Cadoc awoke from his slumber as dawn broke. He rubbed his eyes, squinting against the light streaming through a porthole at the cabin’s rear. Gulls mewed in a chorus outside, their discordant symphony accompanied by the sounds of labouring men. He sat up but remained on his bed, giving his head and stomach the chance to adjust to the ship’s motion — yet the movement was little more than a gentle bobbing.

Land, he thought, and the realisation brought a sigh of relief. As he exhaled, tension eased from his neck and shoulders. He hadn’t realised how tense he was, and now he ached with stiffness.