keeping us away from danger. You realize why he is the captain at times like this.» Sveta said admirably.
Maria listened to her words and began to realize Sveta had feelings for the captain, regardless of her objections to being his servant. She thought to ask about the evening’s meeting but decided this was a question that should wait.
Flashes of lightning silently lit the hallways followed moments later by explosive thunder that shook every part of the ship. Maria had seen many thunderstorms during summers on her farm, but she had never heard one so fierce and close. She moved closer to Sveta feeling safer near her friend.
Sveta put her arm around Maria, «Ladno, just another day on the river» She said as she patted her back.
Maria’s arms wrapped around Sveta, she couldn’t help the fear of such an unknown experience as it shook and terrified her. Sveta realized Maria was still a young girl, tender and easily frightened. Her womanly instincts to nurture took over as she held Maria in the dark.
Lightning flashed again in an almost blinding brightness then absolute silence. Finally, a dark distant roll of thunder echoed across the sky booming and shaking with less intensity. Sveta kissed Maria’s head and patted her back, «It’s moving away from us, we can go back to the cabin soon,» Sveta said reassuringly.
Maria looked up feeling encouraged and felt calmed by Sveta’s words.
«Thanks.» She replied, «I’ve never experienced such a storm in my life.»
The ship began to slow its hard shifting and soon the sounds of the oarsman returned to their normal pace.
«Those poor men, we probably lost half a day’s progress up the river. They will be rowing extra tonight.» Sveta explained.
The ladies soon returned to their cabin, the waves had calmed slightly but continued to batter the ship. Sveta was extremely tired, but Maria wanted to know how it went with the captain.
As Sveta took off her dress, Maria asked, «So, how was it… with him?»
Sveta paused, «I’ll tell you in the morning, I’m exhausted.» She replied.
As Sveta’s clothes dropped to the floor, she fell to her bed, exhausted. Maria looked at her in the dark, she looked cold and didn’t have the strength to pull the blankets beneath her over herself.
Maria went and took the blanket from her own bed and returned to Sveta’s bedside. Without a word, she draped the blanket over Sveta’s body and lay alongside her.
«Such a paradise,» Sveta whispered as she fell asleep instantly.
Maria felt such an appreciation for all Sveta did for her, and wanted to return her kindness in some way. She curled up behind Sveta and let her arm drape over her. Sveta shifted slightly then took Maria’s hand, holding it to her breast.
It was shocking at first, Maria wanted to pull her hand away thinking it was an unconscious mistake. But the sensation of Sveta’s breast, so warm and soft in her hand, felt very different from her own. She dared not to move a single finger, feeling the tender impression of Sveta’s nipple against her palm.
Maria felt awkward, speechless, uncomfortable but also aroused as she had admired Sveta’s breasts since the moment they met.
«Was it wrong?» Maria wondered. «Surely Sveta knew this was not a man beside her.»
Maria searched her mind, trying to find an answer but realized her objection was to the idea of touching a woman, not how it actually felt. In fact, it only felt feminine and natural to touch someone so familiar and kind. Maria let out a deep breath and laid her head on the soft curtain of Sveta’s hair as it spilled across the pillow as they both drifted into sleep.
Weft Threads
Things moved slowly the next morning; Maria awoke in Sveta’s bed to see she was already up and getting dressed. Sveta seemed late for getting to the galley and said very little before quickly slipping her shoes on and heading for the door.
Maria felt guilty for not having a task to perform, she could hear people all over the ship working, moving things about and shouting for help with this or that. She got dressed and headed for the top deck to see what the ship looked like after the storm.
At first glance, everything seemed normal until she noticed a few barrels were missing from where they had been lashed the day before. Then she turned and saw several members of the crew looking at the sail, it had a large tear at the base where it had been pulled hard against the grommets and was split completely open from the breeze running through it. Her eyes grew big at the idea the wind could be so violent.
«We didn’t get it down in time.» The quartermaster said as he saw her looking at the damage. «That storm caught everyone by surprise.» He added as he rubbed his hand over the back of his neck in frustration.
«Can you fix it?» Maria asked.
«In the next port we can, but that’s bad news for the oarsmen, they have to push upstream against this current.» He said gritting his teeth in anger.
«Well get it down before it rips sideways as well!» he shouted at the crew.
Maria stood in a trance, as she watched the breeze flickering through the loose threads of the torn sail. She instantly remembered her mother teaching her how to make blankets on a loom. Each winter the snow would cover the doors and windows, burying the family inside for days at a time. They always had a fire, food, and tasks to keep their mind off the harsh cold that imprisoned them.
Maria’s mind immersed her in the scene of her mother guiding Maria’s hands across the loom, teaching her how to stretch the main threads in the loom before completing the piece with a shuttle and fill thread. The process took days to complete as they wove blankets and sewed quilts from scraps of cloth.
Maria slowly blinked, staring determined at the sail as she walked toward it. «I can fix this!» Maria said excitedly.
The quartermaster looked up from his tools, feeling annoyed by Maria’s interjection. He searched for a reason to excuse her from the task. «Oh, I couldn’t impose on you miss, you’re our passenger, and mending a sale is a very dangerous job, the weight of it alone is…» he continued in a patronizing voice.
Maria could sense she had to prove her abilities and felt the school teacher voice of her mother emerge in complete authority, interrupting the quartermaster before he could finish speaking.
«Look right there! See how the tear is perfectly straight?» She asked insistently.
The quartermaster sighed and nodded, hoping she would stop talking.
«Those are weft threads, they just the fill the sail, the stronger ones… the warp threads that go up and down are fine! I can patch on both sides through the warp threads, all I need is a needle, thread and a piece of canvas.…do you have that on board?» Maria said looking up from the sail at the stunned quartermaster.
The quartermaster stood speechless as the young lady spoke in a language he had only heard among shipwrights and riggers.
«You have the tools, yes?» Maria said confidently.
The quartermaster turned and shouted at one of the crew, «Fetch me the sail gear in the tackle box and the old sail from down below!»
A member of the crew rushed down the stairs, returning moments later with the items.
The quartermaster placed his hand on Maria’s back gently and spoke quietly in her ear, «If it’s not done right, the sail will be ruined. You’re sure about this?» The quartermaster said as he handed the tackle box to Maria.
Maria nodded confidently and walked toward the sail rigging. She felt she was being taken seriously for the first time, rather than a helpless kitten with no value to those around her. The crew unleashed the base of the sail and lowered it for her. They laid the old sail out on the deck and stood like an audience, watching a performance.