B2 – Chapter 25: May the wind fill your sails

They returned to the middle of the market square, and Queen Maryanne bowed politely. “Lord Tristan, thank you for the treat. I wish you the best of luck in your ventures and do hope you come to visit again.”

Tristan bowed in response, “Of course. Take care, my lady.” He turned around to face out towards the ocean and breathed in a deep lungful of the salty breeze that was wafting in his direction. “Well. We have a ship and crew waiting.”

“Hey! You’re back!” Shandra came out of the inn’s door and jogged over. “I was watching for your return through the window! Ready to get going?”

Tristan eyed her up and down, taking note that she had purchased some clothing and travel gear. “Yes. Let us head to the docks. We should run into Pathfinder-”

As if on cue, a group of individuals wearing varying amount of armor, weapon, and all proudly displaying their Pathfinder Company symbol from around their necks, walked into the market square. One of them was familiar, and Tristan smiled as Williams spoke. “Lord Tristan! I have the pleasure of traveling with you again.”

Tristan nodded and held out a hand, shaking the young Pathfinder’s hand. Now that he thought about it, Tristan must have only been a year or two older than him. I wonder how old they think I am? Tristan thought with a little chuckle. Finishing the handshake, he addressed the man. “William, good to see you. I thought you were going to be shipping out already?”

“Well, you are going to going by Maladonia – I’ve got a new group with a mission down there.”

“I’ve lost track of time,” Tristan replied as he gestured toward the docks and began walking that way. “What day is it?”

“Twenty eighth of the Season, m’lord,” William replied.

So much has happened so fast, Tristan thought as the various Pathfinders chatted around him and spoke to both Obadai and Shandra. He was still replaying the events of his last few weeks in his mind when they arrived at the docks, and Felicity prompted him to pull out the writ that Queen Maryanne had given him. Unfurling it, he found a very polite letter.

To Lord Tristan Winterbloom of the Fey Realm

I have taken the liberty of acquiring the services of a renowned merchant-sailor – Captain Yokain, owner and operator of the Tideskipper’s Crest – the bright, yellow railing and deep, purple hull will alert you to which it is. He is an honorable man who was a close friend of my father’s, and whom I view as an uncle. I am sure you will find his services quite appropriate.

Safe travels, and may the wind fill your sails and spur you on your journey. Do not hesitate to visit – your company was delightful, and I would love to see what new wares you bring next time.

Queen Maryanne Waveclinger.

P.S. Hand this to the captain. I wrote his message on the back. It is personal, so I would ask that you not read it.

P.S.S. You will need to actually pay the man – this letter should serve as a flattering introduction.

Felicity, who had peered down from Tristan’s head, was now patting his forehead for attention. “I want to see what she wrote.”

“It’s not right to do that,” Tristan replied as he rolled it up.

Felicity sighed and flopped down onto his head once more, batting at his ears. “You are no fun at all today.”

“Cheer up, we’re going sailing. I’ve never done that before.”

The Pathfinders were looking at Tristan, confused with his one-sided conversation, but William just chuckled being in-the-know about the invisible Felicity. As they kept walking along the docks Tristan got a lot of odd looks and glances from the common folk – but he ignored them, having already become used to being gawked at by the public thanks to being a half-breed noble in Bhant.

His hand lightly caressed the starmetal maul hanging from his slim pack, and spinning his essence crucible, he pushed the powerful energy through his arm and into the weapon, activating the stored Lucky Instinct spell. A few moments later, he spotted the bright, yellow railing. And along the docks leading to it were dozens of burly men and women who were sun-kissed with bronze and tan skin.

A man was leaning against the railing supervising the work, and he had a bandana tied around his otherwise-probably bald head. He was dark-skinned, with piercing, green eyes and was dressed in a deep, purple jerkin with a yellow cord around his temples, a green feather propped up in it. He must have seen the procession coming, because he hollered out to his crew, “Look alive! We got our guest!”

The crew redoubled their efforts and attempted to look professional, which to Tristan was somewhat humorous as he was already impressed by their physiques and no-nonsense way of carrying themselves. He raised his voice. “I would trust that this fabulous ship belongs to none other than Captain Yokain?”

The man up on the decks grinned, “And you must be the Elf lord I heard about. Welcome, Lord Winterbloom. Or would you rather I call you Tristan?”

“Just Tristan is fine,” he replied as he went to the gangplank and strode up the length of the wood. My first time stepping on a boat, he thought as he felt an immediate liking for the slight rocking motion under his feet. He pulled the rolled-up parchment from his cloak pocket and handed it to the man, “Your adoptive niece sends her regards.”

The man unfurled it, scanned the first side, then flipped it and read intently. He cracked a wide smile, and that’s when Tristan saw that all of his teeth were not regular teeth – they were ivory. Something that Tristan had only seen once before in King Arinclex’s court, when a noble from Klaktol was visiting on a hunting expedition and paid tribute. The man chuckled, “Oh, that girl.” He furled up the letter and pocketed it inside his jerkin. “I hear you are seeking a captain and crew?”

Tristan nodded, “I want a ship that will take me to a few destinations. Maladonia, Schlarz, Klaktol’s southern coast, and Yustat.”

“That’s a nice, long journey,” the man said as he scratched his small beard, looking out at the Pathfinders who were still on the docks alongside Obadai and Shandra. “A hefty amount of coin.”

“Actually, I had a proposition that not only included coin, but lucrative income for both of us. Felicity? The box.”

Captain Yokain looked at Tristan with curiosity, but then when – to his eyes – a box materialized in Tristan’s hand as he grabbed it from Felicity’s storage dimension, he frowned ever-so-slightly. “Essence-weaving?”

“I am an essence-weaver, yes. But that is not what I offer.” Tristan spun his essence crucible, poured the powerful inner well of strength into the object, and to his delight the once-empty box was filled with a small pouch. Pulling the pouch out, he handed it to the Captain. “Go on.”

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

The man upended the bag into his palm and gasped audibly when sapphires, rubies, and emeralds rolled out in a small pile. Tristan capitalized on the moment of confusion and kept speaking, “I rule a place called the Fey Realm. What is put into the box in the Fey Realm will appear here. Not just raw gemstones, but all manner of trade goods. My plan is to hire an essence-weaver who is willing to become a crew member, and hire your ship – not just an upfront amount of coin, but as my personal merchants to peddle wares from port to port. Fey Realm to Mortal Realm.”

The captain grinned widely as he poured the gems back into the small bag and wrapped the cord around it. “Now…that is a fine offer.”

Tristan pulled out his coin bag – most of the coins were in Felicity’s storage space, but he kept a large sum of his new proceeds on his person. “I offer a thousand gold coins for a ten-year contract. Your ship and crew work for me, taking me wherever I need to go in The Mortal Realm, and when I am not present, you travel to sell my wares. You get a fifty-fifty split of the total coinage in sales.”

The Captain rubbed his small, scruffy beard again. “Fifteen hundred gold coins, and sixty-forty percent.”