Tauno scowled. “I hope he’ll not brood over you till he mislays what wits were ever his. He and Ingeborg-who else have we to deal for us on Yria’s behalf? You and I could scarcely pass our-selves off as earthfolk, let alone Danish subjects.” “Yes, we’ve spoken about that, he and I.” Eyjan was likewise worried. “At least he knows he must be careful, him a mere sailor finding his way through laws that are meant to bind him fast in his lot.” Earnestly: “I’ve hopes, though’, for he is clever, and with depth in him for growth.” Her tone sank, “On that account, maybe he’ll not ease me out of his breast as he should-“ Briskly:
“Well, besides, he’ll have Ingeborg’s counsel, and she’s seen
every kind of man, I suppose,”
“She’s a strong creature,” Tauno agreed without eagerness.
Eyjan swirled herself to a sideways position, that she might
regard him. “I thought you were fonder of her than that,”
Tauno jerked a nod. “I like her, aye.”
“And her, about you- There in the crow’s nest, I could
hear from down in the hold the joy wherewith she awakened to
you. She was never loud, but I still heard.” Eyjan winced and
paused before she went on: “Next day we talked, she and I,
Woman talk. She wondered, against all reason, if we might settle
near her-the gold would buy a shoreside place-and not fare off
afar in quest of our people, When I told her this was impossible,
she looked away from me. Afterward she looked back and chat-
tered on, very lightly. But I had been watching her shoulders and
hands.” Eyjan sighed. “Indeed it is not well for mortals to have
doings with Faerie,”
“Nor for us,” Tauno rasped,
“True. Poor Ingeborg. And yet how could we abide as the last
two merfolk in Denmark? Can we not find our father, we must seek to join a different tribe. Hard enough will it be for us to search across the world.”
“Yes, , . hard,” Tauno said. They stared at each other. He went pale, she flushed. Abruptly he dived, and did not broach for an hour.
Herning rounded Wales, passed by the white cliffs of England,
followed the Lowlands on toward home,
IIV
THE ship of the Liri people had come better than halfway up the Dalmatian coast when the slavers espied her.
At first none of them, not even Vanimen, feared evil. On their passage from the Gates of Hercules they had spoken many vessels; these were busy waters. Since he took care to keep well away from land, nobody challenged them. Likewise he ordered that everyone on deck wear clothes by day, taken out of sailors’ chests, and that swimmers be submerged until after dark. The Northern craft, plainly storm-battered, drew curiosity and sometimes-he thought-offers of help. He would gesture off those who steered nigh and shout in what Latin he had that nothing was needed, he was bound for a nearby port. It served, though he wasn’t sure whether that was because his language was near enough to the vernaculars or because skippers grew leery of as ragged and odd-looking a gang as they saw. Notwithstanding, the presence of females and young, whom he purposely had in view, said they were not pirates; hence no warcraft lay alongside.
Had that happened, they would have abandoned ship. He was reluctant to do so otherwise. Despite her poor condition, slowness, clumsiness, incessant labor at the pumps, she remained their shel-ter-and a disguise, in a narrow sea divided between Christian and Mussulman with naught of Faerie surviving. Therefore he drove her onward, day and night, day and night. When wind failed, and the sun was down or humans absent, he had his folk tow. Thus she made better speed than any mortal crew could have gotten out of her. Still, the weeks grew weary before she entered the Adriatic mouth. Without the waves to seek for hunt, frolic, renewal, the wanderers might well have perished of despair.
Now travel became even more creeping and cautious, because they must hug the eastern shores in order that parties be readily able to search these out. Such a route much raised the likelihood of being investigated by a naval patrol of whoever ruled on land. Just the same, hearts lightened, song broke forth, for here was lovely country, steep, full of woods, rich in fish. Vanimen would keep sailing while he was able, unless he found the perfect place first, but having to flee the hulk should not be catastrophic.