A Night of Flames by Matthew Harffy

Author:Matthew Harffy [Harffy, Matthew]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781801102308
Publisher: Head of Zeus

Thirty

The good weather held and as the sun fell to the horizon behind us, there was no land to be seen in any direction. The sea in our wake was aflame with the last rays of the sunset as we readied ourselves for our first night at sea.

Runolf had still not spoken to me, but the mood aboard had lifted during the afternoon. After the perils we had faced in the dawn mist on Orkneyjar, we were enjoying the peace of the open sea. We saw no sails, the newly repaired rudder was holding well, and the wind continued to send us unerringly towards our destination.

It was close to midsummer. The days were long, and even though it was never truly dark this far north, it was as cold as winter after the sun had set and there was nothing but the chill sea all around. We slept as best we could and when the sun rose once more, it seemed as if Runolf had not moved. He still stood at the steerboard, his face lit with the brilliant glow of the dawn, and wreathed in the flames of his red hair and beard.

That second day was much like the first, and we fell into the routines of life aboard the ship. All that long day, we saw no other ship, and the scarcity of birds told us we were far from any land. The wind continued to blow from the west and, though clouds formed far away in front of us to the east, there was no imminent threat of rain. For that we were thankful. The night had been bitterly cold, and a rime of frost had formed on the stays and exposed timbers. The thought of trying to shelter from the chill at night, while also wet from rain filled us all with dread.

But as the sky burnt red behind us for the second sunset, there were still only a smattering of clouds in the east and Scurfa said he thought it would be dry again.

“Perhaps we will see some rain tomorrow,” he said ominously, sniffing the air.

I crossed myself.

“As long as we see no more storms,” I said, “I will count myself blessed.”

“I doubt we’ll see a squall like that this side of autumn,” he said, but then added with a shrug, “but God alone can be sure of that.”

The second dawn at sea was not as bright as the first. Just as Scurfa had predicted, there were dark clouds over the eastern horizon, and the sun struggled to shine its light through the sheets of rain that smudged the sky beneath them. The wind picked up, but it was still manageable with adjustments to the sail and rigging. We were all sailors now and there were no mistakes. We quickly and efficiently obeyed Runolf’s orders.

Since dawn I had noticed an increase in the number of sea birds in the water, and at midday we had another indication we were close to land. A light rain had begun to fall, closing the sea in around us in a drizzled shroud.

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