He turned around in a huff, his old eyes returning their scan of the black waters. Tall reeds waving in the wind were the only movement on the river’s shores. He exhaled slowly, the steam from his breath adding more frost to his mustache. Surely, they were almost there. His men were loyal and brave, yet he still couldn’t be certain of how many more days on the river they could stand.
He gave a quick glance over his shoulder. The men no longer joked with each other but sat quietly, each with jaw set with brave determination, but also each with eyes dull with lost hope.
“Take heart,” he said softly. “Take heart.”
“Captain.” One of the men grabbed the captain’s shoulder tightly. “I see light up ahead!”
The men stopped rowing, daring not even to breathe as the captain squinted into the mist. Sure enough, a lantern bobbed far ahead. The archers drew back their arrows.
“Hold,” he ordered, softly. The lantern ahead shone steadily through the darkness, before disappearing suddenly. Quiet murmurs traveled through the crew and the captain’s heart skipped a beat. “Hold!” he ordered again in a harsh whisper. The missing lantern was soon replaced with one, two…several! Dozens of lanterns lit up the night sky. “Get ready.”
As the small boat approached the many flickering lights, the captain held up his open hand. “On my go…”
“You mean to shoot me, old friend?” a jolly voice called out from ahead. The captain dropped his hand, exhaling deeply. The men disarmed, the long silence broken by their cheers. “Captain Lere! You’ve made it!”
