Dance of The Dragonwolf

Learning to Dance with Storms

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Chapter 58, Chapter 59, Chapter 60, Chapter 61, Chapter 62, Chapter 63, Chapter 64, Chapter 65, Chapter 66, Chapter 67, Chapter 68, Chapter 69, Chapter 70, Chapter 71, Chapter 72, Chapter 73, Chapter 74, and Chapter 75 are already available for Patrons.

The morning sun had barely risen when Aenar arrived at the docks, finding Corlys already aboard a modest training vessel. The Sea Snake's expression was unreadable as he watched the young prince approach.

"You're late," Corlys stated flatly, though Aenar had arrived exactly on time.

"My apologies, Lord Corlys. It won't happen again." Aenar kept his voice steady, refusing to be intimidated.

"See that it doesn't. A ship waits for no one, prince or pauper." Corlys gestured to the deck. "Your first lesson begins now. Show me how you'd prepare this vessel for departure."

Aenar hesitated for just a moment before moving to inspect the rigging. He'd read about sailing, of course, but books were poor substitutes for experience. He began checking ropes and knots, aware of Corlys's critical gaze following his every move.

"Wrong," Corlys called out as Aenar reached for a particular line. "That's the mainsheet. Touch it now and you'll have the boom swinging wild before we even leave port."

Aenar withdrew his hand, frustration building. He moved to the next rope, only to be stopped again.

"No. Gods, have you ever even been on a ship before?" Corlys's voice carried a sharp edge of irritation.

"I've studied-"

"Books won't save you when a storm's bearing down and your rigging's in chaos," Corlys cut him off.

"Start with the bow lines," Corlys finally said, his voice rougher than before. "Work your way aft. Check every knot, every splice. I'll tell you if you're about to kill us all."

For the next hour, Aenar worked under Corlys's exacting instruction. Every mistake was met with a sharp correction, every success with merely a grunt of acknowledgment. When Aenar accidentally tangled two sheets while trying to properly secure them, Corlys's patience finally seemed to snap.

"Enough," he barked. "This is pointless. You're more likely to sink us than sail us. Perhaps we should-"

"No," Aenar interrupted, surprising them both with his vehemence. "I won't give up. Show me the proper way."

Corlys studied him for a long moment, something shifting in his expression. "Why? Why is this so important to you?"

"Because," Aenar started, then paused, choosing his words carefully. "Because I need this to work for me, my plan cannot work if I fail. And because you're the best teacher I could hope for, even if I'm not the student you wished to teach."

The last words hung in the air between them. Corlys's jaw tightened, but something in his eyes softened slightly.

"Watch," he said finally, moving to demonstrate the correct way to handle the tangled sheets. "See how the lines need to flow? Like this. Now you try."

Aenar copied his movements exactly, this time managing to properly secure the ropes. Corlys nodded, the barest hint of approval in his gesture.

As the morning progressed, Aenar's initial clumsiness began to give way to more confident movements. He still made mistakes, but they became less frequent, less severe. When they finally moved on to actually sailing the vessel, Corlys's corrections, while still frequent, carried less bite.