Raven Girl

Chapter 29

They had a plan. They had the supplies. They were ready to brave death.

Gylfi sat on the rocky cliff and watched the Open Sea roil before him. The Stormdanser bobbed below, secured at the point where the river met the sea. He watched it strain against the ropes, wanting to pitch into the world of water and fish and salt. The sea called to it, as it called to Gylfi.

Regina sat beside him.

"Nervous?" He knew she was. He recognised the way her lips pursed, the way she tugged at a little strand of hair that fell over her face.

"No. They won't know what hit them," she replied with fake bravado.

Gylfi smiled and, before his brain could tell his arm to stop, brushed that bit of hair behind her ear.

Regina wriggled away from him. Of course she did. He was a pirate. She probably hated every inch of him, but was getting better at hiding it.

He changed the subject. "Any idea why Elias and Nadine are so angry?"

"Nope. What are they angry at?"

"The world." Gylfi rolled his eyes. "They're so grumpy."

"Let's hope they can put that aside for what we're about to do."

It was crazy. Insane. Their plan – surely it would fail.

But the shrikes would never expect it. They would be caught off-guard, to say the least.

Gylfi stood. His bones hummed with energy. "Let's go and get this over with."

They found the other two – Nadine was saying goodbye to Ares, taking his saddle off and hiding it. She ran a hand along his muzzle, and Gylfi was surprised to see the sorrow in her eyes. "Stay here," she told the beast. "Stay out of sight." He huffed, blowing a stream of smoke over them.

Gylfi, too, felt fond of Ares. He had saved their lives twice now, and they'd be lost without him.

They piled into the Stormdanser and untied its ropes. The sea's current swept them away from the land, and into unknown waters. Gylfi began barking orders as the sea grew rougher around them, instructing Regina at the tiller, and telling Elias and Nadine what to do at the sail. He ran to stand at the bow of the boat, hands on the jagged wood that was once the figurehead, watching the horizon. On it was their doom – or their saviour. Salty wind stroked through his hair.

"Rocks off the starboard bow!" Gylfi shouted, looking back at Regina. Her time spent steering had prepared her for this, and the boat began to turn. Gylfi watched the rocks slide past them.

Hours of the constant work, as they battled wind and tide, left Gylfi feeling exhilarated as well as tired. There was no room for nerves now. Jötunheim had faded into the distance behind them, and they were truly at the mercy of the sea.

Knife's Edge was approaching. The rocks curved from the roaring waves, dark and sharp like their namesake. Gylfi knew rowing would be pointless – they had to let the current take them through the maze of paths through the labyrinth, and try to control it as best as they could.

He turned to Nadine and Elias. "Is the sail secure?"

"Yes."

"Regina, are you ready?" He could feel the change in the current – the way the waters reacted to the forest of rocks around them. There was no going back now. They were at the maw of the beast, and would be sailing into its belly.

"I'm ready." She gripped the tiller with both hands. It was already starting to resist her.

The sea picked them up, and hurled them into the whirl of Knife's Edge. The cloudy, dark sky above was not comforting Gylfi, as the rocks scraped past them. The Stormdanser spun and bucked, while they wrestled to control it.