Chapter 7: Ships

Ulu stood on the bow and look at the smudge on the horizon.

He felt someone approaching him and wasn’t surprised to find Storm brace himself beside him. “Nearly home Ulu,” Storm said.

Ulu smiled at his friend and teacher. They had become close on the trip, and while he wouldn’t say no, he knew Storm wouldn’t touch him. Storm was Kim’s property as the other men all learned, not long after the set-out.

While Storm’s husband Kim was happy to spread himself around, Ulu soon learned Storm wasn’t comfortable doing so. His wife Lindell also didn’t tend to sleep with the others. To his knowledge, the only person outside their marriage she had been with was Loko.

But then again, everyone other than Storm had been with Loko. The boy liked to cabin jump and had worked his way around every bed on the ship even Captain Robert’s at least once.

To his knowledge, the only other woman Storm had been with on the ship was his own wife, Yalla. He suspected, she and Loko and worked it out between them, to keep Storm out of his way, while Loko did his wife. The pair of them could be very persuasive when they wanted someone.

He guessed that because Storm had fucked Yalla once before and had his and the wife’s permission, he felt safe with her. He was very good at avoiding the other girls. He just disappeared on them, if they pushed.

Ulu thought it was funny. The man had some weird ideas of marriage. Even his brother Inhu and his wife Tiki had entertained Loko and several of the other girls on occasions. Inhu was more into females, but he’d fuck a guy if in the right mood, as long he did the fucking.

Ulu answered, “Yes, it will be good to get home. I hope Inhu’s and my absence didn’t affect the hunt. Our people rely on the hunt to be successful to get through winter. While it doesn’t get as cold in our region, the game becomes scarce when it heads south with the other herds. We may need to check the herds on the backwards migration.”

“My father and I have been trying to get the people to domesticate more animals, but if they aren’t moved frequently, they damage the land, and this isn’t acceptable either. Also, if we don’t take enough of the herds to thin them, they damage the regions further south.”

Storm knew on a map that Saran was a big continent that ran from the polar region to across the equator. It was widest nearer the pole then narrowed and then widened again in the centre where they were heading and then tapered off at least 500km over the equator. It made him think of a bottle gourd with part of the stem still attached.

The Brina people lived on the high side of the tropics of the northern side of the equator. Ulu had said the herds passed by them and wintered in the plains to the south of them in the cooler months. They then dropped their young and headed back as the rains greened up the plains ahead of them.

His people culled the herds taking out the older animals, unproductive females and the excess males. The three main migrating herds were the lankys, bighorns and woollies. Going by his descriptions, they resembled some form of a horse, cattle and a larger variety of sheep. They also numbered in the thousands when they moved.

The Sarans’ main weapons were knives, spears and bows. Inhu and Ulu were delighted when Storm had found their brides possessions in a storeroom and their weapons. He had guessed they belonged to them and had shown them their location when they had come aboard.

Storm had also noticed that Inhu and Ulu had continued to wear the loose, comfortable pants during the day, even though the girls had returned to their sarongs. Lindell and Penny had the girls make them some for the warming weather and Storm found seeing his wife in them, made him horny.

He liked the style when she wrapped it under and then around over her breasts and tied it behind her neck. But then he loved looking at her breasts at any time of the day or night. As far as he was concerned, the only other woman on board who came close to her magnificent breasts was Yalla. Oddly, he had no problems fucking her when she offered.

He had also noticed Kim and the crew had no objections to the ladies apparel either. The three older boys had also elected the loose pants, as they considered themselves men and that was what the other men wore on the ship. Loko, Dicko and Fuka wore their wraps; they were a short variation of the sarong that the Saran men generally wore at home.

The older boys and Inhu had also somehow become part of the crew. Storm and Robert didn’t mind, as it kept them out of trouble and the sailors were happy to teach them. The fact the boys liked being lookouts and could monkey up the rigging to the crows’ nests in no time flat, made them very useful.

Fuka had taken a shine to Cookie and was learning how to cook. Ulu suspected he was using his other skills as well, but Cookie seemed very protective of him, and he was happy to see his brother by marriage blossom.

Azure also spent a lot of her time with them. She and Fuka shared a room, and they were often seen together holding hands. He wouldn’t be surprised if they stayed together.

He wasn’t sure about Cookie, as that man, liked a romp with whoever was available like Kim and Loko. However, he treated the young couple well, and they were obviously happy to be with him. Ulu didn’t worry about it, as it would work itself out in time.

Loko still primarily shared a room with Olin, but he had noticed he spent a lot of time with Valda. She would have been a good five years older, but Loko sought her out regularly. Ulu had a feeling they were kindred souls in that they had both suffered some really, bad times.

Valda had been the guard of the girls from the Southern tribe. The slavers had used her hard, and she still suffered nightmares. The crew of this ship had learned quickly, not to bother her.

Loko liked to sit and hold her hand, or he would get her to cuddle him. He would sing with her, and no one was immune to their voices. He was one of the few males whom she let get close to her, except for Storm. She was always relaxed when Storm was close by.

He had even seen her come up to Storm and cuddle under his arm. He would hug her and kiss her on the head until she felt better. He was sure that they hadn’t slept together. Of the women, she was closest to Penny. He wasn’t sure if they had slept together, but she was calmer when near her. He also suspected that she was pregnant.

She had told Ulu that if it weren’t for Kale, the sailor that had looked after them on the other ship, she would have tried to kill herself. He was like Loko in that he often just sat and held her. She always felt better after he did. She suspected he had healing skills.

Ulu wondered where Kale was. He hoped that he was okay. Storm had said that when they gathered up the crew from the ship, he wasn’t amongst them. The crew hadn’t seen him since the slaves left the ship. Most of them couldn’t even remember his name; he was just ‘the kid’.

Ulu loved watching Storm charm his people and the crew. At first, he thought it was just his charisma. However, the longer he watched and listened to him, he realised it was the fact that he would stop and listen to what you said and give you his full attention.

He also didn’t order people around, he asked. Admittedly, he asked in such a way that you knew that he expected you to comply, but somehow you always did. He always praised you and his happiness being projected at you, was worth the effort of doing as he wished.

Even Gwnda, whom they all considered the biggest whinger on the ship, would do anything for him. He was the one person she didn’t bitch or whinge about or to. She always went quiet, if he frowned at her because he had heard her say something nasty about someone else.

Ulu considered that these were all good skills for a potential ruler to learn. He had also noticed Captain Keel also employed similar methods of keeping his crew in line. His people all said that he was one of the best captains a sailor could crew for.

The crew had little to bitch about on this trip. They were well fed, had comfortable beds and access to the women and boys that were willing. Sailing wise, it had been a dream trip. The spells on the ship kept it dry and working.

They hadn’t hit any bad storms and always seemed to be able to find a favourable wind. If anything, Captain Keel had to find the crew, busy work, to keep them entertained. He got them to build a big pen on the fore deck from the lumber Storm had included in the cargo.

The animals could now spend time in the sunshine. Storm had also made then a hose with a tap on one end and a strange device he called a pump on the other. If they lowered the pump end into the sea, they could hose the deck pen out regularly. It was great for hosing out the animal’s hold area, while the animals were up on the deck too.

Robert had borrowed some of Storm’s mesh wire and got them to build a clucker house on the aft deck. They all agreed the cluckers lay better if they stayed on the deck. The crew also did a lot of fishing. As they emptied one of the cold stores, they filled it with fish.

Robert also had them making salt that they bagged up. He knew the salt was an excellent trade good anywhere. During the second week when Storm had Ulu practising his magic skills, he had him spell the troughs to dry the water off faster. He then got Ulu to help him and Kim, make the chests from the lumber and metals.

Storm directed Robert off course a little to sail close to small groups of flat sandy islands he called Cays. He explained to the fascinated Captain and crew how they were built.

Storm told them, it was an outcrop of lowland and the coral had built up a reef that was catching the sand. Over time, the plants had settled, and they bound the sand and let more sand built it up higher.

The biggest one was built up on the windward side and had large salt bushes, salt tolerant grasses and vines growing on top. Mangroves were growing on the sides where the sand was being piled.

The leeward side had deep-water just ten metres from the island. Storm pointed out that the land dropped into a deep channel making it a safe place to sail close to the cay on this side. He got Kim, Penny, Ulu and Lindell to link with him.

He carefully dredged up rocks and built a 15m long by 10m wide wharf, so it sat over the lip of the channel just above the high tide mark. Captain Keel happily tied up the ship and dropped the gangplank so they could access the island easily.

They discovered the island was also covered by bird nests. Storm said that they would fertilise the bushes and keep the plants growing. Over time, the islands would probably grow even bigger. Robert hadn’t known they were there. He made sure he marked them on his charts.

They were in an excellent spot to stop if needing repairs half way home or to sit out a storm. The leeward side even provided a bit of protection from the strong winds. It had a little beach on this side that was big enough for camping on. With Storm’s wharf, it was now easy to access.

The reason they were here was so Storm could collect some sand. The crew wanted to stay overnight so they could drop crab pots. Storm and Robert had no problem with this. They were four days ahead of schedule. Storm also wanted them to collect any driftwood and dead bushes for him.

The girls happily got together and showed the sailors how to weave traps from the tough vines on the island. They baited them with fish heads and dropped them just after lunch into the mangroves on the sides of the island. They went to pull them before sunset.

Storm made them throw the Jennies (female crabs), and what he considered undersized crabs, back into the sea. Telling them if they were to stop here regularly, they wanted the crabs to be here too. No one whinged too hard, they still had fifteen huge crabs to put into the pot for supper. One was nearly 45cm across the shell.

They feasted well that night. Cookie had set up two huge copper pots on the beach and using some of the driftwood, he had them ready by the time the crew had collected their haul. Many of the birds were also just starting to lay, so they also collected extra eggs for their breakfast feast.

They collected another twenty crabs the next morning before they left and they went into a fridge. Storm explained the cold would anaesthetise them. Once under way, they found out what he wanted the sand for.

He used the sand and seawater, to make a form of plastic to line the insides of the chests with a waterproof layer so the wood didn’t taint the salt and it stayed dry. They were also amused when he used some of the elements left over to make chalk for drawing with.

He used the driftwood to make more chests for them, so he didn’t use up all his lumber. Many of them said his chests were too good for salt. He laughed and said that when they emptied the chests, they could use them for whatever they wanted to.

When Ulu quizzed this statement, Storm said he knew salt was valuable and that was why he had made a chest for each of them. He and Robert were amused that as soon as the troughs were dry, they had willing helpers to empty them. It kept idle hands busy, and that was Storm’s true aim.

The girls found plenty to do, as they were busy transforming their rolls of cloth into sarongs and wraps. Storm had also brought twenty rolls of cloth suitable for making the linen shirts and another twenty for the soft pants he and the sailors wore.

He had also had Walter whip him up four pedal sewing machines before he left and the girls loved them, so they had been making them spare clothes too. Dicko and Loko, two of the youngest boys, also ended up in the sewing circle. Apparently, they had very deft hands and sewed very fine seams.

Three of the sailors who would normally be repairing sails also joined them. They taught them a variety of stitches they could use to decorate the sarongs and shirts. One of them called Pauli said his dad was a tailor.

He taught them how to strip the off cuts from the linen to make little tassels and braiding. He even got Cookie to make him some dyes from the fruits and vegetables they had aboard the ship. While the ship needed little attention, the passengers and crew were surprised by just how busy they were.

They were entering the fourth week when they were told Saran was on the horizon. Ulu and Storm were watching the land become more distinct. They were both looking forward to the next chapter in their lives.

Kim joined them and wrapped an arm around both their waists. They both hugged him back. While they had never slept together, they were both well acquainted with Kim’s talents. “So my two favourite men, what adventures have you planned for me?”

They both grinned at him. Storm said, “Well, we have to get them home first. Then while the crew take the other girls home and do a bit of trading, we have to find Ulu’s box.”

Ulu frowned at Storm, “I have my box.”

Storm shook his head. He said, “No, the box you have is an interim box. Your wizard’s box is why I’m here. I have to find my other wizards and their apprentices. I believe your box is located within about 30km east of your village.”

Ulu frowned, “The Mountains to the south and east from the border of our lands in those directions. They are about that far from our village. Inhu and I often like hunting in that region.”

“There are supposed to be some ancient ruins in the mountains to the east, and we aren’t supposed to go there. Some of the magicians say those mountains are haunted by our ancestors.”

“Bad things happened there when two wizards fought. They say that those who go there will sicken and die or just disappear. I’ll head north to hunt but always find myself heading in that direction. Inhu and I have never gotten sick, and we often hunt in the foothills, but we don’t go as far as the ruins.”

“A valley on the south western most ridges provided a natural narrow pass for picking out the animals we wish to cull. It is as close as many of the tribes will go to the main range that then runs north-east.”

Storm nodded. “Yes, it had probably been calling you, but you didn’t realise it. I think it is possibly in the ruins. It was supposed to return to the main cavern, but Davin mentioned that wizards often anchor their boxes close to where they live, and he believes it is why some didn’t return.”