Racing Thread

Writers: AL, Devin
Date Posted: 14th August 2008

Characters: Jerroll, Edele
Description: Thread threatens the ship thanks to misinformation of the fall schedule.
Location: Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 11, day 12 of Turn 4

The sky looked menacing, silver lacing the horizon. The problem was, it wasn't supposed to look like that. The time wasn't right.

"THREAD! THREAD OFF TO STARBOARD!" The panicked cry set off a flurry of activity. Boots thundered and shouts of men rose above the roar of the waves and the creak of the boat. Edele heard the shouting all the way below in the galley and hurrid up to the deck. A sailor almost collided with her and she was swept to the side. Edele inched her way, finding a place on the starboard side of the deck and staring, eyes wide in horror, at the view she was afforded.

"Sharding, flaming crackdust!" Jerroll clenched his fists. "Well don't just stand there, you useless pieces of wherry dung! Full sail!" The Threadfall was sharding early! Either it was falling out of phase or they'd been given bad information.

Edele turned, eyes wide with fright and they fell upon Jerroll. At first she seemed frozen, but then, slowly she released the side and moved over to the first mate. She could hear Lerra's shouts of orders, but Edele looked to Jerroll. "What should I do?"

"For one thing, don't worry too much. That Thread looks a lot closer than it actually is." He glanced around, checking to make sure everyone was doing what they were supposed to and not gawking at the ominous sky. "You can --" He almost told her to go back down to the galley and stay there. "You can bring water to the rest of the crew and do your best to keep them calm. We're going to make it. We've cut it closer than this before." He glanced off to starboard. "We're going make it," he repeated.

"Yes sir." Edele cast a glance toward the silvery view before she disappeared below. She brought up water a few moments later, but most of the sailors were far too busy to take any notice of it. One stopped briefly, guzzled down the water, then jumped back into action.
Edele found herself huddling in a small corner near the door to the Captain's quarters, watching the chaos around her.

Once the sails were set and the ship flying along at maximum speed, several crewmembers found themselves with nothing to do. Inevitably, they turned toward the approaching Thread, and then toward their destination, a distant shape on the horizon. "Have you ever been out this close to Threadfall before?" a man asked Edele. He got a funny look on his face and then said, "oh, sorry. Your memory. I forgot."

"As far as I know." Edele managed to squeak and cleared her throat.
"Honest, I don't really relish being this close to thread. I'd rather be far, far away."

The man nodded. "I been this close a few times. Always gives me the shakes." He held up a hand to demonstrate.

Edele nodded. If she wasn't holding that tray close to her, it would probably be rattling with her shaking as well. She cast her eyes across the deck, letting her gaze stray over to where Jerroll stood a little further down. He looked so calm. Was he shaking too?

Jerroll glanced over at the docks, where a huge cavern would shelter them during the Fall. If they could make it. They _would_ make it.
Even if the leading edge caught them, they would be close to shore where dragonriders would provide some protection. Thank Faranth they weren't out in the open sea, where Thread was left alone to drown.

He looked at the starboard rail, where most of the crew was gathered, staring at the silver-gray sky. "We've got the better part of a candlemark before it catches us. We can make the docks in a little over half a candlemark. We can make it."

His words comforted her and Edele nodded. She turned her back to the silver sky and, instead, toward the sky where they were headed. Blue, clear, land to be seen, but not quite reached. They would make it.
Jerroll said they would make it and she believed him. She trusted him.

There was nothing to do but wait. The Thread got closer. The docks got closer. The crew got more nervous, some hiding it better than others.
The entrance to the cavern got closer, and they could make out people standing on the rocks, urging them on. A few pointed to the sky, as if those on the ship hadn't seen it for themselves.

A rushing noise came from overhead. Dragonriders filled the sky above them, hovering in formation and waiting for their adversary to arrive.
The greenrider that appeared just above them shouted and gestured wildly. Despite everything, Jerroll couldn't help laughing when Lerra screamed back at her, "I _know_! I'm not sharding _blind_!"

The crew rushed into action again. They had to take in the sails and slow down the ship before slipping into the cavern. Slowing down was the last thing they wanted to do, with their blood racing and their instincts screaming at them to run, but smashing the ship against the rocks wouldn't do them any good.

Edele was rushed to the corner again, pressed near the door to the Captain's cabin. No one wanted water, no one came near her. Everyone was far too busy, the frenzy of feet pounding against the deck, the calls tolling across, blocking out the sound of the waters. Only a distant trumpet of a dragon managed to slip through the braying of the sailors as they prepared to enter their safe haven. So close...so close. Edele leaned forward to cast a glance and immediately regretted it. She shrunk against the wood as much as she could, eyes shut down, body trembling.

The cavern's shadow fell across the ship. Jerroll stood at the rail and watched the leading edge of Thread falling into the sea. A mile away still, at least, but too close for comfort. Much too close.

The Silver Sails ducked into the safety of solid rock, and the crew sighed with relief.

She could hear the murmur of the sailors and the relief in their voices. Edele opened her eyes to find them all within safety and she finally let go of the breath she was holding. Jerroll's movement caught her eye and she watched him as he headed below deck. The woman followed him, still clutching the tray that held the glasses of water, of which only one had been taken. She stuck close to him, following Jerroll to his cabin, but pausing just inside the threshhold of his door.

Jerroll went to his small cabinet and took out a glass and a bottle.
Turning, he saw Edele standing in the doorway. "Do you need something?"

"Oh...no. Not really. I was just..." She was just what? Edele looked down at the tray and offered lamely, "Would you like some water?"

"No thanks. I need something a little stronger." He managed to pour the glass just fine, but when he brought it to his mouth, his hand was shaking.

So he was afraid. Of course he was. Thread was everyone's worst nightmare and Jerroll was just as vulnerable to it as anyone else.
Edele stepped forward and gingerly placed a hand upon his elbow. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," he said quietly. "We're all safe." Until the next time Thread fell. They had carefully planned routes where they could find shelter, and Fall charts that were _usually_ accurate. He reminded himself to check with the locals about their chart.

Edele's hand remained steady upon Jerroll. "Yes. We're all safe. I admire the way you kept your wits about you."

"Can't have the first mate running around in a panic." He took a quick, but large, swallow of liquor. "Bad for the image."

"Yes, well...I was ready to panic." Edele pulled away, looking down.
She took one of the glasses of water and drank a couple of swallows.
She glanced back up at Jerroll, then to the door. "I...I guess I'll leave you be, now."

A few minutes alone would be nice, but ... "I wouldn't mind if you stayed for a while. We could share a drink, even if yours is water."

"You should drink more water." Edele teased lightly, taking one of the cups and holding it out to Jerroll.

"I drink plenty of water." He took the glass with a hand that still trembled and swallowed a mouthful. "But some things call for a good stiff drink."

"That I can understand." Edele turned and set the tray down upon the table. "Mind if I join you?"

"Not at all." He gave her a slight smile.

Edele took the glass of water she had emptied and passed it over to him to fill. "What is that anyway?"

"Brandy." He filled her glass halfway.

Edele peered at the liquor, the amber liquid swaying gently with her movement. She took a swig, then coughed, the warmth searing down her throat.

Jerroll chuckled. "Small sips."

"Yes," Air made up most of the word as Edele tried to recover. After a moment, she turned the cup in her hand, then took another taste, this time a much smaller sip.

"Now we know you're not a heavy drinker," he teased.

"I guess not." Edele's lips pursed, the stringent taste of the of the brandy not entirely pleasant, but not entirely unpleasant either. She supposed it was just a matter of getting used to it. Still, she left the rest of it undrunk and passed it back to Jerroll. "I should...probably get back to work and make a list of things to get while we're here."

"Yeah. And I need to talk to the Captain." He took a long drink.

"Yes." Edele backed out of the cabin, cast one last look at Jerroll, then hurried away. The tray still sat upon the table, forgotten and abandoned.

Last updated on the August 16th 2008

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