The High King: A Tale of Alus by Donald Wigboldy

the harbor in the gray fog of early morning. Cardy and his wife had prepared a light breakfast for the men and then sent the three travelers to the dock where the Patar, a sixty foot merchant vessel with masts disappearing into the fog, had moored the evening before. There had been very few people on the street at that hour, though with it still closed in the gray light of pre-dawn perhaps their eyes just couldn’t find them. White painted buildings which were the most common in Alistaire, blended into the gray leaving little else to see besides. The cries of sea heron and gulls could be heard as the early rising birds began their day's work of food scavenging undeterred by the gray. The streets and docks were lined with dozens of the creatures eyeing the men for easy scraps.
    "Ahoy, there," a voice called from the shadowy bulk of the Patar when they arrived before it. "Who goes there?"
    "Ahoy yourself, Caleb," retorted Cardy who had been their guide through the fog. He led the others to the gang plank leading to the deck. "I've brought three men who'll be traveling along with you this trip. Permission to board now, ya lubber."
    "It's yer ship, grandfather. Of course, ya can come aboard."
"C'mon now, boys," the old man said motioning for the men to follow.
Simon hesitated briefly at the sight of the plank as it rose and fell with the motion of the waves. The board was only slightly wider than his waist and carrying a bag of clothes and gold coins didn't make the walk any easier.
A man stepped down the plank confidently and greeted Simon gruffly, "Here Let me help ya with that. Ya must be a land lubber, eh?"
"A what?" Simon asked as he surrendered his bag and carefully followed the sailor up the shifting board.
The man chuckled, "A land lubber, someone who has only lived on land. Let me guess. This is yer first voyage, right?"
"Uh, yes," he replied as he grasped the rail of the ship gratefully and pulled himself onto the much more solid deck. He exhaled with relief. Simon turned to find Gerid carrying both his large satchel and Janus' pack. His brother smoothly crossed the plank and set the burdens on the deck.
"Nicely done," Cardy congratulated trying to hold in his laughter at the other two. "This one holds little fear in him, eh, Simon? Well, I hope your stomachs handle the motion of the sea well enough as well then. I did think to bring you boys a little gift to take along with you though."
"Oh, please, Cardy, you've done enough for us already," Simon began.
The old man chortled, "No, trust me. This one you'll want, my boy. I give it to all my travelers and most wind up using it." He passed Simon a brown bottle of pills. "If your stomach gets troubled by sea life, take one of these in the morning, noon, and evening before you go to bed. A sorcerer from the Taltan Continent devised these years ago to quiet stomachs against rolling waves. You've never sailed, boys. You may very well need them."
"Thank you, Cardy, if you insist."
"You are most welcome."
"Cardy, ol' man!" a new voice cried from the fog shrouded deck beyond them.
"Dernick, ya ol' salt!" he retorted as a large, bearded man approached and gave him a large hug. The old man turned to Simon. "Simon Aramathea, this is Captain Dernick. He's a son-in-law of mine, but don't worry he's still a qualified captain, as well."
"But my marrying your daughter, Sofea, had no influence on your making me a captain did it?" Dernick questioned with a laugh. "You would have done anything to get rid of that girl. Admit it."
Cardy feigned a wound, "I love all my daughters. Just because I'd had to get rid of four of them, I wouldn't say that I was totally desperate."
Dernick moved towards Simon and shook his hand strongly. "Now that we have these boys suitably worried, Father, let's get them settled below. Your daughter wants me back as soon as possible. It's been too long between visits again. So who are these with you, Aramathea?"
"My brother, Gerid, and our former shepherd, Janus