Miranda cradled Tarrin in the crook of her arm and stood up, then walked over to the rail. Just on the horizon before them, angled slightly off to the left, a dim green-brown strip was visible, if only just barely. "He has good eyes, I'll give him that," Miranda said, shielding her eyes from the noontime sun and peering in that direction. "I'd guess that that's the northern coast of Shace, if Captain Kern isn't off course."

Tarrin wriggled out of her grasp and dropped to the deck, then shifted back into his humanoid form. He stood at the rail by her, looking over, as Allia and Dar joined them. Allia shielded her eyes from the sun and looked in that direction, using her almost magical eyesight to survey the coast. "There's a small fishing village there," she announced. "They fly the flag of Shace."

"Then we can't be too far from Den Gauche," Dar said, looking that way himself.

"Why must we stop there?" Allia asked.

"To pick up supplies," Miranda replied. "They're getting low on food, and the water casks are getting pretty light."

"Why must we carry water? It is all around us."

"Seawater is salt water, Allia," Dar told her. "We can't drink it. It'll make us sick."

"I did not know that."

"Well, you do now," Miranda said. "Besides, I think a few of us wouldn't mind a day or two on solid land. I may be Wikuni, but I've never really liked sea travel."

"That sounds almost unnatural," Dar chuckled. "I thought Wikuni were born with seawater in their blood."

"Not this one," Miranda said bluntly.

Keritanima came back up on deck. "Did they call land ho?" she asked as she approached. Dolanna and the warriors also gathered by the rail, and they all were looking landward.

"Allia says we're off the coast of Shace," Dar told her.

"Kern's a good man. I wouldn't doubt he knows exactly where we are," she said approvingly. "For looking like a garbage scowl, this ship moves pretty quickly."

"How long are we going to be in port?" Faalken asked. "I need to buy a few things."

"I think the captain said we would be moored for two days," Dolanna answered. "It will take them time to resupply, and Kern said he has a cargo to pick up to take to Dayise." She hooded her eyes from the sun. "Dayise is our real destination for now, so let us hope we do not run into any delays."

"Why are you so bent on getting to Dayise, Dolanna?" Faalken asked.

"Because Renoit may still be there," she said. "If he has not left yet, we may be able to go with him."

"Ren-who?"

"Renoit," she repeated. "He is the master of Renoit's Most Excellent Travelling Circus. He has a schedule of sorts, and travels to Dala Yar Arak every spring to perform. It is he that will be our ticket into Yar Arak, provided we get to Dayise before he leaves."

"How do you know that?"

"Because Renoit performs in Dala Yar Arak every year," she replied. "His is one of the entertainments during the Festival of the Sun. He has performed there for the last fifteen years. I do not see any reason why his plans would change." She looked around, and saw that everyone had their attention on her. "I am sure that all of you understand the, dangers, of going to Dala Yar Arak," she began. "To Tarrin, Allia, and our Wikuni and Vendari friends. Well, Renoit's circus is exempted from that law, for he has Wikuni performers, and the Emperor himself requests Renoit's circus to come and perform during the festival. They are safe from the laws of non-human slavery. If we join with him, there is a good chance we can move about Dala Yar Arak without fear of enslavement."

"Now that's a clever idea," Faalken had to agree. "But there's just one problem."

"What is that?"

"Getting Allia into a jester's costume."

"I will show you a jester, human," Allia said in a dangerous tone, coming around Tarrin and heading for the jovial Knight.

"Where did you learn about Renoit?" Keritanima asked as Allia smacked Faalken a few times as the Knight laughed.

"I once travelled with them from Telluria to Tor," she replied. "Renoit's circus is excellent, and he performs at ports all over the Sea of Storms."

"It's strange that he only performs at ports."

"Not when you realize that his circus owns a ship, Keritanima," Dolanna replied. "He once confided in me that port cities are wealthier, so there is more money to be made there. And his ship allows him to travel to places where the circus is always new and exciting for the inhabitants."

"Clever. I don't think I've ever heard of a ship-based circus."

"His company is unique," she agreed. "He does not have many animals, due to ship space concerns, but he more than makes up for it with his acts. He has jugglers, strongmen, knife throwers, acrobats, people who perform on tightropes and trapezes, clowns and jesters, and dancers from every part of the Known World. The displays of native dances always are a favorite with the crowds."

"Do you think we'll catch him?"

"I hope to," she sighed. "The Festival of the Sun is not for three months, but he occasionally stops and has performances on the way to Dala Yar Arak. If he has booked in Tor, Shoran's Fork, or Arkisia for instance, he will leave early."

"Did I mention already that I'm glad you're here?" Keritanima asked.

Dolanna chuckled. "No, but I thank you for the compliment," she smiled graciously.

Tarrin wandered off on his own, lost in thought. A circus. That was a good idea, especially since it would allow him to go to Yar Arak without fear of being enslaved. Well, it actually wasn't much of a fear. Tarrin's inhuman abilities would make it unbelievably hard for anyone to keep him under control without magic. He was worried more for his sisters than he was for himself. Of course, freeing himself from that enslavement would undoubtedly fill him with even more remorse and guilt than he already had, but his sisters were more important to him than himself. He just didn't trust himself anymore. He dreaded the idea of having to get off the ship, but at the same time, being stuck on the ship had been pressing at his temper considerably. In many ways, the ship felt like a mobile prison, and he had nowhere to go, nothing to do. The ship's confines had done much to erode his good nature, but at least there was no danger on the ship. Nothing that would throw him into another rage.

But he was paying the price for that safety, and he knew that he just had to get off the ship when it docked, no matter what. He needed time in the open, whether there were people or enemies there or not.

"Ship ho!" the lookout called again. "Three ships off the starbord stern!"

"Three?" Keritanima said curiously. "Uh oh."

"Why uh oh?" Dar asked.

"It may be a triad of Zakkites, but why they're this far north is beyond me," she replied.

"Triad? Explain this to me," Dar said as Keritanima started towards the stern. Tarrin's curiosity was piqued, so he followed along behind them.

"The skyships of Zakkar are rather dangerous," she explained to Dar. "When they engage in combat, they use magic to float high in the air. That altitude makes it hard for enemies to shoot at them, and they rain arrows, fire, and even magical spells down on their opponents. The Wikuni have had to install special deck guns that shoot up so we can deal with them. They almost always travels in groups of three. Any large group encountered on the high seas are divided into threes."

They reached the starbord rail just before the stairs that led up to the sterring deck, and looked out behind them. Keritanima peered out with squinted eyes, then muttered a light curse and touched the Weave. A hazy image appeared before them in a frame of wispy smoke, that of three black-painted ships with three masts, with full sail, and with red flags.

"Zakkites," she spat.

"They sound unfriendly," Dar said.