Golden Thread

I was woken by someone trying to drag me out of my bunk. “Shhh,” I muttered, eyes bleary and still half-asleep. The ship was rocking violently. I didn’t want to do anything except stay still and try not to feel ill.

The yanking got stronger. I opened one eye.

Harald had my sleeve clenched in his teeth, and was dragging me towards him. Since he only had the body mass of a skinny goat, this wasn’t doing much. I sat up in shock, hitting my head on the top of the bunk and yanking my sleeve out of his mouth. It was damp. I wrinkled my nose.

“What’s your problem? I’m trying to sleep here.”

“We’re too close to shore. Can you swim?”

“Not in that water! It’s basically frozen already.”

The panic was starting to rise now. The ship floated higher and higher, bobbing; then we tipped off of the top of the wave and the entire ship shook with the impact. I could feel it in my bones.

“You really think we’re going to wreck,” I said, but it was to an empty room. Harald had run off. The rocking of the ship was so strong that even the bunk was rattling. I saw a coin roll across the floor one way, then the other, glinting in the low light of the candle someone must have brought in here. Then I had to lurch forward and grab the candle itself, as it tried to tip over with the most recent wave.

There was no time to decide what to save. I grabbed my bag, shoved the jerky in my pocket, and slung my cloak over my shoulders before I began to stumble up to the deck.

The sun had just barely begun to come over the horizon, but I couldn’t make out much. It was obscured by a fat cloud that swirled overhead, as if the wind even up there was high. I felt my knees tremble and grabbed for the mast. The sails were tied down. Yet the ship still tumbled towards the shore, a dark mass of rocks and what I thought were a few lights in houses beyond.

“How did we get so close?” I shouted over the wind. It was howling, bringing small drops of water up from the sea and splattering my cheeks. I couldn’t feel my lips or fingers.

The goat was scrambling over the deck, hooves slipping in the water. Apis lurched up from belowdecks as I stared, my question unanswered. He was wrapped in a blanket and dragging a half-awake Duran behind him.

“Ask Andrena for help,” he shouted.

“She doesn’t do oceans!”

I grabbed for the mast as the ship tipped, a wave crashing over the bow and soaking everyone from the knees up. My candle had blown out. I threw it aside. I had bigger problems.

Andrena, I thought, my knees weak from fear. I know this isn’t typically your thing, but…

There was no response. Of course there wasn’t. Teuthida, I tried, You aren’t my patron, but I did you a rather large favor. You couldn’t help us out a bit?

As if nature itself was mocking me, the next wave was even larger. It caught our ship up and for a moment we were higher above the sea than I had ever thought possible, the ship caught on the edge of the wave as we all tumbled towards the shore. I had a brief sight of a rocky beach and some mountains, all covered with snow, before the ship crashed down and I slipped off of the deck. There was overwhelming cold, my eyes stinging. Then there was nothing.

~*~

I am never letting you near the water again.

I opened my eyes. I was shivering, even in my sleep. My eyes were crusted with what felt like a year’s worth of salt. Above me there was nothing but gray sky, clouds still swirling. Water was lapping up and freezing my arm. I still couldn’t feel my fingers.

I turned my head, slightly. There. Hunched over me, hands around her knees like a child, was Andrena. She seemed more solid than usual.

If this is death, I want a different option, I told her. I liked the field.

You aren’t dead yet, you fool! But you will be if you don’t get up and start walking. I can already feel your heart slowing.

Andrena was in my heart? I wrinkled my nose, or at least I thought I did. I couldn’t really feel that either. I told you this was a bad idea. If we’d gone south, I would feel all of my limbs.

You have to stand, Elysia! You’re going to freeze to death if you don’t move!

She wasn’t even responding to my childish insults. She must actually be worried. I closed my eyes. I just need a few more minutes of sleep. I didn’t know why I was so tired. I had spent all of my time on the ship sleeping, or at least as much as I could manage. But it felt like my limbs were tied to lead weights, my eyelids drooping no matter what I did.

My hand slipped over my hip, landing on the cold gem of the sword. Of course. Even when I was shipwrecked, the Abyssal Blade managed to follow me.

I let my muscles relax, my eyes clenched closed. Even the lapping sound of the waves was restful now. Only a little nap, and then I would do what Andrena wanted. Hadn’t I earned a break?

Heat shot up from the center of the blade. My eyes snapped open, but I wasn’t the one moving them.

Wait a minute-

I have to do everything myself, seethed Andrena. She cracked my neck, then shook out my hands as she forced my body to stand. She had shoved my mind into a tiny little box, and I was forced to stare as she stumbled across the beach. There was a faint light in the distance, getting brighter all the time.

I did not give you permission to take over my body! I snapped at her. Since when can you just invade?

You gave me permission once, she said. We have a bond now.

For a moment, floating in my own gray matter, I thought I could see it. A shimmering golden thread drifting from my chest, pulled down towards the center of the world, the home of the gods. Then Andrena lurched forward, ramming my shoulder into the door of a small hut, and the vision dissolved, replaced by a dull pain.

No one responded to the impromptu knock. She shoved my shoulder at the door again. On the third attempt, the door swung open. Behind it was a man in his thirties, maybe, with shaggy hair and a densely cabled knit sweater.

He said something questioning in the northern dialect. It sounded like several consonants having a fistfight.

Andrena dissolved out of my body all at once. I was left to try and keep myself standing as he pulled me inside, shoving me onto a straw mattress. There were several other figures, lumps under the blankets. I couldn’t make out details.

The man was still talking, a comforting, low drone that sounded a little like he was yelling at me. I leaned into the nearest lump of blankets and shook at what looked like a shoulder. The person didn’t respond. I reached forward and yanked the blanket away, just a little. Below it were Apis and the goat, the goat snoring ever so slightly. Next to them was a figure that looked like Katla.

Where’s Duran? I tried to stand, but with another flash of heat I felt Andrena drag me down. She didn’t even bother to say anything this time.

I’ve warmed up, I insisted. Let me go check for him! He’s just a child!

Sleep.

I could almost feel my fingers again. I stared at the shimmering cable of gold, my hand on the sword. Had it always been there? Just because you saved my life doesn’t mean you’re allowed to do that again. Surely Duran deserves a rescue.

Andrena didn’t respond. I curled my legs up, yanking off my frozen boots (How had they even stayed on this long?) and pulled another blanket over me. I would escape and look for Duran any moment now. It wouldn’t take that long before Andrena released me, would it? The man asked a question in the northern dialect, this one sounding more pointed.

I yawned. Without my permission, my eyes drifted shut.