Thassa means the sea Ko-ro-ba lay in the midst of green and rolling hills, some hundreds of feet
above the level of the distant Tamber Gulf and that mysterious body of water
beyond it, spoken of in Gorean simply as Thassa, the Sea. Ko-ro-ba was not
set as high and remote as for example was Thentis in the mountains of Thentis,
famed for its tarn flocks, but it was not a city of the vast plains either,
like the luxurious metropolis of Ar, or of the shore, like the cluttered,
crowded, sensuous Port Kar on the Tamber Gulf.
Outlaw
Whereas Ar was glorious, a city of imposing grandeur, acknowledged even by
its blood foes; whereas Thentis had the proud violence of the rude mountains
of Thentis for its setting; whereas Port Kar could boast the broad Tamber for
her sister, and the gleaming, mysterious Thassa beyond, I thought my city to
be truly the most beautiful, its variegated lofty cylinders rising so gently,
so joyfully, among the calm, green hills.
Outlaw
Gleaming Thassa, said to be without a farther shore I could smell the sea, gleaming Thassa, in the myths said to be without a
farther shore.
Raiders
The Tamber Gulf - shallow No one had been found who would guide me into the delta of the Vosk.
The bargemen of the Vosk will not take their wide, broad-bottomed craft
into the delta. The channels of the Vosk, to be sure, shift from season to
season, and the delta is often little more than a trackless marsh, literally
hundreds of square pasangs of estuarial wilderness. In many places it is too
shallow to float even the great flat-bottomed barges and, more inmportantly,
a path for them would have to be cut and chopped, foot by foot, through the
thickets of rush and sedge, and the tangles of marsh vine. The most
important reason for not finding a
guide, of course, even among the eastern rence growers, is that the delta
is claimed by Port Kar, which lies within it, some hundred pasangs from its
northwestern edge, bordering on the shallow Tamber Gulf, beyond wich is
gleaming Thassa, the Sea.
Raiders
I had been in the delta now for some sixteen days, drifting and paddling
toward the Thassa. I again tasted the water, and the salt of it was even
stronger than it had been. And the great, vast clean smell of Thassa was
clear.
Raiders
Thassa, a green sea Green, on Thassa, is the color of pirates. Green hulls, sails, oars, even
ropes. In the bright sun reflecting off the water, green is a color most
difficult to detect on gleaming Thassa. The green ship, in the bright sun,
can be almost invisible.
Raiders
Most sailing is done in spring and summer
Often high seas on Thassa in Se'Kara Most sailing, save by round ships, is done in the spring and summer. In
Se'Kara, particularly later in the month, there are often high seas on
Thassa.
Raiders
Thassa is broad, there are many islands, many ports "Many of the captains," said another officer, "are already weighing
anchor for the northern islands."
"And others," said another, "for the southern ports."
"Thassa is broad," said another officer. "There are many islands,
many ports."
Raiders
Storms on Thassa
A towering blackness coming from the north
Cold enough that water freezes in the gourd
I glanced to the north. Then I opened the glass and studied the waters to the
north. I snapped shut the glass. Above the waters to the north there was
now a towering blackness. Overhead the white clouds swept past, like white,
leaping Tabuk fleeing from the jaws of the black-maned larl.
It was late in the season.
I had not counted on Thassa herself, her swiftness and her moods.
I was cold in the basket, and I chewed on another piece of dried
tarsk meat. The water had now frozen in the gourd, splitting it.
Raiders
The sea begins to grow high, the darkness of the storm looming in the north
The sea was now growing high, and the darkness in the north was now half
the sky, looming like a beast with wild fur rooting and sniffing for
its prey.
Raiders
Even the broader beamed ships begin to pitch and buck in the roiling waters
And between them, heavy, their hulls buffeted by the wind, even their small
storm sails now furled to their yards, came the ten round ships, the lumber
ships from the arsenal. Even they, broad-beamed and deep-keeled, pitched
and bucked in the roiling waters of late Se'Kara on Thassa.
Raiders
Freezing winds of Thassa The tarn is a land bird, generally of mountainous origin, though there
are brightly-plumaged jungle tarns. The tarns crowded into the holds of
the round ships were hooded. Feeling the wind and the cold suddenly
strike them they threw back their heads and beat their wings, pulled against
the chains that bound them to the keel timbers.
One was unhooded, the straps that bound its beak un-buckled.
It uttered its scream, that pierced even the freezing winds of Thassa.
Raiders
It begins to sleet I threw off the robes of the Admiral. I accepted a wind scarf from
another man.
It had begun to sleet now.
Raiders
The sleet struck down cutting my face.
Raiders
Black vicious sleeting sky And then, their fighters disembarked, the birds with their riders swept
away, up into the black, vicious sleeting sky,...
Raiders
Ship decks become sleet-iced I slipped on the sleet-iced deck of the stern castle and parried
Chenbar's blade from my throat.
Raiders
When we struck the icy, wind-driven decks of the Dorna my men rose at
their benches and, cheering, waved their caps.
Raiders
Tarn ship heaves and pitches like snared sleen
The ships will not likely survive the storm, must run before it The Doma now heaved and pitched like a snared sleen. She, like most
tarn ships, was a narrow vessel, long and of shallow draft. I looked to
the round ships. Even they leaped in the water. I did not think the
Dorna would long live in such a sea unless she might run before it.
"Lift the anchors," I said. "Set the storm sail!"
Men hastened to do what I had told them, and, as they did so, I sent
signals to reserve ships, to be conveyed to the balance of the fleet,
that they might save themselves while they could. There could be no
question of following up what had appeared to be the victory over
the fleets of Cos and Tyros.
I stood on the icy, wind-struck deck of the Doma, my back turned
to the storm. My admirals cloak, brought with my returning men from the
round ship, was given to me and I wrapped it about my shoulders. A
vessel of hot Paga was brought, too.
"The victory draught," said the oar-master.
Raiders
Deck washed in cold waves
Helmsmen strain at the rudders
Wind in blasts, striking the sail like a fist The yard had been lowered and the small, triangular storm sail was
attached to it. The anchors were raised and the yard, on its ropes and
pulleys, began to climb toward the masthead. Meanwhile, the starboard oars,
under the call of the oar-master began swinging the vessel about, to bring
her stern into the wind. The wind struck the side of the hull and the
ship heeled to leeward. The deck was suddenly washed with cold waves,
and then the waters had slipped back. The two helmsmen strained with
their side rudders, bringing the ship about. Then the wind was at the
stern and the oar-master began his count, easing the ship ahead until
the storm sail was caught by the blasts. When it was it was like a fist
striking the sail and the mast screamed, and the bow, for a terrible
moment dipped in the water and then, dripping the cold waters, the bow
leaped up and tilted to the sky.
"Stroke!" called the oar-master, his cry almost lost in the sleet
and wind "Stroke! Stroke!"
The beating of the copper drum of the keleustes took up
maximum beat.
The tiny storm sail, swollen with the black wind and sleet,
tore at the yard and the brail ropes. The Dorna knifed ahead, leaping
between the waves that rose towering on either side.
Raiders
Patrols of ships on Thassa
"Perhaps," I asked, "Samos will propose that we now withdraw our patrols
from Thassa?"
Samos looked at me, and the look was as cold and hard as
Gorean steel.
"No," he said, "I would not propose that."
Raiders
Thassa, the gorean sea
