Uncut: I Will Follow You Into the Dark

Chapter 1

There is a legend.  When the nights the coral makes the sea fertile are moonless, the mermaids rise from the sea and walk as humans along the beach.  On these nights the mermaids are reunited with their long-lost mates.  The gods allow the great eagles to return the sea.   Long ago the men born of the union between mermaid and eagle were forced to leave the sea and took on the form of the Great Eagle.  The women of this union became Sirens, cursed to lure men to their death or perish themselves.

As time passes the legend is forgotten, the Great Eagles do not return to the sea, Sirens no longer sing along the shores and the Gods of old slumber, the creatures they created evolve and prosper, but in the darkness...

On a moonless night and a lone figure walks along the rocky shore.   Nikia, being only 18 seasons is too young to take a mate.  She longs to be held by her betrothed, and in secret they have made a plan to meet the night of the great paring on the far shore away from all the others.  As she walks alone, she sings of a mournful song of longing, desire and passion.

Hiernoymus at the helm of a brightly lit Hurtigbad, a fast maneuverable ship used to  test the waters of the Zaludek pass before the larger ships enter.  The ship brightly lit so the other ships in the fleet can follow their movements and see the signal if the pass is safe.   The high red cliffs of the Zaludek Pass loom ominously over the small vessel, Hiernoymus knows the waters of the pass are treacherous, prone to maelstroms due to the opposing currents and the speeds of the waters funneling through the narrow channel.  The tides also have an effect on the pass and sailing during the time of the new moon after midwinter was their best bet to use the pass before spring arrived.

Hieronymus remembers his first time sailing through the Zaludek Pass.   The pass serves as the boundary between Hohini,  the lands of avian races and Edhil Dór,  the elven lands. Using the pass cuts nearly 5 days off the journey to Emberi, on the human continent from Duende, the Elves' capital city.   The vessel was a 44-foot Hurtigbad with a normal crew of a dozen including the captain and first mate.    The sun was bright as sailed between the high red cliffs. Entering the pass feels like being swallowed, due to the long narrow opening expanding to a wide deep channel and narrowing again before exiting to the open sea. As they enter the pass the shadow cast by the by the cliff made the water look like black glass. The calmness of the surface is deceiving, treacherous currents churn below.   All hands remain on deck scanning the waters of any anomalies, as they make there was though the pass.  At night the use a light and pole system to see the waters away from the boat.   Hiernoymus was stationed at the port aft of the ship, his childhood friend Ian a year older was stationed at the stern.     Suddenly a swirling vortex formed to aft of the small vessel as the maelstrom grew in size the sediment from the sea floor turned the black water the color of blood.  Their vessel was able to avoid the small maelstrom as we had a favorable wind, but there have been times that vessels have not been as lucky.  Heron remembers how his heart raced that day full of excitement and fear.  As Hiernoymus reminisces and recalls various adventures from his youth, the ship passes through the deepest waters the Zaludek Pass, the area where maelstroms are more likely to form of without incident.  After several hours at the helm Hiernoymus is starting to feel the effects of being on a Royal ship for so many years.

"Captain Hiernoymus"  the first mate Willard calls out to him.  "Captain!" Williard shouts again.  

"Hoy Willard, stop calling me that!  We have known each other a long time, no need to be so formal." Hiernoymus says with some agitation.  Willard was Quarter Master on the ship when Herion sailed on this vessel seven years ago.  He is a beautiful man, like all the men on this ship; average height, shoulder length auburn hair that shines like polished copper in the sun, his skin surprisingly pale for a sailor and his  green cat like eyes, have brought many men to their knees.  But Willards sharp tongue and bad attitude make his relationships short lived.