Iliana was having a fantastic day.

As the waves died and the rain slowed to a trickle, the bruises her tumbled trek through the cargo hold earned her thrummed in the back of her mind alongside an accompanying series of heavy curses involving her exact opinion of surly gods. All she wanted was to dive under the knitted blanket decorating her bunk--but, that wasn't possible. No proper sailor rested after such a heavy storm. There were a dozen things to do, such as checking the sails for tears, the top-level cargo for water damage, and the deck for sea life. None of which could be accomplished from her bed.

Admittedly, Artemios wouldn't have stopped her had she claimed she needed the rest. He'd have ordered her to make sure to eat first, and to check with their witch that the storm hadn't left her with any injuries in need of tending. Then, with the faintest pinch in his brow that betrayed his disappointment, he'd have shooed her off the deck.

So, despite her mood, she didn't say a word and instead set to work.

It wasn't until late-morning that she finally found an opportunity to sit down. Admittedly, it was with a tangled fishing-net draped over her lap and a netting needle in hand, but beggars couldn't be choosers.

"Why the sour face, 'Ana?" Saul called out. "Ya look like someone jus' pissed in yer tankard."

When Iliana glanced towards him, he grinned. The expression dimpled his weathered, olive face. She rolled her eyes. Iliana would never understand how Saul, a balding man in his late forties, could wear such an energetic smile at times like this. His and Ancus' task of pulling on the rope bracers to adjust the sails involved far more of their body than her current chore. That, plus the fact Iliana was nineteen, nearing twenty, logically their positions should've been switched.

Keeping her thoughts to herself, she held the netting up. As the majority of it slid from her lap, she caught her fingers in a hole, lifting the strings so they could be seen.

"I'm thinking about this," Iliana said. "It's a bit too clean of a cut, don't you think?"

"Maybe we caught one of them merfolk," Ancus joked. "It'd explain why Umae got so pissed."

"I doubt it," she retorted. "He'd have made sure we wrecked. The gods don't like it when we touch their monsters."

"More likely that wife of his done pissed him off," Kreon added from his place at the helm.

"They ain't monsters," Saul said, focusing on Iliana. "We been tellin' ya, lass, them merfolk's beautiful. Nothing that looks like 'em could be monsters."

Iliana scoffed. She'd believe the merfolk's fabled beauty when she saw it. Besides... "Aren't the legends about beauties at sea about the sirens, not the merfolk?"

"Sirens live in Inna's Cove," Saul argued. "That makes 'em beauties of the land. The beauties of the sea are the merfolk. Another thin' we've been a tellin' ya."

The argument that beauty had nothing to do with whether one was a monster--Iliana knew from experience--would get her nowhere, she knew. Arguing with Saul was like asking the mending to manage itself--pointless. They needed a new subject.

"And I've been telling you, your speech needs some work."

"She's got you there, Saul." Ancus laughed. "The lass speaks ten times better than you."

"Not my fault she's sum learned runaway," Saul argued. "I ain't got the time ta do all tha' studyin'. Better ta jus' speak how I always 'ave."

"I've offered to teach you," Iliana muttered, dropping her eyes back to the netting. She hadn't realized until that second it was possible for her mood to sour further. "An hour every night is nothing."

"You'd get more women willing to drink with you if you started talking like her," Ancus added.

"Jus' shut up, the both of ya," Saul said as that dimpled smile of his betrayed the faux annoyance in his voice. "I git the lassies just fine."

"Sisters don't count!" Kreon teased.

Saul released the sails, a retort clear on his face, before scrambling back into place as another body joined them on deck. Artemios' brow crept skywards at the sight of everyone seemingly working without distraction, but didn't bother to call them out. Instead, Iliana felt his icy blue eyes fall on her.

Gods, she'd hoped he'd forgotten.

"Iliana."

She reluctantly pulled her attention from the netting to their captain. Artemios "Art" Costa stood with half his body tucked behind the weathered door into his cabin. His long, off-white shirt hung loose. The worn, dirty state of the cloth told her they wouldn't be nearing shore today.

"Art," she greeted.

"Would you mind joining me for a few minutes? It won't take long."

Did she have a choice?

Iliana let her task tumble from her lap as she stood. By the time she entered his quarters, Artemios had settled himself behind his desk. Iliana stopped three feet in front of it. She clasped her hands behind her back, cocking a questioning brow in his direction when he sighed.

"You're too formal," he explained.

"Would you rather I lay out on the floor?" she quipped. "I wouldn't be against it."

"No...no, this is fine," he chuckled. "I'm just wondering how you haven't lost such a thing. You've dropped my title, something even Kain can't manage, yet you still stand as stiff as a board."

She shrugged. "Three years aboard a merchant ship pales in comparison to a childhood ashore. And it isn't as if I've worked on breaking said habits to begin with."

"Almost three," he corrected.

"For all you know," she teased. "I could have been stowed away for weeks before you found me."

The captain sighed once again. "There's no winning here, is there?"

"None," Iliana agreed.

"Well, whichever it was, it brings me to what I wanted to talk about."

Anxiety twisted her stomach into knots. It didn't take a genius to follow his thoughts.

"As you know, when we land in Eol your initial contract will have finished. I'm not one of those captains who cheat their men, nor will I make up some excuse to force you to stay. But...there will be a big gap left when you leave and the fates know we'll miss you here. Kain especially."

"Kain'll be fine," Iliana protested.

Artemios snorted.

"You and I both know that's a lie," Artemios said. "He might love everyone here, but there's something different about having a friend your own age. He won't take your departure well. And...well, neither will I, to be honest. You're like a daughter to me."

A smile tugged on Iliana's lips. "Something I continue to find myself amazed by."

She couldn't easily recall how long it'd been since someone had treated her like their child before she'd illegally boarded the Airlea. Artemios had shouted. Threatened. Then tossed a pair of breeches at her and called for Kain to empty the bottom bunk in his quarters. Stowaway or not, she'd earn her fare, he'd declared.

And, somehow, against everything she'd been taught to expect, that fare had included a filling meal, protection against unwelcome hands, and a warmer family than she'd ever known.

"Yes, well... my point is, if you want to stay you're welcome to," he said. A hand went up when Iliana instantly opened her mouth. "No, you're not allowed to decide right now. I don't want your decision to be influenced by the moment. Wait until we've docked and you've felt the ground beneath your feet again. Decide whether you want to stay ashore, or spend an undecided amount of your life at sea. You're young, and you've too many years ahead of you to make such a decision on a whim.

"You know what I think about it. A sailor is a sailor for life. Something about the sea gets into your blood. It's why no matter what god we were raised under, we all end up with Umae as our patron in the end. We all hope he'll let us travel the waters until the day we're lost."

Anything Iliana might have responded with died on her tongue. If his eyes hadn't been settled on her, she might have teared up.

He was too much. How was she supposed to want to be anywhere else when he spoke like that?

As if reading her thoughts, Artemios smiled.

"Of course, I hope you'll choose to stay. And no matter what your decision is, I won't leave you wanting. When we reach Eol there's a number of gold pieces with your name on them. I'd intended to leave you with just enough to get started, but the rest of the crew insisted on adding to the pot. There's enough to survive for a few months without proper work if you wanted.

"Choose to stay, it's your first salary of the next voyage. Choose to go...well, it'll keep you alive for a while. Ain't a soul out there gonna say I'm cheap."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Iliana agreed.

He chuckled once again. "Good. Glad we agree. Now... for other matters."

Artemios dropped his eyes to his desk. Before that moment, Iliana hadn't bothered to glance at the papers laid out on it. It was a habit, really. The crew might tease and poke-fun at her, but she doubted many of them had put much thought into her really being an upper class runaway. Which was why she did her best not to show off what she knew.

The fact that Iliana could read a map without hesitation would definitely make them reconsider their thoughts on her. Most poor orphans--what she'd claimed to be--weren't given the time and resources needed to learn navigation. Especially girls. Even amongst the nobility, it would be rare for an Aeolisan woman to be able to read a map. They weren't prized for their knowledge of the world--but, instead, for their ability to please their partners.

For as much as she'd hated her lessons, Iliana couldn't help but continue to be grateful for how determined her tutor had been to prove a streetrat like her didn't belong behind a desk. Any common gutterborn could learn how to get on their knees, he'd declared. If she wanted to truly deserve her role, she needed to learn to read. Maps, books, philosophy--they'd all been shoved before her She'd hated every second of it.

But, sometimes--such as now--it was useful.

"I won't be certain until nightfall, but that storm probably blew us pretty far off course. The shadows at midday weren't exactly where I would have liked them. We were supposed to hit Eol by the end of the week, but now...I'm guessing we're probably around here," Artemios said, dropping his finger on one of the dozen maps before him.

From where she stood, Iliana could make out a handful of islands within a day's sail of the spot. Unlike their previous course, the position placed Eol only about three to four days' away. Artemios interrupted her thoughts by folding up the map and settling it next to an old looking-glass and compass.

"Before you go back to your mending, I want you to take these up to Kain. He's too much of a stubborn ass to let me give him his own set. Make sure to let him know I want him looking out for anything that can tell us where we are. Hopefully we'll get a few more clues before I reference the stars tonight."

Iliana nodded, plucking the items from the desk. Once they were settled securely in her arms, she turned to go.

"Oh, and Ilias?"

She glanced back. "Yes?"

"Hit him hard for me if he's asleep again."

Iliana grinned. She'd thought the deck was a little too silent earlier. Usually Kain would be adding his own two thoughts on the conversation--especially given they'd been talking about the gods. Her friend had strong opinions on anything magical or divine.

"I'll make sure to give him a lump," she agreed.

"Good. Now, get going."

Iliana gave a half-joking salute, then left as requested. Out on deck, Saul and Ancus were finished setting the sails. Seemingly having no other work to do, they'd settled themselves atop a couple of barrels with a crate between them. Saul held a wooden cup in his weathered hand.

Gambling? Iliana guessed with a shake of her head. Of course they are.

"I thought you gave that up," she called over. "Back when Kain outed you ten silvers and a ruby you swore you were done."

"That were las' week," Saul declared. "This is today! Survive a storm and life gets new rules."

Iliana looked to Ancus.

"He realized he has no drinking money for when we dock," he explained.

"Ah," she mused. "Makes sense."

"I'm sayin' that's no' it! I jus' though'... yea, I jus' though' we'd pass sum time is all."

"Sure, sure," Iliana agreed. "Whatever you say, old man."

"Why you..." Saul began.

"Are you going to throw or not?" Ancus demanded.

Saul swore under his breath, glancing between the two of them. The furrowed knit of his brow--as if he were wondering who to deal with first--prompted a laugh from her lips. Seeming to come to a decision, he let out a world weary sigh and shook the cup.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm throwin'..."

Refocusing her attention on the task at hand, Iliana turned her gaze to the crow's nest. There was no need to watch the game. She held no doubt Ancus would come complaining later about Saul wiping him out. Kain could normally beat both of them with one hand tied behind his back, but no one could top Saul when a drink was at stake.

Pushing such matters to the back of her mind, she tucked the compass and scope into her pocket. Once certain they wouldn't come tumbling out when she climbed up, Iliana crossed the deck.

"Hey, Kain!" she called, cocking her head back in an attempt to spot him. "You alive?"

No answer.

"I'm coming up!"

After placing the map down the front of her billowy, dirt-gray shirt, Iliana seized the ladder and started climbing. At the top she paused, eyes landing on the dozing figure before her. Kain's head rested just beneath the railing, a book half tumbled out of his lap.

She wasn't surprised at all to see that he'd exchanged his soaked cap for a dry one of the same color and style. Not once in the three years they'd traveled together had she seen Kain's hair. It was honestly impressive how skilled he was at concealing it despite their shared quarters. Iliana liked to believe that perhaps he was going bald prematurely. He had never denied the idea when she teased him, only further solidifying it in her mind. If her respect for his privacy hadn't outweighed her curiosity, Iliana would have cleared the issue up long ago.

Well, none of that mattered right now.

Careful not to wake him, Iliana dropped herself into the nest. He shifted slightly, mumbling something under his breath, but didn't open his eyes.

"He asleep?" Ancus yelled up.

"Of course."

She studied Kain. For a single second, Iliana considered leaning down and tapping his shoulder while saying his name. It'd be the kind way to wake him.

Iliana settled for a swift kick.

Kain jerked away with a yelp that was followed by a series of uncharacteristic swears. He blinked a few times, squinting in her direction. Then, he scowled. "Can't you wake someone with at least a little bit of ladylike grace?"

"Why should I? How many times has this happened now?"

"Hm..."

He made a show of counting his fingers, and Iliana laughed. The way he furrowed his brow and pursed his lips created a look of such utter concentration that she couldn't help herself--as he'd no doubt known would be the case. After a moment, he dropped his hands with a shrug.

"I give up. It's not like it's my fault. I'm a night-owl! I focus best under the moon, you know that. If the others were up, I'd be the one getting in his bunk."

He wasn't wrong.

Kain's level of alertness at night put trained soldiers to shame. Between the skill he held with his sword and the way his senses seemed wired to the faintest sound when the moon was high, his evening watch had been the thing between them and a nightmare's ambush a multitude of times.

Sometimes she wondered if he was a nightmare himself. Or one of the gods' favored.

Anything made more sense than human.

"Still, Artemios wants you awake and checking the horizon."

At the questioning look she was sent, Iliana pulled out the items she'd been given. Her carrying spot for the map earned her a raised brow, but nothing else.

"He thinks we might have gotten off course. I was told to hand these off to you and tell you to watch for any sign of where we are."

"Which would be what, exactly?" Kain asked. "All we've got around us is ocean, Iliana. Staring at water isn't going to give me coordinates."

She sighed and unrolled the map. It only took her a second to spot and point out the position Artemios had shown her. Kain, at the very least, wouldn't question her skills. It was an unspoken agreement between them--he didn't question what she could do, and she didn't ask him why he could heal a bruise in a single moon-lit night.

"He's guessing we're here. Which would mean that you should be able to see one of these," Iliana gestured towards the islands, "within the day, I'd imagine."

Kain studied the map before nodding. "Guess that makes sense. I'll keep an eye out."

"Good," she replied. "Try not to fall back asleep while you're at it."

That said, she swung back over the rail. The sooner she was done with her work, the sooner she could sleep.

"Wait," Kain requested, scrambling to his feet. "I just realized...if we're there...that means we've got less than a week left, right?"

Iliana paused. "Yeah."

So, he did remember.

"Right...and you're...you're done when it's up, right?"

"Yeah..." she said again, furrowing her brow. "Why?"

Kain seemed to hesitate for a moment before giving a shake of his head. He dropped the map to the floor of the crow's nest and rested his hands against the rail behind him.

"I...well...come back in a bit, won't you? When those two are done."

Kain nodded his head towards Ancus and Saul. It was Iliana's turn to hesitate.

"I've got something I want to talk about," Kain added.

No was on the tip of her tongue, but the pleading edge to his expression made her pause. Gods, he knew just what buttons to push. She groaned.

"Fine. But it better be worth it."

Kain beamed. "Don't worry! I swear by Umae's name, it'll be worth it. Just you wait."