The Rise of the Sea Ghosts (from The Gelid Times Trilogy)

Chapter 18

The Saltum Sea, The GhostShip Octavia

Aerona leaned on the rail of the Octavia as she watched Erebus disappeared below deck of the Lewis to his captain's quarters. She too desired to retreat to her quarters, lie on her bunk and release the pressure on her hip from the weight of the fulmar. Aerona assessed the fleet of Sea Ghost ships behind the Octavia; they were holding formation and awaited orders. Orders that both she and Erebus should now be giving. On deck, the voices of her crew members rose and fell on the deck in excited chatter.

Aerona strode through her crew smiling and nodding at each one of them. The fulmar thwacked its wet feathery body against her the wool fabric of her trousers. The smell of the dead fulmar and wet wool was a rancid stench, but Aerona ignored it. Erebus was going to be a problem – a problem that needed immediate attention.

Leaving her crew to celebrate their rise to the surface of the Saltum Sea, Aerona began to lower one of the four row boats. Slowly she released the guide rope and allowed it to scrap along the side of the Octavia until it reached the water's surface where it undulated in time with the white tips of the gently breaking waves. Aerona lowered herself onto the rowboat and pulled the guide ropes in; she sat on the wet wood and the seafoam misted over her in a gentle shower of salt as she grabbed hold of the oars.

The calmness of the sea was no match for the upheaval she felt inside. Erebus was drawing himself away from her and if they were going to have a fighting chance, he would have to be on side – on her side – they would have to be unified. Aerona rowed towards the Lewis. Boarding the Lewis should have felt like boarding her own ship, the Octavia. But it didn't. The air onboard held an undercurrent of contempt and rather than excited chatter, there was small spats of arguments between crew members. The second in command was sprawled out using a spiral of ropes for a seat.

'Take me to Erebus,' Aerona commanded her. Aerona knew better than to assume control on another's boat and waited patiently for her to rise.

She didn't move.

'Take me to Erebus, or I will find him on my own,' Aerona insisted.

Slowly, the second in command moved and pushed her gnarled hair off her face.

"Hold your horses – I'm coming...' she said slowly and then moved even slower.

Aerona ignored this deliberate attempt to block her visit and followed down the stairs to the captain's quarters silently.

The second in command made a fist and pounded the wood door rattling it aggressively.

'Come!' Erebus shouted from inside.

The second in command pushed the door open and waved her arm to usher Aerona through and then disappeared above deck.

Aerona stepped over the threshold and saw Erebus laying on his bunk, his eyes half closed. Aerona stopped in the middle of the small space and stood with her feet planted firmly apart and her arms crossed in front of her chest. She waited. The movement of her fulmar slowed until it rested against her leg.

Erebus barely acknowledged her. He waited. When eventually he began to speak, he raised his chin slightly and said, 'Well?'

Aerona felt her fury rise from her stomach, curl round her heart and lungs and infiltrate her oesophagus until it rested at the back of her throat. She swallowed hard. There was a coldness in the air between them that was colder than the underworld. Despite all they had been through, Aerona knew that Erebus was going to challenge her leadership. All good leaders know when they are about to be usurped, or they should. There are wise and kind leaders that are too trusting. There are tyrants that are brutal and murderous. And then there are those that know how to lead with wisdom, shrewdness, compassion, justice, truth, humility, courage, strength and self-control. And in this moment, Aerona knew that self-control was crucial.

Erebus sat up and stared at Aerona awaiting her response.

"Erebus,' Aerona began slowly knowing that if she made demands or commanded Erebus, he might well try to usurp her right then and there. She cleared her throat, 'Erebus, let us go up upon the deck and see where to land. It is not far now. Let us decide the best way to take the Kingdom whole keeping essential elements in tack.'

Aerona was careful to use the collective 'us' ensuring that he felt that this was a joint decision.

'Essential elements?' Erebus eyed her suspiciously.

'Yes – food, water, weapons, farming equipment, slaves...'

'Essential elements – okay, let's go up on the deck,' Erebus agreed.

Erebus stood and pointed hand towards the door, ushering her to exit first. Aerona hesitated momentarily, to be too trusting was a dangerous thing for a leader and she wasn't convinced that he would not literally stab her in the back as she left.

'Thank you,' Aerona said, 'but you should go first, it is your ship.'

They stared at each other, almost as if they were frozen under the sea once again. Aerona knew better than to break eye contact first, so she smiled and nodded her head.

'Come on,' Erebus said breaking his gaze first and pushed past her, his fulmar bounding off of his leg and hitting her.

Aerona looked around his captain's quarters quickly and followed Erebus up to the deck where they both stood at the helm next to his second.

Aerona spoke first, 'We must break the resistance of the Kingdom with as little fighting as possible to conserve our crews. We will need them for the battle at Lux Brumalis.'

Erebus simply nodded.

'Look Erebus, over there!' Aerona said pointing to a ship that was sailing up the coast. 'Let us get closer, close enough to follow, yet far enough away that we do not seem a threat.'

Erebus followed Aeron's line of sight.

'They are heading towards the Anastse Mountain Range,' Erebus said as he pulled at his fulmar. Aerona noticed how he struggled to haul it around, his pain palpable and his patience in short supply.

'Damn bird,' he said pulling at the rope.

Aerona nodded.

'We should also head towards the Anastase Mountain Range, don't you think? What course shall we set?' Aerona asked. 'Do you have your compass?'

Erebus was visibly thrown by the question. She was asking him to set the course. Aerona always set the course. Erebus pulled his compass out of his pocket and held it towards the Anastase Mountain Range and read the magnetic bearing.

'Head north-east,' Erebus commanded his second.

'I will return to the Octavia and follow,' Aerona confirmed as she moved away from Erebus.

Erebus leading the Ghost Ship formation would allow Aerona to keep an eye on him. She contemplated how Erebus took the bait when she appealed to his conceit as she rowed back to the Octavia. She did not lie, his directional skills were second to none, however, how far Erebus took the bait was debatable. He would surely question her motive to some extent but allowing him to lead gave her scope to consider the best course of action with shrewdness and temperance. If Erebus was going to be a problem, he could not be a problem for long.