7. The Baron

Ouch! Angelica woke with a start as a small foot kicked her again in the side. The little girl was dreaming ... no, having a nightmare. "Shush" Angelica tried to settle her, but soon realised she could not feel her right arm for the other little person sleeping on her, and was well outnumbered.

"M'Lady?" Tori-Anna ginned at her "Need some help?"

From beneath the tangle of cloak, children and drowsiness, Angelica looked up meekly. A lifetime of feather beds and maids had not prepared her for this ... not even slightly.

Tori-Anna helped untangle everyone, using a soldier's cloak to wrap the older girl without waking her, and helped Angelica to her feet while the latter kept hold of the young one. Angelica rocked the little girl gently, quietly singing an old nursey rhyming song. It wasn't working at all.

"May I?" Liva had joined them out of the gloom, and Angelica gladly passed over the child who settled quickly. Huh. "I can stay with them if you wish to stretch your legs M'Lady." Liva offered as Tori-Anna rearranged Liva's cloak to cover them better from the wind.

Angelica looked about, feeling the night. The wind was still crisp, the bite of winter not lost despite the fire on the horizon. The rain had eased, but the ship was pitching and rolling more in the swell that had come up. She watched as a sailor made his way forward, one hand loosely holding a rope strung fore and aft. They were deep in the night, the rhythmic clang of the 'Varus Bell' interrupted by jangling interjections, the sea having its turn at crashing the hammer into the plates too. There were some children at the lee rail, with ropes tied about them and a soldier minder; the sound left little to the imagination about how poorly they were coping with the motion of the ship.

"Yes, I will if I may?" Angelica looked to Tori-Anna.

"Of course, but you must obey my orders" her captain replied quietly "and use the safety ropes."

A nod was all that was required; it was night, this was an obviously dangerous environment. Angelica's rank meant nothing next to the duty her Father had charged her captain with: her guard did not exist to protect only from threats from without.

"Did you want to see Cateham?"

"What, he is here?!" Angelica replied quickly.

"Yes, they lowered him into the hold on a sling, with the others. Before you came aboard. Antaryon lead the way."

"Ma'am." the young soldier saluted, and taking hold of the starboard rope began moving forward on the deck, threading his way through clusters of huddled children, some sleeping but many simply staring at the horizon, entranced.

Angelica followed carefully, her cloak wrapped close against the wind. It was tricky, but by pausing when the ship was at the top or bottom of a roll and moving when the deck knew what it was doing she moved forward steadily. After a few dozen paces, she became keenly aware that many of the little faces were now turned towards her. The chaos of emotions were laid bare in the glowing red-yellow light: sadness, detachment, confusion, rage, anguish, respect, hope, fear.

"Please. I'm cold." a small boy's voice interrupted her "and hungry".

She looked down at the lad, taken aback slightly when she realised he was about her own age, the voice likely a deliberate ploy from one dressed in a very fine heavy green woolen cloak.

"Well then" Tori-Anna responded without hesitation "get up and do some work to warm up" she added with a hint of sarcasm in her voice "Baron."

Chided the lad had no honourable choice but to stand, and now he was standing he realized he was obliged to bow, too, for Angelica had not moved on. "M'Lady, Baron Maygus at your service."

He is good. Not a trace of disrespect for me to reproach him with.

"We are pleased to meet you." Angelica dipped her head as she held on tightly to the rope, the words formal and cool as the night air.

As Angelica moved forward, Tori-Anna stepped deftly behind her, forcing Maygus to follow rather than to trust him at her Lady's back. Accidents happened ... but not on her watch, other than perhaps to the Baron. His family's reputation well suited the crude sloth that was drawn on their arms. It was widely known that their wealth was from the toil of those who worked 'their' mines rather than from their skill or deeds. An uncommonly favourable marriage had been promptly followed by a series of unfortunate accidents never quite explained. The memory was too recent for the clouds to have yet departed, the deeds not yet accepted as merely a light step in the great dance. No, Maygus was young and his lineage worthy enough to be here, yet somehow Tori-Anna could not escape wishing she had her shield slung over her back. Just in case.

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Antaryon had led them past the main hold, which was surrounded by a half wall to keep waves at bay. A curved roof or planks with heavy canvas then battens laid upon it kept it proof from the weather, the whole thing lashed down to metal rings in the deck. He moved to a smaller hatch set amidships, and knocked twice on its wooden roof. After a short delay and the sound of bolts being drawn, a sailor pushed the hatch open from below allowing a plume of yellow lamp light to escape. And the smell. Seeing who it was the well built sailor smiled and beckoned them in, his quip about the aroma lost to the wind, sounds of the sea and the babble of noise from below.

Antaryon was first to take up the invitation, then Tori-Anna took Angelica's cloak and watched as her Lady easily climbed down the wooden ladder, despite being in a formal dress. Tori-Anna then pointedly stood by the hatch so Maygus could not climb down too, earning a dark glare. She smiled sweetly in reply, like a wildcat that has just eaten a leffit feigning innocence despite the fresh blood on its fur.

The air was unpleasantly close, and the noise surprisingly loud. Everywhere Angelica looked were barrels, boxes, and cages with critters in them, including tied under the roof. A leffit was hissing loudly, running around frantically in its cage trying to simultaneously attack and flee from her it seemed. The feeling was mutual; Angelica had never liked the odd lizard things at all, their light blue skin, pink spines and green eyes just felt like a mistake by the Qin that made them. The sailor pulled back a heavy curtain hung from the roof, revealing a stall with two fine young horses within.

Caterham whickered at Angelica in greeting, and she moved immediately to place her hand upon his muzzle, gently rubbing. "Has he been groomed lately?"

"No M'Lady, we have everything packed in so close it isn't safe."

Yes, of course. There should never be two horses in a stall made for one, and horses hated travel by sea in the first place.

"Curry comb please". The sailor fetched it for her, and Angelica slipped into the stall, ignoring Antaryon's pleas. She reintroduced herself to the other horse in there, Maii, a quiet young mare she had ridden a few times before, and began to work the comb in a gentle circular motion over Caterham's shoulders. As silly as it might be to have gone into the stall, she was not totally blind to Antaryon's concerns and was careful to not linger between the horses and the wall lest she be accidentally crushed.

Caterham was clearly enjoying it ... and Maii tapped her hoof very unsubtly until she had a rub as well. Angelica knew she was tempting fate though and did not brush their coats and legs or look to their hooves. That would just have to wait. She did climb out then get a brush and wipe their faces, followed by a sponge to carefully and cautiously clean their eyes, nose and lips. They both looked very pleased with themselves when she was done, and Angelica petted them in turn.

"Do you know what happened?" Angelica asked quietly.

"No M'lady?" the sailor replied, perplexed.

"Please keep an eye for something loose in here biting the horses. There are bite marks on Caterham's neck. There." she pointed out the dark spots, now obvious after the comb. "He will be fine I expect, but I will need to keep an eye in case they go bad."

"Certainly M'Lady, I will pass the word."

"Oh and who mucks out the stalls?" she asked.

"We take the panel off at the back and clean them as best we can from the other side M'Lady. And by we, I mean whoever is about. It's tricky in here, and too dangerous for the little ones."

"You are in luck" she smiled "on deck is Baron Maygus, it's nice and warm in here, ask him to assist you" the lamplight reflecting playfully off her eyes "and use my name if he says no."

The sailor made no attempt to hide his laughter at the turnabout, after all the animals were all keeping each other awake anyway tonight and Angelica was safely out of the stall.

As she put back the grooming things a large yellow billed white duck lunged at her between the bars of its cage, quacking for all it was worth. Behind was a smaller duck with black wings and tail with a black blaze upon its head. Both wore neat little red capes, to stop them thrashing their wings against the cage.

Redoubling his laughter, the sailor managed to gasp out the words "He's Zets. The other one is Literal." he reached over, giving the duck some feed "meet our alarm system" he paused to breathe "and I'll mind to watch over Caterham; he's a good sort. M'Lady." He stepped shushed the duck again, and after glancing about that the Lady had not dropped anything, bade her good night.

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Tori-Anna waited until Angelica was firmly on the deck again before draping the beautiful dark blue cloak over her shoulders, her eyes not missing the shiver the wind visited upon Angelica. "Are you sure you do not wish to stay below a while longer?"

"No, thank you. It was good to visit Caterham though."

Antaryon had clambered up the ladder as well, and after donning his own coat began to move forward at his captain's discrete hand signal.

Following close behind Angelica was struck by just how many children there were packed onto this ship. Was it a big ship? It was the biggest she had ever seen, certainly. But that was not saying much, as they did most of their trading by land. Father's old capital in the South had been a far larger port, but she had never visited it. Nor had she visited Mother's old capital either, of course. To unify the two Nations they had chosen a pretty city on the coast to be their new combined capital. And it was exceptionally pretty.

Would it ever be again? When the flames stop, what will remain? Will I ever go back? Should we?

Angelica followed Antaryon up close to the prow, where two bundles of wool were on lookout, one sitting each side of the bowsprit.

"M'Lady" one of them called out pleasantly "come, look!"

Antaryon moved carefully to one side, his swordarm 'conveniently' free, as Angelica moved forward and peered down in the direction of the boy's arm.

Dolphins!

They were playing in the water, surfing on the waves thrown out by the bow of the ship as it surged though the water. Here, watching the bow lift and drop as it cut into the waves, Angelica truly appreciated just how good their little fleet was. They might not be the biggest, nor the fastest, and they had no navy at all, yet these ships were built for the open ocean. She had seen pictures of fanciful ships with tall castles upon them built for war, others with huge square sails and ranks of oars for raiding or battle, but these were built for one purpose alone. To survive all that the winter oceans could hurl at them.

And the dolphins twisted and lept, swimming fast from astern, catching the wave, and with a flick of their tales flying out of the water for a short distance before diving back in, the light on the horizon playing over them.

"You know those would be good eating" the other lookout said wistfully.

"Never" replied the first. "You know it's bad luck to mess with any of Oceanus' favourite children. The dolphins, selkie, merfolk, and the rest."

"But we've only ever seen dolphins, no?"

"Well yes, but that's because we stick to fish and don't anger Oceanus, no?"

"Point." the lookout replied cheerily, patting the ship for luck.

"Here friend" the lookout threw a chunk of fresh fish over the side, and one of the dolphins lept and caught it before it hit the water.

Angelica looked up in wonder. "Where did you get the fish?"

"M'Lady" the boy chuckled "you see the fishing ships around us? It passes the time." from beneath his blanket cocoon he produced a stick with a waxed cord wrapped about it, with a shiny hook at the end of a cleverly made silver plate in the shape of a small fish. "Want to borrow mine?"

This is their home Angelica realized. Not everyone lost everything. Wait I'm jealous ... stop that! I should just be delighted for them. I must be.

"Perhaps in the morning?" Angelica replied, smiling a genuine smile of happiness as she watched the dolphins play, including the one with a grey spot who had caught the fish piece, leaping and looking at them in hope of an encore snack.

She didn't even notice the light rain, or the curses from further back on the deck as the sailor delivered the good news to Maygus that he would be quite warm at last.

------------//-------------

"Portside!" yelled the lookout, "in the water!"

Angelica started out of her reverie, looking in the direction the boy pointed.

Suddenly Zalori was standing beside them, peering as well "Port 15!" he bellowed back down the deck to the helm, the order relayed by the sailors between in case it got lost on the wind.

Ah. The rope in his hand gave it away - he had been aloft. In this?

"Wreckage M'Lady" Zalori said evenly "Ready lines and hooks!" he yelled back.

"Listen" one of the lookouts called suddenly. "There!"

A line with a hook arced out from the expert throw of a sailor on the port rail, who was quickly aided hauling it in. "Bah! lost it!" as the splash of heavy wet wood falling back in dashed their plan.

"Rope!" another yelled as he threw his shirt on the deck, rapidly tying a bowline in the end of the heavy rope he had looped about his chest just beneath the arms. Another sailor grabbed the other end and tied it off to a pin as the first dove over the side.

"Haul him back in over the stern!" Zalori bellowed, rushing quickly astern yelling to keep children out of the way if the line went taut.

"Got it!" the sailor yelled from the water below, and after he had been swept just past the stern they hauled him out clutching his prize.

Angelica had followed back aft as well, although ushered to the opposite side to the sailors by Antaryon and Tori-Anna so as to not impede the rescue. She gasped in surpirse.

It was a cat. A ragged ginger cat that had been clinging to a piece of wreckage. The poor thing looked absolutely wretched, but it was obviously delighted to no longer be on the water alone, rubbing its head against the sailor's chin.

"I'll name it Spike!" the sailor proudly proclaimed, to a great cheer from all.