Westhaven by Rowan Erlking (best sci fi novels of all time TXT) 📕

“Change of subject.” Loid rose, setting his bowl on the floor. “You obviously took us for non-locals. How badly did we stand out?”

Rising himself and taking Loid’s bowl, the sailor said, “You are all fair-skinned men. However, it is more your clothing and manner of walking that gave you away. Those two cannot pass as locals. They’re men from the mountains. Am I right?”

Key decided it was best to let the sailor to believe the lie. That part of the disguise worked. “Yes.”

Nodding again, the sailor gestured to the Bekir men.

“But you three seem to feel more at home near water. You aren’t from Calcumum or Sundri. I’ve seen men from there. You are lake men. Am I right? That one is definitely a lake man.” He pointed to Loid.

Loid gave a bow. “Lake minstrel.”

The sailor smiled. “Fine. Nothing wrong with that. Lake men tend to gravitate towards water and fish. We have a number of them in the docks, but you are dressed all wrong for Stiltson.”

“Hold it.” Key glanced at his friends first then asked, “You said that a number of lake men are here in the docks. From where exactly?”

Drawing in a breath, the sailor thought. “Hmm. Mostly from Lake Bo and Lake Skinner though we do have some Fish Lake people here.”

“None from Bekir?” Key asked, still clinging to the hope that maybe his mother had fled east rather than west.

But the sailor shook his head. “Rarely from Bekir. Are you Bekir men?”

All three of them nodded.

“Hmm, you look more to be from Riken Lake,” the sailor said, nodding to Loid.

Loid bowed with a crooked smile. “That is the idea.”

“Ah…” Turning from them, the sailor collected the other bowls. His wife started to gather the spoons. Together they carried them with the uneaten fish and broth to a tin where they dumped in the scraps. Then they stacked the bowls into another tin.

“Alright,” he said as he turned back to face them. “I can give you lake men some attire to make you look more like you belong, but I can’t help you men from Wede.”

Tiler cast a look to Rainold but said nothing.

“You can browse around the docks until night to look for your friend, the Sea Fisher. But when it’s night, if I were you I’d go and find a hut with nets to rest. They don’t lock those. And be careful of the crabs.”

“How about demons in the docks?” Loid asked.

The sailor smiled. “Though I hear stories about fish people in the south, the only demons that ever come to these docks are blue-eyes.”

“That’s enough for me,” Tiler said, and he headed to the stairs to go out again.

As the Bekir men once again changed their clothing, Loid even taking on dockworker clothing and stowing away his lyre, Tiler and Rainold went back out and scouted a good place to sleep in case they did not find the Sea Fisher’s boat before nightfall. Apparently Bredin had not intended for anyone to reach Stiltson before he did. Unfortunately, the chance of them getting discovered was high now that there were more soldiers in town—but the forewarning had been enough. At least they could meet their friends and warn them of the larger Sky Child presence in the city.

Key and his Bekir friends descended into the docks once more, though they had advised the sailor that perhaps he ought go out to sea for a while, just in case. The man considered it, thinking more of heading north along the coast anyway. It was clear Stiltson was no longer safe.

The trio from the lakes and the two men from Herra dressed as men from the Wede Mountains searched the docks for most of the day for the Sea Fisher’s boat—without success. But since they were there, they purchased in the local market squid on a stick—something none of them had ever tried before—and two sheets of seaweed, which they tasted mostly and then declared too salty to actually eat. Eventually they wandered up the canals towards the inner parts of the city, but turned around when they saw more troops within the stony parts of the city. They headed back to the docks once the sun lowered behind the stone buildings in the west.

On their way back, they discovered a night fair being set up between the rows of reed flat houses. Paper lanterns were strung out across the canal. Sellers on boats paddled in, each with paper lilies, lanterns, and candied fruits from inland. A reed platform had been freshly made, packed with layers and layers of tied marsh grass gathered from the southern swamp. It floated firmly, holding up dancers in newly dyed cloth and paper flower garlands.

The five travelers wandered in, sampling the candied fruit on sticks and accepting the strings of flowers the young ladies made. Loid joined where the singers were performing, taking out his lyre. He plucked along, much to the locals’ delight. Telerd walked to where the men were gaming with marked tiles, gambling their spare change and a few pocket trinkets of carved jade, abalone, mother of pearl, and amber. Rainold went with him. However, as always, Tiler stayed beside Key who watched the dancers perform. There were a few Sky Children soldiers watching also, but their eyes were more on the women with a level of lust that made Key’s stomach turn with bad memories. He hoped the soldiers here did not help themselves to the women has they had in the Southwest Corner.

As the music of the local musicians started, Loid joining them at their invitation, more common dancing started on the platform. The performers hopped off and grabbed partners. One took hold of Key’s wrist and pulled him on. Another grabbed Tiler. The ladies left only the gambling men alone, who now were struggling against Telerd’s repeated wins as Rainold sat back to watch. He had already lost too much to his traveling companion.

The ladies led them into a circle dance. The men went on the inside and the women encircled them on the outside. The ladies tossed their scarves for their partners to catch, weaving in and out and around, much in the way the courtship dance went back in Summi village. For a moment Key thought that a young girl had claimed him for a potential husband—but as the dance continued, they traded partners and the group continued round and round until he met up with the first girl again. From there, the dance changed and so did the partners—though Key’s partner hooked her arm into his and tried to lead him back onto the mat for another dance.

“You are very good,” she said, smiling at him as she steered him into the next formation for the dance. “Are you a dancer where you are from?”

Looking first helplessly to Tiler who was chuckling at him (his friend had succeeded in getting away), Key replied to her, “Uh, yeah. Something like that.”

She giggled. “You are a lake man.”

Her fingers clung tighter to his hand then she let him spin her out. The pattern to this dance was not too different from the Dance of the Summer Lilies. It was also a couple’s dance, giving Key the impulsive urge to jump into the canal. But she was a pretty kind of girl who had added blush brushed on her cheeks and lips. Painted lines turned up the corners of her eyes. So, it wasn’t so bad. Her hair was in the festive style, braded up with ribbons and flowers, though he was sure in the day she mostly wore it long behind her back or in a bun during her regular work. She probably covered it with a straw hat to keep out the sun. If anything, the sparkle in her eyes as she smiled at him was what made her the most attractive.

“The southern sun does not seem to like you,” she said with a smile, then touched his cheeks.

Feeling them also, Key realized they were tender and red. The hat he had been wearing was still a Bekir style cap with no brim. It had offered no cover at all for his face. The tufts of his hair were still well-hidden, though he now felt self-conscious.

The dance ended after two more movements. Key tried to pull his way once more from off the reed dance floor. But the girl giggled, tossing her scarf over his head, and caught him by the neck. Key was about to whip around and shout at her that enough was enough—but the music started to play, and it would have been too obvious he was trying to escape if he withdrew then. Enduring it, Key attempted to look bored instead. It didn’t really work.

Other ladies also jumped into the dance. This time Key found himself facing another partner who went though the same motions as the first girl. Her flirtatious smiles were just as flattering, and Key found that his face had unexpectedly grown hot. He tried to pull away this time, only the first girl came in again as if part of the dance was to fight over the man. Again, it reminded him of those dances he had seen the young men and women in his village perform when he was just a child, ones that usually ended up with proposals and engagements. This time he really tried to withdraw from the group.

Another woman’s hand took his and drew him back into the dance.

“Oh, please, I just came to watch.” He turned to look at the girl in an attempt to get her to see reason—but when his eyes fixed on her face, he saw Lanona.

She looked cross.

Turning with the music, Lanona tilted her head and went around with him in part of the dance. “I’m not asking why you are here.”

She set a scarf into his hand and drew her slender fingers down it as her eyes lowered. Her lashes fluttered down, pulling from him in the dance with more of a Sundri style. Key took his steps, watching her as he went around her. Then he extended his other hand for her to take it.

Lanona set her delicate fingers into his, and allowed him lead her up where they met. Then he extended an arm across the back shoulders, their faces turned towards the other, though they walked back-to-back, spinning. When they broke off, the scarf was the only thing keeping them attached. The point when another girl would cut in, Key abruptly jerked on the scarf and drew Lanona back to him again, reaching around her waist so that no one would interfere.

The girls around them let out an audible moan. His first partner stomped her foot on the grass dancing floor.

“Rats! He already has a girl.” she muttered and tromped off.

The music changed.

Key staggered as the mat rocked underneath while other dancers came on. This time the men selected the women. Though, some of the women called to the men to be chosen. Leading Lanona off, Key helped her to the side reeds, realizing that she was making the reeds underneath her feet firmer with each step. Though Sundri was a coastal city, it did not seem like she spent much time in the bay. And the closer they got to the buildings themselves, the surer on her feet she was.

Still holding onto her waist to keep her stable, he asked, “Does this mean that everyone is here now?”

She looked up, her face a little pink. Seeing her like that made his heart jump. He drew in a breath. Key had the impulse to let her go. However, he hung on.

“Uh…” Lanona gazed up, over the dancing area.

Key followed her gaze where he spotted Luis leaning on an upper level railing. The man was smirking

“Not everyone,” she said. “I don’t know where that Stiltson man is at—but we just got here. He said to meet him