Eyes out on the endless water in front of her, Eleanor listened to her men scatter across her ship. The footsteps led in so many directions, and she didn't process that one set was coming in a straight line to her. She barely stifled her startle when a hand lay on her shoulder.
"Elle. I think we have overlooked something this morning,” a voice came as she turned around to look at who had managed to sneak up on her.
"Nathaniel," she said and let out a low sigh. "What exactly did we overlook?" Her tone was curt. She had the utmost respect and understanding for her first mate.
"Sam," he said, letting his hand fall off of her. Despite their closeness, he was careful to show his place as second in command. The effort showed.
"Sam?"
"Samuel. The scholar we brought aboard. With the books. The man we kidnapped to spite the navy?"
"Oh." Eleanor looked away from Nathaniel and shifted her eyes towards the cabins. "You think he knows something about this creature? About mermaids and their…" She trailed off at the end, unsure of how to follow up the words. "Everything, Ma'am," he replied.
She nodded. "Bring him here. Now."
With that, she turned back around, one hand gripping the helm of the Zephyrus. Alone again, her thoughts returned. Eleanor knew that she needed to rest but was unsure of when she would find the time. The creature had given her only one day. They needed to prepare, yet she knew she wouldn't have the energy to fight anything the way she felt now. It was going to get worse once her adrenaline wained.
If only she knew that her men would be with her. She could tell them to make sure everything was in order and close her eyes. Sleep, dream, and enjoy what could be her last day on this earth, above this water.
If only she had proper time to talk to that man they had brought to the ship. She had wondered more than once what possessed Nathaniel to agree and her to go along. If he had answers now, he would have earned his keep, she supposed.
If only the world still made sense. Then she wouldn't have to deal with any of this at all. She could deal with normal things like navies, storms, and plunder.
"If only," the words found a way from her brain through her mouth.
"If only what, Elle?" Nathaniel's deep voice sounded behind her.
She started. "If only my men would stop sneaking up on me," she said as she turned around to face him. She felt like he had walked away from her less than a moment ago, and here he was, back again. "Did you speak to him? Sam?"
Nathaniel gave a slight shrug before responding. "Yes. He said he would come to find you when he found something in one of his books. And yes, he knows to be swift."
"Swift is an understatement. When he makes an appearance, direct him to me and have someone take the helm. I don't care who. We need to make land, regardless of which side you and the others land on tonight. Sam and the crew's decision. Both of those need to find me in my cot by nightfall. We won't have much time after that." She didn't wait for him to respond.
Eleanor found momentum and pushed her small frame towards the door to the cabins. She was in for a long night, no matter what.
Stolen novel; please report.
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"Captain," Sam spoke, standing a foot away from Eleanor's cot.
The words were soft and undemanding, but they woke her from a light sleep. "You may speak." She was awake but groggy still.
If he waited for her to sit or stand, her impatience would flare. There didn't seem a good reason to add any arguments to her plate. She was still unsure whether she was going to be facing both a monstrous mermaid as well as a mutiny come moon-rise.
"I come with news and have information as well," Sam began. "Nathaniel has told me what happened last night and that your men have spoken. They will be fighting alongside you, which is good news for all of us. You will need the numbers, and it may still be a slaughter."
"So your books do explore human-like sea creatures? Mythical monsters with tails and fangs? You know of mermaids?" Eleanor asked him.
She had doubted he would know anything more than they did. After all, she was the one that lived on the sea, instead of inside books and words.
"On this subject, I know much. Although I am not certain how much help it will be. The archives tell two types of stories on merfolk. One is the more traditional harmless kind. The mermaids that are truly maidens of the sea. They shine in the sun and sit upon rocks, waving to sailors. They splash and blend in with the other dancing sea creatures." Samuel gestured with one hand, the other holding a book against his side.
"The other type is like the one you say you met last night. They are fanged and deadly. Predators. They have a large civilization underneath the water, down on the seafloor. No one knows where in the ocean they may be, but they come up for us when they have the need. They are powerful. One of them rivals an army of humans. It does not matter that they are on land instead of in their own domain."
Eleanor sat up in her cot. He was throwing information at her without so much as looking at the book he’d brought.
"Rest assured on two things,” he continued, "she will not kill you. She will instead try to take you with her. She also will not take your men. But she will kill anyone who stands in her way. If the lore is true, strength will not help us. You must combine your cunning with your men. Outsmart and surprise her, and we have hope to see the sun again." "That was not very helpful, Sam." Eleanor's eyes focused on his face. "You will need to do better than that to stay on board if we get through this. What do your words say about land? Would it save us?" she asked.
"It may," Sam said. "If we find it. If we get you far enough from the shore, the mermaid may give up and find another. I find that to be a lot of ifs, though."
"So do I," she replied, standing up to address her crew.
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The sun had begun to set, its edges touching the horizon. It sent a mirror image across the water, blinding the earth from both above and below for a moment in time. While dusk pushed the afternoon aside, the Zephyrus was busy with movement. The crew was hiding the evidence of their leisure day, moving all the barrels and cots as out of the way as possible.
Sam had sat down with Eleanor and Nathaniel, sharing anything he thought they could use to command and prepare the men.
Isaac had ordered the sails to stay full, steering the ship towards land as best he could even though they had yet to spot even sand bars along their way.
They were doing everything they could to be ready for battle while hoping to avoid it. No one was sure yet which scenario it would be, but they were mentally steeling for the worst. It was a hard reality to deal with—one where myths came true and appeared worse than ever imagined.
"There's no more that words can do for us. I thank you again, Sam," she said, facing both him and her first mate. "Please go make sure everything is ready. We don't know for sure how much time we have."
Nathaniel walked out of the cabin with his orders. He knew how to make the ship ready for battle. He had given the men their initial jobs earlier. It was within his position to take care of things while the captain was otherwise occupied. "Stay safe. You are not here for battle. You are here for your cargo," Eleanor told the scholar. With that, she followed Nathaniel onto the deck, walking at a slow pace across the dark wood.
If only we had found land, she thought to herself.
As she passed, her eyes glanced around at the crew getting things finished. She figured they were as ready as they would ever be. At least they all had time to sober up and think straight. It may help if anything at all would.
She walked to the helm, sending Isaac on his way. Her mind didn't have the focus for what was happening behind her anymore. Her eyes were on the horizon. She was watching and waiting for the moon to rise and grow, searching for ripples on the water as it darkened. She was listening for the song she had heard the night before. For splashes that may signify things were happening. Only the dreaded wait ahead floated through her thoughts now.