Chapter 6

  Two weeks later, Jonathon found himself anchored in Brightstone Bay, not more than a nautical mile from shore. From where he stood on the deck, he could see the entrance to the jungle and the river they would row up to reach it.

  They had arrived in decent time, though they had to fight a nasty storm halfway up the coast that came out of nowhere. They lost a crewmate during the struggle and spent an extra half day searching for the poor soul, but the sea had already claimed him. Jonathon was reminded how quickly a life could be cut short. Something as simple as a slick rope underfoot at the wrong time, and all your hard work and aspirations were gone. Still, they moved on and had made it to their first stop.

  “Cass, are we good to go?” he asked as his quartermaster stepped onto one of the two jolly boats they’d be taking upriver.

  “We are, Captain. I’ve left Thayer in charge while we’re away,” she said, pausing as she glanced to the other jolly boat which contained two very enthusiastic looking twins laughing and having a good time. She sighed, “Are you sure we need to take the twins with us?”

  “I am,” he replied. “They may not be crucial to our mission, but they’re young and need experience. This will be a great opportunity for them to learn about some of the world and how to navigate it properly.”

  “If you say so,” she sighed, “but if I have to hear them go on about the women they’re going to bed when they’re rich one more time, you may be returning with two vacancies in your crew.”

  “Duly noted,” he laughed, giving the signal for the jolly boats to be lowered from the davits. Jonathon, Cass, and three rowers took one boat, while Beckett, Dryden, Ryden, and a rower took the other. Beckett hadn’t initially wanted to be alone with the twins, for very much the same reasons as Cass, but he relented when Jonathon explained how he was hoping Beckett would be able to take the time to teach them some of what he knew. “Besides,” he told Beckett, “it’ll be hard for them to get lost in their own world when they have to row the boat themselves.”

  Jonathon chuckled to himself. They’ll hate it, but it’ll make them stronger in the end. Plus, it would be amusing for the rest of them to watch, which was equally important.

  ~~

  As they made their way into the estuary that connected Brightstone Bay to The Kihariel Jungle, Jonathon could hear Beckett lecturing the twins on how to row properly to maximize their strokes and minimize fatigue. He also heard the groans and complaints of two young men who were quickly realizing that their adventure was not going to be as relaxed and fun as they had imagined.

  Jonathon turned to Cass and said, “I know you don’t believe in any of this, but I wanted to thank you all the same for accompanying me.”

  She looked at him and smiled, a rare sight. “You’re a good man, Captain. And you’ve done right by me. If you say you want to pursue a fairy tale, then I’ll be by your side.” Even in her leather armor, Jonathon was struck again by her beauty. He preferred a little more freedom during combat, electing to forego traditional armor in lieu of standard clothing, but Cassie favored a full set of leather armor. Her chest piece, pteruges, and boots with simple blue linen breeches underneath made up the basic portions of her armor. Her left pauldron was covered with dark fur, while her right was solid metal with an intricate design. Similarly, her left gauntlet was simple leather, while her right was topped with a metal plate bearing a design similar to the one on her pauldron. “To protect the sword arm,” she had told him when he first asked. On her back and at her side, she carried a shield and cutlass.

  “A beauty and a softie,” he teased. “But even if that’s the case, why follow me on what you see as a fool’s errand?”

  “Because while you may be prone to belief in fairy tales,” she said, ignoring his compliment, “you are no fool. You are actually very grounded in reality. If the evidence presents itself to you, you will cease your pursuit and return to your normal life. You’re not the kind to get so caught up in belief that you become a danger to yourself or others.”

  Her words were blunt, but Jonathon couldn’t help but feel comforted by them. He knew he could always rely on her to balance fantasy with reality should he ever fail to. “Well, you’re not wrong about that,” he said, “but thank you.”

  She gave him another soft smile, and they continued their way up the estuary toward the jungle.

  The remainder of the day passed uneventfully. Jonathon and Cassie spoke occasionally, but of nothing important. Beckett and the boys, on the other hand, talked almost non-stop.

  As the sun sank lower in the sky, they beached their boats on the riverbank and secured them to a sturdy tree, just in case. They spent the next hour or so setting up camp and gathering supplies for a fire. They had brought a few days’ worth of rations, so they didn’t technically have to worry about hunting tonight, but Beckett had taught Ryden and Dryden how to make a snare trap after they set up camp, and now the twins had run off to place some, hoping to catch something. Jonathon certainly wouldn’t complain if they did; more food was always a plus, and he loved rabbit stew.

  As the sun disappeared from the sky and darkness engulfed their surroundings, the twins returned from their hunt empty-handed and disappointed. Jonathon watched as they approached the campfire.

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  “What’s wrong, boys?” Beckett laughed. “Trouble with yer snares?”

  “Yeah,” they replied in unison.

  “We built ‘em just like you said,” Ryden began.

  “But we didn’t catch anything,” Dryden finished.

  “Ah, well, don’t be too hard on yerselves, boys,” Beckett encouraged. “You’ll get it in no time. All it takes is practice and patience.”

  “He’s right,” Ryden said to his brother, his spirits beginning to lift. “You know what? I bet we just got a string of bad luck!”

  “You’re right!” Dryden agreed, his energy rising in unison with his brother. “There probably aren’t even any rabbits in this jungle.”

  As the two reached this optimistic conclusion, Beckett opened the lid of the pot that housed their evening’s dinner.

  “What’s that?” Ryden and Dryden asked in unison.

  “Rabbit stew,” Beckett said with a smile as the boys’ spirits visibly dampened again.

  Jonathon considered telling them that Beckett had brought the rabbit from the ship specifically for this prank but decided against it. Their dejected, tired little faces, while pitiful, were also amusing in a way that only someone who had experienced similar growing pains could understand. Besides, Jonathon thought, sometimes a little tough humor was needed to keep morale up–even if it was at the twins’ expense.

  “So, Beckett,” Jonathon said, steering the conversation away from the twins’ embarrassment. “What can you tell me about the people who live in this jungle?”

  Beckett leaned back, the firelight casting shadows on his weathered face as he reached up to stroke his beard. “Not much, I’m afraid. As ye know, me specialty is the sea, but I’ve ‘eard tales here and there of the people of The Kihariel Jungle. While I have no doubt there are many tribes scattered throughout this jungle, the predominant peoples that populate this part of the jungle call themselves the Barmuru.”

  “The Barmaru?” Ryden asked between bites of stew.

  “Barmuru,” Beckett corrected. “And yes, the Barmuru. They are a matriarchal tribe that—”

  “Matriarchal?” Dryden interrupted.

  “Yes, matriarchal,” Beckett explained. “Means they’re ruled and dominated by women.”

  “You hear that, Ry?” Dryden grinned. “Dominated by women, eh?”

  Ryden’s face began to mirror his brother’s. “I wouldn’t mind being dominated by a woman.”

  “Or by multiple women,” Dryden laughed, and they were back in their own world. That is, until two rocks hit each of them square in the head.

  “Ow,” they said in unison, rubbing the fresh bumps. “What was that?”

  As the twins looked around, their eyes locked with Cassie’s, who was staring daggers at them. Jonathon was quickly reminded of her warnings on the jolly boat earlier that day. “Alright,” he laughed, “let’s stay focused, shall we? Beckett, please continue.”

  “Right,” Beckett said, struggling and failing not to laugh at the two boys now rubbing their heads, where two rock-sized eggs were already beginning to form. “The Barmuru are a matriarchal people. Their leader, The Matriarch, is often the eldest woman among ‘em. Some accounts say she rules alone, others say she has a council of elders.”

  “Strange,” Jonathon said, intrigued. “If the women rule everything, what do the men do? Are they just used for fighting and hunting?”

  “No,” Beckett explained. “The warriors of the Barmuru Tribe are also predominantly women. They’re known as Banshees.”

  “Banshees?” Cassie questioned. “Like the banshees of folklore?”

  “Oh,” Dryden interrupted, itching from having stayed silent for longer than a minute, “I know this one. The banshee’s the one who signals the death of a family member by screamin’, right?”

  “The very same,” Beckett confirmed. “It’s said that the Barmuru war cry is enough to paralyze all who hear it with fear.”

  Jonathon, still curious about the role of men in the tribe, pressed on. “So what about the men? What do they do all day long if the women are leading and fighting?”

  He had nothing against women in power–Cassie was proof of that–but he had never heard of a culture like this before. He wanted to know more about how something so different from what he was familiar with operated.

  “The men help take care of the tribe,” Beckett answered. “Those who prove themselves might join the women in fighting and hunting, but most stay within the tribe, focusing on building, cooking, or taking care of the home.”

  “That’s fascinating,” Jonathon mused, trying to picture what daily life in such a society would look like. “It’s not what you’d expect. Almost the polar opposite of life as we know it.”

  “Aye,” Beckett agreed. “Unfortunately, that’s about the extent of my knowledge on the Barmuru people. They keep to themselves, and there are few accounts of them from outside the jungle. Most of what I’ve heard came from travelers who lost their way in the jungle.”

  The evening continued without further incident as the group settled into a rhythm following their meal and clean up. As the night deepened, they all eventually retired to their sleeping packs, leaving the rowers to alternate keeping watch.

  Jonathon lay back, staring up at the canopy of trees that loomed above, his mind still spinning with thoughts of the Barmuru and their unique way of life. He tried to imagine what it would be like to meet them, to see firsthand how they lived.

  As he glanced over at one of the rowers starting his watch, he gave a small chuckle. Maybe tomorrow he’d have the twins take turns at standing watch. It would be good experience for them…and perhaps it would keep their minds occupied with something other than women.

  With that thought, Jonathon closed his eyes. The unknown environment of the jungle had led him to the sensation that he had been being watched all day. Even as he let the sounds of the jungle and the steady rhythm of the lapping river lull him to sleep, he felt as though he could feel the eyes of all of the jungle’s denizens watching him.