“So soon?” Aster asked. “I thought we would have more time.” She wavered drunkenly on her feet.

  Captain Lucien touched Aster’s cheek. “Me too but it wasn’t meant to be. Not this time anyway.”

  “What do you mean we have to get off the ship?” Elwin asked. He had nightmares still about that rickety lifeboat and he hoped this wasn’t what Lucien had in mind. But what choice would they have if it was that or walk the plank? He wondered if he shouldn’t have even spoken up.

  “Unless you want to join my crew?” Lucien asked with a wink. “No, no, I promised I wouldn’t ask. Although . . . if you were to suggest it yourselves . . ?”

  “I don’t think they’re interested, Lucien.” Martin said. “They have their own mission.”

  “Oh?” Lucien asked. “Well, I didn’t think so, anyway, geeze. But not to worry, I have a ship in mind that we will be intersecting with. I have a good, shall we say, working relationship with the captain and I’m sure he won’t mind taking you on until the first landfall.”

  Elwin sighed. He could finally release his breath.

  “It’s too bad but we understand.” Prin said politely, he gave a sideways glance at Aster. “I guess we should all get some sleep in the meantime.”

  “Alright, you two shoo.” Aster waved her hands at Elwin and Prin. “I’ll see you in the morning, bunny.”

  “Can we help you get tucked in first?” Prin asked. He was clearly trying to be delicate, his eyes liquid with concern. He reached for Aster’s hand and held it gently in his.

  “No.” Aster said. “No thank you.” She watched Prin’s face further crease in worry, and relented. “Okay, sure you can.” She led Prin by the hand that she was still holding, into the small bedroom.

  Elwin followed them, but looked back over his shoulder to see Martin barely hiding a self satisfied smile. He wondered briefly if he had somehow orchestrated it to get them off of the ship sooner, but decided it probably wasn’t possible but just a lucky coincidence. Lucky for Martin anyway, he wasn’t sure how lucky it was for them.

  It seemed like the three of them could barely fit into the small bedroom, but Elwin managed to close the door behind him anyway.

  “You can always sleep in the room with us instead, if you would rather?” Prin offered.

  “This is fi-ine, you don’t have to treat me like a child.” Aster sat on the edge of the bed and loosened her boots before kicking them off. One of them hit Prin in the leg as it went flying. “Oops, sorry.” Aster giggled.

  “It’s okay,” Prin said. “I- We’re just worried about you. And that guy.” He lowered his voice and pointed behind them. “May not have the best intentions?”

  Aster laughed. “Let him bring it on. You know I can handle myself.” She stripped down to her bloomers and got under the covers.

  Elwin was surprised Prin would even think of such a thing and it made him a little sad.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  Prin sat down beside her. “And . . . I’m so sorry about your arm.”

  “What? This thing?” Aster waved her bandaged arm up and down, as though to demonstrate its agility in the face of adversity. “It’s fine. Practically all better.” She shot Elwin a warning look.

  Elwin kept his mouth shut. What good would it do to go into detail with Prin on how Aster’s arm looked? He felt bad enough already. “Let’s go to bed,” he said gently. “We don’t know what kind of day we’re having tomorrow.”

  Aster nodded in agreement. “I think it’s safe to say that’s going to be true going forward, aint it?”

  “Hasn’t it always?” Prin said softly. “Maybe we just didn’t know it yet.”

  *

  In the morning, Elwin and Prin got dressed and made sure their bags were packed and securely latched shut.

  “I have a bad feeling about this,” Elwin said.

  Prin touched his face so tenderly that it sent a shiver down his spine.

  “It will be alright,” Prin said. “It’s not like Captain Lucien would just dump us in the water or something.”

  Elwin frowned. Prin still had more faith in humanity than he did, at the moment. “I . . . know.”

  “You don’t sound like you know.” Prin teased. “Don’t worry, even if he does, we’ll swim to shore.”

  “I don’t know how to swim,” Elwin said.

  “I’ll swim to shore with you on my back.” Prin grinned.

  “You don’t know how to swim.” Elwin pointed out.

  “How hard can it be?” Prin said.

  “Let’s go get some breakfast.” Elwin suggested.

  Elwin and Prin left their cabin with their bag in tow.

  Prin took his hand when they passed by the captain’s cabin. “Let’s get Aster too. I think you’ve got me nervous now, it feels like we should all be together.”

  Elwin was going to suggest they knock first but before he could get the words out of his mouth, Prin had pushed open the door and let himself inside.

  The only thing that surprised Elwin about finding Aster in bed with the captain was that Martin was in the bed too, right in the middle. The three of them fast asleep after what looked to be a pretty exciting night based on the messy state of the room.

  Prin gave Elwin a wide eyed look over his shoulder.

  Elwin just shrugged.

  Aster was the one laying closest to the door, where they were standing, and she opened her eyes and smiled at them. “Good morning! Oof, my head hurts.”

  “Too much drink?” Elwin suggested.

  “I won’t make that mistake again.” Aster groaned. “Er, not for a while anyway.” She put her hand to her forehead. “Do you have any more of that --? No, no, nevermind, it’ll just make me sleepy.”

  “Shu’p.” Martin mumbled. He reached out and smacked clumsily at Aster, as though hitting an errant alarm clock that wouldn’t stop ringing.

  “Stop that.” Aster giggled, smacking him back to return the favor.

  “Oh right, we have things to do today.” Captain Lucien said, sounding none too pleased about it. He barely dwelled on his misfortune for a split second before hopping naked out of bed and getting dressed in his scattered clothes from the day before. “Good morning kids!” He said cheerily, not the least put out to see Prin and Elwin standing there. “Bet you wish you had stuck around and joined the fun.”

  “They’re good boys.” Aster said sternly.

  “Well what does that make you?” Lucien teased. He came around to the other side of the bed and took Aster by both hands and pulled her up. “No use laying around, might as well get it over with!”

  “You’re so chipper.” Aster said.

  “Aster is good too.” Prin said, as though it had been bothering him.

  “Don’t we know it!” Lucien agreed. He got Aster’s clothes and handed them over.

  “Let’s wait outside.” Elwin suggested.

  “No, it’s okay.” Aster said, while getting dressed. “Just make yourself useful.”

  Elwin got Aster’s boots from the other room and helped her into them, lacing them up neatly, while Prin helped with the little buttons on her shirt.

  “You three would make a great couple.” Captain Lucien quipped.

  “All of you are so noisy!” Martin whined.

  “Oh be quiet, we’ll be leaving you alone to sleep it off here shortly.” Lucien rolled his eyes. “He can’t hold his drink. Won’t be good for a damn thing today.”

  The captain waited until Aster had finished dressing and gathered her things from the other room, and ushered them all out onto the deck and toward what looked suspiciously like a small wooden rowboat. A rowboat that already had one passenger.