Fantasy ~Of Kings and Sibyls~

[elusivethought]

Their prospective captain approached with ominous silence, and when she spoke, her voice was like a distant roll of thunder. Without having done anything wrong, Luka felt like apologizing and staring at his boots. This was a woman who demanded respect. Surprised and dazed as he was by her unapologetically strong stride and frank tone, Luka let Edrei argue their case. A wise option, as soon, the captain agreed, though she insulted their appearance while she was at it.

Luka sighed. Such confident acceptance. But he slapped the payment into the captain's waiting palm, wasting no time in scooping Edrei up into his arms. "Thank you," he called over his shoulder, hauling her up the gangplank. Luka walked with a confident stride, as though he belonged there, as though the crew might part for him. Instead, they mostly just stared at him as he hurried to settle Edrei onto a bench.

"Do you have room for one more crew member?" the prince asked the captain, squinting up at the sails as if enough willpower might make sense of the dizzying patterns of ropes and knots. "I can help man the ship—earn our share of food and board for the evening."

The man with blue hair approached arms akimbo, clicking his tongue. "No introductions first? My, my, where have your manners run off to?" His lips pursed as his gaze slid between the two of them, nose wrinkling. "Off to elope with your sense of cleanliness, I suppose." He directed a courtly bow towards Edrei, finishing it with a flourish as he rose. "I am Arlo, resident priest and sommelier on Kaim’s Wrath. And you are?"

"Edric," Luka immediately lied, glancing at Edrei. "And this is my sister, Edrei."

Arlo's face lit up. "Oh, brilliant," he beamed. "Very convenient, that." He took Edrei's hand, pressing a swift kiss to the back of it. "You'll have to excuse our mess, milady," he said, waving an arm towards the various crates and boxes piled atop the deck. Leaning forward, he added sotto voce, "We aren't accustomed to having ladies aboard, you know."

 

[peritwinkle]

Edrei’s eyes hopped ferociously from one ambiguous shape to another on their newly discovered safe haven. Despite the friendly faces – or at the very least the Captain’s neutrality – the Seer did not feel protected in the least. Not with the loud voices echoing from across the docks, resembling those of armoured guards with clinking steel sabatons, and certainly not with the anchor still lowered beneath them, keeping them far too close to the wolves’ fangs for her linking.

Her heart was no longer beating, rather, it was a constant tremble, quick, painful, pounding against the base of her tongue and trickling down to her toes. Every inch of her right leg hurt with wrath and fire. Even as Luka fought the pain in his shoulder to lift her up, it felt as though a phantom hand were pulling her down by the calf, while every one of his steps earned a tight grimace from his partner.

“Raise the anchor!” the Captain’s voice rung across the ship, and every man within earshot simultaneously hurried towards the thick braided cord to pull it up and send them floating. “Lift the sails, off we go! All of you!” As the order was called, Edrei was sat down on a makeshift bench, leaning back against the side wall. She watched the scene unfold, the woman hurrying about the deck in the hectic but organized gyration of the other smugglers.

It was difficult to keep her mind clear. The blue-haired stranger’s words were too quiet against the sound of her heartbeat. Her gaze followed her own hand as he lifted it to his lips, but she offered no greeting in return. Overran by fear, there was nothing else she could think of but their possible escape.

“I have something that resembles a room for the two of you,” Barbarella said as she approached the trio, hand on her buckle and chest heaving. “Sort of a larder room. It’s big enough for a mattress. I’ll see about some spare sheets and a bucket for you to get yourselves clean.” She lifted her chin towards Edrei, whose gaze seemed lost and glassy. “Who did you steal from, eh? Some noble?”

“We did not steal anything,” the girl gulped, but no longer stared her back in the eyes.

“Hm,” Barbarella frowned slightly, then took a step closer and lowered herself on one knee in front of Edrei. “I’m no guard or woman of law,” she said, “but if I’ll be hauling two felons on my ship, I want to know what I’m up against when faced with those who are the law.” There was something menacing in her quiet voice, resembling a panther’s hiss rather than a pirate’s threat. “You should rest. And have a proper answer for me in the morning.”

Eventually, Barbarella straightened herself back up and pointed her eyes towards Arlo. “Do your magical voodoo and take good care of that knee,” she ordered. “If fate calls it, she won’t be able to swim against the waves with a sprained joint.”

✦​

Trystane was thankful for the lack of resistance from his brother, which unfortunately did not occur too often given the nature of his proposals. Yet in that moment, their circumstances where wholly different, and frankly, he imagined Edwin would have even jumped head-first from the tallest tower in Viria if it meant he’d get to see his long-lost daughter on the way down.

It was not a strange sight for two knights to be knocking on a brothel door, but for one reason or another, Trystane still felt a sense of tension as the door cracked and an unfamiliar face popped from behind it. The girl was young, red-cheeked and of a pale blond hair, dressed in airy silk only tied at the collarbones and below her bosom. Her expression changed as she lay eyes upon them, a glow now appearing in her eyes, and she bowed her head slightly.

“We haven’t had knights in a while,” she smiled sweetly. “You are welcome to-“

“We’re looking for Dame Raella,” Trystane cut her short and she quickly swallowed her simper. “Don’t fret. We are only here to speak to her. Kindly.”

“Laudine? Won’t you open the door?”

An older woman’s voice echoed from across the anteroom. Laudine’s neck tensed and she nodded quickly, before stepping aside to allow the two men to enter. “Two knights, dame,” she called back to her. “They say they are looking for you.”

The main door opened into a large room packed with couches, armchairs and pillows thrown in a crescent around the fireplace. In the middle, Raella sat on a velour tabouret, leaning over a table crammed with tarot cards and half-burnt candles. She was pale, eyes glimmering and dour, and a deep hollow now took away from her once full cheekbone. As the green orbs fell on the two men, her fingers jerked and dropped the two cards she held, her attention now on the new faces in her anteroom.

“She is not here,” she spoke quietly. “You shouldn’t be, either.”

 

[elusivethought]

A sense of relief washed over Luka. The knowledge they were safe left him dumb, the lessened load on his shoulders giving him room to breathe deep and long. He felt dazed, dumbstruck. Little of what was said next registered in his mind, the worried, overanxious part of him exhausted. He didn't want to think.

"It's not voodoo," Arlo was muttering beside them, scowling at the captain's disappearing backside. He shot a commiserating look at Luka and Edrei. "Do you see what I deal with?"

But Luka only frowned, blinking rapidly as his focus returned. He turned to the priest, desperation leaking into his rush of words. "Can you help Edrei?"

Arlo rolled his eyes. "Of course I can. Well—probably can. Let's see then, shall we? With your permission, milady..." He slowly lifted her skirts to inspect her knee.

"I don't--" Luka began, his face bright red. He knew it was necessary, but he didn't like it. Not with all these men around. Luka crossed his arms and shifted, hoping to hide her with his body. They might not be gawking now, but if anyone made a comment...

The priest turned his focus to Luka, both of his eyebrows shooting up to his hairline. "I'll thank you to keep that scowl off your face, brother. You look constipated. No one will bother your sister." After a few clipped orders, Arlo had a selection of healing supplies lined out on the bench. Salves, bandages, potions, and amulets. Luka watched with anxious eyes as a few gentle pokes and maneuvers left the priest whistling in sympathy.

"Did you cave someone's skull in with this?" Arlo asked Edrei, rubbing some pleasant-scented oil between his hands before applying it to Edrei's knee with a featherlight touch. "I'm sorry, it won't heal overnight. However, this--" he held up his hands, palms out "--should help with the inflammation and pain along with the bandages. But, milady, as your healer, may I remind you to please refrain from activities such as racing barefoot across the deck, climbing the rigging to spy on the sailors, or creeping into priests' bedchambers at night." He paused, donning a dramatic frown. "No, I misspoke, the third would be fine."

Luka's frown hardened.

Arlo beamed, chuckling at his own joke. When he finished wrapping Edrei's leg, he smirked and rose, nodding grandly to Luka. "You may do the honors, Edric. I believe your room will be ready now. If you'll follow me." Whistling, he led them slowly to the sleeping quarters, guiding them through the aft of the boat and gesturing broadly at a tiny room near the end. "If you need someone to look at that shoulder of yours, Edric, let me know."

"No, thank you." Luka wanted nothing more to do with Arlo. Ever, if possible. Smothering the urge to throw some curse words at the priest, Luka carried Edrei over the threshold.

He paused. It was a closet-like space—small, intimate. The interior was faintly lit by glowing shells, each emitting a deeply colored luminescence just bright enough to see by. A mattress lay in a corner, piled with fresh sheets, blankets, and pillows. The prince frowned. It was far too romantic.

"Um," he said, turning to protest, but Arlo had already left, calling down sweet dreams and blessings down the corridor as he went. Luka sighed, shuffling his way to the mattress and settling Edrei upon it. He moved her slowly, hoping not to jostle her, wanting to be gentle. The silence was too heavy. The air crackled between them. Everything felt too warm. Something about Arlo's unabashed attentions towards Edrei had Luka's pulse pounding in his ears, his breath coming short, his collar hot.

"Well." Luka cleared his throat, lowering his voice so only Edrei could hear him. "You did it. We're here. Now we just have to decide what to tell the captain." He grabbed all the pillows, tucking them behind her back and under her knee. Luka swallowed, glancing at Edrei for a moment before reaching for her hand and folding it in his. "I'm glad you're with me," he whispered, almost guiltily. "I'm glad I'm not alone."

✦​

Everything in Edwin trembled at being here. There was no reason for Raella not to kick them out with fists and fury, no reason for her not to make a scene. Edwin might have once cared about his reputation, but now he fidgeted out of nerves, not shame. Raella had once been like a dream, a promising bud of a life he once might have cultivated if he hadn't been so careless, so cowardly. Edwin glared down the door and set his jaw. Today he would be brave. For his daughter, if for no one else.

After they entered, Trystane spoke with a girl, clarifying their business there. Edwin said nothing. He'd left his voice at the front door. His heart thudded wildly in his chest as they approached Raella's chambers. Somehow they entered.

Edwin's breath caught. Not at Raella's beauty, for although she had that in spades, she also looked unwell. Edwin's shoulders drooped. She'd shouldered these burdens alone for years, and now... this. Edwin had his troubles, but he hadn't shared these with her. Not until now.

The knight cleared his throat. "I know I haven't been..." Edwin sighed, his breaths shaky, "... haven't been the best sort of man. I know you don't owe me one scrap of information, my lady, but I want to help my—our daughter." He struggled to meet Raella's eyes. In his last words, however, he found his courage and lifted his head just enough to search her gaze.

He had so many things he wanted to say. I miss you. You're still so lovely. I'm sorry. But those words were unfair, almost weaponized things here in the dense air between them. She deserved more than words, more than the paltry leftovers of a life he'd promised her so long ago.

"You must help me find her," he said, voice hardening with his resolve. "I have little to bargain with, Raella, but I must help her." His fingers twitched at his side. A muscle in his jaw jumped. The only reason he wasn't putting spurs to his horse and galloping towards his daughter was because he didn't know which direction to run towards. If Raella could give him that, just that, then he wouldn't ask anything else of her.

 

[peritwinkle]

It was a harrowing effort for Edrei to hold on to her lucidity. Her limbs trembled, her fingers numb and her throat dry; she wished for nothing more than to feel the boat move beneath her and the sound of waves splashing against its sides as they distanced themselves from Ashdew’s hungry wolves. Luka’s tense figure stirred a whole new fear within her - the knowledge that she was his sole pillar, a pillar limping on one leg and trembling like hare in the bushes.

Perhaps, another time, she would have taken the blue-haired priest’s advances with a grain of salt, but in that moment, she could only focus on his gentle touch, praying that he would not press down hard enough to earn the wave of tears which only got harder for her to smother every moment. The oils reminded her of home, of the occasional baths Laudine prepared for her so enthusiastically with Raella’s calming concoctions; she smelled lavender and jasmine, herbs and musk, and perhaps even for a second, she forgot about the pain in her knee.

When Arlo was finished, Edrei shot Luka a helpless glance and prayed that he would understand. She wanted away from the sun, the salty air and the dampness, for as long as they were close enough to the shore for the guards to spot them. Albeit an irrational fear, even the thought of burying her eyes in his shoulders sounded better than enduring curious, scrutinizing glares thrown their way from the other sailors. She, perhaps, understood Luka’s defensiveness against those men best, yet right then, it was Barbarella she feared more than the pirates’ famine.

She fit in his arms like a limp blanket, only gripping him from around the back of his neck, where she could rest her head comfortably. The Prince walked with an exaggerated caution and even his touch seemed calculated, gentle, protective, as though if he dropped her she would shatter like porcelain. They paced down a short flight of stairs and through the narrow corridor, over a loudly creaking timber floor; the ship was old, Edrei could tell as much just from the scent of mold, but comfortably warm as opposed to the winter breeze outside.

The ‘room’ Arlo lead the pair of them to could hardly be called as much; it resembled a tight pantry, only lit by a string of glowing seashells messily attached to holes in the wall. At the very least, Edrei was surprised by the clean sheets spread out on a mattress for them, slightly too narrow for her liking, but which would fit their bodies from head to toe. As Luka lowered her down, Edrei struggled to smother her grunts, knowing it would only twist his heart more than her condition already did. She closed her eyes as she leaned back on the pillows, feathers and hay poking her scalp, and let out a sigh of relief, which trembled painfully in her chest. In the silence, she felt her eyes dampen and her throat close, and eventually, a pair of tears rolled down her cheeks.

She should have been strong for him. She should have been the one to thank him for not abandoning her in Cladach and saving himself first. Instead, she lay before him so frivolously that she could not help but feel cornered and mortified at her own state. While her physical pain was gone, her heart still ached, for only then did she truly understand the gravity of their situation. Of her situation and choice to leave her mother and help him.

The Prince’s hand was warm and rough. She held it back, fingers wrapping around his as she brought down and pressed it to her jaw. “I want this to end,” she whispered to him. “I want it to end, and I want us safe and as far away from here as possible.” Nobody knew her face, nor her name. In the eyes of the people of Viria, she was a phantom, a rumour, while the Prince’s identity was likely plastered on every wall and column in the Kingdom. “They can’t know who we are,” she continued through a sniffle. “They might as well sell us to the guards once we reach land... They cannot know...”

✦​

“Your daughter?” Raella’s voice thundered, albeit quiet and calm as it had always been. Her cheeks had lost their plumpness, now paler either with age or concern for her daughter, but her beauty had frozen with time. She lifted her long, slender fingers and raised her eyebrows at the man, voice lowering even below her initial greeting. “Edrei is the one treasure that your beloved royalty could never grant you. And yet you only came to claim it once your own was snatched from beneath your nose.”

Although objectively a stranger to their relationship, Trystane could feel Edwin’s shame from a distance, and for a moment, even he regretted his brother’s voice to leave Raella and their bastard child. The man pursed his lips and lowered his head calmly, aware that talking back would not earn the two of them any more respect. Through his lashes, he watched Raella turn back to her table, as if unfazed by Edwin’s presence, and she leaned over it with a pained breath.

“You dare to come here thinking you’re the only one who wants her back,” she continued faintly, but shook the anger out of her head before proceeding. “She is gifted. Like myself. She saw the Prince’s fall, and I knew she would follow the will of the Gods if they tipped the scales in his favour... But if your guards track her down, they will send her head in a lace-tied box to my front door.”

In the back, Laudine had leaned against a pillar and crossed her arms uncomfortably. Her impish smile was gone, now replaced by a pained grimace as her veil of seduction dropped. “Raella had a vision of her on a ship,” the girl muttered, but quickly closed her mouth shut. Raella lifted her head and straightened her back, turning towards the two men again.

“I saw her in cold waters, surrounded by a rocky shore. For all I know that could be as far as across Viria. If they made it out of the South... If my vision was not mere symbolism, I can only hope that she is at the very least safe and still breathing... But for the former I cannot say. She is with the orphaned Prince of Viria, after all. The Prince you,” she pointed her finger towards Edwin, “have sold your life - our life - to serve.”

 

[elusivethought]

At first, Luka feared he had hurt her. When Edrei whimpered, he sucked in a breath, lifting from the bed and releasing his firm grip on her fingers. Then, when he confirmed she hadn’t moved, he frowned, scrutinizing her.

A faint glint of light cascaded down her cheeks, barely illuminated by the seashells. Her eyes glistened with tears, pain shimmering in their depths. Luka paused. His heart stuttered. Crying. Edrei was crying.

It shouldn’t have surprised him. The sheer bullheadedness she’d shown during their dangerous adventures couldn’t last forever. She’d abandoned her safety and home to help him, relying on some distant power that confused things as often as it confirmed them. She had held him together when he felt like falling apart, when he believed he was dying. Too much of that would leave anyone brittle.

Still. Edrei’s vulnerability cut through him like a knife. Her first sniffle twisted something deep in his chest, and when Edrei brought his hand to her face, he leaned closer, hanging on her every word.

“Oh, Edrei,” Luka whispered back, heart clenching at her tears. “Of course.” He cleared his throat. “Of course we won’t tell them. I swear it. We’ll... invent a story. Something.”

He moved closer, slowly, careful not to jostle her knee. His thumb traced a feather-light path along her cheekbone, coming away wet with her tears. “It will end,” he promised. “This won’t be forever.” His other hand smoothed at the other side of her face, wiping away the tears there. Instinct left him stroking her hair, easing it away from her tear-streaked face.

Her eyes captivated him, reeling him in. Luka sighed and closed his eyes, giving himself permission to indulge a little. Then, he stared at her for a heartbeat longer before leaning forward and pressing a soft kiss to her forehead.

“I suppose… It would be unwise to tell you you’re not obligated to stay, wouldn’t it?” he asked, giving her a faint smile as he retreated, settling back near her knees.

✦​

Edwin stammered to protest. He hadn’t come to claim Edrei, only to help her. It hurt to see how he’d transformed in Raella’s eyes after so many years. His motivations had been cowardly, and his actions toward her had been cold if not cruel, but he shuddered when he saw his dark, distorted reflection in her tired eyes. His feelings, though suppressed, had not changed towards her.

Hers apparently had.

“I know you want her back, too—more, I am certain,” he growled between clenched teeth. Propriety sailed out the window as his fingers formed fists at his side. “Dammit, Raella, you were always the better of us, I know that.” His blood was up now, his face flushed. “I—I only came here to help. If that means grovelling, I’ll do it, I—”

But at her next revelation, his anger faded, replaced by slack-jawed stuttering. “She—she has your gift?” he asked softly, his voice hushed in awe. Edwin had distanced himself from Raella’s gift, her touch and smell and warmth so much more real. A part of him, even then, had worried about their future, so he had angled their conversations towards the present.

How selfish he’d been.

Yet even in the face of those well-deserved words, Edwin rallied. He took a deep breath, arguments and promises thick on his tongue. He prepared to prostate himself before her, to scatter his sins like flower petals at her feet.

He didn't have a chance. Raella told him what she saw without his asking: icy waters, rocky shores. Edwin nodded, blowing out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. Then he gestured to Trystane, his insides burning with a fire he hadn’t felt in a long, long time.

Before he left, he turned back to Raella. “My choice has haunted me since I left you, Raella. I will regret it till my dying day. But I am proud to serve our prince. Nothing will change that. I hope I can be of service to our daughter as well.” He paused at the doorway, sighing as he stared at her, unspoken apologies hovering at the edges of his lips. But her familiar perfume left the air too heavy, left his head and heart aching.

With one final bow, he left.

 

[peritwinkle]

Edrei was no longer a stranger to Luka’s touches, but as he pressed his lips to her forehead, she could not help her heart from fluttering for a brief moment. She closed her eyes, taking in his scent and the warmth of his body, before he crudely separated himself from her and sat back on the mattress by her knees. Her hand remained in his and she squeezed it lightly, pursing her lips as she watched him.

He had grown weak. She had made him weak. Now, when he counted on her the most, she felt like she, herself, needed his shoulder to lean on. It was a common dependency which rendered both of them incapable of withstanding solitude, if fate ever broke them apart in the near future. It was a thought she refused to concieve, but likely unavoidable once he found safety. She was not indispensable, even more a burden now that she could not walk. With a bit of luck, the priest knew how to treat her knee before they set foot on shore again.

Edrei let a sharp breath out her nose at his rethorical question. A smile flickered at the corner of her lips before dying out and she settled herself deeper into her pillow. “I came all this way for a reason,” she explained softly. “I would not have been given visions of this, had it not been a choice I should follow.” Her gaze wandered around the dimly lit room, absentmindedly, before falling back on him. “And despite appearences, my heart is not made of steel, either. I have... grown quite fond of you, Prince.”

For a split second, she realized he no longer was a Prince, for his father’s death would have made him King, crowned yet or not. As sudden as it had come, the right moment had never arrived in return. She considered that correcting herself out loud would remind him of his loss, so for then, she remained silent, and only watched him with a softened expression, lashes fluttering over her eyes.

“Is it too early to think what we will do when we arrive?” she asked quietly. “Whether we would place our trust in that knight who came up to me...“ She settled herself back and pulled the paper thin sheet over her legs, with one hand inviting him to lie by her side. “That, if we make it out of here in one piece.”

✦ ​

Raella was not a daft woman. She could read Edwin better than anyone, knew how he still pined for her and dreamt of her at night. Her tarot cards rarely lied, and of his love for her, she was certain. But Edrei... As a mother, she would never place her fate and soul in the hands of a man who had lacked the steel to put his foot down before his wife. It was something she could never forgive, not as long as he only presented himself before her with empty words. All those years, Edrei had grown up without a father, because of him.

She sketched no emotion at his surprise following her reveal of Edrei’s talents. He should have known, and perhaps that would have kept him grounded, held him back from turning away from them. Raella pressed her lips together and clenched her fists. “She is a special girl,” she quietly spoke. “Always has been. Brave, kind and selfless. She was always the better version of both of us...” She stopped herself briefly, realizing there was no good in speaking of her past tense. “Find her, Edwin, and protect her no matter what the Gods whisper for her to do. That is the only way you will ever be able to redeem yourself - not before me, but before your daughter.”

 

[elusivethought]

Dark though the room was, Luka caught Edrei’s smile. A small shadow of a thing, perhaps, but something that left him with a smug smile of his own. He had anticipated her reasoning, knew she’d mention her vision, maybe something about the gods. But he disagreed. She’d had a choice, and—even if she didn’t—her actions were still courageous. Nothing diminished that.

He stared at their joined hands as she spoke, sleepily admiring her fingers. Edrei had such soft skin, unmarred by years of sword fighting. Her complexion seemed paler in this light too. Idly, his free hand traced her knuckles. How had he not noticed this minute beauty in her?

Then Edrei interrupted his distracted musings by admitting she was fond of him. Luka glanced up quickly, frowning at her. Had he heard her right? His brow furrowed as he turned to her, confusion plain across his face.

“I…” The room was too hot. He couldn’t find his voice. What did one say? Had she meant it as a romantic confession or a jest? What sort of ‘fondness’ did she mean? Luka stared at her, meeting her gaze, letting his eyes linger on her lips. His heart raced, but he grit his teeth. No. Too many assumptions would lead down a dangerous path.

He glanced away.

Fortunately Edrei went on, politely changing the subject. He’d never been more thankful for the low light. His face burning, Luka shucked off his boots and climbed into the bed beside her, too moved by her tears to insist on his proper place on the floor.

“I’ve no idea,” Luka answered, remembering the knight with uncertainty. “But if I’m going to return home, I can’t mistrust everyone.” He swallowed hard. The taste of bitter poison still lingered on his tongue, but he couldn’t move forward without allies. That was impossible.

He sighed, staring at the ceiling. He wished he knew where to put his hands. They were very close. “I am not sure we should trust him,” Luka finally decided, “but I don’t think we can afford to reject aid.” He turned his head to look at Edrei. “Would you agree?”

 

[peritwinkle]

The room was only growing warmer in Luka’s presence, but Edrei knew better than to let herself get carried away. He was weakened, caught like a bug under a man’s shoe, but he was far from stupid. One impulsive movement, one longing glance and he might be reminded of what she really was. Edrei gulped, pressing her head more comfortably against the pillow behind her. She had let her guard down, and so had he, a thought that made her blood boil with fear. If they both fell asleep, if they failed to listen out for whispers and steps…

But Luka was right. They could not live the remainder of their lives mistrusting everyone. They needed help, now more than ever, and for one reason or another, she was blindly willing to risk everything to ensure their goal. His goal, that he had passed onto her.

Her lids were growing heavier by the minute. As the Prince came to rest by her side, she let out a sigh of relief and curled closer to him, albeit keeping a small distance. Did he need privacy? Was her worry suffocating him?

“Mistrusting your friends means doubting you as a person,” she shrugged gently. “I still have my way out, and I do intend to use it if it is necessary. My mother needs me, she has nobody but me. Though I still would like to avoid such a circumstance as much as possible. That means…” she sighed and looked up at him, “you will have to choose your shelter wisely. Our shelter. After we touch land again, we cannot be on the run until Ashdew gets bored of looking for you and moves on to another enemy. Until then… you can use this time to think. Who has really been your friend?”


Sleep came over her like a black, stormy cloud, so suddenly that, when she opened her eyes, it took her a few seconds to realize she had not merely blinked. Through the cracks in the wood, Edrei could feel the cold air of the night, and knew they had slept well into the evening. Or she had. The mass by her side, still, in the dim light of the glowing seashells, looked far too peaceful to have merely grazed over the blankets watching her. She could not see well, so she shot up and stretched her knee with a muffled yawn.

“Stew! Fucking stew, aye, you’d think Cap’n Barb would only give us the meat scraps,” a voice chuckled from below the deck.

“Yell any louder than that and she might,” a fine, Southern accent replied. “You think she’ll… Share?”

The other puffed with discontent. “She’s her father’s daughter, Myelo, do you expect her to give guests what she gives us on the daily? Eh… Guests. They look like nothing but beggars to me, but I’m tellin’ ye’, she’s unto something.”