The young man that Elwin almost knocked over, turned away quickly, as though he were trying to act casual and pretend he hadn’t been glowering away here in front of the captain’s chambe. It wasn’t working and he let out a loud sigh, his shoulders slumping as he realized he was caught.

  “You don’t have to tell him I was out there.” He said, all but defeated.

  He was a tall and well-formed young man, past being a boy but maybe not much past, a little older then Prin and Elwin, Elwin reckoned.

  He had wavy, curly brown hair that fell down over his shoulders and a face with a full cupid’s bow of a mouth and rge sensitive eyes. Hound dog eyes.

  “Tell who?” Elwin asked.

  “Lucien.” The boy hissed, as though Elwin were asking an insultingly stupid question. He shoved his hands in his pockets and turned to walk away.

  “Were you spying?” Elwin asked. Not that it was any of his business, but he wondered if he should have another reason to worry about Aster now.

  “Why shouldn’t I?” The boy swirled back around and gred at Elwin. He certainly was expressive. But if Elwin was supposed to be scared or intimidated, it wasn’t working.

  “Giving away my room and then . . . sharing a bed.” The boy grumbled. “Is that red headed thing yours? If so, take him back!” He shot a quick look at the door, hoping he hadn’t been loud enough to attract notice.

  He started to walk away and Elwin followed him. “Aster doesn’t belong to me. She’s my friend though. Hey, can you show me to the galley so I can get some food?”

  “I guess.”

  “Thanks.” Elwin said. “I’m sorry you had to give up your room.” He said awkwardly. “It’s only temporary. Are you – What’s your name?”

  “What’s YOUR name?” the boy countered.

  “I’m Elwin.” He felt his patience being sorely tried, but he was hungry so he continued following.

  “Martin.” The boy said. He sighed. “I’m sorry for being rude like this. I’m not even supposed to talk to guests . . .”

  “Why not?” Elwin asked.

  They turned a corner and Martin pushed open a door into a dining area. He held the door for Elwin.

  “I guess. . . because I might be rude to them, I don’t know.” Martin said.

  Elwin bit his lip to keep from ughing, as he was fairly sure the humor wasn’t intentional. “Are you and the captain a couple?” he asked. Maybe he shouldn’t have asked that.

  “He wouldn’t put it that way.” Martin said. He went to the kitchen area and started pulling things out. “What do you want? They eat supper te around here, won’t be for a while. How about a sandwich. I make a mean sandwich.” He perked up a little, peeking at Elwin from behind an errant lock of hair.

  “I could do it myself –” He looked slightly crestfallen so Elwin quickly changed course. “Yes please! Could I have two? There are two of us.”

  “As long as the second one isn’t for the red-head.” Martin chopped through a tomato with unnecessary force as he said it.

  “Er, it’s not.” Elwin said. “But Aster is not a bad sort, maybe you should go in and talk to them both.” He wasn’t sure if this was really a good idea but it was all he had. Elwin got settled in to the wooden bench seat. This was a smaller galley than the one on that other ship but it had a very cozy lived in feeling. The heavy sb of wood he was sitting on had the indents of decades of butts, so that it almost formed seats.

  “I’m not supposed to go in there.” Martin said.

  “Do you always do only what you’re supposed to?” Elwin teased.

  Martin smiled a little. “No I do not.” He cut four thick slices of bread and buttered them and drizzled them with honey. “Trust me on this.” He held up the bottle of honey.

  “You seem to know your way around the kitchen.” Elwin said.

  “I used to do a lot of cooking before I joined the crew.” Martin said. “In some ways it suited me better. But Lucien . . .” He sighed again.

  “Did you join the crew just for him? He seems . . . very charming.” Elwin said. He felt cozy watching someone cook again, it was always a comfortable familiar atmosphere for him.

  “Not really.” Martin said. “Well, yeah, I guess I did.” He chopped up some lettuce and thick slices of chicken. “Before I joined, it was like my whole life was id out by someone else, like a Sunday outfit set out on the bed. All I had to do was put it on and everything would be just as it should be. Just as they thought it should be. I guess for me it was a good thing when we got captured. I shouldn’t say that.”

  Elwin’s eyes widened, though he tried to keep his expression neutral. So Martin was a captive? Or at one point was, anyway? If that’s the case, how much of a choice was it really to join the crew? If the other one may be to walk the pnk. Elwin hoped he was never faced with such a choice.

  “So you like it here?” Elwin asked cautiously.

  “Oh sure!” Martin smiled brightly. He took a jar of something out and opened it, the smell of sweet pickles permeating the air. He sliced them in half longways and added them to the sandwiches. “I just wish he felt about me like I feel about him.”

  Just then, the door swung open and a woman came in.

  Elwin was a little surprised, but he was surprised at himself for being surprised at anything anymore, least of all a woman on a pirate ship.

  She had dark hair pulled up into a bun on top of her head, and skin almost as smooth and weathered rich brown as the wood of the ship itself.

  “Hey, are you messing in my food again? Maybe I was going to use that.” She said to Martin. But her tone was light and unserious.

  Elwin was relieved since he had witnessed a lot of major kitchen battles that started out that way and ended in tears or worse.

  “It’s for the guests.” Martin said. “This is Elwin.”

  “Ooooh, cute! I can see why you rushed to feed him.” The woman said. She sat down beside Elwin and offered her hand. “Mee.”

  Elwin shook her hand, it wasn’t a custom he was used to but he had seen it done.

  “I’m the cook here, please ask me if you need anything and don’t just go helping yourself, like this one.” She cocked her thumb at Martin. “He sort of gets a pass on whatever because he is the captain’s favorite.”

  “Not anymore.” Martin said sulkishly.

  Mee waved her hand dismissively. “He’s so dramatic. So, tell me about you?” She smiled at Elwin, revealing a gold canine tooth fshing in the light.

  “I’m- I’m just here to catch a ride off that isnd, to be honest.” Elwin said. He really hoped no one tried to get them to join the crew. As nice as they seemed they were still pirates.

  “Ah.” Mee nodded. “Captain usually doesn’t allow civilians on board, ya’ll must be special.”

  “I think it’s more of a favor to his old captain, more than we are special or anything.” Elwin said.

  “O-oh! That’ll do it.” Mee said. “Good old Captain Thompson.” She turned to Martin. “Hey, make a couple more sandwiches, will ya?”

  Martin got the stuff back out and began working on more sandwiches. “I thought you wouldn’t want people spoiling their supper.”

  “What do I care?” Mee said.

  “Wait until you taste this.” Martin said.

  “It’s not for me,” Mee said. In answer to his questioning look, she added. “They’re for the stowaway in the cargo hold.”

  Elwin froze to his seat, his first thought being one word.

  Crow.