Esmerelda wiped the tear from her eye and shook it off her hand. She did not show her tears in front of anyone. She took a deep breath and blew out hard. There was no use crying over a home she had never been to. She put her chin up and strode powerfully from her quarters. Ruben was dutifully stationed at the helm.

"I'll take it from here helmsman." Esmerelda said taking the wheel from him.

"Yes captain." He said stepped aside, nodded to her, and walked down off the raised stern. He looked to where he had seen his wife climb up and spotted her in the rigging. He, with much less grace than she he imagined, climbed up to her.

"Hello my love." He greeted her. She smiled at him warmly but distractedly. "You disappeared from out of the meeting with the captain pretty quickly. Are you alright?"

"Im sorry love I'm fine, I just needed to think." Erika said.

"What about?" Ruben asked.

"Where we're going" she answered.

"Which is?" He asked

"South, but first East." She replied

"So we are really going south then? That wasn't just a crazy adventure claim?"

"No she means it this time. But since we are on a silly land ship, one without oars and a crew full of silly superstitious land people that are afraid of magic i told her we could not cross directly."

"Hence going east." Ruben said.

"Hence going east." she affirmed

"Thats where we met."

"It is" Erika said with a smile. She gazed at her husband fondly.

"We'ed also be more likely to run into your people that way wouldn't we?" He asked

"We would" she said.

"Is that something you want?" He asked.

"I don't know." She answered honestly. An hour of thinking on her own had not gotten her far on the subject so she said the point her thoughts had drawn to.

"If I were to see my people again, to set foot on a hokule'a, a proper gods damn boat." She paused and breathed. "It would be very hard to come back to this one."

"Is that what you want?" he asked.

"Im not the only one this decision effects"

"Love I grew up on the lost island and I have no desire to go back to that seething nest of variously poisonous, venomous, of just plain murderous beasties. My home is with you. I'd follow you anywhere my love. You know that." He said.

"I do" she said.

"And we have our whole future ahead of us. Maybe a bigger future?" His eyes darted furtively down to her belly.

"Well I'd definitely need to take you home for that."

"What you don't think we could have a baby here? They would love it!"

"The crew or the baby?"

"Everyone! The baby will learn to walk and climb and sail, everything a kid needs."

"Typically other kids make that list of things a kid needs"

"So well have to get busy then"

"Ruben!"

"Or maybe not! Another woman has joined the crew. There are Already bets going on who will win her heart."

Erika scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Who are you betting on?" she asked.

"Tornas." he replied

Erika was incredulous "What Little boy? Never. He's hung up on his gnomish girl. That boy has it bad."

"Maybe he just needs to actually meet somebody. Who are you betting on?"

"You said last night she's northern yeah?"

"Yeah"

"Dimitri, no contest"

"Oh just because their both northern?"

"Hey say what you will having someone to speak your first language with amongst a bunch of people that speak your second is a powerful thing."

"Is it now?" He asked her in 'Aina.

"Yeah love why do you think i taught you?"

Both laughed.

"Also that boy is hungry. He is absolutely dripping with roguish charm on a boat with no one to properly receive it." Erika said.

"Excuse you." Ruben said

"I did say no one to revive it, that does include me."

"Wait, what if the northern girl also doesn't want to receive it? You don't think. "

"Nah, captain is not the monogamous type. And if 'winning heart' is in the bet then this is a relationship were after not some first to bed conquest nonsense."

"Has Captain had manny conquests?"

"Oh my love you don't know the half of it." Erika laughed leaning back and floating down to land softly on the deck.

"My love you can't just say that and walk away!" Ruben called after her as he began climbing down.

Erika walked away laughing. It was time to get better acquainted with the northern girl.