A calm before the storm

I didn't spend too much time making my way to the ship. Nornick stood there arms crossed waiting for me. "Took you long enough, let's get the show on the road, get acquainted with the crew while I get everything else wrapped up here. I nodded and walked up the ramp leading up to the deck of the ship. The ship itself was pretty big, though most people in Ulvenguard still use longships like our ancestors, they aren't the best for long-distance travel for multiple people. So most of the docks have sailing ships of varying sizes. This one was about medium size, it was large but nothing too big. The whole ship was built out of dark oak, giving the ship an almost black color to it. The sails were black with a wolf's head painted onto it in white. The figurehead at the front was a large snarling wolf as if it were pouncing on its prey.

On the side and the back of the ship it had the name, "The Scout." From up above I heard a voice call out to me, "Hello!" and from the rigging, I watched a tiefling with skin as black as a starless sky. Her horns and hair matched as well, she had piercings along her eyebrows and a few earrings as well, yet she spoke with a very bubbly demeanor she had very high energy about her. "Good afternoon young lad, will you be joining us on this fine venture?" "Indeed. Headed to Jimena's Tragedy for a special target, might get me a chance to better my living situation." A smile ran across her face, "So you're the one with the money troubles eh?" I nodded, "Yup. the reward might get me some time to kill two birds with one stone. Pay off some of the enormous debt for the property for at least a year, and the rest will likely go to me so I can clean the place up." The tiefling nodded in agreeance, "Aye, sounds like you've got it all planned out." "I do. Tired of having to wait three days to get paid a few hundred gold pieces, a handful of silver, and a measly couple of coppers. I've eaten nothing but berries, water, and bread for the past year, hells even the chickens in the coop are too lean to eat." "You need some serious cleanup do ye?" I just nodded as I heard Nornick board the ship with the captain. "Alright, you salty scalawags! Lower the sails!" "I'll talk to ye later, got to lower the sails." As she ran off I yelled out, "Wait! You never told me your name!" "The name's Voyage lad!" she said as she made her way up the rigging in such an acrobatic manner it reminded me of the time a traveling circus came by.

About half a day into our journey I had asked Nornick how long our trip would take, "Well, it'll take us at least another day to get past the valley of midnight, then it might take us about a week assuming its semi-clear weather along the thunder coast." "What if there isn't as clear weather?" "Then we pray to the allfathers we live through the choppiest waters in Vetria. In semi-clear weather, these waters are calm, or at least not as wild, it takes a ship such as this at least a week to get past it, in it's worst state, you either go off course, you ram into the coast itself, or the very sea takes you." "So let's assume we make it past the coast? What then?" "Then it's smooth sailing to Jimena's Tragedy, it should take us another day or two to reach, three at the most." "So a total of 11 days?" "Give or take a few days yes." I simply nodded as I stared at the horizon, it had been a few years since I had been at sea, but it still feels like I never left. The crashing of the waves, the salty smell in the air, the wind pushing our sails forward closer to our destination. I looked back from where we came, Ulvenguard's docks are miles away, out of sight.

Suddenly I heard a familiar voice, "Ye know, the view is much prettier from the crow's nest." Startled I jumped back, I nearly got one of my daggers out when I saw the face of a familiar tiefling, "Oh, sorry, did I startle ye?" Holding my chest trying to slow my pounding heart, I nodded, "Yes, yes you did. Practically gave me a heart attack." She laughed as she led me to the rigging, "Climb up with me, I'll keep ya safe." I rolled my eyes and climbed up with Voyage, it wasn't too hard to grasp, it was like climbing a ladder, only a lot more complicated, and at any moment you could fall and drown so you had to be extra careful. When we got to the crow's nest, the sun was setting over the horizon, the light reflecting off the surface beautifully, "It's been a while since I've seen a sunset like this. Two years away from the sea, still feels like a thousand lifetimes. Since then the sound of the waves have put me to sleep, the ever creaking sound of the ship's wood would constantly remind me of those bygone days when I sailed as a young boy, lost and alone. The sea found me, and took me in, kept me from danger, and led me through a new life. I've missed this, to be honest." Voyage smiled, come on, let's get you something to eat and I'll show you to your quarters for this trip.

After a decent dinner, Voyage led me through a hall and stopped in front of a door. "This one here is mine, the one next it is yours, the one across from it is Mr.Nornick's." "Thanks, Voyage. I guess I'll see you in the morning." She did a slight bow as she left me in the hallway in front of my door. She probably still had a ton of work on the ship to do anyway. I went into the room, took off my boots and my armor, and let the sea put me to sleep once more.

Three days had passed and we were rounding the far off corner of the thunder coast. There was some heavy rain but nothing too severe, maybe we were going to make it on time. That was until late that night, I was in my room ready to go to bed, letting both the rain and the waves take me to a world of dreams, then I heard the ship's bell ringing frantically. I put my armor back on as fast as I could and made my way up to the top of the ship, the helmsman was screaming his head off that the captain was thrown overboard and drowned, and that the first mate drowned as well trying to save him. Everyone not panicking and trying to keep the ship intact as the storm grew more intense screamed for someone to take over, someone who knew what they were doing. Voyage looked right at me then pushed me in the center, "The Crowfeather lad will lead us out of the storm! I don't wanna hear any objections from anybody else!" "Fine then! Just lead us out of here alive!" Looking up into the sky, the moon and the stars were blocked by enormous black clouds, the only thing providing any real light was the lightning shining on the ship as it ripped through the sky.

As loud as I could, I started barking orders, "Helmsman! Take Evasive action! All hands fasten your lifelines!" In unison the whole ship yelled, "Aye Captain!" and I ran up and took my place next to the helmsman as I continued to watch the sailors and give them orders to get us out of the storm, "Secure the sails! They'll be ripped apart in this storm with winds like this!" Voyage, while on the rigging yelled out, "You heard him you pathetic seadogs! Move!" I smiled and went along with the energy she was giving off. "Faster! Move faster! Don't lose your footing!" From the crow's nest, I heard a voice scream out in terror, "Captain! Look!" We all turned to see one of the biggest waterspouts I had ever seen, and it seemed as if we were getting closer, my hunch was proven correct when the helmsman yelled out, "Sir! I can't hold it! We're being pulled in!" I watched as he flew off the ship's wheel and was knocked out by the railing, "Oh Crap!" I held onto the wheel to prevent us from steering right into it. "What do we do captain?!" My eyes darted everywhere trying to think of a solution, then it hit me, "Open the sails back up again! This baby is gonna fly us out of here!"

Everyone except Voyage and Nornick looked terrified at my suggestion but they did so anyway. "Voyage Secure the lifelines!" "Aye Captain!" Both my heart and my mind were racing as if I were running a thousand miles an hour while playing a game of cards and a game of chess all at the same time. "Lifelines secure Captain!" "Very good Voyage!" "Captain! We're nearing the spout!" "Hold on to your lifelines and pray the allfathers prepare your favorite meals! Let your ancestors know we aren't afraid!" I held on as tight as I could to the wheel of the ship and watched the rest of the crew hold onto each other on the center mast. The wind forced the sails up and spun along with the spout around and around and we all held on as tight as we could until it launched us as far away from it as possible and we reached an area with lighter rain and lit by the light of the moon. "We...We did it? We did it!!" I looked around and everyone began cheering and laughing at the fact that they were all still alive and safe. "Now then. Onward to Jimena's Tragedy." Everyone laughed and got to work getting us to the final days of our journey.