Petra, tired as she was, could not help but feel guilt at being dismissed from the Captain's meeting. She crossed the deck on shaking legs and descended the stairs to sit at her table. She cradled her head in her hands.

"Petra? I hope I'm not disturbing you" she recognized Erika's voice.

"No, not at all what do you need?" She looked up. Her head ached.

"I just have a few things I need, and I wondered if you might have them. You are certainly the best stocked person on board." Erika said.

"Oh course, what do you need?" Petra asked.

"I have a list" Erika handed Petra a scrap of paper.

Petra read over it quickly and looked up at Erika puzzled. "This is not for medicine." She said.

"No, it's for poison" Erika affirmed. Petra was taken aback. "For my darts," Erika elaborated fanning out a handful of freshly carved weapons. "I used all of my other ones yesterday."

Petra latched onto the topic.

"I saw you and Tornas jump onto the kracken. It was amazing, also insane, how did you do it?"

It was Erika's turn to be taken aback. "Oh, we're gonna talk about what I did yesterday? Ok well it's simple yeah. It's all about energy and flow." She whipped one of her batons from her back and balanced it on its end on her finger. She gently moved her hand in swaying motions. "There is energy in everything. In us, through us, around us." She spun the stick around her thumb tossed it up behind her back caught it in the same hand spun it once more and returned it to its point of balance on her finger. Petra was awed. "Once you know the energy is there you can start to understand it. You understand that you are a part of it. That there is no difference between it and you. Thats when you can start to use it. I learned on the ships I grew up on. I learned to use the energy, its part in me my part in it, to jump higher, hit harder, run up walls and on water, to keep going against exhaustion, to catch an arrow from the air and send it back to its bow. It's about flow."

"But what about Tornas can he do all that?" Petra asked.

Erika caught her stick, pausing her display. "Not everything I can do no. But I've been at it longer. And I think his monastery maybe had a different focus than mine." Erika had her suspensions about Tor's monastery but she thought it best to keep them to herself. Petra nodded, seemingly satisfied with the answer. Then stooped, set her bag on the table, and began going through it according to Erika's list. Erika was still not used to the quiet abruptness of the girl and gently sought to fill the silence.

"But why are we talking about me yesterday? Petra you! Holy shit. How did you do that?"

Petra froze for a moment which she hopped was not noticeable then gave the answer she had been rehearsing in her head all morning.

"I am cleric of the great she bear. I pray for my powers and sometimes I can do a miracle." Petra said. In truth she did not completely understand what she had been able to do. The lie was convenient.

"And was this your first, big miracle?" Erica asked.

"Of it's kind yes" Petra said quickly. "I think this is what you need" she said gesturing to the array of small bottles and jars on the table.

"Do you have a mortar and pestle?" Erika asked expecting a positive answer, the girl kept everything in that bag of hers.

"Of course" Petra said reaching into the bag and placing the requested item on the table.

"Thank you" Erika said and began measuring ingredients into the bowl of the mortar. She still did not like the feel of the silence. "So" she began sly eyes looking up at the young healer from her work. "You and Dimitri?" She asked

"Is that a question?" Petra asked honestly.

Erika smiled. "From what I've seen it seems he's been pursuing your attention quite actively."

Petra felt blushed creep up her cheeks as she smiled. "Yes he has been."

Erika chuckled "I mean I'm as strong and independent as the next person but deep down everyone wants to be tenderly carried from the battle field in strong arms." Erika watched as Petra flushed an ever deeper shade of girlish red.

"He told me he loves me." Petra said biting a smiling lip.

"Petra!" Erika exclaimed.

"Do not let Tor know I told you first, he is my friend and I want to tell him." Petra said.

"Oh I'd never." Erika said knowing full well that without that request she certainly would have, and that she was absolutely going to tell Ruben. "You and Dimitri" she said smiling and dipping and rolling each of her darts in the poison.

"Dimitri and I" Petra said smiling.

"And do you love him too" Erika asked.

"He loves me, he wants me. So yes, I think I' do. I think I love him." Petra said smiling.

Erika looked at her and smiled. "It's a good match that's made at sea."

Petra looked down smiled and chewed her lip in response.

"Oh but you do look exhausted dear" Erika said regarding the girl's pale completion and deep circles under her eyes. "This is all I need. You should get some rest."

"Everyone keeps saying that I am fine. I am happy to help."

"Petra what you did yesterday, whatever it was, you've got nothing to prove to anyone. Get some rest." She smiled stood and walked back above deck.

Erika carefully placed her darts into the band on her bicep and walked to where her husband stood at the ship's wheel. She kissed his shoulder and rested her chin there. He leaned his head against hers.

"How are you doing my love?" He asked.

"I think you're right" she responded.

"Words I love to hear but what about specifically."

She chuckled and circled her arms around his waist. "It is time for us to start our family, but this ship isn't the place for it"

Ruben looked back at his wife, she moved around and faced him.

"I don't know if we will make it out of the doldrum," she began "but if we do we'll sail east, find the 'Aina, and we'll start our family." Erika watched as a puppyish smile spread across her husband's face. He lifted her up by the waist and spun with her in his arms.

"Do you mean it?" He asked.

Erika smiled. "I've wanted to take you home for a while and the time is right I think. We'll teach you how to really sail." she said.

"And we'll make a family?" He asked.

Erika could not smile more than she already was. "And we'll make a family." She said.

Ruben took her in his arms again and Erika leapt into them. He spun her around kissing every inch of her he could reach. They laughed together.

"Helmsman" they were interrupted by Esmerelda's even authoritative voice.

"If you would be kind enough to release my navigator, she and I have business to discuss."

Erika and Ruben did their best to recover themselves.

"Yes captain of course, apologies." Ruben said as he set his wife back down on the deck.

Esmerelda smiled at them. "Erika?" She said and lead back into her quarters.

"Yes captain" she said. She sprung to her tiptoes plant a final kiss on her husband's cheek before following her captain inside.

"What was that all about?" Esmerelda asked leadingly.

"Well captain you will need to know." Erika hesitated. This was hard. The ship had been her home for the last half of her life.

"Captain, coming aboard your ship was the best decision I ever made. I have never truly regretted leaving my people to sail with you. And yet..."

"And yet you must go" Esmerelda finished for her.

"Its time for me to take Ruben to the 'Aina. I was always supposed to return and why not return to start a family?"

“How long have you been thinking about this Erika?” Esmerelda asked.

Erika took a deep breath. “Ruben has wanted us to start our family for a while now but, a pirate ship is no place for a baby yeah? So I knew that if I was going to give him the family he wanted it would have to be with the 'Aina. When you decided our route I realized we might cross paths with them, well honestly Ruben more than me. I wasn't thinking about it. It was so in the back of my mind but then after yesterday.” Erika trailed off and a brief silence hung between them. “life's too short captain. When we make it out of this, I am returning to me people. I hope by your leave.”

Esmerelda embraced her and then held her at arms length “the two of you are going to produce the very finest sailors the world has ever seen.” she said with a smile. “however, and I do hate, to bring down a happy mood. Seanathan thinks it is very much a question of if we get out of the doldrums not when.”

“He is not typically one for doom saying captain.” Erika responded immediately becoming serious.

“Which is my concern exactly.” Esmerelda said.

“Whats the plan captain?” She asked

“He is repairing what can be repaired. Can you show me where we are?” Esmerelda asked.

“of course.” Erika crossed to the maps laid out on the captain's desk. “we have not moved far since the storm but judging from the stars last night we are here.” She nudged the ship on the map as minuscule closer to the Southern continent.

“Do you think we will continue to move?” Esmerelda asked her.

“Captain like I said, every doldrum crossing I have done has been with a team of casters. We are drifting barely closer to the South yes but we could just as easily drift the other way. You were right to try and stick to the coast it was the better and safer way to cross. The storm blew us in here, maybe there will be another storm to blow us further but I seriously doubt it as it is not the season for it. So it is if.” she cut herself off coming to the realization, “it is if we get out.”

Esmerelda put a hand on her shoulder “when.” she insisted

“When.” Erika repeated.

The two women regarded each other a moment.

“You two will make good parents.” Esmerelda said breaking the silence.

“Thank you captain” Erika said smiling. “Hey maybe our paths will cross again yeah?”

“I should hope so.” Esmerelda replied. “Though I have no idea where I am going to get another navigator and another helmsman.”

“We are in the business of acquisitions.” Erika reminded her with a smile.

“Indeed. Thank you Erika, you're dismissed.”

“Captain” Erika bowed her head and left.

Esmerelda was alone in her quarters.