章節 632: Tomorrow
Aurora looked out at the sea. She had been to many ports before in her years as the Empress, but had never actually set sail.
Until today.
The air was crisp, and Aurora could taste the salt in the breeze. Before her, moored at the docks, countless ships bobbed gently in the harbor like dandelions in an azure field.
The view was breathtaking and filled the Empress with no small amount of awe. It was like a foreign world of mystery and enchantment. It reminded her a little of the Great Lake at the far north.
Yet this was vastly different. The beauty of the water was the same, but the scale! The ocean actually did go on forever until one either reached the far South or traveled around to reach the other side of the continent. It was quite strange to think the flat scene before her was actually curved, but sailors had proved time and again that this was true.
Beside Aurora on the bench, Brinn wore a fierce grin. "Can you believe it Rory? We made it!"
The horses of the wagon had been unhitched and blocked at the top of the harbor, leaving the two ladies to take in the scene.
It had taken a little convincing, but the Empress had talked Brinn into letting her sit on the driver's bench with her leg resting to one side. Now, Aurora leaned against the elf for support and shook her head. "I am not sure I can, actually. Have you been to the sea before?"
"Only seen the ocean to one side of the ice barrier, but the water here is an entirely different color. When the sun hits it, it looks like sapphires!" The elf's green eyes shone brightly.
"I hope you still like it when we are onboard for days on end. I am told some people get quite ill." Auora hoped that she was not one of them.
"I'll be fine. Elves don't really get sick. But what about you? Are you sure this is a good idea?" Brinn looked straight forward, trying not to seem too serious.
"You sound like Devrim. He asked me that all last night and this morning as we moved through town. It was the last thing he said before going to check the ships an hour ago. Wait, did he put you up to this?" Aurora crossed her arms.
Brinn scrunched her nose. "As if Lover-boy could ever get me to do something so totally reasonable as find out if you are fit to travel. But this time, it is me asking, not him. Are you going to be alright?"
"I have to go on this voyage. I want to go as much as I think I need to go. If I reach the South and still cannot travel, I will let all of you go on without me. Until then, I should not need to walk much on a boat and can heal while we travel. Anything has to be better than the back of the wagon." Aurora winced. "Not that you or Alvar are bad drivers! It just isn't fun having so limited a view and being tossed around at strange intervals when we hit bumps."
Brinn glared at the Empress. "You don't think those ocean waves are going to toss you about?"
Aurora shrugged. "Maybe they will, but I hope they will be more predictable."
The elf had no answer to that and so she changed the subject. "Where do you think these boats are going?"
"Which one? I only know about the three we will be using..." Aurora was confused by the question.
Sighing, Brinn waved her hand dramatically. "Any of them. All of them. I thought you humans were supposed to have imaginations!" She pointed to a spot at the end of the dock. "What about that dark ship with the green sails? Where do you suppose it is going?"
Deciding to play along, Aurora studied the ship. The green sail had a gold coin with an iron rod and hammer crossing underneath. Its robust build meant it was able to travel into the depths of the ocean and not be split apart.
Those loading the boat were wearing thick coats characteristic of the city of Whitewater, but underneath they had lightweight shirts poking out in pale colors. The pieces of fluttering cloth resembled clouds being pushed along by the wind. A man in a black cap barked orders, urging them along with to prepare to leave.
"I think they must be going to the Pearl Coast or some other island. Everything about them says they don't like to stay on land long." Aurora answered.
"You do pay attention to your subjects! I am proud. I have taught you well." Brinn had come into contact with all sorts of people while being Spymaster and had come to a similar conclusion.
They played the guessing game for a few more ships until Aurora drifted off to sleep against Brinn's shoulder. The elf did not mind. She and the soldiers guarding the wagon would protect the Empress while she rested.
Focusing on the horizon, Brinn tried to envision what they would see when they set out to sea. Would there be monsters in the deep? Unless they attacked, she would probably never know.
The South also taunted her like a jewel just out of reach. 'But not for long. I've always wanted to see a snow bear.'
Brinn had always wanted to see everything. As a child she thought maybe there was something wrong with her for always craving adventure, but now she realized the Maker had built her for things far beyond the borders of the elven lands.
Her moment, or at least one of them, had finally come.
So she stared out at the glistening water while her friend slept, quite content with her life. Sure, she had no magic, but Brinn was certain they would return victorious. So she would soak in every moment of the journey. It would be something she could tell her children someday.
The sun grew low in the sky before Devrim returned to his bride. He looked warily at Brinn, who gave him a lopsided grin as an apology.
"She wanted to see," the princess explained. "Rory has been resting peacefully for hours."
"Don't get onto Brinn," Aurora's eyes fluttered open as she stretched her sore muscles. "I made her put me up here. I didn't want to be alone."
"I am sorry I left you," Devrim immediately apologized. He climbed up into the wagon, relieveing Brinn of duty.
Swapping places, the Emperor thanked the elven princess and pointed her toward her husband.
"You left for a good cause," Aurora said sleepily. "How did things go?"
"The Captain would like another week or two to prepare, but considering the nature of our trip, he expedited things. Having the extra manpower of our soldiers and the royal purse to get supplies sped things along considerably. On the bright side, he was already preparing for a shorter expedition, so many of the checks had already been done. Schwinn says we should be ready to leave at first light." Devrim paused.
"That is good news!" Aurora tilted her head up and smiled at him, making his heart skip a beat.
He wrapped his arm tightly around his wife and pulled her closer against his shoulder. "Are you sure you are able to travel?"
"I swear you and Brinn are doing this on purpose. I am determined. If I didn't think you both were very sweet for caring so much, I would threaten to leave you behind." Aurora's winsome smile took any of the sting out of her words.
"Very well, my love. I understand. Shall I go and find us an inn for the night? It will be the last time you get to sleep in a bed that isn't rocking for a long time." Devrim ran his fingers through his wife's long fiery hair.
"What is it like, sleeping at sea?" Aurora chewed her lip nervously.
Devrim had been on ships a few times when visiting with the navy. One of those missions in particular had been blown by a storm and left him on board for a week.
"It is both as terrifying as falling and as soothing as a mother rocking her child to sleep. You get used to it, and honestly after I got off the ship, I missed it for a while. Sailors get addicted to the sea, and I think the rest in calm waters is one reason why."
"Then it sounds like the perfect place for me to heal." Aurora stared at the gentle rocking vessels. "Which one will we the two of us be on?"
"Captain Schwinn insisted we be aboard his premier ship, The Freiheit." Devrim indicated a massive boat that dwarfed the two on either side. It sat heavily laden in the water, brimming with supplies.
"Our passage to the South," Aurora mumbled. "I cannot wait to see it."
"Tomorrow." The Emperor reminded her gently as he brushed her hair back from her face. "We set sail in the morning."
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