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Chapter 4: Before the Storm

Dawn broke over the strait while the crew checked the ropes and trimmed the sails for a faster crossing.

When the first dark clouds gathered over the western ridge, the captain changed course before dawn to avoid being trapped in shallow water during the storm. The crew argued at first, but the new route gave them a safer path to the harbor.

By noon, the wind had doubled. From the deck, they could already see rain sweeping across the outer islands.

The helmsman kept both hands tight on the wheel while the first heavy drops struck the deck in uneven bursts. Lanterns were covered, supplies were tied down, and every order was repeated twice over the noise of the wind.

Near the mouth of the harbor, the water turned restless and gray. Even the most skeptical sailors fell silent as they watched the storm close the route they had wanted to take just hours earlier.

When they finally crossed into calmer water, the captain pointed back toward the strait and told the crew that safe arrivals are built on early decisions, not lucky endings.