Read Online The Path of the Storm by James Maxwell - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: James Maxwell
Tags: Romance, Literature & Fiction, Coming of Age, Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Epic, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Genre Fiction, Sword & Sorcery, epic fantasy, action and adventure, Women's Adventure
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until we get there," Captain Meredith said with a smile and a deprecating shrug. He turned to the man at his side. "And allow me to introduce my first mate, Julian Carver."
The second man held a small chest in his arms, obviously heavy, for he leaned back, the muscles in his arms tensed. First-mate Carver had small eyes and a rat-like face, with scraggly whiskers and a balding pate. Yet his shoulders were broad, and when he spoke his voice was authoritative. Miro took an almost instant disliking to him.
"A pleasure," Carver grunted. "Cap'n, I'll just go put this in your cabin."
"Yes, of course," Captain Meredith said.
"A man of few words," Miro said as Carver ascended the gangway.
"Don't mind Carver," Captain Meredith said. "He does his job well. There will be others for you to meet: our helmsman, quartermaster and second mate to name a few. However that can wait until you're aboard ship." He turned serious. "I don't need to tell you this is a major expedition, with only Toro Marossa's notes to tell us our destination is even there. It will take us the best part of the day to load supplies and fit the ship while we await full tide. Please, the Port Royal is one of the finest inns around and has been made available for your use. I will send one of my men to fetch you when we're ready to go."
~
A MBER was nearly on the outskirts of Castlemere when she decided to turn around. She kept tossing her parting words with Miro over in her mind. She loved Miro and Tomas more than anything in the world, and with months of caring for her comatose son awaiting her, she decided she wanted to see Miro one last time. She hadn't even told her husband she loved him.
Retracing her footsteps, she made it back to the dock pleased to see the galleon still being loaded though it was late in the day. She encountered a rat-faced man on the gangway.
"Excuse me?" Amber said. "I'm the Lord Marshal's wife. Can you direct me to his cabin?"
The rat-faced man grunted a series of directions, and Amber boarded the ship, even as sailors called to one another and she was forced to dodge out of their way. It still took Amber several minutes to find Miro's cabin; the vessel was even larger from the inside than it appeared.
She mistakenly entered a hatch in the main deck before realising her mistake, turning back when open doors revealed scores of hammocks where the sailors obviously slept. Resurfacing to the open she found a ladder leading upwards from the main deck to the aft quarter deck. Climbing up the ladder she crossed the quarter deck and then descended another companionway. Finally in a corridor of cabins Amber saw Miro's familiar travel bag holding a door propped open. Peeking inside she saw a thick book sitting on a cot: Toro Marossa's Explorations .
"Miro?" Amber called, entering the small cabin.
Amber thought she would have seen him if he'd been on the deck. Yet now that she was below decks, far from the scurrying sailors, she saw he wasn't in his cabin either.
Amber looked around the interior. This was where Miro would be sleeping, night after night. It looked tiny, for such a tall man. While she was here, Amber decided to leave a short note. He would find it some time in the future and think of her.
She picked up Miro's travel bag and placed it on the bed. There would be writing materials inside.
With a creak the cabin door closed, shutting with a click.
Turning in surprise, Amber looked at the door. She tried the handle. The door was locked.
Blood drained from Amber's face and her mouth opened in horror.
The enchanted lock was coded. As a paying passenger Miro had been given a door that could be locked for privacy. A simple activation sequence opened the door.
Without knowing the words, Amber couldn't open the door. The wood wasn't thick; a strong man could break it; but to Amber it might as well have been steel.
Breaking a coded lock was one of the hardest tasks for an enchantress. It meant reversing and unravelling the
The second man held a small chest in his arms, obviously heavy, for he leaned back, the muscles in his arms tensed. First-mate Carver had small eyes and a rat-like face, with scraggly whiskers and a balding pate. Yet his shoulders were broad, and when he spoke his voice was authoritative. Miro took an almost instant disliking to him.
"A pleasure," Carver grunted. "Cap'n, I'll just go put this in your cabin."
"Yes, of course," Captain Meredith said.
"A man of few words," Miro said as Carver ascended the gangway.
"Don't mind Carver," Captain Meredith said. "He does his job well. There will be others for you to meet: our helmsman, quartermaster and second mate to name a few. However that can wait until you're aboard ship." He turned serious. "I don't need to tell you this is a major expedition, with only Toro Marossa's notes to tell us our destination is even there. It will take us the best part of the day to load supplies and fit the ship while we await full tide. Please, the Port Royal is one of the finest inns around and has been made available for your use. I will send one of my men to fetch you when we're ready to go."
~
A MBER was nearly on the outskirts of Castlemere when she decided to turn around. She kept tossing her parting words with Miro over in her mind. She loved Miro and Tomas more than anything in the world, and with months of caring for her comatose son awaiting her, she decided she wanted to see Miro one last time. She hadn't even told her husband she loved him.
Retracing her footsteps, she made it back to the dock pleased to see the galleon still being loaded though it was late in the day. She encountered a rat-faced man on the gangway.
"Excuse me?" Amber said. "I'm the Lord Marshal's wife. Can you direct me to his cabin?"
The rat-faced man grunted a series of directions, and Amber boarded the ship, even as sailors called to one another and she was forced to dodge out of their way. It still took Amber several minutes to find Miro's cabin; the vessel was even larger from the inside than it appeared.
She mistakenly entered a hatch in the main deck before realising her mistake, turning back when open doors revealed scores of hammocks where the sailors obviously slept. Resurfacing to the open she found a ladder leading upwards from the main deck to the aft quarter deck. Climbing up the ladder she crossed the quarter deck and then descended another companionway. Finally in a corridor of cabins Amber saw Miro's familiar travel bag holding a door propped open. Peeking inside she saw a thick book sitting on a cot: Toro Marossa's Explorations .
"Miro?" Amber called, entering the small cabin.
Amber thought she would have seen him if he'd been on the deck. Yet now that she was below decks, far from the scurrying sailors, she saw he wasn't in his cabin either.
Amber looked around the interior. This was where Miro would be sleeping, night after night. It looked tiny, for such a tall man. While she was here, Amber decided to leave a short note. He would find it some time in the future and think of her.
She picked up Miro's travel bag and placed it on the bed. There would be writing materials inside.
With a creak the cabin door closed, shutting with a click.
Turning in surprise, Amber looked at the door. She tried the handle. The door was locked.
Blood drained from Amber's face and her mouth opened in horror.
The enchanted lock was coded. As a paying passenger Miro had been given a door that could be locked for privacy. A simple activation sequence opened the door.
Without knowing the words, Amber couldn't open the door. The wood wasn't thick; a strong man could break it; but to Amber it might as well have been steel.
Breaking a coded lock was one of the hardest tasks for an enchantress. It meant reversing and unravelling the
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