Though there was always work to be done on a ship, Chase liked to make certain that they all spent some time together, and their late-night talks often lasted until the sunrise. Most times Catrin would join them, but on this night she had complained of a headache and gone to her hammock earlier than usual.
Strom began telling tales, and Prios seemed enthralled by his dramatic reenactments of events. After hearing stories of how Chase had trained at being stealthy, Prios made eye contact with Chase. Using his amazing ability of expressing himself with only his facial expressions and body language, he sized Chase up, smiled, and issued an unspoken challenge. Though Chase could not hear Prios speak in his mind, he had no trouble deciphering the challenge: If you are such a mighty sneak, then prove it!
"What would be the hardest thing to steal on this ship?" Strom asked with a knowing grin.
"Catrin's staff?" Osbourne asked.
Prios turned his nose up, and Strom snorted. "Too easy."
"She never takes Koe out of her pocket. I bet she sleeps with him under her pillow."
Prios gave a firm nod.
"Koe it is," Strom said.
Chase smiled, put his hands behind his head, and yawned. "Is that all?"
A sly look crossed Prios's face, and he waved for Strom to lean closer. Reaching out, he laid his hand on Strom's shoulder.
"Ha!" Strom barked. "He says to make it a real challenge, I will stand guard at the prow and Osbo will stand guard at the stern. If either of us sees you, then you've failed."
"And if I succeed?"
Prios shrugged, seeming to think it was unlikely, and that just made Chase even more determined.
"If you succeed," Strom said, "we'll all bow down and show due respect for the master sneak."
"Good enough for me," Chase said.
Osbourne strained his eyes and ears, trying his best to catch Chase in the act. Though a part of him wanted Chase to succeed, it would be a true victory only if they did their best to stop him. At the slightest sound, Osbourne whipped around and ran to the gunwales. Had he heard a splash? Watching the dark water slide by, he saw nothing beyond the usual wake left by the Eel. Convinced he'd been hearing things, he returned to his post.
No more sounds, save the snapping of sails, the creak of rigging, and the sound of the water rushing by, broke the silence. Even the crew was silent, as if they knew what was transpiring, and Osbourne found the stillness unnerving. When Strom walked around the corner, he nearly leaped from his skin.
"Did you see anything?"
"No," Osbourne said. "I thought I heard something, but I didn't see anything."
Strom just shook his head, "I didn't either, but Prios came to get me, and Chase is all smiles. How do you think he got by us?"
"I don't know," Osbourne said. "I think he may have tricked me."
"Let's go find out."
As they entered Chase's cabin, Osbourne was surprised to see Chase as dry as tinder. "I was certain you'd gone over the side."
"That's what I wanted you to think," Chase said with a triumphant grin.
"So let's see it," Strom said, his arms crossed over his chest.
Chase just grinned and reached for his pocket, but then the color drained from his face, and his victorious bravado suddenly changed to anxious desperation. For a moment, he searched his pockets, and then he searched the cabin. "She's going to kill me."
"You never actually stole it, did you?" Strom asked, seeming almost hopeful.
"I swear to you: I took it, and now it's gone."
Tense silence hung over the group, and Osbourne thought Chase might actually cry. When Prios's shoulders began to shake, the others turned to him, thinking he was overcome with remorse, but he surprised them all when he made the first sound any of them had ever heard from him. Though the gift of speech had been taken from him, he proved that Belegra had not taken the life from him when he laughed. So pure and joyous was his laughter, that the others simply waited in silence to find out what could possibly have tickled him so.
With a look of apology, he ended Chase's torment as he produced Koe from a concealed pocket in his shirt.
"How did you-? When did-? Oh, for the love of everything good and right in this world, forget it. I don't want to know," Chase said, and without saying any more, he stormed into the night.
Osbourne looked at Strom, and for the first time in a long time, they laughed.
"That really wasn't very nice," Catrin said when Prios told her about how he had tricked Chase. A sly smile crept across his face, yet a hint of blush shaded his cheeks. "And I would appreciate it if you would challenge him to steal someone else's things next time." Again, Prios simply smiled in response. Every day they spent together seemed to bring them closer. With increasing frequency, he showed that, in many cases, he could communicate without the need to speak in her mind. It seemed he had a talent for expressing himself without speech or words. Others, too, had made note of this talent, and Catrin was grateful for it, as it seemed to make his life aboard the ship much easier. Knowing he could communicate in other ways just made the times when he did speak even more special.
Though I look forward to seeing you reunited with your family and your homeland, I must admit that I am afraid.
"Afraid? What are you afraid of?"
What if your people do not accept me? What if your family does not like me? I'm not certain my story will give them reason to trust me, and I fear I will only make things worse for you.
With his shoulders hunched and his eyes cast down, Catrin could feel his pain and anxiety. Though she tried to put herself in his position, to understand how he must be feeling, she found it impossible. The circumstances of his life were just too far from anything she had ever experienced, and though she could sympathize, she knew she would never completely understand. "Once they come to see your true nature, they will come to feel as I do."
And how, exactly, do you feel about me?
Though he did not truly speak, it was as if Catrin could hear the tremble in his voice. Something in his emotion was betrayed to her, and she sensed his fear and anxiety. In that moment, she realized the courage it had taken for him to ask. "I think…" she hesitated, and he raised his eyes to meet hers. In them, she saw not only fear, but hope as well. "I think I love you."
When land was finally sighted again, Catrin could barely contain her excitement. All of them had known the Slippery Eel was too small to make the journey to the Falcon Isles safely, but they had unanimously chosen expedience over caution. Storms had chased them and rogue waves appeared without warning, but somehow they had survived. The Falcon Isles were the last stop Catrin planned to make before she returned to the Godfist, and she did not intend to stay long. Nora insisted they take a week to make proper repairs, but Catrin hoped the job could be done in less time. Each day seemed longer than the last, and she wasn't certain how much longer she could stand the anticipation.
As the smaller islands slid by, Catrin moved to Nora's side. Fasha and Benjin stood not far away, and they turned when Catrin addressed Nora. "Will you leave from the Falcon Isles to go back to the Trader's Wind?"
"A big part of me wishes to do just that, but I know I would only spend my days worrying over your fate. I've come too far to leave you just now. I must see this to the finish. I wish to see you reunited with your family, and only when you are safe will I return to my ship," Nora said with a firm nod.