Dreamer: The Eighth Key book 1

Through the Treasure Isles

Through the Treasure Isles

In the three days it took for Thistale to recover enough to be moved, Desirae proved to be a haven for them. Those around the complex had grown to call each of them by their respective names. Diraimeir seemed keen to run errands to the various herb gardens, learning all he might about them, and to bring cuttings to where they were needed. Sumrian spent the bulk of his own time at Thistle’s side. He talked with her when she woke about light things. Nostalgic things. Tathlyn and Miryd enjoyed wandering the markets together. Miryd took a lot of care in finding things suitable for travel, including packs to carry supplies without the use of the wagon. It would only slow them down, and it was far too bulky for island travel.

Tathlyn managed to procure a fishing vessel willing to take them along the course he wished thanks to his acquaintance with Diraimeir. That and a well-greased palm, successfully spending every last piece of the coin Chet had given him for the entirety of the trip. He could worry about what to do about the lack of funds later.

This place was undoubtedly the most pleasant stay any one of them had in a long time. When they were ready to leave, they did so almost begrudgingly. With hearts that wished they could stay and become a part of the vibrancy that was Desirae, they parted.

As the sun dipped below the horizon on that third night, Tathlyn led everyone out through the back of the complex and between a thick swath of trees. They had “gone to bed” to keep up the illusion that they did not have the intention of fleeing abruptly in the middle of the night. Diraimeir discovered the space to walk unseen behind many of the tall bushes during his time in the gardens, noting how they lined almost every walk in the city. This aided them well as they crept like thieves through the dark. The trail itself wasn’t all that long. With the way Desirae was set up, all they had to do was jump a few low walls to get down to where the fishing boats moored, cutting a clean line instead of going all the way around.

 This part of the city was often empty after the sun fell away. Only vagrants passed by the docks where it was dirty still with the remnants of the days take after it was prepared for sale. Maybe one of these people spotted them, though it would have been hard to distinguish who they were or what their purpose was. If they had, they never made any indication that they did.

 Earlier that day, Tathlyn had both Ch’nuino and Saunun taken to the docks to wait on them under the care of a fisherman who swore to keep their passing a secret. Already, the beasts were laying upon the deck of the ship with that man close at hand, sleeping in a bed of dried seagrasses. Tathlyn helped each of his companions to board since the tide had risen. The ship’s deck was a higher now, and there was a considerable gap between it and the dock to worry about.

Usually, some sort of lantern was lit to mark a ship in its passing. But not this time. Tathlyn advised against it; the fisherman knew these waters like the back of his hand. He claimed he could probably be able to navigate them blindfolded if there was a need for it. Aided by the stars and a sliver of the moon, it was all the light a true child of the sea needed. The waters were calm that night. A perfect night. Tathlyn could not have wished for anything better.

Easy was sailing along the route Tathlyn suggested along the coast up until a quarter past midnight. Swirling winds picked up, sending rolling waves into the bow of the ship. They were forced to change course to head through the straights not long beforehand but somehow only just noticed the storm forming far out over open waters, causing the current to become choppy and quick.

 It was a common occurrence for sudden storms to rise up over the isles. That’s why they had such a reputation. Nicknamed the Treasure Isles, many a ship found their final rest below the surface of these waters. The key to staying afloat was to keep a reasonable distance away from any of the numerous smaller islands or inlets. Most of which hid jagged spires of sharp rock just under the water.

The rain started promptly after the first boom of thunder, echoing off the cliffs of the scattered islands. Thick, salty drops pelted down at them as that storm moved swiftly overhead. The sudden change caused the two horses to whinny and become restless. Diraimeir did his best to keep them calm enough not to get too close to the edges, while Tathlyn tethered a rope around the mainmast to help secure them by the bridle. Waves dumped seawater onto the deck, rocking the small vessel like the very sky aimed to sink it. The fisherman barked orders at his guests, doing everything he could to make sure they stay the course. It was not the first time they needed to deal with the wrath of mother nature.

Despite the onslaught of wind and wave, Tathlyn still chose an excellent course. The shallower waters allowed less of a rise in said waves. This part of the waterway was also somewhat protected by the larger of the chain’s islands, and that would stop the ship from being swept out into the actual ocean. Beneath them, pearly white sand blanketed the coastal floor along with young coral instead of treacherous rocks. A reef surrounded the outskirts of this part of the route too, and Cree loomed just to the northwest. One thing is for sure. If the storm manages to take us, we are all going to survive.

Nobody, save the fisherman and Tathlyn, could have even imagined how close Cree actually was to Desirae. You could see it faintly from the highest point of the city, but never would you know what you were looking at. It was a welcome surprise.

The vessel almost capsized twice before it ran aground on a large sandbar just before the mouth of a bay porting at the isle of Cree. The inlet over time had become much too shallow for even the smallest of vessels to be able to come all the way to the shore. The wild storms pushed the sand inland, where it collected and banked over time. They could walk it as long as they watched where they stepped.

Once, the cove had been a bustling port city, but it sadly fell to ruin well beyond the time of Gya’a’s fall.  Numerous ruins sunk into a thick temperate forest that consisted mainly of oak, cherry, and willow. The soft wet sand grew darker and richer with mineral-laden soil as it met the wilderness, allowing ivy to flourish and blanket entire buildings. What an enchanting place. Even more so then Desirae as far as Tathlyn was concerned.

Tathlyn hopped down onto the sandbank first, where the sea only rose to his mid-calf. Though the sand shifted under his boots, it did not allow him to sink much. The elf knelt as he scooped up some of it and let it run through his fingers. Underneath, he found a blanket of larger pebbles. This must have been how far the land stretched when the island still thrived. Tathlyn motioned for Sumrian to ready the horses and gathered their companions as he walked out a few more feet. Not once did the water rise above his knees. It’s not like it mattered anymore anyways. Everyone was already soaked through and through, and the rain showed no real signs of letting up.

Carefully, Diraimeir and Miryd eased Ch’nuino and Saunun down off the deck. Then came Thistale, who was carried by Sumrian and set upon the steed’s back even though she protested. She was fully capable of walking, but Sumrian was just not having any of it. The last thing they needed was for her to tumble into the surf and become ill once more.

“Are you going to stay out here?” Tathlyn asked the frustrated fisherman, giving the ship a look over. It seemed undamaged though it stuck fast in the sands. In this weather, any attempts to push it free would be futile. Though he did not like leaving the ship like that, there was not much that could be done right now.

“No boatman would dream of leaving their livelihood behind. When the storm quiets, I will dig myself out. That should be enough to push her into deeper water.” He replied. Doubt and pride filled his stance. He made it clear to Tathlyn that he was not going to change his mind. The man waved them away from him. “Go.” He shook his head. “This will be the last time I am going to agree to cart strangers into the Treasure Isles, no matter how many coins they tossed at my feet.”

Diraimeir frowned faintly, offering a bow in thanks after taking Ch’nuino’s reigns from Miryd. “What a stubborn man. I can hardly feel sorry for him.” He said quietly, earning a subtle jab in the ribs by the Fai.

The deluge made it increasingly hard to see as it whipped at them with all the force nature could muster. They kept their eyes on the ground rather than what was immediately in front of them, picking through the shallowest stretches of the harbor. A hundred or so feet from the shore, the shallows stayed at the same ankle-deep depth.