Chapter 3: A Sailing We Will Go

The group moved to a more comfortable sitting room. While they were there the Emperor questioned Milo about where he came from. A mapmaker was summoned and charts were made up of the area of the island world where Milo was from. The meeting went late into the night.

At the end it was decided that Milo would guide Tamarilla and her friends on a journey to the Island World. The Emperor supplied a sailing ship for the journey. It had the usual shallow hull of the ships plying the inland sea, which would help around the sand bars and shoals. To help with the lively ocean water, the ship had been fitted with an extension to the keel that could be raised or lowered from on the deck.

Milo had revealed that magic worked the same where he was from, as far as he knew, so Tamarilla, Belinda and Lori would be able to use their powers. Margaret would be captaining the ship, 'The Lady Fair', with as many of her old crew that she could gather, supplemented by the best Sailor's in the Empire's Navy, while Danielle and Elizabeth would be along just to do what they did best.

A week later 'The Lady Fair' was tied up at a freshly built dock south of Sur along the coast. The closest village was two leagues inland, so there were many wagons going between the dock and the village all week.

The winds traditionally blew from East to West so 'The Lady Fair' was moored on the west side of the dock, usually the Leeward side. The crew, plus Milo as a guide for when they reached the area of his expertise and Terndell as dunage had already been assembled and Margaret and they were onboard when the Emperor, the Empress, Tamarilla and her friends arrived. Of course there were also the Emperor's staff and hangers-on, so the area around the dock was crowded. Add to that the local townsfolk and the traders selling their wares, and it was a most festive occasion. It there was ever any idea that this would be a clandestine operation, they were long ago dashed because the Empire kept secrets like a sieve held water.

Danni looked over at Tammi. "We would gain less attention if we were stark naked!" Danni saw Tammi's eyes start to go out of focus. She hastily added, "Don't even think about it!" before Tammi could make a plan and perform it, sending things from bad to worse. Tammi was beginning her reply when Danni stopped her with a raised finger. Moments later they were on the ship and Danni breathed a sigh of relief. She grabbed her sister Lizzie and pulled her over saying, "It's your turn, if she gives you any trouble, just hit her over the head with the hilt of your sword." Lizzie raised her hands palms up as if to say 'hit who?' Tamarilla had disappeared.

Tammi was at that moment on the other side of the ship staring with fascination as Marlin, who was First Mate once again, prepared to raise the main sail. "Okay, you lubbers you know what to do, just follow my cadence. This ship has a wee bit more yardage than the 'Revenge', but raising a sail is raising a sail."

Meanwhile, Margaret was saying goodbye to the Emperor and Empress, his (her) sealed instructions safely stowed inside her jacket against her ceramic chest plate. She was wearing her working 'boobs' barely more than an 'A' cup, just to show that she was a woman, but not enough to get in the way.

Margaret gave the commands to start their sailing adventure. "Let go the bow line, stand-by on the stern line, raise sail." Danni and Lizzie found Tammi at that moment. They tried to pull Tammi away from Marlin and the crew members who were on deck. Tammi shrugged them off, then moved between them so she could see clearly as the main sail was raised.

"Please by quiet and let me watch and listen. There is so much I want to learn about how and why things are done." She looked pleadingly at Lizzie. "Lizzie, I'm sure that you were curious when you were just a girl. Let me stay and I'll be good." Lizzie just nodded her head in agreement thinking, 'This is too strange. Tamarilla is a powerful wizard, but she still acts like a young girl who pleads with her elder sister for the simplest favor. I hope she never grows up and turns hard because of the trials and troubles in life.'

The crew began to raise the heavy canvas as Lizzie mused and Tammi watched and listened in wonder. Marlin started singing a sea shanty in a deep baritone voice that the heaving crew soon took up to time their pulling together.

Way, hay, there she rises,
Way, hay, there she rises,
Way, hay, there she rises,
Early in the morning.
What will we do with a drunken sailor?
What will we do with a drunken sailor?
What will we do with a drunken sailor?
Early in the morning.

Way, hay, there she rises,
Way, hay, there she rises,
Way, hay, there she rises,
Early in the morning.
Put him in the longboat and make him bail her,
Put him in the longboat and make him bail her,
Put him in the longboat and make him bail her,
Early in the morning.

Way, hay, there she rises,
Way, hay, there she rises,
Way, hay, there she rises,
Early in the morning.
What will we do with a drunken sailor?
What will we do with a drunken sailor?
What will we do with a drunken sailor?
Early in the morning.

Way, hay, there she rises,
Way, hay, there she rises,
Way, hay, there she rises,
Early in the morning.
Shave his belly with a rusty razor,
Shave his belly with a rusty razor,
Shave his belly with a rusty razor,
Early in the morning. 


Way, hay, there she rises,
Way, hay, there she rises,
Way, hay, there she rises,
Early in the morning.
What will we do with a drunken sailor?
What will we do with a drunken sailor?
What will we do with a drunken sailor?
Early in the morning.

Way, hay, there she rises,
Way, hay, there she rises,
Way, hay, there she rises,
Early in the morning.
Put 'em to bed with the Captain's daughter,
Put 'em to bed with the Captain's daughter,
Put 'em to bed with the Captain's daughter,
Early in the morning.

Way, hay, there she rises,
Way, hay, there she rises,
Way, hay, there she rises,
Early in the morning. 


The main sail was up and Marlin called out "Atrip!, bend the mainsail!" Once the mainsail was fully up and secured, Marlin went over to Margaret, "Captain, the mainsail is aloft. I'm going to trice up the jig now." Margaret returned Marlin's sloppy salute and motioned for him to carry on.

The ship had steerage way and was moving towards the mist bank at a steady pace. Margaret called Tamarilla over. "We will be in the mist soon, don't you have a spell to cast." Tammi got a chastised look on her face. She started to nod 'yes' vigorously. The captain reminded her not to forget the crew as part of the spell.

Tammi moved to an empty spot on deck and sat cross-legged. Think of protecting herself, her traveling friends and the crew, some words appeared in her head. She spoke the words, "Vyraelol thys ti, tia thol eil more taem". Tamarilla felt the effects of the spell wash over her and said, "Captain Margaret, the spell is cast and we are now protected".

Belinda too felt the power of the spell and wisely nodded her head. The crewmen that were from the Imperial Navy who saw that were amused. 'Who ever heard of a young girl knowing anything about magic?' They all had their own thoughts about a Captain that would set sail on a dangerous journey with a mere child, really just a slip of a girl, aboard. True she talked like an adult, but they were still baffled.

Everyone then got real serious, 'The Lady Fair' was almost to the mist. The only sound heard was Terndell climbing the rigging in a hurry to get to the crow's nest, the highest point on the ship. He wanted to try and see above the fog, if he could. Just before the prow of the ship entered the wall of mist, the wind died to almost nothing, just enough to maintain steerage way. Margaret immediately called out to shorten sail. The crew was busy trying to reef most of the sail they had just finished setting.

While they were busy, the ship was enshrouded by the fog. It was so thick that Margaret could barely see the ship's bow from where she stood. She told the helmsman, "Steady as she goes", and asked each lookout if they could see anything. They answered in the negative and the man in the crow's nest reported that he could not even see the deck. Trendell was disappointed and was about to climb down when the lookout in the crow's nest told him it wasn't safe to climb down. Instead, he just looked for a break in the mist so he could see.

The misty fog was playing tricks with Trendell's eyes. He kept seeing movement in the fog and tried to bring it to the lookout's attention, but it was already gone by the time the man had looked. The lookout finally had enough and started to berate the young man. "There is nothing out in the fog, you're just seeing things. The fog is no more dangerous than..." The Sailor's voice was cut-off in mid speech as the head of a Sea Monster darted out of the fog and ate Trendell in one bite!