The Book of Terrus: The Ghosts of Goran

Chapter 15 - Allies and Strangers

"Here, sit down."

Bakko's tone would brook no protests, and Vinie did as she was told. The back of her legs hit a crate and she eased into a half-sit, half-stand.

"When did that happen?" Gideo asked, concern tightening his words.

"Probably when I tackled the magistrate; he had a knife."

Vinie bit her lip when Bakko gently prodded at the edge of one slash. A line of blood promptly rose up and ran around her wrist, a single drop threatening to break loose and fall to the stones below.

"Gideo, let's have your belt. These are still bleeding and need to be tied." Any hint of fussiness and uncertainty was gone, replaced by the swift, assured dad that Vinie remembered from her girlhood days when she had scraped her leg open on a sharp coral reef.

Without hesitation, Gideo undid the knot that kept his colorful woven belt tied around his waist. Using his teeth to make the first tear, he ripped it straight down the center into two thinner strips. These Bakko used to wrap several times around each of Vinie's forearms. The sudden pressure stung, and Vinie had to bite down a hiss of pain.

"Now isn't the time or place to worry about this," Vinie ground out. "Dad, can you lead us back to the Serpent's Tunnel from here?"

Bakko did not look happy about leaving Vinie to run around with bleeding wounds on her arms. Neither did he likely want them out in the open in Moaan any longer than they needed to be. Shaking his head, he adjusted the strips of scarf one more time before letting Vinie stand.

"Prison's made you reckless, you know that?"

"I was always reckless."

Gideo chortled. "She has you there Bakko."

Bakko gave Gideo and Vinie both a stern look. He started down the alley toward the street entrance nonetheless.

"Come on. The both of you may be old enough to have half-grown children of your own, but you're still young hellions. Let's see if we can make it to the harbor without anyone getting arrested or stabbed, yas?"

OoOoO

They had to be cautious, keeping their faces downturned and meandering rather than walking with purpose through the streets. It was hard, especially since every loud call or unusual noise set their hearts racing. Gideo's height was far from helpful too; his distinctive mop of curly hair easily cleared the heads of most of the Moaanese in the crowd. He did his best to hunch his shoulders and walk stooped, but there was only so far he could carry that posture without looking equally unusual.

Bakko led them by the most direct route, straight back down to the harbor. The Bay of Torbos was clogged full of ships coming and going today. Vinie wondered how they didn't become entangled in one another, or how a tiny skiff didn't get broadsided by one of the large merchant cogs. Somehow the sea-faring traffic managed to conduct their suffocating dance without incident. Maneuvering in the Bay of Torbos was not for amateur mariners.

The Serpent's Tunnel was likewise crowded. The smell of many bodies all in one place mingled with sea salt was a pungent aroma, but Vinie was grateful for the cover the multitudes provided them with. Still following Bakko, they made their way down the long, covered walkway of the tunnel.

Finding the jaliboot Nadathan had spoken of proved to be harder than they expected. There must have been easily a hundred boats tied up on either side of the Serpent's Tunnel. They passed their little dhow as they searched, and Gideo took a moment to check that everything was as they left it. Not that they had had anything worth stealing with them on their sea voyage anyways. The small craft was dwarfed by the cutter it sat next to, but Vinie's heart swelled affectionately at the sight of it anyways. She and Zaneo had built that dhow with their own four hands, and she would forever be grateful to Sahar for having kept it safe.