Captain Márden's Tale: Part 4 - The Great City

The small boat made its way through tall reeds and waterways, which became progressively more open and less congested with weeds and plants as they went on.

Kélas paddled the boat from the rear, while Márden and Tárenis sat before him. It was a quiet, chilled autumn morning, and they moved swiftly through the water. They had risen early, and left the marshfolk village of Káis Alwás just after dawn. It was now several hours later, and the weak sun was glinting through ragged clouds.

"Soon we will reach the great river", Kélas said in a hushed tone. They had scarcely spoken since they had started out.

Kélas' words were soon born out, as the small waterway they were travelling on opened out into a massive expanse of water - the great Benâmo. The river here was over 1,000 yards wide. They could see farms and buildings on the opposite bank, on what both the young men knew to be Elýn island, a large island at the mouth of the Benâmo that had been extended over centuries by the inhabitants of the region into the surrounding marshes.

Kélas guided their small river craft along the eastern edges of the Benâmo, and towards an eastern channel of the river flowing north around a low-lying marshy island.

As they passed this island on their starboard, they could make out an ancient ring of standing stones, covered in moss and vegetation. Kélas made a sign of warding. Tárenis wanted to ask more about these ancient stones, but held back.

Beyond the island the channel they had followed rejoined the main flow of the Benâmo, and they could once again see farmland and properties on the opposite shore. They could also see several larger vessels, and a number of fishing boats; the great river was busy with traffic.

Kélas continued to guide their small craft along the eastern, marsh-edged side of the great river, keeping well out of the way of larger vessels and far enough away from the other shore as not to attract too much attention.

They travelled in this way for several hours more, and noticed that the opposite shore grew steadily more crowded with riverside piers, farmhouses and other buildings. As the sweep of the river arched away to the northwest, and the river once again split into two great channels flowing around a central marsh island, a wide tributary flowed into the Benâmo.

Tárenis was sure he could see a great mass of buildings and towers in the haze on the western shore of the tributary, which he recalled was the Elýn river.

"We should wait until evening, when we can approach the docks less conspicuously", said Kélas. "We shall wait at a place known to our people until dusk."

Their guide steered their boat a short way further, then turned down a small waterway within the marsh island between the channels, and then to a clump of reeds and willows that was clearly a small island. Here they pulled up the river boat, and ate a sparse meal. When they were done, Kélas silently signalled for the two young men to follow him, and made his way to the river's edge.

Before them, across a wide expanse of water, lay a massive city. A seeming myriad of docks and piers jutted out into the harbour that stretched off into the distance through the haze of the mid afternoon, running perpendicular to the flow of the Benâmo upon the western shore of the Elýn tributary, and providing shelter for what must have been upward of thirty ships, so that the harbour was a forest of masts and furled sail.

Beyond the piers were rows of buildings built of a mixture of stone, wood and wattle & daub, with streets running away in a confusion of directions. Here and there it seemed canals also ran way from the harbour, and all - piers, streets and canals were filled with movement - people, carts, and boats.

Above the sounds of the rivers, the sounds of the city reached out to them. The cries of sailors, deckhands, fishmongers, carters, and boatmen. And with these sounds and the fluttering breeze that stirred the pennants that hung from towers rising over the city, came the smell - an overpowering stench of thousands of people packed tightly together, mixed with the smell of fish and other produce and goods piled upon the wharves.

She was massive, awesome, restless, a thing of hunger and grandeur, pulsing with life, yet strangely smelling of death and decay. The greatest city in the land - rich, fat and fetid - Eilýria the Golden - lay before them.

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They waited several hours, until dusk began to fall. Lights were lit along the opposite shore, and the city became a twinkle of torchlight. Kélas led them back to their boat, and they pushed off into the river. As before, paddled and directed the boat.

The waters were still busy with ships and smaller boats. They made their way carefully across the Benâmo, and towards the Elýn river and harbour. Kélas steered them away from larger ships and other boats, but Tárenis and Márden were still able to make out the variety of activities on the harbour as the day drew to a close.

They sailed down the Elýn a distance, then turned westward, towards a darker and quieter quay, having passed the busy and well-lit trading docks further up river. As the boat approached the quay, a canal was visible wending away to the west, and Kélas directed them into the canal and into the city.

All along the sides of the canal rose double or triple storied houses with stone pilings and foundations, and upper levels of wood. Several people glanced down at them as they passed, but seemed disinterested. The canal turned to the left, and beneath a stone bridge. Soon after passing under the bridge, Kélas directed them towards a landing and doorway.

"We are here. Lord Márden, can you secure us? My thanks". Márden did as he was bid, and helped Tárenis and then Kélas from the boat and onto the landing. He stepped aside to allow Kélas to the door, which he knocked upon several times in a pattern. After about a minute, he repeated the knocking, seemingly with a different pattern. The three companions stood silently on the landing, and the only nearby sound was the slapping of the water against the side of canal, although they could still hear the general sounds of the city around them.

Just as Tárenis was about to speak up in frustration, the door creaked, then was pulled inwards. Darkness lay beyond, but Kélas motioned for the two younger men to follow as he stepped forward and through the door.

Inside, as his eyes adjusted, Tárenis realised that the room into which they had stepped was dimly lit from light spilling down stairs from above them, barely illuminating the corridor in which they stood, and outlining the form of a person who stepped around them, and pushed the door shut and barred it.

"You are in good time, Kélas, m'lords; please follow me, if you please."

The companions followed their 'host' up the stairs and into a well-lit room. He was short and dark haired, and extremely non-descript. Tárenis thought he must be about thirty, but he couldn't be sure.

"This, m'lords, is Orténis, a friend of our people who lives in this city. He will provide us with a safe place to stay while we make contact with the crew of your ship, Lord Márden", said Kélas, introducing the non-descript man, who bowed slightly in acknowledgement.

"Orténis is a merchant, and our people have traded with him and his family for generations. We trust him implictly", Kélas added.

Orténis simply smiled, nodded, and gestured towards a staircase leading to another storey. Kélas led the way, and the two younger men followed. Without a word, their host showed them to a simple but clean room with a small window overlooking the canal. Kélas thanked the merchant, who nodded once more, and left the companions alone.

"Doesn't say much, does he?", said Tárenis.

"No", said Kélas. "Orténis is a man of very few words; which I should say, is to our advantage."

Márden simply nodded. Tárenis wondered at the transformation of his friend, from voluble to increasingly taciturn.

The three companions unpacked their small collection of belongings, each choosing one of the four beds in the room. Tárenis glanced out the window, into the gloom of the evening, and could barely see the canal in the dark below. He could, however, still hear the noises of the city all around, which contrasted with the quiet state of the canal upon which the merchant's home was located.

When they were done, Kélas led the back down the stairs, and to a larger hall, where a servant met them and guided them to a table. A wholesome meal was provided, and some passable ale. When they were finishing, their host joined them, sitting opposite Kélas.

"I have enquired about m'lord's ship, my good friend", said Orténis. His voice was surprisingly soft and melodious, Tárenis thought.

"And?", said Kélas.

"It lies at the northern docks. It has, apparently, been tied up there for some time."

Márden again, simply nodded.

"Who is her master?" Kélas inquired.

"I do not know, but I shall see if that can be discovered. I shall be cautious, however; there is word out on the streets", Orténis turned to Márden. "There are people looking for you, m'lord. And they are offering significant rewards..."

"Your loyalty is valued, Orténis", said Kélas.

Orténis nodded, looking carefully at Márden, then nodded again.

"You will want to rest. I will see you at daybreak, and we shall see what we can discover."

Orténis rose, bowed slightly to both young nobles, and left the room.

Kélas led them back to their sleeping quarters, and the companions prepared to sleep. As Kélas shuttered the window over the canal, Tárenis finally decided he could hold back a question that had been nagging him for some time.

"Kélas... this merchant... can we trust him?"

Kélas, his face lit only by a flickering candle, nodded. "I believe so, m'lord. Our people have, as I said, traded with his clan for generations, and he has never done us wrong. I do not think he would be quick to throw all that away for a few coins - or even many coins."

Tárenis was not sure he was consoled, but Márden seemed unperturbed, so he kept his counsel. As he got into his bed, he realised how exhausted he was, and despite his concerns, he was soon fast asleep.

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Read Part 1 of Captain Márden's Tale.
Read Part 2 of Captain Márden's Tale.
Read Part 3 of Captain Márden's Tale.
Read Part 5 of Captain Márden's Tale.