imagined fiction in my head. welcome to my fiction writing blog.

The sea had turned into sparkling gold, reflecting the the sky as its hue approached burning orange. The wind still held its chill even so far from the mountain ranges up north and to the east. She was shielded from the castle’s view by a thick forest behind her. If her escape went well, she would not be noticed until morning. By now the harbors would be full with the capital packed with people celebrating such a joyous occasion. Adri saw the ship drift slowly from the city’s vast harbor to her left, its white sails absorbing sunset colors in the far distance. A strange and lonely sight in the empty waters. For a moment, she imagined herself diving into the waters to meet it, feel the air rush past her, break the surface of the water and let it envelop her, but the cliff’s face only held rocks for her below. She would have to do as she was told. The slow and treacherous downward climb would take some time, but the weather was calm and held little wind while the sea itself seemed content to let the day pass peacefully. She would have plenty of time to reach the waters.

Adri drew back the hood of her dark cloak and secured a heavy bag to her back. As the wind blew its caress through her newly cropped hair, she shivered with foreboding. That her hair had not completely dried from numerous washings, and its dampness did not help keep her warm. At least the stench from the dye was no longer screaming for attention. Her hair was now short and completely black. She was hoping to be mistaken for a boy, but Oddette’s sigh of resignation when she finished with the girl told her that avoiding close contact with others would be best even with the gashes and the peeling ointment that covered half her face. Maybe she could pass for a beggar, but no beggar would be smuggled into a ship nor could a beggar attempt to do what she was about to do.

Though the cliff looked a mile long, the climb seemed to end uneventfully and abruptly. Though there were few foot and handholds, she found them easily and her limbs did not tire even after such a stressful day. The food Oddette fed her certainly made a difference. Her body was healing faster and she was feeling much stronger. She climbed without the earth and her muscles betraying her. At the end of her descent, she found a small rowboat tethered to a rock. Inside she found the oars and a lit and covered lamp. She checked the fuel and found what was left to be more than adequate then set to the task of rowing out to sea.

When she was at least a mile away, the sky was already darkening. The horizon was had turned to a dark brick-red. The ship was drawing close so Adri reached for the lamp and uncovered and covered it a few times to signal the ship. There was still light enough for her to see which probably hampered the lamp’s visibility, but it would also mean others would not easily spot her either. The lamp would be too obvious in night’s darkness, but it was also dark enough that her signal would not be lost in the shining sunset sea.

She did not have to wait long for an answer. A few twinkles of light shone from the ship’s deck. As the ship drew nearer, Adri pulled up her hood, took up her heavy bag, watched, and waited. The ship itself was not the largest vessel she had seen but if she was right, it may well be the fastest. She could not make out much detail in the twilight, but it was apparent enough in the sleek lines of the ship’s silhouette. Well, that and her guess of its captain’s identity. There was only one captain in Endrin Oddette could trust to be eager enough at the idea of eliciting royal anger. During the previous king’s reign, Oddette had said he was the best captain of the royal navy, but upon the king’s death, he took a early retirement and sailed his on ship from then on.

Finally, the ship’s dark shadow loomed over Adri’s tiny rowboat. By the time they reached her, there was only enough light to see dark outlines against the sky. Adri’s boat rocked as the waves from the ship’s parting the sea reached her. She rowed herself as close as she could to the vessel and ropes thrown to the side of the vessel greeted her arrival. These she grabbed and tied to the corners of her boat. Right when she finished, the small craft began to be pulled out of the water in short intervals and accompanied by silent grunts from above. As she approached the ship’s deck, she spied four burly shadows hauling at the ropes she dangled from while a fifth, one tall, and lean muscled waited to the side. None bothered with greetings so Adri likewise kept her silence.

Adri stepped onto the deck lightly so as not to disturb the eery silence of the vessel and the men who hauled her up secured the boat and left without further instruction. The last shadow flourished an exaggerated bow and Adri saw a flash of white teeth before he beckoned to her, turned and did not wait for her to follow. Adri heard sails unfurl above her head and the ship creaked to life around her as she frowned and trailed behind. She wondered if she should have trusted the scheming of the old woman, but decided she had no choice but to let herself be led around. The faintest of hope was hope enough to keep her feet moving.

She was directed towards a room within, what she guessed from the size, was the captain’s quarters. It seemed to be a small room with no windows. The man left her in the pitch black and Adri was only able to find a cot to sit on by stumbling upon it. Moments later, the man returned and tossed blankets into her lap before closing the door behind him without a single word. Adri sat wondering if she had made a wise decision in trusting the old woman’s word while feeling excited at the same time about gaining freedom from the castle and its inhabitants.