The Ember Thief

Chapter Thirteen - Corvax

A chorus of gulls squawked overhead as Raide, and the Duchess worked their way down the pontoon, treading carefully to avoid the thick rope and crab traps that were strewn across the jetty. The water gently lapped the posts that held the walkway up, just short of a thin band of green algae that clung to the timber posts denoting where the tide reaches. A shoal of reef fish darted out from the shadow of the post, heading for the safety of an overturned dinghy that jutted out from the surface. The boat sat precariously on top of the rippled and distorted shapes of other wrecks that disappeared intriguingly down into the dark waters.

'How do people get used to the smell?' he said, covering his nose with his sleeve.

Charm laughed. 'This is going to sound bizarre, but I love that smell.'

'This is not a smell I expect anyone to love', Raide's muffled voice came out from behind his sleeve.

'I grew up near a fishing town,' she said, adjusting the stole around her shoulders. 'It reminds me of being young. If I close my eyes, I could be ten years old again dreaming of being a pirate. You would be surprised how much the smell grows on you.'

Raide thought back to what Wisp said about triggers before her words caught up with him. 'You wanted to be a pirate?' he said with amazement.

'Yes, for a number of years I might add.' She looked out, over the bay, to the distant sails on the horizon. 'I dreamt of leaving the palace for adventures on the high seas with Charm, much to the dismay of my parents who wanted me to pursue more lady-like pastimes, of course. I would watch the ships pull in to the harbour and wonder where they had been or what they were bringing in. I guess I just wanted to be free of the boredom of court life. I was a very reluctant Duchess if you couldn't guess,' she mused.

Raide thought about Charm's words, forgetting for a moment that she was royalty. 'There seems to be a lot of high-born people that take part in the Quintail. Everyone has a title, like the lord of so-and-so or the lady-of-somewhere,' he threw an arm around dramatically. 'No offence,' he quickly added.

'None taken,' she flashed a smile. 'Ember metal is costly, and as a result, only the wealthy can afford them. So now, we have a generation of wealthy brats fighting each other to the sound of clapping hands. Makes a change I guess,' Charm shrugged.

'How do you mean?' he asked, carefully stepping over a crab pot.

'The rich have been watching the poor punch each other for their amusement for years. It's probably about time that they see royal blood is just as red as their own.'

Raide couldn't help but smile back. 'You're not how I expected a Duchess to be.'

'Now you sound like my parents,' she said, hopping over another rope. 'My childhood was spent climbing trees or fighting the servant boys from the kitchen, while my sisters were busy with making straw dolls, or embroidering flowers. I sometimes think my parents bought in Sister Elenara to stop me sneaking onto a boat and stowing away to some distant land.'

'Do you think I could be high-born?' he said, straightening up.

She sized up the grey-haired man. 'It's possible. You speak like someone who has been educated, but your hands,' she reached out and took his hand, tracing a finger over his calluses. 'Your hands say they have worked most of their life, not a great indicator that you're from a noble background.'

Raide turned her hand over. 'But your hands are rough in places also?'

She blushed and pulled her hand away. 'That's because I've spent most of my adult life in the Quintail.'

'I'm sorry I didn't mean to cause any offence,' he said, apologising quickly.

'Raide, it's alright. I learnt a long time ago not to take offence from fools, thieves and people who have lost their memory.'