“The Breken have a legend of a great battle that happened long ago, when the Breken first traveled on the sea. The ships they used were simpler and smaller then, but the Breken desire for conquests and superiority was no less than it is today. The Breken people come from a desert region, and so it is not surprising they did not find life at sea an easy transition, but those who struggled for greater rank and wealth saw it as an opportunity to gain both. Besides, with so many going to war, it could be a chance to rid oneself of a rival. After all, anything could happen in the heat of battle. Who could say how a warrior died when his body slipped from the deck to sink beneath the waves?
“The battle took place far out to sea, miles away from any land. The enemy we fought has been forgotten over the centuries, but it is said that they were a race as cruel and greedy as the Breken themselves. Their lust for power rivaled our own, and the battle between the two peoples would decide which would become the ruling power in the region. The fight went on and on with neither side gaining ground, but neither were willing to surrender or retreat. On the third day, when the waters were red with the blood of the slain, sharks circled the ships, waiting for the bodies of the dead. Finally, a fire was lit on the deck of the enemies command ship, and when the flame turned blue, the Breken knew their enemy had signaled their surrender.
“When the Breken met with their enemy counterparts, their leaders were stunned to discover their fate. They had expected the opportunity to be ransomed to their women and children, but no such offer was given. Instead, they were told they had no choice but to spend their lives in servitude or die.
“The Breken had originally planned to raid the now mostly undefended home of their enemy and have easy pickings of additional slaves. Beaten, their ships in ruins, and many of their people already dead or dying, the enemy took the only option they could. But nothing could have prepared them for what happened next.
“After chaining what was left of the enemy crew, the Breken systematically killed any man who was too severely wounded to work. Anyone who needed medical attention was thrown from their ships to the sharks, circling eagerly in the water, until the agonized screams of the dying accompanied the sun setting on the red waves as an eerie lament.
“The next morning, the Breken were astonished to discover some of their shipmates were missing. And while it was possible that one or two, from this ship or that, had met with some ‘accident’ in the night, the numbers missing were too great to be ignored, and all of the prisoners were checked to make sure they were adequately bound.
“The second night, the sky glowed, and eerie lights danced overhead in shades of green, and the water appeared blood red, though they had long since sailed beyond the scene of the battle. The night passed in silence, but come morning, the Breken found their numbers similarly diminished. The prisoners seemed unaffected by the news of the disappearances, responding only with knowing smiles amongst their ranks.
“After five days of strange vanishings, and still a week from home, the Breken forced the enemy captains to tell them what they knew. They said that the bodies of their dead, having not received the blessings of their priests, were doomed to wander the seas for all eternity. Their souls would never find peace, and they were fated to seek out the living of any race, not their own, and punish them, stealing them away to suffer beneath the waves for all time.
“It is said they come aboard ships in the dark of night and slip like shadows amongst their unsuspecting victims. They cover their victims’ mouths with their cold hands in order to block their screams, and pull them overboard, never to be seen again.”
Carly shuddered and leaned into Daniel’s side. “Do you really believe such stories to be true, Darius?”
“Carly! You can’t be serious!” Dearra scolded, and most of the men gathered chuckled at Carly’s agitation. Most, but not all.
Darius said, “Honestly, Carly? I think the Breken were doing what they always do—eliminating rivals. When their enemy provided them with the story of the cursed sailors, it served as a way for more assassinations to take place while casting less suspicion. I think the story has lived all these years because it so easily addressed the disappearance of the occasional Breken from aboard a ship. Not that many pains would be taken to discover the truth, anyway.”
“I suppose, but still, don’t you think—” Carly’s words were cut off by a heavy gust of wind that captured all of their attentions. They had all been so wrapped up in Darius’s story, they had not noticed the storm blow up around them. Even Reo lifted his head as he lay at Darius’s feet, as if he, too, had been caught unawares.
Hugh stood and spoke loudly over the ever increasing gales. “I think everyone not assigned a post had best get below deck. It looks like it’s going to be a rough night.”
“Wonderful!” Dearra moaned. “Just when I was getting used to the possibility of living through this trip.” She turned to her friend and said, “Come on, Carly.”
“I’ll be right there, Dearra. I just want to stay a few more moments. I love the sea, even if she is angry.”
Dearra thought it probably had more to do with wanting to shake off her fear after the story Darius had told, but she kept her opinion to herself, and left Carly to regain her composure.
***
Carly walked Reo to the stern of the vessel, in an effort to stay clear of the men as they worked to ready the ship for the oncoming storm. She found the wolf’s presence a little comforting, but she was still on edge.
A heavy drizzle began to fall, further impairing her vision. Her heart was pounding. She could feel the hair at the back of her neck stand on end, and then a dark shadow loomed on the deck before her. Black on black, it was so subtle, she would have almost missed it if it hadn’t moved. It seemed to creep cautiously forward, as if trying to make its way behind her.
Carly tasted fear in her mouth, and her hands went cold. When the shadow moved in a quick, jerking motion, she reacted without thinking, and let fly her dagger into the heart of the blackness. From behind a barrel staggered a terrified form. Carly’s eyes met his for a fraction of a second before he stumbled and fell from the side of the ship into the water below.
“Royce!” Carly screamed, horrified. Reo shot past her and followed the boy into the vicious waves. The shock at seeing Royce on the ship was nothing compared to the dread she felt when he fell off of it.
Carly screamed for help, but the winds swallowed the words the moment they left her mouth, and she could only stumble away from the railing in a desperate attempt to bring help.
At the same moment Royce tripped, Darius was blasted by the image of the boy falling overboard, as seen from Reo’s eyes. He also heard Brin’s shout of panic, as he, too, had witnessed the child’s fall.
Darius flew from his room, nearly colliding with Dearra as she scrambled towards the deck, also in reaction to Brin’s call. Darius steadied her with strong hands that held her firmly by the upper arms, and their eyes briefly met. He pulled away from her quickly, as if he had been burned by the contact, and the two of them headed onto the deck where they found Carly, frantically trying to get someone’s attention.
“Where, Carly?” Darius asked desperately.
Carly could only point a shaking finger in the direction of the stern of the ship, bobbing in the violent storm.
“Dearra! Stay with her. See if you can find William and Daniel.”
Dearra’s heart froze in her chest as she watched Darius stumble in the direction Carly had indicated, fighting to maintain his balance on the heaving ship. She would have preferred to follow, but Darius was right; they needed to find William and Daniel.
Darius hit the water, and his clothing became heavy with water. The added weight, combined with the fury of the storm, threatened to drag him beneath the waves, but he lashed out with strong strokes that pulled him onward. Reo’s call drew him toward where the wolf and Royce struggled to remain afloat against the ocean’s pull. When at last he saw them, Reo was struggling valia
ntly, his paws clawing at the surface of the water, while Royce clung to the wolf’s neck, his strength almost completely tapped.
“Darius!” Royce yelled, and a look of profound relief spread across the boy’s face.
Reaching the pair only a few strokes later, Darius pried Royce’s cold fingers from Reo’s fur. “You have to let go, Royce. He can’t hold you anymore.”
“S-sorry, Darius. I c-can’t seem to make my hands work right. I’m s-so c-c-cold.”
“It’s okay, Royce. I’ve got you now. Hook your arms around my neck, and hold on tight. Not too tight though—I may be Breken, but I still need to breathe. Okay?”
Royce managed a weak smile, but his chattering teeth prevented him from responding.
Darius worried about Reo’s ability to make it back, but he couldn’t carry them both. All he could do was to send thoughts of encouragement to the exhausted wolf, and hope for the best. The wind, rain, and waves were relentless as they lashed at him, simultaneously. Again, each minute seemed to drag on for an eternity as Darius fought to get them to safety, his muscles burning and screaming in protest with every stroke. The cold was not as intense as it had been the night of his birthday, but it was just as deadly, and it quickly sapped what was left of his strength. Royce was still conscious, as evidenced by his grip on Darius’s neck, but he could feel the boy’s hold weakening.
Dearra, now! Tell the men, now! Brin urged.
There was no way for any of them to see with the storm howling and in the dark of night; everyone relied on Dearra’s magical companion, Brin, to guide them closer to their friends in the water.
“Daniel, William! Brin says, now!” Dearra called, and the two men went over the side of the ship, using ropes they had put in place for the rescue.
Hugh stood at the rail trying to offer guidance and called out commands to those on deck to collect as much hot water and as many blankets as they could find. Hugh knew the danger would not be over until they had been warmed, and there was no sign of fever.
“William! There!” Daniel yelled, pointing a few yards into the distance.
Daniel and William swam to meet Darius, and as William started to break his son’s grip on Darius’s neck, the Breken struck out violently.
“Peace, brother! It’s me, William!” he said.
Darius shook his head to clear his muddled thoughts, and then, as quickly as his half frozen fingers would allow, assisted William with the transfer.
Getting back aboard the ship was not as straight forward as it would seem. In the tempest, the ship crested high on the whitecaps only to crash down again, and the timing needed to be precise to avoid someone being crushed. The first to attempt boarding in the makeshift sling was Royce. When Hugh and the others pulled him from the frothing sea, his body was as limp as a rag doll.
Daniel turned to wrap the sling around Darius only to see his friend sink below the waves. Daniel stretched out to grab hold of Darius before he slipped out of reach, pulled the young man to the surface, and shook him violently, in an attempt to rouse him.
It seemed to work. Darius opened his eyes, but just as Daniel was about to put the sling around his friend once more, Darius stopped him. “Reo first!” Darius said.
“We’ll get the wolf next, Darius,” Daniel said. “We need to get you up first!”
“It wasn’t a request, Daniel. Reo first.”
Knowing that by the time he’d won the argument with the strong willed Breken, another full season could pass, he gave in and put the sling around the wolf, who began to twist wildly at the strange sensation of being lifted through the air.
Darius knew he needed to quiet the animal before he injured himself in his struggles, so he sent calming words in his thoughts in an attempt to convey a sense of peace to him.
Soon Darius’s thoughts turned to Dearra’s lovely face, and he remembered the way her hair had felt like warm silk to the touch. He remembered that first, sweet kiss they had shared on the beach. He remembered the way her smile warmed his very soul. His whole body felt warm, and he took a deep breath, reveling in the sensation. When the sea water filled his lungs, he didn’t even feel any pain. In the absence of sound, light, and cold, Darius let himself slip further under, surrendering to his memories as he surrendered to the pull of the ocean.
Daniel and William dove down a second time in the spot where they’d seen Darius only a moment ago, neither willing to face the possibility of losing him. William’s hand found the course fabric of Darius’s shirt first, and he struggled to pull the Breken upwards. Daniel followed directly behind William, gripping onto Darius’s belt the moment he found him. Together, the two men were able to lift Darius to the surface. Neither man spoke as they hastily wrapped the sling around his unmoving body. After Darius was safely aboard the ship, Daniel and William climbed the second rope to join him.
“In Cyrus’s name,” Carly said, almost in a whisper, as she watched them lower Darius’s lifeless body from the sling.
Dearra was beside him in a moment, her ear pressed to his chest listening for any sounds of life. Desperate, she lowered her mouth to his, pulled his jaw wide, and forced her breath into him.
Dearra shared one breath after another with Darius, but as the seconds ticked on, she felt panic creep up on her, and her breathing came faster and shallower.
Dearra! Concentrate! Come on, girl; you can do this! Brin told her.
Dearra shook herself mentally, and slowed her breathing to the deep, steady, measured breaths she needed to keep Darius alive.
Better. You’re doing fine, Dearra. Stay with it.
The seconds dragged on until a full minute had passed, and then two. Darius’s lips were blue, and he showed no sign of life, but Dearra continued to breathe for him.
Finally, Daniel stepped forward and put a hand to Dearra’s shoulder. Dearra spun on him. Had she Reo’s teeth, Daniel might have lost a hand. She glared at him for only a moment and turned her attention back to Darius.
Hugh was about to intercede when Darius made a strangled choking sound. Hugh was closest, and he bent to help the Breken to his side as he coughed up sea water.
Thank Tolah, you did it, Dearra! You did it!
But Dearra did not hear Brin’s praise as she had dropped her head into her hands and was weeping openly in relief.
Chapter 9
Phillip
Well, Father, I will never complain about cleaning my room again. I think I have swept about a million steps since I came here. Stupid waste of time, I say. No sooner do I sweep them off then a wind comes along and blows the sand right back. I have blisters on my blisters that will never heal.
Zuzu came last night, and the two of us snuck away for a while. I said I thought we should just run for it, but she asked me where I thought we would go. She was right, darn her. The Breken city is large and full of life, and outside of it, in every direction, there’s nothing but sand. I have no idea which way I would even run, let alone how I would survive out there in that environment. Oh well, it was a thought anyway. At least we got to get away for a little while.
Someone’s coming. I hear the mistress in the hall talking to—
Jacob?
What’s he doing here?
Chapter 10
“Royce!” William called out to his son.
Royce had been daydreaming. After weeks of hiding in the ship’s hold, the thrill of being on deck was exhilarating. He’d been dreaming of captaining his own ship one day, but his father’s stern voice snapped him to attention. “Yes, Father,” he answered quickly, if somewhat timidly. Even after a week, he still felt some of the tenderness on his backside. To be fair, his Father had given him the night to rest from his ordeal before meting out the punishment, even he knew, he deserved.
“Darius looks thirsty to me,” William stated flatly.
“Yes, Father.” Royce almost tripped over his feet as he hurried to fetch some water.
Darius rolled his eyes and spoke quietly to William. “Don’t you think h
e’s suffered enough? You have him waiting on me hand and foot. He’s certainly sorry for what he’s done, and well…it’s embarrassing to be babied like this. I’m fine, so, maybe we could call it even, and let the boy off the hook, okay?”
“No,” William answered in his typical terse style.
“Daniel,” Darius called to the man who was busy winding rope a few feet away, “help me out. Surely you agree with me.”
Though Daniel had been busy, he had not missed the conversation. “No, Darius I don’t think I do. First of all, the boy’s not sorry at all. He’s exactly where he wanted to be, and a spanking hasn’t done a thing to help him repent.
“His father’s right. At least this way he doesn’t get to spend all of his time playing aboard ship. And as for you, you’re not fine. You swallowed an awful lot of sea water, Darius, and though you’ve been trying to hide it, we’ve all heard the coughing.”
Darius opened his mouth to protest, but Daniel held a hand up to silence him. “True, you have improved—if you hadn’t I would have tied you to the bed and let Dearra have her way with you.”
William and Darius both stared at Daniel with mouths agape, not quite able to believe what they had just heard.
“Oh, for Cyrus’s sake! I mean healing! She had all kinds of poultices and treatments she wanted to try, but I insisted you would be fine, and she should just leave it be.”
“She did?” Darius asked. “She was worried? I didn’t know that. I mean, I know she needs me to help rescue Pip, but I didn’t think she still—”
“That’s because you’re an idiot, boy. If you two would just talk, you could get past all of this, and the rest of us could stop being so uncomfortable.”
“I don’t know. What if I…Well, what if something…happens?”
“Like what?” Daniel asked menacingly, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.
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