Quietly, they watched as Jaired left the ship, his walk just slightly unsteady on his way to his lady love. Jayln whispered, "Is he the only one off the ship?"

"Doubt it, but they would never leave too few men to sail in case a quick getaway was needed."

They waited about half an hour before creeping closer. Jayln whispered again, "You sure this secret hatch is still there."

"No. Shut up and follow closely."

They moved until they were under the grizzly figurehead. The guard was on the landing plank and couldn't see where they were. Jayln stepped out and pulled the grappling hook and rope from her bag. With careful aim, she tossed it at the almost invisible hook disguised in the wooden neck fur of the bear. It held.

She nodded at Fenrin. Alright, here goes!

Jayln jumped from the dock, swinging and landed with a thump against the ship. She waited, frozen, to see if the guard would investigate. After a moment of quiet, she began to climb.

When she reached the top, she took a moment to pant. The figurehead was further up than she'd thought. Carefully, she hoisted herself onto the hook and looked for the handholds Fenrin had described. Sure enough, metal handles had been bolted to the bear, hidden by the carving.

She swung her way up the handles to the bow of the ship, her fingers numb with effort and cold. Again as described, there was a plank of wood jutting out from the bow, with another handle she could cling to. Blindly she ran her hands over the side, searching for the hatch. She was just beginning to panic that the pirates had sealed up their secret door when her nails caught the edge. Reaching for her knife, slowly so she wouldn’t lose her grip and plunge into the cold ocean, she jammed it in the crack, levering the well stuck hatch open.

Victorious, Jayln waved to Fenrin who shouldered her abandoned pack and his own and slipped into the water to swim to the dangling rope. Jayln entered the ship.

It was even darker in here than out in the night. She felt around, touching a number of barrels and crates whose dark shapes slowly appeared as her eyes adjusted. From the hatch she heard the puffs and grunts of Fenrin's ascent. Sticking her head out, she took the packs from him as he dropped in from the opening. She stood silently impressed as he sat panting, recovering from the climb he’d made weighed down by the packs and saltwater.

"Al-alright, we're in the far end of the upper hold." Fenrin coughed reaching to close the hatch. With a groan he stood up and stretched his arms. "We need to make our ways to the stairs and then we can emerge dramatically to announce the ship under new management."

"This is never going to work," Jayln muttered nervously. It had sounded so logical at the tavern. But sneaking onto a ship and just declaring yourself captain? There was no way.

Fenrin slapped her shoulder. "Get ready."

She took a deep breath and followed the wet but grinning man through the darkness. Finally the yellow light of a lantern illuminated a set of stairs and a man carrying two mugs making his way up them.

"I'm coming, don't start the round yet," he shouted and some jovial voices responded unintelligibly.

Fenrin and Jayln walked to the bottom of the stairs, abandoning the packs behind a barrel. The stars sparkled through the opening and Jayln tried to unfreeze her nervous heart. Fenrin rolled his shoulder and gave her his most wolfish grin.

"Show time," he said and bounded up the steps. "Ahoy, mateys! I'm here to announce this ship under new management!"

Jayln slunk up behind him, her face neutral. A group of six men were playing cards at a table, the man with the mugs hadn't even sat down yet. A seventh man was coiling rope at the edge of the boat. Jayln knew from her studies there would be another man behind and above them at the helm—and of course the guard on the plank.

The men playing cards looked up surprised, the one with the drinks dropped them and drew a sword. Jayln's eyes flicked over each threat trying to calculate who would take charge. She knew Fenrin was doing the same as he stepped forward, swaggering.

One of the men slowly laid down his cards and stood up. He was a big man with a large crooked nose and scars criss-crossing his face. Steadily, he stared at Fenrin and Jayln before lifting a heavy knife off the table and running his finger up the edge thoughtfully.

"Is that so? I might be having something to say about that."

Fenrin kept walking towards the man, seemingly not paying attention to the pirate with his sword drawn. The other crewmen let out a chuckle. Fenrin the Wolf turned to the swordsman at the last minute and, in a burst of movement, grabbed the man's wrist, twisted the blade free, slammed his elbow against the man's face, and caught the sword as it fell. He twirled it and after a quick examination, threw it to the side with a look of haughty disgust.

He unbuttoned his shirt and opened it enough to reveal the rearing bear. "There's really nothing to say. This ship is mine by right and we sail out immediately."

The mood instantly changed, the men all shooting each other side glances. Before they had been laid back, eager to watch some bloody showdown, now a few were twitchy. The scarred man's eyes narrowed and he made his way around the table.

"You the Wolf?"

Fenrin rolled his eyes and gave a mock bow. "My reputation precedes me. Although..." his voice grew sharp, "apparently not my authority."

He pointed at the man who had been coiling rope near the edge of the ship. "You there, raise the boarding plank and the anchor, we're leaving."

The man jumped up and started to obey but the scarred man flung the dagger into his back. He crumpled to the ground with a gasp.

"Wolf or no, this is our ship and I'm not about to turn it over to some swaggering fool without a fight."

He reached out his hand and one of his card buddies quickly placed a sword in it. Fenrin buttoned his shirt back up slowly. "Before, you do whatever it is you're planning to do. May I ask if you are the first mate?"

"Indeed I am. Jordin's me name. Though generally I'm known as the Carver." Jordin grinned wickedly, revealing a number of gold teeth

"I'm not impressed." Fenrin crossed his arms and glanced around. "This ship used to have standards. You're not worth my time—I think my lady friend here can take you by herself." He glanced around and gave the rest of the present crew a wolfish grin. "Boys, the betting is open."

There were some laughs and the Carver's jaw tightened. Jayln sighed and took off her coat before stepping up to the huge man. He looked her over and growled. "You insult—"

His words were cut off when Laylyn moved up and roundhouse kicked him in the jaw. Bottles crashed to the deck, shattering as he staggered back into the table. There was a laugh from the one of the other men and Jordin glared.

"I've carve out your liver for that, bitch!" he shouted, spittle and blood flicking from his mouth as he charged her. Nimbly she stepped aside and slid her leg between his, grabbing his arm and using his momentum to send him crashing to the floor. He swiped at her leg with his blade but she lunged and placed her hands on his back, using him as a springboard and cartwheeling out of the way.

Jordin heaved himself up and approached more cautiously. Wisely he used the length of the blade to his advantage, pushing her backwards towards the edge of the ship. Jayln suddenly stopped backing up and moved forward, pushing his sword arm wide.

The Carver tried to reach for her throat with his free hand, but she knocked it aside. Jordin's eyes widened at the pain her small jab to his pressure point gave and he was caught by surprise as she spun her elbow into his jaw. There was a crack and the Carver spat more blood onto the deck as he staggered backwards into the railing.

Jayln gave no time to recover, she kicked his knee sideways sending him to the floor howling over the crack of bone. Bending down, she dug her fingers into the soft flesh of his underarm with one hand and slapping the sword out of his arm with the other so it clattered to the floor.

He tried to twist around, but Jayln planted a foot on his back, grabbed his sword arm with both hands and pulled, popping the shoulder out of place. His howl of pain was abruptly cut off as Jayln extended a knuckle and drove it into his temple before dropping the unconscious man.

The ship was quiet for a moment. Fenrin walked towards Jordin's body and gestured to the boarding plank. "Don't make me ask again. Raise anchor, we're leaving."

The men eyed each other and then one shrugged, drank the rest of his rum and went to raise the plank. He shouted down to the guard who ran up and helped him pull it up. Fenrin looked down at Jordin. Under his breath he muttered, "Do I have permission to throw him overboard?"

Jayln thought about it. He'd be conscious again in a moment but throwing him over in his condition would be a death sentence. If he was still alive he would only hurt others. His death was on her hands as she whispered, "Do it."

Fenrin lifted the heavy body and rolled it off the boat without hesitation.

He put his hands on his waist and surveyed the crew as they jumped into action. "Alright, let's go find my cabin."