I didn't realise how late it was until I arrived at my shared quarters and looked out the small gap that was our window.

"Took your sweet time to find me," Genya sarcastically commented when I finnaly entered the cramped room.

In the room was, a bunk bed, two chests and a desk. A pail of warm water was sitting atop the desk as Genya gently splashed her face with it.

"Got lost," I murdered as I took the black kefta that was laid out for me over the chair of the desk.

"Well, since I was here first I'm going to take the liberty of taking the bottom bunk, my knees can't handle going up and down," she said turning around to me, "That okay?"

I laughed, "Perfect, I love heights anyway," I jumped up onto the top bunk, settling down for the night.

Genya laid down on her bunk, and I swung so the lower half of my body was hanging over the edge looking at her, "You don't snore do you?" I asked.

She snorted and sat up on her elbows, "I'm going to have to put up with this the entire journey amen't I," she said to herself.

"Speaking of which, how long till Novyi Zem?"

"If I tell you, will you go to sleep?"

"No promises."

She sighed, "Well, if the Squallers and Tidemakers keep up the pace we have, just a few days, mabey add one for weather delays."

"Soooooo, 3, 4 days?"

"Around that."

"Nice, and because I'm ever so gracious," I pulled myself back onto my bed, "I will try to go to sleep."

I could basically hear Genya's eye roll, "How kind, goodnight, Rena."

"Night, Gen."

I heard her shuffle, "Did you just call me Gen?" I tried to suppress my laugh as I made obvious fake snoring sounds.

My days aboard the ship while we were sailing towards Novyi Zem were a routine of; wake up, eat, escape to the crows nest from Genya and my father, repeat. Toyla even taught me how to tie a couple ropes while I was hiding in the nest, while Tamar asked me about the little palace.

"I've only been there for a few months so I don't know that much," I said when I couldn't respond to one of her questions.

"You weren't born there?" Toyla looked up, it was the first time he'd spoken in a while.

"No, I'm from a village in Shu han, but I was brought to the little palace when...." memories came flooding back and I shook my head, Toyla and Tamar were looking at me worried and intrigued, "When the Grisha attacked, I was trying to protect my friends, I didn't know that the power was there, it just came with the pain," I finished quickly.

"Add that to one more thing we have in common," Tamar laughed.

"Power with pain?" I questioned.

"Well, no, Shu han, we grew up there aswell," she answered.

"I suspected that," I said aloud to myself, "But I didn't want to ask incase I was wrong. How'd you end up here?"

They both stilled which made me grow even more curious, "Oh look, land," Tamar said quickly, she shouted down to the people on deck, "You should get going kid, your father will be looking for you," she ushered me to the rickety ladder while I rolled my eyes.

I thought they sent me away because they didn't want to talk more, but it turned out that Tamar was right, because as I jumped off the last step of the ladder Ivan came up to me saying that the Darkling wanted to talk to me.

I followed him to what I presumed was the captain's quarters but had been turned into a temporary office with a bed at the far end of the room, once Ivan had brought me to the room he made his bows and left.

"We've arrived in Novyi Zem," he announced.

"You don't say," I cut across him, folding my arms.

He didn't acknowledge my sarcastic comment, "You are to stay on the ship, you may stretch your legs when the crew is unloading but you are to mainly stay on the ship. I have some... business to attend to," he ordered.

"What? You have to be kidding me!" I exclaimed, he looked at me as if I was an equation that didn't quite tally, "Why can't I come?"

"Because you are a child."

"I may be a child, but we both know that most of your Grisha are children in adult body's, so what's the actual reason?"

He raised an eyebrow at me, then finnaly said, "We are trying to find a rogue Grisha and otkazat'sya, all going smoothly they will come back to the ship with us, by their own free will or force," he was now towering over me.

Unlike most his height didn't intimidate me, "Why are we looking for them then?"

"They are deserters, but they also have valuable skills," he narrowed his eyes at me, "When they are aboard this ship, you will not talk to them, you will not look at them, you will not acknowledge them in any way shape or form. Do you understand," his voice was cold and reeked of authority.

"You know normally I'm not suspicious, wait no that's a lie," I mumbled, "But the way you said that has me suspiciously, suspicious."

He sighed dramatically, "Do you understand, Rena," he repeated. I averted his gaze, "Rena," he pushed.

"I understand," I mumbled looking down at the ground.

"Good, now leave me," he contently said, turning around.

I watched from the crows nest as the Darkling left with some of his most trusted Grisha and traveled to a nearby town called Cofton, they all wore fitted coats and breeches of Zemeni merchants and residents.

I climbed back down as the crew started to unload goods packed in barrels and crates.

"Need any help?" I asked Tamar who was stacking crates onto each other in Toyla's arms.

She looked at me as Toyla walked off the ship with the crates, "No kid- actually," she fished something out from her coat, a small parcel with a note, "Give that to Strumhond for me?"

"What is it?" I inquired.

"None of your business, now go please and thank you," she went back to handing more crates to other people.

I headed off but then turned around realising I didn't know where I was going, "Which one is he?" I asked slightly embarrassed.

She looked back to me a small smirk playing on her lips, "Top of the ship by the wheel, he's probably looking at a map or something."

I climed the steps to the raised area that held the steering wheel, a lone boy stood at the rail looking from a map out to the ocean. He looked over to me, "I'm guessing Tamar gave you that," he asked, folding up the map.

"So you're Sturmhond," I commented handing him the parcel which he quickly tucked into his long coat.

"And you're the kid."

"I have a name."

"So do I."

"Care to share."

"Not particularly, you."

"I'm sure you already know it."

We answered each others question as quickly as it was asked, the conversation faster than an intense tennis match. His lips quirked up at my sarcastic response.

"You're very awkward, you know," he commented.

I laughed, "I barely know how to act around other Grisha let alone a pirate."

"Privateer," he corrected.

Bit of a boring chapter might get another one out today or tomorrow if I can get it edited properly!!