Heirot

"Yes," Vlad said carefully. "Let's get going."

Twenty minutes later, they were all boarded and settled. Vlad was in a double bunk room with Talon, and Tenele had a double bunk room with Tenara.

"Casting off!" the crewman shouted as they launched from the dock. Vlad stood on the deck with Tenara on his shoulders as they moved further from shore.

Tenara played with her father's hair while they watched the shore get further away. She kicked her legs in excitement, thankfully held down by her father. She hummed her happy song, smiling big and broad.

Tenele stayed down below to get their things in order. She made Tenara's bed as fall proof as possible, as she had a slight fear that rough seas might sling her daughter from it. She only hoped that if she dreamed she didn't keep the child awake.

Meals on the ship weren't terrific, but they were sustenance. Vlad abstained from drinking, but he made a practice of eating a bit with the others at each meal to prove to Tenele he could be civilized. Nights were the hardest, but Vlad found they were short a crew member after one man fell ill, so he made himself useful on deck in the evenings.

By the fourth day, they were falling into a rhythm on the ship.

The crew made no hesitations about hitting on Tenele, when Vlad wasn't there to see it. One bright-eyed young man seemed especially stricken with her, and paid her visits at least twice a day to check on how she and Tenara were doing.

Tenara was napping and Talon had been kind enough to offer to watch her, if only to get away from the hot sun. It gave Tenele time to sit on deck and enjoy the ocean breeze and salty air. A majority of the crew made her nervous with their advances accept one. She didn't know why she didn't mind him, but he seemed genuine in his curiosity and conversation. He even took care to make Tenara involved in their talks, which Tenele thought was admirable.

Once on deck Tenele took great pains to avoid one particular gentleman who she found absolutely revolting. While most of the crew seemed to be nothing but pirates that had found better employment, this struck her as having an undying love for debauchery.

"Lady Tenele," Matthew said kindly as he spotted her at the rail. "Enjoying the view?" He looked out over the water. "Soon the waters will be clearing to a crystal blue as we near the continent. I can't imagine how anyone can pass up the life of the sea," he mused happily. "Tenara isn't with you?"

Tenele smiled, leaning against the railing with him. "She is napping. My brother is watching her for me. I thought I'd get a breath of fresh air. Today seems like a nicer day than the last. Hopefully we won't run into anymore storms. Tenara was very afraid last night. She didn't like the way the boat rocked... I'm sorry, the way the ship rocked."

Matthew beamed. Children get scared easily, but their stomachs adapt the best. She'll be cheering for more waves before long," he said. "Say," he glanced at her a bit shyly. "There's this competition we, I mean the men have, a little raffle. The winner gets to dine in the captain's quarters for a night. I seem to have won the honor, but it feels odd to enjoy it without a guest. Do you suppose Tenara might enjoy seeing the captain's berth? Maybe it would cheer her up after the storms."

Tenele grinned, touching his arm. "Oh, I think she'd be thrilled about that. She is constantly bugging me with questions about him or the ship that I have no idea how to answer. He may kick us off the ship if she bothers him enough with them. Thank you, she'll be very excited when I tell her. You are very kind to us, I really appreciate it."

"It's my pleasure," he said happily. "Gotta keep my passengers happy." He glanced out over the rail again. "There should be clear sailing from here on out. How long do you think you'll be staying in Hajara?"

Tenele shrugged. "I have no idea. Chances of us finding what we are looking for are very unlikely. I'm not even sure we'll be welcomed there. It is all up in the air. I'm just sort of this leaf floating on this breeze that doesn't seem to die, it just changes strength. I suppose we'll take this ship back home?"

Matthew looked at her. "We'll wait at port as long as we can." He paused, his eyes affectionate. "If you don't find what you're looking for, Tenele, I'd love to spend more time with you and Tenara. Even a sailor needs to land sometimes," he laughed shyly.

Tenele smiled at his words. "It is true that it is nice to have someone to tie you to the shore. I imagine it feels a little lonesome when all you have is the sea," she replied. She didn't know how to respond to his offer or why he seemed to like her so much. But, the fact he cared about her daughter made her heart fond of him. "We will see how things go in Hajara, and how long I need to be there."

He nodded and gave her a warm smile. "I'll pick you and Tenara up tonight," he said, making his way back to his work.

A few minutes later, a grisly-looking man with a wiry beard clamored up to Vlad, who was fastening one of the mainstays. "Yo, bloodsucker," he said with contempt. "That little lady of yours seems fond of strayin'. You'd best keep a tight leash on her. Ya never know, maybe even I could take a piece," he jeered.

Vlad rolled his eyes. "How much have you drunk today."

"Not enough to wash out the picture of that sweet piece of woman melting apart over a few pretty words. "Oh, the captain's quarters, you'll really take me?"" he feigned in a dainty voice.

He leaned into Vlad's face. "Personally, I don't see any of ya as much of a threat. I could take her whenever I want her, a pretty thing like that."

"Want to go overboard, Sam?" Vlad scowled. "Sober up."

The man hiccuped, cackled, and walked away. Vlad shook his head and squinted out over the too-bright water. He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Tenele smiled when she saw Vlad. "There you are," she called to him. "Is it busy today? Did you fair the storm alright? Tenara screamed nearly the whole time. She thought we were going to roll over and drown. Are you okay?" Tenele reached up and grabbed the hand that was pinching his face. "Maybe you should take a load off?"

"I'm okay," Vlad said, blinking out the burn of the sun so he could see her gleaming green eyes. Her soft touch on his hand sent rivets of hope through him that he knew were misplaced. "I'm sorry I couldn't come to help with Tenara in the night. The ship weathered it well, all things considered. How did your stomach fare with the commotion?"