chapter 4

Just Hang On!

The canvas sails billowed and flapped as the wind whipped into a gale. Twig gripped the wheel tightly, pointing the Captive with the wind. The ship plunged up and down with the waves, and water began to splash over the deck.

Char fluttered his wings, his claws scraping and sliding across the slippery planks. Twig glanced back at the dragon. “Basil!” he cried. “Hold on to Char!”

He was nauseous and green from the tossing boat, but Basil struggled to reach Char, and then flung his paws around the dragon’s neck, holding on tightly. “It’s okay, Char!” he moaned. “This won’t last long . . . I hope!”

Up in the crow’s nest, Lily squeaked in terror as the mast swayed dangerously low from side to side, then back and forth. Twig yelled above the roar of the wind, “Lily, come down!”

Lily tried to make her way down the ladder. Her tiny paws slipped on the ropes as the wind tried to grab her and toss her out to sea.

Then the rain came. A few enormous drops fell at first, and then a pounding torrent. With the blowing sea and the thundering rain, water seemed to fill the air.

Lily shrieked as she lost her grip and slid down the slick ropes, landing with a thump. Sore and limping, she clung to the railing and moved up beside Twig at the wheel.

Twig was struggling. His arms were no match for the roaring wind. The wheel spun rapidly one way, then the other. It was impossible to control it.

“What do we do?” Lily shouted, futilely trying to wipe the rain from her eyes.

“Just hang on!” He looked back to see Char scraping along the wet, slippery deck, making his way forward. The dragon tucked his wet snout under Twig’s arm, shivering. “It’ll be all right, Char!” Twig comforted him. But the rain slashed at his face and he winced and choked.

Basil joined them, and they all huddled together, clinging to one another against the raging maelstrom.

A blue-white flash of lightning was immediately followed by a terrifying crash of thunder. A sudden gust of wind and rain tipped the Captive dangerously to starboard. Instead of righting itself, the ship leaned more and more.

“What’s happening?” Basil screamed.

“Char!” Twig grabbed on to the dragon. “Everybody! Hold on!”

“We’re tipping over!” Lily shrieked as another gust of wind hit the sails. In seconds the boat lay sideways in the water, tossing in the waves.

They all thrashed and splashed, trying to stay afloat, and then climbed onto the swamped tangle of masts and sails and ropes.

“Char! Char!” Twig called out as he looked for the baby dragon in the waves.

Char had found the floating crow’s nest, which had broken off as the ship tipped over. The dragon was bobbing up and down, wings fluttering. Twig made his way over, arms and legs flailing in the water. “Good boy!” he shouted, clinging to the wooden basket.

Lily and Basil struggled over. They gasped and gulped in between waves.

The storm raged on. Waves and wind blew the tiny crow’s nest farther from the wrecked Captive. In between flashes of lightning, Twig saw the ship turn over and its hull point to the sky.

The storm began to lessen as quickly as it had begun. The pounding rain became a steady shower. The raging wind turned into a series of gusts, then a gentle breeze. Off to the east, the storm continued, with distant flashes of lightning and far-off rumbles of thunder.

Twig squinted in the near darkness. His eyes searched for the ship. “Look!” he shouted.

They all turned their heads into the breeze.

The bow of the Captive pointed into the air. Her majestic mast and sails were under water.

“Oh!” Lily murmured sadly. No one else spoke as they watched the beautiful Captive sink into the sea.

THEY CLUNG TO THE OVERTURNED CROW’S NEST THROUGH the night, shivering. The moon rose but provided no warmth.

The three friends were silent, paddling to stay alive.

Char was still. The others hugged him close in an effort to keep his body temperature up. He was dangerously cold.

Twig wondered if he would ever see home again.

Finally it brightened a bit to the east as morning came.

Twig was chilled to the bone and despondent when he heard a voice.

“Hello!” someone called out. Surprised, Twig looked across the water to see an enormous turtle staring at him. The turtle was golden and brown, with friendly eyes peering from her glistening scaly face.

Lily and Basil brightened. “H-hello!” Lily called, her teeth chattering. “H-help!”

The friendly face disappeared into the water. A moment later, the turtle surfaced right below them, and they found themselves sitting on the turtle’s back. “How’s that?” the turtle called over her shoulder. “Better?”

“Th-thank y-you!” Twig said, almost giddy with relief. His arms and legs were exhausted, limp from overexertion. He sat up on his elbows. “I . . . we . . . can’t thank you enough!” he said.

“Now what are you good folks doing out in the middle of the ocean?” the sea turtle asked. “You don’t see many like you out this way.” She looked at Char questioningly.

“Our sh-sh-ship. It sank,” Basil replied, shivering.

“Oh! Out on a ship, huh? Yep, big storm last night.” The turtle nodded at Char, who was gray and still. “Your friend all right?”

Twig covered Char’s cold body with his own. “He’s barely with us. We need to get him somewhere warm.”

“Sun’s coming up. Gonna be a nice warm day,” the turtle said. “I’ll get you to a good place. Hang on!”

With that, the turtle began paddling. Strong flippers pushed them across the water with amazing speed.

“Doing all right up there?” she asked.

“Just fine!” Twig replied, happy to be in the turtle’s care.

Before long they heard the sound of surf up ahead, and soon the turtle was dragging her heavy body up onto the gritty shore.

They hopped off the turtle’s back, and then carefully helped the barely alive Char onto the warm sand. Twig looked at the smiling turtle. “I don’t know how to thank you,” he said earnestly. “You saved our lives.”

“Yes!” Lily agreed. “How do you say thank you to someone as good as you?” She smiled and brushed some sand from the turtle’s face.

The turtle grinned. “You are most welcome. Glad to be of assistance. Hate to say it, but you’re on your own now. Be careful. Best of luck to you!”

With that, she slowly turned her heavy body back into the waves. After a few strokes from her strong front flippers, she disappeared.

They saw her head bob to the surface some distance out, and she waved. Then she was gone.