Born of Water

Born of Water Chapter 27

CHAPTER 27

THE SOUTHERN SHORE

The coast of the southern shore emerged out of the sea to their starboard side in late morning. Ty dozed fitfully in the shade of the sail, unwilling to go below while they sailed in reach of the Crossing with its strong tides and sudden storms. He eyed the distant shoreline. The midsummer grasses of the Steppes of Umbrel tinted the gently rolling land a dark ochre-green. Satisfied that they were beyond the worst of the current, he headed below for true sleep.

When he woke, it was to twilight and without the memory of having reached his cabin. Ty rubbed his eyes, blinking up at the dusky light. The Crossing, and everything before, felt like a dream, as if he were waking up in his father's boat before he was to leave for his apprenticeship. The feeling left him queasy. Ty swung his feet out of bed, double checking the room to be sure he was on the Grey Dawn. It was a sense of relief to know the last few weeks were real, even his apprenticeship. He didn't want to have to go through it again.

Lavinia guided the ship, her eyes bright as she watched the nearby shoreline slip past. A sense of pride for his sister's skill at navigating and sailing fluttered in him before it was buffeted by the memory of Drufforth and Darag. The pinch of pain was the first real connection he felt to recent days. A weight settled on him, but it wasn't overwhelming. Not like it had been. Ty sighed.

"Do you want to take over?"

"No, you've done well. If you are up to it, why don't you take us in?"

Ty settled on a seat next to Niri. Their conversation that morning, despite the worries she had shared, stirred something lighter in him. He felt like he could laugh, or at least manage a smile, when he was near her. Ria sat opposite, her eyes on the shore.

The dying sun set behind bleached grassland, gilding the sandy tops of small dunes. They heralded the beginning of the Great Desert. Before the dim light of evening faded completely, the swaying palms above Rah Hahsessah came into view. Lavinia turned the bow of their boat to head toward a wide canal entrance.

The city had been constructed where there was no natural harbor. Instead, the sand between buildings had been excavated and the edges shored with stone blocks. The deep canals were filled with sea water and now ships could navigate to the city center on roads of water. At dusk, lights along the edges of the canal were lit to aid navigation. Rah Hahsessah plied commerce night and day, though it was at night when the city streets awoke, as Ty had found on his first visit. During Ty's short time at his apprenticeship, the Gypsy Empress had made the crossing to the southern shore six times. The largest city along the southern coast, Rah Hahsessah had always been the first stop.

Lavinia coasted the ship into the city, the wind off the water pushing them directly along the canal. Figures moved beyond the lamplight, barely seen between the cargo piled on the canal's edge and secured boats. Ty strained his eyes for an empty section where they could dock the Grey Dawn.

Hundreds of boats were tied up along the canal's edge. Even though the sun had set, the evening was early. It was still the transition time as the stones and desert released heat absorbed during the day. The air was humid and sticky. Merchants and sailors moved slowly, wearing long loose robes and head scarfs to protect from the sun and wind-blown sand. The town would not really awaken for a couple of hours.

"Stall the boat here," Ty said to his sister. There was a space between ships tied to the canal wall only a few feet longer than the Grey Dawn.

Lavinia did as she was told, spilling the wind from the boat's sails. She glanced from the stone edge across the watery gap to their ship.

"How?"

Ty smiled. "Just hold her steady," he said.

Darkness and lantern light broken by wavelets hid small balls floating between the other two ships. Ty grabbed a pole from the Grey Dawn and fished a mooring ball out of the water. Attached was a line that ran to the stones of the canal's edge. Lavinia understood instantly. She held the wet line at the stern, giving Niri a glance. Niri's eyes glow faintly. Even with a bit of a breeze, the boat was not going to move. He had no doubt. Ty walked to the bowsprit and pulled up the other line.