Chapter 65: Disembarking

Captain Hanook had accompanied Irin and Koth into the cargo hold, as Irin wanted to check on the horses. She was relieved to see that both were doing well. Maximus and Glima seemed to have taken to travelling by ship with ease. The sea had been calmer since the night before, and even Koth looked a lot better. His grumpiness hadn't been this low since they had come aboard.

"We will slow down a little. If we keep up the current speed, we will come into dock in the middle of the night. I try to avoid that, so prepare to be on the ship for one more night," Captain Hanook told them as they made their way back up on deck. "Will you be eating dinner with us today?" he asked with a grin.

"Are you serving fish stew?" Koth asked. The captain laughed.

"No, I think it's meat stew today," he said.

"Maybe," Koth told him. Irin was happy they would disembark the next day. She would miss the captain and would have liked to get to know him better, but she didn't want Koth to suffer, and it was kind of boring after the first few days on the ship. She was worried that she was becoming addicted to adrenaline and the high-stakes life.

Later in the evening, Koth felt well enough for them to eat dinner with the rest of the crew. It was the first time they had eaten real food and not just stale bread. Everyone in the crew understood that Koth was ready to kill anyone who came close to Irin. This meant they relaxed and didn't try anything. Irin found most of them nice. They seemed happy that they would be in the capital the next day. They told Irin they would have two weeks of shore leave before their next journey. Someone even took out an accordion and started to play. Soon the crew had started singing. Irin tried not to listen too closely to the lyrics.

"Bed or hammock?" she asked when they got back to their cabin.

"Bed," Koth told her. "I will make sure you don't get hurt."

"Shouldn't you promise we won't roll out of bed?" she asked with a smile.

"That would have the potential of making me a liar. Even if we do fall out, I will make sure you are safe, that is a promise I can keep," he told her. She laughed and made herself comfortable in the bed next to him. Irin was just as happy to be back on the bed.

The next morning, Irin and Koth stood on deck and watched as the ship entered the harbour of the capital. It was a much larger harbour than the one in Messilinger. The city spread out as far as they could see, and mixed in with the common folk were noble men and women, who were easy to spot as they had silk clothes and wore their riuon clearly visible. Even easier to spot were the city guard in their white and silver uniforms.

"Have you been here before?" Irin asked Koth. She felt overwhelmed by the city. Gahndas had seemed enormous to her, but this city was like its own small country.

"I have. My master took me and Meghart to live here for a couple of months, and I have been back for shorter visits since then. Sometimes I make a trip here when I need supplies that are hard to find anywhere else," he told her. He let go of her hand and wrapped his arm around her.

"Don't let me walk around alone, I will get hopelessly lost," she said. Koth chuckled and kissed her hair.

"Don't worry, little one. I'm not planning on letting you out of my sight while we are here." It made her feel better. Captain Hanook came walking up to them.

"We will be docked within the hour. We will unload you and your horses first so we can then work in peace," he told them.

"Thank you. Do you know of a place close to the harbour where we can stable the horses?" Koth asked him. The captain nodded as he was thinking.

"It's a good idea not to bring the horses into the city centre. I know the person who is running the stable near the east dock. Go there, tell him I sent you, and tell him he needs to wash his feet in wine; he will understand."

"Thank you," Irin said. While the captain walked away to ensure the docking process went smoothly, Irin and Koth remained. Irin felt nervous; the city introduced a lot of uncertainty into their lives, and they still hadn't figured out what their next move should be. The unloading of the horses was over in a heartbeat, and soon Irin and Koth stood on solid land again. Irin found she had got used to the rolling of the ship, and it felt strange to be on firm ground.

"If you ever need another trip over the ocean, we would be more than happy to have you along. I might even give you a discount next time as you don't seem to eat any food," Captain Hanook told them.

"Thank you, we might take you up on that," Koth said. Irin could tell he hated the idea.

"And don't lose hope. I will keep an eye out for a solution," Irin told the captain. He gave her a sad smile.

"Sometimes you just have to make peace with the hand you are dealt," he said.

"Maybe, but not always. Take care of yourself, Captain," she told him and patted his arm before she and Koth led their horses in the direction of the stables.

"What was that about?" Koth asked.

"I learned something about the captain the other night," she answered.

"And you're not going to tell me what?"

"No. I will keep his secret for now. It's not something that will affect us," she told him. Koth nodded. "Happy to be back on land?" she asked, and he huffed.

"I have come to the conclusion that I'm not made to be on the sea," he confessed. Irin smiled at him.

"Does that mean we go the rest of the way to... our destination by land?" she wanted to know. Koth made a face.

"No. I still think the best way would be by ship," he told her.

"But, Koth, that is a much longer journey. I'm afraid you will starve before we get there," she protested.

"I will just have to suck it up. It's better than us risking travelling across most of the south," he said. Irin nodded; she knew he was sacrificing his own comfort to ensure she was as safe as she could be. They got to the stable and delivered the strange greeting to the stable master. He laughed and declared that since they knew the captain, they were welcome to stable their horses with him at a reduced price.

"What now?" Irin asked, standing outside the stable with the buzzing city in front of them.

"We need to be careful. There are eyes and ears all around this place. We don't know who is looking for us and why," Koth told her. She nodded.

"You know the place better than I do. I will follow your lead," she said. He looked at her and took the hood of her cloak and pulled it over her head.

"Stay close to me, don't look at anyone, and just try to be invisible," he told her.

"You know, we can actually go invisible," she pointed out. He smiled.

"Yes, but with this many people, we would be knocking into them every other step. That would make more of a fuss than anything," he said.

"Ah, didn't think of that. Got it. Pretend I don't exist."

"Yes, and keep that necklace of yours hidden," he added.

"I always do," she said.

"I know, little one. Just make extra sure." He pulled up his own hood, took her hand, and started to walk.