She placed her arms around his neck, pulling herself closer to him. "Thank you," she said, "I couldn't have done this without you." She moved her face to his, intent on kissing him. Their lips met, but a sudden squall seemed to have other ideas, sending a sheet of water down upon their heads.

Athgar sputtered, gasping for breath, but Natalia was laughing, seeing the whole situation as absurd.

"We need to get you below," he said at last.

"I should remain here," she said, "though I don't need to be by the railing, I don't think."

"You can come back later," he insisted. "You need to change, you're still in your nightclothes."

She looked down to see the wet nightshirt, clinging to her and even in the storm, Athgar noticed her blush.

"Come along," he urged, "let's get you below."

They made their way across the ship, holding hands to keep together. The deck was much easier to navigate now, the heaving waves no longer pitching them at precarious angles.

Finally making it to the hatch, they stood aside as the crew started coming on deck, alerted by the change in the ship's rolling. Athgar stood to Natalia's front, gallantly blocking the view of her as the sailors filed past, then helped her through the hatch. Moments later, they were below deck, their soaked nightshirts leaving a rather large puddle where they stood.

"Let's get you out of those clothes," said Athgar, leading her back towards their quarters.

She paused a moment, causing him to turn back to her. "You know," she said, "you men are all the same, wanting to get women out of their clothes."

"No," he said, "I meant..."

In answer, she moved forward, finally able to kiss him. Their lips met, their bodies pressed close together, and then she withdrew briefly. "I know what you meant," she whispered.

The Teeth of Karamir

Autumn 1103 SR

Athgar was the first to spot the dreaded Teeth; they jutted out of the water like giant spikes, the bases occasionally obscured by the waves, while their peaks were visible through the light rain. About them, the waves foamed, the clear water of the Shimmering Sea mixing with the dark waters of the Great Sea.

"An impressive sight," said Cyric, "though I'm glad it's some distance off. I'd hate to be out in that water."

Athgar looked at him. "Why?" he asked. "What makes it so dangerous? Surely a ship can keep out of range of the rocks."

"You might think so," offered Cyric, "but the currents here can be treacherous. Ships have found themselves sucked towards the Teeth with little warning."

"I expect that's the Shimmering Sea," offered Natalia. "They say it shifts its height throughout the day. One moment, the water is draining into the Great Sea, the next it flows in the opposite direction."