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

“So, you all rushed to get here?” Key asked.

“Yes, and I’m tired,” she said. She staggered nearer to the walls of the floating houses.

“Well then let’s just sit down.” Key led her to the canal edge. In the darkness, the water looked black as pitch. The glow from the paper lanterns made it feel as if they were no longer in reality, but in a dream of some other place. The dragonflies zipped over the lilies and lanterns. A low mist had formed on the water, curling and puffing as the water rocked from the footfalls of the festival-goers on the raft walkways. As the Key and Lanona sat down, Lanona took off her travel shoes and put them aside on the reed walk, dipping her feet into the water.

“Ah….” She smiled, leaning slightly on his shoulder. “That’s better.”

Key did not dip his feet down. He crossed his legs instead. When she noticed, she opened her eyes and then pulled at his legs to undo his boots.

“What are you doing?” He leaned back on his hands but did not fight her.

Lanona slapped his shoulder. “You have got to be tired too. Take off your boots and soak your feet.”

“I’m not putting my feet in that water,” Key said, glancing down at it.

“And why not?” she asked.

“Because I saw that water in the daylight, and it is disgusting.”

She jerked her feet out, jumping up. Lanona teetered, nearly falling into the canal, but Key caught the back of her dress and pulled her down to him, catching her in his lap.

For a brief moment they paused, breathless. But then she pushed to get herself from his arms, without succeeding

“Why didn’t you tell me before I put my feet in!” She snapped, still trying to get off his lap.

Key just shrugged. “You seemed intent on it. Besides, you can rinse it off.”

Sliding off his lap, Lanona dropped to his side again. “Don’t you ever take off your boots?”

He peered at his boots. They were worn and dusty, and his feet did throb from being on them for so long. But he had gotten so used to them being like that, so much that he had nearly forgotten what rested feet felt like.

“I didn’t wear shoes most of my childhood,” he said. “The general didn’t allow it until near the end. Now-a-days I just don’t like seeing my bare feet.”

He shifted so that she could take off his boots anyway.

Lanona took the hint and started on the left one.

“That is so stupid,” Lanona said, jerking off the first boot. Then she removed his sock. “You know it is more relaxing when you walk bare-footed.”

Key smirked. “Huh. Well, I don’t remember it feeling like that.”

She then pulled off his right boot, setting it next to his other one and tugged on the sock. This time her eyes fell on the deep indentation in his ankle. Stroking up the scars in his skin, Lanona’s breathing slowed.

“What are you trying to do? Heal me?” he asked with a small chuckle.

Turning her gaze to his face, she shook her head. “No. I couldn’t do it even if I wanted to. The damage is too much. In fact, I have no idea how you can even walk.”

Plucking up his boots and socks, Key shrugged. “I put one foot in front of the other.”

Lanona rolled her eyes. “You know, you can let someone care about you. Worry about you, even.”

He paused, originally intending to go find Tiler—but somehow the weight of her words held him down on the grass walkway.

“It’s not that.” He stared in the distance. “I have plenty of people worrying over me. Too many, really. I just….”

She peered at him, waiting for what he would say.

Lowering his eyes to her face, he said, “You must know what the others are planning concerning you and me. But I don’t want to see you used as a pawn in their schemes.”

“I’m not acting as a pawn in their schemes,” she began her retort.

“That’s not what I meant.” Key had been brusque, but he tried to keep his voice down to avoid attention. “What I mean to say is I don’t want you to get hurt.”

She pulled back as she stared at him. “I can handle it.”

He clenched his head.

“Key,” she whispered. “What is really bothering you? You were like this in Calcumum too. I did a good job there, and you know it. I’m not going to get hurt. In fact, with that swordsman you have almost watching me I—”

“He’s not watching you.” Key snapped slightly louder than he had wanted. Luckily none of the festivalgoers noticed. “He’s watching your back. I have people watching my back.”

“Fine!” She bit back. “But that doesn’t explain why you aren’t setting guards for your friends or…”

“I can’t believe you are bringing this up.” Moaning over what she was saying, especially as her voice started into that angry tone once more, Key looked over the water. He noticed Luis was now chatting with the Sea Fisher, flanked by two men who were definitely local seamen.

“…Is it that I am a woman? I don’t see you making sure Sadena is well-guarded.” Lanona reached out and took hold of his chin, turning his face so that he was looking at her. “Or what about your cousin? She’s family.”

Pulling from her grip, Key stood up. “Besides the fact that she’s not my business, Sadena has Callen—and she does keep two guards with her when she goes about. And my cousin is at a safe place, not taking risks. If she were out here, I would definitely have somebody guarding her, and not just her husband, Loid.”

Rising also, Lanona stood with her hand on her hip. Her other hand clenched her shoes. “Just admit it. You don’t think I can handle this.”

Rolling his eyes, Key hung his shoulders. “Nothing could be further from the truth, Lanona. I—”

“Hey, Kemdin.” Loid tapped Key on the shoulder, nodding to acknowledge Lanona. “Luis is waving us over. Let’s go.”

Tiler jogged up also. “Sorry to break up your lover’s quarrel and all, but uh, we really do need to get going.”

He gestured up to where a small number of Sky Child soldiers had gathered. They looked down on the scene not far from where Luis had first been. The soldiers’ numbers had increased since the last time Key had looked.

Telerd got up from the gambling men with his winnings happily tucked in the front of his shirt. He strung a few of the jade beads around Key’s neck then stuck a carved mother of pearl comb into Lanona’s hair before he teetered over towards Luis on the grass walkway with more than just the usual sway. He looked red-faced plastered; drunk from the ale the gambling men had also been swigging. Rainold walked after him, occasionally supporting Telerd with his arm as they staggered towards the bay.

“Hey! Don’t go yet!” The girl that had taken Key into the dance darted up to him. Panting for breath, she threw her chain of flowers over his head. “We have three more dances to go, and I’m not ready to give up yet.”

Lanona huffed, pushing her aside. “He’s tired from a long journey. Leave him alone.”

The girl shoved into Lanona’s face between her and Key, setting her hands on her hips. “You are not wearing his promise ring, so he is still fair game.”

Heaving up her chest, Lanona also lifted up her hand with the possible intention to set it against the girl’s face. But Key caught her wrist before she could reach the local girl.

“Don’t try it.”

Jerking back her hand with a glare at him, Lanona whipped out of the group and tromped towards the bay on the reed path to get away.

“See?” The local girl called after Lanona with a sneer. “I’m already his delicate flower.”

Loid groaned.

Tiler made a face.

Lanona swung around again with a glare.

“Hey! Don’t think it even!” Key marched after her, getting in between them.

However, the local girl glanced down at Lanona’s shaky legs. Then the girl jumped on the reed walkway with a heavy boom. Everyone felt the ripple, though Tiler toppled into Loid, Rainold collapsed against Telerd who luckily fell towards the floating hut. But Lanona teetered toward the canal, going off. Seeing her fall, Key jumped after her.

He grabbed first for her wrist, but his momentum threw him forward before he could set his feet to pull them both back on the woven grasses. Instead they both plunged into the canal. The splash dunked several paper lanterns, flooding the bottoms of two of nearby merchant skiffs. When they surfaced, Key dragging Lanona’s head above water, shoving off a lily pad that had topped her hair. He shot the local girl a dark look before swimming them both to the woven landing. Everyone groaned and gasped for air when they were pulled aboard. Most plugged their noses.

“What is that smell?” Tiler wheezed, extending a hand to Key to help him up.

“The water,” Key said then looked to Lanona. “I’m sorry. If I had been Soin you probably wouldn’t even had gotten wet.”

But Lanona wordlessly shook out her dress then cast a glare up at the local girl who had retreated towards the dancing raft.

“Don’t think of it,” Key whispered in her ear again. “The soldiers are watching us. The last thing we need—”

“I know.” Lanona stood up. She reached for Tiler’s help. “You say it so often. I get it.”

“They’d kill you, Lanona,” he hissed. “And they would not even think twice about it.”

She stared at him then pulled back, continuing towards where Luis was waiting. Key followed, though he wondered if he had only made her angrier with him.

They gathered in an off-the-water inn not far from the steamers in the port. It was human run inn. Most of its business catered to human fish merchants, having the occasional Sky Child soldier in for a drink—or so they said when they entered the doors. Bredin had rented a large dining room on the second floor, though he also had a smaller washroom provided for his guests to clean up. As soon as Lanona and Key had washed and changed—their soiled clothes soaking in the washtub in a vinegar solution to get rid of the stink—he had their dinner served.

“At last, my friends and guests,” Bredin said as the inn waiters carried in large trays. They were full of braised fish, vegetables, with a tower of chopped fruit with shaved ice in the center. There were all sorts of steamed buns and wrapped meats, each set decoratively on the table in a feast befitting a mansion. Many of them wondered if this was what Pattron had served his guests in Ladis while they had eaten and worked in the kitchen. “Welcome, and enjoy.”

The servants left as silently as they had come, leaving also a tankard of beer and two pitchers of wine, along with three pitchers of clean water. Most of them helped themselves to the water and then later to the other beverages as they felt more inclined. Telerd had already downed a glass of beer before starting into the fish. Most of them ate first, including Bredin whose business they had to discuss the most. Only when they ate more slowly did Bredin speak up at all.

“Thank you all for coming to Stiltson,” he said again, rubbing his stomach with a satisfied smile. “I hope this meal has expressed my gratitude sufficiently.”

“It’s getting there.” Loid nodded, clenching his goblet of wine in a gesture of a toast.

Bredin nodded back then looked to Key who was the only one that did not seem to be availing himself to the liquor. Key had been sipping the water with a thinking look. He kept glancing at Lanona whose hair was now wrapped in a towel. She was also eating in an unusually preoccupied way.

“So, now that we are all gathered together, I believe we ought to go over the