The air in the dimly lit inn room was stifling, thick with the warmth of the crackling coal fire. The room felt almost too small for the presence of Captain Rowan, a tall, dark, and composed figure. Despite the oppressive heat, he wore a heavy sea jacket buttoned to his neck and a furry cap pulled low over his ears. His calm, authoritative demeanor gave him an air of control that unnerved me.
"I'm glad to see you made it, Mr. Eldren," Rowan said in a deep, steady voice, extending his hand toward my uncle. "The tide's with us, and if all goes well, we'll be out of Haven Port before sundown."
"Captain," my uncle, Silas Eldren, replied curtly, "you keep this room like an oven."
Rowan chuckled. "A necessity, Mr. Eldren. I was forged in cold waters, you see. Neither fur nor fire nor spirit warms me for long."
My uncle waved off the remark. "We are all as we're made, Captain."
I shifted uneasily. Silas's dealings with Captain Rowan had always been shrouded in secrecy, and I could feel the weight of something brewing between them. Yet, against my better judgment, the cramped heat of the room drove me to leave them to their business.
"Go on, Theo," Silas said, waving me off. "Take some fresh air while the captain and I discuss matters."
Eager to escape the suffocating space, I stepped outside and made my way down to the shoreline. The salty tang of the sea greeted me, mingling with the cries of gulls and the shouts of seamen preparing the brig Shadowed Dawn. Its sails, still furled, hung like phantom wings, promising journeys to distant lands.
I found myself drawn to the bustle of the dockworkers and struck up a conversation with one of the sailors, a scruffy man with a dagger strapped to his belt. "When does the Shadowed Dawn set sail?" I asked.
"Soon as the tide turns," he replied, his words laced with curses that made me recoil.
Unsettled, I wandered back toward the inn, only to find Rian, the young cabin boy, sprinting toward me. His face was flushed as he begged for ale. I offered him a mug and watched as he gulped it down. It was then that I decided to press the landlord, a local man, for information about my uncle.
"Do you know Silas Eldren?" I asked.
The landlord gave a sharp laugh. "Aye, everyone knows him. But there are few who would call him friend."
"Why so?"
"Let's just say the man has made his enemies. Many would see him swing for the things he's done. Especially after what happened to his brother, Elias."
"Elias?" I repeated, my curiosity piqued.
"Aye, Silas's older brother. They say Silas wanted the family estate badly enough to kill for it."
The landlord's words stunned me. If what he said was true, then Silas had betrayed his own blood—and I, as Elias's son, was the rightful heir to the Eldren estate.
I sat lost in thought, barely noticing when Captain Rowan appeared on the dock, gesturing for me to join him. "Theo," he called, his deep voice steady, "why don't you come aboard the Shadowed Dawn for a while? I'd like to show you something."
I hesitated, sensing danger in his offer. "I've business to attend to," I replied.
"Nonsense," Rowan said smoothly. "Your uncle told me. It's only a short sail to Seaside Haven. We'll have you back in no time."
Against my instincts, I followed him to the skiff. Rowan's persuasive charm and my own eagerness to see a ship up close clouded my judgment. I climbed aboard, marveling at the sights and sounds of the vessel, until I suddenly realized Silas was nowhere to be seen.
"Where's my uncle?" I asked, alarm rising in my chest.
Rowan's face darkened. "That's the question, isn't it?"
Panic surged as I rushed to the edge of the ship and saw the skiff rowing back to shore. Silas sat in the stern, his expression twisted into something between malice and fear. "Help!" I screamed. "Help! He's betrayed me!"
Before I could jump overboard, strong hands seized me, dragging me back. Rowan stood over me, his calm mask slipping to reveal something colder and crueler. "Welcome aboard the Shadowed Dawn, Theo. You won't be seeing Seaside Haven again anytime soon."
A blow struck the back of my head, and the world dissolved into darkness.