“I don’t like the look of those clouds,” Jacob said.
“Do you think it will be bad?” Anna asked.
“Depends, if it’s just a fall storm it’ll be fine but if it’s an early ice storm it could sink us,” he replied.
“When will we know?” She asked.
“A few hours,” he replied.
She leaned on the sturdy wooden railing that wrapped around the aft of the ship and looked out at the churning water. A line of black clouds that stretched across the horizon was slowly catching up to them.
I wish this thing would have shown up while we were still in Green Cove.
“Well I’m going to go to my cabin now be safe alright,” she said.
“Only way I know how to be,” he replied.
She left the aft railing and made her way forward passing the quarterdeck as quickly not wanting to annoy the seemly ever irritated captain. Only a few of the crew were on the deck at the moment each one of them hard at work, though she noticed they kept glancing aft watching the storm as crept closer to the ship.
They look scared, we’ve been on this ship for three weeks and this is the first time I’ve ever seen them scared before. That storm must be one of the ice storms Jacob was talking about, I’d better go and let the others know.
She walked into the passenger compartment and over to Thokri’s cabin and knocked.
“Aye,” he said.
She opened the door and walked in, he was sitting on his bed with Rose sitting next to him both of them were holding knives and whetstones.
“What is it lass?” He asked.
“There’s a storm and I think it’s going to be a bad one by the way the sailors are acting,” she replied.
“How long until it hits?” He asked.
“Tonight, or late this evening. We should know how bad it’s going to be in a few hours though,” she replied.
Thokri nodded.
“I’m going to let the others know I’ll be in my cabin after that,” she added.
“Aye,” he said.
He went back to sharpening his knife. She went to tell the rest of her friends who thanked her and started to pack their things before returning to her own cabin. Her things were already secured for rough seas as the sailors said so she just went to lay on her bed looking up at the curving beams that made up the structure of the ship for a few minutes before closing her eyes to sleep. There was a pounding on her door.
“It’s open!” She said sitting up.
Jacob rushed into her room a fearful look on his face.
“It’s an ice storm isn’t it?” She asked.
“Yes, and the captain wants everyone below decks,” He replied.
She hopped out of her bed and noticed the ship was moving far more than it had the whole time they’d been underway, she went to get her pack.
“Just you,” he said.
She nodded and followed him into the hallway where her bewildered-looking friends were walking out of their own rooms. Half a dozen other sailors were there she wondered why they had come until Jacob opened the door leading to the deck causing a blast of frigid air to blow into the hallway. She followed the old sailor out onto the deck, half frozen rain pelted her face the moment she stepped outside. They quickly rushed to the entrance to the lower decks that was located near the aft of the ship. Elaine swore loudly and turned to see one of the sailors helping her back to her feet.
It is slick out here, no wonder so many of them came to get us.
Jacob opened the door and held it for them as they hurried to get inside the ship. He, along with the other sailors, followed behind them closing the door when the last of them were through. They walked down the stairs to one of the lowest decks and then made their way midships. The ship's rocking was noticeably lessened when they reached the midships they found the rest of the crew huddled in a small compartment dimly lit compartment.
“Why are we here and couldn’t we bring our stuff?” Lyreen asked.
“This is the safest part of the ship miss but there isn’t much space,” Jacob replied.
“Is it, going to be that bad?” Lyreen asked.
“Yes, but we’ll get through it,” Jacob replied.
Voekeer put his arm around Lyreen and said something in elvish, she smiled at him and they walked to one of the empty spots and sat down. The rest of the party along with the sailors that had come to get them all found spots to sit. A nervous tension filled the room as they waited for the storm to unleash its fury on them. The ship began to sway more and more and she could hear the timbers that the vessel was constructed from creaking. Suddenly thunder shook the ship and then it seemed to fall away from underneath her. She found herself weightless for a moment before the ship slammed into the water causing the deck to fly up and hit her sending her bouncing into the bulkhead. She fell to the deck just in time for the whole ship the pitch upwards causing her to slide towards the rear of the ship. The ship dropped suddenly again sending her into the air once more. She hit the deck harder this time and the smell of fresh blood and the pained groans of both the crew and her friends filled the air. The ship started to pitch upwards again and she panicked.
Oh no, no, no! Someone could die if this keeps up!
Tentacles popped into existence gently grabbing everyone in the room and lifting them from the deck. Men started to scream or swear as they were lifted into the air.
“It’s me it’s just me I’m using a spell!” Anna said.
The men calmed down, she looked around to see that most of the crew and several of her friends had been injured.
“Is anyone seriously hurt!?” Barika asked.
Everyone started to check themselves and each other and after a few moments responded that they weren’t.
“Thank the goddess,” she added.
The storm threw the ship around violently for what felt like hours. She held everyone with her tentacles keeping them safe, though it clearly wasn’t very comfortable for any of them by the way the kept moving around. She heard what sounded like thunder and then wood cracking as if a mighty tree had just been felled. Moments later the entire ship shook as if it had struck something and began to list horrible to one side.
“THE MAST!” Jacob screamed.
She dropped herself and rushed out of the compartment running up the stairs and out onto the deck. She was hit by a cold blast of wind mixed with snow and seawater. The waves looked like a mountain range with some of the peaks being taller than the walls of Oldforge, she looked around the deck and saw that the foremast had snapped off and was dangling off the starboard side of the ship caught on the rigging. It was pulling the ship over and would most likely cause it to capsize if it wasn’t cut free soon. She slammed the door behind her and rushed to it tentacles sprouting around it, they began to tear at the thick ropes. She reached the mast in seconds taking hold of the thick wood and lifting it from the deck. The crewmen on deck were so stunned by her, and her tentacles, sudden appearance they just held on to the ship and stared at her as she ripped the mast free. A massive wave broke over the bow causing the ship to go under the water for a moment the last of the ropes holding the mast snapped and it was pulled away. A large portion of the rigging slammed into her wrapping around and she was pulled from the ship along with the mast. She thrashed around clawing at the rigging ripping it from her as if she’d just walked through a cobweb. Once free she swam to the surface, she looked around franticly but couldn’t see the ship.
SHIT, SHIT, SHIT, SHIT!!!!!!!!
Eyes appeared and swarmed around each one looking for the ship.
Where is it, where is it? I can’t be gone! Where did it go!!!
One of the eyes spotted and light in the distance.
A lantern! They’re trying to get my attention!
She started to swim towards the light moving faster and faster covering huge amounts of distance despite the massive waves and driving winds.
DON’T GO! DON’T LEAVE ME! PLEASE DON’T LEAVE ME!!!
She put everything she had into swimming trying to reach the light but no matter how fast she went she just couldn’t get to it. She swam for hours, the seas started to calm the dark clouds lightened then started to thin. Soon they broke revealing a starry sky she stared up at it for a moment in confusion before looking down at the calm waters.
It, it was the moon!!! No how could I be so stupid! I need to go back! My tentacles I can… they're gone! Where did they go? Fuck me I must have sent them back when I fell off the ship by accident! I have to find them I have to!
Thousands of eyes appeared around her the hovered for a moment before shooting off into the storm. They flew to where she’d fallen off, at least where she thought she fell off, and buzzed around for a moment before zipping off in every direction. They searched for hours but the ship was nowhere to be found, a few even went under the water to see if it had sunk, she sent them away after a long while.
I’m lost! I’ve never been lost before, Barika told me if I ever got lost I should just stay where I’m at and someone would come and find me so that’s what I’m going to do.
