"Whoa, friends! What are ya doin' here?! Go get some rest!"
Jack smirked at them with a merry expression on his face as he gripped the helm tightly.
How exactly was he this calm?!
The ship was swaying wildly, waves crashing against its sides and spilling water and foam on the deck. The crewmen were running around in panic, messing with the sails and riggings wherever they could. Camianta was even climbing up on the main mast.
When Bishop and Aeyrin rushed from below decks, leaving Karnwyr in their cabin to keep him safer, the black clouds and cold winds greeted them instantly. It looked like a very nasty storm, and it didn't take long before a bright flash and an imminent thunder captured their attention. This didn't really look good.
Their first destination was Jack who had still been by the helm with a fierce expression on his face, but when he saw them, it turned into a so much more reassuring one.
"The fuck do you mean 'what are we doing here'?!" Bishop yelled at him through the howling winds and aggressive hissing of waves. "What do we do?!"
"'Do'?!" Jack almost laughed at him. "Nothin', friend! Is a storm! The Sea of Ghosts throws them our way often! Don'cha worry!" It was hard to hear him through all the noise, but he was still smiling brightly.
They might have been disturbing his concentration. He looked so fierce before he saw them and tried to calm them down.
"This is normal?!" Aeyrin gaped at him, but before she could get an answer, a violent wave crashed against the ship, tilting it to the side a little too much for its stability. Aeyrin's footing wavered in the unexpected motion, as did Bishop's, but luckily, his reaction was fast. She felt his arm wrap around her waist instantly to pull her to his form with a hard yank. It was a bit disorienting and it took a while before she noticed him gripping the railing of the upper deck tensely with his other hand.
"Not to worry, me pretty!" Jack chuckled at her, still tightly holding the helm as the ship tilted back into its original position with another destabilizing motion. "Normal enough! We been through storms like this'un before! My sweet girl can handle it!"
"Jack!"
Camianta's voice echoed through the storm, but it was so faint. And it was hard to tell where it was coming from.
"JACK!"
It was louder now, and Jack finally seemed to notice. His eyes went upwards into the skies instantly. Only then Bishop and Aeyrin noticed the Redguard woman, perched in the crow's nest with something that could only be a spyglass gripped in her hand and pressed to her eye.
"REPORT!" Jack bellowed in turn, trying his best to be heard over the raging storm.
"JACK! ON THE HORIZON! SOMETHING'S COMING!" Camianta yelled back. It was hard to tell through the noise, but it sounded like there was a measure of panic in her tone.
This didn't really sound like the crew was used to these storms. It was really harsh. Every storm out at sea couldn't really be this bad, could it?
"'COMING'?!" Jack half-scoffed and half-yelled. It didn't seem to be the report he had been expecting.
And what did she mean by 'something's coming'?
The answer came soon enough.
It was faint, far away, but it was so familiar that it was hard not to recognize it, even though the storm.
A roar.
"Did you hear that?!" Bishop scowled at Jack. The man didn't seem to notice. He was probably not as attuned to the sound as they were. This was bad.
YOU ARE READING
Northbound Pilgrimage II
FanfictionAeyrin and Bishop continue their journeys through Skyrim, trying to deal with the looming threats in their path. The Province is still ravaged by the dragons, as well as the war, and both new and old enemies still hound their steps. Their adventures...
