Loss of the Resolute by Greg Alldredge

Author:Greg Alldredge [Alldredge, Greg]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781797969794
Published: 2019-04-01T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 7:

On the rocky coast, Kanika and Hakeem separated, leaving each other to their own thoughts. Kanika understood they were a long way from the war. Their cargo and the secret cargo did little to settle her nerves. Unsure what it all meant, she would be much happier when they made port and offloaded the damnable powder, whatever it was.

The evening meal sat like a lump of ballast in her stomach. Sleep evaded her as she curled up on the dry rocks. She was not a religious person, but before bed, she said a short prayer to the Old Man’s conjoined twins, those responsible for fate and worshiped mostly by traveling minstrels and gamblers. The twins named with a single name, Harper, represented as a girl conjoined with a boy wearing a flowing gown.

Kanika whispered in prayer, “Harper, the odds are in our favor. The water has been calm, the winds in our favor. Continue to keep your older sister, Sinead, under control. Don’t let her good mood turn to anger. See us home safely.”

Before sunrise, Kanika heard the watch stationed on the Resolute ringing the ship’s bell. Jolted from her slumber, she stood up before she realized it echoed not as the rapid sound of a battle alarm but a calmer tempo informing everyone it was time to get up. It was followed quickly by a bosun’s pipe that sounded the wakeup call. The high-pitched cry flowed over the water and echoed off the black cliffs behind them. It seemed Kanika survived the night with little damage, save a sore back from sleeping on rocks instead of her rack.

She helped wrestle the crew awake, bribing them with a hot breakfast before continuing to their next anchorage. The glow of first light brightened the sky above the cliff. They would be in the shadow for hours, but it would be bright enough for the ship to continue its journey. The added light gave Kanika a chance to scan the horizon for any indication of trouble ahead; she found none. When she found no vessels in sight, it should have given her a sense of ease. Instead, she experienced the overwhelming feeling of how alone they truly were. She was accustomed to the Resolute traveling for days without seeing land or another vessel. There was no accounting for the unease that settled in her innards, save the warning from the mysterious man in the alley.

“Stop scaring yourself, woman. Get these land-lovers back onboard so we can continue. That is what you need to do. Not chase some ghost,” she whispered to herself to bolster her spirits.

Once the crew rousted, things moved quickly. After breakfast, the longboats were eased back into the water with the crew filing in. With the captain in one and Kanika in the other, the crew began rowing back to the Resolute.

On the forecastle, Kanika scanned the horizon again, finding only water. “Bosun, make ready to get underway. I think today we need another sacrifice to the crazy bitch.

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