Eglonian City guide - Part 5, Chapter 826: Wellinggar harbour
Hannah was sitting with the other members of the 30th Fighter Wing in the hold of the SMT. People were lining the sides of the craft, most of them sitting on their chests with personal belongings. The centre of the hold was filled with seven Odonats and crates full of spare parts and gear to keep them flying. Evelyn somehow managed to lie down between some of the chests and was asleep. The flight was smooth, and Hannah made herself comfortable with a book she'd found: the Eglonian City Guide - part 5.
Wellinggar harbour is a subsidiary of Wellinggar city, 3 marches away, separated by farmland of what most of the Barony of Wellinggar consists of. Wellinggar harbour is, however, the largest town of the barony, and the second of Invin County in the west of the Glorious Kingdom of Eglen. W.harbour started out as a fishing village, but soon became a small trading hub to ship out the farm goods Wellinggar produced. Trade made the town rich, and it soon outgrew W.city, the city is only a city in name now, as it consists of the castle of the Baron and a town filled with people who work in the castle.
W.harbour is situated in a natural bay, with a good anchorage. The town has spread along the northern side of the bay, supporting docks and warehouses, and other ship related buildings. On the northern side lays Maynard Harbour Naval Base. Where the Imperial Eglonian Navy has their own docks, warehouses, barracks and keeps a fleet.
Just behind the warehouses lays the first street of the town, Main Street, running parallel to the waterfront. It's an exceptionally wide street, with loads of traffic going to and from the warehouses. The second line of buildings is more diverse: more warehouses, offices, pubs, bars and inns. Where sailors might find their drink and bed. Not a place the general traveller reading this book should visit.
On the southern side of town are the more respectable places: inns of good name, restaurants with excellent cuisine. Here also are the waiting houses and docks used for passengers embarking and disembarking the ships. Regular tram service to Wellinggar city also arrives and departs from here.
W.harbour Tram Station, lays 3 minutes walking from the docks and only services a line to Welligngar City. The station was purposely built for it 5 years ago, and is a marvel of modern Eglonian engineering. Full riveted steel arches spanning the platform and track, and steam heating under the platforms to keep them ice free in the winter.
If one travels in secure company, one could choose to visit the Wellinggar harbour church. It's in the middle of town, three streets from the waterfront, and was built during the reign of Ïlamya Augustine first king of Eglen. It's a fine example of pre-steam construction.
"That's it?" Hannah thought? That's all you have to say about the second largest city in the county? Guess we'll have to see for ourselves then. The Transport had started swaying while she was reading, wondering what was going on she made her way to the control station. The windows were wet with rain. Visibility greatly reduced, and off in the distance lightning was visible. "Guys, we better land." Hannah said to no-one in particular. "We can't Major, we're over the Prickly Mountains, not a square fist of flat rock below us." The captain responded. "Right. Let's get myself out of the way and secured, then I'll inform the rest." Hannah did what she said and went around the hold to get everyone securing small items in the hold and then themselves, it was going to get bumpy.
Of all the ways Hannah had imagined how her command would start, crashing in an SMT due to bad weather was not one of them. She was used to crazy manoeuvres in her Odonat, but this was something else entirely. Sometimes the ship appeared to be blown on its side. Then suddenly dropping a hundred paces before fastly rising again. On top of that, some people in the hold had become sick, so the smell was horrible as well.
They'd been in the air four hours longer than their planned landing time in Wellinggar harbour civil air port. But the ship was still flying, and still in bad weather by the feel of it. Hannah, desperate what was going on, undid her straps and made her way to the forward again. The view out of the windows hadn't improved. "Where are we captain?" Hannah asked, but the sight of him standing near the chart table, with pencil lines scrambled all over, was enough of a visual clew. The storm had them lost. Before the captain could answer, a stoker came to the control station, coal dust covering his uniform. "Captain sir, excuse me, but I have to inform you we have one hour of coal left." The captain looked out of the window, then back at the map. "Take us down mr Cameron. Slowely, and let's find out if we can see where we are, and put her down."
Hannah found a place to stand next to the chart table, bracing herself between the table and the housing of the steam signaling device. She could look over the pilot out of the windows from there, while also seeing the map. The map on the table covered the whole area between the Prickly Mountains and Wellinggar. A planned course was spotted, and an estimated drift North due to the storm. The crew was dropping the ship slowely, not having a visual on the earth, they had no idea if their altitude gauges where accurate. The air pressure had changed alot over the course of the trip. So everything was off. Luck was with them as the rain seemed to lighten up. But luck faded just as quickly as it came, below them were trees, forrest, as far as they could see. Hannah looked over the map. "Mammoth Woods. Captain, Still Water Garden lays on it's northern edge. The leiutenant quickly pulled out the local detailed map. "If we're on the southern side it's a maximum of 15 marches, captain." - "Let's hope it's not, because that's to far."
Luck returned again, with the edge of the Woods coming into sight rather quickly. "Anyone sees any building, road or river?" Hannah asked, while attempting to guess where they had come out of the woods. There was a moment of silence when everyone stared out of the windows. As much as one can speak of silence with rain hitting the ship, the wind howling around it, and the steam plant for ever powering the wings. "River on our port." Was reported. Hannah and the captain almost butted their heads when they looked at the chart together. "Still Water Garden to the east, hard to port follow the woods edge." the captain orderd, and the ship swayed with the sharp course change.
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