Chapter 3 #3
She’s right. If there is someone who loves this horse more than I do, it’s Silas.
We follow the same route that Silas took to the top deck.
We bound into the hallway, the staff pushing against our bodies in a rush to get to the deck.
Shouts and curses come from all around as people panic and fight to keep their balance against the rocking ship.
As we ascend the narrow staircase, Maines grips my arm tightly.
The ship’s crew hurries around the deck, seizing any ropes they can find to secure the masts.
The chaos is disorienting, but I breathe through my nose, trying to quell the fear surging within me.
Rain splatters our faces as we struggle to make out a few figures.
Silas, Oak, and Captain Darcy are on the quarterdeck, shouting at the crew below and pointing behind us toward the cliff approaching at a rapid pace.
Sprinting to the deck beside them, Silas grabs my arm, steadying me.
“Rose went to find you. You weren’t up here, and I got worried.
” A crashing wave sends us stumbling backward.
“They needed me here to grab the helms. We are going to have to abandon the ship, Briar. The storm is too strong to control anymore.”
I glance at Maines with a concerned look. “You can shift people out of here and onto the cliff’s edge. You need to start moving now. Many of these Wielders won’t be able to make the shift on their own.”
“What do you mean by us?” Maines responds. “You can help, too.
“I need to go to Rose and Myah. She went looking for me,” I snap back in protest. “I’m not going to leave her down there.”
“You are insane if you think I’m letting you go down there,” Silas says. “This ship is going to sink, and if you are down there when that happens…”
The wind continues to howl as the ship moves closer to the rocky shore with each passing second. The movement of the masts against the wind sounds like beasts groaning in the night. I watch the sails whip in the raging wind, and there are no signs of this storm passing soon or gently.
“We don’t have time for this, Silas. You need to start helping now.” I push back. “I can handle this. You know I’m strong. Let me assist her while you help the others. You know this area. They need you—they need your direction—and you know it.”
He stands completely frozen for a moment and sighs. “Go save her. But know if something happens to you, I won’t be able to live with myself for allowing this.” He kisses me before returning to the captain and Oak to devise a plan.
“Maines,” I shout through the storm, “Stay with them and keep an eye on Oak. He listens to you. Start helping get people off the ship. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“Where are we going to go?” Maines cautions.
“Trust Silas.” I move toward the narrow staircase. “I’ll find you when I can.”
She nods, yet her brows tighten in silent protest.
Rushing from the quarterdeck, the boat continues to sway.
I barely maintain my balance on the slick deck.
Flying down the narrow stairwell, I crash into the walls as the waves tip the boat.
Frantic shouts echo from the deck above while I continue down the hallway toward Myah’s stable.
Myah’s high-pitched neighing pierces my ears, and I fear her stomping may penetrate the wooden floors as I enter the room.
“Briar, what are you doing down here?” Rose shouts.
“You need to go right now. They are starting to evacuate the ship. The plan is to head for the nearby cliffs.”
Myah continues to neigh, her tramping becoming more frantic as the waves slap larger against the ship.
“Shhhh, Myah. It’s alright,” I try to calm her. “Rose, please take this bag and go to the others. They’re helping to get people off the ship and onto solid ground.”
Her stomping continues as I notice a halter and lead rope close by. I rush to grab it as Myah rears up, nearly kicking me, and I dodge her massive hooves.
“You can get her up on your own?” Rose questions.
“I can do this, Rose. Go find Silas. Now. He’s waiting.”
She grabs the bag filled with my mother’s crown and exits the stable in a flash.
“Be safe,” she calls, disappearing.
Her determined footsteps fade in the storm, and I say a silent prayer that she’s quick.
The raging wind bangs against the small window, like a creature of darkness desperately trying to break in. Putting on the halter, I rub Myah’s head for a second, hoping to calm her before we begin our ascent.
“We can do this, Myah. You need to trust me.” I stare into her beautiful eyes, but no calmness meets my gaze. “Let’s go.”
I place my head against her strong cheek. Her worried eyes meet mine, and we share a moment of silence before a strike of lightning pulls us back.
I tug on the lead as we make our way down the hallway.
The shouts above have subsided, and I can only pray that most of the people above have moved somewhere safer.
Considering the horse's weight, I quickly realize that we won’t be able to do the same.
A clap of lightning echoes through the air, and Myah rears behind me with barely enough room to spare.
The lead rope rips through my hand, taking my skin with it.
A loud crash distracts me, and I know we only have a few moments left to reach the deck and escape the ship.
I hurry down the hallway, Myah close behind, as we ascend the stairs.
The fear of being trampled weighs heavily on my mind with her at my back, so I remain constantly aware of Myah’s condition.
The top deck is deserted except for a fallen mast that now blocks most of the wooden area.
I look around in every direction but only see darkness surrounding me and a soaring wall—not of shadows, but of rock—to my right.
That suffocating feeling returns, making my stomach churn.
I can feel my head starting to spin as the towering cliff closes in on us.
Keep it together. Count to ten.
Except now, I don’t think we have that time left. Something to the left catches my eye, and I swear I see a ship in the distance from the flicker of a few small candles. I turn back to Myah, who’s anxiously awaiting my lead.
“Myah, we are going to have to jump.”
She continues to stomp and neigh frantically as I lead her toward the edge.
“Can you do this, Myah? Can you jump?”
She rears and pulls against the rope in response as I try to move her toward the churning water, avoiding the edge where I need her to go.
The black water below surges like a wide, open mouth, and I feel a shiver run down my spine.
Its darkness threatens to swallow us whole if we enter, but either way, we are going in.
As the seconds run out, I back us from the edge toward the middle, where the mast has fallen.
“If you won’t jump on your own, then we will have to go together.”
I grasp her long mane and swing my leg over her strong back, settling in as securely as possible. Her white body gleams in the darkness, like a beacon in the night.
“You ready?” I pat her neck.
She neighs in response, a high-pitched echo moving around us, telling me all I need to know. She is as terrified as I am.
I take a long, deep breath, looking at the edge before us. With a solid kick, my feet press into her sides, and she bounds forward.
Another loud crack rattles in the night, and I glance behind me to see the second mast splinter, falling our way.
Myah’s hooves echo on the deck as she nears the edge of the boat.
With only a moment left, we leap over the edge.
Time seems to pause, and the screams of the storm become muffled.
We crash into the darkness below, and I gulp a mouthful of water.
Panic floods me, and I cough, desperately trying to catch my breath.
The ripping black water surges above my head, but I hold a firm grip on the rope. For a moment, I'm unsure which way to turn. I break the surface of the water, glancing in all directions. The current tore me from Myah, but I pull on the leather straps still in my hands.
Myah treads water near me as I shout, “This way.”
The crashing waves blind me, stinging my eyes, but I swim away from the sinking ship through the choppy water, pushing my body as hard as I can toward the rocky shore.
In the distance, the smaller ship approaches, with another one waiting nearby. A crash shakes the cliff to our right, and our ship shatters like glass against the rocky surface, the final mast tumbling into the water, barely missing us.
In the distance, I hear the shouts of people as the boat approaches, but the tumultuous waves begin to pull me down. My mind travels back to the second trial—the Serpyndens. My swimming becomes frantic as I’m desperate to leave the dark water.
“Myah!” I shout behind me. “This way, girl.”
The horse keeps swimming, struggling as her head bobs up and down with the blinding waves.
As the boat nears, my nerves tighten as the size of the ship grows like the black waves.
I desperately scream toward the boat, and right now, I don’t care if the enemy has found me.
I need to get Myah out of this water quickly.
I can deal with whatever's ahead once she’s safe.
The ship slows as it approaches.
“There she is,” Silas screams. “Fuck. She has Myah, too.”
He disappears over the edge of the ship. Instant relief floods me, knowing they are safe.
The lightning starts to diminish as the rain ceases above. My vision sharpens, and I spot Maines waving frantically from the ship's deck. As the waves begin to calm, I guide Myah toward a rocky bank, no longer in fear of the jagged edges shredding us. She needs to rest almost as urgently as I do.