Terribly Lottey

  Chapter Three

  Sometimes things

  Come at you fast

  It may be found difficult

  To always be last

  Yes, I know, I went with him. In split moment my life was changed.

  Ryse is one determined fellow. He doesn’t even speak. He walks so fast I can’t keep up, especially not with all the branches and thorns and brambles grabbing my legs and ankles. I tripped once, fell on my face, and he turned around to help me up.

  He doesn’t say anything except, “This way,” “That way,” “Hurry up,” “Stop falling,” “Fine, we can stop now,” and he found something new to say today: “We’re almost there.”

  “Where?” I asked.

  “There.”

  And that’s all he’ll say. How am I supposed to know where there is? I’m no geographical whiz. I don’t even know what the town I lived in is called, if in fact we lived in one, nor do I know what the closest one is. I just wish it were bigger, therefore easier for us to find. I don’t favor trekking through the forest.

  “How do you know where we’re going?”

  He ignores me.

  This only makes him grate on my nerves even worse. He is like– it’s just as if he were one of my brothers… minus the violet eye thing. His are gray. And he’s not as spastic. Nor has he given me a tiger pelt.

  I have given up making conversation. It’s hopeless. I just really wish I knew where we were going, what we were doing–

  “Guess what?”

  Ryse stopped and I toppled into him. His sudden excitement startled me to a pulp.

  “We’re here.”

  ‘Here’– or ‘there’ as he earlier referred to it. Was a bustling little town on the edge of the water. Cobblestone roads wove in and out of tall houses, all pushed closely together, and I could spot the masts of ships poking up over the rooftops. I could smell fish– and that wasn’t as pleasant as I’d always imagined.

  “Where is here?” I asked impatiently.

  Ryse smiled wide as he gazed through the trees. “Corn City.”

  I flicked a bug off my arm. “That’s a nice name.” Except there was no corn in sight. The only thing I could spot from where I stood being sold by vendors was fish.

  “I was born here.” I watched and followed as he climbed over a fallen tree that marked a line between the forest and the town. The further we went, the stronger the smell got. Ryse seemed to enjoy it.

  “Why are we here?” I ran my fingers through my hair, even though it was hopeless. Not that it mattered; from what I could see, the women here didn’t even own combs.

  “Unless you plan on flying to ParKesh…” he didn’t finish his sentence.

  Lord– we were going on a boat. A boat. Should I repeat myself?

  A boat.

  “Is it as frightening as a horse? Because I have never been on a boat, in fact the biggest body of water I’ve seen is–

  “It would be very easy to leave you here.”

  I shut my mouth. As much as I loathed this person walking in front of me, I’d die of futility without him. If I were left alone, oh, who knows? I’d be taken advantage of, someone would steal all my belongings, and then use me as a bar maid and not pay me enough–

  “What do you have to barter?”

  I clenched my grip on my bag forcefully. “What do you mean?”

  “Do you think I’m going to baby-sit you for nothing?”

  I stopped right where I was. “You’ll do well not to speak of me that way.”

  “And you’ll do well to get rid of the Lady still left in you.”

  My mouth flew open. My pride was falling, falling… I had to catch it. But there were two things I had to choose from: my pride, and my life. One or the other would have to fall and splatter.

  Oh, but why not save both and just not tell him? “Sorry,” I spurted.

  He ignored our little spat– he’s good at that. “We need some money for passage on a ship. You’ve got to have something worth value.”

  I continued walking, rather reluctantly however. “I have a tiger pelt and a few handkerchiefs. I’m not giving up anything else.”

  “What is anything else?”

  “My book and pencil.”

  “Oh.”

  They wouldn’t be worth anything anyway. We had reached a cobble road and took it down a strip of fish vendors. I had never seen so many fish heads in my life. In fact… I didn’t really eat that much fish.

  “Do they taste good?” I quickened my pace to walk beside Ryse.

  He looked at me. “What, the fish?”

  “Their heads.”

  “Why don’t you taste them and see?”

  “I’m not too keen on trying new foods.”

  We walked on for about five minutes. We reached the docks, and I could smell the water. It was like salty fish. “What exactly are we looking for?”

  We stopped walking. Ryse took a deep breath and let it out loudly, as if taking in the smell.

  “If you were born here, how come no one knows you?” And if this town had been here that long, why hadn’t I been told of it?

  “I haven’t been here since I was five. Parents died and I was sent to a life of being a stable boy, until I moved up to the hall.”

  “How glorious.”

  Ryse shot me a look.

  “I’m not meaning to poke fun, or anything. Sometimes I just say the first thing that comes to my head.”

  “Well then maybe sometimes you should wait and say the second. We need to find a tavern now.”

  We started walking again. “That’s a relief. I’m so tired I’m about to fall apart.”

  Ryse sniggered.

  I tried to ignore it, but it was making me infuriated. “What?” I demanded.

  “You.” He turned to face me, walking backwards. “You can’t stay a tavern unless you have money.” He rubbed his fingers together. “Which we don’t.”

  In that moment I wanted to cry. I felt so terribly low. “Then what do you mean?”

  He resumed walking beside me. “There are overnight jobs you can get to earn some food, and sometimes a little money.”

  “And a bed?” I hoped.

  “In the hayloft, I suppose.”

  My bottled emotions burst. “And get all full of those– what are they called? Triggers? Going on a boat with you is enough, but–”

  “I think you mean chiggers. And I didn’t make you come with me–”

  “Yes you did.”

  “What?” He turned around. We both stopped.

  “Don’t you remember? You said, ‘You have to go’. So here I am.” For a second I thought he was going to smack me across the face. He didn’t. He spat in the dirt instead.

  He resumed walking. I resumed following, but to keep up, I was nearly running, holding the stained hem of my dress above my ankles. “You know, we don’t have to like each other–”

  “Don’t worry,” he interrupted.

  “–to get along.” I paused. “I wasn’t. And it’s rude to interrupt.”

  “You’d know the meaning of rude, wouldn’t you?”

  I humphed and sped my pace to get away from him. But then I realized– I didn’t know where in the world I was going. So I slowed down again.

  “I’m sorry, Ryse.” I didn’t want him to leave me in the middle of the night. Oh, I was so afraid of being abandoned. Like a forsaken rag doll.

  I waited a few moments, but he said nothing. Oh, no. He wasn’t ignoring me again, was he?

  “Please don’t ignore me.”

  But he did. Finally we reached a tavern, something called Traveler’s Bluff, and we entered through the cracked door.

  As soon as we made it through the door a glass bottled shattered on the wall right by my head. I shrieked and unconsciously turned to leave in a rush, but Ryse grabbed my arm.

  “Yeah, don’t let her leave!” Yowled a voice from somewhere in the whisky drowned crowd.

  I shuddered and wobbled. Ryse, oddly enough,
drew me closer to him. To protect me? I was all to glad for it! And how did he expect me to work in this sort of environment? I’d either faint with fear, or end up–“What can I get ya?” A grungy, scary, toothless and a little on the plump side lady greeted us with a smell worse than the fish. “Better hurry up and decide if it’s food you’re wantin’. I‘ll have to be addin’ more water here ‘fore long.”

  “We’re looking for work, ma’am.” Ryse sounded so professional, calling such and utter pig ma’am.

  “Aye.. Got some pigs needin’ feedin’. Your lil lady can do that, suppose. And, oh, got some horses needing tendin’. Stable boy done run off. You can do that. And when you’re done, come and tell me; ‘ll leave some less watery stew out for ya’s.”

  Ryse gave a brief yes’m and gripped my arm tightly as we dashed out of the crazy tavern.

  I would’ve thanked him, but he was still ignoring me. That meant he could talk to me, and it counted as something, but if tried to say something to him it was as if I weren’t there at all.

  “Pig slop’s right there. I can trust you to find the pigs on your own… right?”

  I furled my upper lip disgustedly. “What do they look like?” I had only eaten them before, not petted them.

  He looked at me as if he would find it very pleasurable to have his hands around my neck, squeezing tight. “They’re fat, hairy, and stink.” And that was all he would tell me. He ventured off into his own little world, brushing sweet smelling horses and changing their hay, while I tramped off in the mud looking for a bunch of stinky animals.

  “Pigs?” I called out, as if they’d jump up and yell, present!

  There were a lot of stinky and hairy animals. In fact, all of them were stinky and hairy. But none of them were fat. Suddenly I heard a loud snorting noise, and I spun on heel, afraid of it being an angry cow. But all I saw was a bunch of big round pink things. They were digging their noses in the mud and making disgusting noises. “Be quiet!” I shouted. “I’m looking for the pigs.” All three of the pink animals all looked at me, as if I were a numbskull. I glared back. Then I realized… they were all fat, and hairy and stunk. I was a numbskull.

  Oh, why’d they have to be so filthy?

  I opened the little gate so I could get in and pour them their food, which stunk almost as bad as they did. “What is it?” I wondered. And then I decided– I really didn’t want to know.

  I poured it in. it was all lumpy, like vomit; a pinkish yellow color. I was careful not to splatter it on me. I was rumpled enough from traveling; I didn’t need to smell like rotten stuff.

  “Okay, piggies– no wonder Jyne used to call us pig-heads. You make the perfect insult.” Two of the pigs ran graciously to the trough and ate like pigs, but the other one didn’t come. “Pig?” I turned around to look for it. Maybe it was sick. But… I didn’t see it. But I did see one thing.

  The opened gate.

  “Ack!” I ran to shut it. But then I had to open it again, so I could get out. “Pig pig pig pig–” I was shrieking frantically. If I didn’t find it I wouldn’t get food, nor sleep, nor anything else that I needed so desperately. I saw the stables and dashed for it to tell Ryse to help me. “Ryse!” I swung around the corner. “I lost it–” I droned fussily, until I saw what Ryse had in his arms. It was the pig. And what he had on his face didn’t look very happy. He was scowling fiercely, and I felt as if I were shrinking. I didn’t say another word; I simply took the pig from him, and, heavens– it was heavy. I held my breath all the way back to the pen. I dropped him in, splattering the hem of my skirt with more mud, but it didn’t really show.

  I sat on a stump near to the stables to wait for Ryse to finish. I dreaded his presence. He was angry with me, and probably irritated, and I just didn’t really like having him around. And everything was worse now. But I was a little happy, however, because I wasn’t made to help him with the horses. I was very glad about that. But if I were, I probably would have made things worse. Like just now. But could I help it if I didn’t know all about what servants do? About pigs, and foggy taverns, carrying canopies for miles and running through the woods? I was learning. And I had only been allowed half a year so far to learn. Oh, I’m just writing nonsense. I can’t even make meaning of it.

  After Ryse had finished I followed him (still not speaking) into the back door of the tavern. The unpleasant woman gave us our stew as promised and truthfully, I couldn’t tell there was anything in it but water.

  It was so awkward for me, eating in silence. I was used to filling it up. And I though perhaps I could squeeze a few words out of him. “What’s your full name?”

  “Dunno.”

  One, so far. Well… it should be two words, but unfortunately he is uneducated. “How do you not know?”

  He shrugged.

  Failure on my part. “Would you like to know mine?”

  “Not particularly.”

  I gave up and we ate in silence.

  The fat and unpleasant woman said we could sleep in the hay, just as Ryse had predicted. I made me a little pallet, nice and orderly. Ryse just fell in hay, and he was careful to make sure he was at least ten feet from me.

  It was dark. I could still smell fish. “Sorry we can’t be friends.”

  He laughed cynically. “No loss on my part; never had a friend to know what it’s like.”

  I heard him turn over as not to face me. It wasn’t as if he could see me, though. If he could, I would have slept anywhere else, just to keep my dignity. “I’m sorry for you.”

  “I can sense it.” Sarcastic and scathing.

  “What do you want me to say?” I propped myself on my elbow. I could feel how wide my eyes were in the darkness.

  “I don’t want you to say anything.”

  “Fine.” I waited for him to say something else, but he never did. So I suppose he meant it.

  In the morning, we set out to trade my tiger pelt. I didn’t want to let go of it, but at the same time I was sort of glad. It reminded me of Dichard, and he reminded me of my old home and not-mother. So it was probably best if I didn’t keep it.

  Ryse would have agreed with me, if I would have wasted the words on him. It was no wonder he never had any friends. He was curt and didn’t like to talk much. I tried to let him be, and simply talked with whoever else passed my way. But not many people passed my way. In fact, the only person I had talked to beside him in the past five days was the fur trader. I hadn’t even said anything to the fat and unpleasant woman! I was growing socially dissolute.

  The man whom we sold the pelt to was a barbaric soul, if I may be so blunt. His hair looked like chicken wire, and he hardly had any teeth that weren’t black. His clothes looked as if they were once white– probably thirty years ago. And neither Ryse nor I stood to close. If we had, we would have wilted into a puddle from his horrid breath.

  “I’ll be giving you no more than thirty pounds for that filthy thing.”

  “I protest, sir! Do not call it filthy, or we’ll take our business elsewhere.” I turned my nose up at him.

  Ryse jabbed me in the back and whispered in my ear, “There is no other place to take it, clever girl.”

  The fur trader roared with laughter– and I could’ve sworn I saw green fog emitting from his mouth. “Fine– can’t take this one over. One hundred, and I’ll leave it at that.

  “Done,” Ryse said, and they exchanged items.

  As we headed off in the direction of the docks, I apologized. “I’m not the brightest girl in the world, you know.”

  “Hadn’t noticed.” We took a turn and strutted down a long wooden dock. At the end was a tall, burly man with a blue overcoat and bronze cufflinks. His hair and skin were dark from the ocean’s sun, and he looked mighty friendly.

  “What can you do for you two?” He smiled down at me.

  I felt the urge to curtsy, but conquered it quickly. I liked the way he smiled.

  “Passage for two to ParKesh.” Ryse had his hand in his pocket, ready to pay up. I sen
sed was very anxious and excited.

  “Aye. How much do you have?”

  Ryse acted as if he were trying to act natural, shrugging his shoulders and saying casually, “A hundred pounds.”

  The man scratched the back of his neck and whistled lowly. “Ah, fifty pounds apiece,” his eyes darted to me and then to the sky. “That’s all you have?”

  “Geroge, that’s a steal for you, and you know it.” Ryse stared him down.

  I sat in the middle of it all like a bird who only knew one language.

  “How do you know me?” Geroge said slowly.

  Ryse smirked and pulled up his sleeve. There was a picture on it, it was– it was as if it were embedded into his skin. Something I had never seen before. The picture was of a yellow anchor, and it grew when Ryse tightened his muscle.

  Geroge let out a hoot that almost knocked me into the water. “Little boy! Ain’t little no more! Aah, Ryse!” They embraced rather heartily. I must say I felt not only uncomfortable, but a little left out.

  “And who’s this pretty girl you got?” Geroge must have been referring to me.

  “Uh, she’s not mine,” he looked at me hard. “Well then again– I suppose in a way she is.”

  I glowered. He referred to me as if I were revolting. Or a little sister, which is even worse. What’s worse yet is that I think of him as an older brother.

  “Kin?” Geroge asked, as if reading my mind.

  “Might as well be,” I muttered.

  Ryse and Geroge cleared their throat at the same time.

  Geroge said, “Ah, I won’t take it all from you, Ryse. Twenty-five apiece.”

  “Mighty gracious, friend,” Ryse beamed.

  And so, here I am, sitting on the edge of the dock with my feet dangling over the water. It’s immaculate, so much water in one vast space. I am dreading the crossing something awful. We’ll board the ship in an hour or two.

  Oh, oh! I don’t even know what to say. A million words fill my head and just end up as lalala. A jumbled of nothing. So why don’t I just say that? Lalala!!!!!

  I am made to sleep in a tiny little rabbit hole place in a hammock made of horse hair in a room with other men. It stinks and is stuffy and is hardly at all a place I should be. Oh, lalala, I hate Ryse for making me come. I hate him for being alive and pulling the cart and dumping Jyne over the side of a mountain. I wish he would have dumped me, too. Do you know how long this trip will take?

  “Oh, please, no more than a week,” I pleaded.

  An uproar of laughter erupted.

  “Unless you brought an oar and are prepared to paddle the whole way, we won’t be hittin’ land again after leaving port for at least three or four months.”

  As soon as Geroge said that I was already seasick. And I remain that way, and am not sure if I will ever, ever recover.

  The only other woman on board is a lady named Meme who is probably in her late twenties; she is pale and shivers a lot and has a fright of bleached blonde hair piled on top of her head in a tangled mess. Her eyes are bigger than that of a deer and she never blinks. It’s as if she is permanently mortified.

  Is that how I will be after this trip? Should I have stayed and taken the consequences for my actions? Oh, if I did, I’d probably be dead. But would that be such a loss? Nobody here seems to think so. I can’t think of anyway who would. But I never know; perhaps this trip will be good for me and I can find a place in ParKesh.

  Oh, couldn’t it have been any place but ParKesh?

  It is time to sleep but it might as well be eternal sleep as far as I am concerned. Falling asleep on my hammock– I would be surprised if I woke up, anyway. All the wretched filth. It must be fatal disease germs. That is the only thing that could make my stomach turn so. The hay would be more pleasurable. I don’t see why I can’t slip over there for the night, besides the fact that I might be left behind and oh would that make a mess of things. Not that things aren’t already a mess.

  The captain sort-man just called to me to go below deck.

  “We shove off first thing in the mornin’. You would be enormously in the way if you stayed put all night.”

  I sighed very loudly and audibly as to extract his sympathy.

  All I got was, “Ryse boy said you weren’t used to deprivation.”

  Deprivation? What did he call no food for three days?!?

  I turned my nose up. “Ryse is a foolish soul.”

  “And the two of you are at each other’s necks.”

  With all of that said, I decided maybe it was best that I went down to my… hammock.

  There is a single candle guarding the night as I write. Ryse continuously glances at my book. It is bothersome. I suppose I shall give up until morning.