Our Little Gods 1: RABATEA, the first World of the Daughters.

Chapter 31.

With the nonchalant grace of the slender sea birds T'tebera slid down the ropes back on to the deck. She landed before the group composed of the Sars, Limero, Baalbek and the three boys and told them.

"There is an other fleet coming the upper side of the Murk. Their ships have long black and red banners."

"These are the Celerins ships of the city of Kriebar." Sar Tanel said laconically.

"They must believe that the fleet from Mel is headed to their city." Terrey said.

"They mean to meet them on the water to spare their city." Farenn added.

"And to give time to the people being evacuated to reach safety." Oneg concluded.

"Is there anything we can do? Are we certain they are sailing to the temple and not to Kriebar?" Maasil asked.

"The Sars are positive and it makes sense." Baalbek said. "More over, if they engage the Celerins it will gain us time. If the wind holds we can sneak through Sand Banks Island's channel and reach the Minkhi Sea by tomorrow morning. If the wind holds it should push us through the chaotic waters that the fishermen of Limore call the Turmoil, it's where the waters of the Redane River meet the water of the Fast Sea coming down from the ocean."

"The wind will hold." The soft deep voice of Yïach was heard from behind the general and they all turned around to look at him. "It will have to hold if you are to sail what you call the Fast Sea up stream." The tall creature smiled.

"How do you know it will?" Baalbek asked tentatively.

"I have used the powers given to us by the Three to control the direction and the strength of it. I consulted with my sisters and brothers and they gave their ascent, they are doing all they can to moderate the impact of this action on the rest of the lands of men. Unfortunately they cannot prevent the downpour that is happening in the Ignaiens or the drought creeping up from Utes to Gash." He smiled benevolently and added. "But we will take care of that later so that crops do not fail for summer's harvest." They were staring at him unable to find a thing to say. The Erin Luinn had revealed that he controlled the weather and that was that.

They veered off and sailed towards Sand Bank Island, the boys climbed the rafters and sat looking as the Celerin fleet crashed directly in the middle of the ships from Mel. Soon the Balà ship closed around the small force surrounding it completely. The last thing the boys could see was smoke against the sky.

The Thiriik were still familiar with the part of the Wide Sea they were in and they felt comfortable with sailing the night waters. Yïach stood at the fore reading the wind and calling back if he saw flotsam or any danger. His eyes proved to be impressively accurate in the dark of the night. The moons only rose late, they were nearing their full and the light they casted was powerful enough to give you three shadows. That had been one of the image used by the Triad to advocate unification of the churches. 'When the three moons are full in the sky, one man is given three shadows.' Were the concluding words of the first triarch of a unified monastery, Delcot sri Peyrefete, in his address to the gathered crowd at the Controversy of Sinti. The text of the speech was cast in bronze plaques and set up on stone pillars on each side of the entrance to the Peninsula and most novices remember it by heart.

The sun rose above the flat lands of the Link  between Upper and Lower Limore and flooded the sea with pink and red light, few of them had slept and even those young enough to find the impetus to solace each other with affection and desire were on the quarter deck looking anxiously back for signs of the pursuing fleet. The muddy waters of the channel remained empty so far as their eyes could see. Maybe, the sacrifice of the Celerin fleet from Kriebar had been enough to delay durably the enemy and her troops. Oyster Cape at the very end of Sand Bank Island was firmly behind them when Maasil noticed a smudge in the fiery blaze of the rising sun's reflection on the sea. The little boy strained his eyes, the light was too intense, it hurt to look, it made his eyes tear up but even with the blur of the tears those were ships, many ships. He called out and Farenn ran up the rigging to gain vantage. A large fleet was sailing right next to them. They were merely Six or Seven RIL away to the rising side, as if they not only had made up for the delay but gained and were about to overtake them.