Captain's Log: Through the Tempest II

[Thomas Karver]

Captain’s Log, Querencia
Course: N
Weather: Stormy
Souls: 15
Watch Officer: T. Karver
Date: 40th Ymiden, 721th Arc

Previous Entry

The storm stalked closer behind them as the crew scrambled. Tom stood like stone at the quarterdeck, staring back at the dark cloud. His mind scrambled as he watched the rolling black clouds as heavy as marble eating away at the otherwise clear skies. For a long moment his beloved Querencia seemed little more than a pathetic collection of twigs and linen.

But while this may be her first storm, it was not his. He remembered, quick as lightning in a dark storm, the image of his grandfather ordering his crew on the deck of The Regal while salt and rain cut cruelly across everything. He could do that too.

Tom steeled himself and turned back to the ship and found Lytara pulling herself back onto the quarterdeck. Her eyes were wide, but the anger there had diminished in place of trepidation. The dark skinned first mate did well at hiding what she felt. Before she could address him disrespectfully, Tom headed her off.

“Mate Lytara, take charge of the main deck. All sails to full. Stunsails to full. Wring as much speed from this damn ship as you can.” Tom said, meeting her eyes. The Studding-sails, long and narrow canvas traditionally only used in calm weather, would become dangerous to the Querencia if the storm came any closer. They both knew they needed them now though. As their eyes briefly met and then left each other, the Captain and First Mate knew they needed to briefly set aside whatever squabble they had been entertaining for the good of the ship.

Lytara nodded and turned without glancing at the storm to bellow his order once again. She rested her hand on her rapier as she took the stairs down the gangway three at a time and landed deftly on the now rocking deck. Sailors climbed as quickly as they dared up the ratlines and shrouds to ready the now full blown sails above.

Tom turned to look at the storm and squinted. He did a bit of quick calculation in his head and spat in frustration. It was either large and only a few leagues off, or it was massive and ten to twelve. Either way, his ship would have to deal with it eventually. He could cut port and sail towards the Rhakrosi coast again, but there was no guarantee of safety there. For one, they did not know this stretch of coast and the jagged, wooded edges offered no visible cove to seek shelter. Going into shallow waters in this storm may also set them on a sandbar, a truly hellish situation to be sure. But more than the dangers of a foreign coastline, Tom was expected to find a way through weather.

As Captain he needed to have the answer, and it could not be one of cowardice. Besides, he was a man of the sea. He had spent half a lifetime on the seas. If he could not do this, what life was left him? He felt a wild laughter tugging at his gut as he stood in his own self-doubt.

“Skarp!” Tom said loudly, turning back to the helmsman.

“Aye, Cap?” Skarp said, looking coolly over his shoulder at the storm and spitting as though it was some mild inconvenience to his trial. The skinny sailor stood in nothing but a ratty old linen shirt and a shredded set of trousers. Gold glinted from ear and tooth but the eyes he put on Tom were a colder grey than even the waters around them.

“This is a new coat, Skarp. There’s a bottle of the good amber in it for you if you keep it dry this trial.” Tom grinned at the man and barked a laugh when Skarp again gauged the distance of the storm.

“Eh that’s a tall one, Cap.” Skarp slurred through the side of a crooked grin.

“A shot of the good amber if you keep it from the bottom of the Orm’del, then?” Tom held out a hand to seal the deal in the old fashion.

“A double?” After Tom nodded with a grin Skarp spat in his hand and clasped his arm. “We be dancin’ across the Ol’ Orm, Cap.” Skarp tapped the wheel lovingly. “Never had such a new and spritely gal to dance with.”

[Thomas Karver]

Tom nodded and turned to vault down the gangway onto the main deck where the crew was struggling to hoist sails. Two sailors were on the spars of each sail, clutching onto them for life while they shimmied the extra spars for the stunsails into place. Tom could see Harper and Maud were higher still, and the top spar of the mainmast, trying to do the same. He moved in behind a pair of sailors hoisting a stunsail and leant his strength to their hoist before moving on.

He was heartened to see most of the hands at least knew how to follow orders. It was a far cry from the salty crew of Woodrow Ki’nar’s ships, but he could make of them what he needed. He heard the boom of Jori the Quartermaster overseeing the fore course and stunsails. He took a step toward the foremast and the deck dropped from underneath him.

A brief gut-flipping moment and it slammed back up to meet him and brought him to his knees. The wet wood jarred his knee and sent waves of shock through his leg at the impact and he heard the crash of a wave. Salty spray misted everything around him as he turned to see the storm was getting closer and the water was getting choppier.

With the stunsails out and Querencia pulling every last gust of wind from her sails, the ship was hopping across the already wild waves. Hands were darting from handhold to handhold as they hurried about their tasks. Tom ran towards the fore mast and clutched at a line next to Jori as the man peered up the mast at the sailors above. His broad, heavy browed face was screwed up with concern as he watched.

“How goes it here, Jori?” Tom yelled over the sound of another wave crashing against the hull as they both buckled.

“Oh we almost got these spars set, just got to get the top course and the stunsails down.” Jori said, glancing from the captain to the storm. “That’s a mean one, Cap’n.” Jori shook his head and spat to the side.

“Aye. Downright spiteful.” Tom grinned. “Keep them up there. We won’t be long using these stunsails. Got to furl on my order, afore the storm hits true.” He grimaced up at the poor sailors clung to the spar.

Jori grunted. “Aye, Cap’n. They’ll be ready.” The Quartermaster reassured him. Tom nodded and turned to make his rounds again.

He stepped out and another wave crashed against the hull. Tom stumbled but did not fall. He helped another sailor to her feet and continued back to the main mast.

Lytara was just hoisting herself up the shroud resolutely. Tom caught her just as her foot left the deck. She turned her hard gaze onto him and waited expectantly. “What are you doing?” He asked after a moment’s hesitation.

“Harper is having trouble with the stunsail. I am going to aid him,” Lytara said carefully. “Captain.”

Tom thought about apologizing, but putting their drama before the needs of the ship would damage her view of him even further. “Goodluck, listen for my order to furl stunsails. We can’t have them out when that squall hits us.” Then he slapped her on the shoulder and shambled his way back to the gangway.

“Cap! Storm’s near here!” Skarp yelled as he struggled to hold the wheel steady.

Behind him the black clouds of the storm were low over the waves and the ocean rolled with anger. Querencia leapt from wave to wave as they cut across that roiling chaos.

Damn. It would have been nice to be able to outrun the storm for at least another break. Perhaps cut across to only endure part of it. But alas, it was rolling north with the speed and fury of Chrien herself.

“Set course-“ Tom bellowed back before he was sent staggering from a wave crashing into the side of the hull. The dark water shot over the gunwale in an explosive spray. Tom shook his head and kept his feet moving towards the quarterdeck. “North by northeast, Skarp! North by northeast.”

Sailors around him took up the order as they clung to line or cleat or mast.

[Thomas Karver]

“Aye, nor’ by nor’east!” Skarp’s hoarse cry fought the sounds of the crashing waves and thunder around them. Tom found the stair up the gangway suddenly illuminated in bright detail as lightning slashed the sky. He climbed as quickly as he could to stand by the scrawny helmsman.

“It’s right up our ass, Cap.” Skarp pointed out the obvious.

“Perfect.” Tom replied dryly. The ship veered to starboard and crashed over another large grey-black wave. A sailor below lost his footing and tumbled down the deck towards the quarterdeck. He spread his limbs and righted himself.

“Shaw!” Tom yelled down at the man to get his attention. “Furl the stunsails! Reef the courses!” Tom yelled.

If he left the sails as they were they may gain some headway out of the course of the storm, but they were in danger of losing a hand over the side. Skarp had been struggling to keep the wheel true after the turn to starboard. The little man had his shoulder under a rung and was grimacing with the effort.

Tom grabbed the wheel as he repeated the order at the top of his lunges. He saw a few sailors had heard him and were beginning to move, but the wind was all most could hear. But Shaw was stumbling back along the rocking deck relaying the order. Querencia rocked and began to heel in the wind.

“Get those damn stunsails down, hands!” Tom yelled again as the starboard side of the ship rose. The crew could see the danger for themselves and had been waiting for the order. Even if they did not hear him they could see Shaw and those who had heard were jumping into action.

Tom felt the wheel slam against his ribs as another wave crashed into the side of his ship. The courses and stunsails were straining against their rigging as the storm pushed the ship dangerously onward. It jolted across wave tops and heeled dangerously. But the hands in the rigging had gotten the message, either from Tom’s orders or from the storm. It was time to stop running and hunker down for the beating.

Tom could see they were pulling in the spars. The figures were small. Hair and clothes whipped around their forms as the storm beat against them. Muscle and sinew was all that kept Harper and Lytara and Maud from flying out into the brine depths.

He saw Lytara struggling to help Harper unfasten the spar even as Maud has somehow successfully slid hers into place against the gaff to starboard. The captain breathed out slowly as the sailor began to make her way back onto the security of the shroud.

“Wave!” Someone yelled.

Querencia rocked to starboard and Tom was thrown against the wheel. Skarp on the other side grunted and was flung from his feet. He held fast to a single rung of the wheel, turning it to starboard in doing so.

Sailors stumbled and slammed into the starboard bulwark. Lytara and Harper fell fro their perch along with the now loose spar. Tom watched in horror as the two flailed across the main sail. Lytara made an attempt to catch at the leech of the main but failed. Both slammed into the starboard bulwark in quick succession and toppled out of view over the side.

“Hand overboard!” Tom and Skarp bellowed at the same time.