Chapter 12

"Status?" Garek asked Ithos as he strode onto the deck of the Arabella. Jack, Kairn, and Grelik hurried across the gangplank behind him. The two sea dogs nodded to the Captain before taking their leave.

"Go now, lad. And hurry back," Ithos said to Charuk. The young man took off like a shot across the gangplank and quickly disappeared into the city. Ithos turned to Garek with a scowl on his face. "Repairs are underway, Captain. I have runners scouring the city, trying to get the rest of the crew back on board."

"Excellent. Have my wife and the others returned yet?" A hint of concern wormed its way into the Captain's voice.

"Not yet," Ithos said. "And might I ask what in the bloody hell is going on? Here I was thinking we had a week or more in port, and now all hell has broken loose. I don't see how in the name of all that is holy you expect me to get the ship fixed in a day." If anything, the scowl on Ithos' face deepened further. "Even if I have the crew work through the night, the damage caused by that dog's knob-licking Drebin and his damnable black ship can't be fully repaired."

"Peace, my friend," Garek said. "Just do the best you can. We sail tomorrow whatever shape we're in. It seems we are wanted men." Garek filled Ithos in on everything they had learned from Farthen and the Governor.

"Karak's hairy ballsack," Ithos cursed. "We have really stepped in it this time. Aramon-damned snake bellies. Ain't good for a plowing thing other than causing misery." The first mate spat a gob of spit over the rail.

Movement in the square in front of the Arabella's berth caught his eye. The promised men of the City Watch were beginning to trickle in. He turned to Garek. "Half the crew is still unaccounted for, including my son."

Garek started to respond, but Jack spoke first. "We won't leave without him," he said firmly.

Ithos gave Jack an intent stare with his one piercing blue eye, noting the Elvenestri sword that now hung at his side. There was something different about the Outlander, but he couldn't put his finger on it. He gave an abrupt nod of acknowledgment at Jack's reassurance before his attention shifted over Jack's shoulder to the pier behind him. "Here comes your wife," he said to Garek.

Garek and Jack both turned in time to see Emma, Ava, and several others striding across the dock. A small cluster of women, perhaps six or seven in number, trailed along behind them. Their silk, floral-colored dresses looked out of place on the rough docks, like swans floating on the surface of a murky swamp.

Emma stopped just short of the gangplank and rounded on the women. "Spread out. Try to blend in." Her tone made it clear she was irritated by their presence. The young women awkwardly fanned out around the square.

She turned away from them and led her small procession across the gangplank onto the ship. The frown on her face softened to a gentle smile when she saw her husband. She was just about to greet him when Aiden rushed past her to scoop his father into a massive hug.

"Alright, alright." Garek laughed and returned his son's embrace, his feet dangling six inches above the deck. "I love you too, son."

Aiden spun Garek in a full circle before depositing him back onto the deck. Garek staggered a step before he regained his footing. Aiden stared at his father expectantly, shifting his weight back and forth on his feet like a child expecting a treat.

Garek didn't disappoint. With a small smile on his face, he produced a pewter figurine from his pocket. It was a tiny knight brandishing a sword and shield, painted with enamel to resemble a knight of the King's army. Aiden sucked in a breath and took the small figure reverently from his father. He took a few steps away and sat cross-legged on the deck. They all watched as Aiden produced the leather pouch that held his small collection of toys and began to play.

Jack fought the lump that formed in his throat and blinked away the sudden tears that threatened. The tragedies that have befallen the Liamans would have broken the spirit of most families. Jack didn't know how Garek and Emma found the strength to carry on after the death of their two sons, not when they were reminded of their loss every time they saw Aiden and how his injuries had reduced his mind to that of a child. Ava had not only lost her brothers but also had to bear witness to the suffering of her parents. Viviane, a vibrant young woman who should be enjoying the love of a virile young husband, had instead been forced by fate into an almost unthinkable circumstance.

"What is that all about?" Garek's question to Emma pulled Jack back from his thoughts. He followed Garek's gaze to the young women on the docks trying with little success to blend in with the usual port crowd.

Emma harrumphed. "Protection, if you can believe it. Though how one Witch, a few Adepts, and some Acolytes are supposed to stop fully-trained Aramonic priests is beyond me."

"What?" Garek asked.

"Oh, it gets better," Emma continued. "The rest of them will be here in the morning, including a Grand Sorceress who is determined to make my life as difficult as she possibly can."

"Wait, slow down, and tell me what you're talking about," Garek said.

Emma took a deep breath and visibly calmed herself. She explained the events that had transpired at the Covenant Chapter house, ending her tale with the news that the Grand Sorceresses intended to accompany them to Panaar.

"It'll be all right," Garek reassured his wife as he pulled her into an embrace.

"I know." Emma heaved a sigh and laid her head on Garek's chest. "I just don't like some other woman coming on my ship and ordering my people about."

"Your ship?" He chuckled and gave her a squeeze before gently pushing her to an arm's length so he could look at her face. His mood turned serious, and he motioned Ava and Viviane to step closer.

"I have some bad news." Garek's expression darkened. "King Roadan is dead."

Viviane gasped. "Uncle Ro is dead?" She clutched her chest and began to cry. Ava managed to overcome her own shock to take the grieving woman into her arms.

"What happened?" Emma asked, her own grief evident in her unsteady voice. King Roadan had been a benefactor and friend. They loved him like family, and his death was one more loss after so many that had come before.

"All I know is he died in his sleep. We will find out more when we get to the capital."

"Yes, we will," Emma said, a determined look on her face. "I will confer with Amalee—"

"My love," Garek interrupted. "Amalee is dead as well."

Emma gasped. "My God, has the world gone mad?"

"There's more," Garek said. "Damoden may be in trouble. I'll explain everything," he added quickly when it looked like Emma was about to interrupt. "But we should all move to our quarters first." The deck of the ship was not the place for them to grieve.

Garek waited until the women had urged Aiden to get up and head below deck before turning to Jack. "I know I promised to expl—"

"No, my friend," Jack interrupted. "Go be with your family. They need you right now. There'll be time for the other stuff later."

Garek clasped Jack's arm and conveyed his thanks with a look before following his family below deck.

Left to himself, Jack looked up and saw that the smaller of the two moons was already visible in the failing light. He turned the other way and looked west, out to sea. The sun, so much like his own in size and color, was dipping below the horizon. It was curious how the sun rose in the east and set in the west the way it did in his own world. He wondered if the similarity was a coincidence or all part of God's cosmic plan.

"Quite a sight, isn't it?" Ithos asked. He had moved up to stand beside Jack, joining him as he admired the sunset.

"It is." There was no denying the beauty of the waning light as it reflected off the sea in hues of orange and red.

"That sword looks good on you," Ithos said. "Don't see many Elvenestri blades anymore, but it's almost like it belongs to you."

Jack set his hand on the pommel and felt the reassuring thrum of the leyline. He too felt that the sword belonged to him and was eager to talk to Emma about the sword's strange connection to the power of the leylines. Until that opportunity arrived, however, other things needed his attention.

"Is there anything I can do to help with the repairs?" he asked the First Mate.

Ithos grunted and motioned Jack to follow him. Together, they crossed the gangplank onto the dock then walked along the pier that ran parallel to the ship. A wooden contraption had been hastily erected. It was bolted down to the pier and extended out behind the ship to function as a scaffold that hovered just below the damaged area of the hull. Men could stand on the platform and work without having to hang off the back of the vessel.

"We're at a standstill," Ithos explained the lack of workmen. "As you can see, we've removed all the damaged planks." He motioned towards the neat rectangular hole where a jagged, splintered maw had been. "This area is concave and our oak planks," he gestured to the neatly stacked planks sitting on the pier, "are straight and stiff. Normally, we would steam the planks until they were pliable enough to bend, but that takes time that we no longer have. I was going to ask Emma if she or Ava could help, but..." he shrugged.

"What about one of them?" Jack asked and nodded toward the Covenant witches meandering around the dock.

"Worth a try," Ithos agreed. The two men walked back up the pier to the dockside. They approached two young women who were quietly conversing beneath a newly-lit street lamp.

"Excuse me," Ithos said politely. "Might we have a word?"

The two women turned, and Jack saw that the pair was actually a woman in her mid-twenties and a girl who may have been all of sixteen or seventeen.

"Yes?" the older woman asked. The purple diadem that lay on her forehead was held in place by a silver chain woven through her wavy, dark brown hair. The purple stone signified her rank as a full Witch. She was quite tall for a woman and stood eye-to-eye with Jack and Ithos. Her dress was purple as well and loose-fitting at the bodice. The design covered her demurely all the way up to her neck. She seemed mildly annoyed at having been disturbed.

Jack looked at Ithos and shrugged before speaking. "We're performing some repairs and wondered if one of you would be willing to help us mold some wooden planks so they can fit—"

"We're quite busy," she interrupted, already turning away.

The younger girl shot them a quick look before stopping the older woman. "Rhean, I could help them if—"

"Quiet, Bethany," Rhean snapped. The younger girl flushed at the reprimand. "We've been tasked to protect the Outlander, not to perform common labor for men too lazy to do their own work." Her tone allowed no room for argument.

Ithos and Jack glanced at each other and raised their eyebrows at her abrupt demeanor.

"You hear that, Outlander?" Ithos smirked. "She's too busy protecting you to give aid when you ask for it. Maybe you should stop being so lazy."

"I guess so." Jack shrugged and turned to leave.

"Wait! You're the Outlander?" Rhean blurted.

"I am." Jack glanced back at her. "Thank you for your time."

"Hold on," she spluttered. "I would be glad to help you in any way I can."

Jack turned back to the two women. Rhean was flustered, her face red with mortification. Bethany looked like she was trying to hide her amusement. She was a head shorter than Rhean and her hair a lighter shade of brown. It was parted in the middle and pulled into two loose braids that hung over her shoulders and rested on her collarbones. A few strands escaped the braids and framed her pretty face as they fell half a hand below her jawline. Her blue eyes sparkled at the other woman's plight.

"In that case, you can help me by letting me borrow Acolyte Bethany for a little while." Jack winked at Bethany so that Rhean couldn't see. The young girl's lips turned up in a smile, and a blush turned her cheeks a rosy pink.

"But I can—"

"No, please, don't trouble yourself," Jack cut her off. "Acolyte Bethany will do nicely, and I will be sure to let Sorceress Emma know how helpful you were." Jack put his hand on Bethany's elbow and guided her away. Ithos followed them, leaving Rhean standing there with a horrified look on her face.

Bethany couldn't suppress a giggle as the three of them walked down the pier. "I hope she doesn't get into too much trouble. She's my big sister, after all," she said.

"Oh, I really wasn't planning to say anything to the Sorceress," Jack smiled at Bethany's relieved expression. "Your sister is safe."

"Outlander, you have a devious streak." Ithos laughed. "Remind me never to cross you."

The three of them laughed as they walked towards the back of the ship. Night had fallen by then, so Ithos called for torches to be set up around the work area. It wasn't ideal to work by flickering torch light, and normally they would have waited for daylight, but they had little choice given their plans to set sail in the morning.

Jack and Bethany climbed onto the scaffolding and waited while Ithos assigned a sailor to pass planks up to Jack as he called for them.

"No need for nails," Bethany said when Ithos tried to hand them a hammer and a canvas bag of nails. "I will fuse the wood together. Trust me, it'll be much stronger than if we use nails," she added at Ithos' doubtful look.

"Seems like she knows what she's about," Jack said. He didn't see the way she beamed at him when he supported her.

Ithos shrugged and motioned the sailor to hand a plank up to Jack. Jack hefted it into place in the lower corner of the opening in the damaged hull.

Bethany moved past him, brushing against his back on the narrow scaffold. She placed her hands against the wood and opened herself to Lord Aramon's Gift. Jack watched the ethereal power flow into her and suffuse her with light.

He observed closely as the tendrils of power flowed out of her and into the wood. The wood of the plank and the hull of the ship seemed to ripple and lose their solidity before the edges coalesced into a sturdy joint.

She moved a foot to the left and once more sent her power into the wood. Jack tried but eventually had to give up trying to understand the flows that she weaved to bend the plank so it would match the shape of the hull.

Jack had very little to do other than fit each new plank for its initial joining. After that, he just stood back and watched Bethany work. Ithos only stayed long enough to watch Bethany attach the second plank before leaving them to it. As the night wore on, they worked their way up until the hole was more than half-filled. Jack continued to periodically compliment Bethany on her skill, and if she went out of her way to brush against him as they worked, he didn't notice.

Both moons were high in the sky when Ithos's wife, Betta, and one of her helpers brought hot tea and sandwiches for them. Their arrival could not have been better timed. Bethany had a sheen of sweat on her forehead, and her breath was becoming more labored. She clearly needed a break. Using the power was apparently more taxing than Jack had thought.

"Any word on Terell yet?" Jack asked Betta.

"Not yet," she said with a quick shake of the head. "I'm sure he'll be along shortly."

Jack could hear the concern in her voice despite her optimistic words. "Of course he will," he reassured her.

She smiled her thanks. "When you're done with your tea, you can leave your cups on this." She set a platter on a crate next to the stack of planks. "I'll send someone along to pick it up later." With a final nod, she and her helper left them to their meal.

Jack and Bethany sat side by side on the scaffold, their feet hanging over the water as they sipped tea and munched on their sandwiches. Jack listened as Bethany talked about her life. She and her sister had grown up in the Eastern Dells, the only daughters of spice merchants. Their mother and father had been so proud when both their daughters were found to have the gift. Bethany had not been thrilled when she'd been sent to Antyor for training instead of the Citadel. Apparently having her big sister in charge of her wasn't ideal. She felt that Rhean was much harder on her than the other Acolytes and railed at the unfairness of it all. Jack smiled as the girl prattled on, amused at the exuberance of teenagers; he could only vaguely recall being one.

Jack yawned. It was getting late and if he didn't get moving he was liable to fall asleep right where he sat. Bethany, with the limitless energy of the young, didn't seem sleepy at all. The same couldn't be said of the sailor that had been handing them the planks. After finishing his sandwich, the young man had curled up on the pier and fallen asleep. Jack nudged Bethany with his elbow and pointed at the snoring sailor.

"Shall we wake him?" she giggled.

"No, let him sleep," Jack said. "I think I can get the planks up here by myself." Jack took their teacups with him as he descended to the pier and set them on the platter Emma had left. He hefted a plank and slid it onto the scaffold by Bethany's feet. He climbed back up beside her and picked up the plank. "See?" he said. "Easy."

Bethany laughed and set her hand on Jack's forearm, but his attention had already turned back to the task. He fit the board into place and nodded to her that he was ready. Her gaze lingered for a moment on the muscles in his forearms and the way the moonlight played on them as he held the board up. She quickly moved to the task before Jack could notice her scrutiny.

Once again he watched her as, suffused with power, she manipulated the flows of magic into the wood. He could see the wood change, see the plank surrender to her will, but he couldn't understand how she knew what to do to make the wood behave the way she wanted.

Curiosity finally got the better of him. "How do you do that?"

"What do you mean?" she asked absently without losing her focus on what she was doing.

"I mean, I can see the flows, but how do you know that moving them like that will make the wood adhere?"

She paused, her figure still glowing with Lord Aramon's gift, and looked at him. "You can see the flows?"

"I can."

"I didn't know you could wield," she said, giving him an appraising look

"I can't yet," he said. As she resumed working on the plank, he explained how Emma believed he could and how he had been unsuccessful so far in his efforts.

"You have to have faith," she said.

Jack laughed. "That's exactly what Emma told me."

"You should listen to the Sorceress," Bethany admonished him, her smile taking any bite out of the words. "To answer your question," she continued, "I visualize what I want the wood to do, then I just feel what I need to do as I move the flows of power into the wood. I don't know any other way to explain it. I just know when it's right." She reached the end of the plank and turned to face him.

Jack looked perplexed. "I guess it's just one of those things you have to feel for yourself before it makes sense."

Bethany bit her lip and hesitated a moment. "There's a way you can feel what I am doing as I wield," she said slowly, her tone almost shy.

"Really? How?"

"I could link with you," she blurted out. "Then you can feel what it is like to wield yourself. It may help you find a way to wield alone."

Jack thought a moment. Maybe feeling how someone else handled the power would lead to a breakthrough. He wondered why Emma hadn't thought of it. "Will it hurt?" he asked.

"No, silly," she laughed.

"All right then. Let's give it a try."

She held her hand out toward him. "It helps if we hold hands while I establish the link." He clasped her hand as she took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and slowly exhaled.

Jack could see the lines of power as they flowed into him. He felt a warm rush over his body, and she was suddenly there in his head. In an instant, he knew why Emma had never offered to link with him. He could sense everything she was feeling and knew that she could feel his emotions as well. It was an intimate connection, something you might share with a lover, but only if you had nothing to hide.

He could feel that she was slightly ashamed for leading him into this, but she had wanted him to know how she felt about him. He realized then that she had developed a crush on him. He had listened to her, praised her, supported her, and now she believed that she might be in love with him.

"I'm not a child," she said defiantly, having felt his initial reaction to the revelation.