“Please, have a seat.” The sheriff indicated a chair from across his desk.

Meladee hesitated but took the seat.

“Now, what’s the problem?” The man folded his hands on the desk.

With narrowed eyes, Meladee said, “There’s this woman following me. I joined her organization about a year ago, and she keeps leaving me messages at the sea ports. She has a lot of followers…”

The sheriff raised his hand. “Wait, are you telling me you joined some kind of cult?”

Meladee froze. She felt her eyes go wide. “No. It’s not a cult. It’s a guild for healers.”

The sheriff leaned back in his chair. “The leader of a healers’ guild is threatening you?” He raised an eyebrow.

“It’s hard to explain. These people…they’re like…they’re bad healers. They charge really…” Meladee wanted to tell the truth. The Agaric healers sometimes required their clients to pay their bills with pets or family members. Meladee drew a deep breath. “Exorbitant prices.”

“So? That’s them and half the other healers Tagtrum’s got, guild or not.” The sheriff sighed. “It’s something more, isn’t it?”

Meladee didn’t answer.

“I can’t help you if you don’t tell me. Do you at least know the name of this guild? Does it operate on Snokom island? If not, it’s out of my jurisdiction.” The man stared and waited.

Meladee didn’t know if Alastronia and her guild had a chapter on Snokom island, but so far, they seemed to find her everywhere, even in Snokom’s port. Meladee leaned across the desk. She looked side to side and spoke low. “Her name is Alastronia, and the guild is called the Agaric Healers.”

The sheriff stroked his chin. “I’ve never heard of it, but I’ll look into it.”

Meladee slumped in her chair. “Oh, thank god.”

“Now, can you make a statement, give me some details about this guild?” The sheriff pulled a pen and paper from his desk.

Again, Meladee froze. She didn’t want to give him all the details. She was sure that the few things she’d participated in where a crime.

“Let’s start with your name and place of residence? Or the ship you sail on.” The sheriff scribbled his pen on the paper and got the ink flowing. Then, he looked at Meladee with expectation.

“Why do you need my name? This is supposed to be an anonymous tip,” Meladee said.

“There’s no one to press charges against her but you. You want to see something happen with this guild, then you need to cooperate.”

Meladee’s heart picked up the pace. She couldn’t tell him all the things Alastronia had done because then Meladee would have to tell him all the things she had done. She’d taken a few pets for payment and sent them to the guild members that performed the experiments. She’d made one of the puppets that harbored a dead person’s soul, and she’d made herself a mask of her face, a personal healing tool, practically a way to cheat death.

She also didn’t want to give this sheriff her address, even if she could. Meladee didn’t live on any of the islands, and she didn’t have a ship to serve on.

Slowly, Meladee stood up. “I can’t be around to help with an investigation.”

“Are you dropping the complaint?”

“Yeah. I am,” Meladee said. She pushed the chair back against his desk, turned, and left.

He didn’t say another word to her as she pushed his station door open and went into the snow. He probably felt glad to escape a bit of work. Meladee knew she would.

She pulled her coat around her, and cringed as some snow entered her boot. She would have to travel on and hope that the next port didn’t have a message for her. She wondered when she would see the last small puppet strung up on a tree or hanging from some ship’s bow.

I should never have left off sailing.

Meladee recalled the ships for sale at the harbor – tall ships with gleaming hulls, sails furled of course. With her inner eyes, Meladee could see them open and full of wind. Ashore, a few airships even bobbed, also for sale, but Meladee would never be able to afford the more expensive airships. She couldn’t afford even the cheapest sailing vessel – at least not the larger ones. Meladee huffed a sigh and caught some snow in her boot. She grumbled as her foot grew cold, but she trudged on.

“Excuse me dear,” a voice called from behind Meladee.

Meladee whirled to see a bundled woman – an Agaric healer in disguise? “What do you want?” asked Meladee. She slipped her hand beneath her coat and grasped her magic gun. “I’ve got a fire spell at the ready. God knows I always do.”

The woman backed up and raised her hands. “I just want to sell you a ship.”

Meladee looked at the woman. She had silver hair and a few wrinkles. She looked actually old, and Meladee had never seen an old woman or man among the Agaric Healers.

The woman continued, “I noticed you in the harbor, eyeing the ships…” The woman reached inside her shroud and pulled out two papers.

As the woman drew close, Meladee could see it was a deed and a picture of a small vessel, with a young woman beside it. Meladee took the deed and picture, glancing between the two, taking in no details as she recovered from her shock.

The woman spoke, “She’s old and small, but capable of ocean crossings. She’s not as beautiful as she used to be, but I’ve kept her in working order.”

“I don’t know if I can afford it yet, but I’d like to see it,” Meladee handed the deed back to the woman and gave her a hard stare. “Out of curiosity, why are you selling it?”

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The woman smiled. “I’m even older than she is. I just can’t keep up with it anymore. I have a son that lives nearby this town. I came here to sell my ship, and then, I’ll be on my way to a life of quiet retirement in the country.” She looked Meladee over, eyeing the snowy, wary traveler. “You look like just the right person for this ship.” She took Meladee’s arm and began to walk with her. “Come on. Come see my ship.”

Meladee stroked the worn but serviceable hull. She looked up to the balloon above. “You never said it was an airship.”

“I thought I saw you looking at a few airships before you took off for the guardhouse. Plus, I just showed you the deed and a picture. I didn’t think I had to state it so explicitly.” The woman handed the picture back to Meladee.

Meladee felt herself blush. This time, she studied the picture. The young woman stood right beside the ship and not on a dock. “You missed the balloon.” Meladee pointed at the page as if that should absolve her of the mixup.

The woman sighed. “So, you’ve changed your mind then?”

“No.” Meladee held up a hand. “I was just surprised. I can fly an airship. I even have my license...I just don’t know how to shop for one. I’m kind of new at it, but I would like the change from the ocean.”

“Ah, I see. Worried about taking that step. When I was young, there weren’t many private airships. I started on a sailing vessel too. Switched to the sky when I met my late husband. He had quite the fortune and wanted a life of adventure for which he hired me. He knew less about airships than I did, but we figured it out. You’ve got a license, so you’re already way ahead of my younger self.” The woman smiled.

Meladee studied the airship’s silver-haired owner and longed for something she didn’t understand. Maybe, I want a rich husband. Or, maybe, I want to be like this woman someday. Nah, I want an airship, and she’s got one. Meladee pushed the longing away and asked, “Can I see the inside?”

“Yes, of course. Come aboard.” The woman beckoned Meladee up the gangplank.

Meladee followed the woman on to the deck and listened to her summary of the ship.

“She’s got two decks. Cockpit is fully enclosed, and you’ve got some storage both here near the stern and there near the bow.” The woman walked by the built-in storage units.

Then, she opened the cockpit and waited in silence as Meladee inspected the controls. They followed an old but standard design; levers, wheels, and buttons arranged over a board. When Meladee gave a nod, the woman led her back out.

“Balloon is attached at 14 points: 5 port, 5 starboard, and 4 down the center line. Below…” The woman’s voice faded.

Meladee turned to find the woman sinking below deck, executing a climb into the lower reaches of the ship. Meladee hurried to follow. The ladder on this airship proved to be a true ladder, not just a steep set of stairs like those on bigger ships. Meladee grasped the rungs and walked down, step by step. She jumped off at the bottom and found herself in a small lounge and kitchen.

The woman continued, “Four berths, one’s a double. The other three are singles. You’ve got the kitchen and below deck sitting area of course. Two bathrooms, one aft and the other’s up front.” The woman waved Meladee off. “Go ahead, have a look around. I’m going to have a seat and wait here. You don’t need me breathing down your neck.”

Meladee headed aft first. She found the bathroom with its sink and toilet. The largest bed and one of the singles also occupied the aft space. Meladee inspected the berths, bathroom, and storage drawers. She found all clean and well-tended. Meladee walked forwards and found two more single beds and another bathroom. Everything was tended as well as the back. Meladee returned to the kitchen and lounge area. She glanced at the ship’s smiling owner and proceeded to look in every drawer and cupboard, and under the table. She even opened the stove and looked inside.

“You forgot to flush the toilets,” the woman said.

“Good point. I’ll be back.” Meladee left and flushed both toilets.

The woman called to Meladee, “She’s got a waste storage system. That’s something a bit different than a sailing ship. You have to store waste and dump it at a sewage station, every airship field has one. With two people on board we dumped about once a week. When we had our kids on board with us, it was closer to every three days.”

“That doesn’t sound too bad. Might enchant that function,” Meladee thought aloud.

“A mage? But, I shouldn’t be surprised. I overheard you were worried about some other mage when you talked to the guard outside the guardhouse.” The woman leaned forward. “The skies are a good place to hide from people, even better than the sea because there are so few people up there.” The woman pointed at the ceiling. The lack of visible sky did not detract from her meaning. “Come above deck and inspect the hull and all of the balloon connections.”

Meladee and the woman walked around the ship, and Meladee checked everything the woman told her to with gusto. They checked the hull for any breaches or minor leaks. They checked every balloon connection, looked in the storage units, and perused the deck flooring and railing. Everything was worn but solid.

“There. Now you know how to shop for an airship and what a good one should look like. Only one thing left, and that’s the test drive.”

“You’ll let me take this thing up?” Meladee gawked.

“Yeah. It’s an easier take off than a sailing ship, but you know that. Also, you need to test an airship. If you have a problem with a new ship at sea, you generally have enough time to get back to shore. If you have a problem up there…” The woman shrugged. “It’s a risk.”

Meladee nodded and entered the cockpit. The older woman made herself comfortable at a small lounge across from the controls. She rose to help with some elements of takeoff but always resumed her seat.

Meladee ran through her lift off procedures. The ship rose smoothly, and Meladee flew three laps around the small village. The first round, she flew high enough for the land to fall away, rising even higher on her second lap. The ship cruised through clouds and higher, and Meladee saw vapor on the windows, little resting dewdrops. Meladee smiled. She enjoyed the peace of the little airship. There were no orders shouted, no bustling deck, or too quiet nightwatch. No one could tell Meladee what to do on a ship like this one, and amid the clouds, no one could find her if she didn’t want to be found. Meladee was captain, at least for a time, longer if she bought the ship.

On the third lap, Meladee descended and circled the village to see dark houses, the clustered center of town, and a few buildings on the outskirts. Finally, Meladee parked the ship back in the same snowy yard, though not the exact space.

“Like her?”

Meladee stroked the controls. “Yeah, I do,” she admitted. I don’t know if I can afford it.”

“Tell me how much you can pay. I don’t need the money. Like I said, I’m going to live with my son, and his family will make sure I get fed. I’m going to earn my keep with adventure stories.”

“You’d really sell this ship to me for whatever price I say?” Meladee asked.

“I would like you to have her. Don’t take this the wrong way, but you remind me of myself when I was younger, maybe a little more down on your luck. And, I think you’ll love this ship. I think you’ll do your best for her. So, any price you want.” The woman rose from her seat and crossed the cockpit to Meladee.

Before Meladee named her price, she asked, “What’s your name anyway?”

“Faustina Ricordo.” Faustina smiled and held out her hand. “Do we have a deal?”

Meladee took her hand. “We do.”

After Meladee named and paid her price, she watched Faustina go into the snow. Meladee had offered the old woman a bed for the night on her former ship, but Faustina wanted to arrive at her son’s home by mid-morning. She would travel through the night, which Meladee guessed was fine.

It’s not like we live in Groaza or the Tagtrum’s far islands. Still, Meladee had sent Faustina into the night with a stone enchanted for warmth, a spell that Meladee practiced a lot and knew would last til dawn.

Now, what should I name my new ship? For some reason, the first name that came to mind was Gertrude. Fuck off, Meladee shooed the name out of her head. Hello Shippy? That’s good but kind of stupid.

“What do you think? What do you want to be named? What was your name on the deed?” Meladee pulled the deed out of its envelope and read the ship’s old name - Ricordo. “Ricordo...that’s not bad, but I liked her first name better.”

Faustina. Meladee felt the ship nearly whispered the name. “Yeah...Faustina.” Meladee took a pen and revised the small ship’s name. “Faustina, we are gonna give you a new paint job. You’re going to love it.”