Veil of Shadow and Rain ✓ [TSC #1]

Chapter 25 - Rafe Who?

Elias looked suspicious. 'What kind of things do you have to do in Iridia anyway?'

'That,' Wren said, puffing her chest, 'is top-secret business, Elias. You're not supposed to know.' She patted him comfortingly on the back. Ladislaya looked like she was trying to swallow her mirth.

Elias, still looking rather suspicious, turned back to the helm and continued steering the ship. Ladislaya grinned at Wren out of the corner of her mouth.

Soon enough, the ship docked the harbour. Wren, Jake and Ladislaya all jumped off the ship excitedly, loaden with their bags and things. Elias exhaled dramatically as he hopped off the ship.

'Right,' he said importantly. 'Got your stuff?'

'Yup,' Wren answered.

'Map?'

'Check.'

'Books, those that weighed a ton?'

'Check.'

'Clothes?'

'Got it.'

'Toothbrushes, toothpaste, stuff like that?'

'Yes.'

'Anything else you brought? Your compass, your extra bags of who-knows-what-in-it -'

'We've got it, Elias, there's nothing to worry about,' Jake told him.

'Right. Just checking.'

As Elias dealt with the people on the harbour, Wren and Ladislaya sorted out their bags as Jake feasted on a bag of chips. Wren fished out the map of Iridia and traced her finger along the map.

'We're here,' she said, pointing to a spot on the map that was labelled GORDON'S HARBOUR. 'Two,' she prompted Jake, holding out an open palm.

'What?' Jake said through a mouthful of chips.

'Chips.'

Jake stuffed two chips on her open palm.

'Is there any sign of motels we can stay in?' Ladislaya asked, looking at the map.

'Perhaps. They don't write it on the map though,' Wren said, crunching the chips. 'This one isn't very detailed ... we'll ask people if there are any motels or anything. Two.'

Jake handed her two chips.

'We'll split up,' Ladislaya said thoughtfully. 'That's a lot of streets and it'll take ages for all three of us finding a motel.'

'And what happens if one of us finds one and the other two of us doesn't know?' Jake questioned testily.

Ladislaya rummaged in her bag. 'Here,' she said, fishing out three keychains the shape of a megaphone. 'One for each of us.'

Wren let the keychain droop from her finger as she held it aloft in the air.

'It's a keychain, Ladislaya.'

'That's it,' Ladislaya said, practically beaming. 'I've put a spell on them earlier on today because I've already thought and double-thought over everything that we might need. So if one of us has a motel, we'll just talk to the other two of us through that megaphone, see?'

'Splendid,' Jake said, chortling as he pocketed his keychain.

'Brilliant,' Wren said, pocketing hers as well and clapping her hands together. 'So ... is Elias coming with us?'

'I don't think so,' Jake said, crumpling up his now empty bag of chips. 'Elias told me he'd be staying with the other fishermen here. He'll be setting off back to Argonian tomorrow. He's expecting fine weather.'