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Authors: Julia P. Lynde
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maneuvered again.
The door was thick. I couldn't hear any yelling or screaming. I could n't tell if any of the noises I heard were of cannon fire ripping through the Ysura Martani .
I hoped Captain Grayson remained unhurt. He had been kind to me as a child.
I truly didn't know how I wanted this battle to end. I would have liked Dareena to surrender, but it was clear if she had any way of getting me to her home, she was going to do it. Surrender didn't seem in the cards unless it was her last choice.
Then there was a loud groaning noise, and the ship heeled dramatically to starboard. After a moment, the grinding stopped, and we popped back to level.
But something had changed. I couldn't tell what it was, but our motion in the water was different.
When we were hit by a broadside of cannon, the sounds were obvious. Then our motion resumed, although sluggishly.
We were hit twice more. I wondered who was still alive.
There was another grinding sound, and all our motion stopped. The ship began listing heavily to starboard again, and the grinding sound came and went. I heard surf smashing into the ship, and it felt like perhaps we were being beaten against a large rock.
The locker door opened. It was Dareena. "Meorie, thank the god s . Come quickly."
Obediently I followed her.
Due to the list of the ship, it was difficult walking. I had to brace myself on the sides of the passageway. Dareena led me to the main deck of the ship, offering me a hand to steady myself. I looked around.
The masts were down and fouled. I saw a dozen dead or dying sailors. To the right, I saw the railing of the ship buried below the surging seawater. Lookin g across the water in the distance I saw land, perhaps a half mile away.
Everything was chaos.
"Hurry, Princess! They're coming back."
"They would fire on us?"
"Of course. We make good target practice now."
"That's barbaric!"
"That's war. A war you started."
"I do not accept responsibility for the choices of others."
"Now is not the time to argue." She grabbed my arm and pulled me along the deck. "Can you swim?"
"Yes."
"Jump!"
We jumped together landing with a pair of splashes in the water. I was immediately pulled under for a moment, but bobbed to the surface. I thought about kicking off my boots, but I was sure I was going to want them.
Dareena grabbed some flotsam and pushed it to me, keeping some for herself. I hung on, bobbing in the water. She clutched at me. "You will swim for that bit of beach. If you get there before I do, you will wait for me. If I do not make it, you will head to the palace in Rendarin. Do you understand?"
"Yes."
It was a long swim. We stayed together. Other crewmen swam with us, some faster, some slower. Dareena helped none of them. Her only focus was on getting the two of us to land.
"Shouldn't we help them?"
"There are others to offer help," she said. "Keep swimming."
Behind us, the Norinian ships sent several more broadsides into the hull of the Ysura Martani . Twice we were peppered with shrapnel, but neither of us was hurt. Our safety improved as we swam further away.
"Will they send long boats to rescue us?"
"I wouldn't," she said.
"Will they send marines to kill us?"
"Why bother? The swamp will do it for them."
Then something exploded on the dying ship behind us. Something -- I didn't see what -- flew through the air and glanced off Dareena's head. She slumped and began to slip under the water.
I grabbed for her. I got a hand twisted in her clothes and pulled her above the water, then I grabbed the flotsam she'd been hanging onto and pulled it under her.
"Dareena!" I yelled, shaking her. "Dareena!"
There was no response. But when I checked, she was breathing.
I thought about letting her sink. None of my orders involved saving her life. I could let her sink. I looked around, and none of the sailors was close. No one would see if I let her go.
I held onto her and tugged her to the beach with me.
Stranded
We made it to the beach.
The door was thick. I couldn't hear any yelling or screaming. I could n't tell if any of the noises I heard were of cannon fire ripping through the Ysura Martani .
I hoped Captain Grayson remained unhurt. He had been kind to me as a child.
I truly didn't know how I wanted this battle to end. I would have liked Dareena to surrender, but it was clear if she had any way of getting me to her home, she was going to do it. Surrender didn't seem in the cards unless it was her last choice.
Then there was a loud groaning noise, and the ship heeled dramatically to starboard. After a moment, the grinding stopped, and we popped back to level.
But something had changed. I couldn't tell what it was, but our motion in the water was different.
When we were hit by a broadside of cannon, the sounds were obvious. Then our motion resumed, although sluggishly.
We were hit twice more. I wondered who was still alive.
There was another grinding sound, and all our motion stopped. The ship began listing heavily to starboard again, and the grinding sound came and went. I heard surf smashing into the ship, and it felt like perhaps we were being beaten against a large rock.
The locker door opened. It was Dareena. "Meorie, thank the god s . Come quickly."
Obediently I followed her.
Due to the list of the ship, it was difficult walking. I had to brace myself on the sides of the passageway. Dareena led me to the main deck of the ship, offering me a hand to steady myself. I looked around.
The masts were down and fouled. I saw a dozen dead or dying sailors. To the right, I saw the railing of the ship buried below the surging seawater. Lookin g across the water in the distance I saw land, perhaps a half mile away.
Everything was chaos.
"Hurry, Princess! They're coming back."
"They would fire on us?"
"Of course. We make good target practice now."
"That's barbaric!"
"That's war. A war you started."
"I do not accept responsibility for the choices of others."
"Now is not the time to argue." She grabbed my arm and pulled me along the deck. "Can you swim?"
"Yes."
"Jump!"
We jumped together landing with a pair of splashes in the water. I was immediately pulled under for a moment, but bobbed to the surface. I thought about kicking off my boots, but I was sure I was going to want them.
Dareena grabbed some flotsam and pushed it to me, keeping some for herself. I hung on, bobbing in the water. She clutched at me. "You will swim for that bit of beach. If you get there before I do, you will wait for me. If I do not make it, you will head to the palace in Rendarin. Do you understand?"
"Yes."
It was a long swim. We stayed together. Other crewmen swam with us, some faster, some slower. Dareena helped none of them. Her only focus was on getting the two of us to land.
"Shouldn't we help them?"
"There are others to offer help," she said. "Keep swimming."
Behind us, the Norinian ships sent several more broadsides into the hull of the Ysura Martani . Twice we were peppered with shrapnel, but neither of us was hurt. Our safety improved as we swam further away.
"Will they send long boats to rescue us?"
"I wouldn't," she said.
"Will they send marines to kill us?"
"Why bother? The swamp will do it for them."
Then something exploded on the dying ship behind us. Something -- I didn't see what -- flew through the air and glanced off Dareena's head. She slumped and began to slip under the water.
I grabbed for her. I got a hand twisted in her clothes and pulled her above the water, then I grabbed the flotsam she'd been hanging onto and pulled it under her.
"Dareena!" I yelled, shaking her. "Dareena!"
There was no response. But when I checked, she was breathing.
I thought about letting her sink. None of my orders involved saving her life. I could let her sink. I looked around, and none of the sailors was close. No one would see if I let her go.
I held onto her and tugged her to the beach with me.
Stranded
We made it to the beach.
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