It's late March 1572 in the North Sea.

Villan Vandermark, the Lord of Lumi, struggles to keep his balance as waves hurl his ship

from side to side.

All around him, sailors wrestle with sails and rigging as the wind howls.

A 30-year-old Dutchman, Loomi leads a fleet of privateers known as the Seabeggers, and for

the last few years he's hunted the North Sea for the ships of his hated enemy, the Spanish.

But now it seems he's about to be sunk,

not by his enemy, but by the weather.

The ship shudders as another wave crashes against its hull.

Loomy just manages to grab the rail as the deck,

lurches beneath him,

but a nearby sailor hauling in a loose sail

loses his footing on the wet deck.

He crashes down hard on his shoulder. The sailor grimaces in pain as he eases himself upright, his arm hanging

uselessly at his side. It's obviously broken. Loomy barked at the man to go below and then takes

up the rope the sailor was holding.

Looney pulls with all his strength, but the wind fights back.

The canvas sail snapping, cracking with each gust, nearly tearing the rope from his grasp.

But Looney tightens his grip, grits his teeth, and leans back with his full weight.

One by one, other sailors join him, and together they drag the thrashing sail down and lash it fast. Soon, the ship isn't leaning quite so precariously,

but the seabeggers aren't out of danger just yet.

After a terrifying few hours, the storm finally blows over, and when it does, Willem de la Mark, the Lord of Loomie, takes stock.

...