Beritrude reacted first as she was facing the in the direction of the anomaly. She gasped and pointed toward a spot several feet above the water where a shimmer in the air rapidly became a spinning vortex of a black outlined portal. The small boat rocked as she shifted her weight, calling out to her companion, "Halmond!"

Halmond turned to look, his sudden movement causing the small boat to rock even more.  The site of a magic portal in the sky above the ocean here startled him enough to cause him to half stand before he caught hold of both sides of the boat, his legs bending down in a crouch, centering his weight in the middle of the boat.  

The portal hung for several seconds before a child popped from the swirling surface, sideways and face down with someone holding his arm.  The portal collapsed suddenly, cutting the second body off, severing it across the chest.  The first body and the second partial body began to fall the 30 or so feet to the water below, the bodies turning in the air in free fall.

Whatever had happened here, it obviously was not going to plan.  Both bodies hit the water hard and flat.  

Without a word between them, Halmond and Beritrude sprang to action, setting the oars and turning the small row boat toward where the bodies had hit the water and rowing with quick, sure, practiced strokes to that spot.  Halmond kicked off his boots and shed his vest quickly before slipping overboard into the water.  He took a deep breath and dove down after the sinking bodies.  

Halmond surfaced quickly with the younger, whole body first, bringing the boy to the side of the boat and ensuring Beritrude had a good hold before going below after the other body.  The trail of blood from the half of a body was easy to follow as it sank into the depths and Halmond decided against bringing the obviously dead body back to the surface.

Beritrude had managed to lift the boy into the boat by the time Halmond surfaced and swam over.  He pulled himself into the boat carefully.  "It's just a boy, Halmond.  What is a boy doing flying out of a portal way out here in the ocean?"

Halmond shrugged and grabbed the oars still set in their mounts.  He began to row, turning the boat toward the distant shore. "I'm sure I don't know.  How is he?  Is he breathing?"

"What about the other one?" Beritrude said as she knelt over boy on the floor of the small boat. Her face turned toward Halmond as she leaned an ear close to the boys face, listening for a breath.  The boy was breathing, amazingly enough.  

"Definitely dead.  Just a head and one shoulder.  I didn't think it worth the sharks or effort, with all the blood." Halmond kept rowing but looked more closely at the boy they'd pulled from the ocean.  His light-brown hair was plastered to his head making him look even skinnier than he was.  His clothes were tattered and torn, repaired badly in some places.  No shoes.  Tall for a boy who looked to be about ten or twelve turns old. Halmond felt an odd sort of compassion for the boy almost immediately, an almost fatherly protective feeling.  He often got feelings about people, things, or places, a rudimentary sort of magic he'd been told.  He couldn't manipulate the forces of magic, but, he had learned to listen to them when they spoke to him.

Beritrude shifted the boy slightly, attempting to make him a bit more comfortable, placing a folded net beneath his head and wiping the water from his face.  She moved a bit to shade his face from the high noon sun. "He's just skin and bones, Halmond. Poor kid. What kind of child falls into the ocean from a portal?"

"That wasn't a Wizard's portal. We've both seen enough Wizards' portals to know that this one was different. Warlocks can't get into Malminar, but I would put money on that being a Warlock portal.  Nitt, down at the tavern has described one often enough. And I saw a few in service."

"Yes", Beritrude answered, thinking, touching the boy's face. "Not him though.  I think we could tell.", she knew Halmond agreed.  She looked up from the boy and locked eyes with Halmond. "The dead man that came through with him?"  She knew Halmond agreed even before he answered her.

"Better check his arms and legs anyway. " Halmond and Beritrude knew the telltale signs, but even if this boy was a Warlock, which both were sure he was not, he would be the youngest either of them had ever heard of.

Beritrude pushed the tattered sleeves on both of the boys arms up to his shoulders looking for the signs Warlocks developed once sworn to their Demon.  Both arms were bruised and slightly scarred, but nothing indicated this young man was a Warlock.  His left shoulder, however was no longer seated in its socket, this she could tell. Best to put it back now, while the boy was still unconscious.  "His shoulder is dislocated.  I'm gonna reset it, but, I'm gonna need your help to do it."

Halmond stopped rowing and shipped the oars.  He moved aft to the boy as Beritrude moved around to the other side of the boys head.  Halmond held the boy's body steady as Beritrude grasped his left arm, placing one foot in his arm pit as she pulled.  The boat rocked and the wet snapping sound of the bone settling back in the socket blended oddly with the waves against the boat.  The boy groaned loudly.

Beritrude placed the boys arm gently along his left side as his eyes fluttered open and he coughed loudly. "Gentle. Easy son. You're safe." Halmond released his hold and sat back a bit, ready but relaxed. "We pulled you from the water and you had a dislocated shoulder.  Sorry for the shock, but we needed to get it back in place."

Rishmond sat up quickly and shoved himself back against the side of the small boat, trying to get as far from both other occupants as he could and still be in the boat. His instinct was to jump over board and swim as far away as possible, then find a dark, tight place to hide, but his swimming skills were poor at best and a quick glance about put the shore an impossible swim away.

"How did I get here? " Maybe these two didn't see the portal, didn't know about whatever the hell had just happened, or maybe they were part of it.  What if these two were working with Plug?!  Was he really a Warlock?  On a ship from The Arrangement of Peace, with Church officers on board?  How had no one known?  The Church was always on about destroying Demons and Warlocks and knowing evil even in the places where it hid! "Who are you?"

The dark-haired man moved smoothly back toward the front of the boat.  Moving with the practiced ease of someone long used to being on a small boat. "I am Beritrude and this is Halmond," said the woman now seated at the back of the boat.  Both of them appeared relaxed, non-threatening, being careful to not move toward Rishmond, letting him have his own space. "We picked you up out of the water after you fell from a portal in the sky.  You were unconscious and you had a dislocated shoulder. Sorry about the resetting. I know it hurts."

Rishmond suddenly became aware of the pain in his shoulder.  That could keep him from doing any long distance swimming if he had to. It was just a dull ache, but he knew from experience that it could be a hindrance for a few days if he didn't rest it.  He stared at the woman sitting calmly at the back of the boat, she leaned a bit away from him, balancing the boat against Rishmond's weight against the other side of the boat.  She was pretty in a plain way, long dark hair with a natural waviness; large, expressive, dark eyes.  A kind face.  Not something Rishmond was overly familiar with. Her skin was tanned a dark olive and she appeared to be fit and healthy.  She could likely restrain him if she had to.  Rishmond would have to fight dirty to get away from her if he needed to.  He tensed at the thought.  The woman appeared not to notice.

Rishmond turned his attention to the man rowing the boat.  He was strong.  Thick arms pulled smoothly and powerfully against the oars, sending the little boat at good speed across the water.  The shore would be coming up quickly.  Maybe Rishmond could bide his time and run when they got close to shore.

The man's hair was dark and short, very curly and tight against his head, small beads of water glistening in the sun. His skin was dark, and the thick mustache on his face gave him a dangerous look to Rishmond.  He was tall as well, taller than Rishmond for certain, but hard to tell just how much with him seated and rowing.  

"What is your name young man?" the woman's voice startled Rishmond as he suddenly realized she'd faded from his attention.  His head whipped around toward her, expecting to see her lunging toward him, but she remained seated and calm, still leaning away from Rishmond.  "You do have a name, yes?"

Rishmond opened his mouth to speak and a croak and a cough made its way out. He cleared his throat, tasting the salt water of the ocean he'd been drowning in minutes ago. "Rishmond, ma'am."  Out of habit he made himself smaller and averted his eyes to the floor of the boat, careful to keep both of these strangers in his vision. 

"You're safe now, Rishmond," the woman's voice was calm and soothing, friendly. "Whatever happened to cause you to be here is over and we only want to help. We won't hurt you and we won't keep you from wherever you want to go once we get to shore. If you like, we can take you to our home and provide you with some food, some clean fresh clothes, and assistance in getting where ever it is you want to go."

"It's going to be a several minutes before we get to shore.  Perhaps you can tell us a bit about yourself and how you got here?  Tell us what happened?" The man had a pleasant baritone.  Comforting even, and Rishmond felt himself relax a little despite his initial misgivings. "Whatever you want to tell us, or nothing.  Up to you really, but we are of course, quiet curious."  Halmond sounded a bit amused.  Rishmond glanced at him and Halmond smiled, a genuine smile as far as he could tell.  He glanced back at the woman who was smiling at Halmond. Rishmond was unsure of what they might be amused at.  Warlocks and certain, well... almost certain, death didn't seem very funny.  Not when it happens to you. Guess that was it, it hadn't happened to them, but it had to Rishmond.

"There was a Warlock," he said hesitantly. He thought back on the ordeal.  Now it seemed so fast, just a minute from the argument to the fall to the water.  Rishmond glanced around, alarmed, remembering Plug attempting to jump through the portal with him in tow.  

"It's OK Rishmond.  There are no Warlocks here.  The man that came through with you, well, only part of him came through, will not be bothering anyone ever again." Halmond spoke with a certainty that calmed Rishmond quickly. "No need to go into detail there, but trust me, he's gone for sure."

Rishmond hesitated for a few minutes while Halmond went on rowing and Beritrude busied herself folding nets and putting the tools of fishing away, preparing the boat for its return to shore.  Then Rishmond told them what happened aboard the Dutchess' Teat, leaving out the part where he himself seemed to glow for some reason.

"A Warlock in the harbor here at Retinor? That hasn't happened for turns." Halmond said it like it was nothing more than a curiosity, like a rare bird sighting or a bad thunderstorm. "That's gotta have the Wizards in a tizzy."

"How long were you in the harbor before the authorities came on board, son?" Halmond never stopped rowing, keeping the little boat pointed toward shore and moving at a good pace.

"I can't really say, sir.  We were kept below, told to be quiet.  Couldn't have been long.  A few hours I guess from the sounds of the cargo being loaded and unloaded." Rishmond thought back on the time spent listening to the sounds of cargo being moved about.  Remembering Toby fidgeting, drawing figures on the deck with a little stump of a burned out candle. 'Oh Gods!', thought Rishmond.  'Toby! Was he OK? Alive? Dead? What would happen to him?  Would the Church blame Toby for Rishmond going missing, or just punish him anyway?'

"I have to get back to my ship. The Church will come searching for me, and they will punish my friend because I'm gone.  Can you take me there?" Rishmond pleaded. "I don't need no clean clothes or food, I just need to get back." His eyes searched the visible shoreline, now grown much closer.  No ships in sight and definitely not a busy harbor.  It looked much more like a fishing village from what he could see. He pushed himself up above the gunwale, straining to look up and down the shoreline, searching for the ship he'd come here on. "Where are all the ships? Where are we?"  He turned toward the woman at the aft of the small boat, causing the little craft to rock wildly. 

The woman sat quickly on the aft seat, balancing the boat against Rishmond's movements. "We're a couple of miles from the cargo docks.  Stay calm.  No need to put all of us in the water.  We'll be ashore soon and we can see what we need to do from there.  If you want to return to your ship we will take you there.  It's only a short ride from where we'll put in. No need to hurry, from what you said the Wizard Counsel was involved and they will take good care of everyone there.  I would bet your friends are already dry and being taken care of, fed and cleaned up.  From what you told us it's likely everyone on board will be taken to the nearest healing center to be checked out and have injuries treated. Not to worry about the Church, we deal with them often enough, your friends will be safe from them for a while at least."

Rishmond doubted his friend was safe. No one cared about a dirty little orphan and the Church would be sure to keep all of the untrusted sailors away from anything and everything different.  The Church was law, and powerful. The thought of Toby being punished by the Charge Priest, especially due to Rishmond's being missing, caused him to be both mad and anxious.  Mad soon overtook anxious. Followed closely by a strange calm, an assurance that rose from within him with a certainty that if Toby was hurt, whoever hurt him would pay dearly. 

The waters around the little boat began to churn with activity as Rishmond grew quiet.  From the boat's hull out ten or twelve feet the surface of the water seemed to froth and boil before suddenly the boat was surrounded by hundreds of flying fish, flinging themselves from the water and gliding in all directions. A large number of them landed in the boat but Rishmond paid them no mind, his thoughts elsewhere.  Halmond stopped rowing and Beritrude halted in her preparations for a moment, both watching in amazement as the fish jumped and flew and landed in the boat.

"What the actual hells?!" exclaimed Halmond as he began rowing again, slightly faster this time, wondering what might have scared a whole school of flying fish this close to shore and out of the water. Beritrude called out, "Language, my love!", as if from habit before she began catching the flopping, wriggling fish and throwing the smaller ones overboard back into the ocean, and the larger ones into the well at the very aft of the small boat.

"Language?  Really?  That's what you have to say to magic portals and suicidal fish today, Berti?" Halmond's voice boomed with laughter.  The sound startled Rishmond from his thoughts.  The calm anger inside him disappeared at the sight of fish in the air and all over the bottom of the boat.  Both Halmond and Beritrude were now laughing out loud at the absurdity of the situation, both keeping  a wary eye on the sea as the number of fish flying through the air fell rapidly to none and the water's surface returned to normal. A shadow flitted across the boat as several small clouds passed quickly in front of the sun.

"Well now!  It seems our young friend here is great luck for us!  What a haul!", Beritrude continued to throw fish back into the water, no longer putting any in the over-full live-well. "This day will be one for story telling later."

"I had nothing to do with it!", protested Rishmond. "I don't know anything about fish, or fishing, and I certainly can't make them jump out of the water, or fly!" These people were going to think him a Warlock and he'd be imprisoned and put to death for certain.  He'd seen it done more than once back in Mott. 

Beritrude and Halmond laughed. "Of course not, son!  This sort of thing happens. Something scares a school of flying fish and they try to escape. Not often a fishing boat is right there to catch them, but still. It's just a coincidence, and a happy one at that! Fishing today hadn't been too good, so, now we've made up for it.  We'll have a good diner and have quite a bit to sell as well.  A good day, catching fish, a boy and a bit of excitement!" Halmond seemed down right jolly about the whole situation.

Beritrude gave Rishmond an apologetic smile, "Don't worry Rishmond, we don't think you are responsible.  Nor do we think you are a Warlock."  How did she know what Rishmond was thinking? "Now, would you like to help clear the last of the fish from the boat?"

Rishmond looked down at the few fish still flopping about on the bottom of the boat and without thinking he began to grab them carefully and fling them over the side of the boat.  The fish were wet and slippery and it took a bit of work to grab one and keep ahold of it, and then fling it over the side.  More than once Rishmond tossed a fish toward the side of the boat just to have it hit the side and flop back to the bottom of the boat. Beritrude was much better at it. Together they were able to clear all the fish from the boat in just a couple of minutes.  Rishmond looked up at the woman next to him, their arms touching as she picked up the last fish, smiled at him and flung the fish directly at Halmond.

The fish hit Halmond directly in his barrel like chest as he leaned backwards, pulling on the oars. It was a pretty big fish, almost as long as Rishmond's arm and it made a wet smack sound as it hit full on its side. Halmond stopped rowing, his brow furled and he looked up at the two of them.  His face split open in a full laugh as he brought the oars forward and down into the water, spraying both of his passengers with a significant amount of water.  Rishmond froze, not sure what to do until he heard Beritrude laugh beside him.  She turned in toward Rishmond, grabbing his arm and hiding her face behind his shoulder.  Her tug on his left arm reminded him of his injury as pain caused him to yelp and pull his arm from her grasp.

"Oh hell!  Rishmond!  I am so sorry!  I forgot about your shoulder!  Are you ok?", Beritrude released Rishmond and knelt in the boat next to him as he kneeled, cradling his left arm in his right against his chest.

The pain passed quickly.  It wasn't that bad, more of a surprise than great pain. "Yes.  Sorry, No, it's not bad.  It's fine. Just a surprise is all. I know you didn't mean it." Rishmond found himself caring more about what Beritrude might be feeling than his own pain or shock.  This was new. Toby is the only person he'd ever felt concerned about in this way.  Odd to think that grown ups, and people he didn't know, would care about him, or he them.

Rishmond looked up to see two kind faces, full of concern, hovering near him.  "I'm fine.  It's nothing, really." He moved his shoulder around to show them that everything was ok.  They both sat back, giving him room. "Ok then.  Sorry about that.  We should be more mindful," Halmond said as he sat back on his seat and picked up the oars again. 

"Are you sure you're ok?" Beritrude stayed near him, but gave him some room to move about. Her face was kind and the concern in her eyes seemed sincere. 

Rishmond nodded, smiling as best he knew how at the woman.  He didn't want her to feel bad. In fact, he was finding that he liked these two, despite some part of him still warning the rest of him that anyone being nice to him wanted something from him, or wanted to use him.

Halmond shipped the oars as the boat approached the beach, then he stepped out of the little craft into the water and began dragging the boat further onto the beach.  Beritrude also stepped out of the craft as Halmond continued to drag the boat onto the sand.  "Hop out and give us a hand Rishmond, if you can," said Halmond.

Without even thinking, Rishmond climbed out of the little boat and helped the two adults pull it well up onto the beach.  Halmond and Beritrude began unloading things from the boat.

"I need to find my friend," said Rishmond while the others worked.

"Of course.  Let's get this boat unloaded and we'll leave Berti to deal with the fish while you and I head to the docks to find out what happened and locate your friend." Halmond wheeled a small hand-truck over from a small shed built on the sand. "We'll help get the fish to the house, its on the way."

The live well was lifted from the stern of the boat and placed on the two wheeled device. Water sloshed on to the sand as Halmond begun dragging it on its cart up to a ramp off the beach and on to cobblestone streets and concrete sidewalks.  

The buildings here were mostly built on short columns of what looked like stone, raising the houses above the streets.  The wooden houses looked nice and well maintained in this area.  Rishmond could see now that the area was large, and connected to a much larger city, definitely the size of Mott or bigger.  In the distance Rishmond could see mountains rising against the sky.  The city was sprawling and as it went inland, the buildings grew larger.  They turned down a side street, the houses built on columns cut off his view of the mountains and the larger inland buildings.  Each house had a small garden surrounding it.  People were out in the streets and in their gardens, many yelled greetings at them as they passed.

"Hey Halmond!  Good catch today?  Di'ja hear about the ruckus at the docks? Crazy business with Wizards involved!", a browned, wrinkled, and bent over man yelled while waving.  His white pony tail was wispy and long.

"Yes, good fishing today, practically jumping right into the boat!", responded Halmond, grinning. "Been out on the water all morning, Kret, so, haven't heard anything.  Gotta get my catch to the house so we can clean it before I have time for any news!" They kept moving down the street until they came to a little house in the middle of the street between two small cross streets.  

Beritrude climbed the steps before Halmond, opening the door at the top to the inside of the house. Halmond turned and began carefully pulling the heavy load of fish and water up the steps, stopping at the second step and instructing Rishmond to pull a cork plug on the side of the box.  Water began to pour forth.

The box of fish was pulled up to the little wooden porch and left there, water still draining from it. Rishmond glanced through the door into the house.  It looked comfortable and clean, and just what Rishmond used to dream a real house would look like.  A glass globe hung from the ceiling of the room he could see, the light from it illuminating the room without flickering shadows.

Beritrude walked out of the house with a large wooden cup, handing it to Rishmond. "Here, try this.  You must be thirsty, I should have offered you some water out on the boat. This is our house and you are very welcome here. Drink that and then come inside and let's get you a change of clothes.  I know you are in a hurry," she placed a hand on Rishmond's right shoulder while guiding him toward the doorway.  Rishmond stopped before the doorway, hesitant.  'What if they never let me out again?' 

He looked at Beritrude and then at Halmond. "Its ok Rishmond.  We won't harm you, or keep you if you don't want to stay.  Changing clothes out here on the porch would be inappropriate, but, if you prefer..."

Rishmond did not prefer.  He took a sip from the cup he held. The liquid inside was cold, not just cool, but cold.  Delicious!  Minty, lemony, sweet.  Whatever this was, it was better than anything Rishmond could remember ever drinking. "That is... wow... really good!" He hadn't meant to speak, but the drink and its novel taste overcame him.

He glanced back at Halmond who had stepped up onto the porch and to the side leaving the stairs down unobstructed.  Halmond smiled a friendly smile.  Neither of the adults moved to pressure Rishmond inside.  'Maybe this is ok then. What could they want with me?' He decided he would go in, he'd escaped from worse and he was sure that if he wanted to, he could escape from here too.

Beritrude lead Rishmond into the house, through the small front room and down a darkened hall to a small room with three doors.  Beritrude continued to the door on the left and opened it, stepping inside.  Rishmond followed, sipping on the drink he was carrying.

The room was small, but not cramped, a narrow bed lay along the opposite wall under a small shuttered window high on the wall.  A small tapestry hung above the bed, hard to make out what was on it in the darkness of the room. A large box took up the corner on the near wall and Beritrude walked to that and opened a set of doors in the box.  Rishmond moved around to see what the box contained.  Light glowed above him as a glass globe hung here like the one in the front room came to life.  The growing glow showed a number of clothes hung there in the box. New clothes.  With lots of different colors.  Rishmond had only seen its like in the windows of shops on the edges of parts of Mott he didn't venture in to.

Beritrude reached into the box where the clothes hung and started sorting through them.  It only took her a couple of minutes before she pulled several things out and laid them on the bed. "These were my son's before he died, Rishmond.  I wasn't sure why I kept them for all this time, but now I see it was for you.  You're a bit thinner than he was, but, I think these will fit", she pointed at the clothes laid out on the bed now. "Come, let's get you cleaned up and then you can put on these clean clothes and go with Hal to find your friend."

"I can't take your son's clothes.  These are perfectly fine for the likes of me." Rishmond stepped back away from the bed, pulling at his tattered vest. "I really am comfortable and they fit me fine and they're mine." 

"Please, Rishmond. It would make me very happy to know that Pillips things were going to a good cause after all this time.  Were he still alive, he would give you the shirt off his back and his diner if he thought you needed it.  And you do need it. You look as if you haven't had a good meal in several days, and those clothes are about to fall into threads from the look of them. Please Rishmond.  If you really want your current clothes back, I will wash them while you are gone and you can change back into them if you want when you get back. I also have some shoes for you, walking around barefoot can't be comfortable for you."

Rishmond didn't know what it was like to not be barefoot.  He'd never worn shoes, never had any to wear. He didn't think he'd like it. 

"Come," said Beritrude, "Let's at least get you washed up, then you can decide.  Take off that coat and shirt and get in the washroom and you can hand me out your pants."

"No!" Rishmond yelled, clasping his vest around him and backing toward the wall. "I mean, I would rather not.  I'll just keep my clothes on, but I'll wash if you want me to."

"Ok," Beritrude gathered up the clothes from the bed leaving the metal hooks they had been hung up with on the bed.  She grabbed several folded pieces of cloth from a small cupboard near the door.  "This way." 

He followed her out the door and to another door a bit up the hallway.  She opened the door and stood to the side to let Rishmond enter. Rishmond had never seen anything like it. A shiny stone basin stood against one wall, a shiny glass window set over it, reflecting the room back into itself. A small section of the room in one corner was set with a pipe high on the wall and a curtain hung on a wooden rod run from wall to wall.  Beritrude stepped to the smaller section of the room, like a room within a room, pulling the curtain all the way back as she gestured toward the back wall speaking a soft word.  Water began spraying out of the pipe on the wall, broken into a spray by a round attachment on the end.

"You can shower here, get clean, there's some soap on the shelf," she pointed to a small wooden shelf on the wall of the little room. "Leave your dirty clothes there in the basket and once you are clean, put on these clean things.  Let me know once you're done and I will stop the water." She laid the clean clothes on a little table behind the door. "Will you be ok?"

"Yes... " Rishmond looked around amazed.  He didn't really have time to think before Beritrude retreated from the room and closed the door behind her.

Rishmond reached toward the water, wondering at how it just poured out of the pipe with no visible pump. To his amazement, the water was warm!  Hot even!

Rishmond checked the door as he peeled off his dirty, salty clothes. He double checked the door before removing his undershirt. He couldn't risk anyone seeing what was under it, he knew his welcome here would end and it would likely end in his death. Marks like his always lead to execution.  It was only a matter of time before the Demon came to claim him, but clinging to life was a hard habit to break.