Word Count: 48,006
Summary of Events:
Chapter 15:
Adaire woke up from a liquor-induced nap and found that the fleet was sailing in the middle of a storm in spite of his orders to put to shore; Adaire tried to get the captain to make for shore, but the captain refused, and then they ran aground on an unknown reef and the ship broke apart.
Chapter 16:
Saoirse headed into the hills to see if her father and brothers and the sheep were alright after the storm and brought them an orphaned lamb she found on her way. Adaire woke up in a primitive looking house with a severe headache.
Excerpt of the Day:
""So what's your name lad?" the man asked.
"Eidere Sÿthei," Adaire replied.
"Hm," the man said, sounding interested. "I'm Donnchádh Toírdhealbhách."
Adaire couldn't imagine how that name was spelled, or what country it was from, although he felt Donnchádh would be easier to spell than Toírdhealbhách.
"I, I'm from Heijmegourde, in Beldonersteine," Adaire said.
"You're a long way from home then lad," Donnchádh said.
"What do you mean?" Adaire asked.
"You're in Laoísmellyk, on O'Aennea in O'Enne," Donnchádh replied.
"O'Enne?" Adaire asked. "But I thought we'd only just cleared Aissure."
The woman returned with another bowl of stew.
"Ye likely sank off the Shírkteí Reíf," Donnchádh said.
"You know of it?" Adaire asked, before taking a mouthful.
"Know of it?" Donnchádh asked, surprised. "Why the Shírkteí is infamous, it's the eater of ships; especially in storms. It's like a shark waiting for seals or other fish to eat. It lurks enough under the surface to go unseen except in the storms of fiercest swells, and catches even ships heading to port who don't know the waters."
"It wasn't on our charts," Adaire said, before taking another mouthful.
"Well, you Beldonersteineirey don't oft come tradin' to our shores, and especially not oft from Aissure ways," Donnchádh replied.
"We, we were going to circumnavigate Ureonaiea," Adaire said.
"Well if that isn't a bold expedition," the woman said. "Same ye won't now."
Adaire ate the last of the stew from the second bowl and felt fully satisfied in that department, but his mind was still working desperately, trying to figure out what was going on.
"Ye rest up now, we'll come talk t'ye some more later on," the woman said.
"No, please," Adaire begged.
Donnchádh carefully lowered Adaire back down to the bed and adjusted the blanket on Adaire's chest.
"Rest lad, it's a miracle you're even still breathin'," Donnchádh said. "I think 'tis only by the mercy of God above that ye made it to our shores alive. You're the first one in all my nigh eighty years I've known of."
Donnchádh and the woman left the room and Adaire stared after them. Eighty years, he was eleven years older than Uijllijm; and the first one? What did he mean that Adaire was the first one?
Adaire wanted to call him back and ask, but Donnchádh and the woman — who was probably his wife — seemed intent on him resting, so he probably wasn't going to get them to tell him much.
Sighing, Adaire closed his eyes and thought about what Donnchádh had said some more. If he was the first one then that likely meant that no one else had made it. He recalled the dark and desolate ocean, no lights, no ships.
A chilling thought shot through admire suddenly: he could well be the sole survivor of some nine hundred men who'd set out from Beldonersteine. Eighteen ships and nine hundred men lost; and that wasn't counting the millions of crowns in cargo."
Donnchádh: donchohd
Toírdhealbhách: tooyerdeelbohk
Laoísmellyk: looysmel-ick
Shírkteí Reíf: sheerktey reyf
Beldonersteineirey: belldonnersteineyeree
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