Chapter 119: Cher Ami

“Cher Ami, A World War I homing pigeon who saved the lives of 194 soldiers by delivering a plea for help despite being shot through the breast, blinded in one eye, and having a leg hanging on by a tendon. She was awarded the Croix de Guerre Medal and a small wooden leg for her service.”

Wikipedia

Luckily our journey with the pigeons had been a lot smoother than some I could recall. Especially as they had been ferried by hand to the island. Unfortunately, despite my excitement to see somewhere new I had been relegated to staying behind with the boat. If we didn’t have a chest of sunken treasure onboard that probably wouldn’t have happened but in retrospect, it did make sense. I could sit with the boat as a small child, I couldn’t take the birds to someone I didn’t know in a town I’d never visited before. Still, there were already a lot of new things I could see even from my place left behind on the boat as well as our initial approach to the island.

Wester Levante rose from the sea, but it was not walled in like our island was by towering cliffs. Instead, there were beaches as well as a deep-sea dock we were moored up against. The main town was again on the easternmost point of the island which meant we had to sail around the island to get there. But on the way there we saw beaches, unlike our island which was completely encircled by cliffs. The next difference was when we arrived at the port itself. It was a deep seaport and walls had been built to enclose it from the sea. Not completely of course but it meant that as we sailed between what looked like two lighthouses on the ends of the wall, we sailed into suddenly calmer waters with hardly any waves.

When Kaius tied our boat up he had to climb simply to get up to the wall which ran around the dock. A large ocean-bearing ship was docked at the main docking area, so we attempted to stay out of the way on the far side of the harbour from it.

“Watch the boat,” he said before picking up the birds and eggs. “Next time we visit you can come with me but today stay put.” He said as he started along the walkway into the town before pausing to throw back a pouch of copper to me. “In case anyone asks for a docking fee. They shouldn’t as we aren’t unloading anything but if they ask we brought 2 birds and 2 eggs from Wester Isle and I’m handing them over to the Town Mayor.”

It was difficult not to be envious, but I was nervous just watching our boat with its hidden treasure. I was not sure that I would have been able to leave it behind even if he had allowed me to come. I would have been too worried about someone taking the chest. A chest we hadn’t even had the chance to fully explore. I hoped he’d be quick. Besides, there was plenty to look at. Across the harbour at the main dock, a large ship was taking on provisions the barrels of supplies being rolled or lifted into place by sailors either precariously rolled up the gangplank or winched into place. It was fascinating watching what I assumed to be gigantic and heavy barrels being hefted up or rolled along by the sailors without the modern machinery of dockside ports. It was clear that plenty of stats were in play and that the sailors had heavily invested in at least strength and endurance.

I watched my father as he crossed through the town’s gates and disappeared within carrying the small crate of birds.

Without him to watch I turned my eyes back to rove across the harbour noting the differences between this and our hidden cliffside cove or cave. There were small warehouses on the dock which meant that a constant stream of goods had already been prepared for the ship and stored there. Just as they were taking on provisions they were also selling goods as well. A rather rotund gentleman seemed to be discussing prices with the captain and directing the goods both ways. Either shouting at the sailors coming off to be careful or arguing about the quality of goods received as he inspected them.

Outside of the dockside warehouses, berths and jetties, the rest of the port town was hidden behind tall rock walls. Most of the activity was the resupplying of the large ship but while I waited for my father a fishing boat came in and tied up at the jetty closest to the gate. A boy was sent running into town as they started to unload their catch. He soon returned with some men to help carry the fresh fish into the town on their cart, much like how we worked back on our isle. The only difference was they had a lot more help.

I sat and waited some more. I was surprised no one had come to say hello. But I suppose I was just a child what adult would come to talk to me even if they had noticed that I was sitting alone on our boat? It wasn’t until the fishing boat had been unloaded that I finally got to say hello to anyone. Once they had unloaded their fish they pushed off the sand onto the sea before rowing across the harbour. It was not a large harbour and they were soon sliding in next to us to tie up.

“New boat, new face.” The sailor commented as he brought his boat alongside. “Where’s your captain?”

“My father is just dropping off something for the mayor,” I replied. While I didn’t know the man I could hardly avoid responding.

“Just the two of you?” another face popped up alongside his father’s as he climbed up the wall to finish tying up their boat.

“Just me and my father,” I replied. I judged the boy to be around 6 compass kingdom years old and not too much taller than me. The elixir had continued to help me grow and I could probably pass as a 5-year-old even though I had a while to catch up to that age officially with my body.

“Same here,” the boy spoke for him and his father.

“S’nice boat.” The father added. “Not a locally built one. Where did you get it?” he asked.

“It was my Grandfather’s, but he doesn’t sail much now,” I responded. Grandfather had claimed it from the assassin as spoils of war but well I didn’t know if Grandfather had ever sailed on the open sea but he must have got to Wester Ilse somehow once upon a time with mother.

“Well, we’re going on home, do you want to come in for a bite to eat while you wait for your father?” he asked.

“No thank you. I was told to wait here and watch the boat.” I replied, anxious to be separated from our hidden treasure.

“No one is going to steal your boat here. First, they wouldn’t have anywhere to sail it or sell it. Second, it just wouldn’t be done.” He attempted to reassure me.

“He’ll be back any minute now. It’s okay. Maybe next time we visit. We’re going onto Little Wester today so need to be ready to go as soon as he gets back.” I explained.

“Fair enough, who’s your father?” he asked.

“Kaius,” I replied. There wasn’t any need to go into detail about how we were the Silversea family or that we had probably bought up the majority of the unclaimed land on Wester Levante just yet. I would like to get a greater understanding of the town’s dynamics before we made that known if ever.

“Smit’s son.” He asked for clarification.

“Yes, that’s Grandpa,” I answered. It was a small world or rather we lived on small islands with small populations and if anyone knew who was who on a different one it was going to be a sailor or merchant who had, actually visited them.

“This was your grandpa’s boat?” he asked seemingly surprised.

“No, it’s my other Grandfather’s boat,” I replied equally surprised he was still asking about the boat. But it was a nice boat so guessed he was just interested in where it came from. “I don’t know where he got it from but assume it came to us from the main continent. I don’t think he is originally from the Isle of Wester.”

“Right, right, makes sense. Shame it came from so far though it is not often you see a runed boat out here used for fishing. Not that it wouldn’t be plenty useful mind.” He said the sentences finally explaining why he was so interested in the providence of our boat.

“S’next time then. Come on Theo.” He nodded his head before heading home. Theo scampered on after him in his wake.

I settled back into waiting wondering why it was taking Kaius so long to deliver a pair of birds.

. . .

Kaius POV

I had meant for Kai to come along with me when delivering the birds and eggs but the discovery and retrieval of the chest changed those plans. What he was capable of sensing was insane. I must have sailed to Wester Levante at least two dozen times over the years and probably sailed right over the top of the wreck at least half a dozen times without even noticing it was there. We also seemed to run into sea monsters twice as often when Kai was with me, but again it might have been the fact that he was able to sense them long before I could ever see them. Still, the danger was worth it when he could find chests like the one we had hauled up.

I wasn’t entirely comfortable leaving him behind on the boat but I would have been even more worried if we had left the boat and hidden treasure on it alone while we wandered into town. Besides this way, I should be quicker as we wouldn’t be looking at everything he wanted to see. I could just imagine him spending an entire day exploring the new town if I let him. I’d left him some copper and a little silver to pay any entrance fee but I fully expected it to be waived by the Mayor the only problem was that it might be charged before he waived it at this rate and I was not there to stop it from happening.

I went straight through the town gates, without the cliffs that kept us sheltered from the waves as well as the monsters be they beast or man, they were protected by large town walls twice the height of ours. It was not surprising considering that Wester Levante had been settled long before our island, with a larger population and a number of trade routes plying it. The Southern Current meant that anyone going south would stop here for provisions before going south. The problem with the southern current meant that not all merchants considered it worth the hassle to sail north before then heading onto us on Wester Isle.

I strode down the main street ending up in front of the Mayor’s home. As their town was larger and their island had been settled longer he was officially the Town Mayor. He had an understanding with my father but they didn’t correspond too often. That might change with these birds but they were officially ours rather than his so it would be interesting to see what compromise Lady Acacia and Smit came to over using them.

“Knock, knock.” I thumped the door politely but loud enough to get his attention.

“Kaius, Kaius, welcome come on in.” he boomed as soon as he opened his door and recognized me.

“That’s quite alright I’m just here to drop off something,” I replied, keen to get back to the boat.

“Well bring them on in then.” He replied not giving me the option of handing them to him by turning and walking back into his house leading me into his office.

“I’ll just leave them here,” I said putting the cage with the birds down on his desk.

“But what are they? I haven’t seen you in . . . I forget how long.” He continued the conversation.

“Messenger birds. The two hatched ones will fly to our island once they are a little larger and the two unhatched ones will fly to yours once they have hatched here and know where to return to. I’ll come and pick them up in a month or two. You could send one of the birds back to let me know when they are ready.”

“Ingenious, ingenious.” He said as he contemplated the birds. “I’ve heard of these but thought they were a little bit expensive when I can usually get a sailor to take any messages I might need to be sent. Wherever did Smit get a hold of them?” he asked intrigued.

“We have a visiting tutor who brought them,” I replied honestly although a little vague.

“A travelling tutor? I don’t suppose they will be travelling back our way anytime soon?” He asked.

“No staying on Wester for a while they have a couple of projects they are hoping to complete,” I answered thinking about all the lessons Aleera and Kai had learned as well as the long list of lessons she was still planning on teaching them. “Anyway the birds are a breeding pair, so hopefully you’ll be able to hatch a few more by the time I return. The aim is to build a larger network between the islands to keep them in contact a little more. Mercurio will pick them up to take them further in through the archipelago when he passes by from time to time.”

The Mayor nodded his head in contemplation.

“That’s all the time I have today. Hoping to get on to Little Wester today and back home again before nightfall. The Southern Current will help but it will still be tight.” I repeated my need to leave soon and explained my reasoning.

“Yes, yes.” The Mayor replied. “But I can’t let you leave empty-handed, here take this bottle for you and your father.” He pushed a pair of bottles into my hand. “One is an Elvish wine, and the other a Dwarfish Whiskey. I promise to look after the birds well and hopefully have a little flock for you or Mercurio whoever visits first.”

I finally escaped from his home with him calling, “Pass on my regards to Smit, and do come calling again soon when you have more time.”

I raised my hand in acknowledgement and strode back towards our boat. It was time to set sail again.