10. Flotsam.
Angelica stood easily, her face turned in the direction of the cry. Liva and Tori-Anna were just as lithe, and within moments of standing Angelica could feel Liva's arm about her shoulders, fine woolen cloak draped against the night. She began to lean forward into a step ... but was held still.
Angelica froze. What have I missed?
"M'Lady" Tori-Anna whispered quietly, her formal tone obvious in her inflection.
What have I missed?
The cry was more audible now, closer off the port bow, but still lost in the ribbons of red and orange playing over the swells that rolled past under the gloomy night.
Angelica relaxed, yielding to Liva's gentle insistence, the welcome warmth nibbling at her wandering concentration. What have I missed? She turned her head slightly to Tori-Anna, looking out the side of her eyes in question, one eyebrow raising of its own accord.
"M'Lady the Lady Olga, Captain Zalori, and I discussed our tactics earlier today. We cannot risk heaving to at night to attempt to rescue survivors." Tori-Anna paused, leaving something unsaid.
What have I missed?
"Are you thirsty M'Lady?" Liva asked gently.
"No, I am fine thank you." Angelica relied.
Oh I'm so stupid.
Angelica slumped back against Liva's grip, and then folded herself in to lean on Liva's shoulder, failing to hold back the tears that rushed upon her.
They gently helped Angelica back to their sheltered spot in against the windward rail, Liva hugging Angelica tight until she fell back into an uneasy sleep.
The voice floated on the wind, until distance astern stole the sound. Tori-Anna rubbed the tears from her own eyes, and went to recheck the guards on the rails.
------//------
With a jump Angelica woke, but this time she held still, listening to the quiet even breathing of Liva beside her.
"M'Lady" Olga whispered gently from beside her, clearly very much awake. "It will be dawn soon, if we can call it such."
Angelica dipped her head gently, the years of training unavoidable even in the dim. "How much water do we have left?" Angelica replied quietly.
"We have enough" Olga replied softly "and adequate food still, as well."
And? What have I missed?
The puzzlement played upon her features, Olga knew the look more than well enough in her friend to not need a question. "Our ships can only carry so much weight. Zalori loaded as much as we dared, on your Father's orders."
Angelica tilted her head, thinking "But we have armour, weapons, and all the animals in the hold?"
"Think this through." Olga replied, and waited.
"We bought as many children as we could, because ... they weigh less?" Angelica ventured, rewarded with a nod. "And we have water and food for a voyage to ... somewhere?" again a nod. "Where?" Angelica asked, genuinely stumped.
"We have supplies enough to carry us to the Eastern Kingdoms, and back, based on Zalori's estimates."
"And back?" Angelica ventured, again lost.
"We have no way to know if they suffered the same fate." Olga replied plainly.
"I still don't understand the animals."
"Once we find a place that is not on fire, we need to rebuild."
"Ah." The pieces were so obvious now Olga had assembled them before her. They needed to not only survive this voyage, but to rebuild and thrive they needed tools, nails, animals, seeds ... so many things. "I guess we're going to be eating a lot of fish?" she ventured.
Olga laughed gently, flat-footed by the comment "yes, we have a fishing fleet after all" her laughter faded "if they make it. They are coastal ships, I wish we had had more of these." Olga said wistfully, patting the smooth wood of the deck beside her.
"We do, don't we?" Angelica replied.
"Yes, of course. But we have no idea where they are and no way to find them. Only Zalori's ship was at home in port when the flames came, although I am certain the others would have put to sea rather than wait for the fires."
Angelica looked up at the red and orange light flicking over the dark clouds "may the Qin watch over them and shine bright stars to guide them to safe harbour."
"I thought you were done with the Qin?" Olga asked gently.
"I am, but they probably aren't so it doesn't hurt to ask."
Olga moved as if she was going to say something, but clearly decided better of it. "Biscuit?"
"Sure." Angelica replied, and after a gesture from Olga, Alexandras approached and presented them each with a dainty morsel. They ate slowly, listening to the slap of the waves on the hull and creak of the rigging in the breeze.
"There is no bell?" Angelica realized what was missing.
"No, we're sailing more slowly, and will keep it silenced now unless we need it."
Angelica's eyes asked the question.
"Yes, they're all still here."
Angelica let the taste of the biscuit roll about her mouth a while longer, then allowed herself to drift back into sleep.
------//------
"Quickly, M'Lady you need to wake up." Liva said quietly but firmly, shaking Angelica.
Angelica's eyes flew open, her hand lifting to touch her Mother's necklace for reassurance as she looked to Liva. There were voices on the wind ... many voices.
"Starboard, close haul! Look lively!" Zalori bellowed.
Angelica looked about in confusion, as she watched Tol-Varus' fishing ship slid past the big ship, moving fast on a different tack in the gloom of the morning. As she looked about ... the fishing fleet was rushing to windward of the big ship, she could only see sailors. She caught a glimpse of two children peeking over the gunwhale of the fishing ship, but they quickly vanished.
"Over there M'Lady" Liva pointed for Angelica's benefit, past the mast and scurrying crew.
Shown to her, Angelica wondered how she had failed to see it.
Lifting and falling gently in the swell was the upturned hull of a ship. Smudges of shadows waved frantically towards them, stolen words cast by the breeze in the direction of the fiery shore.
"Can we help them?" Angelica asked quietly, recalling the voice in the night.
"Perhaps" Tori-Anna replied with equal discretion. "That is also what we risk if we become overloaded, and get hit by a bad squall or rogue wave."
Zalori was yelling something, sailors running across the deck in response. To what purpose Angelica could not discern, even more confused when the sound of hammering thrumped out across the deck.
"They are building a raft" Antaryon said plainly as he appeared and bowed his head.
Angelica's eyes widened in surprise - Antaryon was in full armour. Not just his quilted gambeson, but coat of heavy plates over chain, with his chain coif beneath his kettle hat. And a shield, Mother's device upon it.
Liva had slipped away too, presumably to don the remainder of her armour as well. Angelica's eyes lingered on Antaryon's shield, which he carried so effortlessly. She blinked to clear the sudden tears as memories clawed her feelings at the sight of the shadowgrey wings on white. No longer Mothers colours. Hers.
Stay focused. Here. Now. Not home. Ignore all we lost, focus on what we have left to lose.
Angelica blinked, her composure returning with a slowly inhaled breath "For?" she asked quietly.
"Captain Zalori believes we have a serious problem." Antaryon replied calmly, a soldier giving his report rather than a boy describing something that could spell their end. "That is an ocean ship, and no wave or wind ought have rolled her like that. We would have also felt such a wind or seen a rogue. Something else did that."
Angelica spun and stared into Antaryon's eyes, as if she could find the answer reflected there. She knew somewhere in the vaults of her forgotten lessons she hand the answer ... it was ... she shivered, there was only one answer.
"Kraken" she whispered.
