Greggan

The day had grown soft across the water, the night sky seemed to hang differently over the open ocean. Ertimus had given the order to lower the main sails again now that they were far enough out of sight of Merrimore. Greggan did wonder why Ertimus didn't just go there and send for his fathers escort but didn't dare ask the young captain. Dinner had been a topic of concern since none of the boys even Ertimus wanted to eat turnips again and they were all out of seagull meat. It seems that those eight were all the gulls were gonna allow them to have since the gulls steered clear of the ship.

"There are fish in the ocean and this ship is equipped with a few nets, maybe we drop them and see what we pull up." Greggan suggested but immediately regretted it, " And find out what would pull us under. That shark hasn't given up pursuit just yet, the water is not cold enough to keep it away . I'm afraid we may have to dine on onions and turnips again." Ertimus was not about to sacrifice his ship and his crew for a few slabs of fish meat, but the rumbling in his stomach made it hard for him to find fault in the idea. " Perhaps I can retrieve us some fish another way."

Ertimus drew some symbols in the air and the space where he drew the symbols began to glow hanging there. Ertimus pulled a long stick with a silver net from the symbols, they turned to smoke as the item fully materialized. " let's see if I can catch us some fish this way."

Greggan followed behind their captain to watch him use his magic net, at first the net looked too small to reach the water, but it started to grow longer, at first it was a good six feet from the water, but within seconds it was in the water skimming the surface. The other two boys watched the water for the large black shadow of the Mammoth shark but so far had not seen it, to the contrary there seemed to be large schools of fish following the ship.

Ertimus pulled up the net which was now swolen with fish inside its net, each at least a foot or longer. Their silver scales looked like coins as the sun bounced off them, they squirmed and writhed inside the net as Ertimus emptied his net onto the deck. "do you think we have enough for tonight?" Ertimus asked Avery almost mockingly, " I think we have enough for a few nights captain!" Greggan counted twenty large fish, though he wasn't sure of what kind they were and he really didn't care, he just wanted to eat them.

The fish flopped on the deck as the boys tried to grab them and put them into an empty barrel filled with salt down below. The salt would keep the fish edible at least for later, something they should have done with the seagulls the night before. The seagulls had made their way back to the ships rigging now that their were fish guts and heads on the deck as well as blood and scales. They looked to eat the left over parts of the fish, Greggan still planned on capturing a couple if he could for something else to eat later.

Avery had decided to make the meat stretch so he made another stew, onion turnips a bit of cabbage and some potatoes all simmered over the stove in a large black pot, the smells filled the ship both atop and below. Ertimus remained at the helm and the little boys both cleaned the deck of the fish debris.

Greggan looked of the portside of the boat to see the water exploding in their wake, the mammoth shark had gone as far as its body would tolerate in the cold waters and had been caught in the cold tides. Greggan watched as it wrestled against the freezing hands of the eastern ocean, "serves it right, should have left us be after it ate big boy." He watched as the shark tried to dive back under the water but the surface was where it stayed thrashing its giant body as the cruel cold eastern ocean swallowed it.

"Do you think the oceans killed it?" Greggan looked up at Ertimus who had walked over to watch with Greggan. " Maybe, the mammoth shark is known to hold grudges to a point it can be a danger to itself, I say it may have gone too far into the cold waters, your guess is really as good as mine." Ertimus went back to the helm and leaned against the wheel holding it steady as he slumped over watching the blue waves roll towards the coast.

"Ertimus.", a slight sigh fell from Ertimus's lips but he humored him just the same, " Yes Greggan."

Greggan shivered as a cold wind blew up his back causing goosebumps to rise across his arms, he rubbed his arms with his hands, " Are you sure your father will let me be your ward, I mean I don't have any magic, what good would I be to a proper Magelord?"

He knew Greggan had seen a lot in his short life, an orphan who's had his life nearly taken a number of times, by all rights better bred men had died where this little boy had managed to some how have the fortune to get away. "I'm the next Lord of the house, he will allow me to take you as my ward and leave you as my responsibility, I will by all rights be your father when its all done."

Greggan face had grown confused, " would I still be a La'velle? or would I become a lord too?" Ertimus gave a slight chuckle " No you would still be a La'velle, you would not gain any titles but you would be well taken care of and I can make sure you want for nothing but i can't change you're station."

"I'll have a home though?" , "and clothes, education, food, and wealth. Who cares about titles anyway" Ertimus put his hand on Greggan's shoulder, "And when i'm Lord of the house i can made you apart of my counsel which WILL raise your station."

Greggan stood there with Ertimus watched the waves break across the bow as they cut through the water. " are there any devils in these waters like in the western seas?"

"Some, but not as horrifying as those western monsters. I really don't understand why common folk brave those waters." Ertimus was palming the pommel of his sword as he spoke, he had hoped to get to practice with his new weapon it had seemed like forever since he took it off the slaver. Truth be told he was no swordsman, no more than the boys were, he wasn't weak and could hold the blade with relative ease but his father was a mage, a fat balding mage who never even used a cheese knife. Mages do not value physical arts like swords unless they were enchanted or otherwise magical.

" what monsters lurk in these waters?" Greggan was bored of the stories Avery told, they were all the same, all about old knights and the battle of the four corners, the rise of the house Arcana which ruled this or that. Greggan didn't want to hear stories about men, he wanted to know about monsters, devils and demons. He wanted to hear about the elves of the ire and the old mages of the eastern dead lands. Anything but of men and their kings, he had enough of them.

"These waters are too cold for the sort of monsters like mammoth sharks and krakens and other giants. These eastern waters carry with their waves the Sirens, those have the ability to sing a man into the ocean to meet the whole school waiting to devoir his flesh before his head hits the water. Though they tend to be more around the eastern most coast of the savage lands, out here we are more likely to see the ghosts of the waters crying at our bow creating fog thicker than spoiled milk where the rocks become like unseen swords in the water ready to slice through the hull and send the ship into the water below collecting the souls aboard to add to their numbers."

Ertimus stopped telling his tale, the fear on Greggans face was more than he meant him, "i'm sorry Greggan, I didn't mean to frighten you. It's a clear night and we are not close enough to the shoreline to be anywhere near the rocks."

Greggan eyes grew wide, " Is that all there is out here to be afraid of?" " you should be afraid of everything but find the courage to defeat fears. It's not craven to be afraid, you can't be brave without a little fear, or at least that's what my father says."

Avery coughed deliberately to let them know he was there, He was holding two bowls of the fish stew he had made, steam was rolling off the broth that left a delicious scent of onions and herbs behind. Greggan's mouth watered as Avery handed them their bowls, " enjoy gentlemen. I dare say this is my best yet!"

After tasting the soup they both hardily agreed, they all agreed that some bread would put the dish over the top and laughed as they drank further into another cask of wine from the stores below.

Their supper managed to blow the chill off them for a short time but they all agreed it would be best if the crew slept below deck away from the wind at night. There were no Mammoth sharks or Krakens out there to keep a look out for. Ertimus was sent to bed with great protest but Avery would hear nothing from him.

"you've manned the helm all day and you need rest, sleep with the boys and take back over when you've awaken." Much like before Ertimus finally surrendered and went below to sleep and let Avery man the helm. He just had to keep the ship following the shore until he came to a port, there were a few between here Aerios so he was sure Avery would wake him when one came into view.

Ertimus found a nice spot under the stairwell where they kept the potatoes and leaned against a pile of bags that were still untouched and very full. Greggan had taken the spot he liked by the turnips which had many emptied sacks in a pile besides the full. He stacked them together to make a little bed and he quickly drifted off to sleep.

Greggan rarely dreamed anymore, he preferred it, since most of his dreams were just him running from purple lights and Giant sharks meant to have him for supper, a reprieve was welcomed whenever it came. Greggan could feel the boat sway as he slept and hear the moaning of the wind through the riggings and the dull roar of the waves against the hull of the ship. The sacs were itchy but warm, and the mattress he made was better than floor for sure.

Greggan could hear the far off laughter of the seagulls flying high above the ship looking to try and dive to the deck for the scraps of the fish they had prepared but too afraid to become their dinners instead. The noise was terribly annoying, it sounded like someone in hysterics, then a shrill scream followed by more laughter. Greggan shot straight up to see the other two boys rouse just as abrupt from their sleep.

"To the decks, to Avery!" Ertimus jumped to quickly at first hitting his head on one of the steps, he shook it off and disappeared into the shadow. Greggan raced as quick as he could fumbling with his thin sword and its sheath as he made way. Ertimus was standing on deck, his sword already unsheathed. Greggan got closer and saw the utter terror on his captains face, he sword was trembling in his hand.

Greggan didn't want to come to the top of the stairwell, whatever was scaring Ertimus was there, Ertimus took notice of the two boys as they came from below deck, Greggan had even forgotten the other boy was behind him and stopped short as Ertimus threw up his free hand, he had to grab the railing to b sure he didn't fall back down them. " Do not come to the deck lads, go back below and leave me to take the helm."

"We can help.." the other boy, Flick had tried to protest but Ertimus cut his eyes a him as his hand began to glow " You will follow my orders or you'll go the way of big boy, do you understand me! now go, below deck and wait my orders!"