Everliving: Day 8

Word Count: 48,005

Summary of Events:

Bethania was sitting on the gardens when she spotted Reynaldo wandering them; she invited him to sit with her and they had a lengthy discussion about her father's rationales before Reynaldo had to leave. Quique woke up to find that the storm had finally stopped and that the ship was in a thick fog which Captain Sly was woken to discuss what they ought to do about, which led them to questioning Wardell, the Quartermaster . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

""Wardell!"

"Yes sir!" Wardell called back.

"Get down here!" Captain Sly hollered.

Quique listened as Wardell made his way down the rigging and then finally over to them, looking slightly irritated.

"How many fathoms down is the anchor?" Captain Sly demanded.

"I didn't drop it," Wardell replied.

"Who dropped it then?" Captain Sly demanded.

"Lenox," Wardell replied.

Captain Sly sighed with a frustrated tone and started off. Quique followed him down into the galley where they located Lenox. Captain Sly shook him awake roughly.

"Did you drop anchor?" Captain Sly demanded.

"Yeah," Lenox replied groggily.

"How many fathoms down is the anchor?" Captain Sly asked.

"I didn't count," Lenox replied.

"All you lily-livered landlubbers get up!" Captain Sly hollered. "We're weighing anchor to find out how many bloody fathoms we are from the shore and if we can land safely are going to go ashore"

All of the men startled awake and blinked groggily.

"What about breakfast?" one asked sleepily.

"No one gets breakfast until we're safely anchored!" Captain Sly bellowed.

"But we're safely anchored now, aren't we?" Lenox asked, a twinkle in his eye.

"Don't make me feed you your own finger," Captain Sly growled.

Lenox paled and the glint went out of his eye.

Captain Sly released Lenox, who landed heavily on his seat. "Look lively you pack of corpses!"

The men all hurriedly got up from their places and Quique followed Captain Sly as he returned to the main deck and headed toward the prow, where the anchor was located.

Captain Sly turned, looking like he was going to holler over his shoulder, but he startled at the sight of Quique.

"Ian, weigh anchor," he ordered. "Being as you happen to be here."

Quique said nothing, merely putting his hands on the mechanism by which the anchor was lifted and turning it so as to raise the anchor.

Once he started winding wet rope onto the coil Captain Sly started counting fathoms. He only reached two before the anchor was fully weighed. Quique felt the ship move forward with the breeze.

"Be ready to drop anchor," Captain Sly said. "I'll tell you when."

Quique straightened, keeping his eye on the pin he needed to release to allow the anchor to freely lower until it hit bottom.

Suddenly, with a heavy groan, the ship struck something solid, which sent everyone tumbling — from what Quique could hear as he himself went tumbling into the back of Queen Gaynor.

"Is now a good time?" Quique asked.

"Don't you start," Captain Sly muttered.

Quique got up and released the pin so that the anchor slammed into the wet sand they'd run into. When tide came in they might be afloat, and they'd probably then weigh anchor and do some manoeuvring. For now, though, they'd landed."