The expedition ship, a sea-vessel just large enough to fit the 40-some team of explorers, slowed once they passed the Gulf of Vigilance, just east of the city of Hiladreth. North, they would continue, along the western coastline. Until they reached the last expedition's makeshift port for landing. The temperatures had dropped, and those layers that the Viden team had discarded in Rharne, now came into use. Bundled up, most people stayed below deck and away from the frosty air that cut across the sea. They stayed within sight of the coast, though, never straying too far from at least a hint of land on the horizon.
Llyr Llywelyn stood at the bow of the ship, coat tightly secured and scarf wrapped around a few times to help cover his lower face as well as his shoulders. He observed the various little white dots scattered over the watery ground of the sea's surface.
"Knife tufts," repeated Zeilos while he stood beside Llyr. In the near distance, the captain could be heard relaying instructions to the crew. "No way around them either, not unless we go to deeper waters. Then we might actually run into the ice fractures."
Llyr sniffed, the tip of his nose dusted silvery-blue from the cold. He shook his head and said, "So, we have to get rid of them then?"
"Or be prepared to protect the hull..."
"Can they be pulled up or blown away?" asked Llyr and he hummed when Zeilos shook his head 'no'.
"They have to be broken up, otherwise they anchor in," explained Zeilos. He looked toward the captain and nodded. "So, that's what we'll be doi-"
"I can help," said Llyr. His gossamer wings spread out behind him in full dragonfly-shaped display. "But I'll go along with a boat, just in case I fall. They'll have to grab me. Or... maybe I might be able to do it from here, and no one need go out on their own. I can give it a try?"
Zeilos raised a hand to gesture for the captain to hold off on the orders. He nodded, "If you want to try, then."
Llyr eyed the bow, then climbed up onto the narrowest tip of the bow where the figurehead rested. He didn't know what woman the figurehead was, just that it was a rather shapely lady with a lot of hair. He grabbed onto one of the sculpted strands of hair to help balance while he looked at the various Knife Tufts that littered their path. Once sure of his balance, he held out a hand and ether gathered around the palm. The biqaj aimed, then sent a wide bolt of ether to skim across the sea surface.
The corroding ether broke apart a handful of knife tufts, some of the ice splintered to float along the surface in tiny pieces while other portions melted away.
Llyr considered, then turned and shouted over a gust of wind so that Zeilos could hear him, "I could probably do this for a good stretch, maybe enough to get us past it."
"What do you think, captain?" returned Zeilos while the ship's captain came over and glanced at what had happened. A few words exchanged, then Zeilos nodded and returned, "Okay, we're going to take it slow but give it a chance. Clear out anything in the path and give a shout if something goes wrong."