enlightenment. I rub the sleep out of my eyes
and stretch but I've a few hours left on my watch. Ardis grips my arm and
points over the ocean.

      "Do you see that light?"

      I squint. "What is it? Another ship?"

      Ardis nods.  "We should keep an eye out for it. Pirates are like a
plague on this sea, sinking ships carrying gold from the blood coast."

      Pirates? I think to myself. And just when everything seems to be
going so well.


                                  *****

      I shall post Chapter 20 next week