Back to ze past

Elizabeth licked her lips and cast one last longing glance at the sunset before walking down into their sleeping quaters.

They must only have been in their quaters for about three hours before the youngest salior charged inside, throwing the door wide.
"Captain Roberts sent me to wake you up. There's a storm!" he said, looking rather panicked. Shade sat up. "Blast!" He wove the boy off. "I'll go on up' He said and hastily changed from his night clothes and then dashed upstairs.

Yuki woke with a start when he heard the news. "Not good." He said, quickly dressing and running up also.

Taro scrambled up and followed the twice set example, waiting instead for Elizabeth by her door.

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On deck, the strom was thrashing the ship. Waves twice the size of the mast were pounding down on the sides, sloshing water across the floor. The captain was clinging to the wheel, shouting orders to his freantic crew. they were fighting with the sails, trying to batter through the storm. Lightning crashed overhead and Shade cursed loudly, racing over to help a sailor reign in the main sail.

Elizabeth scrambled out, still dressing herself. Casting a look to the fool she motioned for him to hurry up as they ran out.

"To the starboard side!" the captain roared. The crew did so as a wave crashed over the ship, lurching dangerously in the water. Taro emerged from the cabin and clung instantly to a smaller sail's mast, reaching for a safety line.

Shade spotted Elizabeth and yelled something but the noise was lost in the crashhes of thunder.

Elizabeth looked up at Shade just as another wave hit and the ship swung sharply. She hit the side of the ship and cried out.
"Shade!" She turned and cried out before she lost her footing and fell over board.

Shade knew then a moment of true panic. "Elizabeth!" He charged to the other side of the ship, searched despperately for her and, spotting her, threw hiimself into the fray.

As the ship lurched, Taro managed to secure a line around himself. Just in time. The line snapped taught and he clung desperately to the sail supports.

As soon as Shade struck the water, he was hard pressed to keep himself alfoat, nevermind find Elizabeth again. Nevertheless, he called out her name and fought to keep his head above the waves.

She found it hard to keep afloat, the waves attacking her every time she managed to get a small breath of air.

---

Yuki was frantic, trying to help keep the ship alive and hoping to god his new friends were ok too.

The waves mercilessly throttled the ship, the pounding rain fell in icy sheets and the clouds rumbled. then there was a blinding flash. The sound of the thunder roiled through the air as the deck split, the mast came tearing from the ship and the entire thing capsized.

Shade went under as the wave caused by the ship washed over him. he kicked as his lungs burned for air, managing to break to the surface and grab hold of a chunk of wood from the ship.

Taro cried out sharply in pain as a chunk of the ship that he had until recently been secured to followed the rope and struck his head., flinging him from the now burning wreck of a ship

Yuki's eyes widend and he dove after the fool. Elizabethand the other man could look after themselves but this man was nothing more than a fool, was he even taught to swim?

---

Elizabeth faught for air until finally she gave in and let the waves take her.

Shade reached for the area Elizabeth had vanished, to no avail. He only managed to keep himself up a little longer before the plank was wrenched from his arms and he was sent tumbling under.

Taro gasped for air, blood from his headwound trickling down his face. He struggled to keep ahold of the chunk of wood he was connected to. He had never been in water any deeper than a bath, and he wasn't enjoying the experience.

Yuki swam to the other side of the plank of wood and held on, his hair now sticking to his head. "Hold on ok!" Yuki cried to him.

Taro didn't reply, focusing on keeping hold of the chunk of wood. the waves tora at his arms and he panicked as he was one again dunked under, clinging on by the edge his nails. He couched harshly as he took in a mouthfull of water instead of air. Screams of the sailors were becoming hard to hear and Taro managed to glimpse the ship over the next wave. they had moved. A lot.

Yuki looked over his shoulder and swore. Should any of those men die he'd feel their blood was on his hands.

Taro's grasped slipped momentariy and he lunged for the wood at the same moment that another wave crashed over their heads. Taro was yanked unceremoniously forwards, the rope winding him, and a plank was thrown towards him. It struck the back of his head and he fell into the wateer, vision blackening.

Yuki swore and swam under, taking the fool into his arms, untying him. Looking about Yuki took a deep breath and began to swim towards a plank that could take them to the shore.

Shade turned his face away from the sand, coughing heavily and dragging himself from the lapping waves. He made it to the point where the beaching waves were about at his ankles before he slumped down onto the sands, gasping in air. Once he had recovered enough for his shaking legs to support him, he rose to his feet and started to stagger down the beach, hoarsly calling the names of his companions.

Yuki dragged the fool onto the sand, surprised at how light the male really was.

---

Elizabeth was washed up onto sure, her body limp and exhausted.

"Elizabeth!" He dropped to his knees nezt to her and pulled her from the water's edge. "Elizabeth?" He pulled her into his arms and cradled her limp form, checking for a pulse and forcing himself to not panic.

Yuki dropped Taro to the sand softly, he pressed his ear to the fools mouth to make sure he was breathing.

---

Water surrounded her, she couldn't see, couldn't feel, couldn't breath. Her lung burned and her heart ached.
She couldn't hold it in any longer, Elizabeth breathed in.
The water burned.

The girl didn't move.

Taro's breaths were shallow, but steady. His blonde hair was plastered to his face and the gash above his brow was still bleeding a little.

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Shade forced the sudden spiral of fear down and hovered over her. Not breathing. Not breathing.. He pressed his hands down firmly on her chest and then bent down over her, forcing air into her lungs. "Come on, breathe..."

Yuki placed the fool onto his side.

---

Elizabeth's eyes snapped open. She lerched over, coughing up all the water that had filled her lungs.

"Oh thank god!" He cried and, once she'd managed to evacuate the water in her lungs, he embraced her gently, letting her lie down. "You scared me" He whispered, touching her face.

Elizabeth smiled slightly and leaned into his touch. "Couldn't leave you could I?" Her voice was raspy.