Chapter 19
As it turned out, we didn’t leave right away.
Iannis took pity on Bao-Sung, and not only healed his broken ribs, but also an old ankle injury that had been paining him for some time.
The pirate offered to host a banquet in our honor as a show of gratitude, but we declined, claiming that we had to be on our way.
We did take him up on his offer to care for Liu, though, leaving her with his own seven children until we could return for her.
His principal concubine, a stunning Sandian woman with long, dark hair and coffee-colored skin, promised me that Liu would be well taken care of, and instantly took to fussing over her and dressing her like a doll in much prettier clothes.
All but one of Bao-Sung’s children were boys, so I imagined she was thrilled to have another little girl to care for.
Once the child was settled in, the pirates showed us the hidden footpath to Leniang City.
It wound upward across the hill under dense tropical foliage, allowing the pirates to come and go undetected.
Smuggling goods were carried by donkey, our guide told us, or moved on small “fishing vessels” under cover of darkness.
At the top of the hill, we paused at our first sight of the large city and the huge, busting port.
Half of the city was perched on the pirate island, at the foot of the steep hills we had just climbed, while the other half stretched out across the harbor on the mainland side.
In between, hundreds of ships in various sizes, with colorful sails, were plying the green water.
“Amazing,” I said as we surveyed it, “I can’t believe this place was completely hidden from the back of the island!
” Leniang Port was not quite as huge as Maral, but the hilly island was a much prettier setting.
Large falcons were circling overhead, looking for fish or game, and up here, among the lush trees, colorful butterflies flitted around.
I took in a deep breath of the humid air, which was fragrant with exotic plants.
“Yes, it’s impressive.” Iannis took my hand. “Now why don’t we go down there and see it for ourselves?”
We quickly made our way down the hillside.
In less than an hour, we found ourselves at a busy market with stalls selling every imaginable, and unimaginable, kind of goods.
There were colorful masks, live toads and frogs, and even snakes—which I guessed were for food—as well as fake coins and other objects that were meant to be burned as funeral goods, raw meat buzzing with flies, and fish still flopping around, gasping for air—the current day’s catch.
“We need to buy better garments before we go exploring further,” Director Chen reminded us. “We cannot possibly arrive anywhere in these rags.”
I looked down at my own clothes, then at the others. Chen was exaggerating, but only a little—though we’d magically cleaned our outfits and mended them as best we could, our swim in the muddy river and other adventures had resulted in significant wear and tear.
“We don’t have time to waste on such trivialities,” Garrett argued. “We can simply transform our clothes before we arrive.”
Chen stopped dead, then turned sharply toward him. “My sister and her husband are mages, and they would immediately notice the deceit. It is considered terribly gauche to supply your clothing with magic. Did you not see how our lack of fine clothes confused that pirate?”
Garrett looked like he wanted to argue the point, but he stopped short at the cold anger on Chen’s face.
Iannis proclaimed that Chen was right, settling the matter, and she led us toward the market’s textile section.
The rows of stalls selling clothing were truly a sight to behold.
I’d never seen so many different colors and styles of fabric in my life!
Annia would have been in paradise, I reflected wistfully.
But despite the sea of shimmering silks and colorful jewels that surrounded us, Director Chen looked unhappy.
“I don’t see a lot of finished clothes,” I remarked, wondering if that was why she was upset. Most of the stalls were offering rolls of silks, velvets, and other fabrics.
“That’s just it,” she said. “Everyone who is anyone has their garments made to measure from these fabrics; they can be finished in a single day or two. But we don’t have enough time.”
“Oh.” I pursed my lips as I surveyed the stalls again. “Surely there has to be someone around here who sells finished clothing.”
“Yes, but they won’t be nearly as fine as I would like.” She shook her head, then let out a resigned sigh. “Oh well, we’ll just have to make do.”
Director Chen steered us to a stall that had a sort of wooden shop attached in the back, and to her relief, found a variety of finished clothing there.
We purchased robes for all of us that seemed flashy enough to me, and as I stood in the small dressing room, I decided I rather liked the dark red silk of my new outfit.
Even so, Director Chen’s lips pressed together as she surveyed us all, disapproval clear in her eyes.
But there was nothing better to be had, so she said nothing as we paid for our clothes and left.
Once we finished procuring some additional supplies, we hired a carriage to take us to the home of Asu, Chen’s sister, who lived with her husband Loku only half an hour from the port.
As we bumped along the winding road, I allowed my mind to wander back across the Western Ocean, to Solantha.
How were Cirin and Fenris faring, running the city in Iannis’s absence?
Was the ether parrot harassing Rylan in my absence?
Had Comenius returned from Pernia with his daughter?
And, if so, how was she acclimating to the new country?
I hoped the little girl would get along with Elania, though it was unlikely they would have a smooth start.
Would she have strong magic, since both her parents were hedgewitches?
Thinking of Com’s daughter reminded me of Tinari, who was also without a mother now that hers had cruelly rejected her.
How was she doing? Had the Guild found her a suitable home yet?
I wished we were close enough to send an ether pigeon, so I could inquire after her welfare.
I knew Fenris and Rylan would keep their promise to check on the children, and Janta as well.
But it would still be nice to know for sure.
And what about Annia? She had to be down in Southia by now, probably in some seedy bar playing cards and drinking with the locals, or getting into trouble.
She’d taken the job so that she could put Noria out of her mind, and for Annia, that meant she’d be partying as hard as she was working.
I wished that she was here with me now, taking in the exotic sights of Garai.
She would have gotten a kick out of the pirates.
Knowing Annia, she probably would have had them wrapped around her finger in ten seconds flat, and gotten them to hand over their dirigible without throwing a single punch.
“We’re here.” Iannis gently squeezed my thigh, pulling me away from my wistful thoughts.
I peered out the window to see that we’d arrived outside a large home that was the equivalent of a Northian mansion.
It sat a little higher on the slope of the hill, and I imagined it had a magnificent view of the entire harbor, including the opposite side that connected to the Garaian mainland.
Blue-green water reflected the blue sky.
Flowering trees and plants everywhere, and at least two hundred different ships moving around or at rest, made for a fascinating backdrop to Asu’s home.
The house boasted a forbidding outer wall with a gate of carved wood painted red, to protect the privacy of the occupants and discourage trespassers.
Once an elderly servant in a long, dark robe had admitted us, and Director Chen explained we wanted to visit with her sister Asu, we crossed a garden with a tiny pool in which colorful carp languidly sunned themselves.
These fish were supposed to bring good luck and wealth to the household, Director Chen explained to us.
“Lalia!” the lady of the house cried, surprise on her pretty face as she met us in the hall.
She greeted Director Chen with a deep bow and more respect than I would have expected among sisters.
The two of them talked fast in Garaian for a few minutes, and I used the time to study Asu.
She was a few inches shorter, and a little curvier, than Chen.
She wore her long hair mostly unbound, with only some of the strands near her face pulled back and secured with a gold chain.
Since Asu hadn’t been expecting us, I gathered that her beautifully embroidered and perfectly tailored dark blue silk dress was everyday wear for her.
It was certainly fancier than anything I’d wear around the house, and I suddenly understood why Director Chen had been so unhappy with the ready-made garments we’d purchased.
Chen’s fuchsia robes with blue silk embroidered flowers were beautiful, but they were not even equivalent to what Asu wore now.
And we hadn’t brought anything suitable for a grander occasion.
Finally, Chen and Asu turned back toward us, and Asu bowed again, addressing us in Northian. “Good afternoon, honored guests. My name is Asu Bai, Lalia’s younger sister. I am very pleased to welcome you to my home.”
“Good afternoon,” Iannis said, bowing in return.
“We have been looking forward to meeting you, Mrs. Bai. I am Iannis ar’Sannin, Chief Mage of Solantha, and these are Sunaya Baine, my fiancée, Garrett Toring, who works for the Northian Federal government, and Henning Mogg, our pilot.
” He gestured to each of us as he introduced us, and we bowed as well.
“We are here unofficially, so please do not tell outsiders of our visit to your city.”