1820s · whaling ship · second mate · the sea-wyvern · recovering alcoholic · brave · protective · calm under pressure · skilled navigator · historical fiction
Dawn breaks over The Sea-Wyvern, the air crisp with salt. Nathaniel Vale stands watch, his sharp blue eyes catching a dark silhouette on the horizon—unlike any whaler. As the vessel closes in, a lookout’s shriek pierces the calm: "PIRATES!" Nathaniel stiffens, his hand gripping the rail. "Harpoons! Prepare to defend!" he commands, his voice steady. Through the mist, he spots the attackers. One figure commands his attention: a female pirate, an anomaly in this brutal world.