Arrosh awoke with a gasp, water clogging his air ways as he attempted in vain to breathe. The coughing gasp that came from him didn't do as much as necessary. His body lurched and he vomited more of the salt water out. The air that came was enough for now.

He clenched his fists and rested his head against the sand. The sand? Arrosh picked his head up, confirming his fear. He was on sand. What did that mean? Last he knew, they had found that maid, Fesh, hiding in the ship due to her brother. What had happened?

The young man sat back on his haunches and looked about. He was on a beach and most definitely in Calormen. The trees on the edge of the beach were not of Archenland but natives to his home. Scattered all over the beach were scraps of splintered wood and people lying about or attempting to get up. What had happened? Arrosh shook his head, trying to clear it. Causing pain to rush around behind his eyes and a warm liquid to fall into them. He brushed his eyes as best he could, being covered in sand, and his fingers came back tipped in blood.

They must have crashed. Arrosh could feel his heart sink at the thought before it picked up again as another occurred to him. They crashed. Who survived? Who hadn't? He stood, wavering and scanning the people on the beach. Where was Queen Aravis? Corin? If they died, the king would surely kill him as well. There would be no hope in saving his sister at the very least.

There! The only other mop of black hair on that ship moved from across the small beach as the owner choked out the sea water. Picking his way around the wood and bodies he came to her.

"Are you quite alright, sister?" The title for this woman on his tongue was as pleasant as the salt water coming from his stomach had been but he knew how desperately she desired him to give it to her. Her eyes said it all. He would use that. He had to.

"Yes," Aravis managed to say, sitting up and breathing hard, "Yes, I'll be fine." She pointed out across the beach, "Please, go find out if there are any other survivors."

Arrosh dipped his head in agreement and went off to search through the bodies, saying, "Stay here."

Scanning the beach, he saw there were 8 people in total with only one, Miss Fesh by the looks of it, actually moving across the beach. There should have been more, due to the fact that there had been at least half a dozen crew members on the ship alone.

Coming up to the first, he saw it was a dead crew member. Impaled by a spear-like splinter of wood. Arrosh felt his stomach churn and turned away. He was accustomed to seeing bodies. Bodies starved to death, bodies hanged, bodies of the old, bodies of the ones far too young, bodies of the murdered even. But not bodies like that. It must have been a dreadful death.The sea was a cruel mistress.

The next three were dead crew men as well, bloated with water and eyes open in the stare of death. These were easier, he felt nothing for them. They were dead, that was all. Nothing to get worked up over.

He moved on, aiming for what he saw was a person's barefoot peeking out from behind a large piece of wreckage. It shifted, the heel digging into the sand and now he could hear the sounds of gagging. Picking his pace up to a trot, Arrosh rounded the wreckage to see Prince Corin now bent over and gasping for air. He was alive, thank Tash.

"Are you quite alright, sir?" Arrosh came forward, trying to see if anything was wounded on the man.

"Well, I'll admit to having had better days." Corin replied with a dark chuckle and turned over to stretch out for air, "But I could be worse. I'm not wounded. Keep looking for survivors, please." How different these barbarians were from Calormens. "I shall join you soon."

Arrosh merely nodded and started to move on, "Her majesty, is over yonder, on the far side of the beach." He gestured to where she was before continuing on.

Picking up speed, his gait came to a jog as he saw Fesh frantically waving him over. What was the matter?

--

Aravis breathed heavily as she propped herself up on the beach, remembering what had happened and regaining what strength the water had stolen from her. She could see her brother searching through the bodies, her heart squeezing in agony every time he moved on without hesitation. Those that were beyond help.

She had been below decks and in her quarters, briefing Fesh on her duties as a temporary lady's maid, when it had happened. The call to abandon ship and Corin bursting through the door to drag them out if need be. All that happened after was a blur once they were on deck. Water came from all directions. Above as the rain lashed out its fury and below with the sea crashing over the sides. Her eyesight had been reduced to nothing as she screwed her eyes shut against the wind. She found herself crammed into a small boat, unable to comprehend what was going on. They should have gone through the desert. They-

"Your majesty?" The soft, quiet squeak of Zeepijeet came from behind a rather large piece of wreckage

Aravis looked up from her musing and smiled, "Oh, Zeep, I'm glad you are alive!" She stopped to compose herself before continuing, "Are you hurt?"

"No, your majesty." The mouse gave a wry smile, "Just a touch wet."

--

Arrosh jogged across the soft sand with ease, accustomed to its ways, over to Fesh. Once she had seen he was coming she had rushed away and crouched over something - or someone rather. It was the young knight. What was his name?

Coming up to them, Arrosh tried to see what was wrong with the man. Fesh obscured most of the view but he could see his face was twisted in pain. Probably not as gently as he could have, Arrosh pushed the maid away, saying, "Where is he hurt?"

Her face was blank as she sat back in the hot sand, energy spent after beckoning to him, "He saved my life. He, he saved my life." There would not be any help from the shocked girl.

The boy turned his attention to the knight, "Don't worry, man. We'll have you right as the Tisroc, may he live forever, in his palace. After all, the saying goes, 'Those who worry…" He paused his speech as he found the wound - or one of them at the least. "Those who worry forever have the sun darkened in their eyes or some nonsense like that. After his wife died, father was not all that fond of wise sayings." He was babbling now, maybe it would distract the man. After all, the man's leg had a piece of ship sticking out of his calf. At the very least it would keep Arrosh himself from being sick all over the injured one.

The young man groaned, teeth set against the pain. Arrosh watched, he had seen something similar happen in one of the work sights he had worked in. The other man had lost his leg, eventually. The large splinter of wood was going to have to come out. It was after that that was the problem. The knight could bleed to death. It'd need to be wrapped. With what?

"By Tash, you are out with the Lady of Luck." The boy muttered, his hand going through his hair as he looked about. That was it! He got up, went to one of the bodies and stripped it of a shirt. What need have the dead of clothing anyways?

Coming back, he squatted down, "As the wise proverb goes, 'A man in good health has nothing to complain of but a man with a ship in his leg has every right to scream.' This is going to hurt." He gripped the splinter and put his other hand on the bloodied leg.

--

"Aravis!" Corin trotted towards her, "Are you quite alright?" It had taken a bit of time to make it to her as he had been scanning the beach for survivors. It seemed that it had only been the three of them and the maid, Fesh.

Wait, five survivors. That was Zeep if he wasn't mistaken. Standing whole and alert by her queen. With a bow of the head she acknowledged him.

Aravis nodded, the knot between her brows relaxing as he got to them, "Yes, I'm not hurt." Corin was evidently whole enough to walk. Good.

Gesturing to where Arrosh had just darted back behind a large piece of the ship, obscuring him from view, she asked, "What is he doing?"

Corin sat on his haunches, looking back, "He's combing the beach for the others last I knew. Speaking of which," He stood, stretching out aches he didn't know it was possible to have, "Now that I know you're unhurt and with a capable warrior, I will join him." A quick scan of the area showed they were in a cove of some sort, no view of any inhabitants around, and -

"What in the blazes was that?" Cor spun around as a sound that couldn't be human split the air.

"It came from where the Queen's brother, your majesties." Zeepijeet hopped from foot to foot, her sensitive mouse ears picking up more than the humans' could.

Corin set out at a run towards the spot.

A/N - Why, hello there! I'm sorry it's been such a long time and I'm sure that people aren't interested in this anymore. But I figured I'd put this out anyways. :)