Yes!
...Which has taken you three months to write?
Yes.
And you will most likely rewrite?
Yes...
Okay.
Chapter 5
May, 25, 1949, the west Keldor ocean
Jarro leaned on the side railing of the steam ship H.M.S Penguin, once again board out of his mind. If this was a sample of what he would spend the journey feeling like he might as well have stayed in office doing paperwork, he thought gloomily.
Retin wasn't talking to him, every time he tried to speak to her she would glare at the wall above his head till he gave up. Lucuse was busy with various unnamed tasks. Lady Kayle never did directly punish him as far as Jarro could tell but the young Sekiller's duties kept him constantly busy. He hadn't seen the mage Edward again since coming aboard either. The ship was a week out from port, and not due in the cape town of Perll for a another two.
His main company was the captain of the guard. He was different then Jarro had imagined him. For a start he was a she, with long vivid orange hair and temper of a slighted barbarian. She also wore plate armour, tempered and adapted to stop even bullets, a gift from a great grandfather, and a sword along with the pistols on her belt. Captain Beladine Roise claimed the sword was magical and with the way it could go from sheath to his throat in a second made him disinclined to argue with her.
It was in Beladine's nature to be enthusiastic, and with her enthusiasm came noise. He could locate her three decks away just by the sound of her voice. Given only slight provocation she could go from normal to furious. But a few minutes later she would be chatting cheerily to the waiter, anger non-existent. Nevertheless the Captain was fascinating to talk to, as there was nothing she didn't have a view on, and so long as he avoided annoying her too much they got along fine.
Beladine was drilling her few troupes with vigour and after a suggestion he join them Jarro decided to find her when she was finished for the day. He had nothing against exercise in moderation or for a reason, but mindless, and pointless exercise was just not his thing.
He stood leaning, head resting on hands, glazed eye staring at the rich blue mass below him. A crisp new hat covered his eyes, random notes flickered about him as he hummed. A tune might have hid among the noise but it was unlikely. A Something heavy and wet landed on his head, knocking him over and drenching his clothes.
Jarro spluttered, and pushed his soggy hair out of his eyes, clinging to the now floppy hat in the other. What the heck had just hit him, freak wave maybe? Sitting next to him a girl observed him. She looked about nine years, with a wide grin plastered across her face, and a mess seaweed like hair.
A crew member yelled from somewhere on the ship,”Changers incoming! Lower the ropes!”
She motioned toward the sea, “Take a look, it really is neat from up here.”
Jarro, raised an eyebrow, and righted himself, pushing the limp hat onto his head, and glanced down into the water below. He gasped, the once empty sea now teemed with life. Fish in a rainbow of colours, dolphins grey sides gleaming, whales half the size of the ship, and porpoises riding the bow wave. He realised this must be one of the many changer clans who chose to live alone. The sea changers built entire cities under water, many lived their whole lives at sea never seeing land.
A killer whale, rose out of the water in a breach, water flooding off his dark back and white belly, then in mid-flight changed to a human, landing in a rolling dive and ending on his feet. He gave a bow to a round of clapping and laughter. A dolphin who had just pulled herself on to the deck yelled,”Show-off!” to more laughter.
The crew produced clothes from lockers on the deck, few of the ocean dwellers had any on. Even so none showed any embarrassment. Underwater, clothes were not really practicable, so few wore them. One amused sailor handed Jarro a towel, and the girl accepted a simple dress, and gave it a doubtful look before pulling it over her head.
“Hi! I'm Kefy, what's your name?” The girl did not wait for an answer but plunged straight on, “Sorry for getting you all wet but I was in a hurry to get up on this ship. This is the first time I was aloud to come to come. Mum says that I am too hyperactive, I am not sure what that means but it sounds like fun. I'm a parrot fish, what are you?”
Jarro waited a moment, amazed she had not passed out from lack of air, “Just a boring human I am afraid, I'm Jarro, pleased to meet you Miss Parrot fish.”
She giggle at the name, “A human? Really? I heard about them from my teacher! Is it true you can't breath under water?”
“Yep.”
“Huh.” Kefy blinked, “I thought my sister was being silly again, how do you get home if you can't hold your breath?”
“My house in on land, I do not need to hold my breath to get there.”
“You live on an island?”
“Um, no I live in a country called Brilsion.”
“I saw a map once, with all the cities on it, and there were all these brown bits with cities too, is that were you live? How can you live on land! What would there be to eat?”
Jarro felt like he was being slowly buried under questions, “Well, we eat what we grow and-”
Kefy shook her green head gravely, “You need water to grow plants, and on land there is no water.”
“Yes there is but just not as much.”
“You need lots of water for plants to grow, there is not enough. All the water is in sea.”
“The plants on land do not need as much water as yours.”
“But-”
“Kefy! Come here now! You are not aloud on the ship.” A plump woman called up from the water.
The parrot fish stuck her head though the railing, “But mum!”
“But me no buts! Now young missy!”
She pouted, turning back to Jarro, “I have to go now,” she wave at the water, “Maybe I'll see you again when you're going home?” she looked up though her fringe, big eyes sad.
Jarro grinned at her, “Not the puppy dog eyes!”
Kefy scrunched up her nose in puzzlement, “But I'm a fish, not a dog.”
Jarro paused, then rephrased it, “In that case, don't give me those cute fish eyes. I am sure I'll see you again.”
Her mother called out again, and Kefy let out a wistful sigh, glace at Jarro a wicket glint came into her eye, darting forward she grabbed his hat and dived over the side, sliding into the water like glass.
“Hay!”
Kefy surfaced, and pocked her tongue out, “Now you have to come back!” she giggled, sticking in among her curls, in fell forward blinding her. Jarro laughed with her, as she paddled off to show off her land clothes.
Well they would be coming back this way, and who knows, he might even get his hat back. On his own again Jarro surveyed the deck, Edward had come out of what ever corner he had been hiding in. Retin also was socialising, Jarro sidling over hoping catch a word or two, picking a nearby spot he sat cross legged on a chair, back toward them, focusing all his attention behind him.
“-But I thought we would still have months.” Retin muttered, Jarro pricked up his ears.
“That's just wistful thinking now, there is mage who has tamped with the minds of our agents, the Reformers know what we are doing.” A squeaky female voice replied.
“Any idea who the mage is?”
“None, but they almost certainly powerful.”
“Could it be him?”
“You mean Edward? I don't know, I mean maybe? I can't be sure yet.” Jarro almost fell forward, Edward again? He must have done something to have anyone suspecting him. He tilted his head trying to hear more clearly.
Someone grabbed his ear, hauling him around. “Has no one ever told you that it is rude to eavesdrop?” Retin asked, voice low and deadly.
“Oww!” Jarro whined, meeting her eyes, an irate mother tiger couldn't have looked more dangerous, he tried to look innocent.
“This time you live, but if you ever ever try something like this again...” Jarro's mind handed him a stack of options of what an angry assassin could do to him. He attempted a smile. “Good, now go annoy someone else.” Retin stomped off, leaving Jarro rubbing his throbbing ear.
Well, that could have gone better, Jarro thought.
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