Fire & Metal, #1
Metal Slinger
by Rachel Schneider
Contents
Chapter 16
Overview
Adrift after their escape, Brynn treats Acker’s severe wound while they evade Alaha’s armada by rowing west without raising sail. Exhausted and off course, they gamble on Acker’s claim that his people keep hidden ships nearby. They improvise shelter and collapse, their survival hinging on rescue.
Summary
A clatter wakes Brynn as Acker vomits and drops his oar, his strength failing from blood loss. Brynn crawls to him, forces water into him, and exposes a soaked, seeping gash in his side. Despite Acker’s protests, she prioritizes cleaning the wound and making him drink first to keep them both functional.
Using the boat’s emergency kit, Brynn rinses the cut, finds only a smear of salve, and packs it into the wound to slow the bleeding. She binds Acker’s midsection tightly, noting his pain and fading focus. Acker rasps that he will heal faster on land, but Brynn counters that land is far off.
Brynn reflects on their dire situation: Alaha’s armada forced them to abandon the northern route, so they turned west into open water, rowing endlessly and refusing to raise sails to avoid detection. Acker insists his people keep ships hidden and might find them if luck holds, though Brynn withholds her doubts.
When the bandage is secured, Acker loses consciousness. With dawn nearing and her own strength failing, Brynn rigs a makeshift canopy by draping a head sail over the oars to create shade. She lies beside Acker and finally succumbs to exhaustion, their fate dependent on evasion and potential rescue.
Who Appears
- Brynn (Princess Jovie)POV; tends Acker’s bleeding wound, manages scarce supplies, chooses to row west to evade the armada, rigs shade, and rests.
- AckerGravely wounded from the escape; drinks water, endures binding, claims his hidden allies may find them; collapses unconscious.