Just Like You

Chapter 14: A kind fisherman

It took two days to do what Torleos had asked. There were no boats in the Woodlands, and Torleos did not have the tools to make one, so it would be necessary to travel into Luxalia, or at the very least the Transition, and try to find one there.

The question then arose of who would do this. It could not be Torleos, because he might be recognised as the former Chief Priest, which he wished to avoid. Landro, concerned about being captured and taken to Ruyotu with consequences he preferred not to think about, insisted that despite his previous grudging promise he would not help on this occasion, no matter how useful it would be if he did. Qama was willing, but there was a danger that they might be recognised by an archer who had encountered them at the mine. Furthermore, arranging the use of a boat belonging to someone they had never met was something they had no experience of, and would almost certainly do very badly.

Of the four, the obvious person for the job was Perens. She was known to spend a lot of time in the Woodlands, but this was not a reason for suspicion because other Luxalians and people from the Transition did the same. Furthermore, she had not taken part in any of the battles or even been in the area when they took place, and had kept out of sight when Qama met Caran, so nobody who did not already know she was associated with Qama would have any reason to suspect this. She could travel anywhere she wanted and not meet anyone who considered her to be a threat. She accepted the responsibility with no complaint or sign of concern, which added to the considerable respect Torleos already had for her.