Chapter 4

Tomorrow in the north east valley of the island to find krydd leaves. Gotta remember that. I wrote down my newly acquired errand into a worn leather notebook I had received from someone I viewed as a mentor of sorts. It certainly got it’s use.

I was on route to the southern shore where our drakkar boats were docked on the gravel beach. There I met up with Alec and the rest of the group that would be joining us for the fishing operations we had planned for the day.

Alec quickly handed me a net to finish packing up and approached Corvin. "Ah, Corvin! You're just in time. Are you ready for a good days catch?"

"Hardly. As the days go by, less and less our nets collect. We're starting to run out of fish and ocean life to survive off of around here."

"Nah, I think it just goes in phases, my dear. Nothing to be worried about." By that time the three of us had finished our preparations and were boarding a rowboat that would lead the rest of the group.

"First of all, don't call me dear.... or lassie." Corvin pointed a finger at Alec. "And you're wrong. We are running low. But that’s--" Then her voice stuttered. "What is she doing here?"

"Yrsa’s here to help with the fishing, of course." Responded Alec as the rowboat took off.

"I don't want her on here."

"Well, we're already a little underway. Unless you want her to swim back through the cold water." Alec suggested, scratching his head, then decided to hold his tongue in case she might actually take him up on that offer.

Corvin turned to me. "Just stand by and don't do anything. We don't need you messing things up any more than you already have. Not that it matters; you're of little use anyway." A clap of thunder sounded off behind her statement.

"What was that?" I dropped what I was doing and turned to face her head on.

"Oh, boy." Alec said quietly, and since had sailed far enough beyond the shore, began to set out the nets.

"What? Was it earlier? You still held up about how I neared a forbidden forest? I knew what I was doing, no one got hurt, we got our catch. If you are so worried about us running out of food, maybe you should take a page from my way of things."

“Ooo.” Alec tried not to intervene and instead focus on his work.

"You know nothing of the way of things. Your running off into forbidden places is what started this. You're the reason we're in this mess in the first place. I won't forget. When you snuck into the forbidden rune as a girl, you broke our sacred laws. The Gods cursed us to this forsaken place because of you!"

"Hold on, lassie.” Alec intervened. “No one really knows why we're here. We may all have our theories, but that's all they are; theories." Alec's voice then changed to one of utter discombobulation. "And seriously? Blaming her for something she did when she was a wee little girl? Don't you think that's a bit absurd/too much?"

"You don't get to lecture me in the merits of what I say." Tapping a finger against his chest, Corvin proceeded to go on about things like how she was the leader here, how I knew the stakes back then and who knows what else. And while the two of them were arguing, I noticed something strange in the distant seas. I couldn't quite make out the silhouette, but it wasn't anything of our making.

"Look over there, do you see something?" I squinted my eyes and tried to look through the thick fog.

"There's nothing out here, missy." Corvin said begrudgingly. "I told you. We're all alone in this forsaken sea."

And as if summoned by her words, a distant, gurgling roar came from the direction of my gaze and out of the sea.

"You had to say it, now didn't ya?" Alec said, peering over our shoulders.

Corvin focused now into the stormy fog, and for several moments, all you could hear was rain and waves against the hull. Her eyes twitched when she too saw something peaking through the water up, then down again. Then everything returned to normal for a while.

"See, there's nothing here. I told you these shores were empy." And again, as if the universe was out to mock her, the whole boat racketed violently. The paddler behind us was almost knocked out of their seat.

"We got something!" Alec shouted and he grabbed onto the ropes of the net that was being pulled into the sea.

"More like, somethings got us!" I exclaimed and joined Alec and Corvin in pulling up hard up against the net so that our whole boat was not plummeted underwater.

After several seconds of grunting and struggling against whatever down there, Corvin shouted out, "It's no use! We have to cut the net!"

"But that's all our catch of the day!" Proclaimed the paddler.

"I don't care! Follow your orders!"

Alec and Covin produced their knifes and went to town on the ropes. But it wasn’t much time before I realized it was no use.

"Here, take my place." I switched places with the paddler who instantly pulled out his knife and began working on the ropes, though I couldn't help but noting was a little less strong than I.

"What are you doing, hunter?!" Corvin asked.

Detaching my sword hilt from my belt/my hip, I answered her. "You wanted me off this boat. You'll get it."

"What? Get back here!"

But it was too late. I had already jumped off of the boat and into unknown freezing waters, unsure of what I might find—or better yet what might find me.

Then the net was successfully cut, and the boat returned to it's normal standing.

"Yrsa!" Alec put his hands around his mouth and yelled out after me.

"Cursed girl." Corvin shook her head.

The ripples from my entry began to dissipate as all rowboat crew members peared into the ocean, searching for a sign of the woman overboard.

"Yrsa?" Alec asked to no reply.

The storm began to clear up as all returned to quiet and calm again. It was several heart beats of silence. Corvin turned around to face the one at the rows. “Onward men, we--”

Suddenly, a loud splash caught everybody’s attention.

"Over there!" The paddler yelled out.

A second later, the rowboat had reached me and I was brought back aboard--and with me a prize. In one hand I held what remained of the net which was torn and completely empty, but what I held in the other made Alec jump back in surprise.

"What in the world is that?!" Alec asked in reference to the underwater beast that I set down with a thump. The squid-like being had multiple tentacles, multiple eyes and an ashy, blue hue. It was surprisingly small for it's strength it had against the boat.

I stood up to face the others, drenching wet and covered in ink. I brushed back my hair and looked Alec in the eyes. "Dinner."

Alec stroked his chin thoughtfully. "They do come in phases."

Corvin heaved a heavy sigh.

By the time the boats had returned to shore, the rain had stopped and the beast was being taken away by several men and women.

Alec and I were busy helping the crew tie the ropes to posts and other tasks that came with finishing up after a days catch.

"That was a pretty gutsy move you pulled out there." Corvin aproached me. Her voice still had the judgemental tone it always carried, but I detected something new in it’s cadence.

I turned to face her but made no response.

"I expected to report to the Queen another day of meager catches." She said.

"You're welcome." I said with a smile and just a bit of edge to my voice. "It's alright. We all would have been in trouble if it weren't my... way of things."

"Now, don't get me wrong. Just because you saved the day today, doesn't mean it erases the past. I've still got my eye on you." Corvin departed. I watched her leave for several moments.

Then from behind, a voice sneaked up on me. "Aagh, you really gave us a scare back there, lassie!" Alec gave me a slap on the shoulder and I glanced to smile at him for a moment. "I almost thought there would be no savin' you there for a little bit. Not a good day for a doctor, ya know."

My eyes returned to Corvin's decent beyond us.

Alec joined me in watching her go. "You know that no one cares about that anymore, right? You've earned everyone's respect. Not even the Queen believes those stories for what happened, even though Corvin and her are best friends. And trust me, you would know if the Queen was upset with you. I pity the poor soul who has to face her wrath, actually."

"Hold on." I turned my full attention to him. "Corvin is friends with the Queen?"

"Yeah, they're real tight. Friends since childhood from what I'm told." Alec was casual about this.

"I would have totally treated her differently if I would have known that! Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"You never asked." His voice sounded confused as to why I would.

"Great. Now the Queen is really gonna hate me."

"Nah, Corvin speaks harshly about all the vikings in our tribe. The Queen'd hardly notice."

"That's oddly reassuring. And how do you know all this?"

"A doctor knows all. Where do you think all the local gossip happens?"

"Right. I never thought about it that way…”

"Let's get back to town.” He said. “We have a feast to attend."