Interactions: Kalliope @TaeMentions:Time: 1700 - 1800Peaceful rivers. Soaring mountains. Lovers beneath peach blossoms. Ships lost amidst storms. Sjan-dehk had always been amazed by how simple black ink brushed upon white silk could so vividly depict scenes of such variety. The strokes were wild and free, with rough edges and fading trails. Yet, their graceful turns and elegant flourishes were masterful displays of control and restraint. Their details were sparse and their colours non-existent, but it was only with such austerity did the intricacies of their portrayals become all the more apparent.
Truly, any one of the paintings Sjan-dehk looked at was fit for a palace.
But he wasn’t in one. Instead, the polished walls of lacquered wood the silk canvases hung from were part of the
Sudah’s lavishly designed interior. Even though Sjan-dehk knew that the shipwrights had designed her with the express intention of impressing visitors, he was still amazed by the sheer lengths they went to achieve just that. Timber from Jafi; sails from Kadapo; metalworks from Nak Sidan; paintings from Ai-kai, it was as if they had scoured every region of the Commonwealth for their best works and hammered them together into the
Sudah.
Sjan-dehk stopped in front of a painting of a blooming flower. He crossed his arms, resting the elbow of his left on the hand of his right as he scratched his chin. Truth be told, he didn’t like the
Sudah as much as her designers had likely hoped. She was a fine – albeit slow – ship, sure, but she was also a little too made up for his tastes. Too much of a yacht for show and too little of an adventurer for exploration. But now that he was – and had been for a while – waiting to see Lady Adiyan, he could at least appreciate that there were things to see and take his mind away from the boredom.
“Taking an interest in art appreciation? I’m surprised, provincial. Didn’t think you had it in you.”
The woman’s voice, playful and teasing, came out of nowhere, but Sjan-dehk had been expecting – even waiting – for it. A small grin tugged on his lips.
“Took you long enough,” he said to an empty corridor as he continued to study the painting.
“I was starting to think that you weren’t actually here.”Then, he turned around. What had once been an empty space between paintings was now taken up by a woman who rested her back against the wall. A cheeky smirk graced her elfin, sun-kissed face, and her eyes sparkled with a sort of mischief that was familiar to Sjan-dehk. “As if I’d miss a chance to mess with you,” she replied as she adjusted the pins holding her bun of dark hair in place. “Or try to, at least. Can’t say I’m not impressed, provincial. How’d you know I was there?”
Sjan-dehk shrugged and leaned his back against the wall.
“It’s as you say. As if you’d miss a chance to try to get one over me, but I guess I’m too sharp for you. And stop with the ‘provincial’ gull-dung. You’re one as much as me, and you know it.”The woman pushed herself off the wall and leaned over to wag a finger in Sjan-dehk’s face. “The east had courts and scholars when the Jafins were still pirates,” she said in a sing-song voice. Had it been anyone else who had said that, Sjan-dehk would’ve found it reason enough to start a fight. From her, however? He simply chuckled and looked back at her with defiance in his eyes.
“Courts and scholars poisoned Viserjanta. Jafin ‘pirates’ saved it.” “You got me there,” the woman said with neither disappointment nor resentment in her words. Instead, she stood next to Sjan-dehk and looked down the corridor. “The Lady of Wise Counsel’s still waylaid by all the doctor’s lining up to stuff her with medicines and herbs and all that nonsense. Shouldn’t take too long, but you never know with these smart types, no?”
Sjan-dehk clicked his tongue.
“Your lady’s got more shot and shrapnel in her than a canister, Iyen.”“Ah, she’s survived worse.”
“She might lose a leg.”“Shame about that, but still, she’s alive. That counts for something, doesn’t it?”
There wasn’t much Sjan-dehk could say in response to that. Iyen did have a point. Losing a limb was not at all a pleasant experience by any stretch of the imagination; Sjan-dehk couldn’t even begin to imagine what it’d feel like. But it was probably far better than losing one’s entire life. At least, that was what he had gathered from his few conversations with Sahm-tehn on the subject. Granted, the man had answered with the dry and sardonic attitude he had towards most things.
Iyen was right about the other thing as well. Lady Adiyan had survived far worse. Sjan-dehk knew that as a fact; he had been there with her for at least a handful of those incidents. They – along with Iyen who had been Lady Adiyan’s personal guard as she still was – had fought alongside one another during the various campaigns to recapture, pacify, and liberate the scattered and isolated smaller western islands. Compared to the injuries they had suffered during those violent years, catching a few pieces of metal in her side was probably nothing.
So there really was no reason for Sjan-dehk to worry. But still, worry he did.
“It’s still a leg,” he muttered.
Iyen’s shoulders sagged, and she dipped her head. “It is, isn’t it?” She sounded far away, as if her physical body and mind had separated. For a while afterwards, she said nothing. The sounds of creaking wood and muffled construction from the decks below punctuated the uncomfortable silence. Eventually, she drew in a deep breath and spoke once more. “You know, if I’d been a little faster, or if I’d seen the bastards–”
“Oh no, you’re not going down this road.” Sjan-dehk held up a hand in front of her.
“All it does is make you feel like gull-dung. We had what we had and we did what we could. Sometimes it works out. Just our poor fucking luck that it didn’t this time.” He turned to look at her with a grin that probably looked as forced as it felt to him.
“Besides, are you really trying to tell me you can outrun a cannon shot? That’s a fucking stupid idea you fucking know it.”That got a soft laugh out of Iyen. “Who knows? I’ve had some pretty lucky things happen.” She dragged a finger over the thin, braided rope wrapped across her body and around her waist, as if deep in thought. “I suppose I should thank you, by the way. For taking out the sneaky little fucker. I saw it all happen from the top deck and I’ve to say, that was some fine sailing and shooting.”
Sjan-dehk shrugged.
“I can’t take all the credit. Azwan was commanding the guns and Sahm-tehn was on the sails, as usual. All I did was shout really loudly.”“Just take the damn compliment, provincial.”
The soft rattle of a door sliding open interrupted their conversation. Further down the corridor, a man who had clearly seen far better days stepped out of a room. His robes were in disarray, and his carefully pinned top-knot on the verge of falling apart. A rattan basket hung from one arm, and beneath the other, he held a rolled up sheet. “The Lady of Wise Counsel is ready to see you,” he called out. His words were punctuated by pants. “Please do not take too much time. I have given her strong analgesics which should lull her to sleep in short order.”
“We hear you loud and clear, doctor,” Iyen replied with a wave. To Sjan-dehk, she said, “Guess we’ll have to chat later. Shouldn’t keep the Lady waiting for too long. She’s been asking after you since we pulled into harbour.”
“Hopefully for good reasons,” Sjan-dehk commented as he pushed himself off the wall.
Iyen laughed. “You? It’s a toss-up, really. I’ll be hanging around outside if you need me.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. Might need it if she starts trying to get up and about.” With that, Sjan-dehk continued down the corridor. Not for the first time since boarding the
Sudah, he wondered why Lady Adiyan had sent for him. As far as he knew, she had been confined to her quarters ever since that action in the mist. Surely she didn’t know that he’d taken the liberty of exploring the city? Or perhaps one of her people had heard something when Avek and Mursi came aboard the Sudah seeking gifts for the King’s representatives. That seemed to be the most likely case. Then again, it was also possible that the royal tutor had approached her about Sjan-dehk’s shortcomings with regards to a royal audience, and Lady Adiyan wanted to set him straight herself.
Either way, whatever possibilities he conjured in his mind didn’t matter. He’d find out the real reason soon enough.
Sjan-dehk quietly slid the door shut behind him, then immediately greeted her the same way he had with King Edin, albeit with a lot less reluctance and more sincerity. He knelt and bowed at the waist, both hands wrapped over one another before him and thumbs interlocked.
“Lady of Wise Counsel, Voice of the High Queen. Captain Wasun Sjan-dehk of the Sada Kurau, and Fourth Lesser Marquis of Jafi stands before you, as ordered.”“No need for that. Stand up and come here.”
The short response wasn’t anything Sjan-dehk hadn’t expected. Lady Adiyan had always been the sort to eskew as many rites and ceremonies as possible. Even so, and despite his own aversion towards courtly ways, it just didn’t feel right to him to be overly-casual in her presence.
“As you say,” he replied simply and rose to his feet. As with the rest of the
Sudah, the room had been built to be fit for a noble of any stripe. It was easily twice as large as his quarters aboard his
Sada Kurau, with a ceiling high enough to make any sailor envious. Lanterns of waxed paper hung from the ceiling, bathing the mural-covered walls in a warm glow. Opulent rugs and masterfully carved furniture filled the empty spaces in the corners and middle of the room.
And directly across, situated under a long painting of birds in flight, was a bed. Layers of soft cotton and shimmering silk swaddled the woman seated on it. Even from a distance, she looked sickly. Her naturally dark complexion had paled to a sandy brown, and sweat glued strands of matted hair to her cheeks and forehead. Every laboured breath heaved her shoulders. “Please, sit,” she said and gestured to a chair by her side with an arm. Even that little movement seemed to drain her strength.
Sjan-dehk nodded and crossed the room. As he approached, he noticed the open books and ledgers on the bed beside her. He also noticed the outline of only one leg stretched out before her. An involuntary wince flashed across his face. It didn’t go unnoticed by Adiyan. “You’ve seen far worse, I’m sure.”
For a moment, he said nothing, and when he opened his mouth, he could only say the single thought that ran through his mind.
“We should’ve acted quicker.” He barely noticed the words tumbling from his tongue in a slurred mess. When he finally did notice, it only served to embarrass him. So much for that little talk he’d only just given to Iyen.
“We’ll have none of that,” Lady Adiyan said with a wave of her hand. “Least of all from you, Shanya.” Her use of that name gave Sjan-dehk pause. Outside of his family, he could count on one hand the number of people he allowed to address him in that manner. Lady Adiyan and Iyen were two of them. “That you could bring your
Sada Kurau to our aid with such haste is already laudable enough. What more could you have done? Seen the future? Control the winds to propel your ship faster?”
Sjan-dehk sighed and sat down.
“I wish I could do all that, but no.”Adiyan reached across to gently pat his forearm and looked at him with a motherly smile. “Then you did all you could, and for that I thank you, captain.” She held his gaze for a moment, then pulled her hand back to her lap. Whatever warmth she had on her face and in her words instantly disappeared. “So let’s not speak of such matters. I trust you understand why I’ve called you here?”
“I’m not sure I do,” Sjan-dehk confessed.
“If it’s about the meeting with the King, I was going to write you a report at the end of the day.”“That’s part of it, yes,” Lady Adiyan confirmed with a nod. “And yes, a report would have sufficed, but I’ve also been reliably informed that you took leave of your ship to explore the city.” She flicked her gaze down, towards her leg. “As you can see, I’m hardly in a state to move, and I doubt the doctors would even allow me to try for at least the rest of the week. And yet, there is still work to do, and I cannot do that work if I’m deaf and blind to my surroundings beyond this ship.”
Things quickly clicked in Sjan-dehk’s head.
“Ah, so you just want me to tell you about the city?”“In so few words, yes.”
Sjan-dehk could feel the load lifting from his shoulders. It wasn’t an easy task, but it was at least one that he had done some preparation for. And so he wasted no time, and launched into a retelling of his exploits and experiences in the Caesonian capital thus far. He started from the strange matchmaking session, and focused on the King’s – in his opinion, he made it clear – overblown reaction to a mere onion. Of course, that meant he had to touch on the prince who decided to eat it raw in court. Then he moved on to how he discovered that not only had Alidasht sent their own representatives to the city, but there was also a third power – Roman’s homeland, of which the name Sjan-dehk had unfortunately forgotten – present. He also detailed what he had seen of the city, from the clean and pristine streets around the castle to the dirt paths and grimey buildings of the slums and Aislin’s little fishing village.
All the while, Lady Adiyan said nothing, only offering the occasional nod and furrowing of her brows as her only reactions. She also picked up her brush to scrawl rough notes in one of her books every so often, but not once while Sjan-dehk spoke did she interrupt.
“So,” she began a few moments after Sjan-dehk finished. “It seems like you’ve made some connections.”
“I wouldn’t put it that way, to be honest.”Lady Adiyan ignored his response. “How fortuitous that everyone that we hope to meet in the region have all gathered here in one city. This is an opportunity we cannot allow to slip from our grasp. Do your best to make contact with Alidasht’s people, and this Roman…What do you think of him?”
Sjan-dehk took his time to formulate his response. He hadn’t known the giant long enough to give a proper answer – or at least one he thought proper – and so he simply gave his honest opinion.
“He seems to be like one of us. A man who’s seen battle and knows the cost of war. I’d take his words at face value, that he just wants trade between our nations. Can’t speak for his lieges or whatnot, though. Haven’t met them.”“Good answer,” Lady Adiyan said with a nod. “See if you can find out if his lieges are in the city.”
“I will likely see at least one of their princesses at the park later. I’ve a debt to pay.”A ghost of a smile told Sjan-dehk all he needed to know about how Lady Adiyan felt about that. “Very, very good. I will admit, I was worried about making you our representative, but you’re making yourself quite the diplomat, indeed.” His face flushed at the compliment, but he kept his face otherwise impassive as Lady Adiyan continued outlining her plans. “We will prioritise Alidasht and this new nation for now. Caesonia, on the other hand…It requires more thought.”
More thought? What else was there to think about? Sjan-dehk furrowed his brows.
“I’m not sure I follow.”“From what you’ve told me, and I do trust your judgement, this King Edin might not be the best person for us to negotiate with.” Lady Adiyan’s expression turned dark for a moment, but she quickly cleared it away with a slight shake of her head. “It may be…Improper of me to say so, but what you describe sounds very close to people whom we have faced before in the past.”
Sjan-dehk nodded solemnly.
“No, I understand perfectly.” King Edin was nowhere near as terrible or evil as some of the wayward and self-proclaimed nobles he’d fought, but the similarities were there. The same sort of temperament, the same proclivities, the same sort of demeanour.
“Far better for us to dawdle and be safe than to befriend a wicked king, yes?”“Let’s not use such words to describe our host, Shanya. He sounds like a character, but I shan’t use the word ‘wicked’ yet. Not until I see him for myself.” Lady Adiyan chided, but nodded anyway. “In any case, our archivists may have discovered another person with whom we could discuss trade.”
It took all of Sjan-dehk’s self-control not to groan with frustration.
“With respect, are you talking about the same archivists who got us lost at sea for months?”Lady Adiyan opened her mouth to respond, but a yawn interrupted her. She blinked several times, and it was clear that she was finding it harder and harder to keep her eyes open. “I know you have your opinions of them, but please try to trust them this time.” Her words became more and more slurred and sluggish as she went on. Even so, she pushed on. “There was a fairly big name amongst traders back then. We don’t know much beyond their name.”
“Just give it to me. I’ll make sure I find them.”“Wey-kan-ya,” Lady Adiyan said, then yawned again. “It should be Vikena in the local tongue.”
The name sounded familiar to Sjan-dehk, but he couldn’t quite place where he had heard it before. It didn’t matter now. He could deal with the search later. For now, he just needed to end things quickly and let Lady Adiyan have her rest.
“If they left any descendents, I’ll sniff them out. Bastards and all. I can assure you of that much.” Lady Adiyan could only manage a tired smile as her eyelids drooped. “Just one will do,” she said in a soft voice. “Iyen. I will have her assist you. Will tell her what to do later.”
Sjan-dehk took that as his cue to leave, but as he stood up, he felt Adiyan’s hand gently wrap around his wrist.
“What is it? Do you need something?” He asked.
Adiyan shook her head and looked at Sjan-dehk with an expression that he could only describe as deeply apologetic. It unsettled him, to be honest; he’d never see her with such a look before. “I wouldn’t ask you to do this if I could do it myself,” she said in a single breath, then closed her eyes as she drew in another deep one. “You are a soldier. A good one. But now you need to be a marquis. I wish I could tell you what happens in their courts and what you should do, but I cannot. For that, I am sorry.”
“I’ll figure it out.” Sjan-dehk tried to keep the concern from his voice as he carefully plucked Adiyan’s hand from his arm and placed it on the bed.
“You know I always do. I’ll drag Iyen along if I have to.”She closed her eyes and settled beneath the sheets. “Courts, they’re a battlefield of their own. One you haven't had the chance to get used to. But it is one I must now throw you into.” Whatever medication the doctor had given her, it was sapping her strength quickly. She yawned again, but found it within herself to say, “So please, be safe, Shanya.”
And just like that, she was out like a snuffed candle.
Sjan-dehk took the time to make sure that she was properly tucked into her sheets before quietly leaving the room. All the while, he ruminated upon Adiyan’s parting words. It was just a warning. One that he likely needed and one that was fair for his circumstances. Nothing more, nothing less. Adiyan had always been like that with both Iyen and him. One part cold and logical strategist, one part overbearing mother.
Yes, that was all it was. Just a warning.
The sun was already well on its way towards the horizon when Sjan-dehk finally stepped off the gangplank and back onto the deck of his
Sada Kurau. It hadn’t been that long since he’d left – he knew that – but yet he still felt as if it had been weeks and months since he’d been aboard. Placing the gifts he had taken from the Sudah onto the deck, he stood where he was to simply enjoy the moment. His crew was hard at work keeping the Sada Kurau in top condition, and she seemed pleased with the treatment. Her yards swayed in the gentle breeze, and her ropes creaked a gentle melody.
“Ah, captain! Welcome back.” Mursi called out as he rushed over. “First officer Azwan, along with Masters Hai-shuun, Dai-sehk, Sahm-tehn, and Avek have gone ashore to purchase supplies. I’ve been left in charge of the evening watch.” He half turned and gestured to the men in the rigging of the ship, then to those armed with muskets standing by the guardrails. “We should be done with maintenance works before sundown, and I took the liberty of rostering the men for guard duties.”
Sjan-dehk nodded slowly.
“Well done, master Mursi,” he said and reached into his pocket, pulling out one of the steamed buns which Iyen had insisted he take from the
Sudah’s galley. She had practically stuffed them into his trousers when he told her that he hadn’t actually eaten anything substantial since pulling into harbour.
“How are the guns? Any of them need repairs?”“Larbord thirteen might need a proper swab. She’s built up too much residue, but it’s nothing that we can’t fix ourselves.” Mursi reported crisply.
“Sails? Any tears, rips?”“None, captain.”
“What about the hull?”“Master Hai-shuun reported nothing of note. Just minor scratches and chips from combat. He already has men repairing the damage.”
Sjan-dehk bit into the bun, then pointed with it to something behind Mursi’s right shoulder.
“What about a strange, red-haired woman wandering around like she owns the damn ship?” He asked a little too casually considering the situation. Mursi certainly didn’t feel the same levity. It was a wonder that he didn’t give himself a headache with how quickly he spun around on his heel. Sure enough, there was a red-headed woman simply walking along the gunwale, looking the ship up and down as she did so. She wasn’t even snooping around; the crew simply paid her no heed. At least, not until now, when Sjan-dehk pointed her out to them.
“Alarm! Intruders!” Mursi shouted out, his hand flying to the pistol tucked into his belt.
“Intruder,” Sjan-dehk corrected as he chewed on his mouthful of bun. It was still pleasantly warm, and full vegetables and fish stewed in a light sauce. He simply watched as his men burst into action. Almost every one of them had a weapon of some sort on hand. They shouted at the woman in words she likely didn’t understand, ordering her to stop, to turn around and face them, to identify herself. The armed guards soon took up positions in a semi-circle around her, their muskets raised and cocked.
By all accounts, Sjan-dehk had every right to be angry. To be upset that someone had dared to step onto his ship without his permission. Yet, all he felt was amusement. That one woman could so easily just walk up the gangplank and onto his ship, and after that just walk up and down her deck with neither care nor worry was just laughable. Mursi would of course have to answer for that later, but for now, Sjan-dehk saw the humour in the whole situation.
He stepped through the crowd until he was at the line of musketmen.
“Relax,” he said, pushing the barrel of the closest weapon down.
“It’s just one girl. We don’t have to set up a firing line just for her. Aside from the guards, I want everyone else to return to their duties. Sun’s going down and unless you want to work by candlelight, I’d suggest you finish up your tasks quickly and sharply.” He released the weapon and took another bite out of his bun.
“Keep your muskets trained on her if you must, but don’t shoulder them.”“Yes, captain,” the closest guard said. He lowered his weapon to his waist, but kept the muzzle pointed in the general direction of the woman.
Sjan-dehk took his time to walk over to her, stopping a safe distance away. Yes, she was just one girl, but ‘just one girl’ could easily have ‘just one knife’ or ‘just one pistol’ tucked away somewhere to bring his life to a very abrupt end. Granted, he was sure that he had yet to anger anyone in Sorian enough to warrant something as drastic as that, but it was always better to be safe than sorry. He still had his promises to Lady Adiyan to keep.
He looked up and down, though he wasn’t quite sure why he did that. As if he could tell anything about her other than that she had red hair, and she looked like most people he’d seen in the city. A curious local who simply wanted to get a closer look at a foreign vessel, perhaps? Or maybe something more sinister, a spy who aimed to steal Viserjantan secrets. One seemed more likely than the other, but regardless, Sjan-dehk figured that it paid to open with something polite.
“You, strange lady.” He said after swallowing whatever he had in his mouth.
“Who are you? Why do you come here? To our Sada Kurau?”
