Araki led Aquillia and Stella out of the tavern and down the steps into the plaza which was clearing as people headed home. They continued through the market where the shop keepers were closing up. When they walked through the gate, the guards did not give them a second glance. They walked down the pier to the barge where the Aline Celice waiting for them, gangplank extended. Araki walked up the gangplank first with Stella right behind him and Aquillia taking up the rear.

Lia greeted them, shaking their hands as they arrived.

“Good that you are here for the night,” she said. “I will take you to your quarters.”

The barge was a large rectangle in design with tapered ends. In the centre of the ship was a large, gently sloping ramp that descended into the lower levels. The stern of the ship was a large square structure that rose several floors above the middle of the barge. Along the edge of the boat were several long metal poles.

Lia led them to the stern where she pulled open a door and led them inside. The corridor was lined with doors evenly spaced for the entire length. Where the corridor came to a junction was a spiral staircase going up. The corridor extended in both directions, with more doors on either side at evenly spaced intervals. They went up the stairs to the second level. The landing was an open space with one door heading back to the bow of the ship and four other doors spaced even around the landing.

“That door,” Lia informed, pointing at the door heading back to the bow of the ship, “is the captain’s quarters, and the ship’s wheel. The other doors are reserved for guests. If there aren’t any, the first mate, me, then the second mate get them.”

“Which rooms are ours?” Aquillia asked.

“The one on the far left is the room with the two hammocks; the one to the right of that is the single.”

“Thank you,” said Araki.

Stella walked right up to the room on the far left and pushed the door open.

Lia descended the stairs. Aquillia followed Stella to the room on the far left.

“I would rather that I shared the room with him.” Stella pointed to Araki.

“You do know what that implies?” Aquillia asked.

“That he is my master and that I am to tend to him.”

Araki smiled and covered his grin with a hand.

Aquillia looked at Araki. “Are you pleased with this?”

“It is custom that the master and student share quarters,” Stella insisted. “I am apprenticed to him; I share with him.” She folded her arms across her chest.

Aquillia shrugged and went to the room on the right. Araki walked into the room and Stella closed the door behind him. Two hammocks were stretched over two corners, and between the hammocks sat a small bedside table. Against another wall was a desk with a chair tucked under. The floor was covered in a soft carpet and the walls were a polished deep brown.

“How long have you been a diplomat?” Stella asked, placing her knapsack in a corner under a hammock.

Araki placed his knapsack in the corner under the other hammock. He unbelted his sword and placed it on the desk. Stella sat down on the floor and waited.

“This is my first mission.” He pulled out the chair and sat on it. “I wasn’t sent by a government. I was sent by my grandmother.”

“So how do diplomats get paid?”

“I am uncertain,” Araki said.

“How am I meant to learn anything from you if you know nothing yourself?” Stella snapped.

“I was under the impression your mother wanted you to leave the city and make your own life,” Araki said. He leant against the door frame.

“She didn’t know why you wanted the Ashford garments?”

“No, I didn’t tell her.” Araki said.

“What are we doing in Ashford?”

“I am there to cast a vote in a chieftain election. I fully expect to return home to Peace Landing after a couple of days,” Araki said. “I didn’t expect to collect many people along the way.”

“Can I travel with you to Peace Landing?” Stella asked.

“I think you can come with me to Peace Landing and set up a tailoring business there,” Araki said. He walked across the room to the hammocks.

“I know that a tailoring business would do well in another city,” Stella said. “I am not sure that, tailoring is what I want to do.”

“Do you know how to sleep in a hammock?” Araki asked, ignoring Stella’s comment.

Stella shook her head. “This carpet is nice and soft. I thought I might just sleep here.”

Araki laughed. “Come. At least try the hammock. It’s wonderfully comfortable.”

Stella stood and turned to the hammock.

“Open the hammock with your hands and then sit into it,” Araki instructed.

Stella spread the hammock and then turned and sat into it.

“Now you need to swing your feet in and lean back.”

Stella swung up her feet and lay back into the hammock.

“That’s good. How does it feel?”

“It feels like I need more support.” Stella shifted around the hammock, trying to get comfortable.

Araki chuckled and climbed into his own hammock.

“Araki, what did Aquillia mean, when she asked me if I knew what it implies by me sleeping in the same room as you?”

“Let me answer your question with another question. How frequent is it for strangers to make love?”

“You mean sex?” Stella said, sitting up in the hammock. It rocked a bit from the movement, and she steadied herself with her arms outstretched.

Araki watched her with a smile on his lips before answering her question. “Yes.”

“It is pretty common, in the youngsters,” Stella said.

“You sound like an old woman,” Araki laughed.

Stella chuckled. “I guess I do … It’s what we are taught in school.”

“What are you taught in school?”

“That sex is just a physical process that the body needs from time to time and that it is okay to engage in it when you need to. As long as you find a willing partner.”

“How do you feel about sex?”

“I feel much the same way. If I feel the need for sex, I will find a partner, engage and then move on. Is it different in Peace Landing?”

“Very much so.”

“How is it different?”

“Sex is normally reserved for those that are involved in a committed relationship,” Araki said, his face going red.

“What do you do if you need it and are not involved in a committed relationship?” Stella said. She looked up at him, a puzzled expression on her face.

Araki shrugged his shoulders.

“So, you suppress the needs of the body?” Stella asked, lying back down into the softly swinging hammock.

“I suppose so.”

“That must make it so difficult for you,” Stella mused.

“How so?” Araki sat up and looked across the room to Stella.

“All that pressure building up, you must be fit to explode. Are the customs of Ashford more like Ishtaree or Peace Landing?”

“I am not certain, but judging by their dress standards I would say that they are more like Peace Landing than Ishtaree … I am not certain there is anywhere that is quite like Ishtaree.”

“Pergasus …”

“What?”

“We learnt our customs from the dwarves,” Araki explained. “There was a crisis of in Calcadon and they stopped sending food supplies. It was the dwarves that saved us when they traded with us for food.”

“What did the dwarves get?”

“The teachers never mentioned it, just that the dwarves where really happy with the deal and saved us from our famine.”

***

Araki stood on the top of a knoll and looked out at the vast expanse of rolling plains in front of him. A wind blew through his shoulder-length hair and billowed his robes. A man rode up behind him on a horse and dismounted.

“Chief,” he saluted, bashing a fist against his chest.

Araki turned to face him. The man was grizzled and had a full beard of black hair covering his face.

“The scout returned and reported there is no one in the grasslands for a full day’s ride in every direction. They did find a small stream that would make a good site for camp.”

“Very good,” Araki replied.

Everything went black.

Araki sat on horseback in full plate armour, the horse still awaiting command. He kicked the horse forward and it moved forward at a trot. The sound of several other heavy horses moving behind him reminded that his retinue depended on him to make the best choices. They would follow him into battle, so it was his duty to lead them and keep them safe.

The shod hooves of the horses beat like a drum on the small paved road, the marsh on either side of the road a death trap to heavy cavalry.

Everything went black. A bass voice echoed into his mind; the first verse of the poem he had heard before rung through his mind. The bass voice echoed its singular line then the baritone resumed its rhythmic chanting.

Araki woke with a start. A small cry escaped his mouth.

“Are you okay, Master?” Stella asked in the night-time gloom.

“Just a bad dream.”

“Do you have a lot of bad dreams?” A soft thud came from across the room. He felt a soft hand on his shoulder.

He placed a hand over hers. “Normally I don’t but it has been happening only just recently.”

She braced against him and then she was on top of him in the hammock.

“What are you doing?”

“I will be with you,” she explained, as if that solved all his problems, rather than create a bunch of new problems. She lay her head on his chest and started to breath shallowly. Her warmth soothed his nerves and he drifted back to sleep. He dreamt he was naked and standing on the rooftop watching a man get undressed and climb into bed.

Everything went black and he was standing in front of a large pavilion, three other men beside him. Each was dressed in chain mail with a house crest on their gambesons. His gambeson was plain white, denoting his commoner heritage.

A lady in a shimmering blue dress stood on the pavilion. As he looked up at her, she raised her hands and opened her mouth.

Everything went black.

He peered into the darkness and heard a scurrying sound as light filled the room. He turned and looked back at the woman. She was dressed in a pair of thick boots and heavy gloves, her sword belt her only other adornment.

She smiled at him and he turned back to the gloom of the underground cave.

Everything went black.

What is all this? Why am I seeing all these images?

These are the possible futures or the past, the baritone voice answers. I can’t tell which anymore.

His blood is strong, the bass voice mused. Could he be the one?

He is not that strong, replied the baritone voice. He will bring us closer. He still needs elf, troll, dwarf, and orc.

There is an elf nearby, the bass voice stated. He is too far away from any trolls and orcs.

I doubt he would with an orc or a troll, commented the baritone.

***

Jeemo stood at the pier, her white dress fluttering around her knees. She gripped the leather straps of her bag that contained three dresses and a few personal effects. She pulled her windblown hair away from her face. Rolando stood beside her, his own bag holding three sets of clothes and a few personal effects. His bag also contained a small pouch with several golden folias inside.

“I spoke to the first mate and he said he is able to transport us to Pergasus,” Rolando said.

“Good,” Jeemo murmured, pressing her face into Rolando’s sleeve.

A dark elf descended the gangplank. He was nude, his body painted in an intricate pattern of flowers and leaves. At the bottom of the gangplank, he smiled at them and extended his hand in a greeting.

“My name is Canice Mac Thom,” he said. “I am the first mate. My captain has arranged a room for you.”

Rolando took his hand and pumped it once. “Thank you. This is Jeemo, my fiancé.”

“Nice to meet you,” Jeemo said pumping Canice’s hand.

“Come, let’s get you settled,” Canice said, turning about face and marching up the gangplank.

“Did he say room or rooms?” Jeemo asked.

Rolando walked up after Canice. “I didn’t catch it.” He tugged her arm and led her up the gangplank. At the top, Canice led them up a set of stairs to the quarterdeck and then through a wooden door.

“We have you in the officer’s quarters,” Canice said as he closed the door behind them.

“Do you have one room or two rooms for us?” Jeemo asked, still holding Rolando’s arm.

Canice’s brow knitted in confusion. "You wanted separate rooms?”

Jeemo nodded. “We are not married yet.”

“I see,” Canice said. He bit his lip. “Unfortunately, we only have the one room spare. All the others are taken by crew sleeping four to a room, or by extra cargo.”

“My love, I know we have only been engaged for a couple of days, but I think we can share a room,” Rolando said. “There are two beds in the room?”

“We only have hammocks,” Canice said. “Will that be a problem?”

“It will be fine for me,” Rolando said. “What about you, my dear?” He looked at Jeemo. “Think of it as an adventure.”

“I haven’t slept in a hammock before,” she said.

Canice smiled and opened the door behind him, letting them in. The room was smaller than she imagined. The two hammocks were stretched across the room. One bedside table sat against the far wall on the opposite side of the room.

“If you want space you can unhook the hammock,” Canice said. He pointed to a large metal circle on the roof the end of the hammock ended in a hook and clip that rested in the hook. “Both ends of the hammock can be removed for storage. I hope that you are comfortable.” He left the room and closed the door behind him.

“It’s small,” muttered Rolando, “If you want to wait six days, we can cruise on my ship straight to Ishtaree.”

“Remember, I want to see the world,” Jeemo said. “I want to get on my way before I back out in fear.”

Rolando nodded and placed his bag on the floor against the far wall.