Fair Seas and Favorable Winds

Writers: Yvonne
Date Posted: 13th November 2015

Characters: Taril, Terion
Description: The Sea Wife sails into Sunstone Seahold carrying tithe for the Hold - and a little something extra
Location: Sunstone Seahold
Date: month 2, day 21 of Turn 8
Notes: Mentioned: Humari

Taril was watching the harbour when the Sea Wife sailed into Sunstone Seahold, her sides wet with rain and spray. It was one of those unpleasant summer days, too hot to be comfortable and too wet to truly want to be outside. He watched from the door of his office as the twin-masted ship weighed anchor and the flurry of activity on her deck heralded the arrival of goods. When she launched a small rowboat headed for shore, he reluctantly grabbed his crutch and set out into the rain.

The road to the harbour itself was slick with puddles and mud. By the time he'd made his way to the dock, the rowboat had pulled up and its passengers climbed up the ladder from the sea. "Ho, brother!" An enormous man with sunbleached hair approached, grinning. Terion was the largest of Ralion's three sons, and he gave his elder brother an unabashedly rib-crushing hug in greeting as soon as he was close enough. "How goes it?"

"Well enough. Welcome back to Sunstone Seahold. Was it a fair journey?" Taril asked.

"Well enough indeed," Terion said with a wink. "But I'll tell you more about that later. I have goods to unload and an Understeward to talk to about the salt tithe from Avian Point Cothold."

Taril nodded. "You do your business, I'll help oversee the unload. Meet you on the Sea Wife."

"Rightly so." Terion turned and headed toward the Understeward's office, whistling.

His brother stared at the Sea Wife for a moment, then limped over to where the rowboat waited. He greeted the sailor manning the oars with familiarity, then tossed down his crutch and climbed down the ladder into the little boat. The sailor picked up the oars, and soon he was on the deck of the merchant ship.

His brother kept a tight ship, and the Sea Wife was spotlessly clean and well cared for. Taril nodded to the men he knew as they unloaded casks of salt into waiting boats, each cask marked with Avian Point's sign. The market for salt was a lucrative one - most preserved foods used salt - and Avian Point had a well-respected salt refinery. The merchant peered into the ship's hold from the deck, where cranes and pulleys brought goods up from her belly, and did a quick mental count of Avian Point's tithe.

Then he turned and made his way to his brother's berth. The door was unlocked and he let himself in. It was a small space, big enough for a table to spread charts out on, and a bed just large enough to rest his head. Some ship's captains lived luxuriously, but Terion wasn't one of them. Taril settled himself in his brother's seat and settled in to wait.

It didn't take long for Terion to conclude his business with the Understeward and make his way back to the ship. He grinned as he walked in and found his brother waiting. "So, brother. How fairs the wind?"

"Well enough. Humari is well, and Tumeril is growing-- you'd hardly believe he was born too early." Teril grinned and shook his head. "I still can't quite believe my good fortune."

"Well, your fortune continues to improve. Thanks to you, we were able to catch the Arabesque shortly after she'd left Hold territory and was in the open ocean. And she was carrying more than just tithe." Terion grinned, revealing a gold-capped front tooth. "A few broken fingers and we were able to liberate two bars of gold paid as dowry to the Arabesque's captain for the marriage of his fine daughter, and two packed crates of flower spice. Among other small sundries."

Taril's eyebrows flew up. "Two? That's-- where did that fardling come from?"

"No idea." Terion nudged his brother's boot aside, then stepped past to open a well-secured cupboard. Inside was a bottle of dark rum; he pulled it out, uncorked it, and took a swig. "Your sources were flawed but wonderfully so. I took the opportunity of liberating the spice along with everything else we came for. To us!" He raised the bottle in a salute and took another swig before offering it to the merchant.

Taril accepted the bottle a little more cautiously. "A windfall for sure, but a dangerous one. Moving that much flower spice before it goes stale is going to be difficult. And it's not as if losing two casks will go unnoticed. I'm sure that the Arabesque's captain had made plans to sell it already, which means that there are angry buyers watching the market."

"Only angry if they'd paid in advance--"

"And angry too if their anticipated shipment is stolen by pirates." He shrugged and took another swig from the bottle. "No one recognized you?"

"I had the Sea Wife sailing without name or colours, and you know us - we wear masks. You fret too much, brother." Terion grinned again as he sat at the edge of the table. "Is marriage sapping the vinegar from your veins?"

Taril shot him a black look. "Hardly. Will the Arabesque make it with her tithe to Vista Point Weyr?"

"As long as her captain stays true after his mid-ocean mishap. We didn't touch the tithe, although I was sorely tempted. Pressed fig syrup, dried redfruits and bags of sweet sugar..." The sea captain sighed. "The only thing I miss from land is sweets."

Taril handed the bottle back to him. Sweets or no, they had a strict 'no touching the tithes' policy. Touching their goods was the quickest way to bring the wrath of the Weyrs down on them. "The Hold usually makes bubblies, even on hot days like this. And I'm sure that you could negotiate some saltwater taffy or hard candy to add to your restock. Any complications dealing with the Understeward?"

"No. And I'll be here just long enough to restock water and fresh food. I have a demanding harbor master to report to," Terion said with a pointed look. "I'd like to sail on the evening tide, but I'll make sure there is a candlemark to visit my nephew and Humari."

"They'd appreciate that, I'm sure. Humari's been baking." Taril grinned. "I think she likes you."

"She'd better-- we're family, and compared to her other brothers, I'm sure that I'm the best one she's got!" Terion puffed out his chest a bit. "I even brought her some ribbon as a gift - got to make sure I stay in her good graces, especially if she's baking. But I won't have the time to visit if we don't finish unloading the tithe. I'll escort you back to land, brother. And I'll send the stolen goods to you packed in salt for our warehouse from Avian Point."

Taril nodded and stood. The salt was due to them as payment for transport. "Well done, brother."

Terion's gold tooth flashed as he smiled. "Fair seas and wind in our favour. Let's hope it continues."

Last updated on the November 30th 2015

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Fair Seas and Favorable Winds