7th day of the 3rd month 650th year of the 8th era

A soft knock sounded on the door. Araki stirred. A soft thud on the carpet followed by the door opening.

“Master is still asleep,” Stella said softly.

“It is time for his weapons training,” Aquillia demanded.

Araki placed his feet on the carpet.

“He didn’t sleep well last night. He needs rest.”

“He needs to learn the art of the sword … Get out of my way!”

“I am coming, Aquillia,” Araki called out.

Stella stepped back while Aquillia waited at the door and watched as Araki collected his sword from the bedside table and buckled it onto his waist. He strode across the door and exited his room. Stella followed and closed the door behind him. Aquillia wore her knee-length skirt. Her double-bladed sword was strapped onto her back.

“Do we eat first?” Stella asked.

“We train first,” Aquillia insisted as she descended the stairs.

Araki and Stella followed her. She led them out onto the main deck. The sun was just above the horizon and a thick blanket of mist covered the barge. The slap of oars against the water could be heard from below deck, with the gentle beating of drums.

Aquillia unsheathed her sword. She then levelled it horizontally and twisted the handle in the middle. It turned and segmented into two separate blades. She handed one to Stella.

“If you are his apprentice then you also need to learn everything he learns,” Aquillia stated.

Stella nodded, holding the blade loosely in her right hand.

“Let’s revise. Start with stone dance first position.”

Araki took the position without hesitation. Stella followed, stepping back so she could see Araki’s stance.

“Good. Second position,” Aquillia said.

Araki and Aquillia took the position. Stella followed.

“Third.”

Araki and Aquillia took the position. Stella followed.

“Now join them together.”

Aquillia called the positions and they all moved into position at the same time. They ran through stone dance three times before Aquillia called a halt.

“Now let’s do steel shield.” Aquillia moved into a new stance. “This is first position.”

Araki and Stella mirrored her.

“Steel shield gives ground as we go through the position; with each position we take a step back.”

Araki and Stella nodded.

Aquillia moved to the next position and took a step back.

Stella and Araki mirrored her.

“Footwork is just as important as blade work. Keep your legs bent and stay ready to move. Let’s combine the two positions.”

Araki and Stella nodded.

“First.”

They all moved to first position.

“Second.”

Again, they moved into the new position.

“When training in rock stance we can use steel shield and stone dance together to prevent us from running out of space.”

Aquillia switched to stone dance and moved through the three positions then turned ninety degrees to her left and repeated stone shield.

“Stone dance into steel shield then repeat.”

Araki and Stella nodded.

“One, two, three, one, two,” Aquillia called out as they moved through the positions.

They ran through the positions several times until they were covered in sweat and they were moving slowly.

“That is enough for today.”

Stella returned Aquillia’s blade to her and Aquillia locked them back together with a twist and a click.

Araki and Aquillia then sheathed their blades.

The morning sun had burned away the fog and the boat travelled up a wide river with large fields of endless grass on either side of the river.

“It’s so big,” Araki murmured.

“It’s the plains of the howling,” Stella said, standing beside Araki.

“Why do they call it that?”

“They say that if you listen carefully you can hear the wails of the people that have died on the plains. Calling out for water.”

“You would think that something that is covered in grass would have ample.”

“There is water if you know where to look. From the great mountains in the west to the sea you came on there are only five cities in the empire of the Horse Lords. No villages, just empty grasslands. Da’damode on the Sea of Tranquillity, Westree on the Blight River, Cro’carac on the Ashford River, Petrim on the east coast and only more city Da’me that guards the only pass to the east.”

“What about Ashford?” Stella asked

“Ashford sits on the edge of Skylake in the middle of the Desert of Blood.” Aquillia stated

“Why do they call it that?” Araki asked.

Aquillia shrugged, “We will see when we get there.”

Araki nodded.

“Araki, you and your companions have been invited to join the captain for breakfast,” Lia informed them.

Araki turned to Lia. She was dressed in the Ishtaree style: thick leather boots and leather gloves, except for a large broad brimmed hat on her head.

“Lead the way,” Araki smiled at her.

She turned on her heels and led them back into the crew quarters and up the spiral staircase. They stood at the door to the captain’s quarters and Lia knocked. The door opened by a small squat man. He only came to Araki’s shoulder. He was thickly set, his body rippled with muscles, and was covered in tattoos of many colours. The tattooed images blended so that it hurt the eye to look at them. He wore a pair of rough trousers.

Stella gasped and covered her mouth a hand.

“These are our guests?” he asked.

“Yes, Captain,” Lia nodded.

“Good, good. Come in.” He stepped aside for them to enter.

The captain’s room was covered in a deep red polished wooden board. In the centre of the room was a wheel of tan wood. A thin woman stood at the wheel and looked out the window and held the ship steady. She was dressed in the Ishtaree-style large thick boots and gloves. She had a large, broad-brimmed hat on her back. A long thin metal horn sat next to her.

The captain moved to the left of the room and opened a door.

They followed him into the room, a small affair with a round table in the middle of the room set for five.

“Please take a seat. I will inform the cook that we are ready to eat.” The captain pushed open a door on the far side of the room and stuck his head in. Then he returned and joined them at the table.

“Captain, this is Araki,” Lia introduced. “His companions are Aquillia, and I didn’t get your name.”

“That is Stella.” Aquillia declared.

“Nice to meet you all.” The captain smiled as they sat down.

“Captain, Lia told us that you are the only crew that are able to go into Ashford without stopping at Cro’Carac.”

“That is true,” the captain assented.

“How do you manage that?”

The door on the far side of the room opened and the cook, a large, pot-bellied man in a white apron, walked in and began to place plates of steaming food on the table in front of them.

“My crew is made up strictly from people from the empire of the Horse Lords. As such they have no qualms about their attire.”

“I don’t catch your meaning,” said Araki.

“If my crew was made up of people from Ishtaree, then I wouldn’t be able to dock and do business in Ashford, and it goes the same for the other way around.”

“Don’t the two people get along?” Aquillia asked.

“They do, for the most part except for one thing.”

“What is that?” Stella asked.

Aquillia threw her a quelling look.

“I would like to know,” Araki stated.

“The people of Ishtaree and Ashford have very different beliefs on what is considered decent.”

“In Ishtaree, people don’t get married. They are not exclusive in that fashion,” explained Lia.

Stella nodded.

“The people of Ashford consider their promiscuity abhorrent,” finished the captain.

“I see,” Araki nodded.

“So, as a captain, I need to be able to trade with both, so I use a third party.”

“How do you plan on keeping her in line?” Lia asked Araki.

“I didn’t know it was a problem until right now. How did you know that we were not Ishtaree?”

“She is an elf,” Lia explained, indicating Aquillia with a wave of her spoon. “You were more difficult … but it was your walk that gave it away.”

“My walk?”

Lia and the captain laughed.

“You walk differently than Ishtaree man do,” Lia finished. “More direct and straight.”

Araki looked at Stella and she nodded.

“How long will it take us to get to Ashford?” Aquillia asked.

“Three to four days depending on the current,” the captain informed.