Chapter 42 - Onto The Icicle
I ran with the girl on my back and avoided every eye that can see us, I stuck to the shadow and sneaked around every corner until I reached the ship.
Svadall and Rusning were on the deck drinking together and when they saw a figure board onto the ship, they stood up and faced me, other sailors took notice and also looked at me.
"It's me!" I said and removed my hood.
"What? When did you get out?" Rusning said.
"The servant I mentioned was a bit late and I went back to pick her up." I said, "Sorry, I somewhat was in a rush."
"Oh! Is she the one on your back? What happened?" Svadall asked and pointed out.
"I found her in an alleyway, someone must have mugged her, is there a healer here?" I asked.
"What a dull question! I'll go call for Holman, take her to your cabin, it is cold out here." Rusning said.
I thanked him and hurried to the cabin, As I put the girl on the bed and continued casting healing on her, Holman arrived after a minute.
"Mara's mercy! Who did that to her?" He was shocked by what he saw.
Holman looked like an honest fellow with a black hair and an early facial hair, he was three years older than me.
"I don't know, she was supposed to buy me things from the market but I found her in an alleyway like this when I went to look for her" I made up a story I already thought of.
"By the nine! Can't a girl walk safely alone these days? What happened to the world." Jolma, magically appeared from the door followed in and made a sad face.
I made up a few things and assured them, I also had to stay beside the girl for a while before we could leave the room for her to rest.
As we were getting out, I took out her journal and put it beside her, can't afford to let her go crazy again.
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I went out of the ship with the excuse of thanking someone who helped me getting 'Jullanar' to the ship.
'Jullanar' was the name I told them as the name for this girl, I didn't know her real name and made up a name from my past life.
'Jullanar' is a Persian name which meant pomegranate flower. Shame! The name was just wasted on an assassin who tried to kill me.
As I got away from the ship, I headed to the East Empire Company, I could see Gulum-Ei was talking with someone there.
"Hey!" I said and acted as if in a bad mood.
Gulum-Ei looked at me then nodded, then he talked the man away.
"This was flashy!" He said.
"The deed was done, didn't it?" I said.
"Overdone in my opinion." He said.
"What? Does the guild in Solitude pay up for the damage they cause?" I said with a mocking smile.
"No no, don't get me wrong." Gulum-Ei raised his hands and turned meek, "When I got the message from Delvin that you are a daredevil, I really didn't take it too seriously, glad to see Old Delvin still has an eye for good people."
"It's all good and fine but my ship is going to sail." I said.
"Hmm?! Ah! You want your money! Here here." Gulum-Ei gave me a purse and said, "It was a pleasure doing business with you."
"...." I didn't say anything to the lizard and turned my back, he stinks.
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Back to the ship, I stayed in the cabin with the passed out girl, her temperature started rising so I started brewing an herbal remedy to resist fever for her. Damn this Njord, how many times did he pat her, my shoulder is itching when I thought about that.
I went outside the room after nursing her for a while, I also cast 'Heal Other' on her, this was Adept level healing spell that I didn't master it very well yet it got cast by luck.
As I was out of the cabin I could feel the ship shaking. So it was moving! It is my first time to be on a ship so I wanted to take a look at the deck.
As I went out I saw many sailors moving around under the order of an elderly man, and the boys from the team were sitting on a crate and talking to each other.
I had warped myself with some fur before I got out, the weather now was freezing, as I got close to the boys they noticed me and emptied a seat.
"So, how is the girl?" Holman asked.
"She is fine, I brewed her something for the fever that will keep her sleeping for a while." I replied.
"Good man, here, something to warm you up." He said and gave me something. It smelled like milk with some seeds in it.
"What is that?" I asked.
"Don't know!" Svadall said, "The sailors made it and they give us when we ask."
I tried it and it wasn't bad, yet had no flavor, I could feel alcohol in it though.
The ship started to move as the light started to shine, the scenery was great, on the left of the ship was the docks and Solitude, on the right was the great marshes of Hjaalmarch, ahead of us was the big rock of Solitude.
"Did you guys hear about this, a fire broke into the castle after we left!" Svadall started chatting again, so the news reached here. I still can see some smoke over Solitude from here too.
The ship passed under Solitude and continued sailing with Karth river, the sun started rising yet it was not getting any warmer.
"This is the sea of ghosts for you lads, it can make you shiver to the soul." The elderly man who was giving commands to the sailors earlier came close to us and talked, Rusning and the rest stood up so I tagged along and stood up as well.
"This weather is nothing to a Nord, Captain." Rusning said, "We want to introduce you to our new friend here, this is Jon, he won the tournament and will be the new addition to the college."
"Aye, we got ourselves a champion, eh? I see, good lad, strong arms, broad shoulders, you'd make for a good sailor, if you were a bit taller I would have mistaken you for one of them Fire-Manes." The Captain said, "Name's Geldof and they call me Smiling-Hull, like the ship lad?"
This man said a lot of things, but wait a minute, didn't he just say something about the Fire-Manes.
"Yes captain, It's my first time on a ship and it's quite a nice ship." I said.
"'She', lad! The ship is a 'she'." Captain Geldof said.
"Ah! Yes, sorry. But Captain, you just now said something about the Fire-Manes?"
"Aye! The Fire-Manes, if you don't know of them then I don't know if you if should or not. That name refers to one of the great clans that don't come into public. No matter how shameful for an old dog like me to admit it, they are the best to sail in a sea or ride in a land." Captain Geldof said, "I only thought that you are one of them when I saw your hair and eyes but you are not as tall, and it would be strange if you board on a ship that is no Fire-Mane Ship, you ain't one of them, are you lad?"
"Not that I know of, I am an orphan from Riften." I said.
"Riften! Far from home ain't you lad!" He said, "No wonder it's your first time in a sea, ever thought about sailing?"
I nodded.
"Want to learn?" He asked.
"I would like to." I said, I was interested.
"Hehe! Fine, go untie that robe but remember it well, never let go of it."Captain Geldof said.
I was curious about sailing actually as it was something I have never done before, so I went to the robe and held it with my left to its end tightly and rounded around my forearm, with the right hand I untied the robe.
The boys were looking down for some reason and some other sailors were grinning, I didn't know what was going on so I continued untying.
As I was done with it, I held with the right hand and was ready to hold it tightly yet the wind started making Yard that carried the mainsail change its direction around the mast.
This was not the problem right now, the problem is, I was getting pulled by the robe and started flying.
I don't know how it happened but I fell on the deck and everyone started laughing at me, this was not nice you know.
"The first lesson is…" Captain Geldof made an appearance over me who was lying on my back saying "Never hold that robe alone, if you did, never hold to it."
I was in pain from the flight I just took but I found the strength to stand up while rubbing my back.
"But you said…" I was about to say something but Captain Geldof interrupted.
"Learn from the mistakes lad, as long as they don't kill you, you can learn from them." He said and acted like some wisea**.
"Are you ready for another lesson?" He was grinning, "Lady Luck is with us this morning, the wind is fair and the sea is easy, a good time to teach youngsters."
I looked at him with no power to retorte, "As long as I am not learning from another mistake." I said.
"HA HA! You'll make them without me even tell you, lad." He said, "Just do this and do that."
Captain Geldof started pointing some jobs for me, and he was right, even without pointing a mistake I still did them anyway.
I started learning about the ship and the sailing process all day long [A/N: And I watched documentaries], I somewhat enjoyed learning something I had completely no experience about. Although, I played some sailing games in my past life, there was no experience like this.
"You learn well lad, these boys didn't even last the first hour." Captain Geldof said and looked at Rusning, Holman and Svadall.
"We are no sailor Old Geldof, we are mages." Svadall retorted.
"And I am what? A tavern wench? I learned at the college one day like you, why do you think I work on this ship now?" Captain Geldof shouted at Svadall.
Svadall didn't retorte.
"Let's see how you fair tomorrow, lad." The Captain said and went away to shout at the sailors.
"My body is aching I am going to my cabin." I said to the boys.
"Fine, just don't miss dinner." Rusning said and continued what he was doing.
Now that he mentioned it, I am so damn hungry, last time I ate was at the banquet in the blue palace and that felt like ages ago now.
Fine, I'll head down and wipe my body then go eat something.
As I was thinking about food and stuff like that I reached the cabin and opened its door, I was also planning to check on the assassin girl too.
I found her sitting on the bed while looking at around, she seemed to have just woke up.
"Looking good." I said, "For someone who was half dead, you somewhat passed all the critical stage."
The girl looked at me expressionless, "You should have left me to die." She said.
Dammit! I guess I should start talking that girl into living now.