TEASER TUESDAY: THE DRAGONS' STONES

From "Advice" in "Writing Help"

As I'm hip deep in the commenting on The Dragon's Skin, I thought that this would be a good time to give y'all a snippet from its predecessor: The Dragons' Stones.

A little background, we're dealing with the same main characters - Ciara and Aleksander. They haven't known each other long and don't really trust each other yet. Things are a little tension, since neither of them is willing to drop their guard.

Today's snippet is from Aleksander's point of view. Hope you enjoy it!!

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From "The Dragon Books"

I’d fallen asleep under the flashing stars, but now there were none. Only grey sea and black sky surrounded me. Then a yellow streak ripped across the black. An angry roar followed close behind it. Wind and water assaulted my face and made me stagger. Then another wave knocked the Aegir.

My feet gave, but I grabbed the railing. Saltwater stung my eyes. I shut them tight. Using the railing, I made my way to Ciara’s shelter. My hands found the latch, and I flung the door open. Rain and wind hurdled me inside. Coughing, I forced the door to close again. It clicked shut. I breathed in grasps, desperate for air.

“Aleksander! Why are you in my cabin?”

I wiped the salt from my eyelids and opened them. Ciara was sitting on a pallet, her frown sharp as she glared at me.

“The storm,” I said. “I need your help.”

She lay down. “The storm will pass.”

I stared at her. “The storm will pass? Oh, it’ll pass, all right, but we won’t be around to see it!”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, I need your help, or we’re going to sink!”

“What!”

I nodded. “The Aegir wasn’t built to withstand this kind of weather. If we don’t do something quick, we die!”

“But when I crossed -”

“I don’t have time for this,” I said, not waiting for her to finish.

Then I pulled the door open and re-entered the storm’s rage. It hit me with renewed fury, as if angry that I had escaped the first time. The boat pitched under my boots, but I forced myself to move. Putting one foot in front of the other, over and over, I reached the rudder.

Lightning cracked, and I used the short light to grab the rudder. It thrashed against my grip. I didn’t dare to let go. Letting go would mean sinking. Dying. I wasn’t ready for that. Not yet. This quest may have started as Ciara’s, but I had a stake in it now. I wouldn’t give up. Not now. For Bridgit’s sake, not now!

“Aleksander!”

I looked up. Ciara stood on the deck, water and wind tearing at her dress.

“What do I do?” she yelled.

I opened my mouth, but a wall of water hit the Aegir’s port side. I held onto the rudder. I could not lose it. Splinters stabbed my fingers, and below, Ciara slid into the railing.

“Ah!” she cried but got to her feet again. “What do I do?”

“The sail!” I shouted to her. “Get the sail down.”

“How?”

“It’s tied by a rope on the starboard side,” I told her, both my hands struggling to control the rudder.

“Which side is starboard?” she cried.

“The right side!”

Ciara let go of the railing and stepped away. The wind shoved her back.

I wiped rain away from my shoulder. “Keep going!”

She tried again. Bracing her body for the wind’s forcefulness, she made it this time. A minute later, she had the rope. A second passed, then two and three.

Come on, Ciara, I thought. Come on! Then it happened. The sail went slack. The force pushing against the rudder eased. I found I could breathe again, not even sure when I stopped.

For a moment, lightning lit up the sky, but as thunder boomed, I couldn’t find Ciara. She wasn’t at the starboard railing. Panic filled me worse than the rain filled my eyes.

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Thoughts? Anyone notice any mistakes of the seafaring side of things? Let me know below.

As always, stay safe and thanks for reading.

From "The Craziness of Moriah Snell"