Chapter 15

Sacrifice: Chapter 15

A loud crash startled me from my sleep.

"What was that?" Nalia asked. She was sitting up in her bed.

"I don't know," I said. "I'll go check." I swung my legs over the bed to grab my weapons. Suddenly, the ship rocked to one side sharply and I was thrown to the ground along with Nalia, our weapons, and anything else that was not anchored to the ground.

"You okay?" I asked her once the ship had resumed a normal position.

"Yes," she said shakily. "What was that?!"

"I don't know. Maybe we hit a storm. Come on, let's go up there and check it out," I said and grabbed her hand as we made our way up to the top deck.

Everyone was already there. It was raining hard and the wind was blowing strongly.

"No worries friends!" Saemon yelled from the mast of the ship over the sound of the massive waves crashing into the ship's hull. "My crew and I have got this one! Just stay in your cabins!"

I looked at Jaheira. "Should we just go to our rooms?" I asked.

She quickly considered and said, "Yes, let's do that. Aran said that Saemon has been sailing for quite some time; his crew should know how to handle something like this."

I agreed and told the others to return to their cabins. After all, we were not experienced sailors so we could not help Saemon even if we tried, and it was safer to be in our cabins where we could not be thrown overboard.

Once Nalia and I were back in our cabin, I noticed that she was looking anxious, maybe even scared.

"Are you all right?" I asked.

She smiled a little and I could tell she was trying to be brave. "It's...it's nothing, Auren. This...this storm just makes me a little nervous, that's all.

I picked up whatever had fallen on the floor and sat down on my bed. Nalia sat next to me and I took her hand.

"I'm scared too," I said. "I mean, wouldn't it be a shame to come all this way just to go down in some ship?"

Nalia just stared at me.

"That doesn't really make you feel any better does it?" I said sheepishly.

She laughed quietly and said, "No, but this might," she said and kissed me.

When she broke away, I laughed nervously and she smiled.

"As sleezy as this guy seems, he knows what he's doing," I said. "We should get some sleep."

"You're right," Nalia said and I felt the ship jerk again.

Nalia sighed and said, "I'm going to be thrown around the room all night aren't I?"

"I laughed and cautiously put my arms around her. She responded by hugging me tightly.

"Stay with me tonight," she whispered.

I nodded. "Okay."