The Walled Cities

Chapter 44

Part 2

Bring Kaelyn home son.

Shaw's words echoed in my mind as I stared out over the vast blue ocean. The sailors called it the Atlantic, though none of them had a satisfactory answer as to why is was named such. It was unlike anything I had seen before, blue stretched beyond the horizon, in every direction. I had seen the ocean from Columbia and other areas along the coast, but never had I been out to sea before.

Around me sailors moved about the deck, climbing up to work the sails, or working on various things that I did not understand. They had tried to explain it to me, but I had yet to understand it all. Still, it was fascinating just to watch them move about the ship, working together and knowing what to do without a word exchanged. The caravans back home acted like that at times, though only the ones that had worked together for five or more trading seasons. Such cooperation would open up new possibilities for much of the population if it could be replicated. No one traveled west of Appalachia, though surely there were people and new things to discover.

These thoughts were distracted as the sails above rustled in the breeze. The first time I had heard this I had twitched, much to the amusement of the crew. Now I merely smiled at the noise, as I knew it meant the winds were shifting. With the wind came the smell of saltwater, and a light spray of water. It felt like a kiss as they sparkled on my face and clothes, catching the light from the sun. It made me feel alive, in a way I had never felt before.

A voice calling my name had me turn me gaze away from the ocean. My fellow passenger, Lucia was making her way across the towards me. Dressed in a red and black jacket and billowing skirt, she greeted each sailor as she mad her way across the deck, having been sailing with them for nearly two years now. Over the last couple weeks I had learned that she was trying to create a series of books on the plants, animals, people, and geography of the world. It did not make sense to me, but I had willingly answered her questions about what lived in the regions I had traveled.

As she came to stand next to me, I cast my gaze out across the ocean. Despite its beauty, it was so empty, unlike the coastal waters, that had various creatures and plants. Curious if she felt the same, or had anything to say on the subject I commented, "Its so barren out here. I feel so alive but besides our small ship of life, the ocean seems dead."

Looking at me with a knowing smile Lucia explained, "Yes it would seem that way. There is not much out here. Maybe the occasional whale, like we saw last week, but there is not enough food for life to sustain itself out here." Her voice was soft, though her accent made her words seem warm, no matter what they were. She had told me that it was a common thing back in the Spain-Portugal Alliance.

Reminded of home I added, "Back home there was life everywhere you went, birds, trees, large and small four legged beasts. I could never go a day without encountering at least a dozen different things."

Wistfully she replied, "Yes, I remember you saying as much. Perhaps sometime later you could draw and describe these creatures and plants. I only got a few days in the swamps, far to the south of your home."

I understood her mood, as this had been her first trip to the region of the Walled Cities. It was unfortunate that it had been cut short, but she understood my need to rescue Kaelyn as soon as possible.

"There you two are! Enjoying the calm seas today are we?" The rough booming voice of Adaire called out.

Unsurprised at the man's ability to find us, I turned to watch the captain of the ship make his way towards us. In the weeks I had had been on this ship, I had developed a fondness for the East African and his wife. Jamila, was much like my sister in law, Cassie. I had even found myself talking to her much like I did with Cassie, despite the fact we had only known each other for a short time. Each night I dined with her, Adaire, and Lucia, eating dishes I had never heard of before. Jamilia cooked dishes from her homeland, which put my ability to cook to shame.