As evening approached, Melisandre took her leave, heading below decks to the cabin she shared with the Captain. Space was at a premium on the ship and it was much like being at college again. She changed into her night clothes and turned the lamp down so that Constanza would be able to see when she retired. She glanced at the trunk that contained her medical supplies, briefly considering mixing up a sleeping draught. Shaking her head she stepped to her cot. She'd already had a glass of wine or two with Lucas and to top that off with herbs wasn't the best idea. With a sigh she climbed into bed, closed her eyes and drifted into a fitful slumber.
As her nightmares once again surfaced in her sleeping mind she began to toss and turn, struggling with unseen adversaries. The blankets twisted about her, holding her tightly, causing her to struggle more frantically, trying to free herself from their grip. Clammy sweat beaded her brow and her breath came in short gasps. Her voice was pleading as she cried out, "Please, for Theus' sake, you can't..." her body strained against its bonds. "I won't let you..."
Constanza stopped mid-motion in the process of closing the door between the day cabin and the night cabin, frowning. She finally resumed the movement very slowly, taking great care to close the door softly so as not to wake Melisandre up. The storm lantern was burning very low, casting enough light to find her way around the room. Slowly, she walked past Meli's cot, hesitating. Should she in fact shake her friend awake to free her from the dreams that seemed to be troubling her? But Melisandre had looked so tired since Freiburg, it seemed she never got enough rest. Biting her lip with indecision, Constanza stared for a moment, then decided to leave Meli to her fitful sleep.
She moved past and headed for her own bed, then started taking off her boots. The task was a difficult one with the use of only one hand. She braced herself against the bed post but when the second boot finally slipped off in one sudden jerk, she lost her balance and hit the wall. It was not a hard fall, but her broken left hand connected with the wall and a jolt of pain shot through her arm. She doubled over, gasping, craddling the hand protectively. Her hissing breath changed to a long muttered curse in which the name of Julius Caligari was featured prominently.
The soft noise was enough to wake Melisandre from her nightmare. She sat bolt upright, her eyes wild, a hand stretched out in supplication as if pleading. Blinking in the subdued lighting, her eyes slowly lost their wild look as she realized where she was. Embarrassed, she unwound herself from her bedding as she quietly asked, "Is your hand troubling you? I could mix up something for the pain if you'd like." Her hands trembled as she smoothed the blankets back into a semblance of order.
Constanza looked up and attempted a smile for her friend, which turned into a grimace. "Secondary effects," she muttered. "Having only one hand to work with makes me clumsy, and I end up hitting the left hand against something or other. This despite the very nice sling you fashioned for me." She shrugged but only with her right shoulder, not willing to jostle her left arm again for the moment.
She straightened herself, leaning against the bedpost. "I think I wouldn't mind a little something after all, as long as it doesn't make me too sleepy. I can't afford to sleep through the next disaster which is sure to hit us sooner or later!" She pointed at the wine bottle Melisandre had left in its niche, fastened against rough seas. "Maybe that would help, in moderation. If you'd care to join me."
Following her glance, Melisandre smiled wryly. She'd had far too much wine of late, but the fragments of dreams that haunted her promised a sleepless night. Perhaps some wine would help to calm her shattered nerves. With a deft movement she flipped the covers back and got to her feet padding silently to where the cups were stored. She set them on the shelf and removed the bottle from its moorings, almost dropping it. With a softly muttered curse she paused, willing her body to cease its trembling. Carefully, she poured the deep red liquid. "Wine, in moderation, does help one to sleep." She picked up the goblet and placed it in Constanza's good hand, and taking her own, seated herself on her cot, tucking her feet up under her. "And I'm afraid sleep eludes me aboard ship." She smiled apologetically, "I'd not trouble you to share your cabin if it disturbs you. I can sleep in the other room if you'd like." She wondered if Constanza could see the anxiety she felt. Waking to hear her friend's deep breathing in the other cot had been a comfort to her these last few nights. Ever since Freiburg... She sipped the wine, focusing on its lightly bitter-sweet flavor, banishing those thoughts.
Constanza sipped a bit from the goblet, eyeing Melisandre with speculation. Although their recent travels by sea had hardly been restful or reassuring, it had been a long time since Melisandre had seemed so unhappy about sailing. No, from the words she murmured in her sleep, there must be more to it. Where to begin? She sighed and leaned back against the bedpost.
"Ah, it seems neither of us is meant to sleep well tonight. Hmph." She shook her head. "Perhaps we can spend some time trying to figure out some of the events in Freiburg. What do you think of this mysterious woman who keeps impersonating you?"
Her friend shrugged. "I'm not certain what to think, except that it's expensive to keep replacing the items she helps herself to. I found several of my clothes missing, and she's read the letters from Sebastiano that I told you of." A slight frown. "I only hope she's not on her way to Vodacce. Perhaps I should warn him, not that I can fathom what she might gain from that quarter." Her expression grew pensive, and she sighed heavily. "Actually, I may know one of her motives. Back in La Reina del Mar, when I was aboard the Montaigne ship, Jacques Lévesque d'Aur informed me that 'L'Empereur' wished to see me. Why, I don't know, but it can't be a good reason. Perhaps he knows you and Lucas are my companions and wishes to exert pressure on you somehow, though that seems a bit far-fetched. But d'Aur was in Freiburg at the same time as she. I'd love to question him on it given the opportunity."
Constanza grimaced again. "Yes, I saw d'Aur that morning when he and that duchess came to visit Lucas. Do you know, it was the first time I'd actually met him after hearing so much about him. Quite an annoying character. But come to think of it, you didn't see him -- it was that other woman who was with me, not you! I admit I was very distracted at the time, but her resemblance with you is more than uncanny, it's practically perfect. But to get back to d'Aur, and more importantly to the Empereur, I doubt it is for Lucas's sake, let alone for mine, that you get all this interest. Perhaps the Empereur has heard of your good looks!" This earned her a slight smirk.
She raised her glass in a mock salute and continued. "All the same, we will need to be more cautious where this spy is concerned. We have so many tales now that must be kept discreet. I wonder how much she learned, and who she will take or sell this information to." She smiled gently at her friend and added: "I'm sure it is poor consolation, but perhaps after this business of prophecies is over we can go to Vodacce. I would very much like to find a way to free aunt Lucia in Dionna, maybe you will be able to see Signor Sebastiano."
She looked down at her bandaged hand and added under her breath: "And perhaps I can thank the Caligari family for their kind attentions..."
Melisandre sighed. "As much as the thought of seeing him again pleases me, it disturbs me as well. I'm afraid the good Signor carries vengeance in his heart where Lucas is concerned and it would pain me to feel as if I'm in the middle. And if what I've seen comes to pass, I doubt...." She stumbled to a halt and then glanced at the veiled interest on Constanza's face, sighing heavily. "Ah, well, Theus forgive me for burdening you, but you may as well be prepared and I know you well enough to know that you won't let that statement pass."
She settled back against her pillows, her features taking on the troubled cast that had almost become familiar of late. "I've always been plagued with nightmares of drowning when sailing, but lately the dreams have changed. First, I'm in the water struggling to breathe and then I find myself standing on a beach and a strange figure stands before me holding a vial. In that vial, I know death resides. The figure holds a mirror and bids me look. I try not to, but can't help it. In the mirror, I see Lucas and he is standing on a balcony fighting a creature of nightmare which he summarily slays. He turns and I see the exhaustion in his face and then I see he is looking down at the streets and these creatures number in the hundreds and they are killing our people and the streets run red with blood." She took a shaky breath and sipped her wine before continuing. "The image dissolves into fire and the figure tells me that it can be prevented and starts to open the vial, but I know that many innocents will die and I plead and then demand another way. The figure hesitates and then tells me that it will wait but my time is limited. The Fourth Prophet walks Theah and the future I've seen in the glass must not come to fruition. If another way is not found then hundreds must die to preserve Theah." The last sentence was uttered in a choked whisper and tears slid freely down her cheeks, unnoticed. She lifted her head and met Constanza's eyes. "Could you condemn your friends and family to preserve the future? There has to be another way and I must find it. Somehow."
A cold, now-familiar shiver ran down Constanza spine. She traded a long, understanding look with Melisandre. After a moment, she slid off the bed and padded in her stockinged feet to the table. She put her wine goblet down, then pulled a chair closer to where Melisandre huddled.
"I try not to ask these theoretical questions until they become practical," she said at last, her voice without its usual trace of banter. "Playing the game of what-if with all these prophecies floating around only hurts you. I've come to the conclusion that the only thing to do is give your very best when the time comes. And... I don't believe the future is already written. I don't believe in Fate. I do believe that there are far too many sorcerers trying to shape the future, and their job would be so much easier if we took their word for it that all this is inevitable Fate! No, what lies ahead of us is like a deep current carrying us: powerful, deadly, difficult to fight. We may be tossed about like sticks, we may sink. But we must not surrender without a fight."
Melisandre nodded, wiping away her tears. "I know. But I'm tired. So very tired. Can fate be so cruel as to deny a moment's peace? Look at what happened when you tried to spend time with your Captain. Needless to say it's not heartening."
Constanza was glad for the poor lighting, for she was certain she must be blushing crimson. "But it was so wonderful while it lasted..." she murmured.
Melisandre plucked absently at a loose thread in her blanket. "I'm sorry, Constanza. Here you have your own worries and I burden you with mine as well. The last few weeks have been trying and it makes me nervous knowing I have a double shadowing me. Combine that with attempting to save Theah and my nerves are a bit frazzled. I need time to rest." Her smile, seldom seen these days, surfaced for a moment. "Perhaps a trip to Vodacce would in fact lift my spirits a bit. Do you think we might go if we survive that creature that's currently on your deck? I'd help to rescue your Aunt in exchange for some time to tour the city and see the sights."
Constanza reached for her friend's hand and squeezed it. "Silly! You are 'burdening' no one with your worries. We must help one another, for who else could we count on but our friends? I am sorry that these worries have run you ragged. How long have you been having these nightmares? And do you know that Ferdinand has told me he had had a dream of La Reina del Mar in flames? We have seen so many strange things these past few months, it is hard to know what makes sense anymore. All those prophecies..."
"True enough. And through it all, we'll at least have each other." She squeezed Constanza's hand in return. A mischievious light shone in her eyes. "As a matter of fact, you have at least two of me. And I think we should address that. I don't fancy getting weird questions every time I'm in an off mood, you know." She tried hard to keep her expression neutral but the mock indignant look on Constanza's face was too much and the laughter broke free.
Constanza was happy to see her friend in an improved mood for a few moments. "Oh, we could always use passwords, I suppose. How girlish... Did you have something in mind? At any rate, I doubt another switch will be pulled on us in the middle of the sea..."
As she spoke, her expression changed to distaste. "'Switch'... I should pick my words a little better. Apparently that's exactly what we expect to find in the middle of the sea after all. Theus help us, Melisandre, how did we get ourselves entangled with sorcerers, oracles, Sidhe and Syrneths? How can two good Castillan girls like us possibly attract so much trouble?" She gave Melisandre a lopsided grin.
"And that is the question of the hour." Melisandre's hand went automatically to her pendant, the stones warm from her skin. As her fingers traced its delicate curves, realization began to dawn. She leaned forward, almost breathless as she asked, "Constanza, was she wearing a pendant similar to mine? You know I never take it off!" She held out the pendant and it dangled from her fingers, the light reflecting slightly and giving it a warm glow as if lit from within. It resembled an hourglass and was set with strangely striped, triangular stones that made it look as if it were half full of sand. The delicate filigree setting didn't seem to be made from a valuable metal but it did look extremely old. "It's all I have from my mother and I've always feared its loss, so I keep it close to my heart."
A crease formed between Constanza's eyes as she searched her memory. She shook her head. "No, I did not see this pendant. But then again, sometimes yours is hidden from view under your clothes. Not that she wore enough to hide anything in that area!" She tried vainly to hide a grin at Melisandre's horrified expression. "But on the other hand, stealing or counterfeiting a piece of jewelry could not be a very difficult task, especially if you are captured again as you were in La Reina del Mar. Speaking of which, how did she do it this time? How could she know you would be gone for more than just an evening?"
This elicited a frown as Melisandre released the pendant. "I'm not certain. I myself did not know that I'd be so late in returning. I can only guess that she merely kept watch for my departure and arrival. The first time, she drugged me while I slept and the next thing I knew I was waking up in the hands of the Montaigne and she was consorting with that... that... MAN..." Her cheeks flushed crimson and her eyes narrowed. "I do owe her for THAT blemish on my honor." She tossed her head, "Be that as it may, it doesn't address the matter currently at hand. Do you really intend to use that switch if and when we find it?" The abrupt change of topic was typical when Melisandre was angry about something and no longer wished to speak of it.
Constanza let this slide. She turned her thoughts to the matter of Cabora again, her expression grave. "I... don't know yet. If I listened simply to my own inclination, I would make sure none of us ever go near anything that has to do with Cabora. But there are so many forces at work... strong currents... Here we are, having travelled through the Seventh Sea! With these evil people also looking for Cabora -- Caligari, Reis, Khereid-Din, that poor demented McCormick, and who knows who else -- it may be that I have to act in order to prevent somebody else to take control of the island. I expect it must be another Syrneth site, like the Star Device Lucas and I encountered in Vodacce, or perhaps something like the Spear of the West Wind."
She brightened up at this thought. "Come to think of it, we destroyed both of these; maybe we can be vandals again and destroy the Island of Cabora before some madman calls disaster upon Theah!"
Melisandre clapped her hands in delight. "We can foil them all and be heroines! But first you must teach me how to shoot. Those pistols of yours are a bit frightening, but I like the idea of standing far away from a madman with a sword!"
Constanza nodded. "I will be happy to. I am no expert, but I'll show you what I know anyway. We'll get you some pistols or a musket from the armory. You'll get to practice from a moving deck too, I'm sure you'll be delighted with the added challenge..." She grinned again.
"Hmmm... maybe we should wait 'til we're on dry land!" Melisandre tilted her head and smiled. "And thank you. I'm glad we're together on this. I don't think I could make it through this on my own."
Constanza looked at her friend with worry. "None of us could do it alone. Just remember you can count on me when you need help. On me, and on my silence."
Then as if to avoid prying further, she looked away and around the cabin until her glance fell on a small box. "Ah, there is something that might help lull you back to sleep," she said.
She got up, went to pick up the box, and brought it to Melisandre. It was a small box on delicate legs, made with various ornamental woods. The lid bore the Orduño crest, and the front panel showed a delicate lock. Constanza retrieved a small key which hung around her neck on the same chain as her Prophets' Cross, and unlocked the box. When she lifted the lid, a melody started playing; Melisandre recognized a tune for harpsichord by the famous composer Maria San Diego de Nuñez.
"A gift from Captain Allende," Constanza explained almost shyly. She had already placed the very few pieces of jewelry she owned inside it, along with her King's Men pin and the Freiburg medal received from Nicholas Trague earlier that year. "Maybe the music will help you sleep?"
At the mention of Allende, Melisandre sat straighter and looked at the box with undisguised interest. "How lovely! And he even added your family crest! And how can you even think I'd sleep until I hear the whole story behind this? I'll be awake all night wondering if you don't 'fess up." She settled back against her pillows. "And how did he present it? It's all in the presentation, you know. And I do hope you were wearing something at least slightly alluring." She gazed attentively at Constanza, thoughts of sleep and nightmares banished at the revelation of the expensively exquisite gift.
Constanza's smile widened and she shook her head in mock despair. "Ha! If by 'alluring' you mean 'impractical', then the answer is no -- thankfully, given the fact that I ended up having to fight and run around the city in the same outfit." She paused momentarily when the music box's melody wound to an end. She retrieved a second key, kept inside the box itself, and used it to wind the mechanism in the bottom of the box.
"Captain Allende took me to breakfast at Cafe Kaffe, that morning -- just after I introduced him to your look-alike. We had a lovely time, and then we walked to a nearby shop. Being in The Greens, it was one of those probably dreadfully expensive little affairs, where no merchandises are visible but you sit down in a parlor for refreshments while the personnel brings items for your perusal. There was a woman there who immediately recognized the captain and told him in fairly good Castillan that the item he had commissioned was ready. We sat down and she brought a package for him. He was deliberately mysterious about it. When we left I asked him if he would not tell me what was in the box, but he said: 'Not just yet.'
"We had a charming day visiting Freiburg until we returned to The Greens for dinner at Exquisite Tastes. I half expected to see Lucas and you there, since you have spoken so often of the place. The food was nice, of course, but I confess I hardly noticed it since I was so taken with the company. Finally, over dessert, Captain Allende managed to slide the box he'd been carrying all day to my side of the table while I was looking away, not a mean feat of sleight-of-hand given the size of the box. He seemed pleased with it. When I opened it, I found this second box, of course. It seems the captain had ordered this made for me months ago, although he had not expected to be able to deliver it so quickly. I was delighted with the present.
"Of course, moments later Caligari and his thugs burst in on us, quite ruining the moment. Do you know, I kept thinking Captain Allende was the true target and I was simply a target of opportunity. It never occurred to me that the reverse was true, until I learned from Höhne that Caligari had been about to shoot the captain while his thugs carried me off. I will be eternally thankful to Captain Gosse for saving him! It is also Captain Gosse who retrieved the music box and returned it to Captain Allende.
"There! That is the tale of the music box." She gave Melisandre a slightly mocking smile.
"I applaud his presentation, and his taste." Melisandre sighed softly. "So even in Freiburg, one can find romance. I do hope that you had time to enjoy the food at Exquisite Tastes before you were so rudely interrupted. Both Lucas and I, unfortunately, had other arrangements that eve, else you might have found us there as well. As usual, he was off chasing one of the local skirts and I..." Here she paused. "Had dinner arrangements with a friend. We talked for some time regarding philosophy and religion and before I knew it, the hour was so late that returning back to the Inn would have been dangerous."
Constanza shook her head. "Oh, I believe you are thinking of the previous night, are you not? I did dine with Captain Allende on that evening as well, but we went somewhere else. And thankfully, we were not attacked."
Melisandre bit her lip. A full day and night had passed in the few hours she'd spent in Bryn Bresail... Her eyes fell to Constanza's hand so carefully cradled to avoid unnecessary movement. A cold, hard look, rarely seen in one so compassionate, settled across her features. "Caligari was responsible for this, was he not?"
Constanza nodded.
Melisandre's thoughts wandered for a moment. If they did go to Vodacce, she'd speak to Sebastiano about Caligari. Being a rival of his own Prince, perhaps he could shed some light about what would most hurt the man responsible for almost crippling her friend. Given the chance, she'd make sure it came about and that Caligari would suffer for his cruelty. That being decided, the cold look passed, veiled behind the warm smile. "But do not fear, it will mend in time. Once it has had a chance to heal a bit more, I'll set it so that you should regain full movement. Can't have you spilling wine at your wedding toast, can I?"
Constanza paled at her friend's gentle jest. She looked down at the music box, running her fingers along the edge of the lid. "Oh," she breathed in a muffled voice. "Worry rather about my holding a sword correctly."
"Hmm... well, perhaps we can fashion a better sling to ensure that your hand remains immobile. I also have an herb that will make it lose a bit of surface feeling for a time. We'll use that if necessary."
Constanza nodded, managing a smile. "We will all do what we must, together. But for now, I hope you can return to a more restful sleep, dear friend."
With a rueful smile, Melisandre set her goblet down and settled once again underneath her blankets as Constanza extinguished the lamp. How long had it been since her dreams had been pleasant and her sleep peaceful?
