Hi everyone, thank you once again to DragonEyeZ who gives my plot bunnies occasional kicks…
Chapter 5--Ghostly Encounters
The first week the ship made very good time, but on the third day of the second week fog slipped in and they were forced to stop. The crew was more nervous then ever. They had been making gestures for protection from evil around Drizzt. It seemed he made them nervous and the weather wasn't helping. Later that even the sentry yelled about a ship off the port bow. "It's the Reaper! It's right over there!" he yelled, voice filled with fear. "It's come to take more sailors to man it! We're doomed!"
Drizzt went to the railing with some of the other sailors to look. It was a sight he'd never forget. The ship was battered with big holes in it and the sails were torn and full of holes. It was also transparent. "A ghost ship," he breathed.
The ghostly ship suddenly turned and came right towards them. It looked like it was going to ram them, ghost ship or not. Drizzt braced himself, not sure what to expect. Ghostly pirates, showing the wounds that had killed them began to appear on the ship.
Terrified, the sailors fled from them. "Stand your ground! Show some spine! Damn you!" the captain yelled. He drew a cutlass as one of the ghosts came towards him. "Get off my ship!" He swung at the ghost and the blade passed right through it. He cursed and backed away.
Two of the ghosts approached Drizzt and he instinctively drew his blades though he didn't see what use it would be. The ghosts' reactions were startling. Both stopped and actually backed away from him then all of them disappeared. The ship disappeared only seconds after they did and the fog dispersed.
The captain stared at him. "What did you do to chase them off? Are you a mage?" he asked.
"I'm not a mage and I'm not sure why they left," Drizzt said.
"He's lying! He probably brought that ship here! He's probably a foul necromancer! Send him over the side, captain!" a sailor yelled.
"Aye, before he summons anything else!" another yelled.
"I'm no necromancer," Drizzt said. "That's just ridiculous."
Evidently most of the crew didn't think so since they were drawing weapons and moving in on him. They had him trapped against the railing. The only way out was to go overboard. "Jump, Drow or we'll toss your corpse over instead!" the first sailor warned.
Suddenly the captain was between Drizzt and his would-be executioners. "To my knowledge I still am captain of this ship. All of you, back off," he ordered.
"He set those ghost pirates on us! We have to get rid of him, Captain Rynault!" the sailor protested.
"Don't be a fool, all of you are acting like fools! The Reaper has been appearing before I was even a cabin boy. Why would he summon it? He would be alone on a ship that he couldn't steer. Get back to your posts…now," Rynault ordered.
The crew muttered and gave Drizzt ugly looks, but they put their weapons away and obeyed.
Rynault turned to Drizzt. "I think you'd be wise to go to your cabin and stay out of the crew's sight for a while," he suggested.
Sighing, Drizzt sheathed his scimitars. "Yes, I have to agree on that, captain. Thank you for stopping them," he said and walked away. He went to his cabin and stepped inside, closing and locking the door behind him. He hoped in time the crew would get over the belief that he caused the ghost ships appearance. The irony, first I'm feared and hated because I'm a Drow, now I'm feared and hated because I'm thought to be a necromancer. I would like to know the story behind that ship though. I'll ask the captain as soon as I get a chance, he thought. He laid down on his bunk and went to sleep.
Three long dull days passed. The crew still eyed him with suspicion and hate when he ventured on deck. Drizzt found himself spending most of his time in his cabin. On the fourth day he heard a lot of yelling on deck then the sounds of a fight. He stepped out of his cabin and something crashed into his skull, everything went black as he crumpled to the ground…..
Uh, oh…more trouble for our favorite Drow!!!! R/R please!