Imperial Captain
An Imperial Warship
Captain Radamant
A Sister praying
A Merchant Ship
CHAPTER TWO
“Traveling is a bright open gate. The anxiety is what may
be on the other side.”
Hyrsuzlas : The Commentaries
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We stood on the dilapidated dock, both of us staring at the ships as workers and sailors quickly toiled around us, ensuring that the vessels were properly secured. I had only seen a true seaworthy ship up close when one had floundered on the rocks not far from the hamlet, but these ships were all larger.
Two were clearly warships. They had ramming beaks on the waterline many feet ahead of the curved prows. Both had a small protected deck erected behind the prow where archers could ply their deadly skills. The pilot and the crew were defended by a roof spreading over the raised deck. Portholes were cut in the walls to allow the firing of arrows or the hurling of other weapons. On each main deck near the mast, one catapult stood, waiting as silent giant to fling objects at the enemy.
But the largest ship was for carrying cargo and passengers. On this trip, the passengers were the children of Eldin sworn to serve the Gracious Lady. On the prow was a beautifully carved figure of a Leead wearing a crown and wielding a sword. The ship was also lavishly painted in white, silver and various shades of blue, an even more beautiful sight than our shrine back home. Silver lanterns burnt sweet incense that disappeared in the rough ocean breeze. Wooden statues of the Great Goddess and Venerable Ones were in abundance. It was mysterious yet welcoming. A floating temple tempting the follower to come aboard.
“The Great Mother in command will be on that ship,” Father said sadly.” Do you wish to visit it now? We can wait in Ailgen at a tavern and return tomorrow.”
I didn’t know what to say. We had only been up on Freill Mount two hours ago celebrating the past and now I was looking directly at my new and uncertain future. I stood there mute.
We stood side by side. Silent. Uncomfortable. I wanted to run away. Someone else broke the impasse.
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“Who are you, down there?” The voice was feminine and commanding.
I barely had the courage to glance up. “I am promised to the White Lady, madam, but we came by these parts for another purpose and I’m not sure what I am to do.”
The tall, slender woman came marching smoothly down the gangplank. She wore light blue robes and her head was covered with a white veil adorned with jewels.
Father went to his knees, whispering,”A Great Mother.” I kneeled immediately.
A gigantic diamond ring was on her right hand. She walked with a staff made of silver, an image of the Moon at the top. Her robes covered her feet. She held out the hem of her longest garment. Father kissed the silver thread on the hem. I again followed his action.
“How blessed is the day when the land of Eldin is graced by such sanctity,” Father testified firmly.
She gently touched Father’s head. “I am always happy to visit my children.”
She took my face by the chin and raised my head so that I should view her closely. I shut my eyes, terrified.
“Open.” I barely cracked my eyelids.
“Behold Cenefra, your spiritual mother. I am the Patroness of Eldin, a Great Mother of the Second Rank, a priestess in the High Mysteries with the authority to practice all solemn rites in the Celestial Temple of the Goddess Moon on the Blessed Island.”
I have no idea how her face seemed to me that first time. I only recall the veil and the jewels and her firm hand. She smelled of jasmine. I thought I might pass out if something didn’t happen very soon.
She relaxed her grip and I dropped my head to the wood of the dock.
“I am certain you have a name.”
“Dyess urnif Skell.”
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“Well, Skell son of Dyess, I know what you will do. You will board my ship and my guards shall escort your father back to your home. He will collect anything you would have normally brought when you would have answered the Call, hearing of my arrival in Ailgen.”
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After Father left, I felt extremely lonely and, indeed, despondent. Great Mother Cenefra’s time was consumed with working with her Scribes and couriers in sending out the Call to all of Eldin. Dozens of couriers either rode out on horseback into the countryside every day. I climbed up Freill Mount or surveyed the tiny crooked streets of Ailgen-on-the-Coast. It was the largest town I had ever been in and I am rather ashamed to admit that I was impressed with it. Soon, I gained a measure of pride in knowing my way through all of Ailgen and gaining the acquaintance of a few citizens. I saw several families preparing to send children upon the voyage, most were maidens.
One day up on the Mount, I fell through a hole that had been covered up with thin sod and tall grasses. I went down only a few feet, but it was manmade and I vowed to explore it further. I got a torch in Ailgen and rushed back up, making sure that no one was following me. I lit the torch and went down on purpose this time, feet first. I slid down at a gradual sloping about fifteen feet, my sandals finally touching ancient clay bricks. I held out the torch into the darkness. I was in a corridor about six feet high. I stepped away from the narrow cone of light shining from above.
The walls were covered with Old Eldinic murals. The first was Skell the Hero-King himself, holding an axe in one hand and a wild beast in the other. He had a large black beard and long hair. He did resemble the Skell in my dream somewhat. Next to that picture there was Skell fighting the demon Hikk, a fiercesome thing, and then Skell slaying a number of Ruk warriors. A few feet further, after pictures of dolphins, Skell was shown building the fort on Mount Freill. The last mural depicted the Hero-King fighting the huge White Bear, blood dripping from his many wounds. He would not defeat that opponent. I tingled from head-to-toe. Here was my ancient blood relative glorified in these faded scenes, a glimpse into the past when we ruled ourselves.
A sour taste was in my mouth as I thought of the Imperial idiot and whoever ordered him to our district. There must be a better way. Yes, and these murals must see the full light of day once again, with fresh paint upon the images. I climbed up and extinguished the torch in the dust. I carefully covered up the hole once again. Somehow I was sure that I was not the only guest to view these beauties. As I strode down to
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Ailgen-on-the-Coast, I felt a pride swell within my heart, a coursing of blood in my veins.
After all of the couriers had been sent, Cenefra invited me to have lunch in her cabin. My heart beat out of my chest as I made my way to her door and knocked. The door was painted with intertwined Desdrads dancing on the Moon.
“Entrance is granted.”
I opened the door and knelt, my forehead on the carpeted floor.
“Rise, Dyess urnif Skell, and dine with your new mother.”
I rose and went to a lower chair on the opposite side from her at a table laden with foods and fruit. She was leaning back into a plush divan and she was not wearing a veil, only a scarf that covered her long, dark, braided hair. Her skin was pale and she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen up to that day in my life. Father later explained to me that the Great Mother wore cosmetics, something not done by rural Eldinic women.
Such was her grace that within a few minutes she had me opening up about my family life and tales of my innocent existence. She acted as if these juvenile escapades were fascinating and kept handing me tiny glasses of the most exquisite wine. I was babbling like a fool.
However, when I mentioned the ambush at the ravine, my ill-prepared lunge at Scar Face and my role as the rikka, her gaze changed somewhat. I believe she was actually impressed with my courage, yet something else was veiled in her look and I was not mature enough to decipher it.
“Skell, have you not pondered what your life will be as a celibate Scholar or Scribe?”
I stopped and my thick tongue had no words. Girls were nice but I had never swooned over anyone in the hamlet.”Uh, no, no… I enjoy study and… no.”
She smiled knowingly. “You are unspoiled and do not yet miss the fruit you have not tasted.”
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Blushing, I bit my tongue and nodded. Father had told me about sex as animal behavior but nothing more. I had seen the farm animals at mating, of course, and a friend of mine had gotten a girl with child and was forced to marry her when he was barely fourteen. I had no wish for a wife in that way.
“As you mature, you may find that the need for sexual love will become your greatest temptation on the Blessed Island. I have seen many a maid and many a man succumb to the pleasures of the body outside of matrimony.”
I shrugged. “Since I am not mature, I guess I must wait.”
She reached over and patted my hand. “I am speaking of this delicate matter because you are a handsome lad and from the day you arrive on the island, there will be maids seeking to corrupt you, generally serving girls.”
“I am chosen to serve the Great Lady. There can be no other.”
She chuckled lightly. “I expected no better answer. Dear son, I must attend to other duties now, so kiss my hand and leave me with my blessing.”
She extended the hand with the large diamond. I brushed her hand with my lips.
“A warning, Skell of Eldin. Do not return to the fort on Mount Freill. “
My mouth was agape. I thought I had been careful.
“The murals are wonderful art but they must remain hidden. I allow them to exist because of my love for my Eldinic children. Secrecy and tolerance are not the same as full acceptance. I would not have some lout of the Emperor spoil those paintings.”
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Within a week, the children and family members began to appear along with returning couriers. Some voyagers were joyous, others wary, others obviously afraid. Family
members also showed mixed emotions.
Father returned and checked into a tavern. He used a silver link on the chain to finance the only vacation of his life and tried hard to enjoy himself, despite the shadow of loss that followed throughout town or when we hiked up in the hill country (but avoiding
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the fort). He brought me two tunics with inner pockets sewn in by Mother. One carried the three silver pieces, the other my circlet of pearls.
“These may be of great importance to you on the Blessed Island. Use them wisely,” Father counseled.” There is much wealth at the Sacred Court and I don’t know what you will be given as a struggling novice. Let no one know of the pearls.”
As more and more passengers arrived, the situation aboard Cenefra’s ship became rapidly organized. Young males were given thin cotton mattresses and a blanket and assigned to sleep on deck. The young maidens were given berths down below. Times of prayer and worship were begun regularly, led by Sisters and occasionally by Great Mother Cenefra.
The ship was filling up. The tension and excitement of departure built every day. All three ships were stocked with enough provisions to make the voyage.
Finally the day of departure was announced. We were all allowed to spend time with our families that night. Father and I ate a grand feast at the tavern, where we even joined in with the balladeer in singing traditional songs and folk dancing in the main hall. Father was quite lively, but warned me never to tell Mother about our celebration.
Father and I drifted out into the night, wandering out to the seashore near the pier. We picked up a few stones and hurled them into the breaking waves. I gathered up about a dozen shells and handed them to Father to give to my brothers and sisters. He studied them and sat down on a sand dune high up on the beach.
“I’m leaving tonight, Skell.”
“Why not see me off, Father? Have you run out of money for the tavern?”
“No. Don’t worry about me… I can’t bear to watch you sail away, son. My spirit is low and I might be moved to mourning tomorrow, and I don’t want to lose the little bit of dignity I have.”
I rushed over to him and hugged him. He broke out into tears, his chest heaving with buried grief and pain.
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“You have more honor, Father, than all of those who rule us or any great landowner, for that matter. Old One-Eye told me about our lineage and about your courage in past troubles with the Ruk and the pirates.”
He pulled me close.” But I cannot keep you here with me and the ones who love you. I am powerless. And that is why I will take to the road tonight. Give me a kiss and go to the ship and your future. Say your prayers and sleep well. When you leave in the morning, I will be long gone but I will relive your life as I walk, from the time you were born until this night.”
I kissed him on the cheek and then he held me at arm’s length. I was to leave.
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I tossed and turned on my mattress all night, as did nearly everyone else. I felt that my load was heavier that night than the others, but looking back I’m certain all of the new children of the Great Lady were dealing with strong anxieties and doubts. I could hear crying in the dark but no one made a cutting remark about it. The evening prayers had helped, but we faced the dawn alone. I held on to the circlet of prayer beads and desired my old shabby home as I had never before.
Fortunately, the hint of dawn brought forth a flurry of activity from the sailors and the marines and the Sisters ordering us to clear away the deck. The wind was blowing strong and the tide was right for departure. A crowd gathered on the dock, spilling far back into the streets of Ailgen.
Spontaneous singing and chanting erupted from the crowd. They sang “The Call of the White Lady” many times, a favorite folk tune in Eldin with a lonely melody but words of great devotion to the One Above All Others.
Great Mother Cenefra made a dramatic entrance in rich robes and white veil as she marched up to the stern deck with two Sisters carrying a scroll of official prayers kept in a covering of shimmering jewels.
The crowd shouted,” Blessings upon the Great Mother! Praise be to the Great Lady! Hail to the True Religion!” Feelings were running strong. The crowd was pressing towards the main ship.
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Cenefra lifted her hands toward the sky. A hush fell over the people. The Sisters unrolled the scroll.
Cenefra’s voice was powerful, cutting through the wind, yet I didn’t feel that she prayed as a devoted priestess, but more as a highborn woman with an obligation to fill.
“Great Queen of the winds and sea, O Mother of Us All! Grant a safe journey for these three ships as we head toward your island.. Save us from tempests and all manner of danger at sea. Protect us in body and soul and may we be in constant praise of you, Great Lady, as we travel upon the waters that you have created for our use!”
The crowd bellowed with joy. People began pounding drums and blowing horns.
The Sisters rolled up the scroll. Cenefra crossed her arms over her bosom, signaling the end of the prayer.
“Let loose the ropes! Unfurl the sail! Make way out into the harbor!” boomed Captain Radamant from the main deck. He was a tall, gaunt man with a long black beard, swarthy skin and braided hair.
The two warships preceded us. I felt the great ship jolt and then move away from the pier, the wind filling the sail with power and joy. We passengers rushed to the side, flushed with inner fears. The people kept waving and chanting and singing. The power of the Goddess Moon was evident.
Several young males and females suddenly became distraught and attempted to jump overboard, but the marines were prepared and hustled them down below. (Later, at our first stop, they were discreetly removed from the ship and returned home).
As we left the harbor, I could feel the power of the ocean as it rocked the ship. Within seconds, over half of all novices and novitiates were at a side of the ship either throwing up or preparing to heave. I was one of them. After purging myself, I glanced up at the shore. For the first time in my life I was seeing Eldin from an entirely different view. We had all been raised on fairy tales where children flew up to the
Moon with a Leead and would stare back at the world in disbelief. I felt just like that. The Continent was very large and there were many ways of looking at it, of understanding it.
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The vomiting gave way to constant nausea and that I could deal with, making small talk with a few other passengers. A sailor here or there smirked, but overall they pretended to ignore the sea sickness.
Cenefra was still standing on the stern deck. “Our great journey has begun, as we repeat the voyages taken by thousands of previous souls chosen to be in the service of Our Gracious Lady. I will begin studies for you all here on the main deck.”
Four marines of the Sacred Guard placed a great chair, almost a throne, on the deck and the Great Mother proceeded to hold court as we all sat on the wooden deck before her. I wondered what she was doing. It seemed so callous and cold-hearted.
“The ship you now call your home is named the Lady of Eldin, in honor of my position as Eldin’s Patroness. The two warships that protect us are known as Leead 10 and Leead 12. In the Sacred Fleet, we give numbers to our warships in order to promote the status of the greater vessels. However, you will still show the same respect to the marines and crew of the other vessels. Understood?”
There was a chorus of agreement. I just wanted to be left alone to sulk somewhere, to steady my feet and body, to breathe. I wanted my father.
Cenefra studied the group before her, her eyes shielded by her veil. “Bernall urnif Bernall, what are the accepted Sacred Texts from the First Age?”
Bernall stood. He was short and cocky with a scarred muscular body and black hair. He was from a large landowning family, but a few novices enjoyed joking that he was from Ruk stock. Bernall was always ready for a fight and called them liars, but the claim could have easily been true. In olden days, there had been mixing of the bloods during the conquest period.
“The Scroll of Creation, the Lives of the Great Ancestors, the Wisdom Sayings, and the Songs of the Leeads and Desdrads,” he answered confidently.
Cenefra waved Bernall to sit.” Dyess urnif Skell, how long did the First Age last?”
I stood, my leg shaking.” Around 5,000 years according to the estimates of some of our greatest Scholars.”
“And how did it end?”
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“The Goddess Moon descended to the world as Inistra, the warrior queen and priestess. She instituted the True Religion and created the Holy Community to spread Her teachings throughout the world. After many great deeds, She ascended back to Her great throne on the Celestial Sphere.”
“Name the Sacred Texts from the Second Age.”
I became flustered, not expecting her to continue questioning me. “Uh, there is…”
“The Deeds of Inistra,” she spat out, tapping her fingernails on the arm of the chair.
“Yes, Great Mother, and the Divine Accords for the Holy Community… and the Great Code for Believers, with the Chronicles of the Venerable Ones, a very stirring manuscript, and the Collected Writings of the Venerable Ones, and finally the Deeds of the Sacred Women.” I hoped I had recovered well enough.
“How long did the Second Age last?
“2,000 years is the widely accepted length, Great Mother.”
“Why did it end?”
“The Great Lady was saddened that despite the spread of the True Religion, the nations and peoples of the Continent still warred among themselves. She appeared in a vision to Eduans, the king of Meslanteam, one of the Three Islands, and commanded him to bring order to the Continent. Eduans rallied the people of the Three Islands on a grand crusade, to create the Empire and bring order and peace to all peoples.”
“How long has the Third Age, the Age of the Empire, lasted?
“Scholars are certain that it has lasted 983 years.”
Cenefra noted stiffly, “Long may the Empire prosper.” She stood abruptly, signaling the end of the class. “We shall discuss important matters throughout the voyage. I expect everyone to review their lessons and to be prepared to take part in our little dialogs. Prayer groups are often the best form.” She turned and went downstairs. The marines removed the grand chair.
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The novices started chattering like caged up bees. Bernall was already being surrounded by some adoring mates. A chubby lad I had spoken with before, Cumall, rushed towards me.
“Well done, Skell, well done!” He shook my hand with obvious delight. “At least Bernall didn’t get all of the attention. I think the Great Mother has picked you two out as the ones with the most abilities. Can we study together?”
“Flattery can be a moral mistake, Cumall,” I replied, trying to sound above it all. “Why do you think Great Mother Cenefra halted our discussion with the beginning of the Third Age?”
“I don’t rightly know, Skell, but I heard a few marines talking about how the Imperial Navy and the Sacred Fleet have nothing to do with each other. They didn’t talk too highly of the Dread Emperor neither. By the way, what are the Sacred Texts for our age, Sir Know-It-All?”
I playfully cuffed Cumall on the back of his head.”You should know, son of Eldin, if you wish to study with me. The Testimony of Eduans and the Scroll of Emaklee. They were written at the start of the Age of the Empire and there’s been nothing allowed into the Holy Collection since them.”
I stared over the side of the ship at the coastline. I had forgotten about my seasickness and my separation from my homeland. I studied the rocky coast and the bare plains leading up into the hills. I realized that Cenefra was not just teaching a class that day. She was starting to pull our hearts and minds away from our childhoods.
Cumall asked,”When was the text of Eduans written?” Cumall stared over at the land and became immediately aware of his queasy feelings. He ran to the side of the ship and started coughing but nothing came out. He kept his head over the side, breathing in the salty, fresh air.
“Eduans wrote it a few weeks after he saw the vision of Inistra standing atop a small hill on Meslanteam. As proof of the vision, the tree she stood beneath flowered continuously for nine years. As for Emaklee, she was a common Sister who served the poor and injured during the Imperial Wars. Such was her holiness that she was said to have wrought many miracles. She worked out truces between the fighting armies also, to allow for help to the injured and even truces of surrender to halt slaughters.”
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Cumall, slightly less green, gazed up at me.”I hope I get my sea legs soon. I love to eat.”
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Two days later, I had my eyes keenly set on the coastline near our farm. The waves broke over the jagged rocks that stood out from the beach. The few trees, like scarecrows, were bent back from the constant ocean winds. A pain struck me in my chest, a longing for familiar things and people and a sorrow that life keeps on going, day after day after day, and no one can stop it, not even the Glorious Lady. I was hoping to see Father standing atop the steep cliff, but I saw no one except sea gulls drifting along on the currents of air. He was surely still traveling the dusty roads back home. I vowed to return, no matter what it would take me to do it.
I sensed a presence of someone behind me. Then the smell of jasmine.
“Do not turn around, Skell. Study your home and remember every curve and angle, the colors and smells and sounds. For good and for the ill.”
“Yes, Great Mother.”
“I heard a story about a lonely girl of an aristocratic family. Her mother had died when she was five, giving birth to a stillborn son. Her father commanded the fortress overlooking the town and served in the Imperial Army. He had no time for her. He was a man of action, a man who loved hunting and dueling and drinking and – how shall I say it? – dangerous women. He never married again, so this lonely girl was raised by a succession of servants, some good, some not so good. In her despair, she made up wonderful fantasies about finding a husband who would love her deeply and they would raise a bevy of children together, far away from her father. As she reached courting age, her father arranged a marriage between his daughter and with an aging, powerful, wealthy merchant. She refused and tried to kill herself with a dagger. He locked her up in a storage room. She would not relent. One night, a hooded man kidnapped her and took her aboard a merchant ship. Many days later, she caught her first glance of the Blessed Isle and felt as if she were home.”
“What happened to the young lady?”
“Oh, I don’t know. The Sister who told me the story never finished it. So, remember Skell son of Dyess, changes can turn out to be enticing roses, wondrous yet as painful as any thorns.”
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“Very true, Great Mother. Should I bow to you?”
“Keep your eyes on your homeland and remember.” Her steps trailed away.
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We sailed along the Eldin coast for many days and nights. It was much the same everywhere as my home, though I did see a few small towns and forts guarded by Imperial troops. Occasionally a tubby merchant ship would pass us heading South, the captain always begging for a blessing. One of the Sisters would shout one out and wave incense sticks to push the prayer more quickly up to the Moon.
We reached the Northernmost reach of Eldin, a point where the mountains ended at the edge of the coast. A fort stood there, the seat of power for the Imperial Governor. The walls were not too high for the fort itself rested upon a plateau among the lower peaks. It was a cloudy day with rain falling off and on all day. No trumpets sounded as we passed. Perhaps the fort was a very sleepy place and the guard patrol was dozing.
A week later we anchored at the port city of Labarna. It was here that the novices and novitiates who had panicked on the first day were hustled away on a launch and not seen again on our voyage.
Labarna was a much larger city than Ailgen-on-the-Coast. There were many tall buildings and towers made of fitted stone and mortar. At least ten merchant ships were moored on the docks being loaded or unloaded. There was a busy mood in the streets.
The land surrounding the city was also better than the mediocre farm land of home. There were large, flourishing farms and many orchards. The hills were greener than the rocky mounds of Eldin.
Captain Radamant marched past me, paused and chuckled,” Put your eyes back in your head, lad. Labarna is a nice little place but there are many greater cities you are going to lay your eyes upon. Eldin may not be the end of the world, but you can see it from there.” He resumed his gait, stroking his long braid. “No, that would be the lands of the Ruk, aye? At the very Southern tip of the Continent?”
“Yes, Captain Radamant. They are our blood enemies from time before memory.”
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“I sailed under the Horn of the Continent, right past the Ruk, on an expedition. Some came out to us in narrow, wooden boats with carved animal heads on the prows. They paddled very close to us and, to their manly credit, discharged many arrows at us. We returned fire, of course, and they fled, but I was impressed by their warlike nature for being in such rough lands.”
During the next few days, we had to undergo etiguette classes from the Sisters. Great Mother Cenefra would occasionally view the process, but said not a word. We leaned how to bow properly, how to prostrate ourselves without looking foolish, how to eat a meal in a gracious manner, and other mundane acts. But they did matter, the Sisters kept intoning. Uncouth behavior could doom one to a lesser status.
During this time, I also took great pains to study the decorative qualities on the Lady of Eldin. The painting and woodwork were of the highest quality. The wooden statues of the Venerable Ones, situated in key places, were obviously carved by master artists. At evenings with the incense braziers going and the hymns and prayers being chanted, the presence of the Gracious Lady was overwhelming, much aided by the statues.
One day, the Sisters were instructing us how to dance properly. A group of marines played harps, lyres, drums, flutes and tambourines as the session bumbled along. Cumall, like most of the novices, was totally pathetic in performing stately moves. I fared better but the undoubted stars of the day were Bernall and his aristocratic friends.
It came to a halt when an Imperial ship entered the bay. Unlike the blue and white of our vessels, the Imperial galley had a crimson sail with a bright golden crown emblazoned upon it. The painted details were all in shades of gold, yellow and red. Even the oars powering the ship toward the pier were painted red.
Captain Radamant ordered his trumpeter to play a proper salute. The notes carried over the waves, but no reply came back. The trumpeter was ready to sound the salute again, but an insulted Radamant signaled him to do no such thing.
As the galley grew closer we could hear the crack of the whips and the beat of the drums to keep the rowers in time. I could make out no image of the Great Lady upon the vessel. I was shocked beyond belief.
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Cenefra stormed came out from below and stood at the starboard side of the ship, nearest the galley as it skimmed past. She wore no veil and her face was livid. She held up her silver staff in warning.
“Do not mock me or I shall call upon the Goddess Moon to curse you!” Cenefra screamed. “Do not dare to ignore me! You’ve been warned!”
Within a few seconds, a returning salute from a brass trumpet erupted, stiff and with no spirit.
A man in painted golden armor, the captain, took up a speaking horn. “Pardon for the slight, Great Mother. We were unsure about the nature of your ship with all of the flighty music we heard! We thought it might be a floating house of pleasure!”
His crew and marines laughed heartily.
Cenefra pointed her staff straight at him. “Even if I were to stand upon my head, Captain Nobody, I am a Great Mother and deserve the homage given to the Empress!”
The laughter ceased. The captain was back on his horn. “To bring a curse upon an Imperial ship is illegal, madam, no matter who the witch might be!”
The last line was heinous. He was comparing Cenefra to women who practiced magic without the approval of the Great Mothers.
Furious, Captain Radamant grabbed a bow from a nearby archer and strung an arrow, aiming directly at the Captain.
“Renounce your sacrilege!” he yelled at the top of his lungs.” Great Mother Cenefra is of the Second Order, a far more ancient caste than the scoundrels you demand you to lick their filthy sandals!”
The captain merely turned around, his ship moving beyond our anchored vessel, the oars pulling them on as the sail was being gathered in.
Radamant let loose the arrow. It hummed through the breeze, knocking off the captain’s golden helmet. Spontaneously, we all let out a cheer.
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The captain turned and held up his sword, challenging Captain Radamant to a duel in the midst of his angry crew. Radamant dropped the bow and defiantly held up his blade, accepting the challenge.
Cenefra took a few steps toward Radamant. He went to his knees. She bid him to rise and she gave him a decorous kiss on the cheek. We cheered wildly.
Cenefra waved us to be silent.” Wine and sweet meats for all aboard! Great is the Lady and wondrous are Her loyal children!”
As the food was passed out, rumors swirled throughout the Lady of Eldin about what would happen. Two launches, each from the warships and carrying officers, sailed over to us and the staff met with Captain Radamant and Cenefra in private.
Cumall and I situated ourselves by a circle of sailors near the bow. They all were proud of their captain but as to the duel, there was no unanimous belief. One aged sailor with a broken nose mumbled at the end of the gossiping,” Well, we be far away enough from them Three Islands for some blood. Radamant is carrying the very Patroness of Eldin back to the Verandedar. Cenefra has a lot of pull with them old ladies, and I hear is even cozy with the Old One herself.”
Cumall and I retreated a few feet away. “It would be like an adventure story if we got to see them fight it out,” Cumall blathered.” Right out of the legends. Swords clashing between great duelists over the honor of a high-born lady.”
“It would be a dream come true,” I agreed, “but don’t get your hopes up too high. They’ll probably sort it out and the Imperial captain pay a fine for his snooty talk.”
Cumall shoved more sweet meats into his mouth. “Don’t ruin my fun,Skell.” He started choking as he spoke and I slapped him hard on the back.
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The answer was quickly known. That night, the small barge with its blue awning was lowered over the side. The sailors were joined by Cenefra, Captain Radamant and the top officer of the marines. The barge rowed directly for the Imperial warship, docked only a few hundred yards away.
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Everyone’s eyes were fixed upon the barge landing on the dock right next to the warship. The Sisters read aloud from the Collected Writings of the Venerable Ones to calm us down. No one listened to a word.
Within an hour, the barge returned. Radamant nimbly assisted Cenefra up the step ladder and onto the main deck. The ship was silent until the Great Mother lifted up her arms and smiled.
“Captain Radamant has proven his devotion to the Great Lady and to my humble self. He will face the Imperial captain, whose name I will not utter here, tomorrow at an official duel on the gaming green in Labarna. The Imperial Governor will be the judge for the test of courage. The terms are fair – it is not to the death but only the first wound.”
The sailors began stomping their feet in unison as Captain Radamant went up to the stern deck. The marines took out their swords and clanged them upon their shields. Finally the novices and novitiates joined in, whooping and hollering.
Captain Radamant gracefully soaked this all in, his hands without the slightest shake.
I glanced over at Cenefra. Her expression was one of cool delight, as a noble lady who had just purchased an invincible stallion.
Someone shouted out, “May we witness this act of devotion?”
Cenefra replied sweetly, “Ah, I wish it could be so, but it must be a very private affair because of possible repercussions and all of those such matters.”
My heart sunk. Being out of Eldin was beginning to have some reward to it and then the Great Mother threw cold water all over my naïve craving for feats of daring.
Broken Nose slid up next to me, whispering, “Ya know, lads, there’s a dinghy that’s got to go into Labarna and pick vittles and such for the cook. Going right about the time of the duel, yep.”
“What are you hinting at, sir?” I asked with a dull voice, holding down my excitement.
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“I lives a lonely life. You lads couldn’t know. My dear old wife is dead and all my kin are scattered to the winds. A little silver can always help an old man through them cold winters, waiting for the next ship.”
“I’m not a noble, sir. But I can probably borrow one silver coin.”
He smiled devilishly.“ Git ready to help the cook staff, lad.”
I rushed away, Cumall right at my heels. “What about me, Skell?”
“Can you get a silver piece?”
He hung his head like a pup.
“I’ll tell you how the duel goes, if I even get to see it at all. This sad old sailor might be playing pirate with me.”
But he was not. Come morning, a sailor’s hat and cloak over my clothes, I was aboard the dinghy heading for the pier. I had my pearls and the remaining two silver coins in my hidden pockets. Broken Nose was beaming at me as if I was one of his long lost bastard sons, showing off the few gnarly teeth still in his head.
The pier was also the fish market. The yelling and smells were overwhelming, but Broken Nose pushed me through the crowd to the edge of the city and a main boulevard winding its way up a hill.
“Go on up this grand street, here. Don’t veer off no way, no how. It goes to the top, and at the top there’s the green and the fortress, and that’s where the duel will be at. Remember if you git caught, I had nothing to do with this, true?”
I nodded. We shook hands and off I went, a puff of smoke up a chimney.
Close to the pier was the unseemly section of Labarna. I saw my first pleasure houses, a fancy word for taverns with absolutely no morals. Eldin was not only poor but a land where open vice brought quick retaliation. Not in Labarna and the reason was obvious, most of the men frequenting the pleasure houses were Imperial troops. Many were passed out on the cobbled street right in front of the doors. Thick incense poured out from inside the darkened rooms.
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Within a few blocks, the surroundings improved. I noticed a small altar to The Great Lady beneath a lovely statue, and there were enough offerings on the altar to show that piety was not dead in Labarna.
I noticed a band of Sisters out shopping for groceries among a row of vegetable stalls. There they were, talking and laughing, holding hands as they carried their wicker baskets. I had never seen that in my entire life. The hamlet was too far away from the Sanctuary for the Sisters to just stroll in and shop. They grew their own food. Here were living, breathing Sisters out having a chat, not being all serious or preaching about virtue.
“They’re just girls,” I muttered to myself. Two were very pretty, even.
The buildings began turning into fine mansions with guards out front to ward off any unwanted guests. Fine women were carried about in sedan chairs and a few nobles were riding mules because of the steep tilt of the boulevard. No one gave me a thought.
I spotted a statue standing at the crest of the hill, an ancient bronze work of a warrior, the metal long gone to a dusky green over the centuries. Halting at the base of the warrior, I caught my breath and gazed upon the green.
It was a field of short clover with statues sitting on the edges. No seats or stands.
At one end, several men were tossing javelins with a practiced style. At the other, a group of children were leaping over a short fence made of long poles. Various runners jogged about the green at different speeds, each one in his own thoughts.
I suddenly felt ashamed of what I was doing, like some sort of thief who was not stealing from folks asleep, but stealing honor from men dueling for the sake of honor, the honor of Great Mother Cenefra, the honor of the Goddess Moon.
What was I thinking? I felt ashamed and wondered if I was just another hayseed from a backward land pretending to be something I was not. What had I ever done to be among the elite, those with culture and wealth and art and true sports? I turned to head back down.
Coming up the boulevard was a serious Captain Radamant marching beside Cenefra, who was astride a pure white mule, leading a few officers from our ships. Behind them
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came the Imperial captain and his band, drinking rather merrily and brandishing swords in jest.
Between the two groups was a corpulent man in an open sedan chair, his red finery draped in medallions and honors; clearly the Governor of Labarna here to act as the judge. He was scowling and twitching in his padded seat. His poor servants groaned under his weight, the poles bending.
I turned and ran across the green, going straight for the nearest bushes. Near a crumbling statue of a muscular man holding a spear, I dove headfirst into the shrubbery. Keeping on my stomach, I turned and viewed the dueling parties stepping across the green to an open space. They had not seen me.
Captain Radamant and the Imperial captain began warming up, stretching their bodies slowly, then taking swords and working them slowly, especially Radamant who moved the blade in slow motion, thinking about each movement.
Cenefra stayed upon the mule. “What is your name, captain? I would know the man who holds the Gracious Lady in such low esteem.”
The captain bowed slightly. “Captain Montesphoro, a pure son of the Island of the Emperors, madam. I do not hold the Goddess Moon in low esteem. I hold the tradition of the Dread Emperor with greater loyalty, that is all.”
The Governor butted in,” Radamant…. Montesphoro… I am impartial in this matter, thus I beg you once more to set aside the duel for the unity of the True Religion and the Empire.”
Both men shook their heads. Radamant chose a three-foot short sword and a dagger. Montesphoro grabbed a longer, heavier blade and tied a tiny shield upon his left forearm, his weak arm.
One of the Imperial officers handed a golden cup to Montesphoro. He poured out a trickle of wine on the grass. “An offering to the Emperor and to the Lady Moon who made him the Great Lord.” He drank the rest in one gulp and tossed it over his shoulder for good luck.
The same officer handed Radamant a silver cup. He knelt and poured most of the wine on the grass. “All that I am belongs to the Blessed Lady, the One above all others, the
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Mother of us all.” He took a tiny sip and stood. “And, of course, in honor of my great friend and spiritual guide, Great Mother Cenefra.” He drank again then handed the cup to the Governor.
The two stood ten paces apart from each other. The Governor held up a red scarf with his crest upon it. “A duel of honor to the first wound, gentlemen. No more.”
“Or no less,” Captain Montesphoro quipped with a grin.
The Governor dropped the scarf.
Montesphoro charged straight at Radamant, taking a huge swing at his head. Radamant calmly blocked it and let him slide a few steps on past him.
The tactics were obvious from the start. Montesphoro was younger and stronger and quicker, thus he meant to simply wear Radamant down. Radamant was thoughtful, used as little motion as possible, looking for the exact right moment to strike.
After several intense minutes, Radamant looked to be at the disadvantage. Montesphoro had come very close to wounding him twice while Radamant had never even gotten close. I was seized with anxiety for my captain. Montesphoro did not mean to wound him, at least not a slight wound to satisfy honor.
“A-ha!” barked Montesphoro as he lowered his blade. He had struck Radamant on his left shoulder, drawing a trickle of blood. “But that is not a wound, is it Captain Radamant? More of a scratch, aye?”
Radamant didn’t even look at the shoulder. “Less than a scratch.”
As Montesphoro readied to attack again, Radamant went to one knee, holding up his sword and dagger.
“Are you conceding, you coward?” Montesphoro spat out.
“Hardly, lad. I’ve known real war, son. This is play.”
Red with anger, Montesphoro charged. From where I was I could see what Radamant had done. He had become a tiny target and was down very low. I held my breath.
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Montesphoro swung down at Radamant who deflected the blow with his sword, stuck out his balancing leg and tripped the hothead at his ankles. As Montesphoro fell, Radamant sliced his ear off with his dagger, as the young lion went face down in the clover, blood pooling around his head.
“A trick! A damn trick!” he screamed as he felt for his ear. “It’s gone! Find it! Find it!” His panic grew. He cried. “I demand an apology, and, and…. reparations, yes, reparations for such a sham.”
His fellow officers rushed to his side.
Radamant turned to the Governor, who shouted, “The duel is finished! There has been a serious wound after great bravery exhibited by both gentlemen. To hospital for Captain Montesphoro, at my palace nearby. Let him use my chair!” He turned to Radamant and bowed. He kissed Cenefra’s hand.
Without a thought in my head, I ran out and yelled victoriously. Great Mother Cenefra, beaming with victory, beckoned me with her finger.
++++++
Back at the Lady of Eldin, my punishment was swift and sure. Cenefra chose one of the marines to strip off my tunic at the top and tie me to the side of the ship on the main deck.
She intoned to the crowd, “I expect to be obeyed. Dyess urnif Skell disobeyed my direct command. He must be punished, no matter what his motivation may have been.”
The marine held a flexible rod in his hand and commenced to briskly whip me six times. I had already sworn to myself that I wouldn’t utter a sound, not a whimper or even a tear. I did not, though my back was hot with pain. I didn’t swoon as they released me.
Before I could move, though, Cenefra was right behind me, whispering into my ear. “You’re a brave young man, Skell. I admire your will and cunning.”
She rushed off. I turned around, quite dizzy, to view Cumall coming up to me with a cup of water and an apple, a very mothering expression on his worried face.
