Before Alex got her hands on any drink, Len found it necessary to introduce his fellow sailors, who were sitting in the shadows of the ratlines leading to the crow's nest. He rattled on as though the God of Gluttony would eat his tongue the second he stopped talking, making it impossible to match the many names to the many faces. Four men with names she didn't catch and a stout woman called Cici were playing a game involving three dice and a deck of cards.

Then there were two broadly muscled men, both with the same gilded beads in their curly beards, who went by the rhyming names of Fellan and Stellan. The twins were taking turns swigging a bottle of palm tears, while a man with fewer teeth than Master was muttering unintelligibly until Stellan (or was it Fellan?) threw the bottle in his lap.

"The grump over there is Krill," Len said as the man sucked the booze down. "Snaps regularly, but doesn't bite—not anymore." He chuckled.

"You think you're the funniest lad to ever sail the Jade Sea." Krill's lisp was heavy, even for a Jade Islander.

"Better a failed jester than a grump," Len retorted. He pointed at a younger boy with a patch of white in his otherwise dark hair and who was called Boy.

His real name was lost on her when Jorn, one of the men who had helped hoist Billy up on the ship, popped up before her and waved a bag under her nose, its spicy content instantly making her eyes water. He tore off a piece of the strip of meat in his hand. "Want some hausa?"

"What?" she asked.

"Hausa," Jorn repeated, shaking the bag. "Dried mutton seasoned with herbs. I thought I'd get you acquainted with the finest of the Jade Islandic cuisine."

Alex played with a strand of her hair, then tucked it behind her ear. "Is that so? In that case, I'd like to learn how to drink palm tears."

"That's not very hard, but alright—watch me." Jorn fished one of the dozen bottles from the floor and bit into the cork, spitting it out on deck. He set the bottle's mouth to his lips and took such a large gulp that his throat bobbed up and down. The liquid sunk beneath the label of the palm tree crying tears of gold. He let out of a triumphant burp as he handed her the palm tears. "Your turn, little lady."

"I'm no Lady." 

The bottle was heavier than she expected it to be. She sniffed at the liquid, the strong and tangy scent instantly burning both her nostrils and throat. As she coughed, laughter erupted from the group, mostly from the man with the missing teeth, but also the woman snorted mockingly. "Wouldn't have expected any different from a Greenlander lass."

Alex's knuckles turned white as the Gods of Pride and Wrath took control over her. Determined to prove she was a force to be reckoned with, she downed the remaining palm tears in one go. Her throat was on fire. Actual salty tears sprung to her eyes. By the time the last drop had gone through her throat, her head felt light and her stomach bloated, like she had just swallowed the entire Jade Sea.

But she had done it. Throwing the empty bottle at Jorn, she cracked a smile of her own. "Like this?"

"Pretty much," the tall Jade Islander said with a shrug.

Cici didn't spare her a glance. The woman with the smallest bun she had ever seen put a card on the growing pile and rolled the red die. She hummed as the die landed on three eyes. "Two copecks she's gonna hurl within the hour," she said as though it was part of the game.

"I'm game. Make half an hour!" One of the men turned the hourglass that hung from a chain on his waist.

"Fifteen minutes," added Stellan.

More people raised their hands. The twin brothers sought in their pockets and nodded, almost simultaneously.

Jorn grinned. "Ten minutes, and I raise the stakes to three copecks."

"Shame on each and every one of you." Len eyed the group. "She's a guest, and we should treat her as such."

"I don't need you to defend me." Alex snarled. "I can take care of myself."

"I'm sorry. I was just trying to help." He looked dismayed, with a blush appearing on his cheeks as some sailors sniggered and snorted.

"We should have bet on Len wooing the girl." Jorn set his foot in the rigging, one hand clutched around the ratline. "Love me, fair maiden. Give me my first kiss," he said dramatically. The applause and cheers that followed made him continue his jest.

Len turned his back on the group.

"Come back, Lenny, you fool," Stellan or Fellan shouted, the echo of his brother following shortly after, though not quite as loud.

The young sailor disappeared below deck.

Alex's insides were churning, unsure whether this was because of the palm tears or her dismissing Len so quickly. She shrugged. There was no need to feel guilty; they had just met. He was just a sailor working on a merchant ship. Two days from now they would never meet again.

Her nausea grew worse. The bottom of the hourglass hadn't been fully covered in grains of sand when Alex was hanging over the ship's rail, gagging and heaving, the contents of her stomach hitting the figurines of the Gods flaunting the hull before slowly sliding down and becoming one with the Jade Sea.

The burn of the palm tears was just as bad coming back up as it had been going down. 

Yet she felt no shame. Lord Simon's men had advised her to vomit to drink and keep a clear head. She was the number one topic of conversation as coins tinkled to the floor along with Jorn's boisterous laugh. Her little ordeal had made him rich. He patted her back. "I owe you one, little lady."

If charming the Jade Islanders was this easy, then the pirates would be easy prey. She gazed into the depth of the water below, spitting until the bitter taste had somewhat left her mouth. The waves that crashed into the ship were bigger and wilder than before. She turned her head towards Boy, who had joined the card game. "The white patch in his hair—he isn't a magician, is he?"

"You think Captain Ivar would let him work here if he were?" Jorn leant his back against the railing. "Boy was born like that and gets that reaction quite a lot. I've never seen it grow or shrink, and he's a happy kid. Magicians can't hide their powers forever. He isn't one."

"Then how come the waves suddenly became more violent?"

"The Jade Sea answers to no God," Jorn said cryptically. He looked at Captain Ivar who had left his spot by the rudder and was peering into the distance, his hand to his brow. Worry etched on the man's face.

Jorn took her back to the group and offered her a sip of the kinder small beer that was reserved for little Greenlander ladies and Jade Islandic boys whose balls hadn't dropped. 

As the evening progressed, and the bottles emptied, she felt more at ease with these men. Billy was still asleep, so she stayed listening to the stories of previous voyages. Krill had lived through seven shipwrecks and proclaimed he would rather die in the Kraken's jaws than perish on the sandy streets of Socota.

"You say that now, but wait until you see the Kraken's mouth," Cici said. "I swam for land and kissed every rock on the beach when I reached shore."

"How much palm tears had you drunk when you thought you saw the Kraken," guffawed the Scorian man. "I fear no beast but men."

"Aye!" Jorn raised a bottle, but quickly laid it back on deck when he noticed it was empty. "We're lucky this ship looks so impressive. They'll stay sea-miles away from us."

"Why is that?" Alex asked.

"Cause they're cowards," one of the twin brothers explained. "They never go for the big ships with the big cannons. They may be devious and deceitful, but they're mostly just very stupid. Half of our cannons aren't real, and we have maybe ten balls below deck."

"They usually go for easy targets. Small ships, small ports, small towns..." Jorn added.

"Not in The Greenlands," Alex argued.

"That's because you lot are equally stupid." Cici sniffed. "Too busy counting gold and exposing magicians to recognise a real pirate entering their harbour. Yet the innocent get tortured like they're convicted criminals and thrown in a dungeon to rot. Let the Pirates rob the fools blind—fewer problems for us."

Alex felt the God of Wrath returning, yet this time it was Billy who saved her from making a rash decision that would turn her life onboard the Acedia's Revenge into one of the Seven Hells. The horse had woken up, both of his ears flat. He was neighing in panic.

She bade the group goodnight and headed back towards Billy. The stallion eased upon the touch of her fingers, his tail lashing against the cabin door. She curled up against him, and they cuddled until she felt her eyes falling shut.

Overnight the wind picked up. It was no longer a mild eastern wind, but alternating cold and warm blows that woke her up at various intervals, the waxing crescent moon her guide to morning as it travelled across the sky before disappearing into a mist of grey.

When she could no longer sleep, she found herself staring at King Thomas' letter. At least five hundred times she had read his words, the message so engraved in her memory she would never forget it, yet she could not match the kindness that lived in her father with the ruthlessness of the Pirates.

The sailors were ridiculing her for it. While she fed Billy raisins off her hand, Krill chuckled as he walked by with a mop in his hand. "Reading your boyfriend's farewell note?"

"I don't have a boyfriend," she muttered.

"Len'll rejoice." He threw the mop on the deck and started scrubbing. "If that foolish kid could write, he would totally write you to sweep you off your feet. Now lift those giant paws of you, Missy."

Wishing to end the conversation, she got up and pulled Billy along by the bridle. The ship bounced up and down, throwing violent waves on board. Good ol' Billy had been jittery since he had first seen the ship, but now he was jumpy and difficult to control. He tossed his head from side to side and danced clumsily on his hooves.

As she stroked his manes in an attempt to calm him down, she noticed Captain Ivar standing by the rudder, peering through a large metal tube. Why she didn't know. The mist was so thick she could barely make out his features.

Then it hit her. The Pirates would be able to come so close they only had to swing onto the deck and kill them all. Had Father ever done something like that?

No, she didn't... couldn't imagine him doing that. She took the letter out of her quiver and screwed the paper into a ball. The wind blew fiercely through her hair as she tottered towards the railing. If the letter didn't exist, then a bear had still killed Father. Everything would still be the same. He would be the warrior who had taught her how to swim and hunt, who had showered her with ticklish hugs she countered by tugging at his braided beard.

With a wide grunt, she hurled the ball overboard where it became one with the water. It floated for a couple of seconds, before sinking; the secret forever buried in a grave at sea.

The ship lurched upwards with a soft crack, a wave drenching her clothes and splattering her face. She spluttered out salt water as Billy neighed loudly.

"Shht," she said as she pushed his head into her chest, caressing him. "You must calm down, Bills. It is but the wind and the sea below. All will be well. The Goddesses of Kindness and Charity will protect us, and the God of Diligence is just making sure we arrive swiftly."

The horse neighed again, slightly softer. He was trembling, and she felt so useless.

"Prepare the ship for thirty knots and beyond!" Captain Ivar shouted. "Chop, chop. Wake up all the crew. We're gonna need all the supplies we've got."

"But Captain, you left the storm supplies—" Krill took on a wide stance as the next wave hit the ship. Alex nearly fell.

"I'm aware. Do what you can," the Captain bellowed. "Alex, go below deck. The waves will make you sick, but it's safer down there."

"But what about Billy? I can't leave him. He'll get scared!"

"Then hide in the stable, for all I care. Get the hell off my deck!"

Three flashes of intense light appeared in the darkening sky. In the distance rumbled the thunder. Without giving it another thought, Alex rushed towards the cabin, Billy luckily trotting beside her.

As the sailors gathered on deck, pouring rain began to attack from the skies. They were all soaked within seconds, even Alex. Waves continuously jumped on board, water quickly rising in the cabin too.

"Has this ship ever seen a storm up close?" Len muttered as he and six other men pulled the sails towards starboard. 

"Nah." Krill groaned as he picked up the anchor chain. "Five summer trips last year, and this her second spring voyage."

"We'll tame this beastie," the Scorian man shouted as the sails flapped back and forth, almost as unmanageable as Billy. "Pull as you have never pulled before. She'll make it. We'll make it."

Trying to control the shaking of her hands, Alex clenched her hand around Billy's brittle and whispered a prayer.  She couldn't show him that she was afraid. It would only frighten him more.

"Shht." She petted his manes. "We'll make it. The storm will pass."

Billy's neighs turned to screams. It was an excruciating noise that drowned out most of the sounds of the storm raging outside. The wood of the cabin groaned as the ship bobbed up and down so fiercely that they shuffled back and forth between the four walls.

Her stomach lurched and gurgled. She heaved, but since she hadn't eaten yet, nothing came out. To battle her nausea, she struggled up and opened the top half of the door. The sailors had switched positions, with a fresh batch of men pulling the sails. 

As her nauseousness passed so did the worst of the storm. The rain turned to a steady drizzle. The wind was still pushing against the ship and throwing waves on deck, but not quite as violent as before.

Each of the sailors took a gulp of a bottle of palm tears that was passed along. While Fellan and Stellan were boasting about their scrapes and bruises, Len looked her way. She ducked.

The peaceful moment was short-lived. With each passing minute, the sky darkened again. The wind picked up where it had left off and the rain came pouring down with the strength of the Gods emptying a million buckets at once.

Had she sinned? Was that why they were teaching her a lesson?

The men retook their positions, yet with none of the bravery she had seen before. They exchanged little words apart from the occasional shout to pull even harder. The wind picked up Boy, the twisted fibres his only salvation from being thrown overboard.

"Hold on," she shouted at the young sailor, yet none of his companions made any effort to free him from his dire state. 

Boy climbed up to the crow's nest.

He was nearly there when a monstrous wave hit them all. The rope swayed from one side to the ship with such force that Boy could no longer hold on. He crashed down on the deck, never to move again.

Meanwhile, Jorn yelped as his own cord snapped and slipped through his hands. He fell and tumbled down the now slanted deck, only stopping as he banged into the railing. "Help!"

His hands clawed at the wood as he tried get up, but the next wave was already plunging onto the deck.

When the wave retreated, it revealed a broken railing and no Jorn.

"Help him!" Alex yelled, her voice but a silent shriek as the wind blared and deafened them all. He still had to be in the water. Boy may be lost to the Gods, but they could still save Jorn!

"Leave him!" Captain Ivar clamoured. "It's too late. Pull! Keep her afloat! It's the only way to save ourselves."

Wave after wave splashed aboard, water streaming through the cracks in the wood and flooding the stable until the water reached her knees.

Frantically, Alex tried to grab Billy's reins but couldn't find him. She couldn't control her breathing, the air escaping her body in shallow, fast-paced sobs. She felt sick, scared, and wanted to go home.

The horse let out another heart-wrenching scream, kicking her in the side. Pain shot through her entire body. She cried out, tears flowing freely. As she clutched her hand to her lowest rib, blood stained her shirt and then her fingers. The wound had the shape of Billy's hoof.

The ship staggered further, opening the door of the stable. Billy jumped over her and galloped off, neighing in a panicked frenzy as he ran around in circles.

"Come back!" She grabbed a piece of wood, hoping it would help her to get up but it didn't. "It's just a storm, Billy! You know what they are like. Come here and I will keep you safe. You don't have to be afraid! Billy!"

The Acedia's Revenge crashed into another massive wave, causing the middle mast to crack and break into two. Another gust of wind snapped the giant sail loose. It flapped and fluttered dangerously close to the men, but it was Billy that got shrouded into the deep green and was catapulted into the violent waves.

Alex's world stood still. Biting away the excruciating pain, she yelled the air out of her lungs. "Horse overboard! Help my horse! You have to help him."

The sea rose in reply, bringing forth a mountain-high wall of angry water. Through the cracks of the powerful thunder, his faint neighing crushed her soul to pieces. She should have listened to Lord Simon instead of the God of Pride. A warm stable would have been so much better for the old horse. She had sent him to his death. 

Men twice her size fell too as the ropes slipped out of their hands. She tumbled over and slid across the deck, clawing at the wood but getting no grip.

Then a hand wrapped around her wrist. It was Len. He was still holding onto his rope. His face was red, veins popping out of his forehead. The ship slanted further to the port.

The King of all winds blasted the Captain down onto the lower deck. When she looked up, he was lying on his stomach, motionless and blood dripping out of his mouth. Where the rudder had remained only splinters of wood.

"We're all going to die, aren't we?" her voice was but a whisper.

"No, I won't be able to hold you much longer but...," he said with a ragged breath. "You can still live. I'm gonna let you go before she capsizes. You have to swim as fast as you can."

"I can't," she squeaked. "I'm wounded. Billy—"

"Just swim. Swim and don't look back. Don't let the maelstrom suck you to the bottom."

"No! Stay with me, Len!"

"I'm sorry. I have to do this."

As he released his grip on her, she skidded across the deck, crashing into chains and loose pieces of wood that were falling together with her. There was no way to stop this. This was how she would die.

Never again would she smack Nick on the head and call him a Muttonhead. Never again would she laugh with Lana about her father's antics. And Seb... the memory of his sloppy, clumsy kiss filled her mind as she plummeted into the dark abyss of churning, foam-filled rapids that swallowed her whole.