Page 43 of Astrid at Sea

“You nearly drowned,” he told me with a gulp, his eyes still shining with fear. “I heard you screaming, so I rushed back. You were drowning, barely visible anymore. I pulled you out of the water.”

“Thank you for saving me,” I whispered to Jerrik. I tried to keep myself in check, not wanting to reveal just how rattled I felt, but when the urge became overwhelming and I couldn’t fight it anymore, I wrapped my arms around him in a tight, grateful hug. “Thank you for pulling me out of the water, Jerrik. I thought I was going to die.”

“I couldn’t let that happen,” Jerrik sniffled and buried his face in my hair, the embrace reminding me of Dustin’s hugs. “I know we don’t know each other very well yet, Astrid, but you’re like a little sister to me. It’s been nice having you around the ship. I was so scared when I heard your screams and came back to see you submerged in the water, already a few feet under.” His eyes didn’t meet mine. Instead, he turned away from me and rubbed his thumbs under his eyes, trying to stifle his sniffles. “If something happened to you, I never would have been able to face Viktor.”

Jerrik turned back to me once his tears had ceased–I think I was still too in shock to cry–but his gaze settled on something over my shoulder, and his face hardened. I was still struggling to register everything that had happened when Jerrik suddenly leapt around me.

One moment, we were sat in silence, and the next, Jerrik’s hands were around Crosby’s throat.

Crosby gagged and scratched at Jerrik’s face, trying to save himself, but Jerrik was far too strong. His grip around Crosby’s neck tightened, and as if it wasn’t enough for him, he forcedCrosby’s head over the side of the boat and underwater–giving him a taste of what he had done to me.

But as much as I hated Crosby for what he had nearly done to me, I couldn’t let that happen.

“Jerrik, no!” I exclaimed, rushing over to make him let go of Crosby. “What are you doing? Let him go!”

I wasn’t nearly strong enough to physically stop Jerrik, and my flailing hands had little effect on him, but my begging and pleading must have done something because he cursed and dropped his hands abruptly. Crosby violently gasped for breath, still leaning over the side of the boat.

“That’s nothing close to what Viktor and the rest of the crew are going to do to him when we get back,” Jerrik growled and reached for an oar.

I gulped at his words but couldn’t help but agree. I was almost afraid of what Viktor was going to do to Crosby once he heard of how he pushed me off the boat and didn’t help me when I was drowning. If it weren’t for Jerrik’s attempts to resuscitate me, I would be dead right now, and it would have been all Crosby’s fault.

Jerrik made a point of sitting between me and Crosby on the way back to The Serpent. Perhaps it was a little over the top, but I was grateful. There was a dark side to Crosby I had never noticed before.

How could he push me off the boat and leave me to drown when I was begging for help?

How could he be so heartless?

It felt like we had been rowing forever, but the outline of The Serpent had only just come into view.

“Enid would like you,” Jerrik suddenly said.

Enid was Jerrik’s wife.

“How long have you been married?” I asked.

“Twelve years.” I could hear the smile in his voice.

I remember Jerrik and Enid’s wedding. I didn’t know Enid very well, but Jerrik’s parents didn’t live too far away from where my parents lived. I was just a child when they married, but I remembered how beautiful the night sky and the full moon were that day. Everyone said it was good luck, and I guess it was since they had now been married twelve years.

“I don’t know if you remember, but you danced until your father dragged you home,” Jerrik laughed. “Whenever I look at you, I remember that little girl dancing to her heart’s content, uncaring of what people had to say or think. Enid is very much like that. Never one to care what others have to say about her or us.”

“I would love to have tea with her when we return to Jorvik. She sounds like great fun.”

“She is,” he sighed wistfully, no doubt missing his wife. I couldn’t fathom how difficult it must be for the crew to leave behind their families for so long.

Those few days when I thought Viktor would leave me behind had been torturous, and the morning he was set to sail was even worse. I couldn’t imagine how I would have felt if he actually left me behind.

It would have been nothing short of torturous.

“We’ve been trying to have a child for our entire marriage,” he whispered into the darkness of the evening. With how distant his voice was, I couldn’t tell if he was talking to me or himself. “It was fine at first, but I feel like I’ve failed my Enid these past few years. She loves children and wants one of her own, but I can’t give her one. I think something is wrong with me.”

“I’m sorry, Jerrik,” I whispered back, unsure how to navigate this very sensitive situation. “I can’t imagine how difficult that must be for you both, but there might not be something wrong with you or Enid. Sometimes, these things take time.”

“I keep telling myself that, but it’s nice to hear it from someone else,” Jerrik exhaled deeply as if the weight of the entire world had been on his shoulders. “I just want to give my Edin a child. It’s the only thing she’s asked from me, and I can’t give it to her. It makes me feel like such a failure.”

“You’ll get there,” I assured him, even though my heart broke for him and Enid. “Babies are made out of love, and it’s clear that you love your wife very much. I’m sorry you two have to wait so long for your baby. I know it’ll be worth it, and I have all my fingers and toes crossed for you.” I would also keep them in my prayers, but I didn’t say it out loud. I didn’t know where Jerrik and Enid were with their faith in God for not being granted a child after so long.

“Thank you, Astrid. I appreciate that,” Jerrik chuckled, but there was a tinge of sadness to the sound. “Viktor is so much more than just my Captain, and I know it’s the same for the rest of the crew. He’s like a brother to me. Over the years, he’s become a significant part of my life, and I’m so grateful that he has you now. I’ve always noticed how lonely he looked when he thought no one was watching him, but he’s got you now, and he doesn’t look lonely anymore.”

---