The rain did not relent. My head spun with questions I did not dare to answer to think about doom on an entire province that could lead to the entire world of Nod, was harrowing. I thought of home and those that could die from this disease. The bigger question rattled in my mind: how can one clean water when we were not sure what infected it?
My mind raced as we were going full speed on our horses to get back to Furlin. Rain stung my eyes and this time there was no stopping, by the time we reached the gates to return the horses, I thought for sure the horses would simply collapse from the sheer exhaustion of the journey.
Strength handed me the senlet. "They are great companions to pilgrims." She said as she handed him off to me. Nim-folk had a way of knowing things and I was not about to argue.
"What do they eat?" I asked as it balled itself into my hands. "Fish." She answered plainly. Knowing the real reason we had arrived the mood shifted to something more somber. I allowed her and Comforter to talk amongst themselves while I thought being useful to my new found friend would be a good distraction before I came face to face with death.
"What should I call you?" I asked him with a kind voice scratching his furry pointy ears that resembled that of a bat.
I studied the little fellow for a long moment, and then I decided on the name Sven. He watched the water with great intent and dove right in and got a fish himself. "You are quite a hunter." I said kindly and nearly had to turn away has he devoured the fish in a ghastly manner but all the fish guts that had sprayed he readily licked up spotless as if there had never been a feast at all.
We were back on the ship as before, a different Captain was in charge, there are laws for how long a any one captain can be aboard a ship to prevent fatigue. The Realm put this into law when a ship captain years ago had become delirious from exhaustion, the vessel had ran aground and the whole crew were devoured by Katala that lived in the depths below.
The Katala are half fish and half human and they are said to have a side of allegiance to the Author of Life or to the Deceiver but do as they will. They are lords among themselves. They are supposed to live on this side of Nod in the depths below and they give knowledge of greatness to inventors of things to mortal men and often when they are seeking to mate under the red moons that appear they sing songs of enticement to lure mortals to their death but not before mating with them.
I was not sure I believed such tales but The Realm never writes in a law for the sheer delight of it, there is a deep reason for it.
The weather was foul and the Captain gave us orders of how to release the lifeboats in case of a hurricane. After the instructions were given I went back to my quarters to pray. There was nothing else to do and the weight of the plague was holding me in this dark space of a black future. What did I know of medicine and what could I do to stop a plague that originated from water of all places.
Sven pounced on my bed, his fur wet from the mist of being on deck, and his coat was freezing, he snuggled his cold body next to my warm skin. I prayed as he attempted to warm up and for several hours we stayed in the company of each other.
The ocean became a beast, and I would not allow the dockhands to everything in such a nightmarish storm. I headed out and noticed that one of the sail had been entangled in the crow's nest. I was the one who saw it and only I had the agility to make it up there and come back in one piece.
The climb was slow and painstaking. My fingers slipping I tried to move myself higher to untangle the sail. Someone also needed to know if the vessel was heading straight for rocks. This ship had glass over the lanterns that lined their boat and so it was possible to see me because I had a lantern clipped to my belt of Truth as I made the treacherous journey up.
I finally reached the sail and I uncurled it from the crows nest. I then realized it was torn. I had a suspicion this would happen so in boots I stuffed a needle and thread into my boot before I went to the docks because during storms Caspian would always mention torn sails.
I had threaded the needle before I left my quarters and put about thirteen yards through it. This was not ordinary thread, it was solid silk overlaid with mammoth hair. Seeing in the dark was impossible; however, my lamp did not go out, though it rattled and whipped around my belt of Truth like an autumn leaf clinging to a branch as Old Man Winter tugged on forcing Lady Autumn to a defeated surrender.
The needle was slick as ice as I tried to work my way through material and what seemed like seven lifetimes I fixed it. The sail was able to catch the wind properly and the captain would be able to steer the stern properly.
I was not able to get down, the waves were now overtaking the boat and if I tried I would meet my watery coffin. I stayed huddled in that space thankful beyond all else I had my lantern as the freezing waves soaked me to my bones.
I could almost hear the wood breaking in places. The beautiful cherry glossed railing had come off in some places and broke the spindling but the bones of the ship remained intact. I clung to life as the ship yawed and heaved and all night there was no mercy.
After several hours we reached an inlet and sheltered the vessel against a garrison of cliffs and we put down the anchor. The whole ship made its way to their quarters. I could not remove myself from where I was.
Somehow, beyond all odds Sven made his way to where I was with trembling hands and a fearful heart. We stayed there all night until the break of morning.
Morning had come and we finished the journey and we docked at Earlydale disembarked the vessel and would embrace death.