Memories of the Sea I BTS X OC I

Chapter 4 - Spine Breaker

Hae spent the next day scrubbing the deck with the twin sisters Lai and Lana. They had woken her early, pounding on the door of the cramped chamber beside the kitchen till she had opened, bleary-eyed and sleepy, and the three of them had started even before breakfast. The sisters had kept their distance, working silently next to her, but apart from a short introduction they didn't start any conversations.

The work was hard, and by midday Hae was sweaty and sore all over. She had a feeling that it was probably her own fault – she had gone around sticking her nose in stuff that wasn't her business, and now she was kept busy so she couldn't keep causing trouble. Nobody had really talked to her about it, and after they had finished, she was tired enough that she didn't care about anything besides her bed. She was asleep before her head hit the pillow.

Even in her dreams, Hae was still scrubbing the planks of the deck, the rough bristles of the brush rubbing her fingers raw. She kept forgetting what part of the deck she had already done, and so she had to start over again and again. Somebody was standing behind her, maybe the captain, Hae couldn't quite tell, and he warned her: "Remember. If you can't remember, you're worthless, and you have to start anew." The bell tolled, and she was in desperate need of a break, but when she looked back at the planks, they were dirty and crusted with salt, just as they had been when she had started. The bell rung out again, louder this time, and Hae startled awake with a gasp.

For a moment, she was confused. Why was the bell tolling in the middle of the night? She heard people move outside her chamber, voices shouting to each other excitedly. It took her a second, but then she could make out the words that were repeated over and over: "Land in sight!"

Hae was out of her bed in an instant. She had slept in her clothes, as she had no others to change into anyway, and joined the rest of the crew outside. She opened the door so quickly that she almost hit Youra with it, who was just about to knock. The older woman smiled at her, and said: "Good, you're up. Come on, we're near Solseom port! You've got to see that – it's pretty cool the first time around!"

The two of them got on deck just on time to catch a first glimpse of the city. It was beautiful and idyllic, a sprawling town of whitewashed buildings climbing the flank of the hills that formed the bay. The sea shone a bright turquoise colour in the early morning sun. At the shore there were several docks, and a number of vessels, smaller fishing boats and two impressive sailing ships were secured there. A third ship was anchoring further out where the water was deeper, a brig bigger even than the Truth, and well armed as well. From Hae's perspective the town looked peaceful and inviting, but she couldn't help feeling a bit anxious at reaching her destination. Life on board the Truth had been strangely familiar, despite the fact she had no memories of sailing before.

Youra was talking to her, and Hae felt bad – she hadn't been listening at all. "Actually, the port is pretty well protected, even if it doesn't look like it. The water isn't as deep as its seems here, and anyone who doesn't know where exactly the shallows in the bay are will run aground before they even come in range to use their cannons, let alone attack the town itself."

The ship was full of people, everyone who had the time was on deck watching as the Truth weaved this way and that, circumventing the sandbanks hiding below the surface. Some of the crew climbed the rigging, hauling in the sails bit by bit. Hoseok was at the helm, and the captain and rest of the his officers had gathered at the forecastle, where they had the best view of the port. Youra and Hae were leaning against the railing near the helm when the first cannon fired. Others followed, the projectiles hitting the ocean's surface with a resounding clap, followed by splashing noises, not unlike very big raindrops.

From one second to the next, panic swept over the deck like a wave. Hae had ducked instinctively, even through the shot hadn't hit the ship. The Truth rocked from side to side violently. The girl needed a moment to find her balance. "What's going on?", she asked Youra, shouting over the noise all around her. The woman looked at her, and there was anger and desperation mixing in her eyes. "It's a all trap! Look, they're flying the flag of the Empire – the Caelians have taken Solseom!" Sure enough, the brig Hae had admired before had now hissed a cerulean blue flag, and the shots they had fired were more than just a warning. They had wanted to sink the Truth with a single unexpected blow. Now, that plan had failed, but the enemy ship was nearing with alarming speed.