Veil of Shadow and Rain ✓ [TSC #1]

Chapter 24 - The Storm

'WATCH IT!' screamed Jake, literally shaking and pumping up and down. 'I DON'T WANT TO DIE! WREN! MOVE! MOVE! RIGHT, RIGHT!'

'We're supposed to go West -' bellowed Wren but when she looked up to see a towering wave that was about to crash down and push the whole ship down; any second now, they would be underneath and she knew it -

Wren could feel her ribcage burning from pain; her heart was literally hammering against her chest madly. Swallowing, she steered to the right as hard as she could pull the helm. She heard a clang behind her but she didn't bother to turn around and look -

The wave battered and crashed down as the ship slowly steered away from its drive. As it crashed down to join the thundering waves of the ocean, it caught the end of their ship - there was a scream from Ladislaya.

'LADISLAYA!' yelled all three Wren, Elias and Jake deafeningly.

A gasp. Wren breathed in relief but it was a painful breath - the gasp signaled Ladislaya was here, all of them, alive and standing on board.

'Wren, turn away, turn away!' hollered Elias, making crazy hand gestures from the end of the ship. ''Nother wave!'

'We're stuck!' shrieked Wren. Elias dashed over to the helm and pushed Wren roughly to the corner - he steered the ship North, away from the waves. Wren slumped against the wall of the ship, breathing heavily.

'We done now?'

'No!' roared Elias. 'Ahead!'

'Lower the sails!' ordered Jake.

'Already!' puffed Ladislaya. 'Useless cargo's out, rigging's checked, can hold up, but won't last forever, hatches are battened down!'

'Looks sharp!' yelled Elias.

'Thank you!' yelled Ladislaya.

'Check the navigation instruments - we might need to pump water out of the bilge if there are holes in it!'

'I'm on it,' Jake said at once. 'I bloody well hope there aren't any holes in the bilge - you suggesting we might drown?'

'Well, cross your fingers and hope the bilge's alright!' hollered Elias. 'And tighten the sails, somebody, we can't have them flapping around like that!'

Wren, drenched by the pounding rain, rushed over and struggled to adjust the sails to catch the unpredictable wind. 'Nearly impossible, but I'd say it's a damn lot tighter now!'

'Wren - incoming wave!'

Wren's instincts acted up - she turned her head so fast to her right it cricked - and yes, there it was, a giant fury of wave; it would be drowning them in seconds - as if done by an invisible force, the wave pulled away and dived back down into the sea, roaring. Wren stared in disbelief.

'Did I do that?'

'I think you did!' yelled Elias.

'Was that ... instict?' Wren couldn't help grinning.

The ship pitched and rolled with every monstrous wave in the maelstrom. 'Lads, make sure the cargo's secure!' Elias barked from the helm. 'We're going through a very nasty wave now ... brace for impact ... we might be down in the water for a while!'

'What?' wheezed Wren.

Elias looked anxious. 'Nothing to worry about at all, just down in a few seconds and we'll be up again. The ship'll handle - she'll bring us up again in no time - the navigation instruments are on it.'

Jake shut his eyes and sucked in a breath.

'We're riding with it now!' yelled Elias.

'I'm going down,' Wren said, feeling sick. 'Where's Ladislaya?'