Chapter 53
Helsop
Dagon looked out from the bow of his stolen ship. He recognized familiar landmarks on shore. They were close to home. Another half day's travel should bring them within sight of Ice Mountain. If they could hold together that long.
Deimos joined him at the bow.
"Any fatalities?" Dagon asked.
Deimos shook his head. "None reported. Though many are too weak now to take a turn at the oars."
"Perhaps we should have taken the time to go ashore and hunt," Dagon said. "This pressing on to reach Helsop as quickly as possible may not have been wise."
Deimos shook his head again. "It would have been worse. What could we hope to hunt down that would feed thousands?"
Dagon ran his hands through his hair. "How long will Helsop be able to feed these extra mouths before we, too, run out of food?" He studied a familiar grouping of trees on shore. "I believe we will reach Helsop today."
Deimos nodded and pointed to a gravel beach on the lake's southern shore. "I fished from that beach in my youth. We are close."
Dagon flexed his shoulders and rubbed his hands together. "I am going to take a turn at the oars. Will you keep watch?"
Deimos laughed. "Anyone can recognize a mountain of ice. I will take a turn as well."
Dagon motioned to two of the quiet men to relinquish their oars. They both stood up and moved aside without speaking. Dagon sat down and took over their oar. Before Deimos could join him, Steig, Hammer Haven's headman, slid in beside him and took hold of the end of the long handled oar.
"What do you make of these silent foreigners?" he asked, watching as the quiet men sat down together beside the rope ladder that led to the deck.
Dagon shrugged. "Monks, perhaps? Some type of holy men? They seem to have taken a vow of silence."
"They have tongues. I checked." Steig looked straight ahead rather than risk seeing censure in Dagon's eyes at what could be construed as rude behavior.
Dagon had actually checked himself. He did not know what method Steig had employed, but for his part he had watched the silent men carefully as they ate.
"I thought we might give them the choice to stay or take one boat to go where they want, once we reach Helsop," he said.
"We might as well," Steig mused. "I don't see us using the boats for trade on Cold Lake as there's none to trade with. If we were to venture down the rivers that feed into the lake we would run the risk of meeting Vagans."
Dagon tilted his head, remembering old stories. "When our grandfathers reached Helsop and decided to settle there, they disassembled their boats and used the wood to build their houses."
"We could do the same," Steig said, catching Dagon's eye.
Dagon gave the smallest of nods. "You might want to give yourselves some time to decide. We are going to arrive hungry and rations will be short with this many to feed."
Dagon did not look forward to telling his people that they would have to do without once again to be able to feed and house so many. He doubted that distant blood ties to people they had never met would carry much weight.
"How is our supply of food on board?" he asked.
"Gone," Steig replied. "We are dragging lines for fish on all the boats and we catch a few, but the food the women brought with them from the castle is finished.
"We are close to Helsop." Dagon tried to make his voice reassuring. "Even with the mist I recognize the landmarks. We should reach Helsop sometime today."
After another five hours of light breeze to fill the sails, and constant rowing to increase their speed, a call sounded down from high up on the lead mast. "Lights ho! Lights ho!"
Dagon jumped up along with Steig, leaving his oar to drag. They raced up the rope ladder to the deck and saw the signal torches up ahead. The onshore fog began to clear and they could make out the silhouette of Ice Mountain, Helsop's glacier. They were home.
Dagon called down to the oarsmen to go slow. He did not want to run aground in the mist. As they moved closer to shore, the mist cleared and Dagon could see that the torches had been set up at the western edge of Cold Lake.
Men were running, cheering on shore. Their boats had been sighted. Dagon wished he had thought to bring along a Helsop banner to tell those ashore he was friend, not foe. But they seemed to know. They were definitely cheering.
"Drop anchor!" he shouted. "Signal the boats behind. Drop anchor, all."
The boats slowed to a stop as they drifted into the shallow water and the heavy rock anchors hit bottom. The Helsop men jumped into the cold water and waded ashore. Electra was running into the water to meet them. Dagon had enough strength left to lift her into the air before he wrapped his arms around her.
"I knew you were close," she said as she struggled to hold back happy tears. "I told the soldiers to light the torches."
Dagon was surprised to see King Geoffrey and Queen Delphinia standing with the crowd on shore.
"If my father asks you about someone attempting to steal your white powder, just tell him you are still looking into it," she whispered.
Dagon looked at Electra curiously, but he had too much else to deal with to question her. "Whatever you say." He noticed the richly dressed man standing beside Physician Rothman. "Who is that?" He raised his chin in the direction of Prince Oswald.
Electra followed his gaze to Prince Oswald. "He is a prince come to buy as many weapons as we have to sell for his father, King Gundar."
Dagon's face lit as though a prayer had been answered. "I hope he brings gold. We have a lot of new mouths to feed."
"He does. I made sure of that," Electra said. She took his hand and began pulling him ashore. "Come, we have a celebration waiting."
Dagon's eyes opened wide. "A celebration with food?"
"Of course. What is a celebration without food?"
Dagon was amazed. "You truly knew we would arrive today. How?"
"Surely you know I was raised by a sorceress," Electra said with a grin.
Dagon and Electra were jostled ashore by hoards of people coming off the boats.
Women and children looked around fearfully, wondering where they should go. The Helsop villagers took them in hand and led them to horse-drawn carts, wagons and sleds that would take the children from the lake shore down along the river to the village. The rafts were quickly towed in to carry others too weak to walk down along the river to Helsop.
As the refugees reached the village of Helsop, they found boards laid out over rocks and stumps, covered with cloths and laden with food. The food came from the mess tent and from the houses of villagers. Electra's students brought more from the school's kitchen. Soon the celebration was in full swing. Leif was reunited with his grandson. Several of the villagers found they had family names in common with the new arrivals. The silent men were placed together at a table and given food. They raised their open palms in gratitude.
Dagon followed Electra into the school where they joined King Geoffrey, Queen Delphinia, Prince Oswald and Physician Rothman for a meal.
"You have doubled Helsop's population in one fell swoop," King Geoffrey noted.
"It was that or leave them in slavery," Dagon replied.
King Geoffrey seemed undecided as to which option he might have chosen.
"It is a brave thing you have done," Queen Delphinia proclaimed. "We were all worried for your safety."
Dagon studied Queen Delphinia's face and decided she spoke from her heart. He glanced at Prince Oswald.
"I am told you come seeking to purchase weapons," he said.
"Yes," the prince said, continuing to eat. "I am afraid I have more or less cleaned you out for now, more's the pity."
"Our new people are masters in weapons manufacture. We will soon have a good supply on hand." Dagon ate slowly. His stomach had shrunk after so many days of short rations.
Prince Oswald looked up from his plate. "In that case I will put in
my order forthwith."
Dagon put his hand on top of Electra's. "I made a good decision, putting you in charge."
Electra turned her hand to clasp his tightly. "All the same, I am glad you are back." She looked at him for a few seconds before adding, "Very, very glad."
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