Bones of the Dragon - Margaret Weis [192]
Treia walked up the gangplank. Skylan welcomed her with solemn if somewhat rushed ceremony. No one noticed. Everyone was staring at Aylaen.
She walked up the gangplank, her shield slung over her shoulder. The plank was wet, with men tramping back and forth through the water, hauling sea chests, rope, barrels of pitch and ale, and sacks of food on board. Aylaen had gone about midway when her new boots slipped. Arms flailing wildly, she toppled over and fell into the water.
The crowd hooted and laughed. Aylaen sat up in the shallow water. She was drenched. Her face burned in embarrassment. She looked for a moment as if she were tempted to curl up in a ball and sob. Her lips tightened. She rubbed the water from her eyes and stood up. Water poured off her. She walked up the gangplank, her jaw clenched, her head high.
She stepped onto the deck. The men watched in silence, stern and disapproving. Aylaen gave them all a sweeping glance of defiance. She went over to the rack, where the other warriors had hung their shields. She placed her shield alongside Garn’s. She looked at him, gave him a small and tentative smile.
He lowered his eyes, shook his head, and turned away.
Skylan stared past her, out to sea, as he spoke. “I have ordered your sea chest stored below. You will sleep in the cabin with your sister.”
Aylaen’s eyes flashed. “I will sleep on the deck with the other warriors!”
Skylan fixed an exasperated gaze on her. “And will you also piss in the sea with the rest of the warriors?”
Aylaen flushed crimson; then she went fire white. Her emerald eyes sparked. “Yes, I will,” she said clearly, and she began to unlace her trousers. “In fact, I think I have to go right now. . . .”
Skylan grabbed hold of her hands, scandalized. “What are you doing? Are you crazy?”
“I guess I must be,” she said tremulously.
She looked up at him. He looked at her, and suddenly they both began to laugh. Aylaen’s laughter was deep and rich; Skylan’s loud and boisterous. The laughter bound their wyrds together, closer than they had been in years.
“Welcome aboard, Warrior,” said Skylan. He bent close to her to whisper, “But, please, do not pee in public! Go below with your sister!”
“I promise,” said Aylaen, smiling. “But I will sleep on deck with the other warriors.”
“Have it your way,” said Skylan. He reached out his hand, gave her head a rub. “By Torval, you look like a badly shorn sheep!”
Skylan turned to face the men on the ship and the crowd on shore. He raised his hands to silence the laughter and the talk.
“Hear me!” he called out. “This woman, Aylaen Adalbrand, has been called by the Goddess Vindrash to become a Bone Priestess. The Kai have judged she shall undergo the ritual known as the Man-Woman. Aylaen’s journey is a holy one. The gods are watching her, and they are watching us, for all of us have been called upon to undertake this ritual with her. The curse of Vindrash on any man who disrespects the goddess’s chosen!”
Aylaen gave Skylan a radiant smile. Some of the men continued to regard her with disapproval, but most looked ashamed of themselves. Bjorn and Erdmun asked to see her sword and offered to show her how to clean it to keep it from rusting. Only Garn was still angry. He shook his head and walked away.
Skylan wiped the sweat from his face. The sun beat down on the deck. He felt tired already, and they hadn’t yet left the shoreline. Once out to sea, the air would blow fresh and cool. He would leave his problems and cares on the shore. He looked over at the other two dragonships bobbing in the water, their warriors lining the sides. All was in readiness. He turned to Treia.
“Bone Priestess, ask the Dragon Kahg to imbue the ship with his spirit and take us out to sea.”
Treia placed her hand upon the spiritbone and spoke