Waterborne (Wanderlust 3)

Chapter Seventeen

The rain lasted into the next day, and the one after that. They tried moving the Wanderlust, but ultimately decided that staying put was the best plan. The fenders were protecting her from the cliff sides, and the flagpole was still secure. They had enough food and collected fresh rainwater by pulling the water barrels onto the deck. Elorie assured them that it was all right that they were blocking the canyon, because no one else would be sailing during the storm, either.

The worst part of the whole ordeal was trying to keep dry. Cracks in doorways were blocked, keeping it relatively dry within the ship. But while the rest of the ship was connected, and the crew could safely move from the galley to their hammocks, the same couldn't be said for the captain's quarters. In order to talk to anybody or get food, Tanden and Soren had to bolt through the rain, open one of the hatches as quickly as possible, and slam it shut behind them.

It wasn't all bad, though. When Tanden and Soren weren't dashing for food, standing on watch, or meeting with the others, they were alone in the captain's quarters, wrapped up in each other. The Wanderlust could never provide much privacy, but the storm did, and they took advantage of it. They even invited Ara to join them for the second evening.

Luckily, despite being either stuck inside, or being miserably soaked while on watch duty, crew morale remained high. Three days later, when the sun finally peeked through the clouds, everyone was delighted to step outside. They got the Wanderlust moving as quickly as they could, taking advantage of the clear weather as the sun steamed the water off of the deck.

Two days later, the Danil River opened onto a wide, long lake. It was very busy. Little rowboats and sailboats dotted the lake, and far in the distance two tallships floated close together. So many buildings bordered the lake that Tanden wasn't even sure they were different villages, or one long, stretched out town or city.

They sailed along the Southern coast, putting distance between themselves and the more heavily occupied side of the lake, solely to stay out of the way of the swarms of smaller boats. After the tight confines of the canyon, and the jungle reaching towards them on either side of the river, the extra space was nice.

"This is Danilaex," Elorie said, from her usual perch along the bulwark.

"Danil of the lake?" Tanden translated. "The town, you mean?"

Elorie nodded. "The lake, the town—they share the name. At the far end, those ships are docked at the canal entrance, and what you could call the city center. That's where we can leave your ship. It might be an interesting place to visit, also. I might be able to ask about meeting an elephant."

They reached the little port around noon. It was instantly clear why the other two Alvarian tallships were floating offshore. The collection of docks couldn't really be called a port, and there was nowhere for such large ships to properly moor. Tanden called for the anchor to be dropped near the other two ships, and the Waterborne was lowered into the water.

Soren climbed down to the cutter first, followed by Elorie. Tanden lingered on the deck, speaking with Ivern.

"Send a few of the more sprightly lads to inspect the flagpole."

Ivern looked up. Soren's lashing had held well, and the flags still dangled upside down. In the winds coming across the lake, the flags were trying to flutter, but only managed to tangle around others lines. "We'll get it down while you're gone, Captain," Ivern said confidently.

"We should be back in a few days," Tanden said. "Do what you can for the flagpole. Getting it down safely is more important than flying the flags for now. Stock up on supplies, too. And feel free to do some trading if it seems profitable. Rico's staying, he can help you."