Tolmin."
"Glad to know all of you. Well, you all still look tired. Let's get you some bunks and you can all get settled in."
"Well, I wish that I could come with you, boys," Cardy sighed, "but my family wants me to stay home and run the business. Have a good trip and a good start in Talman."
"Thank you again, Cardy," Simon replied and shook the man's hand one last time. "We really appreciate all that you have done for us."
"Appreciate nothin'. I need you to get yourself settled and back in business again. I'm losin' vital revenue without ya. You get up there and send word when you're back in business. You hear me?"
"Every word, sir," Simon answered with a laugh. Cardy left the deck then leaving them to Captain Dernick.
As the captain led them to a door in the cabin built on deck, he said off-handedly, "You might want to keep those pills handy, Aramathea. What my father-in-law said is true about the sea. Some travelers find it rather unsettling. I don't want to be cleaning up after a group of land lubbers all trip."
"I don't think that we'll have any problems, but I'll keep them nearby," Simon assured him.
The captain laughed at his innocence and said, "Come on."
They had set sail after the sun had risen long enough to dispel the fog. The travelers were quickly on deck and watched as the land slowly faded away behind them. Gerid and Janus moved off after a time. Simon watched as his brother did what, perhaps, he did best, make friends. By the end of the first day, Gerid and Janus had talked the sailors into teaching them how to sail.
Simon had taken to watching the waves and then the others and eventually back again. After a time, he tired of that and moved below deck to find a book that he had purchased in the marketplace from one of the rare dealers in such merchandise even in such a big city. He returned to the deck and found a place to sit and read out of everyone's way. The day passed slowly and eventually the man noticed that the gulls following their boat had finally given up the pursuit of food with this ship.
"They thought that we were a fishing boat," one of the sailors answered his question. "Once far enough away from land, they realize that we're not gonna give `em lunch and they head back toward shore for other chances."
When the gulls had all finally departed and the land had faded into the sea, Simon realized that at this point all their ties with his former homeland we're now broken.
Simon awoke to an awful rumbling in his stomach. It had been so upset that it had woken him in its urgency. He ran quickly up the steps, and out of the cabin. Arriving at the ship's railing, Simon began to vent the remains of his evening meal.
"Ah, it's begun," Captain Dernick's voice chuckled from behind him.
Somewhat recovered, though still feeling immensely ill, Simon turned to find the man holding the bottle of pills in one hand and a canteen of water in the other. "Tell me these things really work!" Simon cried pitifully. He took a single large pill and swallowed it with a mouthful of water.
"Stay up here until you truly think that it is safe," Captain Dernick cautioned with good natured laughter and returned to his post beside his helmsman.
Simon realized, as he sat down exhaustedly upon the deck, that he didn't think that he liked sailing anymore. After half an hour, the pill had kicked in fully and he fell asleep where he sat.
In the morning, Simon found that Janus was also sick. Taking another pill before trying a light breakfast and sharing it with Janus, he found that the adage was true. Misery truly did love company. He could hardly hold back the petty wish that Gerid would join them in their misery.
His brother proved hardier than them though as he continued to strengthen his knowledge of sailing even as he learned more about the twenty crewmen. Simon was reduced to watching and reading in the bow of the ship or talking with the equally sickened Janus. They were still too ill to be of much company for themselves
"Glad to know all of you. Well, you all still look tired. Let's get you some bunks and you can all get settled in."
"Well, I wish that I could come with you, boys," Cardy sighed, "but my family wants me to stay home and run the business. Have a good trip and a good start in Talman."
"Thank you again, Cardy," Simon replied and shook the man's hand one last time. "We really appreciate all that you have done for us."
"Appreciate nothin'. I need you to get yourself settled and back in business again. I'm losin' vital revenue without ya. You get up there and send word when you're back in business. You hear me?"
"Every word, sir," Simon answered with a laugh. Cardy left the deck then leaving them to Captain Dernick.
As the captain led them to a door in the cabin built on deck, he said off-handedly, "You might want to keep those pills handy, Aramathea. What my father-in-law said is true about the sea. Some travelers find it rather unsettling. I don't want to be cleaning up after a group of land lubbers all trip."
"I don't think that we'll have any problems, but I'll keep them nearby," Simon assured him.
The captain laughed at his innocence and said, "Come on."
They had set sail after the sun had risen long enough to dispel the fog. The travelers were quickly on deck and watched as the land slowly faded away behind them. Gerid and Janus moved off after a time. Simon watched as his brother did what, perhaps, he did best, make friends. By the end of the first day, Gerid and Janus had talked the sailors into teaching them how to sail.
Simon had taken to watching the waves and then the others and eventually back again. After a time, he tired of that and moved below deck to find a book that he had purchased in the marketplace from one of the rare dealers in such merchandise even in such a big city. He returned to the deck and found a place to sit and read out of everyone's way. The day passed slowly and eventually the man noticed that the gulls following their boat had finally given up the pursuit of food with this ship.
"They thought that we were a fishing boat," one of the sailors answered his question. "Once far enough away from land, they realize that we're not gonna give `em lunch and they head back toward shore for other chances."
When the gulls had all finally departed and the land had faded into the sea, Simon realized that at this point all their ties with his former homeland we're now broken.
Simon awoke to an awful rumbling in his stomach. It had been so upset that it had woken him in its urgency. He ran quickly up the steps, and out of the cabin. Arriving at the ship's railing, Simon began to vent the remains of his evening meal.
"Ah, it's begun," Captain Dernick's voice chuckled from behind him.
Somewhat recovered, though still feeling immensely ill, Simon turned to find the man holding the bottle of pills in one hand and a canteen of water in the other. "Tell me these things really work!" Simon cried pitifully. He took a single large pill and swallowed it with a mouthful of water.
"Stay up here until you truly think that it is safe," Captain Dernick cautioned with good natured laughter and returned to his post beside his helmsman.
Simon realized, as he sat down exhaustedly upon the deck, that he didn't think that he liked sailing anymore. After half an hour, the pill had kicked in fully and he fell asleep where he sat.
In the morning, Simon found that Janus was also sick. Taking another pill before trying a light breakfast and sharing it with Janus, he found that the adage was true. Misery truly did love company. He could hardly hold back the petty wish that Gerid would join them in their misery.
His brother proved hardier than them though as he continued to strengthen his knowledge of sailing even as he learned more about the twenty crewmen. Simon was reduced to watching and reading in the bow of the ship or talking with the equally sickened Janus. They were still too ill to be of much company for themselves
Similar Books
