While the rest of the cargo for the coming trip was being loaded into the Knave, Kitty and Wickley quietly discussed their plan of action.
"Well lass, I be thinkin the best choice is ta be headin where that barnacle bitten pirate ye beheaded sunk the Sargas. Then ye can lock on the Admiral and we head in the direction ye point." Wickley pointed to the map, then slid his finger from side to side as he spoke.
Kitty pursed her lips as she stared at the map. Wickley had a point. To try and go straight to him might result in them stopping at the wrong islands that were between them and Horam, wasting precious time. Finally she nodded her agreement, "Alright. Let's do that. I want full sails as soon as we can."
"Aye lass. I be thinkin the same." Wickley grinned at the Helston.
~*~*~
It took a couple days for them to reach the area Newberry had indicated before Kitty so kindly ended his miserable life. Other than the ship belonging to Georg, there was nothing around them but water as far as the eye could see.
Kitty wasn't expecting Georg to follow, but when she left port, he wasn't far behind. She expected him to fall back when they went full sails, but he somehow managed to keep up.
Commander Murshk leaned back against one of the masts as he watched the crew go about their duties. Most of the crew of the Knave had been replaced when they returned to Rhydin, as far as he could tell. According to Wickley, Kitty had the men whose brains she scrambled reassigned to menial tasks such as scraping barnacles off ships and loading cargo.
Kitty came up from below decks and looked at Wickley. He simply nodded to her. Murshk watched the silent communication, then more closely focused on Kitty.
The Helston woman hopped up the steps onto the forecastle deck and gripped the railing near the ship's head. She had been holding onto that fragile connection to Horam with all she had. She didn't sleep. She only ate when Tedaji placed food in her hands and forced her to. It was strongest during the day. At night, the connection waned. Presumably because Horam had succumbed to the need for sleep.
Without thinking, she turned to face the direction the connection was strongest. Wickley adjusted the ship's heading accordingly without a word. Normally he would have someone else at the wheel, but this was too important. He wanted to handle this himself.
They continued into the night. It wasn't until morning they heard a voice from above.
"LAND HO!"
Murshk could hear Wickley barking orders to get the jolly boat ready. The Ular went up to the foredeck to stand next to Kitty as he pulled out his binoculars. He could make out the line of land in the distance. It was larger than he expected it to be.
He lowered the binoculars and started to offer them to Kitty. It was then he saw the blank stare toward the island. Her long coat had salt on it where the seawater had splashed and she never bothered to brush it off. It was if she were in some sort of trance. Slowly he lowered the binoculars and put them away.
"He's there, Murshk. He's there and he's waiting for us." Her voice was rough from too many nights without sleep.
"Do you want someone to go with you?" The Ular stared at her. There were black circles under her eyes. He had never seen her look this worn down before. He admired this small female's dedication to those who worked under her. She wasn't a boss. She was a leader.
"I would like you and Tedaji to accompany me to shore. I don't know what shape he's in and I'm not as strong as I should be right now. I may need your help getting him back to the boat."
Murshk grunted his usual agreement sound and turned to go find his fellow Ular.
"Well lass, I be thinkin the best choice is ta be headin where that barnacle bitten pirate ye beheaded sunk the Sargas. Then ye can lock on the Admiral and we head in the direction ye point." Wickley pointed to the map, then slid his finger from side to side as he spoke.
Kitty pursed her lips as she stared at the map. Wickley had a point. To try and go straight to him might result in them stopping at the wrong islands that were between them and Horam, wasting precious time. Finally she nodded her agreement, "Alright. Let's do that. I want full sails as soon as we can."
"Aye lass. I be thinkin the same." Wickley grinned at the Helston.
~*~*~
It took a couple days for them to reach the area Newberry had indicated before Kitty so kindly ended his miserable life. Other than the ship belonging to Georg, there was nothing around them but water as far as the eye could see.
Kitty wasn't expecting Georg to follow, but when she left port, he wasn't far behind. She expected him to fall back when they went full sails, but he somehow managed to keep up.
Commander Murshk leaned back against one of the masts as he watched the crew go about their duties. Most of the crew of the Knave had been replaced when they returned to Rhydin, as far as he could tell. According to Wickley, Kitty had the men whose brains she scrambled reassigned to menial tasks such as scraping barnacles off ships and loading cargo.
Kitty came up from below decks and looked at Wickley. He simply nodded to her. Murshk watched the silent communication, then more closely focused on Kitty.
The Helston woman hopped up the steps onto the forecastle deck and gripped the railing near the ship's head. She had been holding onto that fragile connection to Horam with all she had. She didn't sleep. She only ate when Tedaji placed food in her hands and forced her to. It was strongest during the day. At night, the connection waned. Presumably because Horam had succumbed to the need for sleep.
Without thinking, she turned to face the direction the connection was strongest. Wickley adjusted the ship's heading accordingly without a word. Normally he would have someone else at the wheel, but this was too important. He wanted to handle this himself.
They continued into the night. It wasn't until morning they heard a voice from above.
"LAND HO!"
Murshk could hear Wickley barking orders to get the jolly boat ready. The Ular went up to the foredeck to stand next to Kitty as he pulled out his binoculars. He could make out the line of land in the distance. It was larger than he expected it to be.
He lowered the binoculars and started to offer them to Kitty. It was then he saw the blank stare toward the island. Her long coat had salt on it where the seawater had splashed and she never bothered to brush it off. It was if she were in some sort of trance. Slowly he lowered the binoculars and put them away.
"He's there, Murshk. He's there and he's waiting for us." Her voice was rough from too many nights without sleep.
"Do you want someone to go with you?" The Ular stared at her. There were black circles under her eyes. He had never seen her look this worn down before. He admired this small female's dedication to those who worked under her. She wasn't a boss. She was a leader.
"I would like you and Tedaji to accompany me to shore. I don't know what shape he's in and I'm not as strong as I should be right now. I may need your help getting him back to the boat."
Murshk grunted his usual agreement sound and turned to go find his fellow Ular.