Veil of Shadow and Rain ✓ [TSC #1]

Chapter 23 - Delayed

'Where all the secrets began,' Ladislaya recited, 'a land of the unknown.'

She closed her book as well as her eyes and began humming.

Jake was staring at her. 'What's that mean?'

Ladislaya snapped her eyes open. 'It's a book of poetry,' she replied, before closing her eyes again.

'Should be there soon,' Elias said.

'You've been saying that for the past few days,' Wren called to him over the wind.

'Well, this time's for real now,' Elias said, dignified. He checked the compass. 'Storm's coming in, though.'

'What?'

'Hmph. We should expect a little pour, nothing else. At least, that's what my maps say...' He drew out a black marker and circled something on a map.

'There'll be a storm?' cried Wren, running over.

'Perhaps. They'll be coming at us from East,' Elias tutted, checking his compass and punching a few numbers in the calculator. 'Ah. Won't be just a drizzle - it might be a little more than a pour.'

It was three in the morning and the sun was rising up. They'd got up early to see the sunrise - the sky was a faint orangey red. Wind whistled and the sea churned beneath them. Moments later, Wren felt a drop of water trickle down her nose.

'Brace yourselves, folks!' cried Elias, steering the wheel to the left. 'It'll be a ride ... a wet one, too.'

Rain began to pour, coming down in sheets, drenching in within seconds. 'Tie down that barrel, someone!' Elias ordered over the whipping wind. Jake hurried over. 'Is the ship going to hold up?'

'She'll hold, but we'll have to stay alert!' Elias was practically shouting now. The sky was growing darker - Wren was soaked. 'We need to secure the rigging!'

'On it!' Wren shouted. 'Jake - get to the mainsail!'

'I've got it!' cried Ladislaya. 'Rope, pass me rope, someone!'

Wren threw one long one to her. The ship steered dangerously to the left. 'Oh god,' Elias muttered. He looked up at the sky, now a deep shining red. 'Uh, not good everyone, not good!'

'What?' yelled Wren over the howling wind.

'Red sky at night, sailor's delight; red sky in the morning, sailor's warning,' Elias recited, seizing his calculator. 'It's a low pressure system - good weather's passed, and now storm's on its way! A mighty big one, I can tell you!'

'Weher's it coming from?' Jake yelled.

'East. It's coming from East,' shouted Elias, grabbing his maps and highlighting certain areas. 'Aaahh...somebody get the bloody railing!'

'What d'you think we're doing?' Jake bellowed, cursing through the wind. 'We can't hold up much longer, you know!'

Elias wasn't listening. He was busy crumpling up maps that wasn't of any use anymore - punching in numbers in the calculator and marking down places where the storm was coming at them from. Checking the compass every now and then, he highlighted something one of the maps.

'Bad weather on the way. Really, really bad. This is only the beginning.'

'What?' said Wren, tripping over a barrel as she rushed to Elias. 'What do you mean, only the beginning?'

'The worst of storms are coming at us in, say, two hours. Five times the size of the current weather right now - the weather right now's considered alright - good, even.'