by Dawn Dagger
Silva shouted an ‘aye’ and two hands reached out of the crack. Rakifi, The Captain, and Norrin grabbed Awla in different places, then hoisted him upwards. Silva’s hands gripped the shoulders of his tunic and began to pull him into the crack.
A shrieking howl suddenly peeled out of the tunnel they had used to come into the cavern. Levanine turned to look at the tunnel, feeling her heart twist. “Captain?” She murmured. The floor of the cave rumbled.
The Captain cursed. “Silva, hurry up! Pull him up!”
Awla’s body disappeared into the cracks. “Is something the matter?” Silva’s squeak came.
“Just hurry up and clear the tunnel!” The Captain turned toward Levanine and crouched so his knees were bent, his fingers interlocked together above one of his knees. “Levanine! Come!”
Levanine ran over and jumped onto his hand, leaping a little when he jerked upwards, propelling her. She had done this before, mounting horses as a small girl, before girls became ladies learned who they were not to talk to servants, and before boys became men who learned that women were only useful for one thing.
She gripped the edges of the crack and pulled herself up, squeezing into the tunnel. Levanine bumped into Awla’s boots and waited impatiently as the man was slowly dragged along. Another howling shriek. Levanine felt the tunnel rumble. Someone crawled in behind her and cursed. It was Norrin.
Levanine pushed Awla’s body and Silva cried out, but did not protest, tugging him along. Norrin continued to grumble and curse as he banged his head against the top of the tunnel behind her. Levanine figured that if the tunnel was small enough to make her uncomfortable, than Norrin hardly fit.
Poor Rakifi.
Her heart began to beat faster, and Levanine felt sweat gather on her neck and brows as she felt the urge to tear past both Awla and Silva, leaping toward the greyish light that had begun to bleed around Awla’s figure.
Rakifi’s whine sounded far behind her. The howling shriek was so loud now it drowned out Norrin’s cursings. The tunnel rumbled and shook beneath her. “Silva, hurry up!” She cried, as urgency welled up from her chest into her throat.
She turned as best as she could, pressing her shoulder against Awla’s body to push him faster along. The Captain shouted, “Move faster!”
A growling and grinding sounded behind her and the space shook. Levanine realized the monster must be clawing at the entrance to the tunnel. Levanine could cry.
All of a sudden, Silva let out a shriek and his figure was gone, tumbling down. Awla’s body slid from underneath her shoulder and she heard a thump. Levanine crawled faster and cried out as her palms skittered on pebbles and she fell out of the tunnel. The drop was small, but enough to hurt as she was spat onto the black sand.
Levanine could hear water rushing and distant shouts. She sat up, dazed. They were on the beach, with the Red Running Royalty looming in the distance. Levanine leapt to her feet and Silva did the same. Norrin fell out of the crack and was on his feet in the same instant.
He picked up Awla under his arm, commanding Silva to help him. Silva rushed over, doing as he was told. They began to hobble over to the Red Running Royalty, who was bobbing on the edge of the sand.
Levanien waited for Rakifi and the Captain to leave the crack. The ground began to rumble beneath her feet and she heard the shriek pour from every crag in the side of the cliff. The men were gathering on the sides of the ship now, watching them.
Rakifi fell from the crack in the rock and Levanine helped him stand. He looked very green, his eyes glossy, and she was worried for his health.
The Captain leapt from the crack in the tunnel, shouting “GET THE SHIP OFF OF THE BEACH!” As his boots hit the sable sand, he began running. Levanine followed as quickly as she and Rakifi could, then rocks suddenly exploded around her.
Levanine gasped as she fell flat. She got to her knees and turned to see the monster beginning to run toward them, its arms outstretched and its gaping mouth and teeth churning. Levanine cried out and began to run toward the ship, which had slowly began to wander to sea, creaking lazily.
The ground shook as the creature chased after them, shrieking and roaring. Levanine’s lungs burned and Rakifi stumbled in the sand, but they did not slow. Hands reached down and helped bring Awla’s body onto the ship, then Norrin climbed up the side and threw himself onto the ship.
“Throw down a rope!” The Captain called to the men. A rope fell down. Levanine was fearful that the boat would sail away without her and Rakifi. Her heart pounded in her ears as the monster snapped at her back. She cried out and Rakifi groaned, moving faster.
The Captain helped Silva climb into the ship. They were so close. The Captain bent down and interlocked his fingers, waiting for her. She felt her heart drop into her stomach. She could not mess this up.
This wasn’t the vineyard, where if she missed her daring run to mount the horse, she would just fall into the vines of grapes. She held her breath and ran faster as she knew Rakifi would reach the ship in time. Levanine pumped her arms and sprung forward, closing her eyes tightly. She was flung into the air and let out a cry.
For a moment she thought she would miss the side of the ship and plummet back down to the sand, to be devoured by the creature, but hands grabbed her hands and arms and she was thrown onto the floor of the ship. Levanine ran to the side of the ship and looked over. The monster was almost upon them. The Captain had Rakifi half draped across him, one hand tightly wrapped in the rope, his boot wrapped in a small loop.
“PULL!” The men roared, suddenly beginning to pull up the rope, with the Captain and Rakifi slowly rising on it.
Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Eldred run toward one of the metal grates in the deck floor and he shouted, “ROW NOW!”
The ship suddenly jerked with an angry groan, then they began to move, out into the sea, back towards the rocks and away from the dark island coated in mists. She noticed the fog was clearing, the sky turning a more friendly grey as they rowed.
The monster leapt, its arms outstretched, its pocked wings unfurling. For a moment, a terrifying moment, it looked like it might land on the ship. It would devour them all.
But the ship jerked to the side and the monster fell into the black ocean below, its roaring cut off with a sudden gurgling.
She looked up to see Silva concentrating at the helm, steering expertly. He had run up and began to steer the moment he had hit the deck of the ship. The Captain and Rakifi rolled onto the deck, and the men stepped back, waiting for the Captain’s orders.
The Captain sat up with a wild smile, his curls tousled and his hat having fallen off of his head. He began to laugh, standing slowly, his knees wobbling. He straightened, brushed off his trousers, and replaced his hat, still trembling with chuckles.
“Fire’s sons, you sorry bastards missed an adventure.”
Chapter 12
“Point! Jump! Duck! Knees!” Quinn called out in a quick succession, too fast for Levanine to accurately follow. Sweat dripped down her face, catching in her lashes and stinging her eyes as she panted, trying to complete each movement.
The sun poured down on the ship, and surrounding them was brilliant blue and sky. The Red Running Royalty had sailed far, far away from Dreanis and its polluted waters, far from the Island of Black Sand (which they had so deigned it, and marked on their maps), and was on course for an island called Dalphi.
For a week and a half after Quinn had healed enough to walk, he had been teaching Levanine proper sword fighting techniques with a thick branch (the wooden plank had been entirely too heavy for her), and he expected more from her than she could keep up with.
“Try again, Levanine! You have to be faster if you ever want to survive!” He scolded, putting his large hands on his hips.
Levanine wiped the sweat from her forehead and tried to protest, “Quinn, I--” she was cut off by her stomach gurgling loudly.
Quinn shook his head. “I told you, until
you can perform as well I expect, no breakfast for you. We will do this until nightfall if we have to.”
“Quinn, please,” she begged. She wanted a drink of water badly. She was afraid she might be getting dehydrated. She had read about that in the leatherbound book. Dehydration led to bleeding hands and cracked lips and eventually… sickness and death.
“Again, Levanine! Point!”
Levanine jumped to attention, attempting to follow his rattle of orders, and doing badly. Her stomach ached more than usual. She assumed it was the hunger, but in the course of the week her abdomen had stopped aching fiercely at the exercise, so she could not understand why it had begun again. Quinn had to be working her harder than normal.
It seemed to be hours that Quinn kept pushing her, until her body was shaking from exertion. The smell of roasting fish had tinged the air, and it made Levanine’s stomach twist with hunger. Her throat and mouth were so dry she could hardly breathe.
Finally, when she could barely jump when he commanded, Quinn sighed and gave in. “Get a drink.” He commanded.
Levanine wobbled over to the bucket of water and sloppily took a few handfuls of the cool water, then used some to wipe the sweat from her hair and face. After drinking until she had her fill, Levanine stood and turned to face Quinn again. Ugh, her stomach ached.
“Come on.” He began to walk away. “Let’s eat.”
Levanine followed Quinn into the below decks and to the dining hall. She took her place beside the Captain at his table, where a bowl waited for her and the Captain was already eating. Levanine began to slurp up the guel, feeling as if she was starving, then picked the sparse, small chunks of fish from the bottom of the bowl with her fingers and ate them.
The Captain rose a brow at her, sipping his own gruel slowly. She was embarrassed, but tried not to show it as she finished her food and rested with her hands in her lap, content with her full belly.
After a week of having been forced to be close to the Captain and a few incidents where a crewmate had been given a bloody nose (from both her and the Captain) for looking at her for a second too long, she was becoming more comfortable.
Levanine leaned back, enjoying the cool underbelly of the ship and the chance to rest. She observed the men eating at the long tables. The discipline and having the fear of the Saints put into them, as well as the fresh sea, seemed to be what they desired, for the men seemed content and well behaved. They conversed quietly and some listened to Quinn as he told a tale.
Quiller scowled out from the shadowy corners of the dining hall. Despite the fire burning in his one eye, Levanine was not fearful of him.
“Cap’n?” She asked, leaning forward and speaking softly.
“Yes?” He asked, not turning to address her.
“In the book. I read that elves rarely sail… how do they get from place to place?”
Captain Guy still did not look at her. Levanine’s stomach clenched painfully and she clutched it, fighting not to reveal her discomfort. She must have eaten too fast. “‘Rarely’ does not mean ‘never’. They do travel by sea…” His blue eyes examined figures in the dining hall and Levanine wondered what he had seen. “But it is also said that they have magics. Did you read that as well?”
“Yes, Cap’n. Earth magics and runes.” She felt as if she might be sick. Was the gruel bad? Maybe the fish, they hadn’t been able to fish up any fresh for a few days… No one else seemed bothered. She felt as if her body was soaking with sweat. Her face burned.
“Captain do you think I… maybe… might… one day ever meet an elf?” Her heart raced at the thought that just maybe…
“Perhaps.” He rose his mug to his lips and she watched his adam’s apple bob as he swallowed a drink. Levanine took a sip of her own drink, relief suddenly filling her body as her stomach relaxed. “They often visit Avondella, you know.”
Levanine was excited that one day she might just meet an elf. Elated, even.
The Captain stood suddenly, draining his mug and setting it on the table. “Are you finished?”
“Yes, sir.” Levanine rose and realized her sweat had stained her clothes with dark spots, even on her legs.
He gestured for her to follow him and she obliged. They stepped onto the deck and she blinked in the bright sunlight as he crossed over to the spot where her and Quinn had been training. The Captain lifted Quinn’s wooden sword and Levanine picked up her long stick wordlessly.
Her belly ached, damn the thing. She felt tired all over again, just thinking about having to do the movements once more.
“Quinn said you weren’t where he hoped you would be by now.” His words did not seem like an insult, so she did not take is as one. “I figured I would try.”
“Aye.” She shifted from one foot to the other, feeling nervous, but not too afraid. He would not hurt her.
“Are you ready?” His eyes were gleaming in a way that made her slightly uncomfortable. It was the same gleam that sparkled before he challenged a sailor.
“Aye.” She planted her feet, but her stomach continued to twist and clench.
“Point!”
Levanine rose her stick, but not fast enough. Crack! Pain flared across her knuckles and she yelped, jumping back. “Hey!”
“Your enemies, my enemies, aren’t going to wait for you to get around to moving! Jump!”
The sword cracked painfully across her knees and the Captain stalked past. “Captain!” She cried.
“Duck!” Levanine gasped and flung herself sideways as the sword crashed down beside her. Levanine lifted her sword in a weak attempt to parry his next movement as he snapped, “Knees!” The wood snapped loudly and Levanine’s arms shook with effort. She felt sick. “Get up!” The Captain commanded.
Levanine jumped to her feet, tense. “Point!” She rose her weapon faster this time, just fast enough. Her arms shook from the hits. “Jump!”
She did not quite move quickly enough this time, so the wooden sword knocked across the back of her legs, knocking her down. Her knees hit hard across the wood and she fell forward, losing hold of her stick and scraping her palms.
She turned in time to see the sword crashing down toward her face. She cried out and thrust her hands out, her arms flaring with pain as the sword hit them. “Get up!” The Captain cried, his eyes turning steely as hers swarmed with watery pain. “Get up!” He swung again and the sword connected with her side, causing her to shriek as pain flared through her. “Fight me, Levanine!”
She leapt forward on her stomach, just barely reaching her stick. She swung it up to meet the wooden sword coming yet again, just barely managing to protect her chest. She panted heavily as pain swept over her body. Sweat dripped into her eyes and she felt it running down her legs. Pain and fury blazed through her body.
Levanine leapt to her feet and attempted to strike back as Quinn had shown her. The Captain calmly sidestepped and landed another blow to her knuckles. Her hand clenched, stiff, as blood dripped down her knuckles.
“Point!” He shouted, his voice tinged with anger. The sword connected with her left side and she gasped for air as she fell on one knee. “POINT!” He slammed the wood into her other side and she crumpled, coughing.
“Captain--” she begged, “Captain, please--”
“Fight back, Levanine!” He roared. The sword came down for her head and she thrust her weapon upwards, praying that she would not be hit again. CRACK! The branch she held snapped beneath the weight of his swing, and the wooden sword slammed against her head.
Pain exploded between her eyes, moving quickly to consume the rest of her skull. Her ears rung. She felt herself slowly falling sideways. Through her blurred vision she saw Quinn running towards the Captain, whose mouth moved in silent fury, his body poised for another hit.
The fragments of her makeshift sword fell from her fingers as she slumped against the warm deck of the ship. The ringing slowly stopped and she let out a long gasp of pain. Rakifi was suddenly there, hel
ping her sit up slowly. Her mind could not understand how he had appeared.
The movement was slow, but it sent her head in dizzying circles. Her nose and knuckles dripped blood and as she looked down she realized her pants were wet with scarlet. The Captain was pale and Quinn glared at him as Rakifi stepped back.
Levanine felt shame consume the pain and betrayal and she clumsily flung herself to her feet, pushing Rakifi away as he reached out to help her. She darted to the Captain’s cabin on stumbling feet, praying that her blood did not leave a trail on the deck.
Levanine slammed the door shut and ran into the bathing area, shuddering. She peeled off her blood-soaked garments, crying, then jumped into the tub and let the freezing water pour over her pale body.
Levanine fell back against the wall of the tub and slid down until she was sitting. She watched the blood and tears mingle in the streams that disappeared into the drain, praying she would drown on nothing.
Chapter 13
“What was that?” Quinn snarled, facing Guy fearlessly.
“I was--”
“You were beating her half to death!”
“She needs to learn more quickly, Quinn! Who knows when a Ronartion ship-- I mean, you saw the Black Plague following us from Bandolinda!”
“And she will!” Quinn shouted in return, giving Guy a start. “She will if you give her a chance!”
“We don’t have time to give her a chance!” Guy looked up and realized the men had all finished lunch and were buzzing around the deck, watching them argue. “To work you lazy dogs!” He grabbed Quinn by the forearm and drug him over to the side of the ship to finish their spat in peace.
“She is scared of you again.” Quinn stated, still glaring at him.
“You don’t know that.
“You couldn’t see it?! Are you blind or dumb?” Guy glared at him.
“She needs to learn to fight.” He insisted.