A Rock and a Heart Place (gxg)

Chapter 11

Inez led the trio up the gangplank to the deck of the Guardwell, dodging deckhands that were busy bringing crates, barrels, and sacks of cargo up to be stored below decks. None of them commented on the fact that entire crew was women, though they certainly noticed. A loud female voice from the deck ordering the crew about caught their attention, and they made their way over to her while trying to stay out of the way of the busy crew.

The woman was a few inches taller than Inez, though not nearly as muscular. She had more of a dancer's body, long and lean, and she nodded as she saw the three of them. Stepping back from the bustle, she walked a few steps to meet them while steering clear of the rest of the crew. "I assume you're the passengers I was told to expect?"

Inez gave a friendly smile to the woman, who she guessed was the captain. "I believe we are. My name is Inez, and these are my companions, Medya and Katja. We're just hoping for passage to Southington."

"I'm Liana, captain of this group of misfit women. We'll be happy to get you there! For two gold pieces per person of course," she added with a wink.

"We have your money," Inez assured her. Medya counted out six gold pieces and passed them over to the Liana silently.

Liana studied the three of them closely for a moment, as if trying to decide if they would be a danger on the trip. "It will take three days to make the journey to Southington, weather permitting, and then you can be on your way. Would you care to join me in my cabin while the crew gets the ship ready to sail?"

"That would be nice, yes."

They followed the captain back towards the stern, where she had a room that appeared to be a combination of office and bunkroom. Maps and charts of the depths littered the walls and the desk, while a pair of lanterns hung from the ceiling to provide illumination. A handful of chairs were haphazardly scattered about the space, as if they had shifted in heavy seas but were never placed back in their position.

"Feel free to pick a chair that suits you." Liana said with a smile as she sat behind her desk, putting her feet up and tossing a small rock up in the air over and over.

Medya sighed inwardly, but followed the directions, as did the others. Before long, they were seated in a small semi-circle in front of the desk. "Go ahead, ask your questions," Medya directed, mildly annoyed.

Liana laughed loudly, as she didn't seem to have another volume. "Well, you just answered one of them, so thank you. I take it you know what this is?" She held up the small stone that she had been tossing.

Medya stuck her fingers into the pouch at her waist and pulled out an identical stone. "It is a truthstone. Handy items if you're going to interrogate people," she said with a smirk as she passed the stone to Inez. "It will vibrate if someone lies in your presence. But they are limited and can be misled."

Katja seemed to think the conversation was great fun and was staring at all the women with equal wonder. Her life to this point could hardly have prepared her for such an encounter.

"Oh, this is exciting. I guess we'll all lay our cards on the table then?" the captain asked with a smile.

"We have nothing to hide," Inez claimed, then saw Liana's smirk as her stone vibrated.

"Shall we try that again?"

"Ask your questions," spat Medya.

"Fine. Where are you headed after Southington?"

"We're going to Tefra," Medya answered quickly. Inez took this as her cue to keep quiet, since Medya knew how the stones worked better than she did. "Can we trust you?"