The Hunter's Pursuit

17. Shared History

Jacob tightened his hold on a lance, smirking with amusement as the crewmen struggled to balance on the platforms jutting out from the Leviathan's hull. Most of them were already buckled to safety lines, but a few men still fumbled with the clips. These lessons had been ongoing since early afternoon, and this was only the second group of men Jacob had worked with.

He was beginning to feel the weight of his role with every day they spent at sea. He and Viviane had moved on from verbal lessons and now drilled the men on everything they'd learned about Ryujin while they practiced loading and firing the swivel cannons.

Just yesterday, Jacob had decided that the crew was ready to push into their next set of lessons, which would be lancing. Luckily, Viviane could help him teach these lessons. She was leading another group on the opposite side of the ship, out of sight and hearing.

That was how they were even outside of lessons. They were seldom within a few feet of each other, and certainly didn't speak unless necessary. Jacob hadn't missed Caspian, Prim, Ms. Harriet, and even Pops' insinuative stares whenever they noticed the distance between himself and Viviane.

He just ignored them. He had decided that he would let Viviane be the one to start a conversation outside of matters pertaining to the hunt. Perhaps then, she would be willing to actually speak to him, rather than exchange their usual sharp barbs.

Caleb cleared his throat, catching Jacob's attention. He perked up and cast a quick glance over the men at his side. All were now hooked to their safety lines. Jacob braced the end of his lance on the platform and flipped braided hair back over his shoulder.

"All right. Have any of you ever done fishing of any kind involving a lance, spear, or harpoon?" Caleb nodded, but the rest of the men shook their heads.

Jacob twirled the lance behind his back and stuck it through his belt. "Then we'll start with balance. When attacking, you should be positioned at the very edge of the platform so you have as much reach as possible."

Water misted his face as he demonstrated, planting his feet at the end of the platform and letting his weight fall against the chain tethering him to the ship.

"A creature as large as Ryujin will create some large waves," Amos pointed out. "How do we avoid being thrown off balance by them?"

"That is circumstantial," Jacob replied. "If you see the wave coming and have time, press yourself back against the ship as much as possible. Crouching can also help. If you don't have time to move back, brace yourself where you are. Do your best not to let your feet come off the platform, and always make sure your safety line is secure."

"When the time comes, Viviane and I will decide who will be lancers and who will remain on the ship to man the swivel cannons and other weapons. We'll determine this based on your skills in each area. If you believe you know which task you're better suited for, let one of us know. This doesn't mean you'll get the task you want, but we will take your opinion into consideration as well as our own observations."

"Now, I want all of you at the edge of the platform," Jacob instructed. "Let your weight hang off your safety line and take a moment to adjust to the feeling."

The men obeyed immediately. Most of them wobbled over the water, but a few let themselves relax and remained steady. Jacob noted that Amos was one of them.

I'm not sure we can let Amos be a lancer. If his cough acts up, it could unbalance him, or distract him long enough for him to lose his weapon. He made a mental note to keep an eye on the man and see how he performed.

For the next ten minutes, Jacob made his pupils practice balancing in various ways. They hung limp from their safety lines. They shifted their weight from side to side. They practiced retreating to the hull of the ship and crouching down. When small waves reared their heads, Jacob ordered the men to weather them at the edge of the platform.