28th day of the 3rd month 650th year of the 8th era

As the boat creaked in the darkness and a bell tolled three times, Stella sighed and sat up. The moon shone through the open window, the air heavy with humidity. She looked around the room. Araki, Nanberry and Moogera lay entwined on the floor a light blanket covering their bodies. Aquillia lay next to her on the bed. When she got up, the bed creaked and Stella froze. The boat rocked again in the still hot air and no one stirred. She tiptoed across the floor, pulled the door open, and slipped out. The air outside was just as heavy and sticky. She padded barefoot down the corridor and came to the door that led out to the deck when she heard a muffled voice coming from the captain’s quarters. A second voice, easily identified as a woman’s voice, returned the first. Stella was curious; as far as she knew there were only the five women on deck: her fellow wives and Jeemo, Araki’s aunt. She licked her lips and padded back along the corridor to the captain’s door. The voices while, still quiet, could now be heard.

“Did you hear me? Our passengers are Rosethorns,” the captain said.

“I heard you,” a woman’s voice said. “Why should I care?”

“I hate them,” Miake said.

“What are you going to do, lover?” she said.

“I need to seek revenge on them,” he said.

“Why?” she asked and gasped with pleasure.

“My father told me they were the cause our past misfortunes, so I want to pay them back for their evil deeds.”

“What …” gasp … “did they …. do?” she asked.

“I have told you before,” Miake said anger bursting into his speech.

“Tell me … again,” the woman said breathlessly.

“My father said that Akuchi abandoned Grandmother when she was pregnant with him. Then when he confronted his half-brother with it, he got beat up and told not to speak of it again,” Miake explained.

“What did he do?” she asked, her voice rising in pitch and speed.

“They took the only thing my father had of his father: a sword,” Miake said.

Stella could hear the woman began to pant heavily; she was intimately acquainted with that sound. It stirred her loins and a familiar warmth spread to her core. She pushed the feeling down.

“What are you going to do about it?” the woman asked, her breath coming back to normal rhythms.

“I don’t know but, I will let you know what I will do when I do,” Miake said. The light flickered under the door and Stella scurried back to her own door and slipped into her cabin. Stella held the door open a little, watching the captain’s quarters. The captain’s door opened and a beautiful woman stepped out. She wore a thin red slip of a dress that did nothing to hide her figure shadowed in the light from the cabin. Miake gave the woman a kiss and fondled her breasts over the dress. The woman reached out and took his manhood and began to play with it.

“I have work to do,” he growled, dropping his head and stepping back. The woman shrugged, turned, and walked down the corridor. Stella silently closed the door before she walked past. Then she opened the door again. The hallway was empty and the light under the captain’s door was gone.

“What are you doing?” whispered Aquillia in Stella’s ear.

Stella’s heart leapt into her mouth. She jumped into the wall and Aquillia caught the door before it banged against the door jamb. Stella placed a hand on her chest and breathed deeply.

“You scared me,” she whispered.

“Tell me what you were doing?” Aquillia accused.

“Not here,” Stella replied and beckoned Aquillia to follow her out into the corridor. Aquillia shrugged and followed. With the door closed, Stella motioned Aquillia to be quiet and headed out to the deck. The door opened silently before them. On the deck there were several lamps that lit the deck, illuminating the bow, stern and navigator’s wheel. Stella looked around and ducked into a shadowy corner, waving Aquillia over.

“The captain is up to something,” Stella whispered to Aquillia.

A bell tolled again.

“What is he doing?” Aquillia asked.

“I didn’t hear but apparently he hates Araki and Jeemo,” Stella explained.

“Why?”

“Because they are Rosethorns.”

“What did they do to him?” Aquillia asked. “I have been with the Rosethorns for many years and they haven’t done anything that is worthy of hate.”

“He mentioned that his father was abandoned by his grandfather,” Stella said. “Have you heard of that?”

Aquillia tilted her head to one side, thinking. “Akuchi left a few bastard children around, including one from me, and a few others, but that is not uncommon.”

“It seems that Miake’s father was real upset about it. You have had children with Araki’s … what? … grandfather?”

“Great-grandfather,” Aquillia said.

“How is that possible?” Stella asked.

“Remember when Nanberry was talking to us about the first wife and mentioned I was long-lived?”

Stella nodded.

“Well as I am an elf, we can live for a very long time,” Aquillia said.

“Just how long exactly?” Stella asked.

“The longest lived elf on record is about nine hundred and ninety-nine,” Aquillia said.

“How old are you?” Stella asked.

Aquillia smirked. “I am nearing my fourth century.”

Stella was floored. She stood there, staring at Aquillia. “I don’t know how to imagine living that long. You look great for someone who is four hundred years old.”

“Thank you,” Aquillia blushed. “I am actually still very young; my parents are five hundred years older than me. You were telling me about the captain.”

“I think he is going to do something,” Stella repeated. “He said he is going to seek revenge.”

“Who did he say this to?” Aquillia asked. “I am guessing he didn’t tell you.”

“I think the captain has either a lover or a prostitute on board.”

“What makes you think that?” Aquillia asked.

“The way she acted,” Stella said. “I think they were making love while he told her about his plans but when she came out of his rooms, just before you startled me, I saw her. She was wearing a see-through red dress that was very short.”

Aquillia raised an eyebrow at Stella.

“I know I don’t wear anything, and you only a skirt,” Stella said, defending her position. “She allowed him to play with her breast, while she did the same to his manhood.”

“But you didn’t see any money change hands,” Aquillia said.

“She could be either paid beforehand or in bulk, or she could just be a lover,” Stella said defensively.

Aquillia raised her hands in surrender. “I yield.”

“One more point. I thought that the five of us were the only women on board, considering that the captain asked Jeemo and Rolando on their journey here to remain inside their cabin.”

“It’s not impossible to have other women on board but … his request is suspicious in light of what you have just mentioned,” Aquillia admitted. “We will need more than just you overhearing some pillow talk before we can take this to the captain or Araki.”

“True,” Stella said. “What do you suggest?”

“I think we should go back to bed and see if we can dig up more information later,” Aquillia said.

“I am unable to sleep at the moment,” Stella said. “I want to go get more information now.”

“I don’t think this is a good idea,” Aquillia protested.

Stella moved away and stepped into the moonlight. “I want to see if I can find the captain’s woman.”

“If you do that, I will tell Araki,” Aquillia hissed, “that you are spying on the captain.”

“Then I will tell him that you and his great-grandfather had a baby,” Stella sniggered.

Aquillia’s eyes narrowed as she looked at Stella. “I think she might live in the cargo hold; we were told not to go there.”

Stella smirked at Aquillia. “Sounds like a good place to go check out.”

***

Nanberry stirred and panic rose in her chest. What day was it? She mentally counted the days; they had been at sea for three days. She met Araki seventeen days ago; her blood hadn’t come in all that time. How long ago had it come? Three days before the new moon, that would mean … I am late. How late? It should have come yesterday. She disentangled herself from Araki and Moogera and looked at the blanket on the ground. Nothing. She had certainly visited Araki often enough that it was a possibility. I am not past childbearing age. She smiled softly to herself and placed a hand on her stomach. She should wait to tell him until she was sure. She moved to the bed and smiled down at Araki as he slept still entwined with Moogera. Last night had most certainly been fun and soon he would have his own blood children. She was glad for him. Moogera opened her eyes, stretched, and sat up, causing Araki to roll to his side. Nanberry covered him with the sheet and watched as Moogera inspected her blanket. Finding nothing, she smiled at stood.

“Are you late?” Nanberry asked, in the smallest of whispers. Moogera nodded in response.

“I also,” Nanberry said.

Moogera gathered Nanberry into a big hug.

They both tiptoed across the empty room and slipped outside.

“I am glad he will have children of his own,” Nanberry said in a whisper.

“He is young and has handled his responsibility well,” Moogera confirmed. “I am glad Jage will have even a half-sibling.”

“All our children will have many siblings now,” Nanberry corrected.

Moogera smiled and hugged Nanberry again. “I am glad we are sister wives. I have been lonely for so long. It is good to have some company that is not Jage.”

Nanberry laughed.

“When will you tell him?” Moogera asked.

“In a couple of months,” Nanberry said. “Or when it becomes too difficult to hide.”

“I think that us informing him at the same time will be a good day,” Moogera said, her face split with a wicked grin, her whole-body bursting with joy. The smile was infectious and Nanberry was also ginning.