The Northfell Curse

5. Love is So Short and...So Long

Chapter 5 Love is So Short and...So Long

Tine watched Hafoc staring intently at the boat as he continued to wind the rope from the lantern over and over again around one wrist. She briefly wondered, Is he planning to take the boat and leave us all? Hafoc had remained uncharacteristically quiet during the negotiations with the sailors; so far, he had a habit of pushing his opinions on the others.

She turned her attention back to the rest of the group. Everyone was back on the ice now. Autumnus had lent his long coat to the sopping-wet Kylia. Rhalie, who was equally wet, hogged pretty much all of the pelts. Zawn kept hers, though, Tine noticed. The sailors had easily assumed the role of rescuers, but as far as she could tell, the short one really just dog-padded alongside Rhalie and Kylia, who swam to shore by themselves. But...they did have a small boat, so maybe it was best to let them think what they liked as they considered the idea of helping the group cross over to Svlandir.

"We-ell, we 'soitainly have room for these lassies on the ship," drawled the tall sailor as he ogled Rhalie and Kylia in their wet clothes, "but, I don'na know about the rest of youse... whaddya, think, Gai?"

"Aye, Odie, that we can. Let's load the wet lassies up into the boat before they freeze off their sweet jaloobies." Gai gazed fondly at Rhalie's chest and twitched his mustache. "You can use gear in the aft to hitch this chunk o' ice to the stern and we can tug along the rest of 'em, if'n we get a good wind in our sail."

Gai, a gnome, continued to boss his lanky shipmate around as they connected the ice floe to the boat.

Tine looked longingly across the water. So close to land, yet so far.

***

It took some doing, but the ice floe was attached firmly to the boat.

Not so sure about all of 'em, Gai thought. He cast a glance at the disgruntled human holding a lantern, then towards the oblivious Aamonwelp with her head in a book. But we could always get rid of that lot, if they proved troublesome, he mused.

Gai rubbed his chin. They probably could squeeze everyone on the sailboat for such a short jaunt, but he was really only interested in the soggy beauties he rescued.

He turned to Autumnus. "Ahoy there, devil..y friend, we're looking for horny company of a different kind. Tell you what. We'll let you guys ride with us and the wet pretties if'n you can tie a knot faster'n me. Then youse'n can man the sails for us for a bit. Me hands might be busy elsewhere..." Gai waggled his fingers and bushy eyebrows at this.

Autumnus coughed into his hand. "Well, thank you for letting me hitch a ride with you." He bowed, then continued, as he looked at his traveling companions. "Mightn't we all fit onboard for such a short ride? I hate to be presumptuous, of course. I only worry about the others. I'd hate to lose them downstream when we're so close to our destination." He lit the fire in his hand and held it close to himself.

Gai shot a glance at Odie. His shipmate, as usual, was clueless. Gai sighed. I'll be damned if that devil of an Aamonwelp sets my ship on fire out of spite. He calculated the space on the deck of the yawl in his head again. I guess'n we could let the scary ones aboard so's they don't gang up on us and keep an eye on 'em. When we're not with the ladies, that is...since they's seem ripe. Gai looked at Rhalie, who winked and let a bit of shoulder slip out from under a pelt.

"Right. Fine." Gai announced. "Let's you'n the hooman on board, too. "If you'se kin man the ship in payment. It be your fare, like." Odie nodded and began to escort Kylia onto the deck of the small ship. He steered her toward the cabin, but she lingered above board. Rhalie and Hafoc clambered onboard, and Autumnus followed.