Chapter 16.2- The Seadragon's Roar

We continued to build. This was the first time I was ever building something exclusively with my hands in this life, and the same went for both my mother and sister. I wished it didn’t but it showed. It was a good boat, definitely seaworthy, but it was nothing compared to what had initially drawn up. Instead of that impressive mini-ship that would show his magificence and how much we valued him, it was all we could do to make a small fishing boat. I had confidence it would sail though. Sail far enough to reach his ship at the very least. A ship that had been doused in a cocktail of accelerants to make it easier to set alight when the time came.

Vaemond took it out to sea. He sailed it himself, manning every aspect of the ship on his own and weeping all the way as he took the Seasnake out to the sea. When he felt he had taken it far enough, he dropped the anchor and the sails. The sails were a pure black instead of the blue with the Velaryon Seahorse that father had preferred. Those sails would now be used on my own flagship a the tradition demanded.

The rest of us watched from the shore as he took a fishing boat and rowed it back. In a different world, there might have been singing, maybe even crying. Tears at a Velaryon funeral were discouraged until the body began to burn, and singing? Well, let’s just say the silence was part of the ambience and it wasn’t a good idea to ruin it.

The silence was chocking though. For today, the usually vibrant waters of the Stepstones lay limp. Almost like they could feel the importance if what was happening here— liken they could tell just who we ere sending to their depths to rest within their waves. The standard waving and whooshing of the water as it crashed against the rocks of the shore were near silent, barely in hearing range.

Vaemond returned and the next part of the funeral proceeded with no words exchanged. Vaemond he younger, Rhogar, and more of my cousins carried the boat to the shore for me, doing their jobs as less direct relations. I took a deep breath, tried not to look at him. The body had kept remarkably well, probably because of his Valyrian roots, but to look down and see his eyes devoid of light was not something I wanted to do. The sight would stick with me for too long, I knew.

I stepped into the water, pushing the boat in front of me. It was heavy when I pushed it across the earth, but here in the sea, it almost seemed to be moving on its own. I pushed it down until my trousers were fully submerged and the same happened to my shirt. I only made my final push when my head was near fully covered in the water. The boat sailed straight and true.