Here There be Dragons: Testing the Waters

Nereida woke early on their first full day on the ship. Aella was soundly asleep, her face relaxed in utter peace. Some of her hair had come loose in her sleep, transforming her face in such a way that she looked years younger. Alejo and Egaz snored softly from their cots. The boys had grown in their months at the palace, and now were too big to share a cot with each other. Damara was asleep in her own cot, between both boys. Alejo’s hand was draped over his sister’s chest protectively. The sounds of the ocean were soothing, but the songs were so loud now. Nereida had been without the songs for months, and had forgotten how distracting they could be.

Too energized to sleep after their return home, Nereida headed to the deck. Evander was on shift now, the man staring out to sea with a relaxed posture. She strolled up beside him, only stumbling once. Her sea-legs hadn’t quite returned. She flushed with embarrassment, but Evander only smiled.

“Touchy-Feely,” he greeted. “Come to hug me ‘til my bones snap?” She laughed, and gave him a gentle shove.

“Not until your shift is over. Am I back on the duty roster?”

“Not til your sea legs are back,” he replied sternly. “This ain’t a favour, it’s safety. Captain’s orders.” Her face twisted of its own accord as Nereida digested that unfortunate reality. Epelda outranked her on the ship. Evander chuckled a little at her sour expression.

“Ya get the same offer as the rest o’ the crew, Touchy Feely. Take orders from the Captain or be left at port.” He was grinning as he spoke, his tone teasing. He gave her arm a little squeeze. “Best get your legs back right quick. We’re about two weeks from Gnomish waters, and the last Sylph merchant ship we saw had fresh cannon scars.”

Walking about and climbing some of the lower riggings was harder than Nereida had remembered. Her legs ached, especially her lizard leg, and her arms burned with effort. By the time the sun was fully up, she was sweaty, sore and ill tempered. She headed back to her cabin to see Aella already feeding Damara magic. They no longer had a wet nurse for Damara, but she seemed capable of surviving on magic alone. She was bright eyed and content as she pulled soft light from Aella. Aella had a soft, sweet expression as she stared down at their tiny daughter.

“Mama!” Egaz shouted happily. “Look! It’s bean porridge!” She grinned at him. He was already happier. Alejo poked at the grey-brown porridge with his wooden spoon.

“I wish we could have brought the kitchen,” the older boy muttered. But he was smiling. “At least it’s not spicy!”

They spent the day on the deck. The sky was clear and bright, the wind blowing soft and steadily. Both boys went to climb almost immediately, under Dymion’s watchful eye. It was strange to see the gnome on deck in the daylight. Normally he was in the kitchen this time of day. Nereida, holding Damara so that Aella could dress herself, watched the boys climb with a speed and grace that she would never have. They hung upside down by their knees, shrieking and giggling. Epelda strolled over, watching the sight with a grin.

“Water Mama,” she greeted, her movements slow and almost lazy. “I missed the noise.” Nereida chuckled.

“They missed you.” She adjusted Damara as the little baby wiggled. “We did too.”

“Damara needs you,” Epelda signed slowly, reluctance in each movement. She looked away from Nereida. “You cannot be on the roster until she is bigger. We need our Admiral, she needs to sleep and spend time with you all. If she has to take care of Baby too, she will burn up.”

Nereida looked away from her daughter, out at the sea. Damara began gumming her hand and cooing.

“I need to help,” Nereida said, her voice hard. Epelda’s hand rested gently on her shoulder, and Nereida turned back toward her.

“You are.” Epelda’s hands were firm as she signed, the word exaggerated and her expression earnest. “You are raising them, and keeping Mom sane. And…” she paused to look grimly over the ocean. “We are heading toward battles, sea battles. We don’t have Kana or her husband any longer. They went home. We need you and Jules to be rested at all times.” She made a face, one that Nereida could not easily interpret, crinkling her nose and pursing her lips. “He’s only on the schedule with Evander. I won’t, I can’t, give him orders any more than Mom can give you orders.” Nereida looked into Epelda’s bright eyes and felt understanding settle in her chest. Aella didn’t want to give her orders, and neither did Epelda, because they were family.

“I’ll still respond to All Hands,” Nereida said after a moment.

“I’d expect so.” Epelda smiled, though it was a shaky, watery smile.

Alejo came running over to them, a serious, determined expression on his small face. He came up to Epelda and saluted. She replied in kind, and smiled at her younger brother.

“Captain,” he said, his small voice carrying a heavy note in it that made Nereida’s heart flutter in worry. “I am… I am here to ask… can I be a deck hand?” He faltered with his serious tone and demeanour, and instead started shuffling his feet. He looked up at her with pleading eyes, and signed. “I can be helpful.” Epelda straightened and her face hardened in a way that was so like Aella.

“I will consider it,” she signed imperiously. “The Admiral, officers and I will discuss it. Dismissed.” He nodded once and sprinted away, back to his waiting younger brother. Once they were back at play, Epelda’s shoulders dropped.

“Water Mama, would you let him?” The signs were small, hesitant, as if she were whispering.

“I… He’s young.”

“I was his age. But I won’t even bring it to the officers if you say no.” She was watching him play. Nereida watched as Alejo, laughing, was hanging upside down again. She let out a long, slow breath.

“He wants to belong,” she said after a long moment. Her oldest boy’s laugh carried on the wind, full of so much joy. “Let him.” But her heart ached that he was growing so fast, that he would lose part of his childhood on purpose. She fled back to her cabin, not wanting to see Epelda’s reaction, to hold little Damara and cry.

The days began to seep together. Alejo “worked” an hour a day, mostly as a glorified messenger, but also learning how to tie rope. He swept the deck, washed it once a week, his hair covered with a bandana to keep the sun from burning his head. He worked with a serious little expression always, though when he thought no one was looking he would grin. He still got lessons on reading, writing and arithmetic but he also learned how to read star charts. Nereida needed them to be able to exist as princes and pirates. Matthias, ever a ball of charm, was teaching them rhetoric, though he framed it as “charm lessons”. The boys loved him, much to Aella’s constant grumbling. Jules, too, was studying with Matthias.

“Lords can spot fakery,” Matthias was saying on their fourth night. It was after supper, the boys were reading on the deck as the sunlight was fading from the sky. Matthias did a fancy little twirl, earning a giggle from the children and a slack–jawed expression from Jules. “Unless, of course, you can overwhelm them. Give them too much, either sincerity or fakery, and they simply cannot handle it. They never question the fop.” He gave an overdramatic bow and an exaggerated wink at Nereida. He bent so low that the peacock feather on his hat swept the deck. She marvelled that the hat had stayed on! “Nor the lordling who fawns over his lady fair with love that simply sparkles from his every movement!” Jules flushed purple and looked away, carefully avoiding looking toward Epelda at the helm with Gregors. “But, lads, you will still need to learn their “language”, so to speak, so that you can blend in. No one questions your authority when you shine as bright as the sun.”

“Few have your sparkle,” Nereida observed with a grin.

“Even you, Princess, fell for my dazzling grin!”

“Being in love does not make one blind to the beauty of a sunrise,” she replied with a laugh. “But I will admit to falling for the ploy hook, line and sinker. I know better now, though.” He gasped as if wounded, earning another chorus of giggles from the children. Jules, however, let out an Aella-like grumble.

“I won’t play the clown.”

“Oh, darling siren lord, you couldn’t even with a thousand lessons at my side.” Jules blinked at the man, clearly unsure if this was an insult or a compliment. “But the love-stricken noble? That, dear boy, has enough truth to disguise the lie.”

Aella came up behind Nereida, appearing as if out of nowhere. Nereida jumped.

“Easy, love,” Aella whispered. “I came to ask you to take the boys below, down to Dymion. Damara too.”

“Oh?” Nereida asked, keeping her tone carefully neutral.

“There’s a ship headed straight for us. Epelda guesses she’ll catch us by nightfall. She’s not flying any flags that I know. Might be pirates. Might be demons. Might just be whalers.”

“Flag?” Matthias asked, his demeanor shifting. It was strange to see him serious and hard.

“A speared shark on a grey flag,” Aella replied. Matthias’s face twitched as if he were trying to recall but Jules stilled.The young man’s voice was soft and shaking when he spoke.

“I’ve heard of them,” he said. “Hold on…” He scampered to the edge of the boat. Nereida, confused, joined him. The songs of the ocean were still there, but when she concentrated on the nearest songs, everything was quiet, except a single voice, small and frightened.

“Grey Death seeks all of Ocean’s blood. She’ll kill you if you stray too close.”

Jules tightened his grip on the ledge, his knuckles going pale.

“They aren’t whalers,” he said, his voice clear. Everyone stopped. “The Grey Death. Their hull is grey?” At Aella’s short nod, he grimaced. His breath was ragged and uneven. The young man’s jaw clenched as he spoke. “They hunt sirens for sport.”