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New to the story? Read from the beginning. PART 1 is here
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“Why, one,” said Master Juris, bothered now by where the questions might lead. Master Clard and the others all followed in a ragged chorus, “One.”
“Could you all hear the drum talk between the ships?” Kurin had hands on hips now, and determination in her tone.
Again the chorus of yeses sounded.
“So, you knew that Mister Kotance was attempting to seize my personal property on the pretext that I was only a child as Master Juris just tried to claim as well? That he was trying to take a ship and murder people that you all knew very well were seeking redress of wrongs done to them by the fleet? Then you just stood by and let at least a quarter of the crew risk Scattering for participation in piracy? It wasn’t until Mord Halyn, whom I still regard as my Captain, tried to deal with the results of the piracy’s failure that you, your apprentices and journeymen finally emerged in spite of the guards and took over, as you should have done at once.
“Now you throw in our faces the attempt to save you from the results of your own folly?” Kurin finished severely, “Take the Wergeld offer. Save your ship. Or take the Fleet Law and lose it.”
While the Longin’s abashed officers and Masters conferred, Kurin turned to Tanlin. “Thanks for that hug. I really needed it.”
“Oi know,” she replied. “Ye needed ‘Igh Cloud too.”
Softly, Kurin asked, “Lady — Captain Tanlin, can you take something from me?”
“I’ tis w’at Oi suspect tis, nae. Nae now,” Tanlin answered equally softly. “Just now, we’re tryin’ t’ save t’em, nae drive t’em onto a reef — in a storm — wit’ a Dragon-tide t’ ‘elp t’ings along.”
The Longin’s conference was brief. It was Master Clard who spoke for them. In a clear voice he said formally, “Your Honors, Kurin, the Longin wishes to formally apologize to you all, and you, Kurin, especially. Master Juris spoke from passion, not thought. He was angry and let his feelings get the better of him.
“For the rest, a majority of us have decided to hear out the Wergeld idea. If we do not, it would appear that we are dismasted and sinking with no help in sight. Make your offer.”
Kurin stood up, relief clear on her countenance. “The first part of the agreement is common to all Wergeld agreements. It is simply the rules of the Wergeld. You must acknowledge the wrongs in dispute and publicly agree to the settlement that we bargain out. The settlement will have the force of fleet Law once reached. It is between us alone. It may not be used as a precedent or in any future criminal or civil action not directly related to the terms of this understanding. Things said or admitted in this Wergeld may not be used against either of us in future legal action, civil or criminal. Any future charges brought must stand on their own merits and may not derive from this agreement. Last, all grudges and feuds between the parties of this Wergeld must be put aside or the whole thing is voided and the Law will take its proper course.
“The wrongs in question have been listed already. They are not disputable. All else is subject to negotiation.
“The first term of the offer is this. Mister Kotance has already been separately charged. No term of this Wergeld shall be in any way binding on him.
“For our part, we have Mister Morgu and Silor who will have to be tried before the fleet for their mutiny, attempted murder and murder. This whole sad mess began and was caused by their hate. They also shall have no protection in this Wergeld.
“Can you agree with us so far?” asked Kurin hopefully.
Alor, the Longin’s Purser and legal officer, asked Captain Sarfin, “Before we say anything, will the Naral fleet agree to this — Wergeld thing?”
Sarfin steepled his hands, thought for a moment, and then conferred with Sula. He nodded and Sula spoke for the bench. “As one of the parties involved is Arrakan and we are not in Naral fleet waters, Arrakan Law and Custom may be properly invoked. The Third Great Law gives the Naral fleet no choice in the matter. They must enforce the Wergeld as agreed between you.”
“Then we can agree, so far, Kurin.” She tilted her head in sad puzzlement at one change that she had heard. “Us? We? Our? Kurin? Will you still leave us? What good will this do if we cannot have the school and the mapping contract?”
“Don’t be afraid, Alor,” Kurin reassured her. “I won’t abandon you to be Scattered. Some things do have to change, though.”
She turned and asked, “Barad, will you present the next term?”
He stood and smiled in a twisted sort of way. “I never thought to be in this position. Mord Halyn Longin, I have to apologize to you in particular. That I tried to stop the mutiny is no excuse for starting the plot in the first place. I was wrong. I am sure that my error brought you onto dry land for a time. I am also sure that you now have safe water under your keel. The term is this. The fleet must restore your Master’s Certificate and replace you at the helm of the Longin. They need you. If you don’t think so, just look at how quickly and to what extent they went out the scuppers without you.
“Besides, you were a guest at our Announcement Feast, so my old feud with you is dead or I lose my wife. Can you agree to this?” He held out his hand toward Mord, who appeared to be looking for some hook in what he had heard. At last, prodded by Alor, he shook Barad’s hand in agreement. He appeared to be disturbed that he owed his restoration, ship and freedom to Barad whom he had always thought of (correctly) as an enemy.
Tanlin stood and raised hands for attention. “As Ca’tain o’ t’e Grandalor, Oi ‘ave t’ bring t’e next part o’ t’e Wergeld. By t’e terms, Oi can bring up yer violation o’ t’e Fift’ Groit Law an’ ye cannae be charged in any way because even i’ t’is negotiation gets off t’e hook, we’ve let t’e matter go. As a result o’ t’at violation t’ree o’ m’ crew were killed an’ twa wounded. In t’e piracy attempt, a furt’er ane wa’ killed. T’e murderer ‘as been charged but ‘is chance came because nane o’ ye but Kurin tried t’ stop ‘t.
“We lost Lenai Halin, t’e best riggin’ surveyor an’ sail lofter in m’ experience. She wa’ a gentle soul ‘oo never raised ‘er voice t’ any. She spent many ‘ours at m’ bedside teachin’ m’ t’ read yer script an’ figure wit’ yer numbers. ‘Er son Arnat’s got nae mot’er now.
“Helmsman Macoul wa’ dead before ‘e ‘it t’e boat under ‘im. ‘E braved t’e Coriolis Storm, off ‘is wotch, t’ bring ‘ot food an’ drink t’ Barad an’ Darkistry as t’ey conned t’e ship int’ t’e eye o’ t’e storm. A good mon. Gone.
“Bosun Modanet ‘elped direct t’e rescue operations wen t’e Princamorn sank. ‘E an’ Barad pulled m’ oot o’ t’e woter an’ saved m’ life. Died on yer ship wit’ never t’e attention o’ a doctor. Cast overboard loike garbage.
“Our second day wotch drummer, Morga, a lad o’ fifteen. Nae older’ll ‘e get. Ripped apart an’ sent over t’e side by a Strong Skin catapult ‘arpoon aimed at Kurin an’ Darkistry.
“Like t’e mot’er Orca o’ Kurin’s tale, Oi’m surry for us bot’. We cannae bring t’em bock. Oi propose t’at ye pay Arnat ten skins a Gat’ering for ‘is maintenance. Any unused balance, an’ t’ere will be, is t’ go into ‘is Purser’s account as a nest egg for wen ‘e gets married. For Lenai, we ask an annual rigging an’ sail survey dune by t’e Mordan at yer expense. Any replacement cable or cordage is t’ be Mordan Twist. We split t’e cost o’ any sails needed. Oi ask yer ‘elp in Macoul’s case. Oi donnae know how t’ value ‘im. Oi wish t’at Oi’d known ‘im better.”
“We are not responsible for . . .” Master Juris started when Mord, Alor and Mistress Daeron all silenced him.
Mistress Daeron said, “Even in the Rope Walk, I heard the fog drum go silent. I knew that we were still in fog and I did not send to find the cause. I know that the rest of us did the same because we have all discussed it.
“I do not know whether anything would have changed if we had investigated. We cannot change it nor bring back your dead. We should have tried. That we are guilty of. We stood by and did not even try to do something when we knew that something was wrong. We heard the screams. All of us.”
Tanlin answered her, “For our part, we precipitated t’e incident. We approached ye under false colors. Ever’ member o’ t’at party bore a message from m’ t’ clear t’at up after t’ey had gotten aboard.” Tanlin paused and shook her head sadly, “We dinnae expect t’at nane o’ t’ dozen wad reach yer deck alive.
“We came t’ t’e Longin because we couldnae trust any ot’er ship except t’e Dorton, an’ we dinnae know w’ere she wa’. We ‘oped t’ speak t’ Kurin. At a ‘orrible cost we did. She ‘as repaid our trust better t’an we could ‘ave ‘oped. She’s even saved m’ Barad.
Master Juris spluttered, “She has not. The Longin needs her. We couldn’t send her away. It would ruin us.”
Tanlin said scornfully, “W’at ye’ve just said makes t’e case. Nae part o’ w’at any o’ ye said wa’, ‘We luve ‘er.’ Since ‘er fat’er died, only five beings on t’is world ‘ave said, ‘Oi luve ye’ t’ ‘er. An’ t’ey were all birds.”
“Six,” Kurin interrupted, speaking to Tanlin. “You were part of the flock that came to save me from Captain Urson. And you have held and hugged me without needing a reason.”
Master Juris snorted, “We could do that.”
“T’en wye dinnae ye?” was Tanlin’s sharp retort. “Ye ‘ad six Gat’erings t’ ‘elp a child. All ye did wa’ teach ‘er an’ praise ‘er wen she did well. No ‘ugs. Naebody t’ ‘old. Just pain an’ emptiness inside, ‘eld at bay by learnin’ an’ work.”
A tear of gratitude leaked from Kurin’s eye as she said, “The last part of this Wergeld is this. We will settle all the remaining unsettled claims. I am the price you must pay. I have found a home on the Grandalor, not just a place to stay.
“Your Ship’s Business will remain safe, specifically, the mapping and charting, the navigation system, the Longin lace, and the fishing and shellfish taking and storage methods.
“I will come to the Longin to supervise and teach the school and also to map the Naral fleet waters according to your contracts. From each Fall Gathering to each Spring Gathering I will be aboard the Grandalor while she trades with the Arrakan, Daroff, and Pallant fleets. By the time that your mapping contract with the Naral fleet is done, if not well before, there should be others who can take over the school.
“That should complete the Wergeld and keep you safe from the Scattering that would otherwise be required. We have thrown you a line. Don’t drown.”
Kurin turned to Tanlin. “Captain Tanlin, I have something for you. It has nothing to do with the business of this Court. This is my own free choice and I want it seen and witnessed by all.” She held out her hands in the Arrakan style and knelt. Tanlin took Kurin’s small hands in her own as Kurin began, “I Kurin Behar Longin, now of the Grandalor alone . . .”
“I wish that I had known about this kind of love when I gave you your Gift,” said Blind Mecat softly. “I never got it either.”
this was genuinely such a beautiful chapter (your colouring and rendering is so insane to me). km genuinely so obsessed with your comic, i’m pretty sure it’s what gets me through the week. im gong to hold you hand as i tell you that i can’t wait for them to talk to each other again, and if there’s not at least ONE panel of them together in next week’s chapter then im going to throw hands :)
Thank you so much I really love how this one turned out! Really appreciate the compliment :)
As for the other part of your ask, I'm going to hold your hand too and admit that it's getting harder for me to keep being cheeky about those kind of demands (even though I absolutely understand that you're being cheeky yourself!)
I'm gonna give it to you, what you said is more reasonable that the constant "please make this happy again" "can we go back to the fluff" I keep receiving and that are really starting to grind on my nerves
I want to take this opportunity to say I understand it's frustrating that the story have to slowly unfold one part at a time each week and that a lot of you are getting impatient, but I'm starting to feel an unhealthy amount of pressure from those kind of comments no matter how unserious they may be and that's not good :/ I will never change plans ofc but I just wish I didn't receive messages like this that can be read as a distaste for the story I'm telling currently, I hope this is understandable 💛
(This wasn't really addressed to you in particular of course it's just something I needed to get out, I absolutely understand that you were joking it's just hard right now 😭)
