Yngvild and the Forest of Dreams

Kronstadt

We arrived at Kronstadt sooner than I had expected, on the morning of the fourth day. We'd been sailing with the coast on our larboard side most of the way from Straven. The hills were green and mostly heavily wooded. As we neared settlements the woods thinned and fields and pastures appeared.
On the approach to Kronstadt the trees started to appear in blocks all the same size. They'd get progressively larger, and then there would be a bare patch. A little along from it would be some saplings. Strips lead up from the coast for about two hours before I first glimpsed Kronstadt.
I'd never been there before. Old Bjorn had told us that Kronstadt was the largest city in the world, and that you could buy anything there. I didn't believe him. Kronstadt was where fjords met. There were two main approaches to it, each guarded by stone forts that could throw flaming pitch at any ship that tried to attack.
I was on the prow all morning, because Captain Olaf had told me it was a sight to behold. We came in on the Western Approach. A King's Ship stood out in the fjord ahead of us. As we approached it pulled down some flags, and hoisted others.
A horn sounded on the other ship, and was answered by someone on the rear deck near the steersman.
'What's going on?' I said to Snorri, one of Olaf's Lieutenants.
'We're being challenged to make sure we are who we appear to be.' he said.
'How do they know if you've been taken over?'
'Watch and find out.'
No sooner had he said it than another set of horn blasts bounced over the water. This time from the Seagull. The off-duty sailors below deck came swarming onto the main deck. One watch lined the rail on the upside of the ship, and the other climbed into the rigging above them. In moments the deck went from almost empty to crowded with the entire crew.
When I looked over at the other ship they'd done the same, although their crew was smaller than ours. The ships passed close enough to each other to see the faces of the crew on the other ship. Many of the Seagull's crew yelled the names of people they recognised on the other vessel and cheered in response to their own names being shouted back.
'That's how we recognise each other. If we'd been boarded then we'd stay silent, or shout the wrong names.' Snorri said.
As soon as we passed the other ship the crew mostly went back down below. Only those on watch stayed on deck, or in the rigging.
The next sign of Kronstadt was the watch tower on Castle Rock. Castle Rock sits in the middle of the two fjords opposite Kronstadt. It has a high watch tower, a fortified keep and stone built batteries that house iron bound and reinforced catapults that can shoot flaming pitch at unfriendly ships. It guards both approaches to Kronstadt and is permanently garrisoned.
As we approached Castle Rock the Captain ordered the sails furled. The Seagull switched to oars. The crew, excluding those on the oars, came onto deck again. This time they lined the rail on both sides of the ship. I could see the smoke from the braziers on the battery, keeping the pitch warm.
'look, on the other side's said Snorri.
I looked where he was indicating. Another battery, also with smoking braziers. The crews were closer, and I could see a stack of pottery jars next to each brazier. One for each catapult. The crews looked relaxed, although they were stood watching us rather than lazing about.
'They put hot coals in the jars just before they release the catapults.' Snorri said.
'Isn't that dangerous?'
'Extremely. That's why they do it. Keeps the air from snuffing out the flames.'
'I see. And the jars break when they hit a boat?'
'Exactly.'
Once past the batteries I could see Kronstadt on the headland, or rather I could see part of Kronstadt. Right in front of me there was a headland, with fjord on either side. The Eastern fjord was slightly starboard of our course. The Northern fjord to our larboard, and out of view behind a hill.
Kronstadt was at the foot of a mountain that grew out of the sea. The fjord I could see was lined with stone and wooden jetties on both sides. It was longer than Straven. I could see several tiered rows of houses leading away from the jetties along the entire length of both sides of the fjord. At the far end of the fjord the houses continued round.
The jetties had dozens and dozens of ships, most the familiar shape of Skyssian ships, bit others with unusual designs and pennants I couldn't place. I couldn't count how many, but more ships than I'd ever thought possible in one place.
We didn't land there though.
As we came to the mouth of the Northern Fjord we turned into it. A grand white stoned wharf lined part of the Eastern side of the fjord. There were fewer buildings on this side, but they were huge. A large stone built palace stood in the middle of a park. Although I hadn't see it before I instinctively knew it was the King's official palace.
We carried on down the fjord. At the end, and down the western side, was a shipyard. I counted fourteen slipways as the Seagull rowed past. All with ships, or the skeletons of hulls in them with people hammering, sawing, and painting them. A second grey stone jetty had two King's ships moored against it. We tied up against it, aided by an army of dock workers hauling on ropes and with a bridge to emplace against the Seagull when we were tied up.