Rose Sea

Twenty-Seventh of July

The most peculiar thing has happened to me today, I dare say it was most strange indeed. But I do beg pardon for my lack of detail in the last entry and I have determined that I should write in depth about the events of the previous night before expanding on this strange sight I have witnessed today. Perhaps a bit of reflection might bring to light what this mysterious event means, yet perhaps I may only leave off where I begin, scribbling nonsensical words about hallucinations and sea-sickness. As to the happenings of yester-evening and today's morn, I must address now before they slip my mind and become yet another simple memory clouded by perception and hind-sight; as I said before I have resolved to record this voyage as it happened and not as I remember it.

Events of the Twenty-Sixth of July

I was sitting on a bench under a tree atop a hill that overlooks the southern docks. There was a strong wind coming from the East, and with it I could see horses bearing the royal blue on their backs, they must have been twenty miles out. In half an hour they would arrive at the small dock town Ostville, the town below me. I had been gazing out across the bay all but defeated; I had given up on the Charlotte. I sat, readying myself for the gallows, prepared to end this quest as soon as I caught wind of the no-show ship. As I had mentioned briefly before in a quick scribbled line that I had possibly seen the Charlotte at last, I swear to you I witnessed a ship rise up from the ocean itself at a great distance from the shore, slowly and with ease. It was at the point the great open sky, dotted with whimsical clouds, fell and met the broad expanding sea that I observed this wonder. I am no stranger to sea-ships and ocean waves, but to watch a massive ship adorned by three proud masts fully bellowing crest the ocean horizon at near dusk, just took my breath away. The wonder! I have been wanting of this sight for so long that it seemed I had become so entranced in my own imagination that, after a while, I began to see several more sails appear upon the horizon. I did not think that these ships were possible. They were, at the time, only images of my hopes.

Soon I could hear shouts from the docks below. My curiosity, coupled with the continuing existence of the seafaring ships along the ocean horizon, brought me to walk into town. There were scores of people running about. There were children running down towards the docks along with every dock worker in town. People milled about to see what has never been seen at these small docks; four large sea ships coming into port. I can not express how spectacular the scene was before me, but alas I shall try and I only hope that I will butcher the view as little as possible. These four great ships, and already I do them no justice, slid across the sea parting the water with their strong decorated bows. Each ship, though built for similar purpose, was different in design. They each sported three large masts that held fast to the sails and each seemed to have plenty of cannon ports dotting each side. This is where the similarities end. The first ship was distinctly different from the other three sea ships trailing behind. It seemed more lean, less bulk to weigh it down, more slender and less cumbersome, giving it a very defined impression of agility and cunning. The other three ships I could tell were not related to the first, not in make, nor affiliation either. They seemed to radiate power, boasting large bodies and heavy walls, even their bows seemed to do more plowing through the water than the easy cutting of the first. No I do have to say that even then, only looking upon them and their movements, I could tell, even without my current knowledge of their alliances, that they were not sailing with the first of these sea-ships, but rather on closer inspection appeared to be watching and tailing it.

From this observation only I decided that this first sea-ship must indeed be Charlotte, that grand ship I heard of from my toothless friend, who coincidentally at that moment appeared in my view, the only stationary figure on the dock among the bustling crowd.

I must halt for now in my writing for I have some business to attend to but I shall return soon to finish this entry, and hopefully begin about the tricks my eyes are playing on me.

~ Sebastian Bancout