Page 85 of Heart of the Summer Queen

He turns to leave and I follow, the man standing dumbfounded on the pier behind us.

As I tug Elaric’s arm to discuss an alternative approach, the man calls, “Wait!”

Elaric doesn’t miss a beat before swiveling back around to face him. “Yes?”

He reassesses Elaric, this time scrutinizing him more carefully, and I’m certain he must notice the regal grace beneath his plain tunic. “I might be willing to sell the boat... for the right price.” Surprise ripples through the workers, but the man’s eyes stay on Elaric.

Elaric examines the boat. “How about two hundred gold?”

The man scratches his chin. “I don’t know. Two hundred seems fair but hardly covers my costs, let alone the income lost until I find a replacement. That could take weeks.”

“I understand,” Elaric says. “Shall we make it two hundred and fifty?”

“Three hundred and fifty,” the man counters.

Elaric winces. “That does seem rather high for this size of boat. Let my wife and me first discuss it, and then I shall return shortly with our offer.”

He goes to leave again, but the man stops him. “All right. Two hundred and fifty gold then.”

Elaric smiles broadly. “It seems we have a deal.”

Heading back into the village for supplies, Elaric and I find a butcher where we purchase salted meat, and at some fruit stands, we buy apples and grapes. We also visit a tailor and purchase a fresh change of clothes, as what we’re both wearing is dirty and tattered. Unsurprisingly, the tailor gives me a curious look when I request breeches instead of skirts.

When we return to the harbor, the boat’s deck is clear of crates and other belongings. Elaric thanks the man for his willingness to sell the vessel so suddenly, and pays him the agreed amount.

We set our fresh supplies on the deck. Once the man leaves, Elaric turns to me. “We’ll sail out the harbor first, then use the pendant to navigate toward Eruweth.” He heads over to the ropes running from the hull up to the sails.

I suppose we would receive suspicious looks if we held up a levitating pendant. “Is magic frowned upon in this part of the world?”

“In nearly every part,” Elaric says, loosening a knot. “Few witches use their gifts benevolently.” He tugs a rope to adjust the sail before securing it in place. I watch him work, but the complicated loops of the knot blur together.

When Elaric moves on to the next rope, I ask, “Can you show me how to tie the knots?”

He nods and beckons me over. Slowly, he demonstrates tying the knot, though still too quick for me to grasp everything. With a sharp tug, the finished knot comes undone despite the complicated process. “Here,” he says, offering me the rope, “you try.”

I make my best attempt, though it takes a long while, and Elaric has to correct me several times. Once I succeed, I grin widely at my knot. The next one will definitely take less time.

“Which should we adjust next?” I ask, eyeing the other ropes.

Elaric chuckles. “It’s all right, Adara. I’ll handle the rest.”

“But I want to help,” I protest.

“You can be the helmsman.”

I press my lips together. “Helmsman? What do they do?”

“Steer the ship.”

I glance between the rope he’s adjusting and the boat’s wheel. Steering seems easier than tying knots. “All right,” I say, heading to the wheel before he changes his mind. “Which way do I turn?”

“Neither way yet. The anchor is still lowered, so we can’t go anywhere. I’ll tell you which way to turn the wheel once we start sailing.”

I wait as Elaric finishes with the sails, and then he strides to the capstan and begins cranking it. Unlike the knots, operating the capstan requires little instruction, so I hurry over as well. It spins much faster with both of us.

With the anchor raised, the boat sways to the sea’s rhythm. Wind billows into the sails, propelling us from the harbor. But we’re veering left, on course to collide with a large ship anchored at the pier’s end.

“Starboard, Adara!” Elaric calls, returning to adjust the sails. “The wind is stronger than I anticipated!”

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