The Clockwork Chronicles

Chapter Two

Over the next several days Simon and Jacob adjusted quickly to life aboard the Maiden's Fury (though they had very little choice in the matter). The one and only time they tried to sleep in, the crew had a rather ornery seabird thrown in the cabin with them.spite the incident, everyone grew to accept them as sailors in their own right, albeit ones who still needed a great deal of guidance and the occasional smack upside the head. Lioras made time each day to talk with each of them as well, though the conversation was always strained. The merchant's well-rested face and no discernable duties aboard the ship made the cousins short-tempered when he would saunter over. When pressed for answers as to what, exactly, he was doing while they worked themselves to death all day, he simply assured them that was was planning for when they reached land.

Simon vented his irritation by throwing himself into whatever the day had for him, proving himself to be a patient, diligent worker, even during bad weather and (on one miserable occasion) while suffering from too much ale the previous night. After that, he tended to keep to himself after sundown, either scribbling away in a journal, or wandering the decks. One bold night he slipped up to visit Jacob on his nightly watches (who still refused to say who he'd angered to receive such a horrid assignment). He was always upset about having to stand about and watch - well, mostly nothing - but appreciated the company. it made for rather wearying mornings, but the others simply nodded with a knowing smile when Simon stumbled about in a daze.

Thankfully for this day, Simon had managed to steal a full night's sleep. The entire ship moved with an air of nervous efficiency. Though the winds were kind, and the waters calm, the crew were unusually quiet. It took Simon a bit to realize the silence wasn't one of focus or fatigue. No, on this day there were no jokes or insults hurled at one another, and few men even met each other's eyes. It unnerved Simon, to say the least - the silence was one of children who'd done something horribly wrong, and were waiting for a parent's hand to descend, but never knowing when it would come, only that it would.

"What's wrong with everyone?" Simon asked Wilhelm, after receiving only panicked expressions and demands he go elsewhere when he asked the other crewmen. Even the old man was solemn as a graveyard; he paged through scraps of parchment lined with miniscule script and numbers.

"Today is not a happy one, boy," he cautioned, not meeting Simon's curious grin. His eyes, Simon noticed, were redder than usual, and his breath stank of ale, even that early in the day. "Today we take it upon ourselves to rid Ilrian and its sibling cities of their greatest evils, as we have for many, many years."

"You're not usually so fond of riddles," Simon said. He glanced about the ship at the frightened crew, growing more apprehensive by the moment.

"Today is not a normal day - forgive me, Simon," Wilhelm said. His face seemed to crumple then, showing so many years of sadness there, having witnessed many days such as this one. So many nights with his head next to an empty bottle, as though spirits could wash the tormenting memories from his mind.

"I'm truly sorry," the bookkeeper continued. "For what you will see today, and my silence. I...have simply seen this more than any man should, and I know you won't believe me should I tell you."

Simon set his jaw, determined to get answers, no matter how disturbing - and stopped. The air was completely still. The sails had drooped as though despairing, and not even a solitary bird could be heard screeching over the water. The sea was motionless as well, though he swore he could see waves and ripples some distance away. It was if the ship was in the middle of a circle of perfect calm. Simon padded to the port bow to see if the ship had caught on something, or maybe to see what was causing the sea to act as it did. There was nothing to see though, except the sky reflected in the water. Except...no. Simon shook his head and looked again.