From the Mist, A Shape - A Ship - is Taking Form

Eddard

It became pure chaos when from the horizon a shape - no, a ship, was taking form. Maybe Eddard wasn't a man of the sea like those from White Harbour but he knew that anything floating in the sea was a ship. But no matter how much he wanted to give a name to that… thing - that beast! It was ridiculous!

"Mother," Ned heard the girlish tone from Joffrey Baratheon - or Waters -, the bastard King who had him kneeled before the crowd. Ned discreetly managed to get a glimpse from the lad. "W- What is that?" Joffrey asked, pointing an accusatory finger towards the greyish vessel floating in the sea. "Mother!" He called angrily.

The Lord of Winterfell could almost feel the icy gaze from the Dowager Queen when the lad asked her for an explanation.

But Ned tried to ignore everything happening around him. His sweet daughter, Sansa, he could see her from where he stood, her eyes were so red as if she hadn't stopped crying since he got arrested after the slaughter of his men. But - he widened his eyes - where was Arya? He tried to search for her among the nobles beside Sansa, but his wild daughter was nowhere to be seen.

"Arya…?" He whispered unconsciously.

It was then, at that moment, when everyone went silent as a dark cloud was emanated from the middle length of the greyish vessel. It was like if it was burning, but there was no fire or anything alike, and Ned, for a moment, had a dreadful feeling about that vessel.

"S- Should we continue with the execution, your Grace?" Someone said behind Ned, a voice he couldn't recognize.

The Northerner lord closed his eyes for a moment, praying mentally for some help, for someone to save Sansa and find Arya amidst the chaos. He could hear the people beneath them whisper, their voices mixing in a singular doubt: what was that thing?

"No,"

Ned opened his eyes as soon as he heard the lad's answer.

"But, Y- Your Grace?!"

"I said no. I'm the King!" Joffrey angrily answered back. "It'll be done when I say so! Maybe I should take your head first! "

"F- Forgive me, Your Grace"

Ned heard the swift steps coming down from the stone stairs and soon the face of Joffrey Baratheon appeared before him, the stag golden crown resting on his head. His emerald eyes shining furiously as his frowned at him.

"It seems today's not your day, Lord Stark," Joffrey said lowly, looking at him and then to someone. Ned, hesitantly followed his gaze just to find Sansa petrified on her place, beside Cersei. "And it seems that I can be merciful when it needed."

…

Lindemann

"My Commander," captain Hans Oels came to him almost running, taking off his cap as he entered, his forehead covered in sweat. "We have something - a problem,"

Ernst pressed his lips together into a thin line, trying to conceal his anger. "What is it, captain?"

The commander of the battleship noticed how his crewmember was having a hard time to find his voice. He wondered if the hit he received to his head had something to do, Ernst could still see some blood colouring the white bandage into a bright red.

"I- Well-,"

"Speak, captain," He ordered.

The young captain took a moment to breathe, closing his eyes for a moment, before saying anything. "It's better if you come, commander."

"Oels," Ernst warned with his deep voice, narrowing his eyes at the blonde man.

"Trust me, commander," He pleaded, almost as if he himself couldn't believe what he knew. "You must come."

Ernst Lindemann took a moment to understand what was his subordinate asking, he wanted to remind him of his place, but Ernst knew better. He was angry and not in the mood to appeal anything from anyone, they had lost contact with Prinz Eugen through the storm and the ship have received important damages near the tank fuels and propels due to the torpedo attack. His ship -his home- was not in the state to encounter another surprise attack from the Allies, they barely escaped again.

With a heavy sigh, Ernst took his cap and walked passing by captain Oels. Before going out from the bridge, the commander of the King of the Seven Seas, the Bismarck, took a moment to look at his crew. "Officer Troll," the mentioned tried to reply but Ernst cut him. "I want every detail and information during our time in the storm. Captain Schneider, a full report on our cannon batteries; everything."

"Yes, my Commander!"

After that Ernst faced captain Hans. "Lead the way, Oels."

…

Seemann

He kept staring at that place, trying to understand how the hell it happened. Maybe Welf wasn't the smartest person abord the Bismarck but even he could tell that an AP shell impact was something impossible to miss or to repair on the sea. Welf knew that.

So, he wondered at that moment, in that place, how a twenty-two inches hole simply disappears? Even the damage caused by the torpedo at the rear was gone! How the hell that thing happened!?

"This is bullshit," Welf said, ignoring the smirk on Rudolf's face.

"It's magic," Rudolf laughed at his own joke, hitting him on the shoulder.

"It doesn't make sense, Rudolf," Welf stated, pointing his tool at something on the deck. "There was supposed to be a hole from the battle against the Hudson," He snarled. "There's none!"

"Then, we were luckier and it was only your mind playing games on you."

Welf forced himself not to use his tool as a weapon. "And the damage in the right propel and the fuel tanks? Do you think that's luck?"

Rudolf shrugged. "Maybe Karl and his team of oil-drinkers repaired them,"

"You don't believe your own lies, idiot!"

"Officer on deck!" Someone announced behind them, Rudolf and Welf stopped their fight, although Welf eyed at his friend angrily.

Time passed slowly as Welf heard the steps on the wood planks coming from their left, he could see three from his team standing straighter than ever, meaning one thing: the second commander was here. At that thought, Welf instantly adopted a firmer position at the exact moment the face of the second commander and the main commander passed by. His breathing hunched.

"Seemann!" The second commander called. "Welf Seemann!"

"Yes, My Commander!"

Out of habit, Welf saluted at his superiors as best as he could, trying not to look ridiculous to them. The second commander narrowed his eyes. "He's the one who reported it, my commander,"

"He's one of Lehmann, isn't he?" Commander Lindemann asked, looking more annoyed than interested.

"Yes, My Commander,"

"Sailor Seemann," Commander Lindemann signalled him to relax his posture, sooner than later Welf stopped and let a brief sigh escape from his mouth. "Commander Oels informs me that there's something you discovered - something interesting." He said, walking slowly among the others. "What is it?"

Welf gulped. For once in a long time, he asked himself if he had made the right choice in joining the Kriegsmarine.