Heatwave

Part 12

After a day and a half of the tiring sea travel, I became used to the roll of the ship and the splashing mist of the water below. The wind never warmed up or gave in; it was a constant stream of brisk, damp air which filled my nose with the salty brine of the sea. The sky rolled with wispy clouds and clusters of traveling dragons, roaring and chattering amongst themselves about the Rackam miles below.

There was the constant rumble of wind blowing past the racing ship, as if the wooden vessel were a great brown dragon which flew over the water just as real dragons fly over a sea of trees. It felt like the sailors and I were the organs of the great wooden beast, keeping her heart pumping and her wings flapping.

This gave the sailors and me some common ground, and even though they were an oddly selective bunch they took me in easily and taught me whatever I needed to know. I was warry of that, they had no reason to trust me other than their captain said to. They were a talkative bunch yet it never felt like they were actually saying anything, this made me unusually silent. I felt like I needed to keep Darpik a secret in order to keep him safe, because wandering uselessly around the Rackam made me feel so far from Darpik even though I was meant to be moving toward him.

I felt shy and useless without Rahn to keep me in line and assure me we were making progress. Since I stepped foot on the Rackam I felt I'd lost more than I gained, further from Darpik still and now separated from Rahn.

Rogue waves and misty splashes dampened the deck of the ship and kept my clothes in a constant state of uncomfortable clamminess. I understood now the sailors' needs for facial hair and cloth coverings, the sea water clung to nearly every surface and left nothing untouched by its heavy stench.

As the horizon transformed from its seemingly endless flat scape of water, land began to rise up from the East and West with a still flat stretch of water between the two like a bridge. I went to Captain Breck when he ordered and brought with me several expanses of rope as instructed.

"I need you t' make sure 'n tie one end of these ropes to the mast here." The captain explained, "Then give the other end t' each of me sailors, ya' understand?" I nodded and went to work as Captain Breck went back to the helm.

It took me a good half hour to get all the ropes tied to the main mast, letting the free ends hang loosely around the post like tentacles. By the time I was finished the rest of the crew was dashing around the deck like startled mice and the growing cliffs of land to either side of the Rackam had risen and were less than two miles away.

"What's going on?" I asked Vonel as he sprinted by me.

"It's the Mouth of the Greenbriar, Eamon." He started walking away again but I waved him down, flustered.

"Why does Captain want me to give people the end of this rope?" I asked, holding up the free end and tugging to show the opposite end secured to the main mast.

"Ya' tie it 'round yer middle," Vonel explained, pointing to my hips, "it'll keep ya from flyin' off the ship when she gits tossed 'bout." Vonel ran off again and I stood beside my coil of tied ropes confusedly.

"Captain," I called up to the helm, "what's going to toss us about? What's the Mouth of the Greenbriar?"

Captain Breck yelled but I didn't hear his answer over the howling wind and crashing waves, "What?" I called again. This time in answer he pointed over the starboard bow.

I tied the end of a rope around my hips like Vonel had explained and went to the railing, looking down into the water. Just below the Rackam, the waves were wild and dangerous-looking as raced past, but in the opposite direction of usual.

Looking forward I noticed a great, gaping hole was opened up in the surface of the Greenbriar, spinning and gurgling angrily directly between the two peninsulas of land to the East and West. Thick, white foam and clusters of drift wood disappeared into the Mouth of the Greenbriar, a vast whirlpool threatening to swallow up me and the Rackam.