Abhorrent Practices - Book 1

Chapter 7.5 - Downtime (Scene 5: Female of the Species)

Alyss leaned heavily against Perrick, her two arms wrapped tightly around his. After thirteen days confined to her cabin, she had finally convinced the doting Tharn that she was well enough to venture out onto the deck. He remained frustratingly sceptical about her claims to have seen a monster in the galley, but he'd finally agreed to take her to Naylor. First, though, he'd insisted she should thank Skrawl and Marla for all the medications they'd prepared.

Her legs were still weak but, with Perrick's help, Alyss found she could walk. Slowly, he guided her across the main deck. He found it awkward having to shorten his naturally long strides, but he shuffled forward, one half-step at a time, taking care to move at a pace she could manage.

They found Skrawl on the port side of the ship. For once he didn't seem to be in a hurry. He stood gazing out at the ocean, two arms akimbo, resting on his haunches, two stretched out in front of him, laid across the gunwale.

"Mister Skrawl," Alyss greeted him, "I understand I have you to thank for my recovery." She was relieved to find her voice didn't falter. After so many days of speaking to no one but Perrick, she'd been worried that her concerns about Darlen Grayne and the Knights of Endurance might betray her. "For the soup. And the medicines."

She could feel her strength returning. The sea air was helping, and every tiny step across the deck felt like a victory, boosting her confidence.

Skrawl swivelled one of his four conical eyes behind him. On seeing Alyss, he emitted a squeal of delight and scrabbled across the deck to meet her.

"Not m-me!" he said, seizing one of her hands and shaking it enthusiastically. "I just m-mix the ingredients. It's M-Marla who comes up with the recipes!"

Alyss lowered her eyes, her smile wan. Even with the blusher she'd applied to her cheeks, it was clear her skin had still to recover its usual warm, caramel colour.

"Well, I want to thank you both," she said. "Is Marla around?"

Two of Skrawl's eyes swivelled back towards the gunwale.

"Oh, she's swimming," he replied. "Come, have a look."

Alyss wondered if she'd misheard. It wasn't uncommon for the crew to bathe in the sea when the Jennie was at anchor but, with the ship at full sail, there was a real danger they might be left behind. Keeping a tight grip on Perrick's arm, she followed Skrawl as he scuttled excitedly back to the side of the ship.

As she approached the gunwale, Alyss released her hold on Perrick, and took up a position close to Skrawl. Her fingers gripped the rail, and she noticed how thin and pale they'd become. The surface of the sea was ruffled by the light winds, but she saw no sign of another preen. For a moment she feared Marla had been lost, unable to keep pace with the Jennie's speed. Skrawl, however, gave no indication of being concerned.

She felt Perrick's hand touch her arm and saw he was pointing at a pink shape diving beneath the smooth waves about fifteen feet away, just beyond the ship's wake. Her eyes widened in recognition. "That's it!" she whispered to him, grabbing his hand, her voice drying in her throat. "That's the monster I saw!"

The creature's sleek form darted alongside the Jennie's starboard hull just below the surface, a flash of glistening coral-pink, twisting and diving beneath the waves.

"Isn't she beautiful?" Skrawl gazed out over the gunwale, his eyes dewy with admiration.

Alyss stared down at the little lizard-like creature by her side, unable to speak. That thing in the water was Marla? No, it couldn't be. It cut smoothly through the water, almost unrecognisable as the shapeless mass she'd seen slithering awkwardly across the floor of the galley. But it couldn't be a preen; it looked nothing like Skrawl.