Chapter 1 - Adrift

Rollo

"I concur. Not only are the islands Tempest mentioned closest, but we'll get there sooner with the wind pushing us. To really survive at sea, we'll need better rations, preferably a faster ship, and at the very least... weapons. The islands will provide these more easily than weeks of open water."

Griselda
Griselda bit her lip in indecision as she listened to the others. Either they risked their lives searching for islands that may or may not be on the charts or they sailed back the way they had come, with an impossible two week journey by rowing where a sail had taken but three days. She could save them. But there was no way to do it without revealing her secret, and all of them would realise what a freak she was.

But that was better than letting everyone die.

Flushing, Griselda stood and turned to her friends.

'I... I have a way we can travel faster. I will need help though... My .. things dont last all that long and while I can remake them... it takes time to assemble what is needed. Time in which they are not doing what they are built for....'

Astonishingly, as she spoke, Griselda held out her hands, and a mast section appeared in her hands. She put it down on the deck, and another appeared. And another. Until there were 4. Then a boom. A gaff. Bracings. Rope after rope after rope. And finally a sail. This took a good 15 minutes and as it happened, Griselda, blushing crimson and looking mortified, not daring to meet anyone's eyes, explained how to help her assemble and fit them to the small ship to make a mast.

'All this will last but an hour. Then I must do it again. So the better we get at reassembling it quickly, the more time we spend under sail. With practice I'm sure you can start assembling before Im finished making them appear, and we should be able to sail for 40 or so minutes out of every hour. That is still a good deal faster than rowing.'

Griselda set her words to action as she began to set up the mast, keeping herself busy to avoid looking at her shipmates faces.

Tempest Stormborn

Tempest had turned to Griselda as she spoke a small puzzling frown between her brows as she talked of making things. The woman seemed a little embarrassed about her gift as she spoke her skin flushing with colour.

Tempest's look of puzzlement turn to open surprise as the mast manifested its self in Griselda's hands. She looked at the woman with a mix of wonderment and joy. They may just live through this after all.

She could understand her reluctance to share such a gift, Tempest herself had face a similar situation when they were becalmed all those years ago. The uncertainty at how her own gifts would have been received aboard had held her back from calling the winds to fill the sails of the Breeze.

She reached out a hand to touch Griselda's shoulder as she began to work to assemble the mast. The woman was clearly avoiding everyone's gaze.

Griselda, thank you, this is indeed a wonderful gift you have, you should be proud of it. she spoke in a soft encouraging voice, her eyes and face showing the wonder and awe she felt. She smiled warmly and added and if the winds should fail your sail, I shall call them to us again...this gift..I wonder is there a limit to what you can create? could you conjure up a compass as well? Fishing lines? she asked eagerly her eyes alight with the possibilities.

She began to help Griselda

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assemble the mast whilst judging the

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intensity of the wind at present.

Brenden Morri

"Somebody's been keeping secrets." His voice had a sing-song quality as he said it. He ran one of the rope sections through his hands, pulling at it to check the strength. "I have to say, I'm impressed. Never woulda pegged you for the magical type. If we survive this, your drinks are on me." Tossing a coil of rope over his shoulder, he hefted up a mast section and began to assist in fixing them together. Shipbuilding wasn't high on his list of skills but could take orders with the best of them. As he busied himself with the labor, he cast a glace over his shoulder towards Raphaela.

"What about you, countess? Any special little gifts to help us out of our dire predictament?" He ran the rope along the crossbar but his attention was on Raphaela, the look expectant of an answer.

Griselda
Looking forlorn but rather heartened by Tempest's comforting words and no one seeming to be horrified, Griselda replies to Tempest.

'I.. well, there are limits yes. I can only seem to make things that were once alive. I can make hooks but only out of the black wood called Ebony, and while they are strong they would float. Lines are no problem. A compass would not work for I cannot form metal, but I can form oil that will burn, or anything that came from a plant or an animal, such as ivory or bone, as long as I know what it is so I can make it again. The rope is simple as both silk and hemp are formerly living. If you can describe something to me I can probably make it with practice and time. I... I do not know or understand how I do this though. It is surely magick but I do not cast a spell, and I have never learnt any magick... at least I dont recall ever learning any. I just think of what I want and shape it in my head, and it just... appears.'

Griselda bites her lip

'Thats why I was able to save the ship when we scraped our bottom against the rocks last year during the black storm. Everyone thought I was a great carpenter, to be able to mend a ship at sea in a storm while we were taking so much water. The truth is I simply filled the holes with wood from my mind in a few minutes and then put real wood over the top during the hour before mine vanishes.'

Rollo 'The Marlin'

Rollo fought against his urge to gape. He found himself losing that fight. He had seen wondrous things at sea, but this was not any magic that he had any knowledge of. Still he had been taught from a young age that the sea leaves no room for idle staring, and he set himself to work.

Tempest Stormborn

Aye and probably for the best she has not mentioned it before, if Rytur had known about it...don't bare worth thinking about she muttered as Brenden commented on secrets before she handed him another section of rope for the main section of mast. As he asked if their 'passenger' had any hidden talents Tempest just managed not to snort a laugh by focussing her attention on fixing the top of the sail to the gaff.

Well that is interesting, I have never heard of a gift like this before. she mused in reply to Griselda as she continued the work. I believe our chances of survival just increased, with nets and lines for catching food to supplement our supplies what with the sails now. she beamed at her.

Hmm, well wooden hooks would be ok if we could find something to weight them down...hey Marlin, trying to catch more food? she ended with a grin and teasing tone as she caught sight of Rollo's gape before he moved over to help complete the task.

Raphaela

Mistress. Countess. Raphaela shifted where she sat under Brendens gaze, unsure if the man was making a jape at her being useless... soon confirmed by Tempest's grin, though Raphaela pretended not to see it. Raphaela didn't left a finger to help the sailors aboard the Sea Breeze... she was paying them for that, why should she? But this was a different circumstance. Though figured she would just get in the way, in such a cramped ship if she tried to help. Matching Brendens gaze she replied. Tsk "Why yes, it's called education. Ebony sinks." Hmph she added with sly glance to Griselda. She had studied a bit of magic when she was younger and knew the difference between arcane and divine. And knew some arcanist had to study, while others had it in their blood. Griselda's had to be sorcery... something her grandfather claimed they had as well.

"I know naught any sorcery howeva... nor witchcrafts.", she hissed as she stared at Griselda with a measuring eye. The woman was beautiful, there was no denying it. Full lips, pretty face and stunning eyes. Raphaela could boast the same, yet her own eyes and smile seemed to belay caution to others. Where as Griselda's was inviting. And the face was the only thing Raphaela could say she competed in. For body, Griselda was far her superior. If Raphaela dressed as a man, she would easily pass as a one. Her chest was flat, hips as narrow as her waist, and rear had no curve. Griselda was... simply not so. And now she had magic over her as well.

"I had a magical artifact 'board tha Breeze howeva... though it matters not. Tha treasure an fortune she is hauling tis lost to me... for now." Raphaela said bitterly. Had they found out about the artifact? Was that why ship was stolen? "And you, you can summon winds?" She asked turning to Tempest. She gave Tempest the same look over she had given Griselda, concluding that she beat this woman in the face but lost in the body. "I'd thought Tempest been thy name." she stated, though it was a question to weather Tempest was a nickname.

It takes a bit of time to get the assembly team organized, and Griselda quickly sees a few improvements she could do during her creation that would make the process easier. The mast and sail are assembled under Griselda's instruction and are able to be tested for 20 minutes before the first of the mast structure begins to melt away. By using one of the oars as a rudder the longboat moves along at a good clip with incredible, unwieldy agility.

Although there is a great deal of talent among the small crew, Tempest finds herself on the rudder, calling out instructions and corrections when under sail. Griselda creates an additional oarlock for the makeshift rudder to reduce the fatigue on the person manning that station. The crew, under Tempest's direction, puts their longboat through it's paces and quickly discover the limits of their small craft. Without a keel to speak of and no outrigger the small vessel is unable to sail while close-hauled without being in danger of capsizing. It's center of gravity is also off, too high in the water and too variable when people need to move about at all, causing the craft to be unwieldy at best. Sailing west, toward the large inhabited island is doable, but takes alot of effort on the part of the oarman. North takes the least effort and East takes some, but not as much as West.

The importance of the order in which the items are created becomes readily apparent as the mast melts while under full sail. The mast groans in protest as the first of the poles begins to melt. The gaff is quickly lowered, dropping the sail and reducing the strain on the mast. Rollo has the presence of mind to cut the ropes holding the boom and the gaff to the mast, allowing the sail to drop into the sea. The rest of the mast is quickly cut loose before it can topple over on anyone and the crew watches as their mast and sail slowly evaporate.

Brenden Morri

He allowed a chuckle in response to Raphaela's claim but opted not to refute it. His efforts with the mast occupied his attention through the rest of the conversation. It was only once the sails were billowing that he spoke up again, struggling with an oar as he did so.

"Education, eh? So you're a book filled with pages of useful knowledge...all bound up by a cover of spikes and venom. People don't read books that bite so I wouldn't be too upset if nobody here judged you for the educated type." He turns his attention to the other passengers, those unconscious or otherwise silent, and frowns. "Shame your education didn't include some time as a physic. Seems we've got plenty of use for one right now."