A rough hand shook Elias awake. He started and whipped back to see a man with sandy hair and a scar along his right cheek. “Come on, kid. You’re on the first shift. Let’s go.”

  Elias groaned and tried to pull himself out of the hammock, but he only succeeded on falling to the floor. A few groggy voices groaned their complaints, but the bob of the ship lulled them back to sleep.

  The man sighed and pulled Elias to his feet. “You need to roll out of the hammock.”

  Elias rubbed his eyes and tried to steady his footing on the swaying ship. “Sorry, sir,” he mumbled.

  The sailor gestured for him to follow, but as they walked through the crew’s quarters, Elias noticed him shake his head and laugh a little. “Sir… don’t think anyone’s ever called me that.”

  Elias peeked around him trying to spy if Master Seth was awake as well. He didn’t see him sleeping in any of the hammocks.

  Must already be on deck. He heaved a sigh of relief—he didn’t want to work with these strangers alone. Especially after how they treated Gloria yesterday. He scowled at the memory of their comments.

  The sailor opened the door, letting them out onto the main deck to where eight men stood waiting, among them was Master Seth. Elias stepped out into the cool air and a salty breeze messed with his hair, sending shivers down his spine.

  He rubbed his arms and looked around him. The sky was still dark, and a few stars lingered in the sky, but to the east, over the roofs of Stormvale, Elias could barely see the sky beginning to turn a pale yellow.

  “Hey!” a gravelly voice barked. Elias jumped and looked back. A tall, ripped, half-elf glared at him. “Now’s not the time ta gawk at the sky, boy! We need to get The Lily ready to sail.”

  Elias shivered again. “Sorry, sir.”

  “Just shut up and listen.”

  Elias bristled at the sharp word and was going to say something back, but Master Seth caught his attention and shook his head. Elias crossed his arms grumbling and made his way over to Master Seth’s side while the half-elf started assigning duties to the men present.

  Master Seth leaned in. “Don’t talk back to Robin. He’s got a short temper and an even sharper tongue.”

  Elias grimaced and stared at the floorboards. “Yes sir,” he muttered back.

  Then, Robin pointed at Master Seth and Elias. “Toothpick, Wraps, you’re the nimblest of all of us. Once the anchor is up, loose the topsails.”

  Elias’s head snapped up. Wraps? What kind of a name was that?

  Master Seth nudged him and muttered from the corner of his mouth. “Remember what I just said.”

  Elias grimaced and obediently followed Master Seth to the mainmast. Master Seth pointed to a wooden beam above them where the sails were tightly furled. “That’s the yard. We’ll climb up the shrouds, then untie the gaskets. The guys below will take care of the rest.”

  Elias’s eyes went wide as he stared at the tall mast. “Is there a rope or anything to make sure we don’t fall?”

  Master Seth followed his gaze then chuckled. “Um, no.” He glanced back at Elias. “Be careful and watch your step. Gloria will kill me if I let you fall.” Then he started to climb the rope ladder that led up to the yard. Elias bit back a nervous lump and followed him.

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  Master Seth looked down and hollered to Elias. “I’ll take port. You take starboard.”

  Elias blinked. “What? What does that mean?”

  Master Seth pointed to his right. “Starboard is right, port is left.”

  “Oh. Why didn’t you just say ‘right’?”

  Master Seth shook his head, and Elias could barely hear him laugh.

  They continued climbing the shrouds until they reached the yard, but Master Seth didn’t stop, he kept climbing until he reached the crow’s nest above him. Elias stared after him. “Sir, isn’t this the yard?”

  Master Seth hoisted himself up. “It is, but it’s too early to loose the sails. Simon will ring the bell when it’s time. For now, we get to hang out right here.” He patted the spot beside him.

  Elias shrugged and carefully pulled himself into the crow’s nest beside Master Seth. He held tight to a nearby rope and gazed in awe at the endless ocean around him. “Wow…”

  Master Seth put a hand in his pocket and pulled out a scrap of fabric. “Use this.”

  Elias took the fabric and frowned. “What’s this for?”

  “For tying back your hair. It’s getting long. It’s going to be hard to see what you’re doing with your hair in your face.”

  Elias pulled his hair back and tied it into a tail. Then he shook his head, testing the knot, and smiled at Master Seth. “Thank you, sir.”

  Master Seth returned his smile, then it fell and he looked away, furrowing his brow deep in thought.

  Elias cocked his head at him. “Sir? Something wrong?”

  Master Seth shook his head. “Don’t worry about it.”

  Elias grimaced, but didn’t press. His stomach growled, and he pressed a hand to it. I wonder when breakfast will be. Should be good if Gloria’s making it.

  A bell rang below. Master Seth bolted upright and started to climb down. “Time to untie the gaskets. Ready?”

  Elias shuddered, then nodded. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

  Master Seth nodded. “Good. There should be four gaskets on each side. Start at the end and work your way back. Pull the knot free then move onto the next one.”

  “Yes sir.”

  Elias followed Master Seth down to the starboard yard and slowly inched out onto the beam. The bobbing ship sent anxious shivers through his body. He gripped the yard tight, his arms shaking. Don’t look down, he told himself, crawling out to the end. Don’t look down.

  Once he was at the end, Elias noticed a firm knot with a loose rope. He tugged on the rope and pulled the knot free. He shimmied back and pulled another knot free. He inched back again when his hand slipped, and he fell onto the beam. He latched onto the yard before he fell off.

  “You alright?” Master Seth called behind him.

  Elias stared at the deck below. That was close. He gulped. One fall and splat, he’d be dead.

  “Elias!” Elias blinked and looked over his shoulder; Master Seth was peering over his shoulder at him. “Are you alright?”

  Elias nodded. “Yes sir, I’m fine.”

  He pulled himself back up and pulled his third knot free. The sail was hanging low now. Heart pounding, Elias inched back to his final knot and jerked on the rope. There was a loud groan and the fluttering of fabric as the grand white sail dropped. He could hear Robin barking orders to the men below who grabbed ropes and tied the sail into place.

  He crawled back from the yard to the safety of the shrouds and held tight to the rope ladder, trying to catch his breath. Master Seth looked him over. “You good? I about died when I saw you slip.”

  Elias nodded again. “Yes sir. Just surprising is all.”

  Master Seth looked up and squinted. “Hey, looks like we’re heading out now.”

  Elias looked over his shoulder. The White Lily was slowly drifting away from the shore. As the sun rose and they left Stormvale’s harbor, an ache formed in his heart. It felt so final now. The world he knew, gone. Any chance he might have nursed in the deepest parts of his heart of returning home died.

  Elias’s gaze flicked to his bandaged arm and Father Verdas and Crim’s golden eye rose in his mind. He scowled and looked away from the shore past Master Seth to the blue beyond.

  Maybe that’s a good thing.