CHAPTER THIRTY

Instantly, Jane came awake with her cheek pressed hard into the dirt between two tufts of grass. She lifted her face and there were pinprick dents on her cheek where tiny rocks had embedded themselves.

Getting into the upright position after sleeping on hard ground brought pain as fresh as sap. The pain ran from her ankles to her neck. She stood and rubbed her face to get rid of the tiny rocks. Fatigue sat like lead in her muscles. She rocked on her feet with her eyes half open and the fold of skin under her eyes felt bruised.

The sun shone from the east at a gentle angle.

Trinket was halfway between Jane and the edge of the river. She looked over her shoulder, her green eyes urging Jane to snap into wakefulness. She pointed down the river, and said, ‘The ship has just come into view.’

Down the river someway, the river ship’s foredeck had appeared between the river gums and willows. The ship moved swiftly, leaving a V shaped wave that rolled against the river bank. Four monstrous oars, like telegraph poles, came from oar holes in the ship's hull. When the oars rose from the river, water poured from the blades. When the oars swung forward there was a groan of distressed timber.

Putting a hand in the air, Trinket waved in a pendulum motion, This must have been the accepted signal for stopping a ship. The breeze lifted her hair and swirled it into a wicker basket.

Jane wondered if the ship would stop? Probably not, with luck that she was having. Expect the worst.

The ship continued to rush through the tunnel of trees, slipping between shades of yellow and green, growing larger as the oars pushed hard against the brown river.

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After a moment Trinket said, ‘They don’t seem to be slowing.’

‘Of course they aren’t,’ said Jane in a tone of resigned sufferance.

The boat streamed toward the two females, the oars ticking metronomically. On the deck, a forward deckhand who had seen Trinket called out something that Jane couldn’t hear.

Trinket turned and said, ‘He called for the glass. Once I am seen and recognised as the princess of Wyld Fell, the boat will stop.’

A second deck hand came to the prow and lined his eye up behind a telescope. He moved his view between Trinket and Jane.

After a moment Jane said:

‘The boat isn’t slowing.’

Along the port side of the ship were four armed men. The men raised longbows and pulled arrows into a position of half tension.

Trinket brought a hand up to shield her eyes. She watched the men along the gunwales, assessing their intentions. Her lips moved silently. She seemed confused as to what was happening.

‘The ship guards don’t normally draw like that.’ said Trinket.

Out of habit she reached for the bow that was missing from her back.

Jane knelt down amidst the grass. She didn’t want to stand there like an idiot for the marksman to have an easy shot at her.

Trinket said. ‘They won’t fire.’

‘I’m not taking a chance.’

Trinket waved her hand furiously toward the ship and muttered, ‘Slow you stupid mud hogs.’

‘The oars are going harder than ever,’ said Jane. She felt spiteful toward Trinket and her cockiness.

Trinket thundered. ‘Stop you hog slappers.’

The boat not only didn’t stop but began to go faster as some unseen task master gave an order for the rowers to row harder.

Suddenly Trinket began running, her feet whipping through the blue flowers and yellow grass. She ran out onto a rocky beach to the river's edge. She took three splashing steps and dove, fully clothed, into the river. She disappeared underwater to emerge a dozen feet further along. She immediately began swimming toward the passing ship.