Hello! A serious AN before this chapter.
I have some news...As if this going up, I have completed this story!! The last chapter has been written (with the exception of a possible epilogue). I can't express how odd it feels to know my characters and this world are done. I'm going to miss them. But it has been a long time coming and now it is finally here after many full days of typing away at my computer with my note pad and pencil next to me.
So, because I want the end to flow and for you guys to be immersed in the story, I will try to just pump the rest of the chapters out from Word to wattpad. So this is a WARNING that you may be spammed with notifications from wattpad (I'm sorry). It will take me a while to edit them but then I'm hoping to do it in a chunk one afternoon.
With Uni starting up again (in Australia) I hope to be done before assignments build up. But yes, that is my news. Be it good and bad in some ways. I say this every time, like a broken record, but once again, Thank you! Thanks for reading and I hope that you enjoyed this story. I know I have loved writing it and
Lastly, I want to thank my dear friend. You are the reason I finished this book and I hope the ending does you proud. Thanks for all your support.
Happy reading to you all!
Bek
Settling atop the dark emerald water, ominous mist danced in the wind currents taunting any who neared it. The air grew dense around the approaching vessel as it glided across the currents. The treacherous peaks had earnt their title; harsh jagged rocks, like pillars of once molten lava now cooled rose out of the swirling depths. They covered the horizon in front of the frigate. A boneyard of blades reaching up towards the skies above. Far into the distance they became shrouded by fog, lurking to sink any unfortunate souls.
It truly was a desolate place. The people had been struggling to survive out here for quite some time. Very few merchants ever made the journey, it was up to the inhabitants to go out and trade their goods. Growing up Sky had wondered why the men on Rendes would avoid the Southern Iles, now she understood. There were still some who were willing to trade, but not many. The King had left the people to themselves more or less abandoning them to suffer alone. There must be trade routes where the peaks opened up to allow for ships to port, after all Dustin had told Sky that the Jane Duchess had docked there to pick James up after he'd left Rendes.
The King must know how to get in. Sky thought. But why bother when he could attack without the effort of navigating the rocks.
"We won't be able to make it through that!" The carpenter cried in dismay. The others ignored him, but Sky saw many shared his opinion.
Patchwork Sally's sails began to flap aggressively as conflicting winds met. The northern gale was competing against the southern current and Sky looked out over the side of the ship to see the waves splash in confused directions.
"Report!" Dana called out across the deck. Her voice carried in the tense silence.
"Clear Starboard Ma'am." A sharp replay came followed by the Portside. The crew had been placed along the edge of the ship to inspect the water before for rouge peaks luring under the dark waters.
"Light the lanterns Edward." Dana commanded. "We need more visibility."
Sky and Edward made eye contact before nodding. Sav gave them a small lit torch each no bigger than Sky's for arm. She took it her face glowing in the fires light. Sky quickly moved along to the lanterns hanging on various hooks at the poop deck before moving down to run along the side of the ship. As she passed, cormorants held out their own lanterns for her. Edward did the same on the other side and soon the main deck appeared to be covered in fire flies. Sky reached the bow of the ship just after Edward. She came to stand next to him, her torch burning brightly.
"It doesn't' feel good to be exposed like this." Edward was serious, his handsome features scrunched with anxiety. "We are painting a target on our backs. If only we had someone able to navigate this mess."
"Dana knows the risks." Sky said, but she too felt painfully visible with all this light. "Better we chance someone spotting us than crashing into one of those." A great sharp blade pierced the water in front of them to their left. It was enormous, rising up high over Sally's masts coming to a slanted point.
"This is one of those rare times I wish Hawk were here." Sky had expected his words to be filled with laughter but they were not.
Sky wondered just how talented Dustin was at the wheel. Surely, even he would struggle in this. The rebels were thrown portside as a spike nudged them from below. A nasty scrapping sound followed as it rake its way long the bottom of the ship.
"Report!" Dana yelled and was met with port and starboard replies. "Someone check on the repair teams below."
"I'll go." Edward told Sky then dashed away down to see the men and women below.
They need someone at the front to see what we are passing over. It was difficult to see the underwater peaks when the bow rose up. By the time they were spotted it would be too late to avoid them. Sky looked over her shoulder, Dana's expression giving her courage. The woman was doing her best with what she had. Sky felt guilty at her lack of steering ability. But there was something she could do. Sky had prided herself on her keen eyes; it was time to use them.
She turned and ran back to the foremast. Looped neatly around the mats pegs was extra rope. Sky hocked her arm through it and made her way back to the front of the ship. Looking up at the bowsprit and she tied a loop in the rope before securing it to the top of prow. She was not afraid of heights; she had scaled a church back on Karniva without thought for her safety. But there was no need to be stupid with her life. The rope would have to be secured with enough leeway for her to reach, but short enough that she wouldn't fall to her death if her feet slipped.
Shaking her hands at her sides Sky stepped up onto the railing of the frigate's bow. Edging her way up the bowsprit, Sky used the rigging to stable herself. The sails had been lowered to provide better sight from the wheel. With the waves slapping against the prow, Sky slowly walked her way up the bowsprit taking one foot after the other. The steep angle combined with the water make Sky boots slip slightly on the wood.
Sky paused, stabling herself and bent her knees. Patchwork Sally was dodging her way around the peaks at an agonisingly lethargic speed as though she were moving through thick treacle. Each movement posed a threat of sinking the ship. Sky reached near the tip of the sprit where she was comfortable that she wouldn't slip off. Sky lowered herself to the wooden beam and sat, letting her legs dangle from either side. Underneath her feet the water ran past. From her vantage point up front Sky could see through the fog towards all the approaching pillars of rock. What she saw was not jagged spikes layered over and over like teeth in the mouth of a shark.
Instead rather reassuringly, the underwater peaks were visible as greyish masses beneath the surface. There was space around them and the darkness made Sky relax slightly. They could get through this maze.
"Report!" Dana called. She needed to begin turning the ship toward the west. And would need coordination from her crew.
"Just passed a large one starboard side."
"Clear Port Ma'am." The crew called back to her.
"Port side!" Sky called loudly over her shoulder as she saw the pointed shape approaching in front of them. "Fifteen feet below surface." Behind her she could hear men passing the message back to the poop deck.
Dana began turning the ship away from it, but it could still scrape the back of the stern. The men at the rigging slowed the ship to allow for a more controlled and turn. Sky held on as the water sloshed up into her face and she dipped forward with momentum. Salt stung her eyes but she kept them open to watch for any new peaks. The water was dark below and Sky pushed her wet hair off her face.
It was slow progress. They continued in the same way and though it was not thrilling work, the crew was tense and the air all around was silent save for the occasional order. Sky's pulse was still racing, while sitting at the front of the ship staring down at the water could have been tedious work, the importance of it was not lost to Sky. She called out more peaks as the narrowly missed them. Some she misjudged the distance below the water and would cringe as a scrapping and tremors followed. Still, Dana kept at the speed determined to make it to the other before the sun rose.
They worked long through the night calling out when a peak become known to them. Sky was beginning to feel exhausted as the night came to a close and the very first ray of light peeked out over the horizon to her left. Soon they would be close enough to see the western island. In the past few hours the peaks had become less frequent and Dana rarely called for reports. Sky absent-mindedly let her eyes drift towards the sun rising in the east.
The fog was more intense in the cool morning air. It clung to the waves and some of the peaks were only visible at their tips high above the water's surface. As Sky watched the sun rise her mood suddenly cleared. She could feel something off, like a tingling across her skin that made her hair stand. She was about to shake herself and go back to her task of inspecting the water below when she watched for just that moment longer.
There was a peak that seemed far too straight to Sky. It was far away and Sky was about to put her paranoia down to exhaustion and the heavy fog when she noticed that the pillar of rock didn't seem to be falling behind them. It took Sky far too long to realise why.
It's moving... Sky suddenly snapped to her feet on the wooden bowsprit. Her motion almost made her lose her balance and she tilted terrifying to the side before her reflexes forced her to grab the rigging of the sails. After sitting for so long Sky's legs felt like seaweed but her heart was what was distracting her.
She watched hesitant to raise the alarm in such silence. She still wasn't sure what her eyes were seeing. It's a ship. Her mind told her but still Sky was hesitating. If it was a ship, they were gliding impossibly effortlessly. Patchwork Sally was still awkwardly in her movements despite the more open space. It can't be a ship...
A cry of terror cut through the air so startling in the silent morning that Sky actually lost her balance from jumping in shock. Her feet completely slipped from under her. The crew broke into chaos at the same time as Sky became weightless. Her scream was lost when orders were shouted across the deck. She fell off the side of the ship down towards the water. Sky shut her eyes just before her body was slammed brutally against the hull of the ship.
All of her air shot from her lungs at the collision and her ears began to ring. The rope around her waist was the only thing holding her mere feet from the water. Panic shot through her veins as ocean spray bombarded her face. Sky hung dazed and upside down against the ship the only thought going through her mind was that she was grateful to have tied herself in. Her vision was starting to go blurry and Sky was confused as to whether it was the fog or her.
"Sky!" A loud voice made her wince, blood was pounding in her ears as it rushed to her head. "Skyler!" A face appeared from above her over the railing. It took all of her effort to crane her neck up to see.
Sky watched with narrowed eyes as a figure lifted himself on to the railing and reached down to grab at the rope keeping her from disappearing under the water. As her rescuer began to pull her to safety, Sky tried to clear her swirling mind. She moved up quickly, each heave sending a jolt through her sore frame.
"Sky." Strong hands wrapped around her and pulled her over onto the safety of the ship. "Sky." Edward had his hands on her shoulders and he was shaking her which was not helping the dull ache beginning to form at the back of her head.
"Ed." Sky tried and struggled to push him away. "Edward stop."
Arms pulled her into a tight hug. The side of her face was pressed into a warm chest. Sky heard the furious panic pounding of his heart. "I saw you stand. I was about to see if you were alright. Then the shout went up and I couldn't get to you in time." He mumbled into her hair. "Bloody hell Sky. When I saw you fall..."
Edward tightened his hold and a warm fuzzy felling drove away the cloudiness in Sky's mind.
"I thought I would have to jump in after you." Edward's words were relieved but she could hear his fear for her.
"I think I smacked my head."
He leaned back to look at her his brown eyes flickering quickly over her face. "Don't do that again." He growled making Sky frown. "I promised Hawk I'd look after you remember? If you die, he'll kill me. And then we're both dead. Just like that, because you wanted to stand on the bowsprit like a moron."
Sky almost laughed. "I'll try not to make a habit out of it. How's that?"
"I guess it will do." Edward still looked a little uneasy but he gave her a small smile.
It was only then that Sky realised the deck was in complete disarray. The crew were running around hectically trying to extinguish the lanterns. It was too late; the ship to their port side was starting to turn in their direction.
"I knew we shouldn't have had those lanterns." Edward mumbled looking at the ship approaching. "Now we're sitting ducks."
Sky watched the enemy ship become clear as it emerged out of the fog. A tremor ran through Sky. Edward was shoved forward into her by the distressed crew around them. No one appeared to know what to do. It seemed ridiculous to Sky that the rebels, capable of storming the Kings Palace, were completely lost when it came to sea battles.
This is not good. Sky wanted to groan in frustration. How could they go into battle when they didn't know the first thing about it? No wonder they took so much damage against the King's patrol ships.
Dana was a capable leader, but she was not confident in this area. It was a good thing they had picked Sky up. She might not be the best at the wheel but she had learnt a thing or two from her Captain. Time to step up.
"Edward," Sky shoved aside the pain from her fall and forced her mind to work. "Tell Dana to keep straight. If we turn too much we will lose our range and open our stern to them." Her fingers worked quickly to undo the rope at her waist. It dropped to the deck with a thud. Edward gave her a nod and took off.
Sky looked back at the poop deck, Sav was there looking uncomfortable. Men and women had abandoned their stations and were scrambling for their weapons, things they were comfortable with. While they could hold their own on land, no one seemed to know how to prepare for a engagement on the waters. The main deck held a six 18 pound shot cannons and with the gun deck below, if run with precision, would be able to take down another ship with ease. As long as the enemy remained head on to them. But first they needed to control this chaos.
"Right!" Sky yelled her strong voice carrying as she tied her hair up, "All hands to stations!" Some of the cormorants around at her looked in disbelief. If Dana took offence at Sky's insubordination she would have to deal with it later, right now Sky was taking charge.
"I said, hands to your stations!" She snapped as she walked purposefully along the deck. Whether it was out of respect or that she simply offered some sort of order; those around her listened and returned to the rigging. Sky looked at the ship, for it was defiantly that, she could see it's hulking frame glide through the waters. The fog made it difficult to see a flag but it was closing in on them and they could not be careless. Even if it is just the people of the Southern Isles.
Timothy was one of the men to take the rigging first, calling for others to do the same. Sky met his eye. "Ease up, we don't want them tailing us and ramming us into a peak." Timothy nodded and began to organise the men around him to function as a unit again. Sky could feel their anxiety, they had been through this before and it apparently had not gone well. Her own anxiety was lost in a rush of clarity and excitement.
"You three!" Sky called to a group of cormorants who were running up and down the deck. "Man this cannon. Do everything I say and wait for my command."
She went along the deck like this, repeating her orders to the crew who weren't on rigging duty and preparing the three portside guns for battle. Sav took the hint and called for men to follow him down to the gun deck. She could hear him yelling at men to bring shots up onto the main deck and begin loading their cannons.
Finally out of respect for Dana, Sky turned to meet the woman's gaze. She was doing as Edward had said and Patchwork Sally's side was open to the enemy ship. Sky couldn't see if it had front cannons or not but she would have to take the risk. Dana inclined her head in Sky's direction. It was ever so subtle, but it gave her the permission she needed to give orders.
"Powder." Sky ordered looking over the cannons and their teams remembering her time on the navy brig. "Wadding goes next. Then the shot." When the last of the cannons were loaded the cormorants look up at her with large eyes. "Aim just above their bow but keep those lights away. Now we wait."
Sav was standing half way out of the gun deck so that he could see Sky. She held her hand up in the air her eyes focussed solely on the approaching ship.
Two masts, Sky thought back to her father's lessons subconsciously, Can't see their guns. They are bigger than us. Not as large as a brig though.
Patchwork Sally had almost slowed to a stop on the waters amongst the few remaining peaks. The islands were so close now. It was just their luck to have been found in this mess. The enemy ship seemed to be making its way towards them as though it hadn't a care in the world.
They think because we are damaged we can't put up a fight? Sky lifted her arm slightly higher gaining the attention of the whole crew as they awaited her order.
The brigantine was suddenly close enough for Sky to appreciate how majestic it looked emerging from the fog head on. An odd feeling of adoration came over Sky as the ship approached and her arm faltered slightly unsure. She lowered it a second later down her side as to not confuse the crew into misfiring.
Of course. Sky smiled. At the bow of the ship, wings out-stretched proudly, soared a great magnificent bird. A Hawk.
Dustin.