Port Ice

Bennett watched the docks—watched until Cat, hood pulled low over her head, disappeared into the crowd milling about. Most were Dwargs, but there were enough humans that once she blended into the bunch, he lost sight of her. He exhaled, the heavy sound lost to the icy breeze. It was done, she was gone. So why did he feel...uneasy?

They'd reached Port Ice early that morning. Cat hadn't brought much for traveling, but she'd quickly packed up what she carried, paid him the other half of what she owed, and disembarked. Still staring at the place she'd disappeared, he hefted the bag of coins in his hand, tossing it up, letting it clink back into his palm. The repetitive sound of it couldn't much be heard over the den of noise coming from the harbor and dockyard. She'd refused every bit of advice he'd given, refused to admit that whatever she was up to wouldn't bode well.

It irked him; it shouldn't have.

"Shall I ready the crew to depart, Captain?" Jonah asked, coming up beside him. They both wore heavy parkas lined in fur to fight the cold.

"What? Oh. No, not yet. Let's wait a bit. Perhaps we might set foot on dry land for a day or two."

Perhaps Cat might change her mind, was what he didn't bother voicing.

"What happened to dumping her on the nearest iceberg and sailing away?" Jonah asked, a sardonic smile playing across his lips.

Bennett snorted. "You know the crew wouldn't allow it, even if I tried."

"Aye." Jonah hesitated. "They aren't happy to see her go. Hard to believe she's grown on them."

"And on you," Bennett pointed out, lifting an eyebrow. But Jonah merely lifted an eyebrow in return, daring his captain to admit the same. Her ability to heal the crew, trade banter with lethal precision, and throw a punch—thanks to training from Emmon—had become useful indeed.

"Anyway," Bennett continued, "I'm tempted to see what she's up to. Get Tris. Have him tail her. But he's to keep out of sight."

"As you say," Jonah bobbed his head before moving off to give orders.

He gave the docks a final glance before slipping below deck to count coins and divvy up his crew's pay. They'd all spend it in one place, likely. But it was theirs to spend as they wished.

"Jonah!" he called an hour later, summoning his first mate. Jonah's head popped in. "Tell the crew they can come collect their pay. Draw straws. They're permitted land side once the remainder of duties are seen to."

"Aye. Very good, Captain. They will be pleased."

"Did you already send Tris away?"

"Aye? Shouldn't I have?"

"That's fine. I'll find him later. Very good." He flicked his hand, dismissing Jonah.

A sigh deflated his chest. He rubbed his beard, thinking. What was she up to, that she-cat? Why would she come to a port mostly run by Dwargs? Especially in light of darker rumors? What business could she possibly have here? With who?

So many questions. No answers to any of them. Despite his attempts, both subtle and not so much, she'd refused to appease his curiosity. It ate at him; he wanted to know, needed to know. That damned woman was going to get herself killed, sooner rather than later. Even with magical abilities, even with a strong fist, he didn't trust her to steer clear of trouble.

Perhaps he wouldn't rely entirely on Tris. He was perfectly capable of tailing her. Perfectly capable of getting answers through other means.

One by one, his crew trickled in to sit in his cabin office, to collect their pay. A few asked if Cat would return. They were more pleased than ever by the increase in coin. When the matter was sorted, Jonah gave him the straw he'd pulled in his stead. Short. "The others have already scampered off," Jonah added, sounding apologetic. "If you'd rather, I can trade—"

"No matter, I can stay here tonight. Keep an eye on the rest of them for me. Especially with the rumors we've heard about that sorcerer creature. Keep them away from the Osheans, should you see any. I don't want any serious injuries, either. Without Cat to heal them..."

"I understand, Captain."

Bennett nodded, watching Jonah shut the door, before he returned to the paperwork on his desk. Docking business, mostly. But there were also several requests for his services, voyages that would take him south, even one that would take him across the Dragonfire Sea.

***

He wasn't on dry land until the following afternoon. Tris had reported little of note, that Cat had stayed up all night, gone from one inn to another buying a drink here and there, but mostly frugal with her coin. "It seems she's searching for information," Tris added. "Rumors, more specifically. Either way, it didn't sit well with me," Tris had said. "She was asking about the Oshean ships."

"Did she see you?"

"Don't think so," Tris had answered, proud.

Pleased with his efforts, Bennett paid him a steely and sent him off. That's how he found himself following Cat from one inn to another, halfway across the city. Just as Tris had said, she appeared to seek information, never staying very long at any of them. He often kept to the shadows, far enough out of sight to go unseen, but that also meant he couldn't hear what was said. For this reason, when she left The Icicle, he let her go, slipping over to the bar to have a seat next to the fellow she'd spoken with. A human, perhaps a decade older than himself, with a beard grown thick. The stranger bobbed his head in greeting, turning back to his drink, back to the young man beside him. And was that—

"I don't think I've seen a Gobelin in years," Bennett couldn't help himself. The stranger's head whipped around, a warning dancing in his eyes. "Meant no offense," he added, holding up his hands.

The barmaid slipped over and deposited a tankard in front of him. "Captain," she said. "Been a while. Figured you'd want your usual."

His eyes darted between the stranger and the maid before him. He flashed her a grin and slipped a coin into her hand. "You know me well, Kiki." He was almost surprised that he remembered her name, but then he recalled why that was, especially when her face blushed a deep red and she scampered away.

"You're a ship captain," the stranger said. "What sort of ship?"

"Who's asking?" he challenged, taking a sip from his tankard.

"Name's Mikkin," the stranger said, holding out a hand.

He hesitated, taking it. "Call me Bennett—" A screech cut him off, followed by a string of loud curses. "Right on cue," he added, grinning wide. "She's never one to miss introductions." Mikkin's eyes widened at the sight of the bird that landed on his shoulder. "This here's Beaky. Beaky, this's Mikkin. And..."

"And Jamie," piped the young man beside them, eyes wide, intent on the bird. "And Unka," Jamie added, introducing the Gobelin, whose eyes were also pinned on Beaky.

He barked a laugh. "Well met."

"—Well met. Well met," chorused Beaky.

"Off with you, you damned bird," he said, trying to shoo her. But she pecked at him instead. So he grabbed a handful of nuts from the bowl on the bar, shelled them for her, and held open his palm. She ruffled her feathers proudly, then settled into accepting the offer.

"Smart bird," Mikkin mused.

"Oh aye. Smart pain in my arse," he said, finally shooing Beaky to the rafters. "Now, tell me 'bout that lass you were taking with shortly ago."

Mikkin's face darkened. "You know her?"

"Oh aye. Another pain in my arse. Far worse than that one," he pointed a thumb at Beaky.

"—Pain in my arse. Pain in my arse."

"Shut up, you damned bird!" he called up, but couldn't help the smile that pulled at his lips. "But to better answer your question, yes. I brought her here, 'ginst my better judgement. She wouldn't tell me why, and I'm fixing to find out."

"Well, you better find out soon. The questions she's asking..."

"And what would those be?"

Mikkin sighed, hesitated. "I get the impression she's looking for..." He shook his head. "There's people around these parts you've got to worry about. Dangers, too. Few can be trusted these days. How much do you know about the rising conflict here in Dragonwall? Politically speaking, I mean?"

"Enough. Though I wish I were ignorant of it."

"Then you've heard tell of a sorcerer? One responsible for the wild dragons taken up at Squall's End?"

"Aye..."

Mikkin nodded. Something flashed across his face—a deep-seated fury. "I fear to to know why she is asking after him, that lass of yours, why she's searching for him. Doesn't bode well with me. Said she heard rumors that he was here, wondered if we'd seen him, where he might be holed up." Mikkin's fist clenched. "If I come to find that she's in league with him, a supporter...I've half a mind to go report her to the rest of my companions. She's going to get herself killed."

Benett's stomach flopped. "You're certain? Certain she's asking about Kane? Is he here? I heard rumors that he'd chartered Oshean ships to transport his beasts. I can't tell what is and isn't true anymore."

"Giant bats," Mikkin clarified. "Trust me, the less you know about them the better. You don't want to get wrapped up in anything that sorcerer has a hand in."

Bennett swore under his breath—it was worse than he'd expected. "I'm going to wring that girl's neck. Nothing good can come of this."

"Then you'd better go stop her before her questions stir up the wrong folk." Mikkin nodded towards the door. "But before you do that, you didn't answer my question. You are a ship captain, no?"

"I am. What's it to you?"

"I might have need of your services, if you're up for hire?"

Bennett hesitated. The last services he'd granted in a tavern were to Cat, and look where that had landed him. Mikkin must have sensed his hesitation. "I'll be staying here a while. Something tells me I can trust you. And what I have to say will get your attention. At the least, agree to hear me out?" He waited for Bennet to nod. "Good. Then when you're done with your errand, come and find me."

Bennett sighed. "Beaky, we've got matters that require tending. Come." He stood. So did Mikkin. They shook hands. "I'll be back once this is sorted. Maybe not today, perhaps tomorrow. I'll inquire after you, Mikkin. Until then, fair seas." He dipped his head and went out into the daylight to track Cat.

***

Cat hissed like a ferrel thing when he cornered her in an alley, grabbing her arm and pulling her through the snow that had accumulated between two tall buildings. "What in the name of all gods do you think you're doing, girl?!" His voice was a low hiss. "Asking about Kane? Stirring folk up? Trying to get yourself killed?"

She wrenched her arm free of his grip, squaring her shoulders. "What I do is none of your concern, Captain. Your services are no longer needed—I thought I made that clear. You can"—she made a motion with her fingers—"scamper off to whatever brothel you wish to spend your time in, and return to your life as it was before I ever knew you."

He snorted. "I don't think so. Against my better judgement, I'll drag you kicking and screaming back to my ship if I find you are trying to track down the infamous sorcerer that Dragonwall just so happens to be at war with." His voice died to a whisper, as if speaking of Kane would summon bad luck upon them. He clenched his jaw. Why did it matter?! What was it to him if this woman got herself killed? He took a deep drag of icy air, hoping it would bring him to his senses. He ought to walk away—ought to forget she existed. And yet...

Cat pressed her lips together in a thin line—they were turning blue. It was freezing in the snow, even in his parka. She had to be cold wearing nothing more than a gown and a cloak, neither of which were ideal for northern climbs. "Come on, Cat. Put your claws away. Come with me out of the snow and let's talk somewhere warmer."

"I'm not going anywhere with you. Move out of my way." Arms crossed tightly to her body, expression hard, she made to step around him.

He sighed. "I'm not going to make this easy for you. I'll follow you place to place, if I must."

"Then I'll report you for harassing me."

"To who?" He barked a laugh. "No one is going to trust a word you say against mine. I doubt you're known by many here, but I am. It'll be my word over yours." One of the merits of being a known and respected ship's captain was carrying a reputation. His spanned Dragonwall's coast and beyond. "Now...come along. I've letted a room not far from here. I'll buy you some food and we can talk by the fire. Just talk. Think of all the ways you can use your words to insult me. If that doesn't please you, I don't know what will." He flashed her a taunting smile, daring her.

"You think I don't know what you're up to? No. Let—"

"Problems here?"

Cat's words were silenced by the group of armored Dwargs that filed into the opening of the narrow space. City guards. They spoke with a heavily accented common tongue.

"Master Dwargs." He turned to them, bowing. "None at all. My crew member here is being difficult. But we were just on our way back to our inn." By law in any port, crew members were the responsibility of their ship's captain. It was a blessing and a curse.

He took Cat's hand without thinking, noticed her fingers were ice, cold as her frozen heart, and pulled her back out into the street. The Dwargs stepped aside, eying them; they held their spears upright and offered nods as he led her away.

"I am not—"

"You are," he hissed before she could get a full sentence in. "As far as anyone here needs to know, you are part of my crew, you work for me. We're going. Otherwise I'll reject you as my crew, tell them why you're really here, who you're asking after, and let them decide what they want to do with you." He hesitated, turning to look her square in the face. His voice took on a threatening edge. "If I find out you're in league with him, that you're trying to find him to...to..." He shook his head. To what? To help him? Because why else would she be looking for someone like Kane? Certainly not to kill him. Not when Dragonwall's king hadn't managed that. "I'll kill you myself. A captain has that authority over his own."

"Think whatever you want, Captain. I'm not part of your crew. My buisness is my own."

"Yes, you've made that clear. Much as I hate to admit it, I've decided you might not be in your right mind. So here I am, refusing to let you die doing something stupid." He laughed then, in disbelief, mostly at himself. She blinked at him.

He used her surprise, dragging her to the inn he'd purchased lodgings at.

She didn't fight him. Perhaps her shivering outweighed her desire to defy him. The blast of warmth swept around them the moment they were indoors. But instead of stopping in the common room, he dragged her all the way up the stairs to his own spacious accommodation, calling out for food to the barmaid on the way. His wasn't just a bedroom. There were sitting and dining areas, and a roaring fire that greeted them. He flung her around, sent her sailing, watched as she tumbled onto the sofa. The set of her jaw was the only sign of suppressed rage she displayed.

"If you act like a child, I'll treat you like one." He towered over her, breathing heavily, trying not to let his anger muddle his thoughts. "Now, you're going to tell me exactly what this is about. And if I decide it's harmless stupidity, I might let you go on your way. If I decide otherwise, I'll tie you up—gag you if I have to—and carry you back to Lady Faith. Maybe even throw you overboard if I find out you're a traitor."

She crossed her arms, shivered where she sat, but said nothing, turning instead to watch the fire. He stood there waiting. Still, she did not speak, only sat shivering, body clenched tight to disguise the cold that plagued her.

"I can play the silence game as long as you like, girl."

That she hadn't used used magic was a good sign. She could have, though he wasn't sure what, exactly, her abilities entailed. Healing, obviously. But how much more could she do beyond that?

He wasn't truly her captain anymore. His threat to throw her into the sea wasn't much here on land. That she'd allowed him to drag her here was a miracle and quite unlike the woman he was used to. Sighing, he pulled off his parka and threw it over her shaking body. She ignored him—said nothing. But she didn't push the offering away, either.

"The food will be here soon. Shall I have a bath ordered as well?"

"No," she croaked, glancing in his direction, throwing daggers with her gaze. The look was brief. He stared down at the back of her head as she watched the flames.

Tap. Tap. Tap. The sound of Beaky's appearance broke the tense moment of silence. He strode to the window and let the bird in, watched Cat's minute jerk of surprise before she settled for indifference. Beaky landed on his shoulder, nuzzled his cheek, calming some of his ire, then took off to perch on the wardrobe across the room. He settled on the sofa across from Cat, leaning back, stretching his arms out to either side of him. His tall frame was oversized for most of the furniture here.

Silence dragged on. Patience wasn't something easily summoned around her, but he refused to back down. A knock sounded. "Enter," he barked. A serving maid scuttled into the room. "You can put it on the table," he told her, trying to offer a kind smile when his irritation threatened to get the better of him. She was gone a moment later. The smell of roast meat, potatoes, carrots, and bread filled the air. He almost, almost got up to eat. Then his eyes fell on Cat, still watching the fire, and he forced himself to stillness. Damn her if she made him eat cold food. But something was going on, and his instincts told him to wait it out, to hear her story.

She'd always struck him as a woman with a story to tell.

He wasn't sure how long they sat there. Five minutes? Ten? When her words came at last, he listened. "He used me," she finally said. "I thought...my magic...it was just...it's all a joke. I've had to fight for everything. It's not even mine. The magic. It's his. Payment in exchange for...for...It's not even mine."

"His, who?"

"Kane's," she hissed. "His magic. Not mine."

He bristled. "So you are working with him? That's why you want to find him." He should have known, should have thrown her overboard the moment they set out, when he knew something wasn't right. Why else was she fleeing Kastali Dun?

"I'm not working with him," she said, sitting up straighter. "I'm no traitor."

"No? And yet, you have his magic. You're trying to find him."

"I..." Her throat bobbed. "I killed someone for him...for..." She shook her head. "Someone who...I didn't put it all together. Even though part of me knew when I used the poison..."

Gods above! A killer. Great. Even better. His breathing came heavier. It wasn't as if he hadn't killed plenty. But...he was a ship's captain, and his kills were at sword point in battle. Or as punishment for greater crimes. Never...poison.

He tried piecing together her sparse, disjointed rambling. Tried to paint a picture of who she was. Of what she was trying to say. "Let me get this straight. You killed someone and in exchange, you were rewarded with magic. And now—I'm just guessing here—your treachery was discovered, which is why you're on the run. What I don't understand is, why are you looking for Kane? If you're not working for him, then why?"

"He did this! He created this. All of this is his fault. I wouldn't be here if he hadn't—" She huffed, cutting off her triade. "My father. He...they..."

"I hope you understand you're making no sense whatsoever."

Her head whipped around, eyes piercing, smooth skin flushed with irritation. She glared at him. The muscles in her delicate jaw flexed as her nose flared. Even despite the cruel expression, she was beautiful, the gold streaks in her hair glowing in the firelight. "When I was younger," she said, "a child, my father married a noble woman. We had nothing, came from nothing, a house in the Pauper District. He wooed her. Where he got the fine clothes to attend those parties? Who can say. But it was all an act. Everyone thought he was some well off merchant from another city. They bought it. I wasn't sure where he got the finery, the jewels...well, I can put more of that together now. I've had plenty of time to think on it." Her expression tightened. "He did what he needed to, to make our lives better."

"How..." Bennett cleared his throat. "How old were you?"

"Not quite into my teens." She wrapped his parka tightly around her shoulders, nestling into it. "He told me he loved her—this woman, this Lady Kendall. I believed it of course, and hated him for it. We were going to become a family, have titles, a home far better than the shambles I'd grown up in. He told me I would have a sister—and wasn't that something to be excited about?!" Sarcasm rang in her voice. Bennett opened his mouth but she didn't let him get a word in. "I didn't want a sister. I didn't want a new mother. I wanted my mother. How could he so easily find someone new to love when my own mother had only just died—"

"How did she die?"

She huffed. "I don't know. How should I have known?" Frustration riddled her voice. "She was weak, coughing up blood for months. Then she just—" Her face turned hard, voice flat. "—just died."

Consumption, possibly. "I'm sorry," he said, thinking of nothing better.

"Save your words, Captain. I don't need the sentiment."

"Fine. What happened after that?" As much as he hated to admit it, he was rather invested in knowing.

"My father married Lady Kendall." She shrugged. "It was exactly as he said it would be. I had a spoiled brat for a little sister. A girl who'd never gone without, never felt what it was like to be hungry, never wanted for anything, who wore frilly dresses, had all the doll houses in the world, had everything. Suddenly here I was, living in nice home with glass windows." She barked a laugh. "Glass. Can you believe it? Not dried animal hide. I had beautiful gowns, too. Servants—until my father dismissed them when they got too nosy."

"Sounds like you made out rather well."

She snorted, turning her glittering eyes on him. "Is that what you think?"

"Well?" He eyed her up and down. "I suppose you're going to tell me otherwise, so...keep talking." His food was getting cold, after all.

"It was Kane's doing. All of it. And my father's. But...I don't know if my father really knew what he was doing. They said..." She shook her head. "A Nask. That's what they said he was, the whole time. One of Kane's little puppet spies." Bennett's brows pulled together but he didn't dare stop her. "What does it matter anyway? I killed her—Lady Kendall." She turned to stare into the fire.

"Because you hated her? Because she wasn't your mother?"

"No, moron." She exhaled, as if searching for some form of calm. "It was made clear that Lady Kendall could rid herself of us any moment. She was the bearer of the titles, the wealth. Without her, we were still nothing. My father sent me to a man in the city, a poisoner. I was given a bottle of...something—I knew it was bad, knew it would likely kill her. He didn't have to tell me what it was—and he didn't. I knew, and yet, in my head, I denied what I was doing. I put it in her tea, you see, just as instructed. One day she was fine, the next, a burning fever, and the next, dead."

Her sigh was deep and long. "After that, my father inherited the title, and no one could take it from him. He secured a prestigious position at court. A few years afterward, he secured an even more prestigious position when he became one of the king's trusted council. And surprise! While everything was going so well for him—all because of me, mind you, because I had killed a woman to catapult his career—I discovered my magic. What a splendid notion indeed, that I might have a way of separating myself from him. Moving into the keep to train with the Magoi. I loved him, certainly. He was my father. But..." She shook her head. "It...that was the happiest day of my life, discovering that I had something, just one thing that was mine. Something I didn't have to fight to earn. Something that just...came to me. The implications, what I might do, who I might become."

A long silence fell.

"Well?" she demanded.

"Well, what?"

"This is the part where you chastise me for my actions." She looked at him, waiting. Her face was hollow. All the hate usually present in her features was replaced with...nothing. His eyes swept over her, hunched in his parka, curled in on herself.

He sighed. "Come. Let's get some food. We both need to eat."

Sure, he had plenty more questions, but he was also starving. She didn't respond to his offer, merely stood and walked over to the table, her movements empty. He took a seat across from her and shoved a plate in her direction. She eyed it before lifting her utensils, taking each bite slowly, with little enthusiasm. He tucked into his own food.

"You were only a child when you did what you did," he said after a few mouthfuls.

She tutted. "Don't make excuses for me, Captain. I knew what I was doing."

"I'm not. You're an awful person with an unattractive attitude. A mere hour on my ship and I already wanted to toss you over the side. I would never make excuses for you. There. Is that what you wanted to hear?" She just blinked at him, not bothering to contradict a word. He shrugged. At least she wasn't denying it. "So...your magic. It wasn't of your own abilities, but something that came to you in exchange for poisoning your stepmother?"

"Yes. I...It..." She shook her head. "I don't want it anymore. It's not mine."

"Neither was the title your father stole, but you took it all the same." She flinched. It was such a small movement, he almost didn't see it. An expression flashed across her face, like she wanted to say something, but instead, she shoved another bite into her mouth. "Right. So, why Ice Port? You're here to confront Kane? To ask him why he was so mean to you and your father? Why he brought such misfortunes upon you? Why he manipulated you? And then what? You're going to ask him to take it all back?"

"My magic is his," she hissed. "I don't want it."

"You do realize that Kane could easily kill you, or worse, manipulate you like he did your father."

"Who cares? The king was going to sentence me to death just like my father, or worse, lock me in the dungeon for the rest of my life."

"And you don't believe you deserve the punishment?"

There was a long pause and then—"I deserve it." She shrugged. "But that doesn't mean I have to accept it."

"No, no of course not. It's much better to live with guilt, that is, if you're even capable of remorse," he said before holding his tongue in the bloated silence that followed. She didn't give him an answer, moving the food around on her plate. "Well," he said at last, "I suppose it's good to know you've got a thimble of goodness in you." She shot him a challenging glare. "You claim you aren't a traitor. There's that. But if you walk right up to Kane and he decides to turn you into one of his spies, that will make you just like your father, no?"

"I am nothing like my father," she snarled, the rage coming back into her face. "He did this. With Kane's help, they both did this."

"Right. If they hadn't? You'd still be living in a shit hole, maybe working a brothel, selling your body. Instead, you've got magic, probably not much wealth left to your name, considering you used most of what you had to broker a voyage here, but you're not bereft of everything. You're farther in life than you would've been, so why waste it? Way I see it, you don't have many options left anyway."

"Your point?" She glared at him.

"My point is, girl, I've a proposition for you." Gods, she drove him up the wall. "Had you just answered my questions days ago, we could've saved ourselves this entire journey. As it stands, it's never too late for redemption. So, instead of throwing the opportunity away on Kane—because let's face it, no good will come of that—I propose something else. Join my crew, permanently. Use this magic you hate, for something good. The crew will have you—I've no doubt of that. You've grown on them. You've learned to handle yourself well enough. It'll be good for them to have a female aboard, balance things out and all. I've need of a healer, a need I didn't realize until you came along—which is the only reason I'm willing to put up with your claws. And...against my better judgement, I'd rather not see you throw your life away."

"You cannot be serious." She had a way of looking down her nose at him.

He shifted in his seat. "I'm entirely serious," he said. "Or is the work too far above your ladyship's abilities?" She tutted. "Didn't think so. But...don't think you'll just be lounging around. Sailing's hard work. It has its merits, though. You'll have more freedom than you ever did at court. You'll see far more of the world on a ship than you would've, and certainly far more of it alive than dead at Kane's hands."

"Kane deserves—"

"He deserves a lot of things, girl. But you're not the one to mete out his punishment. Leave that to the king."

"I'm a fugitive. Wanted by the law."

He barked a laugh. "That's your best excuse? Gods. Half my crew are wanted for one thing or another. You'll gain clemency under me. You are no longer a citizen of Dragonwall, but a citizen of the sea, of Lady Faith, under my protection. That also means my word is law. And you'll have me to answer to. Understand?"

"I don't like you." She crossed her arms, leaning back into her chair. But he could tell she was thinking about it. Considering it. "I don't like sailing or the ocean," she added.

"I don't like you either. And I think you like sailing and the ocean more than you'll admit. I know for certain you like gambling with the crew, throwing a punch or two. Most of all, I know you enjoy healing 'em when they get into deep shit."

She didn't answer. He scraped his plate clean, tearing off a few pieces of bread for Beaky, who swooped down and pecked them out of his hands. "But let's make one thing clear," he added. "If you crew on my ship, you'd better be getting used to Beaky."

She opened and closed her mouth. "I've agreed to nothing," she said at last.

He lifted a shoulder, certain that he'd already won. "You ever been to Oshea?" he asked after a long stretch of silence. Their eyes met, and he already knew the answer. "No? I didn't think so. In fact, I think the only places you've been are the salty ports I've stopped in along the way here. There's a lot more of the world than what I've shown you. Work hard, earn your bread, I'll pay you—"

"How much?"

He sighed. "Depends on the merchandise—on the job. But I'm fair about it. We're all paid fairly."

"Even you?"

"Even me."

Cat rolled her eyes, uncrossing her arms to pick at more of the food on her plate. He glanced out the window. It was already dark. He'd promised that Mikkin fellow he'd find him after he finished with Cat, but it was getting late and he was tired. A problem for tomorrow, he supposed. "You can take the bed, I'll have the couch," he said at last.

She barked a laugh. "I hope you don't think I'm sleeping in here with you."

"Oh? Have you coin left to get a room for yourself? How fortunate." She didn't answer. "I'll give you this free pass tonight, girl, and possibly tomorrow, until you can get on your own two feet. But after you earn your first payment, you'll be expected to take care of yourself. Something tells me you won't have any problem with that."

She set her fork down and leaned back. Her lips were pressed in a thin line, her shoulders sagging. She didn't look at him, but instead, gazed out of the darkened window.

"I'm giving you a chance to use your magic for something that matters," he said at length. "Something other than yourself. A chance at redemption, though you can make of that what you will. I can't hold you accountable for a lifetime of bad actions; I'm not one to judge. But you can. The gods can. Your conscience can. You get to chose what you do next. So...?"

Her eyes met his, a brief flash of fierce determination in her gaze. "Fine. I'll do it. But I'm keeping my cabin."

"You'll have to take that up with Jonah. It's his cabin. And he's first mate."

"Then I'll be first mate."

"Oh, I don't think so. You've balls, girl. I'll give you that. But not enough to be first mate. That's position earned."

"But I'm a female. I'm not going to get naked in front of the crew. I require privacy."

"Oh, but I'm sure they'd love that—seeing you naked."

"Ugh! You're incorrigible. Disgusting." Her fire was coming back quick. Good. "Fine. I'll talk to Jonah, then. Perhaps he and I can come to an...arrangement."

"Right. Good luck there."

Her throat bobbed. "Are there no other cabins?"

"Just the two. We're a shipping vessel not a passenger ship. Unless you want to share mine?" He grinned. "No? Well then...I suppose..." He hesitated. She waited, something like hope on her face. Damn it all to hell. "We can get some lumber while we're here in port. Partition off a portion of the large hammock area with another smaller cabin. It wouldn't be much, enough for a bunk, or a hammock, whichever you prefer, some shelves." His crew wouldn't let him hear the end of it. But he'd pass it off as part of the deal to bring her on permanently as the crew's healer. They wouldn't argue if that was the case.

"Done." She crossed her arms again, a look of triumph on her face, like she'd won some great game. But he was the true victor, wasn't he? Even if he didn't want to admit that to anyone, especially himself.

⭐️🌟⭐️🌟⭐️

Happy Friday Bookdragons!

This might be the longest chapter i've written for this book. Just about 6000 words!! Okay, I definitely envisioned a couple of different directions for Cat's character. I honestly don't plan the supporting characters very deeply. I have some idea where I want them to go, and I like to leave options open. I considered a couple different ones for Cat. Ultimately, I let the story sort of...write itself and this is where we ended up. Once I finish the whole draft, I might revisit these two. We'll see.

Next week's chapter is from Claire's POV and is titled "A Queen in the Forest" and it's the beginning of a chain of events that takes us into the climax of the story that will bring us to the ending. Wozza! 

Some stats:

-I've written 131,000 words for this book so far

-I've posted 29 chapter but have 37 written

-I need to write about 6-8 more to fully finish this draft

-I anticipate coming in around 160000 words total for this book. But who knows.

I hope you all have an awesome weekend. Me? I'll be working on some more writing, finishing reading Crescent City 2 by Sarah J Maas (my favorite author of all time) and doing some more ice skating to break in the new pair of ice skates I got this week. I will also be writing my bi-monthly newsletter this afternoon to send out (hopefully by Sunday).

Well then...until next Friday, my friends.

-Mel