princess treatment,’ Roana said, glaring at everyone. ‘I am just as capable of staying awake as any of you. I will not be left out. We are all in this together!’
Aisha started whimpering at the anger in Roana’s tone. She nudged the princess with her nose, trying to placate her.
‘I’m sorry,’ Saxon soothed. ‘We weren’t sure. You know you aren’t used to doing some of the things we are. But we won’t leave you out again.’
‘Come on,’ said Ethan gruffly. ‘We should eat something and get going.’
They all sat silently, nerves strung taut as wire, while they ate bread and cheese, washed down with water. Ethan unstrung the bows and stored them with their boots, spare clothes and quivers in the back of the cave.
When they were finished eating they dragged the boat down to the water and stowed the oars. Aisha ran back and forth, tail wagging in excitement. She tried to jump into the boat after the oars.
‘No, Aisha, you’re not coming with us this time, girl,’ Ethan said firmly, rubbing the dog’s ears. ‘You stay here and guard our things.’
Aisha’s tail drooped mournfully, but she obedientlywalked back up the beach to the boulder hiding the cave and sat there watching. Her left ear flipped inside out, as it always did when she was displeased.
She whined softly as the four children pushed the boat off the sand into the lapping waves. Roana and Lily pushed the boat from the sides, splashing through water up to their thighs, then jumped in the boat and crawled to the bow, shivering at the chilly air on their wet clothes.
Ethan and Saxon pushed the boat from the stern, out past the gently breaking waves, then leapt in after them. They sat on the middle bench, facing the beach, and started to row. Aisha watched them for a while, then turned around and around in a circle three times before curling up to sleep, her ears still cocked to listen for any unusual sounds.
‘Good girl, Aisha,’ called Ethan softly. ‘Wait for us, we’ll be back soon.’
The boat surged forward strongly in the calm water. The sheer walls of the cliffs soared on either side as they slipped out of the cove. Immediately the motion changed as they hit the sea swell.
‘Keep your weight forward,’ Saxon called to the others.
Saxon and Ethan had to row harder to propel the craft against the force of the surf. Towering wavescrashed into the boat, drenching them all with salt spray and filling the hull with water. The boys strained and pulled, panting for breath.
The boat sat still despite the rowing, motionless against opposing forces. Another huge wave loomed over the boat, threatening to engulf it. The boys heaved again and the boat jerked forward with a loud sucking noise and shot forward into the air, landing with a loud thwack on top of the water.
Lily clung to the gunwale with clenched knuckles, her heart in her mouth. Both she and Ethan could swim strongly in the river at home, but that seemed so tame compared to this rough, black sea. She refused to think of the deep, dark water below the hull, and what might be lurking there.
In a few moments the boat surged into the relatively calmer water past the breakers.
Roana and Lily bent to bail out the water with tin cups. The boys pulled strongly, their backs already aching with the strain.
‘Ssshh,’ Lily hissed as she caught sight of the mouth of Goldcoin Cove, where the Sedah ships were moored. The boys slowed down their rowing. No-one dared to breathe.
The six ships bobbed menacingly in the darkwater, only visible as black shadows against the brighter starry sky. A lantern flickered at the stern of each ship, and candles glowed through the windows of the cabins.
By this faint light they could see the name of the three closest ships carved in gold curly letters: the Sea Dragon , the Black Pearl and the largest ship – the Glory of Sedah .
The boys steered the boat silently towards the dripping rope of the Glory of Sedah ’s anchor line. Roana and Lily
Aisha started whimpering at the anger in Roana’s tone. She nudged the princess with her nose, trying to placate her.
‘I’m sorry,’ Saxon soothed. ‘We weren’t sure. You know you aren’t used to doing some of the things we are. But we won’t leave you out again.’
‘Come on,’ said Ethan gruffly. ‘We should eat something and get going.’
They all sat silently, nerves strung taut as wire, while they ate bread and cheese, washed down with water. Ethan unstrung the bows and stored them with their boots, spare clothes and quivers in the back of the cave.
When they were finished eating they dragged the boat down to the water and stowed the oars. Aisha ran back and forth, tail wagging in excitement. She tried to jump into the boat after the oars.
‘No, Aisha, you’re not coming with us this time, girl,’ Ethan said firmly, rubbing the dog’s ears. ‘You stay here and guard our things.’
Aisha’s tail drooped mournfully, but she obedientlywalked back up the beach to the boulder hiding the cave and sat there watching. Her left ear flipped inside out, as it always did when she was displeased.
She whined softly as the four children pushed the boat off the sand into the lapping waves. Roana and Lily pushed the boat from the sides, splashing through water up to their thighs, then jumped in the boat and crawled to the bow, shivering at the chilly air on their wet clothes.
Ethan and Saxon pushed the boat from the stern, out past the gently breaking waves, then leapt in after them. They sat on the middle bench, facing the beach, and started to row. Aisha watched them for a while, then turned around and around in a circle three times before curling up to sleep, her ears still cocked to listen for any unusual sounds.
‘Good girl, Aisha,’ called Ethan softly. ‘Wait for us, we’ll be back soon.’
The boat surged forward strongly in the calm water. The sheer walls of the cliffs soared on either side as they slipped out of the cove. Immediately the motion changed as they hit the sea swell.
‘Keep your weight forward,’ Saxon called to the others.
Saxon and Ethan had to row harder to propel the craft against the force of the surf. Towering wavescrashed into the boat, drenching them all with salt spray and filling the hull with water. The boys strained and pulled, panting for breath.
The boat sat still despite the rowing, motionless against opposing forces. Another huge wave loomed over the boat, threatening to engulf it. The boys heaved again and the boat jerked forward with a loud sucking noise and shot forward into the air, landing with a loud thwack on top of the water.
Lily clung to the gunwale with clenched knuckles, her heart in her mouth. Both she and Ethan could swim strongly in the river at home, but that seemed so tame compared to this rough, black sea. She refused to think of the deep, dark water below the hull, and what might be lurking there.
In a few moments the boat surged into the relatively calmer water past the breakers.
Roana and Lily bent to bail out the water with tin cups. The boys pulled strongly, their backs already aching with the strain.
‘Ssshh,’ Lily hissed as she caught sight of the mouth of Goldcoin Cove, where the Sedah ships were moored. The boys slowed down their rowing. No-one dared to breathe.
The six ships bobbed menacingly in the darkwater, only visible as black shadows against the brighter starry sky. A lantern flickered at the stern of each ship, and candles glowed through the windows of the cabins.
By this faint light they could see the name of the three closest ships carved in gold curly letters: the Sea Dragon , the Black Pearl and the largest ship – the Glory of Sedah .
The boys steered the boat silently towards the dripping rope of the Glory of Sedah ’s anchor line. Roana and Lily
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