The Wraith of a Snowy Sea Part 1

Written by: Samuel Candlepen The Thundering Peacock of Whispering Oaks

In the year of our Lord 1435

The Black Dragon Sea

 

Peter hated the cold and being so far north meant it was very cold around the haul of the Snowy Sea. The ship with a small crew was far on the closest town, the town of Eight Heads which sat in the farthest point of the Black Dragon Sea. Here in this hellish part of the sea, it was colder than Hell itself and Peter long to be somewhere warmer.

                He walked the deck trying not to lose his footing on the icy wood of the ship. He kept his winter hooded cloak tight around him like a second fur. He puffed on his pipe letting the smoke warm him even if was only for a sour moment. He had one duty tonight, well, two if you really wanted to get down to it. The first was not to freeze to death and the second to keep his eyes open for a larger chunk of ice.

                The dark wasters before him were dotted with ice carrying snow south before it melted into nothing but water. Thanks to the AllFather the wind was dead tonight, and the ship was slowly floating along with the ice beds being pushed to the side.

                He made it to the edge of the deck rubbing his paws together with his pipe in his mouth wishing he knew some kind of fire magic, but he wasn’t lucky enough for that power. In fact, he had no powers to his name. The whole time walking from one end of the deck to the other given him more than enough time to think exactly why he was on this duty for. It was simply the fact he was flirting with the Captain’s daughter, not his smartest move.

                It wasn’t his fault she was a lovely girl on a lonely ship. A girl who could fight and most of all shot better than anyone on the ship. She was tall, thin, and the way Peter like them. Sure, she had some bright pink fur on the top of her head from the magic she used in her guns. Zendaya Snowgun was the only Gun Mage Peter had ever met in his life. Of course, he had to talk to her and flirt with her what other choice did he have?

                He watched the last heat of his pipe die away thinking maybe it was bad luck. He turned on his leather boots heading back to the other side of the ship when Zendaya was staring dead at him. She was also wearing a heavy winter hooded cloaked, and a smiled on her sweet face.

                “Uh,” Peter said withering from the shock of the cold to opening his mouth. “I shouldn’t be talking to you.”

                “My dad is asleep,” Zendaya said.

                “If I’m caught,” Peter told him. “I’m going to be watching the ice from under the ship.”

                “He won’t find out,” she protested.

                “You said that last time, “Peter said pushing past her.

                “Come on, Pete,” Zendaya whined, “everyone else is afraid of talking to me but you.”

                “That’s because I’m stupid,” Peter said.

                “You are not that stupid,” she said jerking him to face her. “How about I walked beside you and talked to myself. You could answer, but you don’t have too."

                “By the AllFather,” Peter said under his breath. “I’m a dead squirrel.”

                “One day,” Zendaya said, “but not today.”

                They walked the ship a few more time until Peter yawned followed by Zendaya. She smiled at him, and to his dismay, he did the same back to her. He like being around her and right now she kept him awake not like the cold wasn’t helping either.

                “You should get some sleep,” Peter said.

                “I’m alright,” she responds, “Not in the mood to sleep.”

                “Well, you might want to go back to your quarters soon,” Peter told her. “It will be light soon.”

                “Let’s walk one more ti ---”

                Something hit the ship rocking it, and Peter rushed to the side of where the hit came from terrific it was ice punching a hole into the haul, but there was nothing there. Another hit from the other side of the ship made them run there to find nothing. All they saw was the black empty waters of the sea.

                “Look,” Zendaya said poking to the door to the decks below. There at the door, the night seems to form a larger squirrel with red bleeding eyes. The more they stared, the more the darkness became blacker, and the eyes glow brighter.

                “What is it?” Zendaya asked never seeing anything like it before.

                “I don’t ---”

                And then it blinked away followed by the screams from below. They both dashed for the door, but it was all too late. The wraith had killed everyone below even the Captain. By the time they reached the door, Peter was on the deck dying. Zendaya cried out to him, and the wraith winked at her before fading into nothing.