To make it even more fun, large waves would crash over the deck above and water would leak down through the ceiling - Bret wasn't there to tell me what the ceiling was called on a ship. It was the most miserable night of my life, including the night that Twigs, the nature spirit, took me into my first tree. I hoped the rest weren't having quite as bad a time as I was. At least, I comforted myself, I hadn't been seasick!

Some time during the next morning there seemed a slight lessening of the storm and Tarl entered and quickly fastened the door again. "I've learned how to open and close these doors at just the right time," he explained. "There's a bit of a lull so I can bring you some food and water. It won't last more than an hour though, so be prepared."

"Have you visited the others yet? How are they doing?"

"I haven't been to everyone yet, but those I've been to are no worse off than you, and you're better off than any of the sailors. But in the rush I did forget to tell all of you that under your bunks are bands to loop through these slots on the bunks to help hold you in and oilskins to help keep you dry. Please don't tell Mr. Jik, or I'll be in big trouble!"

"I wouldn't rat on a fellow slave," I assured, "but I hope you'll be on our side if, despite all we've been told, rescue does come."

"I will if I think there's a chance of success and return to my home. Otherwise, ten years to my freedom isn't too bad a deal; and you heard what will happen if a rescue fails - it's much worse than death."

"I guess that's all we can ask."

"I'll warn you of one thing though - if one of the ships that were berthed with us in the harbor manages to find us and we're in danger of capture you'll all be tied to a chain with an anchor and if they don't back away you'll be thrown overboard."

"That's horrible! But I guess it makes sense from your point of view. Thanks for the warning. I hope we can all get free."

When Tarl was gone I hung up my bedding and clothes on convenient hooks to hopefully dry and did my best to protect them from further showers with one of the oilskins. I had taken out the little tree and I sat in the bunk, strapped myself in and made contact with the tree spirit.

"Greetings." I said. "How have you and your tree been fairing?"

"Quite well, thank you. The tree is getting a bit dry around the roots, if you can, we'd like a bit of water after we're done here."

"I can certainly do that - is there anything else?"

"No, that's our only need at this time. Now, you have messages from Aril and Lira letting you know they're as well off as can be expected and asking after your welfare."

"Please send them messages that I too am as well as can be expected. Do you have any news from the ships that are looking for us?"

"Yes, they too are in the midst of this storm but are doing well. Malcolm reminds you not to use any magic or say anything to make anyone suspicious unless your lives are in imminent danger. Word has come that Quant the Watcher has preliminary reports on Bolgar that estimate that he does not intend to begin his takeover for at least one to two years unless some event causes him to feel threatened. This takes some of the urgency from that quarter off of us.

"The Gnomes, with help from the dwarves, are having a wonderful time exploring the abandoned caves you found. It's very great and extensive with many things they don't understand.

"Lemuel says the Northern Dwolim have accepted the impending fulfillment of the prophesy and are preparing a full translation. It won't be quite as ambiguous now that some has been fulfilled and a more exact meaning can be placed on many of the words. He has conferred with the wizard's council and will be returning soon to the south, bringing a delegation from the Northern Dwolim with him to hopefully visit Quant's Dwolim."

"Has there been any word from Tintinel - or any word of the priests?" I asked.

"No, not a sign. Malcolm says it's as though they dropped off the edge of the earth. But everyone is looking; Victorius has been in touch with almost all his former apprentices and one is going to visit your village to see if anything can be learned there."

"She'll have to be awfully careful; the priests there will react violently if they think anyone is magical or uses magic, and strangers are seldom seen and carefully watched. I don't remember ever hearing of a woman coming to the village from outside, only occasional peddlers and wanderers."

"I'll pass that along."

"It occurs to me, concerning the prophesy, that it would perhaps be good to use the services of a tree spirit to help translate it since you give direct mind to mind translation."

"That's an excellent idea, I'll pass that along too. Is there anything else?"

"Not that I can think of right now. You know ... trees don't usually get to travel around at all, so you don't have any sense of direction and distance. But I wonder about you and the other miniature trees we've been traveling with. I realize that you still won't have any better abilities in that area in so short a time, but I was wondering if you feel like you're closer or further away from the Great Tree or from others you know?"

"No, I haven't noticed anything like that, but I'll see if I can observe something of that nature now that you've the possibility to my attention. I'll also ask the Great Tree to see if she has noticed anything of the kind concerning those of us who have been traveling."

"Well, I had better get your tree that water before the rolling gets worse - Tarl said it soon would. I'll talk to you again as soon as I can."

I popped out of the tree , unstrapped myself and watered the tree and returned it to the pocket. My clothes and bedding weren't any dryer yet, so I foraged under my bunk and found some almost dry blankets and another oilskin. I was having my breakfast when the rolling began to increase and the waves started crashing over the deck above with its consequent indoor rain. I arranged the blankets and oilskin as best I could and strapped myself in. That was much better than trying to wedge myself into the bunk - I actually caught up on some of the sleep I'd missed the night before.

I couldn't sleep through the whole day and the time I was awake was pretty uncomfortable and boring. My makeshift tent over the wet clothes and blankets was doing its job, but with the constant rain through the ceiling making the air full of moisture they weren't going to dry very fast if at all.

There was another lull about sunset time and Tarl brought us supper - hardtack, slightly moist, fruit and dried meat. As he went in and out I was beginning to catch on to the timing of opening and closing the door. I thought I might give it a very careful try during the next lull and visit the girls. I never did get to.

I contacted my tree spirit quickly before strapping in again for the night. The Great Tree had told him that there was no difference. The tree spirits did not have need of such abilities and so they were not given to them. It was unlikely that they could even develop such skills.

Except for being tied down, this night was even worse than the first night. I couldn't imagine how they could build ships that could take such beatings - how many ships and their crews had gone down before they had learned, I wondered?

At some point in the middle of the night there was an extra big pounding, shaking and crashing. Tarl, when he next appeared, said that one of the masts had come down and they'd have to put in at the nearest port to refit when the storm ended. Where that would be we'd have to find out when we could see the sky again.

The storm lasted another day and night, three nights and two days in all. The morning after the third night we were allowed on deck. It was a beautiful morning but the ship was a mess. The broken mast was held where it fell by all the ropes to the deck and other masts. The sailors were working to salvage as much as possible and to get some sails up. Tarl said the nearest port where we could get repairs was a normal day's sail away on an island named Flanico; the port was called Port Flanico. It was a major ship-building port since the island was covered by forests of trees that were perfect for ships, especially masts. It would probably take two days or three to get there in the ship's current condition. Thankfully, it was unlikely that another storm would arrive in that time; the first storms of the year didn't usually come very close together.

We'd have some good meals again once the crew had rested up. For breakfast we were on our own, for all the sailors except for the steersman and a couple on watch, were going to bunk down as soon as the ship was sailing passably well.

We got together a pretty good breakfast, making extra for the sailors on watch and taking it out to them. After breakfast I went to a quiet corner and had my tree spirit relay the news and the destination to the others. We all brought up our wet blankets and spread them out to dry and we too sat in the warming sun to dry our still damp clothes and waited to see what the future would bring.

Read Part Ten 

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