ONE

 

Looking up, he felt the warmth of the sun wash over him and he shuddered delightedly. It had been a long and bitter winter. The icy sleet winds that blew in off the sea had cut through him like blades for six whole moons, but when he studied the fluffy white clouds amidst the rich blue of the springtime sky, he permitted himself to acknowledge the end of his torment.

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Stretched out on his back, he reveled in his freedom. It had been an arduous morning but he’d earned his respite, no matter how short lived, and he made the most of his few moments of rest. With youthful indolence, he folded his hands behind his head as he reclined on the warm sands and continued his study of the clouds; the best images could be found in the skies during the spring.

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For longer than he could remember, he’d been fascinated with the clouds. Their shapes, the way the high winds manipulated them into forms that mirrored the world around him. There was not a thing in all of Lanacoby that he’d seen that he couldn’t find in the clouds. From the ships he spent his days helping his father unload, to the wolves, rabbits and hawks that abided in the lands around the village. One time he’d even seen a grand castle, the likes of which were unfathomable, with hundreds of tall spires topped with pennants, waving in the breeze. It hadn’t lingered long. The high winds had been too strong that day, but he was unlikely to ever forget the impressive, imposing, snow white palace.

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‘Alleak!’

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Sighing, he rolled over to find the source of the call and discovered his younger brother running up the sloping ground towards him. His face, still graced by roundness despite his sixteen summers, was filled with urgency beneath the shock of thick black hair that topped his head.

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‘Break’s over, Alleak. Pa needs us.’

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Surely he was not expected back so soon! The ship they had been waiting on must’ve found fair winds and arrived early. Groaning as he rolled over, Alleak bid farewell to the skies and scrambled to his feet in a manner that was far too juvenile for his nineteen summers. Before him lay another long day and he rued his father’s fortune.

Stalwart, reliable and unyieldingly dedicated to his work, his father had forged himself a reputation as being the quickest and most attentive dock manager in Nideea—perhaps even in Lanacoby. That he had somehow succeeded in retaining that honor as his business expanded over the years, along with his family, was a testament to his dedication, but were it not for Alleak, his two brothers and two sisters, such an achievement may not have been possible. Their work force was smaller than most of the other dock owners along the Shining Sea’s shores, but the shallow waters in the canals limited the size of the ships that could carry their cargo into the centre of Lanacoby. It was for that reason alone that his family remained capable of meeting the demand.

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‘Pick up ya feet, boy!’ his father called to him as he strolled down the wooden dock in the path he had trod every day for as long as he could remember. ‘This ruddy ship ain’t gonna unload ‘erself!’

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Alleak did not recklessly increase his speed, rather he lengthened his stride, ensuring he placed his bare feet surely as he moved quicker. To run on the docks was foolish. He’d seen his little brother slip too many times to count, and his youngest sister also tumbled one time, landing in the water long before she was a competent swimmer. Were it not for his eldest brother diving in to save her that day, so many years ago, she may well have drowned.

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The ship was tall of construction though she lay low in the water and Alleak found himself wishing to let loose another groan. Fully loaded, potentially overly so, it would take his entire afternoon and even some of the next morning to see the cargo safely landed. He had been hoping he might be done with the task while the sun was still in the sky.

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Avoiding a coil of rope that had been set on the dock to tie off the ship securely, Alleak made his way to his father’s side. The ship workers never secured the ships appropriately for unloading, they were always too eager to come ashore and find their way to one of the two inns that had been built by the waters’ edge. Too many dockworkers had been injured in the early days of the industry as the ships bobbed loosely against the docks and his father had learned from others’ misfortunes never to trust the rushed knots of the sailors.

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‘Eidee, watch ya ropes,’ Alleak’s father instructed without even looking at his youngest daughter.

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‘Aye, pa.’ Nodding her head, her short, scraggly black hair crusted with salt did not move, it couldn’t, and Alleak smiled. Unlike the other seventeen year old girls he’d seen, she cared little for her appearance. She was a female replica of their father and they all knew he favored her. Rough and tumble, there was none among them better with knots nor more intuitive with the rise and fall of the lapping waters. Ensuring the ship had enough lead to bob in the sea without tearing the dock apart—and not an inch more—was something that came naturally to her. Alleak, like his father, trusted no one quite as much as his baby sister, Eidee, to keep them safe.

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‘Tagan, Alleak, Ziel.’ Addressing his sons in order of their birth was his way and Alleak listened carefully to his father’s instructions. ‘Once Eidee ‘as tied ‘er off, you three lads start haulin’ this braggart’s wares adock. I’ll be busy ‘avin’ words with ‘im about the weight ‘e runs ‘is ship at while Kamma sorts out ‘is manifest.’

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‘Aye, pa,’ the three boys said as one. Alleak couldn’t help but smile as he listened to his father’s brogue. He was a dockman through and through with his rough speaking and direct manner but there was a softness about him; particularly when he dealt with his daughters. Alleak could scarcely remember his mother, who had passed shortly after birthing Ziel, but he imagined that the same soft manner had been reserved for her. Otherwise he doubted any woman would have remained with the old windbag long enough to bear five of his children.

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‘Ilithan!’ Barking and loud the man who called to Alleak’s father was known to him, he was known to them all, through their many dealings in the past. Tall and bawdy like so many sailors that came and went through the port town of Nideea, Captain Chary Lucima would not permit anyone other than Alleak’s father touch the outer hull of his ship let alone dive into her belly to fetch his goods. ‘Why ain’t me ship empty already?’

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‘You’ve some bloody nerve, Chary, bringin’ a tub this ‘eavy t’ me dock. I’ve ‘alf a mind t’ tell ya t’ take ya goods elsewhere.’

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‘Only ‘alf a mind,’ the captain pointed out with a broad grin. ‘The other ‘alf’s tellin’ ya that ya best get about ya business before I decide t’ take me goods elsewhere. There be many meals for ya family dependin’ on ya listenin’ t’ the latter ‘alf, t’ be sure.’

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Ilithan’s dark, serious face collapsed into a defeated chuckle. ‘One day, Chary. One day I’ll turn ya back without e’en the slightest pause. I ain’t gonna risk me family’s safety just so ya can turn yaself a profit off our ‘ard work. Risk for us, reward for yerself. ‘Ardly seems fair.’

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‘When ya put it like that… Come ‘ere.’ Laughing, the captain embraced Alleak’s father, but it was the last Alleak saw of the pair as he and his brothers climbed aboard the weighted down vessel.

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‘I’ll start nettin’ the hold,’ Tagan said, permitting himself to assume command of the boarding party. ‘Alleak, check the quarters, make sure there ain’t no sailors left aboard. The last thing we need is ‘em gettin’ underfoot. Ziel, crack the deck then go tell Eidee t’ ready the hoist.’

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‘Aye,’ Ziel said with a nod and Alleak wondered why Tagan permitted the youngest of them to stay topside all the time while he condemned Alleak to the vile smelling quarters of men who cared not to bathe while surrounded by water. Was he, as the second son of a dock worker, doomed to be assailed by the scent of piss and sweat every day of his life? Was he not permitted to escape such an abomination just once on a sweet, springtime day?

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Grumbling to himself, he did as his brother bid. To disagree would not only cost them time, but it would cause friction between him and the man who would one day inherit the business. It was expected that when their father grew too old to continue the work Tagan would take over. Of them all, he was the one who had visions of where he wished to take the family trade and Alleak had no inclination to be around to witness it. As soon as the balance of power shifted, he would get as far away from the Shining Sea as possible.

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Making his way to the crew’s quarters, Alleak stopped at the foremost hatch and bent down, pulling on the deck to expose the ladder. It was dark below, a good indication that the men had all abandoned the ship in the instant it made land. A foul aroma greeted him as he peered into the darkness. The stale stench of sweat—and worse—assailed him and drove away any and all memory of the sweet, clean spring air. Frowning, he wondered how men could keep themselves in such a state when water was all around them. Shaking his head, he doubted any of the creatures that had abided in that squalor would find favor with the women in the small township. Even the whores who resided in the inn would be unlikely to accept their custom before they bathed.

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Alleak took a deep breath before committing himself to the cabin feet first as he descended the wooden ladder that prickled with age against his hands, calling to anyone who may have lingered as he went.

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‘Ship’s docked!’ he bellowed. The tone of his voice, usually soft when he spoke, boomed and echoed against the walls of the hollow quarters. It was a large room and it contained little more than a dozen net hammocks which did nothing to stop the sounds from travelling. ‘Time to go!’

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No response. Knowing that a lack of response did not indicate an empty hold, Alleak lit the lantern that was hooked on the wall and removed it, illuminating his path as he traversed the filthy deck, turning his nose up at the mess. Taking not more than a few steps Alleak saw a rat cross his path, squeaking in disapproval at his intrusion as it scurried towards safety and he felt his stomach churn. Cursing his brother for assigning him that task, Alleak’s usually amiable nature gave way to his anger. This would be the last time, he promised himself for the hundredth time since summer, the last time he would be the one to clear the quarters. It was time Ziel witnessed the horrors...

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