Post by The Light on Nov 12, 2012 14:35:51 GMT -5
It was a still day at sea. The sails were unfurled, but they did not billow to push the ship forward, merely hanging slack in the lines. The sea stretched out before him like glass, one giant sheet of glass going as far as the eye could see. Their ship seemed suspended in time itself, the men sitting still and noiseless beneath the relentless sun. They had rowed at first, but when there was no hope of reaching any kind of shore, what was the point? It had been 12 days on the sea so far, and they had water for one more. Leman hoped the wind would pick up before then. They had talked much in those early days of the quiet, as they were calling it, laughing and singing songs that echoed over the water. After the first few days though, they talked less and less, and the melancholy of their situation swept over the ship. He did not want to die like this. It was a poor end, and even though he would fall down into the drowned God’s embrace, he took little comfort in this. He had not eaten nor drank in a long time, he could not recall how long. It seemed of little use.
“Captain?” The small childish voice spoke out, startling Leman. He looked wildly around the deck, but saw no one except for him. “Captain is we going to be okay?” The girl stepped out from behind the mast, the little eight-year old girl dressed in a too-large shift. Her eyes were glazed over, and she seemed red. Leman sat back against the railing beckoning her forward. “We’re going to be fine Briet, the wind will come soon enough. Did you eat enough? Have you been drinking your water?” She nodded seriously, and then curled up in his arms, but her skin felt too dry. “Harry says the winds will only come when we’ve paid for all of our wrong-doings.” She said into his chest “Glenn says that the wind will never come. He says we’re going to die here. I don’t want to die.”
“Neither do I little one”
She looked up at him “Mommy died. Didn’t she?” Leman swallowed, looking down at the child. The girl had his eyes and nose, but the face was hers. It hurt him to look at her, every time; just a little piece of him that would break away only to slowly regrow, to be broken again and again. “She’s not here anymore love. She left us to live underneath the sea, and she’s waiting for us to join her. No matter how long it takes, she’ll be waiting for you. She was welcomed into the great hall, and mermen fought for the privilege to seat her at the feast. They gave her beautiful pearls to wear, and long bolts of seaweed to drape in her hair.” If any woman deserved to be a queen, she was the one. They were quiet then, sitting on the still ship in the empty sea. Jon came out on deck, nodding to the captain and the girl, and then moved aft to make water. Suddenly his shout broke the silence.
“SHIP! I see a ship!”
It was a summer islander ship, and Leman couldn’t believe they had drifted close enough to see. It was surprise enough to see anyone this far out at sea, but in still waters… They would not waste this chance. His men took to the oars, and Briet went below, retrieving his axe and scythes. “You go belowdecks now, alright? And if anyone you don’t recognize comes below-”
“I throw my dolls at them” she whispered
“That’s right. You throw those dolls I made just for you.” They were small, her dolls. But a throwing axe need not be big depending on where you placed it. After she had scurried below decks, Leman ordered all men to lie low and cover themselves. The summer Islanders would not go easy, and their bows were legendary. The volley’s came soon enough but the Grey Horse was relentless, her fore hull absorbing most of the missiles as they rode toward their prey. The crash threw most men to the ground, but Leman steadied himself and roared “GRAPPLES!” Jumping up, his men threw the lines and hooks over and began to heave. He lost some men to the arrows then, but it was too little too late. The Reaper jumped across the ship gap, roaring at the black skinned sailors waiting for him. He was clad in plate and chain, and they wore silk shirts. It seemed over soon enough, but as Leman pulled his gauntlet from a man’s chest an arrow flashed down and pinned his arm to the deck. Biting back a curse, he looked up at the tall man standing with the great golden wood bow on the foredeck. He smiled with white teeth, and drew another arrow for the kill. There was one chance and one chance only. Leman dropped his shield, grabbed his axe, and heaved it with all his might at the man as the arrow flashed out.
The missile sunk deep into the man of the sea and he fell, slowly, into it's embrace. The ships grew quiet again.
The small girl sat in the cargo hold of the Grey Horse, her dolls clutched tight in her hands. As the door opened, she stared frightened into black eyes. The man crashed backwards down onto the floor as the small girl hugged him fiercely around his waist, laughing with joy. Jon limped back over the gangplank, carrying a barrel of freshwater. The quiet would go on, but it would not claim them. The summer islanders were always more prepared than others for this sort of eventuality, and they had ample store. Leman stretched on the floor of his ship, his daughter in his arms. And they laughed, breaking the quiet of the sea.
Harlaw increases his Axe to Apprentice.
Harlaw increases his Leadership to Beginner.
“Captain?” The small childish voice spoke out, startling Leman. He looked wildly around the deck, but saw no one except for him. “Captain is we going to be okay?” The girl stepped out from behind the mast, the little eight-year old girl dressed in a too-large shift. Her eyes were glazed over, and she seemed red. Leman sat back against the railing beckoning her forward. “We’re going to be fine Briet, the wind will come soon enough. Did you eat enough? Have you been drinking your water?” She nodded seriously, and then curled up in his arms, but her skin felt too dry. “Harry says the winds will only come when we’ve paid for all of our wrong-doings.” She said into his chest “Glenn says that the wind will never come. He says we’re going to die here. I don’t want to die.”
“Neither do I little one”
She looked up at him “Mommy died. Didn’t she?” Leman swallowed, looking down at the child. The girl had his eyes and nose, but the face was hers. It hurt him to look at her, every time; just a little piece of him that would break away only to slowly regrow, to be broken again and again. “She’s not here anymore love. She left us to live underneath the sea, and she’s waiting for us to join her. No matter how long it takes, she’ll be waiting for you. She was welcomed into the great hall, and mermen fought for the privilege to seat her at the feast. They gave her beautiful pearls to wear, and long bolts of seaweed to drape in her hair.” If any woman deserved to be a queen, she was the one. They were quiet then, sitting on the still ship in the empty sea. Jon came out on deck, nodding to the captain and the girl, and then moved aft to make water. Suddenly his shout broke the silence.
“SHIP! I see a ship!”
It was a summer islander ship, and Leman couldn’t believe they had drifted close enough to see. It was surprise enough to see anyone this far out at sea, but in still waters… They would not waste this chance. His men took to the oars, and Briet went below, retrieving his axe and scythes. “You go belowdecks now, alright? And if anyone you don’t recognize comes below-”
“I throw my dolls at them” she whispered
“That’s right. You throw those dolls I made just for you.” They were small, her dolls. But a throwing axe need not be big depending on where you placed it. After she had scurried below decks, Leman ordered all men to lie low and cover themselves. The summer Islanders would not go easy, and their bows were legendary. The volley’s came soon enough but the Grey Horse was relentless, her fore hull absorbing most of the missiles as they rode toward their prey. The crash threw most men to the ground, but Leman steadied himself and roared “GRAPPLES!” Jumping up, his men threw the lines and hooks over and began to heave. He lost some men to the arrows then, but it was too little too late. The Reaper jumped across the ship gap, roaring at the black skinned sailors waiting for him. He was clad in plate and chain, and they wore silk shirts. It seemed over soon enough, but as Leman pulled his gauntlet from a man’s chest an arrow flashed down and pinned his arm to the deck. Biting back a curse, he looked up at the tall man standing with the great golden wood bow on the foredeck. He smiled with white teeth, and drew another arrow for the kill. There was one chance and one chance only. Leman dropped his shield, grabbed his axe, and heaved it with all his might at the man as the arrow flashed out.
The missile sunk deep into the man of the sea and he fell, slowly, into it's embrace. The ships grew quiet again.
The small girl sat in the cargo hold of the Grey Horse, her dolls clutched tight in her hands. As the door opened, she stared frightened into black eyes. The man crashed backwards down onto the floor as the small girl hugged him fiercely around his waist, laughing with joy. Jon limped back over the gangplank, carrying a barrel of freshwater. The quiet would go on, but it would not claim them. The summer islanders were always more prepared than others for this sort of eventuality, and they had ample store. Leman stretched on the floor of his ship, his daughter in his arms. And they laughed, breaking the quiet of the sea.
Harlaw increases his Axe to Apprentice.
Harlaw increases his Leadership to Beginner.