675-11-15 - Ocean Incident
| Ocean Incident | |||||||
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| Summary: The ship headed from Two Rivers to the Isles is befallen by a storm, and a sea voyage that had started off so well threatens to find an untimely und rather unpleasant end. | |||||||
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The Golden Leaf was the name of the ship that had left the harbor of Equis on the previous day - ironically enough one of the people aboard carries that same title, as Princess Luanda had been picked by her father, King Barret Brais, as the head of a small delegation headed for the Isles, to attend the festivities there, following the generous invitation of Princess Madalyn Onimus. A small number of nobles had been picked, Lord Ralph Fennim being one of them, because of his experiences in diplomatic missions; but also a number of commoners were on the ship as well, craftsmen, artisans - in brief some that would benefit from an exchange of knowledge as such which had been proposed by the Isles princess. The ship is of moderate size, built to be swift in case it was needed. A number of soldiers were on board as well, in the rare case of a pirate attack. Still. Such an attack would be very unlikely, as none had been spotted on this particular route in a while.
Princess Madalyn Onimus is standing on the deck, leaning against the baluster. She keeps her head lowered, and her long white hair falls down, swaying in the wind. She keeps her gaze fixed on the wild waves, bumping into the wood. Huge smile is dancing on her lips.
"Princess, be careful," her handmaiden warns the young girl, who tiptoes a bit, trying to see even more of the sea.
Luanda comes out on deck, looking slightly queasy. She is dressed for travel, yet primly, though she looks a bit more pale than is usual. She lets out a slow breath, then walks towards the Isles princess, her steps slow and measured.
A few knights of the Kingdom of the Isles are marching from one side of the ship, to the other. Even if pirates were not seen around in the route for awhile, they are still alert, studying the horizon. However, the main person, who keeps his attention on that slightly darker horizon is the man in that small "bag" up on the highest pole of the ship, "The wind becomes colder!" He shouts for the crew, "Dark clouds ahead!"
Jeb, a craftsman of fine metals, seems to be finding that even now he's not gotten his sea legs. He clings to the railing a few yards away from the pale princess, looking rather green and unwell. That's been the case since land vanished from sight beyond the horizon, and doesn't seem to be improving much. Yet he doesn't complain, not where any of the nobility can hear at least, toughing it out on the trip and hoping the fresh air helps ease the unease.
When Madalyn hears the steps, she straightens and turns to the direction of the sound. Amused grinnflashes in her pale features, before the girl offers a curtsy, "Your highness, It is a pleasure, that you are travelling with me back to my home. My brother, Prince Jerrick is really waiting to see you and speak with you. I hope you will like each other!" She smiles warmly and gestures towards baluster, offering to come closer and lean on it, "You don't like sea?"
Ralph is already on deck, for the moment engaged in converstion with the captain of the ship. Her wears his sombre attire, almost completely black, below a warm woollen cloak of dark grey colour. His dark eyes brush the white haired princess, a faint smile curling his lips, then darts to Luanda as she appears. The comment from above is met with a slightly worried glance towards the captain. "Seems like we are heading for a storm? But excuse me for a moment." The Fennim inclines his head towards the man before he heads over to the Brais princess, a fluid bow is executed despite the roll of the waves. "Your highness. A bit of fresh air can do wonders, don't you think?" His own face has a rosy colour - due to the fresh air, or to some wine he had earlier, who knows?
The Captain nods to Ralph then calls out over the deck, "If we have clouds, alter course around them, no need to have our Ladies aboard any more miserable then they are already." He then looks to a young lad and says, "Head below, make sure coats are blankets are ready in case we need them." Then to the navigator, "I thought we picked a warmer route, have you taken us off course?" in an accusatory tone.
"I am unused to the motion and it is an adjustment, Princess Madalyn," answers Luanda. "But new experiences bring learning." She looks wistful for a moment, then shakes herself and smiles. "Lord Fennim. Indeed the fresh air is wonderful change from below. It reminds me of the wildness of the North Wind...." Then she turns her head towards the ill commoner. "But before that.... I had some tea that helped settle my stomach. I would that some be brought to that poor man. From my personal stores. In fact.... to any that suffer from the trip. I cannot have true comfort if my people suffer."
The young looking lad runs to do what captain ordered. The boy looks really young and unexperienced. He is first time onnthe ship, likely, just starting his career. The wind starts swaying the ship a bit more. The boy is not used to such movement under his feet, so when he runs close by Jeb, the boy staggers a bit. He extands his hand in order to lean on the pole, but instead he just slightly pushes Jeb. "Sorry!" The boy shouts and runs further.
The commoner in question doesn't seem to realize he's being spoken about or shown such concern from those of much higher station. Instead he's sent sprawling back onto his rear as the push from the young lad is enough to make the uneasily upright man lose his grip and his footing. OOoof.
The Captain grumbles and says, "Then get us around it, or as warm as we can get at least. We have the quality aboard, and I'm not gonna damage my reputation." Then spotting the clumsy boy the Captain snaps, "Hey! Watch yourself boy, help that one up and hurry up with those coats and blankets!"
"I am glad you found a way to deal with the sea sickness," Ralph remarks to Luanda, with a smile. Although his means may have been different from hers. For now, his steps are steady enough. A brow is raised when the lad bumps into Jeb. A smile is offered to Princess Madalyn. "You obviously enjoy the sea, your highness?"
"You have a very good heart!" Madalyn nods slowly, "Ia believe, that..." She ofrers a tiny curtsy to Ralph, "That my dear Queen Mother..."
However, the girl is interrupted by the man from above, "THE CLOUDS ARE BRAUGHT CLOSER TO US FASTER! IT STRETCHES ACROSS WHOLE HORIZON!"
And indeed. Whole horizon is so dark, that it looks like black sky of the night. Though, a keen eye could notice how lightening of various forms sometimes flashes there.
Madalyn chuckles at Ralph's question, not hearing the shouting, "I have to. I was born in the isles. It's in our blood."
"Tossing and bouncing and creaking..." Jeb mutters under his breath, perhaps somewhat cursing the ship or the fact that he agreed to go out onto the sea itself. He scoots so his back is against the railing and just sits there for the moment, not trying to rise to his feet just yet. The lad is waved away, a bit grumpily. Perhaps the man is content to sit instead of try to stand on unsteady legs.
The Captain frowns and says, "It might be better for you to head below, the deck is a dangerous place in a storm for the unsteady." His words are a suggestion, though clearly something about the storm is bothering him, and not in a good way. He may actually be scared of something and trying to hide it. As he personally replaces the helmsman at the helm of the ship, as he starts to call out orders for the crew.
Dark eyes dart from the man in the crow's nest to the captain, when Ralph gauges the man's reaction to the words. "Seems we are in for the storm, even so," he says with a shrug, although the concern in his eyes cannot be denied when he looks over to the two princesses. "Indeed," he agrees to the captian's counsel. "We should go below deck, if you don't mind..."
"I believe a storm is coming." Luanda shakes her head. "What are storms like... on the sea?" Then she holds up her hand. "A moment." She looks over at Jeb. "We should not leave him here. Lord Fennim.... will you help me? And Princess.... once we are below... tell us more of the sea?"
It takes less than five minutes, before the sky grows darker. It may look as if a night comes over the sea in that five minutes. Rain is not heavy at first, but it makes the deck to become similar to the ice. However, the rain grows more and more heavy, forming a grey wall. The thunder finally can be heard and the waves grows bigger, tossing the ship more and more widely to the sides.
Madalyn nodnods, raising her look up to the sky, "The rain is wonderful. Sea in the storm is scary, but charming." She tells, not so willingly moving with others to hide.
Jeb has his eyes closed and is pressed against the railing, staying right there until somebody actulally touches him or addresses him personally from rather close. Of course he won't object should the nobility decide he needs to be belowdecks, but hes' too wrapped up in his own issues at hte moment to really keep track of the goings on amidst the chaos of a ship preparing for storm. Uh oh, the ship is tossing more? That's not good for the digestion.
Ralph nods with a low grumble to Luanda's request, he reaches for the arm of the craftsman. "Please, come along with us, good man," he offers as he gently tries to draw the man off the railing.
The crew starts running this way and that, obeying for the orders of the captain. Navigator nervously murmurs, "It's not right. No no no..."
When the nobles will get belowdeck to the safer rooms, they won't be able to see other ships through their windows. The rain becomes so heavy, that it remainds the wall of the castle. Just that man abive everyone, at the top of the pole, ties himself there and continues staring at the horizon, ooking for something.
Lightenings will light up the rooms below in a quite scary color.
"When the sea gets wild, like now and it tosses the ship in all sides like it would be just a scarf in the wind, you can feel how fragile, but free you are!"Princess Madalyn chuckles trying to create a nice atmosphere, "But some sailors tell, that all this swaying of the ship reminds mother's arms, when she cradled you in childhood. So, no need to be afraid." She grins.
Ottis follows the others below decks, grumbling the entire time. "Tis no place for a smith.. " as pulls the hood of his cloak over his head, to protect his dome from the rain storm until he's safely below decks.
"It came quickly...." Luana shakes her head. "Do storms come quickly like this on the sea? They do not come like this on the land...." She rubs her hands over her arms, shivering a little. Her eyes are wide, but she doesn't seem exactly afraid. Not exactly. She looks out the window, then winces as the lightning fills her gaze.
The Captain makes a note to ensure the quality gets below deck, then continues to give orders, struggling to keep the ship afloat, and hiding his growing fear. The Navigator is right, this certainly isn't normal in the least.
"Ah, Master Ottis," Ralph greets the weapon smith as he spots him, before he leads the way down below deck. "It seems the weather is not our favor. Let us hope the storm will pass soon. And subside as swiftly as it came." His dark eyes focus for a moment on the oil lantern, that sways from side to side, a dance in response to the temperamental play of the waves. "I am sure we will all be fine." A polite lie.
Jeb ends up below decks with the others, struggling to gather his composure against the tossing of the ship in the growing turmoil of the seas. He claims a section of wall to lean against, so as to be out of the way of his betters...................
"That depends on the wind. Sometimes, the wind grows so huge!" Madalyn explains, ofrering a smile.to Master Ottis, but looking back to Luanda. Madalyn settles to take a seat and patpats a place beside herself, "I saw the column of the wind a few times. It can raise the roof of the house. It's incredibly fast. It can get even faster in the sea. After all, the sea is like plain field."
Ottis looks to lord Ralph and snorts. "Not in our favor indeed, ye have better luck in a whore house. " as he peers back over his shoulder, "Tis a wonder that the sea itself don't just up and swollow us whole to save us pitty from the thrashing the wind and rain be giv'n us. "
"A whore house?" Luanda blinks, looking a bit appalled. "Oh dear..." She flushes and turns her head to look out the window. "I have heard tales of columns of wind... but I have never seen one. And I hope never to see one. Ever."
The lightening comes almost at the same time with the thunder, announcing to each and everyone, that the ships are in the middle of the storm by now.
These above will hear perfectly loud, while these below will hear quietly how the man on the tip of the pole announces, "ONE IS DOWN! IT'S BURNING! ISLES SHIP IS DOWN!!!"
"Don't think there's any whore houses on the ocean..." Jeb says, blinking a little. Well, he caught part of the conversation. Though the lookouts words aren't likely to register, with the storm, the creaking of the ship and the distance. Instead he just opens his eyes and focuses on something that's not moving too much.
The slightly muffled cries of despair that reaches the ears of those below deck have Ralph raise his gaze to the ceiling. "More ships are out there?", he mutters. "And one is burning? That doesn't sound... very encouraging, does it?" His gaze shows concern when it brushes the two royal ladies. "We may prepare for all eventualities. Like, a plan, if this ship should go down as well..."
Ottis looks at Jeb and rolls his eyes, "Aye, you noticed have ye.. Tis better luck ye have in one of them than on this leaky tub.." okay so its not a leaky tub (yet) but Ottis's irritated and wet.. not a good combination. "Well fire's no worry, got's us plenty of water to put it out. " he chuckles a bit.
Madalyn's smile fades, when she hears the words of lookout man. She bites her lip firmly as if trying to stop the tears running across her cheek. "I... It is... My ship. My friends... I came with them. No. It's another ship or just a random fire. Maybe we are close to the isle or something. No. It can't be down. No."
"Princess Madalyn. We'll do what we can to help them. I'm sure we will." Luanda moves closer to the other Princess. "We must be brave. Must be. And then...." She lifts her chin. "What comes will come. We must just be our own best selves and do what we can to make things better."
"I admire your spirit, Princess Luanda," the Fennim lord comments with a sigh. He glances about, as if gauging several possibilities, perhaps looking for barrels of any kind, wooden pieces of furniture. "Yet, tis true. As long as we aren't dead, there is hope." That will be as encouraging as he can get at the moment.
"I think I see mountain! It's LAND on the right! It's..." The lookout man shouts. Then lightening flashes and cracking of the wood of THIS ship will reach people below, cracking followed by a heavy bump.
For some reason, all the fuss above will become quiet, just that only two words would echoe in the storm, "HE IS DEAD!"
Then people above starts running. They run to one side and the other. People below can hear that from the cracking, "Fire! Fire!" Some shout. Others shout, "No, he is still moving!"
People below will find a few barrels indeed. One is full with wine, wile the other is half-full. Also, without a few places to lay down, they will find a desk, some vegetables.
Ottis moves to the nearly empty barrel of wine. "well if we need a floatation device, best start emptying the barrels. " he dips a laddle into the wine. "Waste not want not. " and starts drinking.
That land on the right can be seen through that only one tiny window for these, who are bellow. The shadow of mountain is pretty huge. Maybe it's the wind, which carries the ship, but that shadow of the mountain is getting closer.
Madalyn wraps her arms around Luanda, if allowed. "I wish I couod have a sister like you..." The girl whispers, "So strong, so good, and so brave. Can I tell you the secret?" She asks and does not wait for an answer, "I do not like the sea at all. I am afraid. I am scared. I have to like it as a future Queen, whom I don't want to be. We will die, right?" And tears start rippling across her cheek.
Luanda's throat goes dry, and she flinches. Then she shakes herself. "No. No. We will *not* die." Something in her eyes hardens. "When the famine came.... we faced it. When the plague came.... we faced it. And we still go on. We will still go on. For our people. My people. Your people." She squeezes Madalyn. "I will watch over you, sister." Then she looks up. "Lord Fennim! We'll need to prepare for the worst. As many people as can be saved must be saved if the ship starts to go down. These are the lives and the art of Two Rivers." Then, very quietly, she adds, "And tell my father I love him."
"Hrrm."
The Fennim clears his throat, as his gaze follows Ottis, and he shakes his head. "Indeed, we should empty them. But that way it will take too long, Master Ottis." He moves to the other barrel and opens it. "STep asaide, towards the ladder," he bellows to the others, before he kicks against the barrel, and the wine spills out all over the floor. The regret is evident in his mien, yet a Fennim knows when his personal preferences for a good drink need to be disregarded. He will grab the now empty barrel and hammer the lid back on, and fasten a piece of rope about it. "Now, move up to the deck. Quickly. Your highnesses! This will be our only chance! Land is nigh. We could reach it. You will live, Princess Luanda. You both will, but only if we act swiftly." And with that said Ralph storms off with the barrel under his arm, climbing up onto the deck.
"The wind is from the right!!!" Someone shouts above.
"IT'S NOT THE MOUNTAIN!!!" - someone else adds.
"IT IS A WAVE! A WAVE!!!" - the third person screams.
And indeed. That shadow, who looks similar to the mountais gets closer to the ship in quite medium speed. Not to quickly, but not too slow. It is the size of the tower of the castle, though, and it is pretty wide.
Ottis gives off a startled groan when the wine's tipped over and emptied so.. " What a waste.. " then he hears of the waves, "well ye could have at least dumped out the full one and let me do my fair share of drinking down the other. "
Madalyn does not speak anymore. She just sobs, burrying her face into Luanda's gown.
"It will be all right." Luanda swallows hard, following Fennim. "Trust in that, and have courage. Have faith in yourself, Princess." She pulls the girl with her if she can. "Don't be afraid. We will live if we live. We will try to do that. And trying... there is nothing to fear. And if we die... well then... we will be free from fear. But we. Won't. Die." Her jaw clenches as she hears the screaming from above. "No. We. Will. Not. Die."
- FADE -
