can save this ship,” Hallekk muttered. “Thanks fer savin’ me life.” Then he was gone in a whirlwind of bluster and orders, marching across the heaving deck.
Juhg started working on the rope around his ankle, certain that the leg had stretched dramatically and he would walk lopsided the rest of his days.
Craugh snapped his fingers.
Like a live thing, the rope untangled itself and slid away from Juhg. He looked up at the wizard, knowing Craugh was surely about to toadify him.
“You,” the wizard said imperiously, looking down his blade of a nose, “have a job to do. You have no business being brave.”
Juhg’s anger flamed to the forefront. As many times as he’d seen Craugh put his life on the line for the Grandmagister, he couldn’t believe the wizard would have the audacity to chastise him for saving Hallekk’s life. He tried to stand, intending to take umbrage for all the mean things Craugh had said and done lately, and the way he had basically ignored him the last month while they were aboard the pirate ship, but his leg wouldn’t hold his weight. It buckled beneath him and dropped him to the deck.
Craugh turned away from Juhg, obviously dismissing him as he searched the sea.
One-Eyed Peggie fought the wind and the sea. Her sails were a shambles, several of them flopping free at the end of broken rigging or unsupported by snapped ’yards. Hallekk ordered men into the rigging to deal with the damage.
“Get up there with ye!” Hallekk bawled through his cupped hands as he walked beneath the sails. “Get that canvas furled some’at! We can’t give Peggie her head in this here wind unless she’s evened out!”
Several of the dwarven pirates climbed the rigging, furling sails with difficulty. Handling the amount of damage the ship had been dealt even in calm winds would have proven a daunting task. As things stood now, managing the canvas was almost impossible. Still, they were dwarves and not used to giving up or backing away from a challenge, and they would surely die if they lost the ship, so they fought the sails.
“Lean her out!” Hallekk ordered. He stomped beneath the three masts, calling out individual orders.
Memory of the dwarven pirates falling from the ship wouldn’t leave Juhg’s mind. He grabbed the rope that had been wrapped around his ankle and pulled it into a coil while he raced for the railing. There was a chance one of the three dwarves might yet live.
“Apprentice,” Craugh yelled from the forward deck, addressing Juhg as he always did. From the rank of novice and even when he’d earned the position of First Level Librarian, the wizard had insisted on calling him by that title. Out of all the dwellers that the Grandmagister had trained as Librarians over the years, Juhg was the only one that Craugh had addressed
in such a manner. If the wizard’s tone hadn’t been usually disparaging, or if he’d used the title during times of praise instead of remonstration, it might have sounded good.
Juhg hesitated just a moment. The weight of the rope was on his arm. He wondered if the wizard would simply have the rope truss him to the nearest railing.
“I would not have you throw your life away after I worked so hard to safeguard it,” Craugh warned with a glare. “I would be most displeased.”
Juhg spared the wizard only a glance. “Thank you for your concern, but we lost others overboard. There may still be a chance to save them.” He peered into the thrashing sea.
“They’re gone, Apprentice. Lost to us.”
Anger and sorrow warred within Juhg. He hated the way Craugh seemed so able to accept the loss of the dwarves. However, Craugh was always that way. The only time Juhg had seen the wizard get emotional over anyone, it had been over the Grandmagister.
Stubbornly, Juhg kept his attention on the sea. If he saw one of the pirates who’d fallen overboard, he intended to attempt a rescue. But the bearded hoar-worm remained at large also. His heart thundered in
Juhg started working on the rope around his ankle, certain that the leg had stretched dramatically and he would walk lopsided the rest of his days.
Craugh snapped his fingers.
Like a live thing, the rope untangled itself and slid away from Juhg. He looked up at the wizard, knowing Craugh was surely about to toadify him.
“You,” the wizard said imperiously, looking down his blade of a nose, “have a job to do. You have no business being brave.”
Juhg’s anger flamed to the forefront. As many times as he’d seen Craugh put his life on the line for the Grandmagister, he couldn’t believe the wizard would have the audacity to chastise him for saving Hallekk’s life. He tried to stand, intending to take umbrage for all the mean things Craugh had said and done lately, and the way he had basically ignored him the last month while they were aboard the pirate ship, but his leg wouldn’t hold his weight. It buckled beneath him and dropped him to the deck.
Craugh turned away from Juhg, obviously dismissing him as he searched the sea.
One-Eyed Peggie fought the wind and the sea. Her sails were a shambles, several of them flopping free at the end of broken rigging or unsupported by snapped ’yards. Hallekk ordered men into the rigging to deal with the damage.
“Get up there with ye!” Hallekk bawled through his cupped hands as he walked beneath the sails. “Get that canvas furled some’at! We can’t give Peggie her head in this here wind unless she’s evened out!”
Several of the dwarven pirates climbed the rigging, furling sails with difficulty. Handling the amount of damage the ship had been dealt even in calm winds would have proven a daunting task. As things stood now, managing the canvas was almost impossible. Still, they were dwarves and not used to giving up or backing away from a challenge, and they would surely die if they lost the ship, so they fought the sails.
“Lean her out!” Hallekk ordered. He stomped beneath the three masts, calling out individual orders.
Memory of the dwarven pirates falling from the ship wouldn’t leave Juhg’s mind. He grabbed the rope that had been wrapped around his ankle and pulled it into a coil while he raced for the railing. There was a chance one of the three dwarves might yet live.
“Apprentice,” Craugh yelled from the forward deck, addressing Juhg as he always did. From the rank of novice and even when he’d earned the position of First Level Librarian, the wizard had insisted on calling him by that title. Out of all the dwellers that the Grandmagister had trained as Librarians over the years, Juhg was the only one that Craugh had addressed
in such a manner. If the wizard’s tone hadn’t been usually disparaging, or if he’d used the title during times of praise instead of remonstration, it might have sounded good.
Juhg hesitated just a moment. The weight of the rope was on his arm. He wondered if the wizard would simply have the rope truss him to the nearest railing.
“I would not have you throw your life away after I worked so hard to safeguard it,” Craugh warned with a glare. “I would be most displeased.”
Juhg spared the wizard only a glance. “Thank you for your concern, but we lost others overboard. There may still be a chance to save them.” He peered into the thrashing sea.
“They’re gone, Apprentice. Lost to us.”
Anger and sorrow warred within Juhg. He hated the way Craugh seemed so able to accept the loss of the dwarves. However, Craugh was always that way. The only time Juhg had seen the wizard get emotional over anyone, it had been over the Grandmagister.
Stubbornly, Juhg kept his attention on the sea. If he saw one of the pirates who’d fallen overboard, he intended to attempt a rescue. But the bearded hoar-worm remained at large also. His heart thundered in
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