UST WiP Meme: Abide
Stolen from nos4a2no9
When you see this, post an excerpt from as many random works-in-progress stories as you like. Who knows? Maybe inspiration will burst forth and do something, um, inspiration-y.
The captain adjusted our heading to follow the trade winds southwest, bringing us to the southern coast of the American mainland. We were now well supplied, owing to the Navy ship, so had little need to continue following the northern islands. With any luck, we would chance upon merchants also traveling to the Caribbean.
It was not to be so. At first, what seemed a fortunate wind from the northeast, gave us speed to the southwest at full sail. Toward evening, it began to rain and once the sun set, the rain, increasing in ferocity, froze as it struck. The wind grew stronger and I saw once the captain, covering her face with sleeve, peering into the northern darkness.
Her expression was bewildered as she brushed frost from her hair and brows. She gazed down a the decks, rails, masts, all shining with the first accumulations of ice sparkling in the light of the oil lanterns. She ordered the sails lowered, sheets tied off and all crew below deck, her voice going hoarse in the frigid wind.
The crew rushed to do her bidding, spurring more by the ill weather than her urging, I suspect, and we all crowded below deck around the boiler. It was a poor warmth, for the winter wind cut through the deck above sucking away the heat. It was so cold, water froze in buckets, the breath from our lungs seeming to crystalize. Many bundled together, but blankets were short. Other dared not sleep in such a chill, born in northern lands and familiar with winter's deadly touch.
____________
Not all of us awoke the next morning. Seven men were found stiff and lifeless, having died in their sleep. Near twice that number were crippled, Douglas forced to work quickly, removing blue toes, fingers, as the flesh sloughed away, and several unfortunate hands and feet entirely. There was no hadak and little liquor left to salve the pain, so the captain held young William in the folds of her cossack, her eyes shut, as she listened to the cries of pain.
The labor was not yet completed, for above deck a thick layer of ice coated all surfaces. Those not crippled, took the nearest hammer, pick, axe, shovel or knife handle and began hammering. The sun came out but the air remained chill, so it was many hours before the sheets and sails were free enough to be raised without shattering.
As the crew turned the sails aveer, an unseasonable, strange wind sprang up from the southeast, pushing us northward. The captain turned from her station, pacing in agitated half circle, looking to the south in frustrated. Over her shoulder, she shouted for the sails to be drawn back so we would not drift off course. The southern wind did not abate, but blew harder.
The captain ceased her pacing and shouted at the open water. "We can't go north! We'll freeze! We haven't the supplies!"
Those of the crew who could understand her words, paused to watch this odd soliloquey with discernible wary suspicion. The southern wind grew in strength.
"You'll kill them with this game!"
The wind did not stop. For some time, the captain stood unmoving, looking into the horizon. Without further comment, she wheeled about and called to the men gathered below, "Alter heading, north by northwest."
_______________
In the several days that passed, the Empress pushed north by Calypso's whim, men grew uneasy. There were few blankets, scarce jackets and hardly any warm boots. We hadn't much wood or coal to spare for the stove, though what little warmth available was shared by all who huddled below deck.
Lu Bai did not joint in any dissent, but rubbed his gnarled hands against the cold. When he saw the captain duck below, to join us while Master Huang spelled her at the wheel, he went directly to her.
He said, in a low tone, "You must give them a cause."
"Calypso wills it."
"Yes, T'ien Hau cannot be denied, but what is your reason to obey without resistance?" He gestured with a glance toward the crowd. "We are not equipped for this journey."
"You think I am not cold?" She hissed. "I am cold. My son is cold. We are all cold, except for Lobsang who does not to seem to notice if he steps on blood or ice."
"But those are not your reasons," he persisted.
"If we turn south, she'll becalm us."
"Her humor is petty."
"She spent years in human form. I can only have faith she remembers hunger, pain and fear well enough to demonstrate sense if not kindness."
_____________
So it was that we came upon a whaling vessel. We wasted no time firing across their bow from our prow and they offered no resistance, coming to a stop. It was an unfavorable sign, such as easy victory over such a poor prey, but we did not have the luxury to choose better. It's crew did not struggle or fight, laying aside their arms as their captain came forward with his arms raised in placation.
"We've got nothing. Please," he pleaded in a sombre tone. His eyes passed over our ship, a form he had likely never seen in his life. He blinked when our captain stepped to the fore, bundled as she was in a woolen cossack and fur hat, still unmistakably a woman to an observant eye.
"Give no resistance and you'll not be harmed," she promised. "Are you far from port?"
"A few days," he answered, after a bemused pause.
"Good." She beckoned to Master Huang and Lu Bai. "Take their provisions, and what fuels you can."
The whaling captain protested, "We'll starve! We'll freeze!"
"You will have what you need to return to port," she cut him off. Ignoring him thusly, she tucked her hands back into her sleeves, overseeing the stripping of the whaling ship. The whaling captain took his cue and shambled back to join his own men, where they sat and crouched at fore, watching in a resigned misery.
We took from the ship many blankets, warm clothing to supplement those who lacked it, including boots, along with several barrels of whale oil, some dried meats, flour, beans, and portions for their upper deck. We burnt those planks and ingots to keep warm.
When you see this, post an excerpt from as many random works-in-progress stories as you like. Who knows? Maybe inspiration will burst forth and do something, um, inspiration-y.
The captain adjusted our heading to follow the trade winds southwest, bringing us to the southern coast of the American mainland. We were now well supplied, owing to the Navy ship, so had little need to continue following the northern islands. With any luck, we would chance upon merchants also traveling to the Caribbean.
It was not to be so. At first, what seemed a fortunate wind from the northeast, gave us speed to the southwest at full sail. Toward evening, it began to rain and once the sun set, the rain, increasing in ferocity, froze as it struck. The wind grew stronger and I saw once the captain, covering her face with sleeve, peering into the northern darkness.
Her expression was bewildered as she brushed frost from her hair and brows. She gazed down a the decks, rails, masts, all shining with the first accumulations of ice sparkling in the light of the oil lanterns. She ordered the sails lowered, sheets tied off and all crew below deck, her voice going hoarse in the frigid wind.
The crew rushed to do her bidding, spurring more by the ill weather than her urging, I suspect, and we all crowded below deck around the boiler. It was a poor warmth, for the winter wind cut through the deck above sucking away the heat. It was so cold, water froze in buckets, the breath from our lungs seeming to crystalize. Many bundled together, but blankets were short. Other dared not sleep in such a chill, born in northern lands and familiar with winter's deadly touch.
____________
Not all of us awoke the next morning. Seven men were found stiff and lifeless, having died in their sleep. Near twice that number were crippled, Douglas forced to work quickly, removing blue toes, fingers, as the flesh sloughed away, and several unfortunate hands and feet entirely. There was no hadak and little liquor left to salve the pain, so the captain held young William in the folds of her cossack, her eyes shut, as she listened to the cries of pain.
The labor was not yet completed, for above deck a thick layer of ice coated all surfaces. Those not crippled, took the nearest hammer, pick, axe, shovel or knife handle and began hammering. The sun came out but the air remained chill, so it was many hours before the sheets and sails were free enough to be raised without shattering.
As the crew turned the sails aveer, an unseasonable, strange wind sprang up from the southeast, pushing us northward. The captain turned from her station, pacing in agitated half circle, looking to the south in frustrated. Over her shoulder, she shouted for the sails to be drawn back so we would not drift off course. The southern wind did not abate, but blew harder.
The captain ceased her pacing and shouted at the open water. "We can't go north! We'll freeze! We haven't the supplies!"
Those of the crew who could understand her words, paused to watch this odd soliloquey with discernible wary suspicion. The southern wind grew in strength.
"You'll kill them with this game!"
The wind did not stop. For some time, the captain stood unmoving, looking into the horizon. Without further comment, she wheeled about and called to the men gathered below, "Alter heading, north by northwest."
_______________
In the several days that passed, the Empress pushed north by Calypso's whim, men grew uneasy. There were few blankets, scarce jackets and hardly any warm boots. We hadn't much wood or coal to spare for the stove, though what little warmth available was shared by all who huddled below deck.
Lu Bai did not joint in any dissent, but rubbed his gnarled hands against the cold. When he saw the captain duck below, to join us while Master Huang spelled her at the wheel, he went directly to her.
He said, in a low tone, "You must give them a cause."
"Calypso wills it."
"Yes, T'ien Hau cannot be denied, but what is your reason to obey without resistance?" He gestured with a glance toward the crowd. "We are not equipped for this journey."
"You think I am not cold?" She hissed. "I am cold. My son is cold. We are all cold, except for Lobsang who does not to seem to notice if he steps on blood or ice."
"But those are not your reasons," he persisted.
"If we turn south, she'll becalm us."
"Her humor is petty."
"She spent years in human form. I can only have faith she remembers hunger, pain and fear well enough to demonstrate sense if not kindness."
_____________
So it was that we came upon a whaling vessel. We wasted no time firing across their bow from our prow and they offered no resistance, coming to a stop. It was an unfavorable sign, such as easy victory over such a poor prey, but we did not have the luxury to choose better. It's crew did not struggle or fight, laying aside their arms as their captain came forward with his arms raised in placation.
"We've got nothing. Please," he pleaded in a sombre tone. His eyes passed over our ship, a form he had likely never seen in his life. He blinked when our captain stepped to the fore, bundled as she was in a woolen cossack and fur hat, still unmistakably a woman to an observant eye.
"Give no resistance and you'll not be harmed," she promised. "Are you far from port?"
"A few days," he answered, after a bemused pause.
"Good." She beckoned to Master Huang and Lu Bai. "Take their provisions, and what fuels you can."
The whaling captain protested, "We'll starve! We'll freeze!"
"You will have what you need to return to port," she cut him off. Ignoring him thusly, she tucked her hands back into her sleeves, overseeing the stripping of the whaling ship. The whaling captain took his cue and shambled back to join his own men, where they sat and crouched at fore, watching in a resigned misery.
We took from the ship many blankets, warm clothing to supplement those who lacked it, including boots, along with several barrels of whale oil, some dried meats, flour, beans, and portions for their upper deck. We burnt those planks and ingots to keep warm.