Journey of the Messenger Cycle 2 Part 5e

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Ijah sat on the side of Roddarra’s bed, holding her friend’s hand. She had received healing from a retired air mage who was in the service of one of the local families. If the wound itself had not killed her, infection would have. As it was she was still weak and tired. “I’ll be heading over to the Kereshi enclave this afternoon. You’re going to be in bed for a couple more days, with any luck I’ll be back over here by the time you are back on your feet. Much of that is going to depend on whether or not Berri actually delivered the satchel, if not, I could be in a fair amount of trouble…”

Roddarra smiled, “I’m sure Berri made it there just fine and is likely fretting about your absence, wondering where you are. Last she saw you, the dwarves had taken you into custody.”

“She already having been here for a while worries me nearly as much. Berri is neither subtle nor well trained in the etiquette of my people. Goddess only knows what she may have been going on about.”

“You’ll find out soon. How are you getting across the river?”

“Marrilas has made arrangements for me with a boatman she uses regularly, apparently the enclave has been greatly improved and has its own docks now.”

“Good. Is Elli going with you?”

“No, not this time. We both thought it a good idea if she stayed here a while longer. Also, it would be best if I made arrangements for her before taking her over, not to mention making sure my own situation there is well in hand.”

“Good, I’m glad I’ll not be abandoned all at once. What’s the situation with the rest of my cousin’s men?”

“The two youth in the stables seemed almost relieved by the change and I’m pretty sure one of them is not the man she’s pretending to be, though I’m unsure if the other lad even realizes that.”

“Oh, that’s interesting. I look forward to talking to them. What about the other fellow, the one who was retching his guts out before the fight?”

“I’m not as sure about him, though he has been civil enough since the culling of his companions. He’s also given his word that he intends no trouble, nor harbours any ill will. Elli will be keeping an eye on him just to make sure.”

“Okay. If you’re delayed longer than you think, send a message. I don’t want to be spending the winter wondering what happened to you.”

“Well, it might be an eight-day before I get back here. If there is further delay beyond that I will let you know what is going on.”

She gave a slight nod and lay back, obviously tired just from their short conversation. Ijah gave her hand a gentle squeeze and departed.

She collected a small sack, her sword and the johr-ne-gahl she had been given by Lord Jostan. She saw no point it dragging everything else over to the other side of the city until she had seen what the situation was. On her way out she stopped by the dining hall where Marrilas was overseeing the clean up. The household staff here, when the lord and lady were not in the city, was only five. Thankfully Marrilas had been able to borrow a few servants from a couple of other manors where the owners were not in residence.

Marrilas came to her when she stopped in the doorway to the hall, “You’re heading over?”

“Yes, I expect to be gone for at least couple of days but do intend to return when I’m able. If all goes well I’ll have another guest for you. At least, for the short term.”

“You and your companions will always be welcome here, mistress Ijah. I hate to think what the winter would have been like if Roddarra and you had not arrived.”

“I’m glad we were able to help. I hope this goes well.” She gestured vaguely at the mess in the hall.

“We’ll have this cleaned up by the end of the day. I look forward to your return.”

“Thank you, Marrilas. I hope the goddess grants you her favour.”

The woman nodded and returned to her work. Ijah left, following the directions she had been given. This part of the city was very beautiful, with its manors and palaces. The count of the city had his castle up on top of the plateau, Ijah could see that there was a great deal of work being done on the fortification. She wondered if those labourers were freemen or indentured servants. Most of the population in this part of the city were servants. Everything seemed orderly and peaceful.

As she made her way down to the water front the streets became narrower and the buildings closer together. The streets held much more traffic as well, mostly folk were afoot but there were also a number of ass drawn carts and a few small carriages here and there. Down along the water, but above the high water marks, everything was crowded together. The press of humanity was thick. Below the high water marks there were few stone structures other than the peers and old seawalls. There were numerous temporary buildings however and plenty of boats of all sorts.

It took her longer than she had expected to find the Kallifeer peer, but she did eventually get there. She found a man towards the end of the peer with a blue painted boat tied off, floating in the water below. He saw her approaching and asked, “Are you Ijah Gahm?”

“I am. You must be Dormid?”

“Right as rain there, miss. We can depart as soon as you’re settled.”

Ijah climbed down the ladder and carefully found her spot in the boat. Dormid joined her, cast off and was soon rowing them to the far side. The outflow of the East Sister River was powerful and the man spent most of his energies making slow progress against that flow. There were a wide variety of boats on the water and along the peers, this far inland there were only a few small ships. When she saw a Kereshi trimaran she felt a thrill of excitement, it had been too long since she had seen such a craft and part of her longed to be out on the open waters with the family boat. Preferably with her family.

Dormid kept a steady pace and they slowly crossed the centre of the river. Ijah swept the far bank with her eyes, looking for the area where her people had set themselves up. After a while she spotted it, and her heart soared as she saw dozens of familiar pennants lining the waterfront, fluttering in the wind, where the head of the old canal had once been. When they had first arrived, her people had settled into what, at the time, had been an impoverished section of the old city that had been under the highest of the tidal markers. The old canal had been full of garbage, human waste and gods only knew what else. Everything in the area had been rather filthy. Many of the old stone structures had been covered in crusty slime when it was dry, when it rained or the water was high enough, that slime was slick and stinky.

What she saw now was very different. To either side of the old canal, approximately a suri to the north and the same to the south, the buildings were clean, in some cases painted brightly. The canal had been cleaned out, the old seawall had been repaired and built up. They were now both lined with walkways and planters, small gnarled evergreens had been planted along the waterfront. It appeared as though her people’s enclave had expanded, as had always been the plan. Two streets up from the waterfront everything was clean, repaired, rebuilt or in the process thereof. Her people had made a very notable improvement in this section of the city, it was the most obvious sign she had seen that the Great Plan was in fact working.

As they approached the new docks servicing the enclave, Ijah heard the music of her people and saw numerous Kereshi going about their business. The locals no longer appeared half starved and ravished by disease. Even the distribution of the men seemed closer to what she had known in her homeland, for every man there were three women. She saw a dozen of her people’s boats, including one of the larger hurrakka. There were plenty of other craft as well and the docks were busy as the fisher folk were bringing in the catch from their morning labours.

Dormid brought the boat up alongside one of the docks, he held it steady as Ijah debarked, “Hope your day goes well enough, miss.”

“Thank you, Dormid. Do I owe you anything?”

“That’s all been taken care of, miss. Thank you.” With a nod he pushed off from the dock and was soon paddling his way north along the western bank of the river.

Ijah made her way to the sea wall and came up into the city-proper. She took a moment to take it all in. When an older Kereshi approached, she asked, “Sister, goddess’ grace to you. Where do I go to report my arrival?”

“Welcome to West Port, sister. Is this your first time here?”

“No, I was here a decade ago.”

“You know the old fortress of the river-folk?”

“I do.”

“That is where you need to go.”

“Up that way?”

“Just so, yes. May the goddess smile on your endeavours.”

“And yours as well, sister. Thank you.”

Ijah made her way to the ancient building that was built into the stone of the plateau long before there had been a West Port. As she approached her destination she was shocked to see a couple of Kereshi men, in traditional garb. They looked at her watching them and one commented, “How rude.”

Someone had brought their men? Surely they must be new arrivals, but Ijah had thought it would be years before any of the men would be brought here. She gave a mental shrug and followed them into the courtyard of the old temple grounds. There were many people here, dancing, playing music, engaged in crafts or exercises.

She was half way to the door when a familiar voice called out, “Ijah!”

She looked around and spotted Berri with a few of the musicians, she seemed to be in the midst of a lesson and was in the process of excusing herself. Ijah approached.

Berri came to her, lute in hand and a big smile on her face, “I am so glad to see you! At first I thought I was in trouble when I showed up here with the satchel, but they were just concerned about what had happened to you. Have you seen the ocean? I can’t believe how big it is. Woo! So much water. I would have been here a couple of days earlier but I had to make sure my new friend was properly settled into her new place. Her name is Moon, she’s going to the university here, she’s a polyglot. That means she’s really good with languages. And, she is too, I mean she learned freeholder in less than two days, though she did know a little before that. Andalee, I mean…. Ah, I’m babbling again, sorry, I’ll -”

Ijah set her pack down and took the young woman in a tight embrace, “Thank you, Berri.”

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