Cloak of the Two Winds by Jack Massa Read Free Book Online

down and hissing in the flames. Presently the kettle rattled. The Iruks brewed black Tathian tea in ivory mugs. As soon as the meat was cooked they picked it off the grill with their knives and started eating.
    By the time they had finished the meal, the ice in the cauldrons had melted and the water warmed. The Iruks took turns filling two wooden tubs and bathing. Soaking in hot water was a luxury hunters enjoyed whenever possible. But this night Lonn felt too preoccupied to fully relax.
    After their baths the mates dressed in warm indoor robes, fur hats, and slippers. They sat in a circle beside the hearth, knee to knee. They kept silence for a long time, listening to the wind and the soft sputtering of the flames. Finally, Glyssa stood. As she had called the meeting, it was her place to begin.
    "I have a bad feeling about robbing the witch," she said. "I've had it from the start. Everyone laughs it off, but it keeps coming back."
    "I've not been laughing," Karrol muttered. "I was against following Lonn's dream from the beginning."
    "True," Glyssa replied. "Not everyone has laughed…What troubles me is, we don't know what we've taken on. We don't know what this witch can do. If we believe Kizier and that Larthangan skipper, then she's very strong. And that 'minor spell' that Karrol took in the face: that was real enough. Lonn had bad dreams the night after we stole the treasure. And now Belach has warned us of danger. I have a feeling that something is hunting us. I think it must be the witch."
    "Let her come if she can find us," Draven said. "We're keeping a lookout, and sleeping with our weapons close."
    "Sure," Glyssa said. "But that might not be enough. I want us to reconsider what to do with the loot. That's why I called the meeting."
    "What would you have us do with it?" Eben asked.
    "I'm not sure. But we don't have to take it to Fleevanport. We could go and barter it at another harbor. Or we could run it out on the ice and dump it. I don't know. I want to hear from the rest of you now."
    As she took her seat, Lonn glanced uneasily around the circle. Glyssa's words had stirred up his own uncertainty. Yet backing down from their current course felt impossible.
    Karrol rose to speak. "You all know how I feel about this venture. I've thought it a waste of time from the start. And I'm the one who's suffered from it. I want nothing more to do with this witch's hoard. I'd just as soon take it out on the ice and leave it there. That's my opinion."
    She sat down heavily, and Draven jumped up.
    "Mates, I feel we are worrying far too much. I took a close look at the witch in her trance, and she didn't appear so powerful to me. Even if she can track us across the open sea, as the windbringer claimed, I am not afraid to face her, either here or in Fleevanport. As for Belach, it's true that he sensed danger, but also great power. He did not predict disaster for us, only a long voyage far from our familiar seas. If that comes true, is it so bad? Why did we leave the other boats and go pirating on our own, if not to find some excitement and adventure? So I say we cast away our fears and sail to Fleevanport as planned. That is my opinion."
    When Draven sat down, the Iruks looked from one to another. Lonn sensed that now was the moment to speak. Grunting, he climbed to his feet.
    "I have respect for Glyssa's intuition," he said. "But in this matter, I must agree with Draven. I may have had bad dreams the night after we looted the ship, but if so they were vague and confusing, and I don't recall them now. I still remember the first dream, in which this treasure brought us wealth. It was a strong, promising dream. We've often talked about wanting more than the life we have now, a richer life such as the Tathians enjoy, with more comforts, less worry about running out of food in the winters. That's why our people took to pirating in the first place. I think this treasure might be our chance for such a life. So I say we stick to our plan.