The dynamic at dinner was odd. The crew obviously knew each other very well, and teased one another amiably throughout the conversation. They tried to engage the guests, with mixed results. Ember fit right in, with a mix of easy charm and humor. Chel and Kaz were both quiet and reticent. Owen was so exhausted from the day - and, a small part of him knew, from what had happened the previous evening - that he found it much more difficult than usual to interact with these new people with his usual ease.   

“So Owen, Meander tells me you’re in training to become a shaman,” said the ship’s medicine man, a man named Fin. “I’m always eager to meet a fellow healer. Have you been training long?” 

Owen took a breath, gathering his thoughts before answering. “I’ve helped him with the herbs and tinctures since I was small. But I still have to learn the more advanced, spiritual aspects. You know, the rituals and such.” 

“That’s fascinating,” said Fin. “I wonder-”

“What I’d like to know,” interrupted the first mate, Meander, his booming voice easily overriding Fin’s gentle one, “is if you know how to take care of this problem I’ve got. Every time I see a beautiful woman, I lose the ability to speak clearly. Do you have an herb for that?” 

Owen felt his face heating up. He hadn’t expected this. “Um, I,” he started, but was saved the trouble of answering when both Meander and Ember burst out laughing, sending a flock of birds screeching indignantly into the air. “What?” he said, bewildered. 

“Your expression, young man,” said Ember, still breathless with laughter. “Just how small is your village? It’s been a while since I’ve met someone that sheltered.” 

Before Owen could force his flustered brain to come up with some sort of answer, Chel had spoken, with her quiet, controlled voice. “Well with your line of work, Ember, you’d be hard-pressed to come in contact with anyone remotely sheltered.” 

Ember’s chuckle was deeper this time, and quieter. There was something unsettling to her laugh, but not necessarily unpleasant. “That’s very true, Chel. I do tend to attract the opposite, don’t I. In fact, these two are a delightful rarity. It’s unusual I find it so easy to make someone blush.” 

“What is your line of work?” cut in Cascade. Owen was relieved. He didn’t like feeling the butt of a joke he didn’t understand. 

“I’m a courtesan, a high-class prostitute,” said Ember. Owen was shocked to hear the matter-of-factness in her voice, the complete lack of shame. He had only ever heard of prostitutes, but his impression had always been that it was a shameful profession, a last-resort for women who had tried everything else. But Ember seemed...almost proud. 

“Really?” said Meander. “Is that why you’re so...I mean...”

“You’re right, you do have a problem,” said Ember, not missing a beat. You should really get that looked at.” 

This time everyone but Meander laughed, and Owen got the impression he was missing some visual exchange. 

“What about you Chel?” said Cascade in her light voice. “What do you do?” 

“Oh I’ve been called for some urgent business up North,” said Chel. 

“What kind of business?” asked Cascade. 

“I’m afraid I’m not at liberty to say,” said Chel. “Important business. That’s all you need to know.” 

“But-” started Cascade.

“Drop it, Cascade,” said Otto. 

Cascade stopped talking. 

I wonder if we could have gotten away with something like that instead of concocting a cover story, Owen wondered, shoveling potatoes into his mouth. 

“What about you, Owen?” asked the captain in his voice like rocks. “How did a blind man end up on a boat?” 

“That’s definitely a first,” said Meander. “Do tell.” 

Here we go, thought Owen, with more than a hint of reluctance. He swallowed his potatoes and began. “Oh, it’s very simple,” he said, summoning every bit of nonchalance he could muster. “I’m my father’s apprentice, and I’m bringing medicine to Alaya’s brother, who’s sick. Father was in the middle of something, and he told me he trusts me to do everything correctly.” 

“He must be very proud of you,” said Cascade. 

“Well, he says he is,” said Owen. He fought for a moment against an unexpected prickling of tears, reaching for a joke to pull him out of the moment. “Until I blunder right into the middle of a ceremonial circle he’s preparing and screw it all up. Then he says I’d be better off guarding the animals like the other boys in my village. You’d be surprised how good my hearing is. And I already have the dog.” 

“You should be our new lookout!” declared Meander. Everyone laughed, and the conversation turned to teasing Cascade about her woeful lookout performance. Owen breathed a silent sigh of relief. His redirect had worked, and no one had asked Kaz a single question.

Once the new acquaintance chatter had passed (thankfully without hitch), talk turned to news. Owen felt Kaz stiffen beside him and couldn’t blame her. He didn’t envy her task. To face the events of the last week without letting on that she had a close, and still-painful connection to them would be a challenge indeed. The talk didn’t turn at once to the death of the Sapan. It rambled here and there with gossip from Ticlanac and news of various family members. But, and maybe Owen was imagining it, there seemed to be a waiting, restless feeling to the conversation, as if everyone was eager to discuss the recent events but no one wanted to be the one to bring them up. Cascade got shriller and more effusive with each new piece of gossip. Otto and Fin had dropped out of the conversation altogether. 

“Sweet Dreamer, this is absurd!” burst out Ember finally. “We’re all sitting here like a bunch of - of children - waiting for someone else to say it first.  I’ll say it, then! Did anyone else hear that the Sapan is dead?” 

The tension changed, took on an intense, listening quality. 

“It’s true,” said Meander. “I’m friends with one of the messengers. The Sapan is dead. Murdered. Along with the whole family. And the tyrant who done it is claiming to be the new Sapan.” 

“Who does he think he is?” said Fin, darkly. “Since when does being a murderous traitor make someone the son of Inti?” 

“The entire family was killed?” asked Cascade, her normally chipper voice small and shaky. 

“That’s the funny thing,” said Meander. “The phrasing of the message was very strange. It started out by saying that there was a new Sapan, by the name of Vidar. But then it went on to say that he had murdered the royal family and - get this - that there would be a sizable reward for helping any surviving royal. It almost sounds like two different messages, don’t it?”

There was a sharp intake of breath from across the table. “Of course!” said Ember, her husky voice excited. “I think I understand. I heard a rumor that one of the princesses escaped. She’s supposed to be quite wiley and have some talented friends. They say she somehow eluded the trackers that were sent after her. I bet she managed to get ahold of the messengers and add on to the original message. What a brilliant move!” 

Beside him, Owen felt Kaz shift in her seat. How much had Mattias included in the rumor?

“Damn, sounds like quite a woman,” said Meander. “I bet she’s beautiful, too.” 

“I heard she is,” said Ember, laughter lacing her tone. A second later, though, she turned serious. “Regardless, if I get the chance, I’m certainly going to help the princess, if it’s true she’s alive.” 

“I would too,” growled Meander. “I didn’t know much about the old Sapan except that he had a reputation for being fair, something that most Sapans before him lacked. But this - this mockery - has to stop. This isn’t how the Sapan is chosen.” 

“Careful Meander,” said Otto. “It’ll probably be pretty dangerous to say things like that soon.”

“And what of it?” burst out Meander. “The river’s the only haven we’ll ever need. They can`t get us here.”

“That may be so,” said Otto. “But I don’t want my crew arrested for treason during shore leave.”

“Treason - huh!” muttered Meander. “You can’t betray what you don’t believe in.”

Owen felt kaz shift in her seat beside him, but she didn’t say anything. 

“Does anyone know where the princess is, or where she’s headed?” asked Cascade, her voice small and uncertain. “I mean, maybe we should help her. We could offer her refuge. I mean, what could be safer than a boat?”

“That’s an admirable thought,” rumbled Otto kindly. “But I reckon that girl’s had enough people looking for her lately, from the sound of it. No, if she needs transport, she’ll come to us. And even if she does, I doubt she’ll reveal herself. She sounds too smart to trust strangers immediately.”

“Then what about the reward?” asked Fin. “Why offer one if she’s not willing to reveal herself?” 

“Oh, but don’t you see the genius, Fin?” asked Chel. “Anyone who helps her without knowing it qualifies themself for the reward. Anyone who tries to find her in order to win the reward reveals that they’re motivated by greed. It allows the princess to sort her potential allies.” 

Owen blinked, surprised. Had Kaz intended that when she thought up the reward idea? It was undoubtedly an unexpected benefit if she hadn’t. He would have to ask her later. 

“That’s an excellent point,” he said. “Another indication of the ñust’a’s intelligence. If I run into her, I hope she reveals herself, because I’d love to meet her!” 

Kaz kicked him under the table as several people chuckled appreciatively. He fought back a grin. 

“Hear hear!” boomed Meander. “”Here’s to helping strangers and the princess!” 

Everyone lifted their mugs of tea or cocoa and repeated his words. Owen even heard Kaz murmur them beside him. Now he could let himself smile as he held his cup aloft for the others to clink theirs against. 

“I think Cascade’s other question was a good one,” said Chel quietly as everyone drank. “Where is she now? And where is she heading?” 

“She could be anywhere,” said Fin. 

“I don’t know about that,” said Ember. “I bet if you trace the timing of the Sun King’s murder and how long it takes to get a message from the capitol, you could probably figure out around where she was when she met the messengers.”

“But that’s still quite a range, isn’t it?” said Fin. “I mean, it could be anywhere from Ticlanac to somewhere in the Southern Mountains.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” said Meander. “No one smart would go into the mountains alone.” 

“Well, who says she was alone?” put in Ember. “The rumor said she had friends.” 

“I hope you’ll all excuse me,” said Kaz. Her stool rasped on the deck as she stood. “It’s been a very long day and I’d like to get some sleep.” 

There was a chorus of ‘goodnight’ and ‘sleep well’ and ‘nice to meet you.’ 

“I’m also pretty tired,” said Owen hurriedly. “It was great to meet you all.” He grabbed Devlin’s leash and followed Kaz.

Next Chapter: 31: Kaz - Tyrant