The morning after his nighttime conversation with Emily, Lewis woke later than he had planned. Perhaps it was because of the absence of the ferocious waves battering the side of the ship. For the first time in three days, he woke to the sound of energetic chatter rather than the howling wind and rain lashing at the windows.
There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, he noted as he peered through the gap in the moth-eaten brown curtains. That wasn’t the only thing that was different, though. They were moving. If he pressed his face against the glass, he could just about see The Misty Islands as the ship sailed towards them.
‘Lewis, are you awake?’ a voice called, dragging him away from the window.
‘Yes!’ he called, picking up the black t-shirt that sat on the end of his bunk and pulling it over his bare torso. Without another word, the door opened, and Thomas leaned into the room.
‘That’s good,’ Thomas said with a smile. Since they had first met, Thomas had warmed to him and Emily considerably, thankfully. ‘I thought it was best to wake you now. We’re heading into The Misty Islands.’
‘I saw,’ Lewis replied. ‘It makes a change not to be stuck in one place.’
‘I know how you feel,’ Thomas said. ‘To be so close and yet unable to do anything is agonising." Anyway, breakfast is ready, and we’re heading up to eat on deck. Join us when you’re ready.’
‘Okay, give me a minute,’ Lewis said as Thomas backed out of the cabin, pulling the door shut behind him again.
Pausing, Lewis scoured the room for his bag, finally spotting it tucked behind the small table that sat in the corner of the cabin. Pulling a thin brown jacket from the bag, he pulled it on quickly, zipping it up halfway. With one last look around the cabin, he grabbed his bag and hurried out the door after Thomas.
Since he had first woken, the dull murmur of voices had disappeared, leaving him to walk the narrow corridors in silence, retracing the steps he had taken the night before. Unlike the last time he had been on deck, he found the sun beating down on his skin warmly. As he looked around, it seemed as if everyone on The Wings of Gold was gathered on the deck.
When the door that led to the cabins slammed shut behind him, Thomas looked up from where he sat with Arthur, Amanda, and Emily. Elsewhere on the deck, the sailors sat around in small groups, eating and talking merrily. It seemed that after being stuck on the stormy seas for days, the sight of the brilliant sunshine couldn’t help but lift their spirits.
I couldn’t ask for a much better day for it,’ Thomas said as Lewis joined them, sitting down in the gap Arthur created as he shuffled over slightly.
‘Do you have any idea what we’re going to face on the island?’ Lewis asked, helping himself to a slice of toast that sat on the plate in the centre of their small circle.
‘Not really. The only thing I know for sure is that we will need clear skies if we’re going to get in the tomb,’ Thomas said. ‘The rest we can only guess at.’
‘What’s your guess, Thomas?’ Emily asked.
Standing up, he turned away from them, staring out at the islands ahead of them. ‘I think it’s going to be pretty heavy going. From here, it looks like very uneven terrain and dense forests.’
‘Do you know where the tomb is?’ Lewis asked as Thomas sat down again.
‘Roughly.’
‘That’s good,’ Emily said brightly, helping herself to more of the toast.
‘If you look at a map, then The Misty Islands are made up of four islands. What people don’t know is that there is actually a fifth island,’ Thomas said.
‘How can people not know there is a fifth island? Surely someone sailing past would be able to see there are five and not four? Arthur asked, bewildered.
‘The fifth island is obscured by the other four islands. The only way someone would know that there are five is if they sailed in amongst the islands,’ Thomas explained.
‘Surely someone has sailed through there before? Why haven’t they updated the maps?’ Arthur asked.
‘People have sailed between the islands before. The problem is that no one outside the Vandemark family has ever returned,’ Thomas said. ‘Because the crown is hidden on the fifth island, they never sought to have the maps amended.’
‘What happened to the other ships?’ Amanda asked.
‘They either ran aground or sank, I assume,’ Thomas said with a shrug of his shoulders. ‘So many ships have been lost in the area that trade ships avoid the area now. Every sailor knows how dangerous these waters are.’
‘If it’s so dangerous, then why did anyone agree to come out here?’ Amanda asked quietly.
‘Jonathan owes me a favour,’ Thomas said simply. ‘I also know his crew would never turn down the chance for an adventure. Especially one that carries such a big prize.’
‘What exactly is that prize?’ Lewis asked suspiciously. Had Thomas only agreed to help them because there was something in it for him?
Before Thomas could reply, there was a shout from the helm of the ship. ‘Drop the sails!’
At once, the crew jumped to their feet, discarding their breakfast and the conversations they had been having. As the sails came down, Lewis stood up, feeling the ship begin to slow. ‘Drop anchor!’ Jonathan shouted down from the helm as he continued to guide the ship carefully.
‘What’s going on?’ Lewis asked loudly as the anchor was dropped overboard with a tremendous splash. They were still a fair distance from land. It took several seconds, but eventually the ship shuddered to a halt, the calm waters content to rock the ship gently.
‘We might have a problem,’ Jonathan said, appearing beside Thomas suddenly and handing him a golden telescope as they walked towards the rail.
‘What’s going on?’ Lewis repeated, hurrying after Thomas and Jonathan.
‘We aren’t the only ones here,’ Jonathan said as he surveyed the view before them. Crinkling his eyebrows, Lewis scanned the horizon. It took him a minute to realise that Jonathan was right. In the distance, a ship sat close to the island that was directly ahead of them.
‘It’s one of Tristan’s,’ Thomas said worriedly as he handed the telescope to Lewis. Lifting the telescope to his eye, Lewis scanned the sea, spotting the ship in the distance. Thomas was right. Set over the dark green sails were two white, downturned swords, the coat of arms that belonged to Tristan.
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‘What do you want us to do?’ Jonathan asked as Lewis passed him the telescope. Lifting it to his own eye, he looked out at Tristan’s ship again.
‘How close to the island do you think you can get us?’ Thomas asked, running a hand through his hair.
‘It’s hard to say from here,’ he replied, turning his attention to the water surrounding the island. ‘They managed to get in fairly close, so I should be able to get you that close. We have a much smaller ship, so possibly closer.’
‘Can you take us in somewhere on the other side of that peninsula? It’s better if we keep away from the other ship, I think. At least until we know what we’re dealing with,’ Thomas said.
‘Alright,’ Jonathan said, handing the telescope to Thomas again. ‘See if you can see anything while I bring her in.’
Leaving Lewis and Thomas staring out at the ship from Tristan, he retreated to the helm of the ship again, calling for the anchor to be raised again.
‘What’s happening?’ Emily asked, forcing herself into the small gap between Lewis and Thomas.
‘Tristan has a ship here already,’ Lewis said as Thomas surveyed the coastline with the telescope in silence.
‘You think Anthony got here before us?’ she asked, squinting at the ship in the distance as they began to move forward again. Slowly, Jonathan began turning the ship so that it was directed towards the right-hand side of the peninsula.
‘I don’t know who else it could be,’ Lewis said. ‘Like Thomas said, none of the trade ships come anywhere near The Misty Islands.’
‘We lost a trade ship somewhere out here at the end of Harvest,’ Emily said.
‘You did?’ Lewis and Thomas asked together, both of them turning to her.
‘They said it sunk out here,’ Emily said. ‘I remember because Sebastian had a letter from the families of the sailors about compensation.’
‘You said they lost the ship at the end of Harvest?’ Thomas asked.
‘That was what the letter said,’ Emily said. ‘It was in a bundle of paperwork I gave to Sebastian the day he died.’
‘Was the ship blown off course in a storm or something? Did the letter say?’ Thomas demanded.
‘No,’ Emily replied. ‘I don’t think so anyway; it was a long time ago. Why?’
‘Sebastian would never let a trade ship anywhere near The Misty Islands,’ Thomas said. ‘When he placed the crown in the tomb, he saw how treacherous the waters were in this part. I helped him plan the new trade routes so that they wouldn’t come within miles of the islands. It was one of the last things I did in Tristan.’
‘What does this mean?’ Lewis asked, taking the telescope and using it to study the ship in the distance.
‘Either Anthony has taken a ship out here or the one he sent never sank,’ Thomas said.
‘Edmund did say that Anthony knew where the tomb was,’ Lewis said. ‘Perhaps he was trying to get the crown before Sebastian died.’
‘It was him, wasn’t it?’ Emily said. ‘Anthony was the one who poisoned the wine. He killed Sebastian, didn’t he?’
‘I don’t know,’ Thomas sighed. ‘It is beginning to look that way, though. I don’t know why he would do it, though; he knew that Sebastian was terminally ill. He probably would only have had to wait a couple more seasons, if that.’
‘What if the person who poisoned him didn’t know?’ Lewis suggested as he handed the telescope back to Thomas. ‘I can’t see anyone on the ship.’
‘That would be beyond concerning,’ Thomas said. ‘If it wasn’t Anthony, then there could be a third party in play here.’
‘What would a third party have to gain here, though? Anthony thinks he has the crown to gain, but what could anyone else hope to get out of this?’ Emily asked.
‘That is a question worth a kingdom,’ Thomas said thoughtfully. ‘This doesn’t change anything, though. Whether Anthony poisoned Sebastian or not, he will invoke the prophecy if he takes the crown. All we can do for now is try to prevent that.’
‘What do we tell everyone?’ Lewis asked as he turned to watch the crew, most of whom had returned to their breakfast.
‘Tell them that there is the possibility that we aren’t alone on the island,’ Thomas said as he turned away from the sea as well. ‘The rest stays between the three of us for now,’ he added as they watched Amanda laugh at something Arthur had just said. ‘For all the hardship my brother forced on me, I don’t regret taking Arthur in, you know.’
‘He’s grateful that you did. More than I think he can ever say,’ Emily said with a smile.
With a nod, Thomas turned back to the sea, lifting the telescope to his eye once more. ‘You two should get your things together; I have a feeling it is going to be a very long day.’
Having already brought his things up on deck, Lewis was left to watch the tense and nervy run up to their landing. As they got closer to the island, Jonathan positioned the crew around the edges of the deck in search of unseen obstacles. Through dozens of tiny adjustments, he was able to steer The Wings of Gold between the rocky outcrops and the remains of partially submerged ships.
‘Drop the anchor!’ Jonathan shouted as he turned the ship so that it sat alongside the peninsula, well out of sight of the ship from Tristan. With the resounding splash of the anchor being dropped overboard, their journey among The Misty Islands came to an end. ‘This is as close as I can get you, I’m afraid,’ Jonathan said as he appeared between Lewis and Thomas.
Nodding, Thomas looked down at the shallow water between the ship and the island. ‘You got much closer than they managed to.’
‘What do you want us to do?’ Jonathan asked.
‘We need you and your crew to stay here,’ Thomas said. ‘There’s a chance that someone will have seen us bringing the ship in. We can’t afford to come back and find they’ve run their ship aground and taken this one. Myself, Lewis, Arthur, Emily, and Amanda will go ashore and look for the tomb.’
‘Good luck in that case,’ Jonathan said as he unsheathed his sword, holding the hilt out to Lewis. ‘Take this. Hopefully you won’t need it out there.’
‘Are you sure?’ Lewis asked sceptically as he looked at the sword.
‘Certain. We have plenty of other weapons on the ship that we can use if anyone comes. I don’t know how much use your bow will be in the densest parts of the forest,’ Jonathan insisted, forcing the sword into Lewis’s hand.
‘I’ll get it back to you,’ Lewis promised as he took it, fastening the sheath around his waist when Jonathan took his off and handed it to him as well.
‘Just make sure you get back in one piece as well, all of you,’ Jonathan said. ‘Are you ready to go?’
‘I think we’ve got everything,’ Thomas said as he beckoned Arthur, Amanda, and Emily over. ‘We’ll be back as soon as we can.’
‘Good luck,’ Jonathan said as he picked up a rope ladder and threw it over the side of the ship. Leaning against the rail, Thomas took off his shoes, gesturing for the others to do the same.
With the rest of the crew watching on, Thomas, Lewis, Arthur, Amanda, and Emily climbed over the side of the ship, supply bags on their backs, shoes in one hand, and their trousers rolled up to their knees.
‘The water is nice and warm,’ Thomas called up to Jonathan as he stepped back and allowed the others down.
‘That’s a good start, then,’ he laughed as Lewis stepped off the bottom of the ladder and into the shallow water, feeling the white sand between his toes as his feet sank in slightly. Offering his free hand to Emily and Amanda, he helped them down from the ladder.
‘Let’s get going then,’ Thomas said, taking a deep breath as he turned away from The Wings of Gold, leading their small party towards the beach.
‘For somewhere called The Misty Islands, it’s actually quite nice here,’ Amanda said as she took in the forest that sat on the other side of the wide, white sand beach.
‘This isn’t a holiday,’ Arthur reminded her with a laugh as he stopped on the beach, pulling an old towel out of his bag.
For a while, the five of them sat on the beach, taking it in turns to dry their feet before putting their shoes back on. All the while, Lewis was aware that the crew of The Wings of Gold were standing on the ship, watching them intently and keeping a lookout for them while their guard was down.
‘Right,’ Thomas said, breaking the silence as he stood up, slinging one of the climbing ropes over his shoulder. ‘Is everyone ready?’
With a murmur of agreement, they got to their feet, Lewis and Arthur shouldering the other climbing ropes. ‘Where do we start looking?’ he asked.
‘Let’s head up the hillside and see if we can get a decent vantage point,’ Thomas said, pointing in the direction of the ridge that stuck out into the sea, separating them from the ship that bore the Tristan coat of arms.
Glancing over his shoulder one last time, Lewis raised a hand in farewell to the crew of The Wings of Gold before following Thomas towards the forest. Hopefully, they will be back on the ship before too long with the crown. ‘How long do you think it will take us to find the crown?’ he asked as he caught up with Thomas, matching his stride as he walked beside him.
‘I don’t know exactly. All I know is that we won’t be able to get inside the tomb until the moon rises,’ Thomas said, pushing aside a vine that hung down from the trees towering above them. ‘Everyone be on your guard.’
Adjusting the supply bag on his back, Lewis pulled his bow off his shoulder. Despite what Jonathan had said, he notched an arrow loosely as he walked. Beside him, Thomas produced a machete that, until now, Lewis hadn’t noticed. Taking the lead, he began to cut a path through the undergrowth for them.