Guild Wars: Sea of Sorrows Read Online Free Page A

Indomitable , and he was thinking about a long-term future on the ship. He’d already worked harder than he’d ever done in Lion’s Arch. The intense labor wasn’t quite enough to make him forget, but it was enough to occupy his mind and keep him from thinking of—
    “Up-deck!” Vost yelled. “Up-deck, ya scurvy lot! Now or never, and Grenth take you if you’re slow!”
    In quick succession, the mass of youths and men raced up two long ladders from the berth to the main deck of the ship. They grasped at ropes and pounded their feet on the rungs to draw them faster. Up above, Cobiahcould hear the shrill call of a whistle blasting out a short rhythm of peculiar notes. Uncertain, he reached up to smooth his damp hair. “All call for inspection,” one of the other youths said, smiling at him. “Don’t worry, newbie. Cap’n Whiting won’t even notice you. He never looks past the officers in the first row.” Moving with an experienced roll to his footsteps, he scampered up the rungs toward the main deck.
    Cobiah managed a shy smile of thanks. Was it that obvious? Although he’d never been to sea, he knew the ins and outs of ships from his time loading crates and wares. He’d cleaned them too, stem to stern, while they rested in the harbor. Lion’s Arch was a seaport, after all, and most of the pickup labor was on the docks. He’d never been to sea, but he wasn’t exactly a rube.
    Just then the ship tossed under him, and Cobiah felt his stomach churn. The other boy grinned and clapped his shoulder. Cobiah sighed. Fair enough . His head crested the upper deck, and just as he’d done every day on board, Cobiah found himself staring out at the sea.
    All around the galleon, the sea spread vast and deep blue. Touches of white flecked it here and there, but to the naked eye, no sign of land or harbor broke the smooth, even plane of the ocean. The sound of waves crashing against the wooden hull and the sharp crackling of wind in the broad sails of the galleon filled the air. Warm sunlight shone down upon the brown-and-gray deck, reflecting from polished iron small guns at either side. Huge white sails arched above him, their massive bulk speeding the ship across the water. It was a little bit creepy to a city boy who was used to the breakdown of streets and buildings, a horizon dotted with trees, meadows, and mountains high above. Here was the ship. Out there was nothing at all.
    “What’s wrong, you?” One of the sailors shoved him from below. “Keep going—we’ve all got to get up-deck!”
    “Sorry,” Cobiah said, abashed. Quickly, he stepped up his pace again and climbed out of the berth and onto the deck. He pushed forward with the others, seeking the end of the nearest row so that he could join the line.
    The youth beside him grinned unevenly, his smile a dashed line broken by two missing teeth. He was only a little older than Cobiah, with dark brown hair pulled into a short ponytail at the back of his neck. “Don’t worry about it,” he whispered conspiratorially. “It seems like a lot of nothing would be boring after a while, but it takes a bit of getting used to, wotcher?”
    “Yeah.” Cobiah smiled in return.
    The morning wind was steady and rippled the sail above him. He felt its cold fingers tug on the blond shag of his hair. Suddenly chilly, Cobiah pulled his sleeves down and wrapped his arms around his rib cage, trying not to shiver while the last of the sailors joined the lines on deck. Soon, the crew stood six rows deep in rough formation beneath the mainsail. They kept their backs to the forecastle and faced the quarterdeck, looking toward the stagelike balcony at the rear of the ship. “Her point’s in the wind, sir!” came the call from the crow’s nest. The bosun’s whistle blew again, and the sailors stiffened. Not understanding, but willing to follow their example, Cobiah did the same.
    On the high quarterdeck, three figures emerged from the shining oak doors of an interior