Natalia waited until it was in the water, then clambered down the side of the ship. A few crew members climbed in after her, taking up oars and then she spotted Athgar, bending his back to row. She waited until they pushed off to begin the spell that would calm the waters around this little vessel.

Athgar strained at his oar, putting his back into it, as did the others. He watched the Swift behind them, slowly getting farther and farther away as they rowed.

"Can you see them?" he asked.

Natalia nodded, "Yes, they're clambering into a rowboat, but the waves are making it difficult."

The boatswain, a senior crewman, was counting out the strokes, keeping the men rowing in unison. His voice droned on and on until it just became background noise.

A tug at the skiff was felt by all, and suddenly it turned, angling its nose off target by a right angle.

"What was that?" called out Athgar.

"A current," yelled back a crewman. "We're in the grip of it now, hold on!"

The boat swivelled again, causing one man to lose the grip on his oar. His mistake threw off the rhythm, but he soon took it up once again, waiting for the proper count to resume.

A loud cracking noise echoed across the water.

"Their boat's breaking up," called out Natalia. "The mast just snapped."

Athgar turned his head, but his position, with his back towards the front, made it difficult to see anything. "Are they all in the boat, yet?" he asked.

"Almost," she called back.

The skiff rose suddenly, throwing off the strokes.

"The water's rising and falling too quickly for my spell to hold," she warned, "it's going to get much rougher."

"We can't go much farther," yelled a crewman, "it's getting too difficult to control."

"Agreed," called out the boatswain, "prepare to turn and maintain this position."

The skiff came about, turning parallel to the distressed vessel. It was still some distance off, but now Athgar had a much better view.

"There's a woman helping people board the rowboat," he called out. Even as he finished his sentence, a wave rushed down the deck, catching the woman in its path, Athgar watching helplessly as she was swept overboard. "We have to help," he said, standing in his seat.

"Sit down!" yelled the boatswain. "There's nothing you can do."

"Perhaps there is," called out Natalia. "Athgar, can you swim?"

He looked across the intervening waves, "Yes, but I'd never make it through those waves, I'd drown."

"Hold on," she said, waving her arms about.

Athgar felt a tingle as if his hair was standing on end. "What was that?" he asked.

"A water breathing spell. Now tie that rope around your waist."

"It won't work," called out the boatswain, "they don't even know we're here."