Chapter Twenty-three – Another year another doorway
“I can’t believe you broke her ankle,” teased Fake.
“It was a duel; I told them I wouldn’t hold back,” defended Andin.
“How long does that take for a mortal to heal?”
“Six weeks.”
Fake winced at the notion. He added, “And that was the cute one wasn’t it?” Andin didn’t answer; he watched the line of men and goods headed towards the portal site. The solstice was in four days and the entire fleet had returned to Greater Pirenna.
“The Brothers are having a meeting tomorrow, you’re invited,” said Andin.
“Oh they’ve warmed up to me have they?” joked Fake. They both knew their actions at the Hinge had made their lives in Pelagos easier.
A small repurposed courier ship slipped into the harbor with a familiar face at the helm. “Would you look at that,” said Andin happily. Fake went to find Pria and Sorrel who would be glad to hear Gunrow had stolen away from his retirement home for the portal opening.
Andin walked to help the sea dog dock his ship. “Don’t burn my ship down fire prince,” greeted Gunrow with a grin and a toss of line.
“You look awful; what happened?” replied Andin. A woman with a large sunhat tossed Andin another coil of line. Andin tied the line to the cleat.
Gunrow said, “Andin son of Bellos, may I introduce my wife Delphi.”
Andin helped her off the ship, “A pleasure ma’am.”
“Please call me Delphi,” she corrected.
Andin had seen her once before at Gunrow’s retirement ceremony. “Delphi is a Drojji name isn’t it?” asked the prince.
“It is, my mother was from there,” she answered.
Gunrow followed her off as his two deckhands finished docking the ship. “Didn’t bring the kids?” asked Andin.
“No, they stayed in Breakwater; if it’s safe I’ll bring them before the portal closes,” he answered. Andin agreed that was for the best.
Gunrow and Sorrel embraced and reminisced in the pub. The group grew as Pria, Fake, and others joined them. The rum and ale flowed into the evening. Roles reversed from their time in Breakwater as Fake and Sorrel now plotted to find Andin a woman.
As before Sorrel conjured a buxom lass from the crowd to enjoy his company with. Fake tried to get a stubborn Andin to dance to no avail. “Please, I don’t want any help with women,” said Andin over the noise.
Fake played dumb, “You say you want help with women?”
Andin politely chatted with an embarrassed girl Fake had wrangled towards him. Andin had enough and wished his friends a merry evening. He reached the door before turning around; Pria looked like she had reached her limit as well.
“I’m going to go smoke a cigar, would you like to join me?”
Pria rarely smoked but she was ready to leave and answered, “That sounds nice.”
The buzz of the nightlife faded as they stepped away. She chose the milder of the two cigars; Andin offered his lit forefinger in lieu of a match. They walked in a comfortable silence for a while, letting their ringing ears rest.
“Do you know where you will be assigned next year?” he asked.
“The same northern region probably, they don’t disseminate ship-pair assignments until halfway through the summer, in case a bad portal opening affects our strength.”
“Ah makes sense,” he said.
“What will you do if the doorway opens to Beldur?”
Andin had thought about this, “I’d have to go back home.”
Pria understood his answer but still looked disappointed, “I can imagine you feel somewhat trapped here.”
Andin pointed at the picturesque starlit harbor, “Not a bad place to find yourself stuck in.”
“You know I resented you when I was first assigned to be your nanny.”
“I loathed the idea,” he replied.
“Turned out alright.”
“Yes it did.”
They stood side by side as equals, watching the water lap against the docks. They both thought where they were a year before, Pria aboard the Bitter Chain, Andin in Caldvik. Their memories stood as constant reminder of where they came from and where they each wished to go.
Andin’s thoughts drifted to the dreamers, the mysterious man, and Odium. They must all tie in together somehow. There simply wasn’t anything else to go on; both he and Fake had torn through the Academy’s archives for anything relating to Odium. There was nothing.
“You look worried,” said Pria.
Andin snapped out of it and shrugged, “Portal openings are strange things.”
“You feel it too don’t you,” she said now whispering.
Andin knew what she spoke of, but said nothing.
She went on, “The darkness, the uncertainty, the creeping doom near the portal.”
“I feel it; those proficient in magic seem more sensitive to it,” answered Andin finally.
“I think I felt it at the Academy when I went to see the window portals for myself.”
With sincerity he cautioned, “There is a storm coming Pria – when and where it will land I cannot know. Nor can I see who or what is behind such things. But when it does, and this evil will reach all the realms of men, you must be ready.”
Pria saw in this young man the courage to stand against a faceless enemy. With a solemnness earned only on the high seas she said, “When that day comes, even if I stand in Pelagos and you in Beldur, I stand at your side.”
“Such friends are treasures, thank you,” said Andin. The prince of Beldur walked Pria to her ship and wished her goodnight. Andin made his way to his own cabin and looked forward to sleeping in.
Late in the morning Andin reconnected with Fake. “I need you to bury this beneath the portal site,” said Andin pointing to the crystal beneath his shirt. Fake knew what needed to be done and pocketed the crystal. The flagship had arrived sometime in the night; Andin forgot how imposing she was.
A courier ran up to the boys. “Prince Andin sir?” he asked.
“Yes?” answered Andin.
“A message sir, from Beldur,” the courier handed one of a large stack of envelopes to Andin. Andin gave the teenager a coin and he went off to continue his deliveries. The message was but six letters long: cong Gk -Bellos.
Fake stared for a moment, “What does that mean?” Andin didn’t want to answer; he didn’t want to explain; he wanted the note to have never existed.
“I’ll tell you when it’s safe,” said Andin gravely.