The open sea was difficult for James. The passage along the River Reik had been smooth and easy but ever since the Thunderfist had left the confines of the Reik estuary the surface swells had been relentless. Up, down, up, down, rolling over the 3 meter waves at 45 degree angles. James’s stomach was in knots and he was out on the front deck staring at the horizon, on the advice of Elana. It didn’t help much. He still felt nauseous as he stared at the boundary where the ominous grey skies met the rollers of the equally grey sea. A steady sea breeze buffeted the Thunderfist from the north. A group of seagulls darted back and forth over the waves.
Saturin stepped out on deck next to James with a concerned look on her face. “Are you alright James?” she asked. “You look a bit green.”
“I’ll survive, I guess,” answered the compromised young man, uncomfortable and embarrassed by his disability. Nobody else on the boat had seemed troubled by the waves. “I was never a good sailor. Every time I had to take the ferry to Scotland, I avoided eating before the trip.”
“Scotland?” inquired Saturin.
“Yes, Scotland is the name of the northernmost portion of the island we are sailing towards. In my world, that is. We will be sailing very near my home, on our journey to Islandia. Erlk showed me the route on his charts and the Thunderfist will pass between what I know as Scotland and the Orkney islands. His charts named the British Isles, Albion, and my home, the Orkney islands, were labeled the Brodgar Islands.”
“Yes, I am familiar with those names,” responded Saturin, nodding her head. “Your home is the Brodgars?”
“In my world, yes, it is my home,” explained James. “Erik told me that he plans to stop at the harbour on the main island, to take on more coal, before we continue to Islandia.”
Suddenly, a bird flew very low over the top of the deck where James and Saturin stood. At first, he thought that it was one of the seagulls. James dodged backwards to avoid the impact of the unexpected encounter, but Saturin’s face lit up with recognition. “Ardana!” she exclaimed as she extended her arm to allow the bird to land gently on the sleeve of her chestnut and tan coloured robes. “Lord Adelar must have something very important to tell us to have dispatched you Ardana.” With her free hand Saturin reached carefully on to the exposed leg of the pigeon and unravelled a wax paper enclosed piece of parchment. She separated the parchment from the wax wrapper and delicately opened the paper message reading it, then explaining to James, “We must pass this on to Captain Erik immediately. Another passenger is waiting for us in your ‘Scotland’.”
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“Crickey!” shouted Erik, as he read the pigeon delivered parchment message presented to him by Saturin. “A side trip to the River of Thor! Let’s hope thees travelling companion is worth thee delay. Eet weel be two days journey to Thor’s River to peeck up our reinforcement. Dalli tells me to expect some weather ahead so batten down thee hatches everyone!”
The two days sailing passed relatively uneventfully, with the exception being the severe rain squalls which buffeted the dwarven battleship. James spent as much time as he could on the upper decks, but when the wind and rain grew too intense, he simply crawled into his small sleeping cabin and did his best not to vomit. Eating was out of the question and it was all he could do to stay hydrated by sipping water occasionally. In the late afternoon of his third day aboard the Thunderfist James felt a little better, especially since he could tell that the waves weren’t as severe as they had been the night before. After a recuperative afternoon rest in his small sleeping cabin, James cautiously made his way along the passage that led into the mess hall. Elana, Bearclaw and Saturin were eating the meal prepared by Thorgill. Reluctantly, James managed to down the first solid food of the entire trip so far, and even managed to keep it down when he stood up and made his way up to the forecastle. The weather really had improved and James was surprised to see a familiar sight as the Thunderfist was rounding what he knew as the nature preserve at Dunnet Head. James was very close to his home and towards the north he could make out the familiar outlines of the Orkney Islands. The Thunderfist was headed towards the southwest however, directly towards Thurso harbour.
“Thor’s River!” declared Dalli, from behind James.
James hadn’t noticed Dalli out on the deck, but welcomed his company. The dwarf was an avid student of the skies, and had impressed James with his knowledge of the weather, ship navigation and also astronomy.
“I know this place as ‘Thurso’,” explained James. “This region is my home in the version of Earth where I live.” James had come to understand that the dwarfs were all aware of James’s summoning to this Alternate Earth. Erik had explained James’s situation as well as he could to his family members.
“We ar to pick up ar passenger in thee arbor yonder,” explained the stout dwarf, gesturing with his navigational instrument towards the far end of the bay.
Their destination matched almost exactly the location of the Orkney Island ferry terminal and Scrabster industrial harbour, but instead of cement and steel docks, cranes and warehouses there was a much more modest wooden dockyard. Shanty cabins surrounded what appeared to be a harbour setting straight out of a medieval painting of Thurso Bay. A small group of people stood at the end of the main dock and as the Thunderfist slowed to approach the pier and applied reverse thrusters James recognised a familiar face amidst the group awaiting their arrival. The unmistakable deep crimson robes of Celeste Dreamweaver stood out like a beacon amongst the drab weathered wooden docks and blue grey waters of the bay. Her polished bronze warhammer was the perfect accoutrement to her stunning blond hair and nordic appearance. James had forgotten the effect Celeste’s appearance had on him. As Erik expertly piloted the Thunderfist into its berth at the wooden dock James eagerly waved to his former adventuring companion and blurted out her name. “Celeste!” Dalli and Thorgill lowered the gangway from the Thunderfist and secured it to the dock, then invited Celeste aboard.
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All business, as usual, Celeste was making sure that her baggage and travelling possessions were being loaded onto the boat with her, but James was sure that she briefly gestured towards him in acknowledgment. Was there a trace of a smile on her lips as she glanced towards him? Saturin greeted Celeste’s arrival with genuine enthusiasm squealing with excitement when Celeste boarded the Thunderfist. The two embraced as long lost friends. Elana also greeted Celeste’s appearance with warmth.
Bearclaw Irontooth strode out from the wheelroom and walked up next to James. “Of course it would be Celeste!” he explained. “Lord Gilderwood would never send us into battle with the forces of Chaos unless we had the assistance of holy battle magic. The power of Theodor is with us now. We will prevail.”
Little time was required for Celeste and her belongings to load, and she was the only passenger boarding. The Thunderfist pulled out from the dock and Erik set a course northwards directly towards the Orkneys. James would be getting a close look at what his home looked like in the Alternate Earth.
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It was nearly dark by the time the Thunderfist approached the historical port of Scapa Flow. Or at least it was a historically important port back in James’s home time line. Despite the diminishing visibility James could tell that Erik was entering the harbour via the Sound of Hoxa, the southernmost entrance to the main harbour. Overhead, James could see Alternate Earth’s second moon, Ragnar, pale blue and in a crescent shape. James was not a serious sailor, but he was aware that there were many potential dangers sailing into this harbour at night, especially in a world with two moons. What would that mean to sea levels and ocean currents? Tide tables in this world must be remarkably complicated, and he was just about to leave his position on the forecastle to go discuss the issue of tides with Erik in the wheelhouse when he noticed a faint light on the water in front of the Thunderfist. A large wooden rowboat with four oarsmen was intercepting them from the direction of the harbour. A gnarled veteran of the seas held a kerosene lamp at the bow of the craft. Erik dialed back the engine of the Thunderfist and the boat slowed to meet the oncoming rowboat. Thorgill and Dalli emerged from the wheelhouse and deployed a rope ladder over the side, and the occupant of the harbour craft hailed the dwarven steamboat.
“Ahoy!” cried out the man bearing the lantern. He was clad in a heavily weathered leather raincoat and a classic sou'wester rainhat. “Permission to come aboard!”
“Permission granted!” replied Thorgill, and as the gnarled mariner climbed the wood and rope ladder Thorgill added, “Welcome aboard the Thunderfist!”
“Aye!” responded the mariner. “Yee’ve chosen a deeficult moment tee antar thee harbour, aven’t ya! I’ll bee needin ta charge ya double for a safe entrance in these tides! Ragnar is close! Close as she gits, an we’ll be dancin over the rocks in as low a tides as I’ve seen in years! An the currents a bitch as well, ampteein out the bay at 5 er 6 knots. Ya’ll be strainen yer angins aginst those currents but I reckin this boat’s up ta the task. Dwarfs might not know how to navigate inta the harbour of Brodgar, but I knows ya knows how ta build angins!”
Thorgill and the harbour pilot eventually agreed upon a price, with some serious haggling involved, and the pilot climbed up to the wheelhouse to take control of the Thunderfist, under the close supervision of Erik Blarneysson. The four oarsmen and the wooden rowboat set out to return to their harbour entrance position, keeping well out of the way of the dwarven steamship. Thorgill and Dalli manned the port and starboard sides of the bow, each deploying lead line sounding devices. The Thunderfist engaged her engines and advanced towards the entrance to the bay.
“Six fathoms!” called out Thorgill as he dangled the heavy lead weight into the black sea water on a thick brown leather cord.
“Six and a half fathoms!” added Dalli, from his side of the boat.
James stood well out of the way of the two dwarfs, aware that the harbour pilot was using the reported depth measurements to determine the safety of the water, but also enabling him to fix his position precisely. No doubt the pilot had memorised the location of every potential obstacle in the entire bay. James could see only a single light visible on either side of the entrance, presumably lighthouses marking the sea cliffs of Hoxa and the rocks of Bow. The current of water exiting the bay was remarkably strong. James estimated it to be at least 5 knots, possibly 6, and it contained many awkward swirls and eddies that threatened to turn the Thunderfist sideways. Expertly, the pilot brought the steel boat in towards the narrowest section of the harbour entrance.
“Five fathoms!” called out Thorgill, clearly with some anxiety in his voice.
“Four and half fathoms!” responded Dalli, also concerned.
James had been told that the draft of the Thunderfist was about 4 meters, fully loaded, so anything less than 4 fathoms was a concern, and 3 fathom readings would be downright emergent. With so much current a momentary loss of control of the Thunderfist could cause the boat to wander out of the deepest section of water and possibly result in the grounding of the dwarven steamship.
“Four fathoms,” called Thorgill.
“Four fathoms,”agreed Dalli.
James could see Elana, Celeste and Saturin gathered together on the upper deck of the Thundeffist, near the wheelhouse. They were holding hands and observing the entrance to the harbour, clearly encouraging each other. The three young women had been inseparable since Celeste joined the company, catching up on stories and experiences since they had last seen each other. Bearclaw Irontooth had mostly kept to himself, claiming to have been making preparations for the upcoming tasks in Islandia. James had mainly been left to spend time with the always busy dwarves. He doubted that they ever even slept.
“What are the depths, ye bastards!” shouted the harbour pilot. “I need yees ta call out more often ya lazy dwarves!”
The usually combative dwarves took the insults in stride and immediately responded, “Five fathoms!” in unison.
The dangerous section was behind them, and the Thunderfist entered Brodgar harbour. There were a remarkable number of lit buildings surrounding its complex of substantial wooden docks and piers. The whole harbour was abuzz with activity, despite the late hour, and as they pulled up to their berth James could see a variety of radically different wooden sailing ships. The one thing that they all had in common was having cannons for armaments. Flags and banners of many designs and colours waved in the night breeze dimly lit by the harbour light and the crescent moon of Ragnar. The docks were full of porters loading ammunition, supplies and provisions onto the ships. Erik Blarneysson paid off the harbour pilot and walked off to negotiate his own supply requirements. A large pile of coal near the harbour office was no doubt first on the list of purchases for the Thunderfist.
Just then, James’s attention was called towards the southeast end of the bay. Half visible and rising was the familiar orange red, full moon disk of Luna.
