Day 18 of Midwinter, Sunrise

At Sea, Ildatbach Bay

Annwn

Hullraiser appeared unchanged since the last time I was aboard. While Commander Scolt looked surprised to see me, plus a seal who transformed into an admittedly beautiful woman, climb aboard the ship, Salka had merely given the older man an “I told you so” look.

Now dry, I took stock of my still regrettably injured form. I thought about the fights to come and grumbled to myself. How was I supposed to fare with no flight and a fresh abdominal wound? I supposed I would make do, like I always had.

The entire crew had come out to greet us, partly because I think they wanted to see the spectacle and partly because they were ordered to. Who knew how much they had heard about my little trip over to the Jewel and the events that transpired after? My guess was not much, as I assumed they had been well away from the rest of the fleet by the time Ogma and I took our little swim.

I wonder if the Murias navy had managed to find the boy-god in the black of night. I guessed that one of the numerous ships behind the flagship had noticed their floating lord… well, perhaps. He HAD been unconscious after all. No matter. Ogma couldn’t drown, and the Cupbearers would likely have rescued him if he ended up too far under the Crosswaters.

Scolt eyed my bandaged stomach. “I see your little adventures didn’t go unnoticed.”

“And yet, here you are,” Salka added.

“I couldn’t stay away,” I joked. “The two of you are such a hoot, I even brought a friend. This is Fern… Fern, meet Commander Scolt and Tide-master Salka, famous pirates of the inner sea.”

Salka rolled her eyes, and Scolt simply shook his head at my words. I doubt either would have put up with being called pirates by anyone else in Annwn. But after our recent adventures, I liked them. I was sure they knew I was teasing. Well, pretty sure.

“Pleased to meet you,” Fern said. She, too, was shaking her head, though I could see the hint of a smile. “I’m afraid we must repay your kindness with news that will likely be unwelcome.” She looked at me expectantly.

“So… I’ve got some good news,” I said with a bit of a flourish. At Fern’s frown, I continued, “Fine… and some bad news.”

“It’s mostly bad news,” Fern interrupted. She held out the Stone of Destiny so that everyone could see. I held up the Cauldron of Plenty.

The two sailors studied the objects and appeared to understand what we were showing them, but seemed otherwise unmoved. The crew, on the other hand, reacted more strongly to the gravity of the situation, muttering amongst themselves. At a sharp word from the boatswain, Cé Gwalch, the men quieted and straightened themselves back in line.

“You have had a productive two days,” Commander Scolt commented. “What sort of trouble should we expect with these items topside?”

“The deadly kind,” I said, smiling.

“The Hag of Winter found my ship, even in the open water,” Fern added. “She utterly destroyed it, leaving my crew to swim for their lives.”

I saw Salka reassessing me. Her eyes snagged on my wing, a clear indication that we’d have no air support to fight the hovering Old Power. Her gaze then flicked to the ballista on the bow, then to the mast. I knew she was anticipating the fight to come and readying herself mentally.

The Lubrican boatswain came forward, and I willed myself not to let my dislike of his kind show. He had red hair, like others of his race, and stood only a smidge taller than me. Lubrican always reminded me of a mini Ruadan.

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“Sir,” Cé said to Commander Scolt. “I must go below deck and ready the main mast.”

Scolt nodded, and the little man ran off below deck. I had no idea what exactly he meant to do to ready the main mast for what we were likely to face. Typically, steadying a mast of a ship required adjusting the yards, stays, and other ropework around the mast. But trying to prevent a mast from being snapped by an enormous hammer was a fool’s errand.

Then again, I remembered what Salka had said about Hullraiser…that she had a few other unique properties. I wondered what the Lubrican had up his sleeve.

“How long until we can get into port?” I asked.

“I would not recommend going to Ildatbach,” Fern reminded me. “Not with all the Murias ships there.”

“We can find a berth in Lough Solais,” the Commander said.

“Cnoc Aine,” Salka agreed. She turned and began shouting orders at the crewmen. As they hurried to their stations, I realized that most looked happy to finally be under sail. A few appeared frightened. I didn’t blame them. My palms were sweaty in anticipation.

The small town of Cnoc Aine lay to the west of Ildatbach. It was named after someone that legend called a “fairy queen,” whatever that was. I suspected a more accurate way to describe her was as the first documented spirit that chose to become an Ellyllon. She was still celebrated during the midsummer celebrations.

In any case, I found it ironic that we were sailing into a port known for celebrating a summer spirit while simultaneously being chased by the spirit of winter.

The journey would take all of sunrise and partly into midday. There was nothing for Fern and me to do, given the experienced crew.

Bored and ill at ease, I paced along the deck, watching the sky for any signs of the old woman. She had very seldom been associated with nautical vessels, choosing to keep to mostly mountainous regions. My run-in with her back in Ériu was actually the first time I had seen her up close…and that was too close for my comfort.

Fern stood near Commander Scolt and Salka. Occasionally, they would allow her to help in some way. There had been no sign of Cé since he went below deck, but the sailors didn’t need his supervision as they moved smoothly from task to task.

The forced downtime gave me the chance to notice things about the ship I would have normally ignored or missed. One such detail was the main mast. From my new vantage point up close, I was able to see the intricacies of the wood surface. From a distance, it had appeared to be a smooth, dark wooden mast, but up close, I saw it was anything but. The grooves on the outside appeared to be actual living bark, with small blemishes and wood growth that wouldn’t have been present in a traditional mast.

Looking up toward the crow’s nest, I followed the line of the beam straight into the sky. I could see no discernible joints and fasteners. The mast appeared to have been grown into the proper shape. How was that even possible? Was it part of the “unique properties” Salka had referenced? Now I was even more curious as to what Cé was doing below deck to prepare for the battle to come.

And just like that, as if being summoned by my thought alone, the sky began to darken. The horizon that had been clear of storm clouds all morning grew dark. Thunder began to rumble, its sound so deep that I could feel the vibration in the boards of the deck.

The crew seamlessly shifted from their routine tasks into what I could only assume were battle stations. The sailor in the crow’s nest made his way down to the deck. Not much sense in being at the highest point of the ship against a flying opponent, I guessed.

Two of the other crew members went to man the ballista. Yet another two turned a crank that slowly brought a large cannon up from out of the back of the ship. Commander Scolt took the helm, his expression forbidding. Salka drew her curved blade and stood at his side.

My blood vibrating, I unsheathed my girls.

“Where is she?” Scolt shouted, his eyes scanning the darkness around the ship.

“I cannot make her out,” Salka called back over the sound of the now choppy water and rising thunder. Dark storm clouds had manifested out of the darkening sky, and a heavy mist lay thick around the ship. The crew stood tense, waiting.

In the heavy stillness, a thought occurred to me. Despite being grounded, I DID have a way to find out where the danger lay. I pulled out the Heartbane Dial, watching as the needle began spinning wildly. Was the hag flying circles around the ship?

Finally, the needle focused on a point just off the starboard side. I ran to the helm, pointing.

“There!” I shouted.

The soldiers swiveled the canon and the ballista in that direction, firing the moment the enormous hag came into view. With a surprised screech, she flew back into the darkness and out of sight. The crew let out a cheer. I did not.

The needle of the dial began to spin again before falling limp.

“Where is she, Fíadan?” Salka screamed, her eyes on the device. The crew quieted, waiting for her command…just as she was waiting for mine.

“I don’t know,” I said, shaking the dial.

With horror, I realized that I knew exactly what had caused the needle to go limp, unable to point in the direction of the threat. She was straight up! My gaze went to the sky just in time to see the hag’s massive hammer crash into the mast.