Neely whooped from where she stood on the prow of the ship, laughing into the fierce wind. “We’re about to breech the first wall of waves. Hangon!”
“I recommend the black mead, because it will better match this evening’s selection of refreshments,” Farraige mildlysaid.
Angelique clung to her bench—which was thankfully nailed to the ship—and watched Neely run down the length of the railing and hop off at the stern to adjust therudder.
“Is that a yes to the black mead, then?” Farriageasked.
“No, no thank you, I don’t need anything to drink,” Angeliquesaid.
The boat rocked violently, and up ahead, Angelique saw a large wave—taller than a rearing horse—crest with aroar.
“Are you certain?” Farraige again held the bottles out. “Given where you are about to go, a drink might do you somegood.”
Angelique shut her eyes and held on to her seat as Neely directed the boat so they hit the wave at an angle rather than prow-first.
The boat rocked and water sloshed over the sides, soaking Angelique and the smugglers, but the ship sailedon.
Angelique spat out a mouthful of salt water and stared at Farriage, who was still holding out the bottles of mead with ease, even though water dripped from hernose.
“Yes,” Angelique said. “I’mcertain.”
Farraige shrugged and popped the bottles into a cubby under her seat. “As youwish.”
“Far, duck!” Neely shouted as she yanked on a rope that changed the angle of the sail, swinging itaround.
Farraige effortlessly ducked, and the wooden bar the sail was tied to whistled overhead. When she popped upright, she was holding a wheel of cheese and what looked like dried jerky. “This evening’s rations are cheese from Erlauf and dried venison produced here in Farset in a method taught to our forefathers by the elvesthemselves.”
“Shouldn’t you be helping Neely?” Angeliqueasked.
“Not at all. My role for this voyage is to see to your needs,” Farraigesaid.
Behind them, Neely grabbed hold of a rope tied to the mast and jumped, swinging out over the ocean and peering into the murky waters. “Rocks to thestarboard!”
“One moment please.” Farriage grabbed a wooden pole and whirled around. She jabbed it into the ocean with such force, shegrunted.
Neely, meanwhile, changed the angle of the sail again, and it wasn’t until they scooted away that Angelique realized Farraige had slammed her pole against an immense boulder that just barely peeked up out of theocean.
“Any sign of the sea dragons?” Farriageasked.
“None yet.” Neely patted the hilt of her saber, then returned her attention to steering theship.
Farriage nodded and flicked a pocket knife off her belt, which she used to cut a wedge of cheese. As the boat rocked and groaned, and frothy water occasionally sloshed over the railings, she arranged the cheese slice on a piece of jerky and offered it out to Angelique. “The flavors combined like so are quitedelicious.”
“I really don’t need anything,” Angeliquesaid.
“But you will need your strength to swim to shore,” Farraigeinsisted.
“I’ll be fine.” Angelique scrunched her eyes shut when a high wave flecked water in herface.
“Far—they’ve scented us!” Neely unsheathed her saber and used it to point into thesea.
Farriage tossed the cheese and jerky in her cubby and pulled out a crossbow from behind her. “Very good, Captain.” She slid a bolt into place and stood firmly as the boatrocked.
“Portside!” Neelyshouted.
A sea dragon—which was a little like a snake in shape, although it was much larger, possessed infinitely more teeth, and had transparent fins that framed its head—exploded out of the water with an angryhiss.
Farriage calmly shot it in the head, and it fell back into the angrysea.
