Raytheon could not help smiling as he exited the inn. Seeing Valucia again had lifted his spirits; it startled him how much he had missed her, despite her continuous presence through the bond. He still could not understand why Valucia -- an Aes Sedai of tremendous power -- would want to bond a country bumpkin like himself, but he was eternally grateful for her trust and confidence.
Determined not to let her down, he hurried towards the docks. As usual, the place was utter chaos. Bare-chested deckhands carried wooden containers off the ships moored at the docks. Huge crowds had gathered to see off their loved ones or welcome them home, and the emotions ranged from loud cries to hearty laughter. Vendors hawked their wares from open-air tents on both sides of the busy streets, while young boys and girls darted among the people, delivering messages to ship captains and merchants.
The Sea Folk vessel was easy to spot. It was a full-rigged sailing ship, with three enormous masts, and its sleek design made the other ships in the harbor look like children's toys. A stern-looking, dark-skinned woman stood at the bow of the ship, scowling at the men below as they carefully carried boxes of Sea Folk porcelain objects towards a number of horse-drawn carts. She wore simple clothing, but a golden chain ran between rings in her nose and ear. Raytheon guessed that she must be the Sailmistress. He cast a glance towards the carts, where a short, bony man merchant issued loud instructions to the men, stopping only to mop the sweat off of his forehead with a light blue handkerchief. Sea Folk porcelain was worth its weight in gold, so the heat was probably only part of the reason the merchant was sweating so profusely. However, the presence of a couple dozen burly mercenaries around the carts would dissuade all but the most foolish (or clever) of thieves from attempting to dip into the merchant's profits.
There was no sign of the Red Sister, but that was no surprise. An Aes Sedai at the docks would stand out like an elephant in a pigpen, and she would further draw attention to herself if she were seen with Sea Folk, who were sometimes known to be suspicious of Aes Sedai.
Determined not to let her down, he hurried towards the docks. As usual, the place was utter chaos. Bare-chested deckhands carried wooden containers off the ships moored at the docks. Huge crowds had gathered to see off their loved ones or welcome them home, and the emotions ranged from loud cries to hearty laughter. Vendors hawked their wares from open-air tents on both sides of the busy streets, while young boys and girls darted among the people, delivering messages to ship captains and merchants.
The Sea Folk vessel was easy to spot. It was a full-rigged sailing ship, with three enormous masts, and its sleek design made the other ships in the harbor look like children's toys. A stern-looking, dark-skinned woman stood at the bow of the ship, scowling at the men below as they carefully carried boxes of Sea Folk porcelain objects towards a number of horse-drawn carts. She wore simple clothing, but a golden chain ran between rings in her nose and ear. Raytheon guessed that she must be the Sailmistress. He cast a glance towards the carts, where a short, bony man merchant issued loud instructions to the men, stopping only to mop the sweat off of his forehead with a light blue handkerchief. Sea Folk porcelain was worth its weight in gold, so the heat was probably only part of the reason the merchant was sweating so profusely. However, the presence of a couple dozen burly mercenaries around the carts would dissuade all but the most foolish (or clever) of thieves from attempting to dip into the merchant's profits.
There was no sign of the Red Sister, but that was no surprise. An Aes Sedai at the docks would stand out like an elephant in a pigpen, and she would further draw attention to herself if she were seen with Sea Folk, who were sometimes known to be suspicious of Aes Sedai.