Sea

Around midmorning of the second day, the Eagle broke away from land. The southwest corner of Goldisle was comprised mainly of very smooth, serene beaches that quickly curved northward. leaving only wide-open ocean. The winds picked up speed without land in the way to block it, and the Eagle's already-speedy gait became much quicker. The sails did not flap in the wind; they were pulled so hard that they pulled their ropes taut instead, and only gave any relief when the wind would occasionally die down. The yards were turned quite a bit compared to the ship's keel, keeping the backs of the sails downwind. A few ropes waved wildly as the wind tugged at them.

"Come all ye young fellows that follow the sea,

To me, way hey, blow the man down

Now please pay attention and listen to me

Give me some time to blow the man down."

The quartermaster stood on a box in the center of the deck, singing loudly. The crewmates echoed his song as they worked. Those tasked with cleaning the deck swabbed in rhythm, while those tasked with working the sails simply sang. The sound of sailors working the bilge pump below deck echoed through the ship, as did the sound of ponies running across the deck.

Meanwhile, at the bow, spray flew into the air as the ship punched through a small wave. Twilight closed her eyes, allowing her face to be drenched by the cold seawater. She shook her head as she reopened her eyes, looking out at the ocean. She was dressed in the same old clothes as she had been before. She stood at the bow with an almost-smile on her face, looking out at the sea beyond. She felt free, as if she was back to just being a lone mare on a small boat with no goal besides the west. So much had happened in so little time, she thought to herself, that even those days felt like a lifetime ago.

She found herself a comfortable spot against the railing and laid down with her eyes to the sky. She watched the clouds slowly drift by above and listened to the sounds of the sea. The rocking motion of the ship calmed her, putting her at peace. White puffs drifted across the blue field of her vision as she relaxed with nothing to do.

That relaxation was broken when the boatswain's face came into her field of vision. He looked down at her with a slight frown on his face. "Ms. Sparkle?" he said with a stern voice. "Your display is tempting some of the other crew to follow your example when they should be working." Twilight took the hint and slowly got up to her hooves. "The captain has also been asking to see you whenever you have a moment," he said, before doing a quick, curt bow and returning to his other duties.

Twilight sighed, turning to look out at the ocean once more and watching the waves. After a few minutes, she turned around and made her way towards the stern. She pushed open the door and walked over to Somerset, who stood looking out of the stern.

"Twilight." he said, his voice oddly serious.

"Yes?"

"We'll be making port in Red Rock early tomorrow morning," he said as he turned to face her. "It's important that you don't leave the ship while we're there. We should only be there for a few hours, anyway, before we start making our way up the coast. But don't even set foot on the pier there; the ponies there are impoverished scum who'll steal anything - or anypony - that they can sell." Twilight nodded. "Good." Somerset was about to start heading for the deck when the door opened again. Cross walked in, dressed in a thick white blouse and a long brown skirt. She looked at Twilight and Somerset.

"Is this a bad time?"

Somerset shook his head before Twilight could speak. "Not at all. Come here, sit down."