The chronicles of the exiles, 5.

By Aratana

It has been over a week since we were last at Amber and our escapades in ensuring her safety were soon to reach a climax. After Darius had completed his process to hinder attacks by the main seaways into Amber, he had trumped out and left us, meaning Thor, Johanna, her dog, maybe Bryan and I to face the music.

It was currently rather damp music. We were aboard the smallest jettisoned fragment of what had once been a proud, if chaosian warship. It did, however, have the benefit of being the only fragment that wasn't sinking. It had no engines or sails and was drifting whilst the wind was rising and the sky darkening to a shade suggesting that we really ought to be getting out of there. After pressur from the others I managed to modify some antenna on the ship into a mast with sails and we were skipping over the waves, albeit not fast enough. As we got faster and faster, we warped shadow slightly (we were close to Amber) and an island loomed out of the driving rain. We hit a reef, which spilled us outand holed the boat, and we swam for the shore before the hurricane hit.

On the island we discovered a small ramshackle hut which made good firewood. We dried off and a strange, yet ghastly amphibious apparition came towards Johanna, Thor and I. It was giggling and gurgled slightly, claiming to be a duke of Amber.

Needless to say, it was Bryan. When we encountered some natives, Thor traded Bryan in as a slave in return for a boat. We got into the boat, and paddled away, with Bryan. The natives hurled spears at us but Johanna parried them with ease.

As we paddled we saw something loom up out of the horizon and threaten to run us over. It was an absolutely huge ship, with a metal hull, vast areas of flying canvas, and claimed to be the "Queen Elizabeth II". Valiantly we boarded her and demanded that they continue on towards Amber in the same way that they already were doing. Whilst aboard we found that Ricardo and a stranger called Lorien (spelt with a "z") were on board. Flora shortly joined us.

We reached Amber and waited for someone to come out and pilot her in. After all, as Ricardo said; "I never park my vehicles: I always let someone else do it for me.".
We then ate and slept.

Within Amber's fair walls there were various Amberites, namely Fiona, Random, Gerard, Bleys, Bleys, Corwin and rumours of a Fiona. People largely did their own things for a few days. . . .

A couple of days later, I was eating my evening meal when the doors to the great hall opened and in dripped Walker. He didn't look very happy. He seemed to have lost his sword and wasn't best pleased. He demanded to know who had sunk the ship by pieces. Bryan hadn't been there and looked at me. Thor looked at me. Johanna wasn't there but I just had that feeling that if she was, she'd be looking at me. I opened my mouth, and the Jury returned its verdict. Walker promised that he'd be back and would, I quote, "Hit me Very Hard". Oh dear.

After this brief interlude, we returned to our meals. Thor tried to get Bryan to use a trump. Bryan refused. This escaleted into a bit of a fight. I ignored it - such barbaric table manners.

I mean, they wouldn't even pass the pepper.

Their argument halted however when Amber's walls went sparkly and wibbled slightly. This was NOT a good thing. The Elders went silent and hurried off. Johanna, who had arrived briefly, left to go looking for Corwin.

The next morning, people awoke. This was a good thing, for which we were all truly grateful. Many people found invitations under their doors (those that had doors) and were invited to a garden party that Flora was holding in the gardens that afternoon.

We will have to see how it goes. . .