The Scarlet King (11 page)

As Larby sat monitoring the anchor rode,
trying to wish the anchor to grab and hold, he heard movement and
soon was joined by Jason. Jason said only, "The change awoke
me."

Larby responded, "The anchor may yet
hold."

"If not?"

"The shore is rocky but if we can ground the
ship at the stern there may be hope to save her."

Jason pondered the consequences of the
decision he had made and trembled at the responsibility he bore. To
be stranded in unknown waters now appeared to be a far worse option
than having faced the storm. Larby sensed his anguish and said,
"Your decision was valid, for our ship was wounded and she may not
have survived the storm."

Jason squeezed the Listener's shoulder in
appreciation and said simply, "I will awaken the others and have
them prepare." Larby continued his vigil as the winds continued to
howl. Their harbor protected them from the crashing seas, but the
winds found their way over the cliffs, becoming much disorganized.
The gust would blow first one direction and then another almost
like the whirling storms. The anchor would grab hold and Larby's
hopes would rise only to have the wind change and the anchor break
free again. Even in the howling wind Larby could hear the surf
breaking against the rocks, but the darkness kept hidden the
danger.

As the others were assembling on the deck
Larby noticed a lightness to the side. By staring intently he was
able to make out the luminescence of the surf line. They were
approaching broadside. Larby ran to the helm as fast as his peg leg
would allow. The ship slowly responded to his frantic efforts on
the helm and the bow turned away ever so slightly from the surf
line. The dragging anchor provided just enough resistance for the
rudder to respond to the waves.

Their wait was not long until the first
scraping sounds were heard. The waves though small carried forth
the energy of the storm that had been raging outside. With each
wave the ship would rise and move further on to the rocks before
settling down ever harder. Those on board had to hang on to avoid
being thrown about, as the crashing became ever more violent and
the sound of breaking timbers echoed throughout.

When it seemed as if their ship was about to
be smashed completely apart, and those aboard cast into the rocks,
something changed. A wave much larger than the others picked their
ship up and pushed it to the very top of the surf line. Now only
the largest of the waves could lift their ship and only produced a
violent rocking without the crashing and breaking of timbers. The
near silence was enough to bring a cheer of joy from those aboard.
Now they needed to wait for daylight.

Jason had Jeremy take one of the lamps and go
below to inspect the ship's hull. He soon returned, reporting, "The
bilge is flooded and water is over the floorboards but seems not to
be increasing."

Their wait for the dawn was not long, and as
the sky lightened to the east they began to make out features of
the shoreline. They had landed on a moderately steep slope with
large boulders leading to a small cliff face. Large trees were
evident above, but they resembled not the trees of the Forest.
Their trunks were covered by dried leaves which draped down, making
them appear fur covered. They grew straight up without branches
ending in a canopy of fronds. There was little vegetation other
than the trees. While Jason was trying to make sense of the forest
before him, Jeremy was busy planning a way to get ashore. The waves
though small were enough to throw anyone attempting to swim to
shore against the rocks. The water seemed too shallow for their
small boat and without an adequate place to land.

The boat was now healed over about thirty
degrees towards the shore and Jeremy was studying their makeshift
mast. It looked as if he could swing from a rope and land on one of
the large rock outcroppings. If he could secure the line then
others could move ashore safely. He presented his idea to Jason,
who asked, "Is the mast strong enough to carry your weight?"

Jeremy replied, "It was strong enough to sail
our ship, and it will carry my weight."

After Larby had checked all of the lines,
Jeremy secured a line from the top of the mast in a loop under his
arms. With a running start across the deck he swung out from the
ship, almost reaching the rock outcropping before swinging back to
the ship. Those on board caught him before he crashed into the base
of the mast. Several more times he tried and came up just short of
reaching the rock outcrop each time. Finally Edna said, "I am
lighter and you could push me further. Let me try."

On the third try she was able to plant her
feet on the rock outcropping. Now she needed to secure the line.
Unfortunately the outcropping had a smooth top without anything to
secure the line to. She called back to the ship, "I need a cleat or
wood wedge to drive into a crack in the rock."

Jeremy climbed to the top of the mast, which
caused the ship to list even more, and tied a loop around the line
leading to Edna. He then slid the wood wedge down the line. The sag
in the line caused the wedge to stop before reaching Edna. She and
those in the boat had to shake the line to gradually move the wedge
to within her reach. When she had secured the wedge the best she
could, she secured the line to the wedge.

Now Jeremy began sliding down the line with
his legs crossed over the line and using his hands to lower
himself. He pulled along a second line somewhat heavier than the
first. With Edna's help he was able to pull himself up onto the
rock outcropping. They then begin climbing the cliff and secured
the heavier line to the base of one of the trees.

While Jeremy and Larby worked to secure
additional lines, Edna scouted the area looking for signs of
danger. There was no evidence of any human activity and many birds
were present, but no other animals. She scouted around their
natural harbor but left the further exploration for later.

When the rope ladder was completed, the
remainder of their crew came ashore with Jason waiting until the
last. They brought ashore only that which they could carry easily.
The first order of business was to provide shelter, and only after
that task was complete did they begin to move more of their stores
ashore. Edna and Jeremy were assigned the responsibility to
complete a survey of the island looking for more suitable
shelter.

Jason insisted that the trunk of books he had
found in the Captain's cabin be brought ashore, and they struggled
greatly moving it along the rope ladder. By nightfall they had
secured the majority of their stores and Edna and Jeremy had
returned. Larby had provided fish for the meal along with seaweed
which he had harvested. It was a satisfying meal although somewhat
meager. The stories around the campfire seemed more genuine when
told with the flickering of the light from the campfire. Everyone
was tired and sleep came easily despite the persistent sensation of
rocking they perceived as their bodies became accustomed again to
the land.

With the morning light came the sounds of the
birds, which made further sleep impossible. After the breaking of
the fast Jason set off with Jeremy and Edna to continue the survey
of the island. He brought along a tablet of paper and was busy
sketching all of the strange plants and birds he saw. This slowed
the progress of exploration markedly, and Edna finally said, "Let
us work as a team with one scouting ahead and one working with
Jason to document what is new."

For those of the Forest the island was a
half-day walk across, but for Jason, who was so busy drawing, it
would take a week to cross the island. On the far side of the
island in the lee of the wind, there was an overhanging ledge which
created several small caves. It looked out to sea but had not the
safety of the harbor. The shore was reached only by scaling the
cliff, but a small beach area was present at low tides. They
arrived back at the main camp after darkness had fully developed.
The others had already begun the evening meal.

Only after the meal was finished did they
report what they had found. Jason was most excited about having
seen many new birds, but those listening were most interested in
the comfort and safety the caves represented. They discussed at
length the work involved in moving their camp and all decided the
effort was worth it. Larby expressed his concern about leaving the
ship, and Jason agreed that the ship represented a valuable
resource. He doubted the ship would ever again float but the planks
aboard the ship could be used to build other boats. A compromise
was reached and the main camp would be moved, but a work party
would be kept to harvest as much lumber as possible from the
ship.

The peace delegates from the North and South
Kingdoms had never been involved with physical labor, and the move
was particularly hard for them despite the help from the others.
Larby and one of the guards stayed behind to work on harvesting
materials for a boat. Jeremy and Edna became the primary providers,
using their skills as hunters to provide meat enough for everyone.
Jeremy was forever experimenting with the roots and seeds they
found, trying to determine what was edible.

The caves were small but well protected after
they had erected walls of driftwood and fronds from the trees. They
had a central cooking and eating area. Jason continually encouraged
those who had never worked to participate more fully in the general
welfare of the group, but they did so only with ongoing complaints,
for this was a life for which they had no preparation. Jason
himself had become a major contributor of eggs and edible plants.
His huge bulk had decreased markedly and he found himself enjoying
the physical exertion of exploration and collecting.

They had been on the island for a full moon
cycle when a small boat was seen approaching. Aboard were Larby and
the guard who had been working with him at the ship. They beached
the boat to cheering from all. They had adapted the small Captain’s
skiff from their ship by adding a deeper keel and used a spar from
their ship as the mast. The boat now supported two small logs on
either side that were held out by booms crossing the boat. There
was a fore and aft sail which Larby dropped as they beached the
boat.

That evening Larby told the group that he
planned on setting sail by himself, trying to locate his people and
secure their rescue. When Jason asked how he would find his way,
Larby responded, "I will sail as my people have always done, using
the currents and waves to find land and the stars to guide at
night." He continued, "I will sail outbound for two weeks and then
return if I have not found my people."

Jason asked, "You can hold supplies for a
four week journey in the small boat?"

Larby said, "I will require only containers
to store water and line for fishing. The sea will provide what I
need."

Jason was greatly troubled by the risk Larby
was taking but knew not what other choice they had. He said, "If
you would sail for your homeland I would expect it to lie yet to
the north and somewhat west. We have not any charts for these
waters but the stars are yet too low in the sky." He then asked,
"How will you navigate without the compass?"

Larby replied, "My people have always
navigated without the compass. I will let the God of the Sea set my
course." Larby explained how he was unable to feel the ocean
properly while aboard the ship and needed the compass. In his small
boat the currents and waves would tell him where the Great Cape was
and from there his home.

That evening the stories had a mixture of
sadness and hope as they prepared for Larby's departure. With the
morning light Larby loaded his small boat with containers for
holding water and his fishing supplies. With the outgoing tide he
departed. Those Left Behind stood silently and watched as the small
sail filled with wind and the distance between them and Larby grew
ever larger. All too soon the boat was lost from sight and those
ashore went back to surviving.

Every day food needed to be collected and
firewood obtained. Their diet continued to be a mix of things from
the sea and from the land. Many of the birds were barely palatable
because of their strong fishy flavor, and the eggs were becoming
harder to obtain as the season progressed.

Jeremy and Jason worked diligently to find
edible plants to supplement their diet. Jeremy was always willing
to try eating a little of almost anything despite Edna's warnings.
The major find was that the large fruit of some of the trees had a
large central nut with good flavor. The center of the nut was
filled with a milky fluid which seemed quite satisfying. Another of
the trees produced a hard black nut which could be cracked open
only with a stone.

Jeremy and Edna spent the morning harvesting
the nuts and trying different ways of opening them without smashing
the contents. One of the nuts was partially cracked opened and he
used his teeth to finish opening it. Edna heard the sound of a
cracking tooth and the grimace on Jeremy's face was proof. As
Jeremy reached into his mouth and removed half of the tooth, Edna
said, "Jeremy of Issip, by the God of the Sacred Water you must
learn to be more careful!" She then asked, "Are you bleeding?"

Jeremy replied, "No, but it does hurt a bit.
I guess using our teeth may not be the best idea, but the nuts do
taste good."

That evening the stories were a little less
colorful because Jeremy was in a somewhat dour mood due to the pain
of his broken tooth. Edna did manage to entertain everyone with the
story of its breaking.

Chapter 7

As Larby sailed away he was concentrating so
hard on trimming his sails that when he finally looked back, his
friends were no longer visible and the island was disappearing into
the curvature of the ocean. Using the sun as his reference he
sailed north by northwest. The little boat was responding well, and
when he finally had the sails trimmed just right it sailed itself,
veering only a few degrees one way or the other from his intended
course.