Frostgate.
Northern kingdom boasted four main regions. Callidora, the capital. A land of giant, towering mountain ranges, where the skies were bright, and the climate was mild. Queensend , the borderlands Northern kings snatched from the East during the Great War a millennium ago. The war spoil.It was the trading capital where merchandise thrived like nowhere else in the kingdom.
Vilest, the inlands. This was the home to acres upon acres of paddy fields and orchards. The agricultural hub that fed every mouth in the kingdom. As the old saying went "seize Vilset, and you shall have North."
Then you have Frostgate, the seaside chief city that nestled the harbor of North.
Widely known as the Esterhull Bay Harbor, this was strategically constructed in the bay of the coast, a natural shelter to Lucian Verlice's fleets from rough sea and storms, providing safe anchorage to vessels of all sizes.
Trade took place here at all hours of the day as ships from mainly West Salkow, Capital Sandgill and Saltstand docked, unloaded cargo and restocked their supplies before going back in their respective routes. They bought silks, tea and maritime trade such as fishery and pearl harvestings from the South and took jewelery, spices and fur from North.
River disembarked from Clementine; feet unsteady from finally finding stable ground after a week spent on the ever-moving sea. He descended the gangplank alone, nearly crashing on to crew members scurrying past him. They were busy hoisting down large boxes from the ship, creating a massive commotion to River's dismay.
"Ay! Sista! "
River glanced around to find Chipper running towards him, waving. Behind him on the quay, the crew hustled and bustled to unload heavy wooden cargo in a steady queue. Though River caught the burly frame of Bones commanding dock workers to hurry up there was no sign of the Southern king or his brother.
"ay! How's ya shoulder?" Chipper chirped, gripping River's bony arm with his grimy fingers. It left a brown palm print on his crisp white shirt. Chipper awkwardly tried to dust it off but only managed to smudge it horrendously.
"It is okay now, thanks" River stepped back, not bothering to disguise his disgust.
" I heard the fancy peacock prince can heal people magically" Chipper scratched the side of his head making River cringe at the thought of lice infestation. Although he found the idea of Wolfram being a flamboyant peacock mildly amusing, he wanted to put this conversation to an end as soon as possible.
"That's correct" River nodded "I need-"
"Woah!" Chipper marveled, beady eyes ballooning to the size of saucers. "That's so stinking cool ay ?"
River sighed exasperated. He pinched his perfectly slanted nose bridge and listened to seagulls wheel and cry overhead, scavenging for scraps, adding to the clamour. He saw Julie Jagger throwing a stone at one rascal bird who was pulling at her locks.
"Captain should have asked him to fix his eye" Chipper cackled like he said something unbelievably funny.
Or his stupidity. Though I doubt it's curable.
"I really need to go- " River grimaced, trying to sound more apologetic than he felt.
"ay! good ol' times "his face fell, and he shook his head in melancholy "Good to catch up with the Captain again "
River graced the scrawny boy with a look of confusion. Raven Alistair knowing the crew of Clementine was news to him. "You know Alistair?"
Chipper returned the expression with knitted brows and narrowed eyes. He gave the mop of his tangled hair another hearty scratch "Who that?"
An asshole.
" aaaaa" the boy broke into a radiant grin and clapped his hands loudly like a monkey. " I keep forgetting he goes by that fancy name now"
"What was he called before?" River probed. Chipper only swatted his filthy hand furiously in response, as if to cover up his previous words with air.
"It's a dead name ay, dead and gone "he laughed awkwardly "If he catches me talking nonsense to Sista," the boy shuddered visibly, probably imaging Raven fuming out his nostrills like an angry bull. "he will poke my eye out too."
River tilted his head and batted his lashes, the very image of a bimbo. "He would?"
Chipper scratched his head, baffled. "why! He is scary when he is angry!" He inched closer to River and lowered his voice to a whisper "Once he got into a fight at a bar ay? I collected thirteen teeth off the floor!"
"Aiya!" River clutched his chest and blew his eyes wide in mock surprise. "How crude! No wander people fear his mighty, scary name which is.."
"Captain Raven Black!" Chipper muttered, voice dripping with fearful respect, like he was mentioning an evil entity that could be summoned by name alone. "We don't mess with him, Ay"
Gotcha.
The boy did not seem to notice the slip. He kept babbling with vigor. He pointed a stick -like finger at the hull of the ship. "You see that black colored strip on Clementine ?"
River had indeed noticed the peculiar black colored strip long before Chipper mentioned it. He pondered over its purpose for a while and assumed it was only there to be aesthetically pleasing. The conspicuous paint stripe was anything but pretty, though. It was quite an eyesore in River's humble opinion but then again, sailors were not known for their taste in classy decoration.
"He is the Captain of all the ships that bear a similar mark "Chipper explained, preening, his admiration for the older man palpable in his voice. "How many ships you ask? Over hundred!"
River scrutinized the black paint stripe on the majestic wooden hull and felt his brows creasing. A king owning a fleet of over hundred ships were nothing to write home about. Still, no king bore the title of Captain of the vessels. Normally a hired person would do the back breaking job of steering while the King realxed and indulged in the luxury of the cruise.
No matter how you look at it Raven Alistair having the expertise of a seasoned sailor could not be a coincidence. No one knew where the man came from, after all. River chewed his bottom lip, making speedy deductions and connecting the dots. An illegitimate heir who first made an appearance three years ago. What was he doing before? A sailor?
"Raven Black, you said?' He mumbled, tasting the name. Where had he heard the name before?
Chipper filched, alarmed to his marrows. His jaw slacked and he clapped a hand over his forehead " My! How did Sista know that ?"
Brother. Is your brain on a diet? Has it lost a lot of weight?
"Magic " River deadpanned and refused to elaborate "You work under him? For how long?"
Chipper waved his hands in steadfast refusal "No, no! Im not talking about captain anymore!"
River suddenly tipped his head up, pointed at the sky and asked loudly"Is that a crow?"
Chipper covered his eyes with his palm and glanced at the direction,completely distracted. "Ay , ain't that a seagull? Crows are not white"
River nodded solemnly "Thank you, brother. You seem very knowledgeable." He watched the boy scratching the tip of his nose bashfully. He mumbled a shy thanks.
"So what were you telling me again? You work for the Captain?" River tried again.
" I used to, alright." Chipper grinned and vaguely nodded at the deck of the Clememtine, where Bones and Louie was inspecting a box.
"All of us. Then Captain became the king and wanted us to stop our line of work. He pays us to do trade now."
River side glanced at the boy, his confusion deepening. Line of work? He knew in order to keep milking this dude for information he had to play dumb. "Does it pay better?"
"ay, we have seen better money" Chipper shrugged and kicked a stone languidly "Pay aside, its good and clean work. Easier too."
River nodded making a mental note on the word clean. Secrets were as safe as a sandcastle during a hightide with this man." Bet you were happy to see him again"
Chipper giggled " We were sailing from Sandgil ay ? taking this year's pearl harvest. Captain came runnin' and promised us each a hundred gold if we took him to Salkow in half a day"
River felt warmth blanketing his heart. True to his words, Raven Alistair had not wasted a second in his rescue mission.
"What gold ?! We would take him to hell for free!" Chipper sighed fondly. "Good man , Captain Rae. "
River silently tuned out as he continued to ramble on about this year's hefty pearl harvest. The name Black rang a distant bell, but River's dusty attic of unwanted knowledge was not neat enough to recall exactly where he had heard it.
He watched on as the last wooden box got carried ashore. Chipper left shortly after, distracted by Julie Jagger's invitation for a drink. Bones and Louie joined the youngsters and didn't forget to ask River to come along. River politely declined and decided to wait for Raven, remembering his determination to apologize to the man for being rude earlier. River wanted to catch him alone.
River stood to the side of the quay way, his clothes uncomfortably digging into his skin, drenched in sweat. The sun was brutal as it was midday and it battered on his back relentlessly. Sticky sweat pooled behind his knees and elbows. The sea breeze cooled him down a bit, but the harbor was way too crowded and overwhelmingly busy for River's liking.
As he waited in this manner, bitterly cursing Raven Alistair and his ancestors for taking so long, he saw two children, in the distance.
One child, a small boy with sandy hair and a mischievous grin, darted ahead on the weathered wooden dock, his bubbling laughter like soft sea form crashing on the shore. He had his arms outstretched, apparently pretending to be a seagull in flight. He flew past sailors, his happiness contagious. His mirth was like music to the haggard sailors, and they smiled fondly at the playful bundle.
The older girl, a darling with rosy cheeks and adorable pigtails chased him, her feet nimble and light. With each leap and bound the laugher rang as if every box of pearls they carried in Clementine spilled on to water.
How old could they be? River wandered.
Ten? Can't be older than twelve.
His eyes, bluer than the sky and sea itself were fixated on the playful youth. Looking from outside, his face betrayed no emotions. His visage held its usual stolidity, like the sight evoked as much sentiment in him as a rock on a roadside would.
why?
He closed his eyes and sighed. His breath mingled with the sea breeze.
Why? Why me?
For split second, he imagined himself bashing their heads full of smiles into a metal bollard. Maybe he will kill the younger one first. Make the older girl watch as her brother's brain splatter on the dock and flow in to water.
He imagined her running home, blood on her frilly skirt, crying her large black eyes out. Never to laugh again. Never to be happy again.
What did I do to deserve all that happened to me?
He thought, begrudgingly, but found no answers. He had been no different from them. He too, was a child once, with big eyes and small hands. Why is that they get to laugh and play, without a care in the world ,while he ..
River screwed his eyes shut and put the child -murdering thoughts aside. He tried recalling Einar and his wise words. What did he said again? Revenge not worth it or something like that.
What happened, happened. He lost all his childhood. Gone to never come back, like milk that spilled. He could only live the rest of his long,long life, mourning the child he had never been.
And the man he could never be.
His train of thought was interrupted by a gentle tap on his shoulder. It was the Captain of the Clementine, captain Rae. His one eye darted between his own blue ones, as if he could sense the darkness lurking behind them.
"What are you thinking?" he inquired, following his line of sight. A slight smile played on his lips when he saw the kids, his whole face softening.
"This and that" River brushed the question off. The older man's jaw tightened suddenly, the way it did when he was distressed. The perfect brows knitted together as well.
"What's wrong?" River questioned.
Raven sighed deeply and brushed his locks away from his face. "It is Solina"
This caught River's undivided attention "what?"
"She has disappeared from Werth Citadel." Raven"s shoulders quivered in a surpressed shudder. "Killed three ladies in waiting and vanished without a trace"
The two men stared at each other in morbid silence, the same thought running through their heads.
This can't be good.
Author has something to say.
I did not put this through grammer checker folks. Please don't come at me.
Author spends all of her free time putting together this chapter.
With uni starting I won't be able to write everyday but you can expect a chapter about twice a week.
We are almost at 2k folks !!
Solina Wendigo
Wolfram - Hello 199! Please send an ambulance immediately. Aithan Alistair has fainted and is bleeding out of his nose!!
Dispatcher- what events lead up to his collapse?
Wolfram - * incoherent mumbling
Dispatcher- Im sorry, can you repeat that?
Wolfram - * grudgingly * I put on a maid outfit..