He sucked in a deep breath and let it out loudly. “Suppose it wouldn’t do any good to have doubt now.”
“Captain!” Aleksi shouted from the crow’s nest. “Rocks! Rocks ahead!”
I pulled the spyglass off the post where it was hanging and skimmed the northeast horizon to find a dark wall of peaks like the teeth of a giant beast about to greet us. I handed the glass to Vidar, taking the wheel for a moment so he could look for himself.
“How long?” I asked.
He hung the spyglass back on its hook and retook the wheel. “Not long. I need men below ready with shores and planks.”
I nodded and rushed down into the belly of the ship again, spreading word to everyone that would listen that we needed to prepare for the ship to take damage. Men rolled out of their hammocks and staggered in all directions. Mullins emerged from his room with a clothed and weakened Meridan and extinguished the lantern when he realized how the ship was swaying on the vicious tide.
“Duty calls,” he said, rushing toward the upper deck.
“Meri, we need to get you fed and—”
“I can do it myself,” she said. “Do what you need to do.”
On any other day, I would have insisted that I accompany her and make sure she was getting what she needed, but I could feel the danger approaching like a swarm of bees to its disturbed hive.
Once everyone was informed of the coming chaos, I returned to the deck and found myself staring at those jagged peaks with my own eyes. They were already closer, inviting us into the labyrinth of sharp rocks and even sharper currents, and at the speed we were suddenly moving, I wondered if Vidar could get us through.
“Furl the sails!” he bellowed as if our thoughts were the same.
The crew moved with hurried determination, yet the relentless current was more than eager to toss us about. Waves crashed against the hull, throwing icy spray across the air and soaking the deck beneath my feet. I staggered towards the shroud, gripping it tightly before I was thrown off my feet.
I was frustrated over the fact that even with my eyes, I could not see past the surface of the water into the dark depths beneath us. I didn’t know how many enemies were down there or what they were planning. I only knew that they were present, stalking us through the night toward whatever dangers waited ahead.
As the rocks drew closer, the men worked with more urgency, rushing about. Some of them were crawling along the deck, surrendering their footing so they did not lose themselves to the rocking of the ship. At the helm, Nikolai was holding tight to the railings, ready to aid Vidar if anything should happen.
“We’re approaching too fast!” I yelled.
Above me, crawling along the main mast, was Aleksi, his legs wrapped around the thick poles like a monkey and tying off the remaining sails. One of the other men pushed past me to climb the shroud, a coil of heavy ropes secured across his chest, but before he was able to get anywhere, the Weaver hit a wave, throwing her bow high and tossing the crewman off the ropes. I lunged for him, pulling him back over the railing onto the deck.
“Can’t do it!” he shouted over the wind.
I looked up at Aleksi again as he rode the mast and then snatched the ropes from the other crewman. I could vaguely hear Vidar shouting as I leapt onto the shroud and began to climb. Likely he was telling me to stay put, but there was no time to obey an order I couldn’t hear.
I ascended the shroud with speed, coming to the poles where Aleksi was pulling up the sails and making an effort to secure them on a mast that was swaying like a tree in a hurricane.
“Aleksi!” I screamed over the roaring wind.
I gripped the pole, extending the ropes to him, my hair whipping across my face and skewing my vision. I felt him snatch the ropes out of my hand and then began to furl the sails as Vidar had ordered, following Aleksi’s hand gestures and the sound of his muffled words.
Looking down, I could see the first peak of sharp rocks jutting out of the sea on the starboard side. The ship narrowly missed it. Another rock on the port side scraped against the hull, jostling us. I hugged the pole and, when Aleksi gave the ok, began to descend back down the ropes.
The moment I landed back on the deck, Vidar was barking orders.
“Get below! Aid with repairs!”
I nodded and rushed toward the companionway.
“Port side!” Aleksi bellowed from above as he reestablished himself in the crow’s nest.
I turned to see a towering arch of black stone rising from the swelling waves like a monstrous sea creature unveiling itself. The ship suddenly pitched sideways, crashing hard against the rock. My feet flew out from under me, and as water gushed over the deck, it swept me toward the edge. I clung desperately to the grate over the hold as the ship stabilized, but just as we righted ourselves, the opposite side scraped against another jagged stone.
“Come on, then!” Mullins said, his balance impeccable as he reached for my arm.
I rolled to my side, getting a glimpse of the hold beneath me to see water spilling through and the animals in a frenzy.
