The Tidemass Rite pendant the Fern of the Old

the Fern of the Old Ways was laid upon a bed of embers

familiar in a way that made him uneasy

stories swallowed beneath waves that never forget

circling close with beads of light and colour

this piece is as untamed as the spirit of those who wear it

The Tidemass Rite pendant the Fern of the OldThe deck tilts under shifting weight as they gather, boots thudding against wet wood, ropes still creaking from whatever was dragged aboard. No one asks what it is. The thing lies covered near the mast, breathing slow beneath the sailcloth, as if the sea itself is still deciding whether to take it back. The captain stands at the centre, salt stiff in his coat, the bronze cross hanging low against his chest. The skull catches the moonlight first. He