brain made the wilting rose in his fist seem priceless and perfect. By his side was his friend and first officer, Laney, who expertly flipped a gold piece as he walked, telling jokes too loudly for a sober man. It was well past midnight, but the two sailors had little sense of the time. Lately, time hadn’t mattered to the men of the
Dread Sovereign
. They had nowhere in particular to go.
“I should ask her to marry me,” Kasrin quipped, not meaning it at all. “And we will have pups and I will give up the sea and the
Sovereign
for good.”
“And you won’t drink, either,” added Laney, snatching his coin off a high toss. “Yes, I believe you.” He handed the gold piece to his captain. “Here. You’ll need this. Meleda loves you so much, she can’t bear not to take your money.”
They both laughed. “She’s a good girl,” said Kasrin.
“Her mother would be proud.”
More laughter broke them up, but when they neared the house where Meleda worked, Kasrin grew serious. He straightened his crimson cape, squared his shoulders, and pulled the rim of his triangular hat down rakishly over his brow. A nearby window provided a reflection.
“How do I look?”
Laney grinned. “Beautiful as ever.”
“You’re a charmer. Coming up with me?”
“No,” said Laney. “Not tonight.”
“What? Why not?”
“I don’t know. Don’t feel like it, I guess.”
Kasrin wasn’t satisfied. He could always tell when his friend was hiding something. “So you walked me all the way from the
Sovereign
just for the hell of it?”
His first officer grinned sheepishly. “Yeah.”
“Rot.” Kasrin stared at Laney, looking for the truth and realizing it quickly. “You just want to make sure I’m all right. I don’t need a wet-nurse, Laney. I’m not that drunk.”
“I never said that.”
“You didn’t have to,” snapped the captain. He lowered his hands and let the flower dangle at his side, then leaned against the dingy stone wall. Suddenly he wished he was back aboard his ship. “Goddamn it, now I’m getting pity from
you
. Nicabar should have thrown me in the brig with the rapists and deserters. I’d have been better off.”
“Oh, they would have loved you,” quipped Laney. He reached out and pinched his captain’s cheek. “Pretty young thing.”
“Stop it,” said Kasrin, batting away the hand. Then he laughed, adding, “I’m spoken for.”
“Go upstairs, Blair. I’ll see you back on board in the morning.”
The morning. And the morning after that, and the one after that, too, and every bloody morning until the
Dread Sovereign
could set sail again. Kasrin set his jaw, his good mood shattered. The thought of being land-locked for another month made him grim. He looked up into the dark sky. From the height of the moon, morning was only hours away. The dawn of another dreadful day spent cleaning a ship that never got dirty. Kasrin hated his life these days. It wasn’t what he’d dreamt of as a boy, watching the Black Fleet from the dockside.
“Do you think I was wrong?” he asked quietly.
The first officer of the
Dread Sovereign
grinned. “Permission to speak frankly, Captain?”
“Sure, why not?”
“I think it doesn’t matter what I think,” said Laney. He reached out and tugged on Kasrin’s hat, pulling it down farther over his brow. “I think you’re the captain. Now get in there. Have some fun.”
Laney didn’t wait for his captain to reply, but turned and walked off into the fog, whistling a broken tune. Kasrin had asked Laney for his opinion a dozen times since being beached, and he always got the same stupid answer. It really didn’t matter to Laney what he or the other crewmen thought of Kasrin’s decision. Kasrin was still a hero in their eyes and would remain so no matter how Nicabar punished them. It was like a curse for Kasrin, who loved Laney like a brother and hated to see his friend’s career ruined for the sake of misplaced loyalty. But it was also something
Dread Sovereign
. They had nowhere in particular to go.
“I should ask her to marry me,” Kasrin quipped, not meaning it at all. “And we will have pups and I will give up the sea and the
Sovereign
for good.”
“And you won’t drink, either,” added Laney, snatching his coin off a high toss. “Yes, I believe you.” He handed the gold piece to his captain. “Here. You’ll need this. Meleda loves you so much, she can’t bear not to take your money.”
They both laughed. “She’s a good girl,” said Kasrin.
“Her mother would be proud.”
More laughter broke them up, but when they neared the house where Meleda worked, Kasrin grew serious. He straightened his crimson cape, squared his shoulders, and pulled the rim of his triangular hat down rakishly over his brow. A nearby window provided a reflection.
“How do I look?”
Laney grinned. “Beautiful as ever.”
“You’re a charmer. Coming up with me?”
“No,” said Laney. “Not tonight.”
“What? Why not?”
“I don’t know. Don’t feel like it, I guess.”
Kasrin wasn’t satisfied. He could always tell when his friend was hiding something. “So you walked me all the way from the
Sovereign
just for the hell of it?”
His first officer grinned sheepishly. “Yeah.”
“Rot.” Kasrin stared at Laney, looking for the truth and realizing it quickly. “You just want to make sure I’m all right. I don’t need a wet-nurse, Laney. I’m not that drunk.”
“I never said that.”
“You didn’t have to,” snapped the captain. He lowered his hands and let the flower dangle at his side, then leaned against the dingy stone wall. Suddenly he wished he was back aboard his ship. “Goddamn it, now I’m getting pity from
you
. Nicabar should have thrown me in the brig with the rapists and deserters. I’d have been better off.”
“Oh, they would have loved you,” quipped Laney. He reached out and pinched his captain’s cheek. “Pretty young thing.”
“Stop it,” said Kasrin, batting away the hand. Then he laughed, adding, “I’m spoken for.”
“Go upstairs, Blair. I’ll see you back on board in the morning.”
The morning. And the morning after that, and the one after that, too, and every bloody morning until the
Dread Sovereign
could set sail again. Kasrin set his jaw, his good mood shattered. The thought of being land-locked for another month made him grim. He looked up into the dark sky. From the height of the moon, morning was only hours away. The dawn of another dreadful day spent cleaning a ship that never got dirty. Kasrin hated his life these days. It wasn’t what he’d dreamt of as a boy, watching the Black Fleet from the dockside.
“Do you think I was wrong?” he asked quietly.
The first officer of the
Dread Sovereign
grinned. “Permission to speak frankly, Captain?”
“Sure, why not?”
“I think it doesn’t matter what I think,” said Laney. He reached out and tugged on Kasrin’s hat, pulling it down farther over his brow. “I think you’re the captain. Now get in there. Have some fun.”
Laney didn’t wait for his captain to reply, but turned and walked off into the fog, whistling a broken tune. Kasrin had asked Laney for his opinion a dozen times since being beached, and he always got the same stupid answer. It really didn’t matter to Laney what he or the other crewmen thought of Kasrin’s decision. Kasrin was still a hero in their eyes and would remain so no matter how Nicabar punished them. It was like a curse for Kasrin, who loved Laney like a brother and hated to see his friend’s career ruined for the sake of misplaced loyalty. But it was also something
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