24 Zi'da 717
She could see her breath in the air as she gripped the large wooden box, blood surging through her small arms as she lifted with all the strength in her back. The box barely budged, filled to its brim with salt and spices as it was. Groaning, she tried again, exerting more effort, but Charlotte could not lift the heavy crate. The man behind her, Killion, clucked at her and strode past her, gripping the box with arms tanned by the suns and muscles forged by the hoisting of sails. The Biqaj strained against the weight, but carried the large container for her. Charlotte grimaced, where once a sheepish smile may have sat on her face.
"Des'penya, little one," Killion said, using the Rakahi pidgin he'd picked up in his youth. Charlotte didn't say anything in return, but screwed up her nose to indicate that she didn't understand. She spoke very little Rakahi, and even less of the bastard language the layabouts had created for themselves. Killion stopped and laughed, causing Charlotte to bristle.
"It means don't worry. If ye's gonna sail wit' us, ye may wan' ta learn a bit o' our language," he said, winking at her. She huffed and sat on the edge of the crate, watching as he loaded the rest of the cargo. Her blue eyes trailed the man, and were he not as smart as he was, he would have been sure she was lusting after him. Instead, though, he had seen the hilts of her daggers poking from her garb, well hidden but for when she struggled to lift the crate. He didn't see in her pack, nor did he know of the strange crystalline object in it. But he understood that she was not an innocent little princess, or a noble heiress grown bored of her ball gowns.
"You may be right, Killion," she murmured, voice as cold as the steel sheathed on her lower back. The two had met three trials earlier, as the Biqaj's merchant schooner planned to set sail to Viden for a trade mission. Killion, the captain of Chrien's Bane, had accepted her plea to take her with them to the frozen city. She had offered him gold, and he had accepted, though at a much lower rate than she had anticipated. The merchant seemed to take to her instantly, and she could never know why. She had no idea it had to do with the black band circling her left wrist.
"Will you teach me?" She asked him, giving him cause to pause. He turned and smiled, nodding.
"Soon's we set off an' I'm not needed, toralat," he said, repeating the pidgin word in Common for her, 'darling'. He set back to loading the rest of the cargo, and she sat back, sure that her small stature would be more a detriment than a boon. As she did so, another Biqaj family joined them. A woman, her husband and their two children, a boy of six and a girl of 2. Smiling at her, they all passed jovially, exchanging Rakahi greetings which she returned automatically.
Her eyes followed the woman, though, whose hair was damp. It was possible she had just come from bathing, but the freezing air would cause her to catch a cold. The hairs on Charlotte's arms stood up, and she watched as the family disappeared around a stack of cargo. Her left hand twitched, and a faint chiming came from her bag, but she didn't dare to open it. The wind blew ever so slightly, and Charlotte grimaced.
This was going to be a long trip.
When Killion had finished, the schooner and the crew set sail. It was then that Charlotte approached him.
"Captain? You promised me lessons," she said, peeking into his cabin. He wore flared satin pants, bright white, and no shirt to reveal many tattoos and scars. One of them, across his abdomen, looked as if it had been a wound to disembowel, but instead now was healed over and blood red, but clearly older. Killion smiled and nodded, inviting her in. In front of him sat a board game, tielma in the Biqaj's native tongue. It was similar to a game she'd seen in Warrick, but the pieces were foreign.
"That I did, toralat," he smiled. She remembered, and he nodded. "First, though, ye gotta know how ta look fer stuff in the language 'fore ye can learn it. Or have any hopes of ever learnin' more'n I'll teach ye," he chuckled. He kicked back, laying a tanned and tattooed hand across the red scar on his stomach. "Zyqat" was tattooed above the scar, drawing her eyes. Killion followed her gaze and laughed, causing the skin to flex and contract.
"'nither story fer a'nither time, love," he said, smiling. "Fer now, words," he said, and he began to instruct her.
"Des'penya, little one," Killion said, using the Rakahi pidgin he'd picked up in his youth. Charlotte didn't say anything in return, but screwed up her nose to indicate that she didn't understand. She spoke very little Rakahi, and even less of the bastard language the layabouts had created for themselves. Killion stopped and laughed, causing Charlotte to bristle.
"It means don't worry. If ye's gonna sail wit' us, ye may wan' ta learn a bit o' our language," he said, winking at her. She huffed and sat on the edge of the crate, watching as he loaded the rest of the cargo. Her blue eyes trailed the man, and were he not as smart as he was, he would have been sure she was lusting after him. Instead, though, he had seen the hilts of her daggers poking from her garb, well hidden but for when she struggled to lift the crate. He didn't see in her pack, nor did he know of the strange crystalline object in it. But he understood that she was not an innocent little princess, or a noble heiress grown bored of her ball gowns.
"You may be right, Killion," she murmured, voice as cold as the steel sheathed on her lower back. The two had met three trials earlier, as the Biqaj's merchant schooner planned to set sail to Viden for a trade mission. Killion, the captain of Chrien's Bane, had accepted her plea to take her with them to the frozen city. She had offered him gold, and he had accepted, though at a much lower rate than she had anticipated. The merchant seemed to take to her instantly, and she could never know why. She had no idea it had to do with the black band circling her left wrist.
"Will you teach me?" She asked him, giving him cause to pause. He turned and smiled, nodding.
"Soon's we set off an' I'm not needed, toralat," he said, repeating the pidgin word in Common for her, 'darling'. He set back to loading the rest of the cargo, and she sat back, sure that her small stature would be more a detriment than a boon. As she did so, another Biqaj family joined them. A woman, her husband and their two children, a boy of six and a girl of 2. Smiling at her, they all passed jovially, exchanging Rakahi greetings which she returned automatically.
Her eyes followed the woman, though, whose hair was damp. It was possible she had just come from bathing, but the freezing air would cause her to catch a cold. The hairs on Charlotte's arms stood up, and she watched as the family disappeared around a stack of cargo. Her left hand twitched, and a faint chiming came from her bag, but she didn't dare to open it. The wind blew ever so slightly, and Charlotte grimaced.
This was going to be a long trip.
When Killion had finished, the schooner and the crew set sail. It was then that Charlotte approached him.
"Captain? You promised me lessons," she said, peeking into his cabin. He wore flared satin pants, bright white, and no shirt to reveal many tattoos and scars. One of them, across his abdomen, looked as if it had been a wound to disembowel, but instead now was healed over and blood red, but clearly older. Killion smiled and nodded, inviting her in. In front of him sat a board game, tielma in the Biqaj's native tongue. It was similar to a game she'd seen in Warrick, but the pieces were foreign.
"That I did, toralat," he smiled. She remembered, and he nodded. "First, though, ye gotta know how ta look fer stuff in the language 'fore ye can learn it. Or have any hopes of ever learnin' more'n I'll teach ye," he chuckled. He kicked back, laying a tanned and tattooed hand across the red scar on his stomach. "Zyqat" was tattooed above the scar, drawing her eyes. Killion followed her gaze and laughed, causing the skin to flex and contract.
"'nither story fer a'nither time, love," he said, smiling. "Fer now, words," he said, and he began to instruct her.
