He woke up in a dark room, surprised to be alive. He checked every part of his body, anxious to find some bad injury or, worse, some missing part. All he could notice was that his ribs were covered by some fresh bandage and it hurt when he moved. Also, his right arm presented some stitches near his elbow and he could feel a sore spot over his left eye. But, as he could say, he was in one piece and not too badly harmed.

Relieved, he sat on the small bed, put both feet on the ground and tried to stand up. Instantly, he lost his balance and fell back on the bed. He remained still, focused on stopping his mind to spin in his head. After a while, he tried to stand again, leaning on the wall with his left hand to stay on his feet. His legs managed to support him but the dizziness came back. Maybe the sea creature hit his head harder than he thought.

He put on his pants, shirt, boots and, with relief, his coat. All he needed was in his old leather coat. His gold, some coins but mostly jewels (lighter to cary), and of course the treasure map. He was glad it was tattooed on a goat skin, way safer than paper, especially when you meet angry see monster.

The hallway was as small and dark as his room. Everything was built in wood he guessed as he heard the walls and ground squeak and creak. He saw a rectangle of light around a door in front of him and stumbled toward it.

A violent light blinded him and fresh salted air blowed right in his face as he stepped on the first deck of a cargo vessel. He wasn't dizzy, he thought with relief, he was on a boat. The wind raised the sails providing fair speed to the vessel. As the cliffs of the fjords moved on his right, Eerik assumed they were heading north. Considering all what happened to him, being alive, without concoction and in the night direction was a little miracle. It could have been way worst.

- You’re up ! I’m glad to see you're fine.

A man leaned on the rail next to him. As they shook hands, but not too firmly because of Eerik’s injury, he presented himself as Captain Lore.


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