A Whale of a Tail
The whale took the humans parallel to the shore for a long time while the night dragged on. The land of the South was large and desolate.
Ice was everywhere.
"There must be land under there somewhere," Alvar measured the size of what he was seeing with his thumb. "But I am guessing the ice has grown out much wider than the ground."
"What makes you say that?" Brinn wondered at the deep thinking her husband was doing under the stars. Except for a few of the sailors who were on duty, everyone else had gone to get some rest an hour before.
"Just a feeling, I suppose. But look where the ice is melting. It is just a pool below." Alvar pointed.
There were many spots where the sea water had eaten away at the ice of the South. The air was frigid, but warmer than it should be. Having a lower freezing temperature, the salty water had taken parts of the landscape away from the shore.
"You know, you are so charming that I often forget that you are also quite smart," Brinn admitted sheepishly.
"I would like to point out that it takes wits to be charming," Alvar winked. "You might not like to play the game at court, but I have always been quite good at it."
"That is why I was made for you," Brinn cooed. "To ground you and keep you from getting a swelled head."
The princess nudged the he-elf with her shoulder and he chuckled.
"And here I thought I was the one made for you. Made to keep you from doing crazy things and getting into trouble." Alvar clicked his tongue.
"I hate to tell you…" Brinn whispered as she looked out at the icy plain. "If that is your purpose in life…you failed."
Alvar was not deterred. He wrapped his arm around Brinn's waist and looked at the profile of her face. "As long as you'll let me be by your side protecting you, a little crazy is ok now and then."
Brinn let Alvar have the final say. They really did make a good team. Despite her sometimes prickly nature, the elven princess was very glad to have her husband on the journey.
Alvar meant the world to her.
Overhead the sky shifted. With no moon out, the stars began to shimmer brighter. Then the shimmering changed and grew. Soon the whole shy filled with a tapestry of color.
"It is just like being at home." Alvar surveyed the shades of green and purple with a wide grin.
"It is a lucky sign," Brinn agreed. "Though you better kiss me to seal that luck!"
Alvar did not need to be told twice. He pressed his lips to Brinn's, giving her no chance to gasp.
Behind them the sailors marveled at the sight. They had never seen anything so beautiful as the sky painted with shimmering lights.
Little did they realize, more wonders were waiting for them just around the bend.
——
Detached from the ship for the first time since being harnessed, the massive whale struck out with its tail. The ice of the shore cracked under the pressure.
Looping around, the whale struck again. Over and over. The ice in the selected inlet was thinner than in other places, but that did not mean it was weak.
It took many tries for the whale to make any progress, but that only made the creature more determined.
Nearby, the people on the ship felt the waves as they bobbed from each titanic hit.
"Does that not hurt the whale?" Aurora wondered aloud.
"Surely if it did, he would stop. I doubt the Mermaids would let the whale harm himself just to make fixing the boat easier," Devrim reasoned.
Danya seemed to like him a lot, but not at the expensive of one of her aquatic friends.
Surely…
While he wa still contemplating, the ice in the bay split suddenly and calved. A large splashed accompanied the new iceberg as it floated away.
The whale then proceeded to splash sea water on the newly-formed ramp until it was shimmery smooth.
"If only we had wheels to roll up onto the surface," Schwinn pulled his mouth to one side.
But before he could come up with a plan, the large sea creature nudged the ship with his nose. Those aboard were forced to hold on for dear life as the hull of the boat ground against the ice ramp.
All at once, The Freiheit was completely out of the water.
"Not what I would have done, but I guess it works." Schwinn hoped his boat had not sustained any new damage by the maneuver. "I suppose we should disembark."
It didn't make sense to stay on the boat when they were on solid ground. It not for the groove in the ice, The Frieheit would have already tilted to one side and dumped its occupants.
A rope ladder was slung over the side and a few of the crew tentatively descended. When they confirmed that the ground was solid enough to receive more voyagers, the Emperor, Alvar, Gandr, and Zan climbed down after Schwinn.
In true form, Reyan flitted off without telling anyone where he was going. The fairy was hopefully getting the lay of the land to report back…or possibly looking for a place to be alone for a little while.
"Careful, it's slick," Schwinn warned when Devrim's foot reached the last rung of the ladder.
Steadying himself, the Empeor placed his feet careful onto the frigid floor. Almost immediately, it slid out from under him.
"Whoa!" Devrim took hold of the ladder.
It swung into the side of the ship with a thunk.
Zan, who had come down just before him, was at his side quickly to keep him from a backward swing.
"Here." The Guardian passed across a set of spikes with ribbons attached.
Devrim sat and tied the cleats to his shoes. Standing, he stomped his feet into the ice. They held fast.
"Much better." Devrim watched as Alvar climbed down behind him.
The elf was smart enough to sit on the next to last rung of the rope ladder and attach his spikes there. Then he jumped and landed with his feet firmly planted in the ice.
"I feel like a kitsune right now. They have no trouble walking on the ice with their sharp claws." The elf had trekked on the ice barrier many times back in tn land of magic.
While elves and humans could move along the well-defined paths with a little effort, the white foxes hopped everywhere on the ice with no trouble.
Devrim picked up his feet and began the awkward walk to the shore. He motioned for Swchinn, who seemed more steady on his feet, to follow him.
The two men move to the aft of the ship where a young man was looking intently at the solid wood. He seemed to be mentally measuring and remeasuring while he mumbed to himself.
"Lucky?" Schwinn caused the young sailor to jump.
"Didn't see you, Captain." Lucky's teeth chattered as he spoke. He pulled his coat tighter around his face.
"Can you fix it?" Schwinn looked up to where the rudder was missing.
"I can fix anything!" Lucky stopped and looked down. "It will just take a few a days, maybe a week." Lucky didn't seem pleased with his own timeline. He liked results, not delays.
"Then get to work!" Schwinn clapped the boy on the back. "And get another coat if you need it. You are all skin and bones and this cold will eat you alive."
"Yes, sir." Lucky saluted.
The Emperor nodded to the Captain. "I suppose it is time to thank our gracious ride and the merfolk. I hate to keep them here any longer than we have to."
"Allow me to come with you," Schwinn bowed.
"Worried I won't pass along your gratitude as well?" Devrim smirked. "I will be sure to convey that they helped us make most excellent time and kept us from going searching the wrong spots along the shore. Ironically, those creatures who used to thrive on fear saved us in a big way."
"I understand all that, Your Majesty," Schwinn rubbed the back of his neck with his glove. "Would you rather I get Councilman Zan to accompany you?"
The Emperor narrowed his gaze. "What is going on?"
Swallowing, Schwinn cast his glance up to the ship. "Her Majesty cares, that is all. She asked that you not go the shore by yourself. She, uh, had a dream that the merfolk abducted you inside the mouth of the whale."
"My wife had a dream?" Devrim cleared his throat. "Gather everyone who is on the ice. We will all go together."
Relieved, Schwinn saluted and then bowed—both seemed somehow appropriate—then moved off to complete the task.
Devrim looked out at the whale in the frigid harbor and shivered. What would living in a whale's mouth even look like? The Emperor did not know and he did not want to find out!