The sun was already beginning its slow descent, painting the waves in bruised purples and golds a scene so ethreal and peaceful, that it sent a shiver in her body. Rissa finally plucked up the courage to leave the Captain's side and shuffled toward the bow. She sat down cross-legged a few feet away from Aeryn, trying to match her regal silence.
It lasted all of three minutes only.
"Didn't you say it was just twenty-four hours of travel by ship?" Aeryn's voice cut through the air. It wasn't loud, but it had an edge like a razor.
"Yeah! I did!" Rissa answered quickly, forced cheerfulness masking her growing unease.
"But it's already been two days." Aeryn finally turned her head, though her face remained deep within the shadows of her hood. Only the tip of her nose and a few stray, silvery strands of hair were visible before she tucked them back with a sharp, impatient flick of her wrist. "Got any explanation? Or did the map suddenly grow new continents while I wasn't looking?"
Rissa bit her lip. "They... they're fishermen, My Lady! And they have cargo on board. They probably have to take the long way around the currents. You know, scenic route? Extra safety?"
As the words left her mouth, Rissa realized how thin they sounded. The "scenic route" didn't involve sailing until the landmarks disappeared entirely. A cold knot of realization twisted in her gut. She stood up abruptly, nearly tripping over her own boots, and marched back toward the helm.
The Captain was still there, leaning against his post like he'd grown out of the wood itself.
"Grandpa!" Rissa barked, hands on her hips. "Where are we? Aren't we supposed to have reached the Azure Dominion by yesterday night? Or at the very most... like, an hour ago?"
The Captain didn't even look at his charts. He just tilted his head back and let out a cloud of smoke that looked like a question mark. "Ay, lad? What Dominion? We are in water! We stay in water! And occasionally, we anchor! Am I right, mates?!"
He roared the last part out to the deck. The effect was instantaneous. Every sailor, whether they were hauling rope or greasing a winch, dropped what they were doing. Without knowing the context, they answered back with a deafening, rhythmic cheer.
"TO THE WATER!" they bellowed with such zeal and zest that the very deck vibrated.
Rissa felt the world tilt. It was as if the water had suddenly risen over her head, plunging her into a dizzying, breathless depths. The sky spun, the masts swayed too far, and her knees buckled.
Before she could hit the salt-stained wood, a pair of thin, surprisingly strong arms caught her. She looked up, dazed, into the expressionless eyes of Finn. He held her steady, his face a mask of utter indifference, though his grip was firm.
The rest of the crew erupted.
"Oye! Oye! Oiiiiiiiii!" "Look at Finn, oiiiiiiii!!!! holding a girl!!!!!" moving like a cat!!!"Oooooooh!"
The hooting and whistling echoed off the sails. Rissa scrambled to her feet, pushing herself away from him, her face burning hotter than the Captain's pipe. "Thanks," she managed to stutter, her voice barely a squeak.
Finn didn't say a word. He didn't even acknowledge she'd spoken. He turned on his heel and walked away with a stiff, robotic gait, without looking back.
"So rude!" Rissa hissed, pouting as she crossed her arms. "Not even a 'you're welcome' or a 'don't die next time, Rissa'!"
"Oooooo... it's the first time."
The voice was right in her ear. Rissa let out a strangled yelp and jumped nearly a foot into the air, her hand clutching her heart as if to keep it from leaping out of her chest. "GRANDPA! Don't do that!" whose head was just a few inches from hers.
The Captain let out a series of deep, wheezing laughs. "Ho ho ho hoooo hoooo! It's the first time!" he straightens himself up.
"What is?" Rissa asked, her irritation flickering into confusion as she saw the old man's genuine mirth. She found herself cracking a small smile despite herself.
"That lad," the Captain pointed his pipe toward Finn. "He is the most expressionless one on this beauty. A heart of stone and a face of wood, that one. And yet, since you've been here, he's been... pretty flustered."
Rissa scoffed. "No, he hasn't! He's just rude! He didn't even respond to my thanks. He's about as flustered as an anchor."
"He did, he did!" The Captain chuckled, his eyes twinkling.
"No, he DID NOT! He didn't give any reaction, Grandpa. Not even a nod!"
"Well..." The Captain leaned in, taking a long puff and whispering through the smoke. "His ears went red. Bright as a boiled lobster, they were!"
"His ears?" Rissa turned her head. Across the deck, Finn was scrubbing the same three-inch section of wood with such terrifying vigor that the bristles of his brush were snapping.
"Stop it, ay boy!" the Captain shouted. "You'll tear the deck apart with your continuous wiping! It was nothing to be shy off!"
Finn froze. For a split second, Rissa saw it, the back of his neck and the tips of his ears were indeed a flaming, unmistakable crimson. He dropped the brush, turned, and practically sprinted toward the lower chambers, nearly tripping over a bucket on his way.
Rissa felt a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.
"Ohhh..." she cried, getting back to her topic, hitting her forehead with the heel of her hand. "So... anyway, Grandpa. Seriously. Where are we going?"
"Nowhere," he replied, his voice light and teasing.
Rissa sighed, her patience fraying. "Grandpa, we will touch ground eventually, right? Where will it be?"
The Captain leaned back, looking thoughtful. "Well... well... my Finn knows well about such things, you see. He's the one who charts the stars when I'm too drunk to see 'em." He gave her a slow, exaggerated wink. "FINN!" he called for him.
Finn's head popped out of the hatchway like a nervous gopher.
"Help this LADY here with her question, willya?!" the Captain roared.
Finn didn't just blush this time; his entire face seemed to catch fire. He let out an angry, strangled sound, frowned deeply, and slammed the hatch shut as he dove back into the darkness.
The Captain's laughter was so hearty it started a coughing fit. "Ahhh... youth... being young is good. Better than being old and smelling like a wet dog."
Rissa blinked, completely lost in the madness of the crew. "you don't smell like dog!!!"
so i smell like wet, you are saying??? he countered teasingly.
no no... i meant ....Grandpa!!! you understand what i am saying!!! So... will he help me? Or not?"
"Well... let's see... shall we?" the Captain said, his laughter dying down into a solemn, quiet smile. He turned his gaze back to the infinite water.
Rissa stepped up to the rail next to him, looking out at the vastness. For the first time, the lack of land didn't feel like a threat. "I cannot wait, Grandpa! I need to know where we're landing."
"He's the only one who can help you, lad," the Captain murmured.
Rissa frowned. "You were calling me 'Lady' just a second ago! Why are you back to 'lad'?"
The Captain didn't answer. He just smiled mischievously and reached out, his rough, calloused hand messing up her hair until it was a bird's nest of tangles. He let out one last puff of smoke, the grey cloud drifting over her head like a secret.
.
.
Join my Patron Accuscripter community today and ENJOY 10 chapters ahead BLOOD THRONE OF SAHIRRA ONLY FOR JUST $2!