Day Sixty-three

With the coming of first light myself , Stump and Faren have returned to the decks of the Dromannion. Two of our number remain aboard the Equinox to help with the tending of those Kraagers that are too ill to move, but the rest of us have been ordered back to the flagship. News travels fast aboard ship and even though we are separated by the wash of the sea the news we have just heard has spread quickly through the Fleet. The Maturi of the Kraagers has given our Captain a new direction to travel. Now we are to sail north, making for a group of islands Paderian Hedj calls the Laerion. There we will find food and fresh water springs enough to re-provision before heading west once again. It has been proven true that the newcomers do indeed have knowledge of the west and they tell of a great land that spreads to the edge of the world. It is a great distance to travel however, and finding the islands of Laerion is necessary before making for the deep ocean. Without such a landfall we will not have the supplies needed to reach the new world that awaits us.

The morning has been spent organising accommodation for the Kraagers evenly throughout the Fleet. The Maturi and few of his attendants have remained aboard the Dromannion but most of the rest of his people have found berths elsewhere. They have been eagerly accepted aboard their new homes and by midday the Fleet was ready to weigh anchor and continue. As before the scout ships have taken the lead but this time it is not to feel our way forward in unfamiliar territory. Each now has one of the Kraagers aboard, with knowledge of what lies ahead and a definite plan as to where we are headed.

With the Fleet once again under sail I find myself busy with the duties of my craft. Most of my time is spent below decks and most of the duties I perform are now done unsupervised. The Healer Faren has enough confidence in all of his Assistants to leave us mostly to ourselves. It is clear what we must do and with the ship crowded with evacuees there is little time available for anything other than the prosecution of our duties. There are still those moments when we can relax but they are proving less and less frequent.

In the evening of this day I was called to the Healer Faren's rooms. There had been a development with the NomDruse boy named Meriarrum and my first thoughts were that his condition had worsened. In the cramped quarters I found the Healer and the young boy himself, sitting in a chair and looking as if he was in some type of trouble. I greeted the Healer and he motioned for me to examine the child. To my amazement I found his skin condition had completely healed. There was no sign of scaring or of any of the other signs that would be associated with a blood disease. His mouth was healed and his lungs clear.

The Healer Faren told me that his remarkable recovery had occurred some time ago, having gone unnoticed in the general commotion of the finding of the Kraagers. Faren had no answer as to what might have instigated such a recovery. In his experience such afflictions took weeks to overcome and always resulted in scaring of the skin. The boy seemed to be in perfect health.

Once Meriarrum had been looked at Faren sent him back to his quarters. As soon as it was apparent that we would not be overheard the obvious questions were raised. Was Stump ever alone with the children? If he was, how could he have effected such a remarkable recovery? Faren was honest about the nature of the boy's disease. Without treatment he could have died, but that treatment had hardly started before the boy had been presented to Faren fully healed.

In answer to the Healer's questions I could only say that there was just the one time that the northerner would have been alone with the children, and that was during the last storm to hit the Fleet. Given the circumstances he could have done anything in the privacy of the children's quarters without any notice being given to it. I could not say what he did, I have not witnessed the exercise of that power myself, but I could not deny that there was a chance he was responsible.

Faren sat back into his chair and placed his hands together. In his eyes I could see he was deciding something, and he took only a moment to do it. Carefully he raised himself and stepped over to a small porthole that gave the room its only natural light. He looked out at the heaving ocean as he spoke, and what he had to say proved surprising to say the least.

Faren knew who Stump was. From the moment that Captain Rendell had described the attack on his ship to Duschet he had known the northerner's identity. The name Shalengael was familiar to him. Like myself he had said nothing at the time. He also could see the benefit in not exposing him, the power that he possessed far more valuable if left undisturbed. The man we knew as Stump was indeed known to his people as Shalengael, and it was a name rooted in the deepest history of Adoracia.

As the Dromannion pitched with the rise and fall of the sea Faren spoke softly as he explained what he knew of the northerner's past. The man Stump was no ordinary sailor. This was plainly evident by the miraculous powers that he could harness, and the knowledge of the world he possessed, but there was much more. The look on Faren's face left me in no doubt that he was serious, and the tale he told went far beyond anything I could have expected.

Long before the time of reason within which we now live, the peoples of Adoracia supplicated themselves to many gods. For most believers the gods were distant beings who affected the lives of mortal men from afar, influencing their lives through the subtle manipulation of circumstance. A few men believed differently. For them the fate of our existence could be affected directly through the manipulation of a power they called the Hev'duil, and it was available only to those who had come into personal contact with it. It was their belief that the wind held such power, and that there were certain places in the world where such power had a physical presence. Those who had an affinity with the wind could take the Hev'duil and give it form and direction. Such men were known to others as the Gaels.

In their time they were men of power, with an unlimited ability to change and manifest their will upon the world. To wield such power however, came with its own lethal difficulties. They were both feared and despised even though there was no evidence they did anything but good in the world. Those that feared them shunned them and forced them into the wilds of the north. Those that despised them coveted their power and planned for their destruction. One by one they were hunted down and murdered. Even with the power of the Hev'duil at their command they were not immune to treachery and deceit. With the passing of the last of their number the knowledge of their lore was lost. In time the world forgot them and the nature of their power diminished into legend. Till this time those that still remembered the Gaels thought them all dead. The Healer now had to entertain the possibility that one may have survived.

Faren moved back to his chair and pulled an old book from an uneven stack of documents that had been crammed onto his work-table. Within its cracked and broken contents the Healer searched for a particular page and pointed at a name scratched faintly into the parchment. There was no doubt it said "Shalengael" and it named him as one of the Gaels, a Master of the Lore of the Hev'duil.

With such information before me I could see no reason to keep what I knew secret any longer. I told Faren of my own suspicions and what I had seen within the ruins of Corin'kraag. I said also that like himself I had no wish to expose the man. Everything he had done to this time had only been in the best interests of the Fleet, and there was at least one man who would not be alive but for his intervention. The Healer took in everything I said and then offered the terms of a pact to be wrought between us. For the moment we will say nothing. There could be no other explanation except that Stump was indeed Shalengael, and with someone of such power aboard it would be better that he believed his secret secure. I left Faren to his thoughts and returned to my quarters. There was only one nagging doubt that haunted me as I made my way to my hammock. If the northerner was indeed Shalengael then he would have to be more than six hundred years old. It was a long time to be in hiding.

Maps of the voyage
The Chronicles of Arborell
A Glossary of Terms

Day Sixty-two

With the rescue of the Kraager survivors the number of souls aboard the Fleet has increased considerably. At this time the newcomers are spread widely amongst the different vessels that took part in the rescue but the largest number are to be found aboard the Equinox. I have stayed aboard with Faren and a few others of our craft to help with the tending of the injured and it has proven a difficult task. The newcomers do not seem disposed to making known what injuries they might have sustained in the attack against their fleet, and almost two days after we are still finding people with broken bones and deeper injuries that are only coming to light with the appearance of bruising and inflammation. The fact that almost none of the newcomers speak any of the common tongues of Adoracia has not helped. As has been required previously we have turned to Stump for translation of our questions and his skills have proven just as effective as before. The northerner's capacity as a polyglot seems to know few boundaries and Captain Rendell has kept him close as the remainder of the Fleet reorganises for the return to our journey.

There is one man amongst the newcomers who is of particular interest. Introduced as Paderian Hedj, he is the accepted leader of the newcomers. As Stump describes him he is a Maturi, or Elder of his people, and although he looks no more than middle-aged he shows all the signs of a man used to leadership. It has surprised us to find that the Maturi Hedj also has a great knowledge of language, and although I did not realise it at first, it was this man of all the other newcomers that Stump had seemed most interested in. The Maturi has spent much time aboard the Dromannion talking with Captain Duschet and the other officers of the Fleet. There are rumours moving through the Equinox that the newcomers have brought with them knowledge of the west. If this is true then we may all benefit from their rescue.

Whether the rumours prove true or not cannot detract from the curious nature of the newcomers. They have demonstrated remarkable recuperative powers, and even though it has been less than two days since their rescue most are strong enough to stand and take food on their own. Broken bones and deeper injuries will take time, but they have an indomitable spirit that has seen many of them up and about, helping with their less fortunate comrades.

I do not understand their language, even for the Haarn Kingdoms it sounds alien and guttural, but the people themselves, men, women and children all exhibit great optimism for their circumstances and it has proven heartening to all of us who may have doubts about where we are going. It is in my thoughts that if they truly do have knowledge of the west then we may indeed find a new home, one far enough from the Enemy to be safe.

It has been another busy day and none of us can say what the morrow might bring. In the dark of this evening I can feel the breath of a growing wind rising in the east, rocking the Dromannion at its anchor as the ship rises and falls in the sea's languid ebb. I have heard at the evening meal that we are again to continue our journey westwards with the coming morning. As I look out over a still sea I can only speculate on where our destiny may lie. After the events of the past days there is the possibility that other vessels may well be found out here. Could there be the ships of other Fleets that escaped the Enemy ahead of us? Or are we now alone?

Maps of the voyage
The Chronicles of Arborell
A Glossary of Terms

Day Sixty-one

It is with a great sense of satisfaction that I recount the events of this past day. The recovery of the newcomers from the chill of the Grey Sea has changed the focus of all our activities for the foreseeable future. All are unwell but there are a few of their number who have begun to recount who they are, and how they were found in such distress. It is probably not surprising that Stump has provided most of the information that we now have on the newcomers. He has communicated freely with them, and in the course of these conversations has confirmed that these people have come from the Haarn. This is not surprising, there was much about the ships and debris that indicated they had originated from the Haarn Kingdoms but who they are has come as a surprise. Our new brethren are known to the Haarn as "Kraagers" or in a loose translation as stone slaves, people of the southern lands enslaved generations ago to mine and quarry the harsh regions of the south. It seems that they have quite a story to tell, and it is one that has given us all hope.

For generations the Kraagers had toiled under the subjugation of the Haarn, providing the fine stone used in the buildings and other works that we had seen so thoroughly destroyed by the Enemy. Such was the power of their masters that none could throw off the shackles of their servitude until the coming of our mutual foe. With the news that a great force was advancing upon them their guards left the Kraagers to their own fate and fled towards Corin'kraag. In the confusion that followed the slaves collected their families and made for the coast, their goal to take ships and escape into the Grey Sea. They knew that they would find no help from their Haarn masters so they made for a small fishing village south of Corin'kraag called Illeath. Here they found fishing trawls and other vessels that could be used to transport their number into the safety of the sea. All the townsfolk of Illeath had fled to the perceived safety of Corin'kraag and with a small fleet at anchor the Kraagers took the ships for their own. Unlike the Haarn, and for that matter ourselves, the Kraagers knew the nature of the Enemy. It had been foretold to them in a vision and they had acted on the belief that the Enemy was insurmountable, the only way to survive was to escape. The Grey Sea would be their refuge as well.

Although not skilled men of the sea they knew enough to raise anchor and head directly west. From what I have been able to tell they left Illeath only days before we first arrived in Corin'kraag and have been at sea since. Without proper provisions or supplies they have struggled westwards and had turned to the northwest only in the past few days. It was in the early hours of the day before our finding of their wrecked ships that they met the full force of a power they could not defend against.

Before daybreak a Behemoth rose out of the sea beneath their small ships and rolled slowly in the waves, much as we have seen in the midst of our own vessels. For the Kraagers however, this benign action began a series of events that led to the destruction of their fleet. As they watched a huge fin came down upon three of their number and in doing so the beast impaled itself upon one of the masts. In a fit of pain and anger the creature threw up its huge body and crashed down within the centre of the fleet in an attempt to dislodge the offending splinter. In seconds a dozen of the vessels were swamped in a huge wave of displaced water. The creature sank into the depths as the remaining Kraagers raced to the aid of their brethren. The Behemoth was not finished though. Enraged, it thrust its way upwards once again, breaching in the centre of the converging fleet, lifting its entire body out of the water. In one final assault it crashed back into the sea, and with its fall threw up a wall of water that swamped or overturned every remaining craft. Many died in those few minutes but many found refuge on wreckage and debris. For a day and a night the Kraagers remained in the water, waiting for the return of the huge creature. It did not come. Instead the masts of the Equinox presented themselves and rather than death they found salvation. To now that has been their story.

It is a tale that I record here, but it leaves open further questions that cannot be answered until they have recovered sufficiently. Stump has found one of their number who he has singled out for special attention. Why he has is unknown to me, but I believe all will become clear enough in time. For the moment we must spend our efforts giving them all the care they need. This means also for the moment that I will be remaining aboard the Equinox. I do know one thing though. These Kraagers may have been slaves of the Haarn but here upon the high seas they have no such status. Aboard these ships we are all free men and so it shall be for these souls as well.

Maps of the voyage
The Chronicles of Arborell
A Glossary of Terms

Day Sixty

At first light this morning warning flares burst high in the air above our scout ships. From the Equinox and the Usul long trails of red flame rose high into the morning air before extinguishing against the morning winds. I was above decks at the time. I have found it a good time to relax before the duties of the day, and with the early watch I saw the flares for myself as they arched away to the north. Captain Duschet was called immediately and the full armament of the Dromannion was brought to readiness. In such things I can play no part. The bolt-crews are well-practiced and in a flurry of activity they organised themselves along the port and starboard sides of the decks. In the commotion I went unnoticed and decided to watch everything from the vantage of the quarterdeck balusters.

Whilst the rest of the Fleet waited the Dromannion advanced on the position held by the Equinox. I knew the scout-ship to be fully armed and wondered as we approached as to the nature of the warning. There was no sign of violence or danger, but all the scouts had come together in a tight formation awaiting the arrival of the flagship. It was only as we rode the last kilometre to their position that I saw the first indication of their distress. With my eyes fixed firmly on the ships ahead I did not notice much else until I heard an impact against the hull of the Dromannion. Glancing down I found myself looking into a tide of debris, consisting of pieces of wood, personal possessions and maritime equipment. In the midst of it I also spied a body.

At that same moment the watch cried out from the crowsnest and the Captain and his officers went to the port side of the ship. There I could see their faces change and as I looked down into the waters I began to see more and more detritus flowing past the ship. Bodies and the splintered remains of many vessels lay bobbing in the waves, being dragged by the current to some unknown destination. Duschet called out commands and soon a number of the crew were at work, fishing what they could from the water as the Dromannion ploughed towards the scout ships. Their efforts were rewarded with a gruesome haul, for amongst the detritus were three bodies, and all looked like they had been in the water for at least a few days.

The Captain called for the Healer Faren and right then my detachment from these proceedings ended. With the help of the Healer and a few of my colleagues we arranged the bodies for examination, and on the mid-deck began a detailed search for their cause of death. Faren was able to determined quickly that they had all died of drowning, only one showing sign of an injury. With this information at hand the Dromannion forged ahead, making for the Equinox with all speed. It was only then that I began to see something else, just beyond the line of our ships. And as the light grew brighter it became far clearer. It was a thicket of masts and torn sail, reaching into the air like broken fingers of wood. Ahead of us were the remains of ships, and they were not ours.

Quickly we made the position of the Equinox and pulled alongside. Against the bulk of the Dromannion the Equinox was small by comparison, but what lay ahead of both ships was beyond their capacity to handle alone. In the water lay the sinking remains of at least thirty ships, and across a wide area floated hundreds of survivors, hanging on to whatever debris gave them salvation from the grip of the waves. In amongst the tangle rowed the skiffs of the Equinox and the other scouts, hauling men, women and children to safety. Since first light they had been at it and already the deck of the Equinox was covered with the limp bodies of many exhausted souls.

Within that first minute a flare was shot high, calling the Fleet forward and Faren apportioned out the duties for his Assistants. I went with Stump and the Healer onto the deck of the Equinox and we began to determine who needed help most. Everybody who had been pulled from the water was chilled to the bone and many of the children needed immediate attention. It was to be the beginning of a very long day.

Whilst we tended those aboard the Equinox the rest of the Fleet gathered at the edges of the debris. Quickly lifeboats were dropped from their davits and soon the sea was alive with rescuers, searching the debris field and pulling all who still had breath from the cold embrace of the sea. In those few hours more than six hundred people were hauled out of the water, and for the remainder of the day the remnants of their vessels were searched for belongings and goods that might be useful to the progress of the Fleet. None of the ships that had brought these people to this point lasted the afternoon. All succumbed to the damage that had been wrought upon them, and to the last they sank into the depths. With great pride I can say that all who could be saved were saved. No-one was left behind. We are left now with questions that must be answered, and uppermost in all our minds is who are these people, and how did they get here?

Such questions must wait however. Those that we have saved are spread amongst all the ships of the Fleet and for the moment we can only tend to their distress. There is much about them though that is different. All wear the same grey-coloured clothing, and although it is of a style I have not seen before it appears to be some type of uniform. Curiously even the children wear the same drab coverings and I am sure that they do not originate in Adoracia. Although they seem to be a powerfully built people they are shorter than most men I have known. At their tallest they must stand only shoulder high but this is something that I am not sure about. None have had the energy to do anything except rest in the arms of their saviours. There will be time enough to find out everything about our new brethren later.

After such a tumultuous event I now take the time to rest and complete my journal for this day. The newcomers are a most unusual addition to our number but there has been no suggestion that they will do anything except come with us on our journey. There is truly nowhere that they can now go, and it has been remarked that it can be no coincidence that we have met them heading in the same direction as our own Fleet. For my own part I feel something in these people that I have seen in the northerner. It may just be the strength that is evident in them all but there are secrets here as well, secrets that I feel will be of benefit to everyone. It is just a feeling but it is one I cannot shake. Only time will tell.

Maps of the voyage
The Chronicles of Arborell
A Glossary of Terms

Day Fifty-nine

Finally the rain has ended and we have arisen from below decks to find the Fleet dispersed far to the north and south of our position. Flares have been fired, calling all of the ships together and this morning has been spent taking account of the Fleet. As far as can be seen we have suffered no losses, and in the calm that has followed the rain all the vessels of our number have closed into tight formation. Message flags have been used to speak amongst us and some of the news has proven worrying. Illness has broken out on three ships, the cause and remedy unknown. Luckily each of the vessels has a Healer of their own and for the moment they have cautioned the transfer of any additional help until it can be ascertained as to what the affliction might be. For the moment the Healers have decided to keep the ships quarantined as we return to our voyage. Water stocks however, have been fully replenished. At least on this point we will have no need to worry for at least the next fourteen days.

Maps of the voyage
The Chronicles of Arborell
A Glossary of Terms

Day Fifty-seven

The storm continues but the winds have retreated, a deluging rain all that remains of the weatherfront. For all of this day we have had rain and only the crew have been allowed on to the upper decks. I continue my work as usual but being below decks without sight of sun or sky is proving very disheartening. The cold has abated and everything is damp, the rain finding its way to all decks of the vessel. Providence has given us what we have asked for in an abundance that has drenched us to the bone. There seems to be no end to the downpour and in its all-embracing shroud we can see nothing of the other ships. We can only hope that none have come to harm.

Maps of the voyage
The Chronicles of Arborell
A Glossary of Terms

Day Fifty-six

There is an old saying amongst the Tendu peoples of eastern Adoracia that a man should be careful of what he wishes for. For the peoples of our Fleet we have certainly got more than we asked. In the early hours of this morning a stormfront moved in from the south, and we have been visited with a day of rain and high winds that have dispersed our ships, and left us fighting to keep the Dromannion in good order. Unlike previous storms this tempest does not have the uncontrolled fury of its predecessors. We are confronted however, with changing winds and a continuous rain that has found its way through the entire ship as a floating mist.

On the decks above the crew struggles with the conditions, the winds turning in all directions, tearing down rigging and throwing furled sails onto the decks below. The Captain has been forced to turn the Dromannion into the winds and it is a constant battle to keep the ship stable in a churning sea. Above all we can feel the cold that has come with this bluster. All hatches have been covered and only the crew remains above. Below decks we must be content with listening to the howl of the winds and placing our trust in the skill of the Captain and his crew.

In the midst of this storm I have found that nothing can safely be done. Our duties lay uncompleted, and we spend our time instead huddled in our quarters, listening to the gales and talking amongst ourselves. The cold creeps in to our small room like a thief in the dark and we have all resorted to throwing on extra clothes to keep warm. Only one task must be completed and it has fallen to Stump to do it. It must be ensured that the children are warm and the northerner has left to ensure this. The rest of us cannot help as we must wait in case a call comes from above for help. The storm rages on and the only person I can think of who might be happy about it will be the WaterMaster. I believe our stores will be replenished quickly.

Maps of the voyage
The Chronicles of Arborell
A Glossary of Terms

Day Fifty-five

As of yet we have seen no rain, the skies remain clear, only wisps of cloud break what is a perfect vault of blue above us. The WaterMaster has reported to the Captain that we have less than a week's supply at our current usage but there is little we can do. Rations are as low as it is safe to take them and unless rain comes we will find ourselves in dire need. We all look to the horizon, hoping to see the beginnings of weather but as of yet there has been nothing.

The prospect of running out of water has not reduced the duties that we must perform however. Our routine runs as always and I find little time available for relaxation. Hygiene below decks is becoming an issue. With large numbers of people living in close quarters it is becoming more difficult to maintain clean conditions, and we are starting to see the emergence of many minor complaints associated with the cramped accommodations. For the moment we seem able to tend to these problems but Faren has warned us that it will take only one serious illness and we may not be able to control what will follow.

It was in the mid-afternoon that I was witness to the highlight of our day. About us the Fleet is ranged in a wide pattern and although there are many ships in our number we manage to keep distance between us for safety. At the second bell past noon a call went up from the watch above and I was lucky enough to be on deck when it came. Off the starboard bow rose a behemoth of the deep, not unlike that which I saw aboard the Equinox but far greater in size. Its ridged back appeared out of the waters between the Dromannion and the Avernell, a huge triangular shaped fin clearing the water and lifting up into the air. I have no doubt that the fin alone was twice the height of the Dromannion's mainmast, and as it slid over on its side it sank back into the impenetrable waters, then resurfaced again before diving back into the depths. For those who had not seen such a creature before the sight of its immense form gave pause to think, and to consider the nature of the beasts that must live beneath us. This behemoth was larger than that which I had previously experienced and it does make me wonder if these creatures will get bigger the further we travel into the west. I do not see them as dangerous, but something that lives on such a vast scale can have no real regard for flotsam as fragile as our own ships. We could be crushed and the behemoth might not even notice.

Maps of the voyage
The Chronicles of Arborell
A Glossary of Terms

Day Fifty-four

The dream has haunted me for the past three days, but I cannot let it gain an importance it may not deserve. There is much to be done and our duties do not get any lighter. The provision of fresh water is now becoming a problem, one that only rain can solve, and we have been without a good downpour for more than a week. We have all been placed on reduced rations until suitable rain refills the water stores.

It is on this day that I can report an interesting turn of events regarding the routine of our ship. All of us have our duties, but the constant work of the day does not forestall the eruption of quarrelling amongst our number. Such disturbances have become commonplace and although they have not yet affected the running of the ship, it is only a matter of time before a serious dispute will polarise the evacuees and cause great discord amongst us. To ensure that trivial disputes do not grow into events that can cause disharmony the Captain has ordered the establishment of the position of Administrator. Such a position is to be held by the ship's Second Officer and all matters pertaining to rations, quartering and personal affront are to be directed to him. On all questions of arbitration he will have the last word, and with the full authority of the Captain can dispense whatever remedy is required to settle disputes. I believe it is a good idea. Whether it works will be something only the future can unveil.

Maps of the voyage
The Chronicles of Arborell
A Glossary of Terms