Tornas woke up in a hammock of supple vines. Early morning light filtered through the leaves above him that formed the roof of the living hut. She had made it. She had sung to the trees and they had grown a roof for her. She played her recorder and the branches elongated and twined into a leafy hammock. She was a marvel. And she was no longer beside him. He turned out of the hammock and looked out the door way.

"Yoyo?" It was early morning, she was probably gathering something for breakfast. Tor started on making a fire to take the chill off the morning air. He knew he didn't need to worry about her. She was more than capable. And yet he always did worry, he couldn't help it. He thought about the time before her in his life and realized it was a time he never had to go back to. He could just have a future with her. She would take care of them, he would protect them. It could be all the things he had thought he would never have.

"What are you thinking about?" The smile in her voice was infectious before he even saw her face. He hadn't even heard her walk up.

"You" he said truthfully.

Her smile broke to a laugh. She dropped her bag and with two quick steps she leapt up into his arms. He spun her around and kissed her. She felt so small in his arms. At just over three and a half feet she was markedly tall for a gnome but still quite small to him.

"Its good you have the fire going because I have a surprise for you" she said as she scrambled down from his embrace.

"Oh?" He said intrigued and a little nervous.

"You remember the pig farmer with the dire fox problem?" She asked.

"Yeah, we fixed the fence and drove off the skulk." He responded.

"And you remember how he said he wished he could give us more?" She asked.

"Yes" he said more intrigued and less nervous.

"Well apparently he left a little gift for us at the butcher." She announced pulling a neatly wrapped parcel of bacon out of her bag.

"Oh I love bacon" Tornas said.

"I love you." she responded. The way she said it was a fact. It was not a dramatic first time, but also not a verbal filler divorced from its meaning by familiarity. It was simple. It was true.

"I love you too" he said. She dropped the parcel and jumped back into his arms and hugged him around the neck. He held her. He loved her. The moment was warm and safe and perfect.

The grip on his neck tightened.

"Johanna!" He choked suddenly panicked.

He was dropped to ground. He scrambled to try and get away, back into the hut back into a safe dream with a song. But that was impossible. The forest was gone and he on a hard stone floor.

"Get up!" He heard not sure from where. He did. He knew what happened if he lost.

He sprung back to his feet and assumed a ready stance. He hit. He was hit. Endlessly fighting, falling, failing, fearing again and again. "Get up" he heard "get up!" He had to get up worse would come if he stayed down.

"Get up, son!"

Strong scaled hands grasped him by the shoulders and slammed him to his feet.

The room was dim but a lantern showed a crowed of sailors unhappy to be roused from their sleep.

"Back to your bunks unless you want the night watch then" Sezjeck bellowed and the crowd dispersed. But for one.

"I can help" it was the healer, the Northern girl the captain had hauled on to the table shortly after her reelection.

"I'm fine. this just happens I'll be fine" Tor replied reorienting himself and heading back to his hammock.

"You can go back to bed too now. The captain will have an officers meeting in the morning.” Sezjeck said.

"No." Petra emphasized "He's not fine, its my job to fix it, and I'm already up and won't fall back asleep so come with me please." Petra lit a small fire ball in her hand to see by and walked toward the her own corner. She looked behind only once to she if she was being followed. Tor looked to Sezjeck with something like apology, shame, and gratitude and followed Petrianna.