The Beast and The Brain.

From then on everything that happened, happened out of pure instinct. I grabbed a coil of rope swung it around the mast’s pole and tied a quick slipknot. I ran up onto the edge of the ship and dove into the ragging sea. Everything went silent as my body dove under the water. The swirling sound of the ocean was actually peaceful. I shot up to surface and took a deep breath, and looked around me. The waves were huge and the water was violent. I bobbed up and down, searching frantically for J.

“J!” I yelled out. I spat out some salt water and started swimming, I wasn’t sure where but I had to find her. “J!” I yelled out again, and again my mouth filled with salt water. I coughed; I would drown myself yelling out this way.

I tied the rope to my waist, allowing myself free use of both arms. It was impossible to see until the lightning lighted the sky. I looked back at the ship, it was drifting further and further away, I would run out of rope before I would be able find J. I untied the rope and let it go, my lifeline. I took the biggest breath I could manage and I swam down into the depths and then. I released my power.

My wings grew and my body shaped itself, when I broke to the surface again, I just let my head go above water. My eyes had two special eyelids, one was clear, the other was normal. So I took a huge breath, and I went under the water. I used my clear eyelids to keep my eyes open against the salt. My lungs could go without air for a long time, and my wings allowed me to move powerfully under the water. I surged forward, shooting like a bolt from a crossbow. My eyes were ten times more powerful, even in this dark. I searched frantically, and then I spotted her. Sinking like a rock, she didn’t seem to be conscious.

I pushed forward with my wings, grabbing her with my large talons I shot for the surface. I took a breath when I broke and lifted her above the water. breath, come one breath. I growled, come on then she coughed and water came out of her mouth and she took great gasps of air. Her eyes met mine. “Thank you.” She said hoarsely, “Thank you.” The ship was further away. I picked her up with my tips of my teeth and placed her behind my neck, between my shoulder blades, and made my way for the ship.

“Hold your breath.” I told her, “I’m going under the water, grab hold of the rope and I’ll change back. No one will ever know.” She nodded her head and took a deep breath, and I dove under the surface. I found the rope and J reached out and grabbed it. I changed back into a human and then reached out and took the rope, and held onto J’s waist as we hit the surface.

“PULL US IN!” I yelled above the waves. “PULL US IN!” I yelled again, but the sailors couldn’t hear us.

“They can’t hear me.” I told J. She closed her eyes a moment, and then the rope began pull. We were lifted out of the water and pulled onto the deck. We both collapsed exhausted. “Get them below!” I heard the captain shout. Someone lifted me onto his shoulder and then I fell unconscious.

~ ~ ~ ~

I opened my eyes to the sound of the ships creaking and groaning. I groaned and rolled to my side. “J?” I asked. I was in the captains quarters, the sun was pouring through the large window of the back of the ship. Instruments, and maps were sprawled out on a heavy wooden desk, there was a large globe in the corner, and a wardrobe next to it. A table with three chairs was placed in the middle of the room on a small old rug, a chess board was on the table, someone had been in the middle of a game.

I pushed myself up, but fell back down with another groan, my head spun. The door opened and the captain entered, “Good morning lad.” The captain greeted me, “How are you feeling?” He set a large pitcher on the table, then poured a glass and handed it to me. I took it and drank the cool water in one large swig.

“Alright.” I told him, “How’s J?” I asked, he took the cup and poured me another.

“She’s asleep; you’re a brave or stupid man to jump off a ship in the middle of a storm. Even if it was for a woman, you could have gotten yourself killed.” I drank the cup and he poured another one.

“I almost did die. I think J would say I was stupid.” I said honestly, I drank half this time, and then leaned back against the wall, “I honestly didn’t think before I acted.” I told him taking a sip. He pulled back a chair and took a seat.

“Well, it’s a good thing you did, or else we wouldn’t be getting paid for this trip.” He said.

I frowned, “Is money all you care about?”

He shrugged, “I don’t mean to sound cold hearted, it’s just I’ve lived my life on the sea. It has claimed many lives, many of whom were my friends. I’ve grown accustomed to it.”
“When do we dock?” I asked him.

“Tonight, the storm blew us off course, but luckily the wind is in our favor, we’ll be home soon enough.” I nodded my head once, and finished the water. “I want to see J.” I told him getting to my feet. He nodded, “She’s in her quarters.” I nodded and left without another word.

When I got to J’s door I knocked, but there was no answer, so I pushed the door open and slipped inside. “J?” I asked. She was asleep on her small bed. I pulled up a chair and sat next to her, and watched her sleep. I felt her forehead, she had a fever, I frowned.

I sat with her for an hour before I got up and went above. I watered the horse, and made sure he was fed a little grain from his sack and then help the sailors as best I could. I needed to keep my mind and hands busy. I pulled and tightened the ropes and soon I found myself sweating in the mid day sun. I had taken off my shirt and pulled of my boots and men were showing me how to tie knots. They joked with me and more often than not laughed at me when I asked something stupid. I climbed the nets to the top of the mast and took look out for an hour. The sea was beautiful after a storm, and I found myself wishing to be in the sky, but then again I was also afraid.

The little bell on the deck rang; supper was ready. I jumped out of the crow’s nest and climbed don’t the netting, while another sailor climbed up to take my place, he held dinner in one hand as he climbed. A skill I didn’t think I would ever be able to acquire.

I sat down and chugged to soup, the sun was getting low in the sky so I went down to check on J. She was still out cold and we would be docking soon. So I packed everything up and saddled her horse. I looked out over the side of the ship land was approaching fast. It was the first time I had seen land other then the island, in two years. I took in the smell of the breeze. I could smell the trees. “We’ll be landing soon. You better wake that girl of yours.” The captain said. I nodded and went below deck.