"C'mon boy ya gotta let it come out of yer chest"!
"All Ores"! I screamed.
"Louder" the Druids said in unison.
"ALL ORES"! I screamed with my horse voice.
I quickly learned that all commands on the deck must be echoed back in kind.
The only time is when they starting singing with accents so thick I could cut it with a butter knife or when I was not going to perform said command
For example if I tied the extra ores down to a latch when the command 'All Ores' came I would not respond making sure not to confuse anyone.
But if I was free then there was hell to pay if I got caught not responding.
I didn't know why I had such an issue with communication until I realized that it was because I rarely spoke in this life.
Due to my background most of my encounters have ended up in a pile of guts and feces.
Even in the Village I only spoke to Isla, Bund and sometimes Algom the inn-keeper.
"Ores in the stern"! Hager Shouted from the stern where he stood on a platform that connected a metallic joystick to the rudder.
The galley itself was made of strong lumber and the ores made of the same.
Carved into it are many random scribbles which look like letters and numbers.
Haba rushed over using a brace on the seat in front of him to place his feet and row the ore changing our direction and turning us left the bow scraping against the ground.
Haba has turned us completely left the rushing river on the port side threatened to capsize us but we are pointed towards a clearing which will be our makeshift dock.
Durin-Son jumps off the boat with rope in hand clearing the rest of the water and landing on the shore.
He begins to pull the galley in while Hager and Haba do the same and I follow behind.
The first few hours where rough but after a certain time on the galley I was able to understand what they needed from me.
The first time I got the command 'Man the Ore' I thought it was going to be difficult.
I was nearly bent in half as the ore was so heavy and the weight of the water plus the angle made it worse.
The good news was that the wood the ores are made of conducted mana very well allowing me to use it as a crutch.
I was able to send mana tendrils through the wood, and by hardening those tendrils I cemented the connection making it possible for me to row.
We rode the current moving west and then south until we caught on to another stream and moved south west.
By mid day the mountains pass could be seen along with Undia but we continued past it and are now following the bend south west.
Once the galley was secured outside of the waters the three split immediatly as if they had it all pre arranged.
Hager jumped back into the galley and went under underneath where the liquor and aged meat was stored in the hull.
Durin-Son and Haba disappeared into the tree line leaving me alone.
Taking a look behind me I smile thinking about the meal tonight and quietly disappear into the trees myself.
I find plants and mushrooms I am familiar with and others that I am not but have a familiar taste or smell.
Gathering them all in my arms I am the first one back.
Hager is still above taking stock of what they had.
I wash all of the greens that I plucked and then laid them on the ground.
Sending a few tendrils into the water I find a few fish that looked like dual headed catfish.
I skewer them with a couple of branches along with the greens and place place them over a slow fire.
My mouth waters with anticipation.
The others came back and when Hagers eyes landed on the large assortment of greens he scoffed and continued on.
They laid a huge bon fire bringing with them a large pig that Durin-son skinned and gutted smoothly.
They set up camp in the center of the clearing while I am further away where the tree line meets the river.
"Ooins blood this nectar of mine, thought I would neva taste it again" Hagers voice came from the deck.
"Ya filthy drunk" Durin-Son cursed.
Hager came to the edge and tossed three barrels down the size of Haba who caught one by one with ease.
Tools and a large rotisserie set came next along with some tin mugs.
'How is that stuff not tossed up or broken after being overturned'? I asked myself.
Once everything was offloaded Hager jumped down as well.
And so it began.
I didn't see them with an empty cup that night.
I didn't think anyone could eat and drink so much, and so consistently.
"What ya think of the whelp"? Hager asked.
"I sang the song of cleansing as we rowed and he was fine.. the boy has no trace of em" Haba said while glancing at the skinny child eating one fish after the other.
"Are ya sure he's human"? Durin-Son asked while refilling his mug.
"Ai... why da ya ask"? Hager leaned forward and took a slice out of the beast.
"Cause he eats like us".
"What da ya mean eats like us"?
"Only one way ta eat brood-"
He choked on his words when he spotted the ever growing pile of bones next to the thin child.
"Wha-"
"Thas nah ry" Durin-Son said while all three stared at me.
Barely visible in the backdrop of the red setting sun my mana tendrils worked to have a steady stream of fish always over the fire.
"How much ya think he can put away"? Haba asked.
"Hager go get the rations and bring the boy here" Durin-Son smiled.
Hager nodded and threw down a few more barrels that Haba caught.
"Ya ganna run tha waters dry boy" he said when he jumped from the bow and landed near me.
"That's not your problem, unless this river is also your territory"
"Ai and so it be boy, now this lord of the waters commands ya to rise and feast".
"I'll eat alone" I replied and he shook his head with the same grin he had before he jumped on my back.
"My realm it be and my command ye'll listen ta".
I scooted back and pressed my hands on the hilt of my blade but he raised his hands, "Its just a meal boy come on now".
He took a few steps back and walked towards the large campfire.
I hesitated a moment before following after him.
"Ya hungry boy"? Durin-Son asked while rotating the meat.
I didn't respond but my stomach was rumbling due to being around the roasting pork.
The sound was heard around the fire making them all chuckle.
I let out a thick pulse of mana that traveled slowly throughout my body condensing the energy in certain areas in my stomach and small intestines to stop the noise, but it did nothing for the hunger pains.
"Go on then boy, eat yer fill" Durin said pointing at the roasting pork.
I dug in slowly but steadily, they continued to talk in their thick accents about 'the wave' and how many Oskana might have eaten if any.
I continued to eat and when I was done with the piece of the leg Durin-Son cut off the whole thigh and handed it to me.
After that they gave me a barrel full of salted red meat which tasted like very gamey jerky.
I finished half the barrel and then continued to eat away at the roasting pig.
At first they had curious looks in their eye which then turned to small smiles as if they are in on a joke that I wasn't aware of.
I didn't taste anything wrong with the food and wasn't feeling the affects of any poison.
It was only after I finished the first barrel and went for the second did the expressions change and they looked horrified.
Durin-Son had a look of pity as he stared at me no longer trying to hide his glances.
"Is there supposed to be poison in here or something"? I asked while still eating.
Even if it was poisoned it's been a while since I had a meal and the more I ate the more aura my body creates.
"Are both yer parents human boy"? Hager asked ignoring my rudeness.
"I don't know... I was born on a slave farm".
"They didn't let ya have yer mum in this farm child"? Hager asked.
"I don't think you understand" I said while licking my lips.
"I was what is being farmed... I was the 'cattle'".