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24th Day in the 4th of Ründ’s Months, Dry Season, in the First Year of King Feyaz’s Reign, 126th Reckoned Year

… because the essence of love is loss: to truly love our neighbor, we must give something up for their sake. What is love if it is easily given? It is cheap. And how much harder is it to love that which does not repay in kind? For what is love if readily received? It is commonplace. But love given out of pain and loss to ourselves, that is truly special. And what’s more, love given when only hate and indifference are offered in return: truly, that is the hardest of all.

From ‘Commentary On the Third Book of Lost Things’ , Order of Loss, Written by Low Hand Domin Fettle in the 111th Reckoned Year

The cannon shot echoes across the water causing Petsune to yell out and duck down to the deck in fright. “Why are they shooting at us!”

Chapel doesn’t duck however, instead leaning over the railing eagerly to see something. Suddenly a whizzing cannonball zips between the two masts and splashes into the sea on the other side. Chapel answers Pet’s question in an offhand way. “Because I told them to. And what a shot that Harlan is — did you see that Pet? Come on!”

Petsune is wide eyed and confused as Chapel grabs his arm and races toward the railing where the cannonball splashed down. There is shouting and chaos as the soldiers try to ascertain how they can escape the Flower. Though everyone hears and realizes the ship they are supposed to be escorting has begun firing at them, hardly anyone notices the rope that has become draped across the main deck. Petsune watches as Chapel grabs it and begins rapidly pulling it in, trying to outpace the increasing drift of the ship. Once he has it pulled in, Pet sees a strange, hooked cannon shot. Chapel grabs it and runs to the main mast, looping the rope around as many times as he can. As Petsune watches, he becomes aware of the rope pulling tighter. He calls to Chapel, “Watch out, it’s getting tighter.” Chapel seems to have noticed and does a final flourish with some maritime knot before sitting back on his heels and raising his hands up and away from the rope. Chapel simply says. “You might wanna hold on to some—” and then the rope draws tight.

The King’s Haul lurches to a stop as though it has run aground on something. Many soldiers fall to the decks and the entire ship groans objectingly, then begins to tilt. As the rope becomes increasingly taut, the railing splinters under the pressure. The hull of the ship begins to be pulled by the water, being sucked out from under the mast by the Flower. The main mast tips as the ship is pulled, so much so that it points more in the direction of the Painful Lady than it does the sky. Chapel and Petsune have both slid down the deck to the splintered railing. The increasingly uneven ship strains as it is stretched between the force of the rope and the pull of the Flower. Suddenly there is a brief release of the tension, causing the ship to be pulled a little further into the Flower. Chapel stares at the rope then looks to the distant Lady. “It isn’t going to hold.”

And as he says this, all of the tension gives way, sending the ship rocking back on its keel. The mast rights itself upward again and the shift knocks over more than a few soldiers. Chapel and Petsune recover quickly, Pet helping a soldier find his feet after hitting the railing hard. Chapel climbs a few feet up into the ratlines and looks toward the Lady. The ship has broken free from the Floating Forest and is being dragged deeper into the Flower. The Haul is acting as a deadweight tied to the Lady. Chapel curses under his breath, “Well, depths…”

As he watches, the Lady begins to spin and point toward them. Petsune is watching below and calls up to Chapel. “What’s Mavis doing?”

Chapel contemplates the maneuver and realizes his First Mate’s intent. “He’s going to try and use the Flower to gain momentum. He’ll swing us like a pendulum.”

Chapel climbs down as Petsune answers. “That might work…If they ride the current ahead of us, just around the outside of the Flower, they could get enough momentum to swing us out.”

“It’s a better plan than mine was,” Chapel says, “now we just have to convince Wittkinson to go along with it.”

Chapel jumps down from the ratlines and begins looking for Wittkinson at the helm, finding him assisting a soldier who is bleeding from a head wound. Petsune decides he would be more useful assisting the injured. His time with the Order of Loss had him dealing with a variety of injuries and ailments. Chapel walks up to the quarter deck where Wittkinson is, and Petsune wanders toward the soldier that hit the railing.

Chapel approaches but before he says anything Wittkinson speaks without looking. “Not now. I have injuries and problems that are much bigger than you right now.”

Chapel helps Wittkinson get the wounded soldier up and then they both support him down into the captain's quarters. Chapel speaks as they walk with the soldier between them. “I have a plan that might be our last chance at escaping the Flower.”

They lay down the soldier who groans in pain, then Wittkinson looks at Chapel with a skeptical look. “Your ship fired on us.”

“It was a hook shot, to try and tie our ships together and hold us from being pulled into the Flower.”

Wittkinson scowls. “All your plan accomplished was getting some of my men injured. I’m supposed to trust your next option?”

Chapel appears slightly saddened. “I’m sorry there were injuries, but if you don’t try something now we’ll all be dead.”

Wittkinson looks down at the groaning soldier. Petsune comes into the cabin with another injured soldier supported on his shoulder. Pet helps the soldier sit down and then tends to the other soldier's head. Wittkinson watches Pet care for the soldiers, seeming to lose some of his edge. “What’s your plan?”

“Well, the ships are still entwined, and my first mate is turning toward the Flower. If they can pick up enough speed by using the current around the Flower, they might be able to pull us out with the momentum.”

Wittkinson looks at Chapel and seems to speak to himself. “I knew you weren’t just the first mate,” then he speaks louder, “so your Captain, are you?”

Chapel appears sheepish. “Uh, yeah. It’s a long story.”

“I doubt it.” Wittkinson cuts back, causing Chapel to blanch and look away. The two of them walk out of the cabin and onto the main deck.

“Well, it’s at least an unflattering one,” Chapel says as they return to the helm, “Mavis was intended as a distraction while I, uh, incapacitated your ship.”

Wittkinson simply stares at Chapel, not looking away or displaying any sign of emotion. When he finally responds, it’s with less bite than Chapel expected. “Why are you telling me this now.”

“I want you to see I’m being honest,” then Chapel looks away at the encroaching Lady, “this plan, it’s probably the last chance we’ve got.” Wittkinson looks out at The Painful Lady, then to the west where the Flower greedily drinks the sea.

He stares for a moment, then looks Chapel in the eyes. “What would you have me do, Captain?”

Chapel doesn’t break eye contact with the Officer. “Sail wide of the Flower and do your best to keep the line between the ships taut. Mavis will take the Lady close to the center and use the currents to propel them out, hopefully we’ll be able to come along for the ride.”

Officer Wittkinson nods in agreement, then gives orders to the helmsman. Chapel watches as the Haul veers off to a northward heading, and the Lady soon speeds past on their portside. Wittkinson calls for the ship to maintain their course, and soon the rope is loosely hanging between the two ships. Petsune approaches Chapel and Wittkinson at the helm. “Your soldiers will be fine, though the one with the head injury should lay down and rest for a few days. He was repeating things to me while I bandaged his head.”

Wittkinson nods slightly and says he is grateful. Petsune surprises Chapel and Wittkinson by asking, “Officer, would you give me leave to man the crow’s nest? I would like to see the Flower.”

Wittkinson raises an eyebrow but waves Pet off. “Fine, just don’t get in the way and don’t fall.”

“Thank you.” Petsune says, heading for the rigging.

Chapel has his Saintstone eyeglass out and is watching his crew. He notices they are uncharacteristically downtrodden and in his gut, he knows something is wrong. He feels helpless, stuck over here while his crew faces unknown hardships without him. He tries to account for everyone visually, but there is a lot of bustling about, and he soon finds the task fruitless. Wittkinson speaks in his typical way, staring out at something and not looking at Chapel. “I could have you quartered and hanged for desertion, after what you admitted, you know.”

“I know,” Chapel says, “and if you do, so be it. So long as I get my crew out of this alive. I’ll say I forced them. I’ll do whatever you ask, just…”

Wittkinson glances at Chapel then returns to his blank stare. “Why do you care so much?”

“Because,” Chapel speaks quietly, “they're the only family I have, and this is my fault.”

Wittkinson doesn’t reply, so Chapel continues speaking, more to himself than anyone. “I think… I think I brought each of them onto my crew to try to make something right… something my father made wrong in me, but I don’t think I did any good. Just harm.”

Wittkinson sighs in understanding. “The wake of our parents can seem small when close to them, then we realize how much wider it gets as we become distant.”

The two of them stand silently, then Wittkinson tenses and Chapel sees the Lady appear to tip and sink slightly to the port side. At nearly the same time, the Small sun sinks completely beyond the horizon.

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