Under Fallen Stars - Mel Odom [100]
Mornis looked uncomfortable. "I feel guilty about letting you go on alone."
"I lost something that wasn't mine to lose, my friend, and I've got to return it if I can."
"Like as not," Mornis warned, "you may be spending your life foolishly."
"Dying with honor isn't a foolish death." Jherek told him sternly.
"No, lad, but any kind of dying is still dying. Myself, I'd rather keep both oars in the water as long as I'm able. A man going with the sea stays afloat a lot longer than a man going against it."
"I was told," Jherek said, "that it always matters how you go against it."
Mornis nodded. "Mayhap, but if you ever find yourself around Breezerunner again and in need of a berth, come see me. If the Cap'n won't take you on, I'll help you find a ship."
Jherek smiled and took the man's arm in a strong grip. "Till we meet again."
"Aye," Mornis said. "And may Selune always favor you with her good graces."
Jherek took a final look around. Most of the ship's crew were aboard Breezerunner already working on the broken rigging and ripped sails. A few others stood in the river filling water barrels. It had been a hard, full day's work getting the ship off the sandbar and secure in the water again. Jherek's hands still burned from the work he'd done with shovels and picks, both freeing the ship and burying her dead. His legs were dotted with the red welts left by leeches.
He noticed Sabyna striding purposefully toward him down the riverbank, the early morning sun shining from her hair. Tynnel walked at her side, his jaw working fiercely.
The ship's captain turned his hard gaze on Jherek. "Talk her out of it."
The young sailor looked at them both. "Talk her out of what?"
"I'm coming with you," Sabyna said calmly.
Jherek glanced at her, noticing she'd changed clothes. She had no pack, but he knew she had a bag of holding she kept the raggamoffyn in. "Lady, you can't come with me."
Sabyna's eyebrows shot up. "I can't? So now you're going to try to tell me what to do?"
Hastily, sensing the rough waters he was venturing into, Jherek changed tacks. "No, lady, I wouldn't dare to presume to do that, but coming with me isn't a good idea."
"Neither is going after Vurgrom and his pirate crew by yourself."
"I have no choice." Jherek looked deep into her eyes, feeling like everything was suddenly beyond his control.
"Everyone has a choice," she told him. "You've made yours and I'm making mine."
Tynnel glared at Jherek. "This is your fault."
Sabyna wheeled on him, blood dark in her face. "No. None of this is his fault. He got caught up in this whole situation because he was talking to me in Baldur's Gate, taking care to walk me back to Breezerunner. I'll not see him suffer for his kindness and care."
"So you'll suffer for yours?" Tynnel asked.
"This isn't kindness. This is a debt."
"No," Jherek said in a stern voice. "There'll be no debts between us, lady. Especially not something like this."
"Stay out of this," Sabyna told him, then turned her attention back to Tynnel. "You left him in Athkatla and didn't tell me the real reason. You lied to me. If I'd had a voice in the matter, I'd have cut Aysel loose instead."
"It wasn't your choice to make," Tynnel said coldly. "I'm master of that ship."
"And you still are," Sabyna agreed, "but you're no master of me. Not then. Not now. Not ever."
Tynnel lifted his head and glared at her more severely.
Sabyna glared back at him hotly. "I signed on with you because I felt I could make a difference on Breezerunner."
"Begging your pardon," Mornis interrupted hesitantly, "but you do make a difference on her."
"Stay out of this, Mornis," Sabyna ordered sharply.
The big man took a step back. "Yes, ma'am."
"I felt that I owed you something for taking me on," Sabyna told Tynnel, "because there were other ship's mages better trained than me. But no matter what, you owed me the truth, Captain. Somewhere in there, you obviously forgot that."
"You're not going," Tynnel said.
Sabyna drew herself up. "You can't stop