Cassia inhaled deeply, the crisp scent of the morning ocean filling her nose and leaving a taste of salt on her tongue. The water was glossed with gold from the rising sun, the sky the deep, intense blue that can only be found on the open sea. The weather had grown steadily warmer as they traveled southwest toward Soria's largest port city, Ansha.

After nearly a month at sea, the crew had become mostly used to her presence on the quarterdeck in the early mornings. She still received a number of sideways glances from the men as they passed, but the disapproving stares and murmurs had diminished somewhat as her novelty wore off.

Cassia had found the pattern of training at sunrise a comforting one to maintain, especially when the rest of her situation remained so fluid. She had been unable to beg, borrow or steal a blade from Nasir or any of the crew, but she still remembered the footwork patterns Julianus had taught her. Holding an imaginary blade aloft, Cassia danced her way through the steps. Her body moved with the gentle pitch and roll of the deck, her boots slipping ever so slightly on the damp wood. 

She was aware of the eyes on her. He always watched her. He had been watching her since the first day she had dared to venture beyond the confines of the captain's cabin.

As always, Cassia ignored Askari, who was standing beside the helmsman. His arms were crossed, his dark eyes tracking her every move. They had rarely spoken beyond trading a few insults during Cassia's time on the ship. Mostly she avoided the first mate whenever she could, the memory of blood between them far too potent to forget or forgive.

She took a deep breath and focused on a particularly tricky bit of footwork, her shoulder muscles beginning to burn as she held her arm up. Sweat broke out over her brow, strands of hair slipping from the tie at the back of her neck. The wind blew them against her cheek, tickling at the corners of her mouth and eyes. She moved faster, breathing harder as she lost herself in the movement, flowing through the form.

All those dancing lessons had come in handy.

Cassia turned and nearly stumbled backwards when she found Askari had moved closer to where she was practicing. Her hand shot to the knife that had been her most constant companion since she'd set out to sea. 

Askari narrowed his eyes. He tapped the leg she had wounded all those days ago. "I begin to think that was mere luck. I am not sure I believe you actually know how to use that."

"Would you care to test your theory?" Cassia pulled the knife from its sheath, flipping it in her hand as she'd seen Vestarin do. As she'd practiced hundreds of times holed up in the cabin Nasir had given her. She'd had little else to do besides read the books on offer and refine the skills taught her by Julianus and his brother.

She was pleased to think the practice had paid off.

To her surprise, the corner of Askari's mouth turned up in what might have been a smile. The expression put her on edge, her fingers tightening convulsively on the hilt of the knife.

"You do such strange things," he said, eyeing her speculatively, his gaze lingering on the short strands of her hair blowing in the wind. "For a woman."

"Yes," she replied, thinking it best to keep their conversation as simple and short as she could. 

Nasir had warned her to keep her distance from Askari. As much as one could keep their distance on a ship. Cassia had been glad to heed that order. She still woke up nights with her scalp burning and the memory of a blade traveling ever closer to the vulnerable flesh of her throat.

"Why?" The simple question surprised her, as did Askari's tone. It was not hostile, for a change, but rather curious. He crossed his arms, shifting his weight to his uninjured leg.

"Should I not?" she said in an effort to buy herself time to think. She could not so much as hint at the real reason for her so-called strange behavior, but something told her that not giving Askari a satisfactory answer would only lead him to more curiosity.

Curiosity was not something Cassia could afford in this situation. If the Sorians so much as guessed at her true identity, she would find herself shipped to King Malchus' dungeons faster than she could say "Corlana save me". She would be held as a royal hostage and would never see Metian shores again, for her father would not pay any ransom for her. In fact, it would be a rather neat solution to his dilemma.

"Prudence would suggest you shouldn't."

Cassia couldn't stop the snort that came from her at that. She bit at the inside of her cheek, then took a few steps away before she completed the footwork pattern Askari had interrupted. When she finished, she turned back to him. "Prudence would suggest I should." At his look of disbelief, she asked, "What logic dictates a person should not protect herself, simply because she is a woman? Is it not reasonable to assume a woman finds her own life just as valuable as a man finds his?"

Askari stared at her for a long time, his eyes shadowed with something Cassia could not define. Her hand inched back toward the knife at her hip, but then Askari shrugged before turning away from her and heading back to the helm. He said something to the man at the wheel before casting one more glance at her as he descended the stairs. She traced his path across the main deck to the main mast. He spoke briefly with one of the riggers, gesturing toward something above them. Cassia followed his pointing finger, wondering what it was that had caught his attention.

After watching him for a moment longer, Cassia returned to her starting position in the center of the deck. Again she lifted her arm, settling into the first stance, most of her weight on her forward leg. Then she dropped her arm, standing up straight. She let out a long sigh before turning toward the stern. Propping her tired arms on the railing, she leaned over it to stare down at the water below. White foam flowed along in the ship's wake, marking their passage if only temporarily.

She was beginning to rather seriously regret her decision to go to Soria rather than Brunia. 

It wasn't just the strained relationship with Nasir and his men. It wasn't that she had to be constantly on guard, especially around Askari. It wasn't even simply that Brunia was closer to Metus and she would currently be on dry land and away from these Sorian sea rats if she'd chosen to go there. It was a little due to the fact that Marcus had been the one to suggest she go to the enemy empire in the first place.

Mostly, though, it was because of the godsdamned dreams.

They called her toward the island.

Cassia slowly reached up and slipped the tie from her hair, letting the sea breeze dry the sweat-damp strands. She wrapped the bit of soft leather around and around her fingers, staring at the bright line where water met sky. Last night had seen another in this string of strange nightmares.

There had been snow. There was always snow. And blood. Cassia frowned, leaning a little farther forward to stare at the water, trying to remember more. There was occasionally a man, though she couldn't have said who he was. The only feature she could ever discern was his eyes, and they were never the same color. Sometimes they were a deep, rich brown. Sometimes they were icy blue. Sometimes they gleamed gold.

In her dreams, she was in the middle of fever-pitch battles. Or she walked in a soaring hall made of white stone. More often than not, she remembered standing in the middle of an ageless forest, watching in silent terror as shadows slipped from tree to tree, stalking closer with every second.

Cassia watched the water, frowning as it seemed to darken, reflecting her thoughts. She only ever really remembered bits and pieces of these dreams, but she knew that they left her deeply unsettled. Especially the ones in the forests. There was something sinister about those dreams. More so than the others, even the ones that found her witness to war.

Like it had been called by her musings, a splotch of darkness formed beneath the water not  a hundred yards from the ship. Cassia reared back in shock, fear making her tongue taste metallic as the shadow grew rapidly larger. A million stories of krakens and leviathans destroying ships and devouring sailors whirled through her mind. She opened her mouth to call out a warning when the shadow exploded above the surface.

Cassia gasped in awe as the whale broke free of the water, its grey hide glistening in the sun as it breached. It arced backwards before it crashed back into the ocean, sending up a gout of spray. Miniature rainbows played over the water as the mist fell back down. More shadows appeared and Cassia watched, delighted as one whale after another popped to the surface. Some merely arched their backs above the surface, water spraying from holes in their backs. Others leapt up in a great display of power and majesty. 

It wasn't long before the pod veered off from the path of the ship. Cassia shaded her eyes against the glare of the sun, watching as they slipped away below the surface again.

"I feel sorry for the people who have never seen such a sight."

Cassia all but jumped out of her skin at the sound of Nasir's mellow voice. She turned sharply on her heel, putting her back to the railing. While Nasir had been nothing but courteous on their journey, she could not forget how he'd simply sat and watched as his second-in-command attempted to murder her. It had made her wary of the captain, to say the least.

For Nasir's part, he had tried to reach out to her. He had even invited her a number of times to dine with him, but Cassia had always declined, thinking it best to keep her distance.

The less she spoke, the less likely it was she would let something slip. The less they would be able to guess from her mannerisms or speech. Overcautious, perhaps, but Cassia refused to stumble at this first hurdle. She knew there would be plenty of other opportunities to fail once she reached dry land, whether that land was Soria or Brunia.

"They are magnificent," she said.

Nasir swept his gaze over her from head to toe, eyes lingering on her short hair. He gestured toward the railing. "Might I join you?"

Cassia narrowed her eyes. "It is your ship."

"Actually, it belongs to my brother," Nasir said cheerfully, leaning against the railing beside her. Cassia slowly turned so she was facing the same way as the captain. "He is the one who inherited my father's business."

Cassia nodded, unsure of how to respond to that. She had never really thought of Nasir outside of the context of his role as a captain. It was somehow odd to think of his family. She didn't know why.

"You spoke to Askari," he said after a moment's silence. "I thought we had decided it was better to keep your distance?"

A sigh lifted her chest as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, just to have it immediately blown free again. There were some drawbacks to having cut her hair short. "He spoke to me."

Nasir tilted his head, brow furrowing slightly. "Indeed?" 

"Perhaps you should ask him why he did so," Cassia said. She hadn't appreciated the accusation implicit in the captain's question.

Nasir suddenly grinned. "Don't you know?"

Cassia snorted. "I wouldn't dare to so much as hazard a guess. Frankly, I'm not entirely sure I care."

The beads in his hair clinked gently against one another as he looked over his shoulder, the gold they were made of shining in the morning sun. A considering expression crossed his face as he turned back to her. "You intrigue him. I do not believe he enjoys the sensation."

Raising her eyebrows at that, Cassia smirked a little. "Not much experience with women, then?"

"I did not say that," Nasir said with a laugh. "I said he does not enjoy being intrigued. In his experience, women are only interesting in one aspect."

"He can't have met very many interesting women then," Cassia said dryly.

"Women in Soria strive not to be interesting. Men do not make wives of interesting women. They are too much work. Sorian women are quiet and lovely and—"

"Biddable?"

Nasir sighed through his nose. "I was going to say intelligent. Often that comes with an ability to keep their mouths shut when they should." He grimaced. "Or to do as they're told."

Cassia couldn't stop the sneer that curled her lip, but she didn't say anything in response. There was no point. Again, she attempted to tuck her hair behind her ear, knowing it would just blow across her face with the next gust of wind. She licked her dry lips, tasting the salt on her skin.

"What about me does he find so intriguing?" she asked, curious in spite of herself. She was not often intrigued by the people she disliked, and Askari seemed to truly hate her.

Nasir barked a laugh before he covered his mouth with a long-fingered hand, obviously trying to hide his amusement. "Where shall I begin?" Once more, his eyes flicked to her hair, then moved down to the knife at her belt, then farther over her trouser-clad legs.

"I believe I get your point," Cassia said, shifting away from Nasir, disliking how his gaze lingered.

"Do not misunderstand me." Nasir stood straight, clasping his hands behind his back. His coat flapped around his knees as the wind picked up. "It has less to do with your looks than you might believe."

Cassia tilted her head back, watching as the sails bellied out under a stiff gust. Actually, she didn't find that hard to believe at all. She had enough experience to know when a man was looking at her because of her beauty. That was not how Askari looked at her. 

It was difficult to describe how the first mate looked at her. Sometimes his gaze was filled with animosity, other times with something akin to confusion. Cassia had tried not to think about it overmuch, instead spending her energy on preparing for when they reached Ansha.

Loathe as she was to admit it, Marcus had been correct when he'd said a peace treaty with the Sorians would be quite the accomplishment for her. Unfortunately, she still had no idea how she could possibly approach King Malchus without the protection of her position. A position she could no longer actually claim.

Nasir was watching her, waiting for some kind of response.

"Regardless," she said, turning away from the railing. "I still believe it best if we both keep our distance." She took a few steps, intent on returning to her cabin and a book on the third Sorian war from the point of view of the Sorians.

"Won't you stay for a moment?" Nasir asked. Cassia looked over her shoulder, brow furrowing. The captain still stood with his hands clasped behind his back. He offered a wan smile. "Askari is perhaps not the only one who finds you intriguing."

After a moment's hesitation, Cassia slowly shook her head. "I don't think—"

"Please do not misunderstand me." Nasir's smile was gone. "I am not asking you to be unfaithful. I would simply like to speak with you."

Cassia blinked once, confused for a moment. Then she remembered. They were under the impression that she was romantically involved with Corax. Something she found laughable and useful all at the same time. 

"What about?" she asked, cautious.

Nasir leaned back against the railing. "You, mostly." Her least favorite subject. She cast about frantically for a way to escape, but Nasir was already speaking, obviously unwilling to put up with her silence any longer. "I find it very strange that Corax would send you to do his business."

That made her immediately bristle. "Perhaps he is not so blind as...many others." Cassia grimaced. She had very nearly said yourself. Insulting Nasir didn't seem like the best way to ensure her voyage remained quiet. 

Nasir sighed through his nose, looking suddenly weary. "You are determined to misunderstand me, it would seem." At her frown, he said, "I would like to think I am not quite so prejudiced as you believe."

"And why would you like to think that?" Cassia asked before biting her tongue. This conversation had taken a very strange turn indeed.

He was quiet for a long time. "My wife was very much like you, in her own quiet way. It was impossible to live in the same house with her and not understand the strength and wisdom a woman can possess."

Cassia did not miss the past tense. Nor did she miss the shadow of pain within his eyes.

"You might not believe me," Nasir continued, "but I do not find it strange that he sent you because you are a woman. Rather, I find it strange that he trusts anyone enough to send in his stead."

"Then perhaps I should offer an apology," she said, voice only little more than a whisper. It would seem she was just as prejudiced as she had assumed Nasir—and most other men—to be.

He inclined his head. "Does that mean you will deign to speak with me? To answer my questions?"

This felt like dangerous territory. "I won't betray Corax's trust," she said carefully.

"I don't believe I will ask you to." Nasir again leaned against the railing. "It is not Corax I am curious about." Cassia raised a disbelieving eyebrow and the captain chuckled. "Well, perhaps I am a little curious about him. But seeing as how you are the one on my ship, I will only seek to satisfy the curiosity concerning you."

"Corax has his own reasons for sending me," she said, finally answering his original question. "That is all I can tell you."

"Then I have phrased the question incorrectly." Nasir gestured for her to join him once more at the railing. "I suppose what I was really getting at is I don't believe Corax sent you for a purpose  of his, but rather for one of your own."

Cassia kept her face perfectly blank. How in the name of all the gods had he come to that conclusion? She managed a small, confused smile. "What business could I have in Soria?"

"I see." Nasir frowned.

"Do you?" She tried to slow her racing heart.

"It doesn't surprise me that a woman who managed to catch Corax's eye would have a few secrets of her own." Nasir drummed his fingers on the wood. "But I must admit, that does pose rather a problem for me."

Cassia cocked her head at that. She had been under the impression that once they reached Sorian shores, she would no longer pose any sort of problem for the merchants. Indeed, she had thought that reaching the continent would free her from her unwanted companions.

"We are not complete barbarians," he said dryly. "Our docks have customs agents as well."

All of the blood seemed to drain from her face. "Oh," she managed.

Nasir rapped his knuckles gently against the railing. "I believe you have spotted my problem. And understand why I have been attempting to get you to speak with me." He looked over at her. "With little more than two weeks until we make land, I thought it best to let you know I need an answer."

Cassia's first reaction was surprise, wondering why he hadn't been more heavy-handed about it. Her second was concern, her mind racing as she tried to find a suitable answer.

Reading her silence correctly, Nasir added, "A good lie would work as well, though I will need to know every detail, as I will be responsible for vouching for you."

She chewed at the inside of her cheek, staring at the horizon. This was not a problem she had considered. The one time she had been to Soria, she hadn't exactly needed to state her reason for being there.

When she continued to not offer an answer, Nasir slumped against the railing, letting his head hang slightly. He sighed before looking out over the ocean as well. "I think it would be wise of you to join me for the evening meal."

"I..." Cassia groaned internally. "Yes, I think so."

Offering her a grim smile, Nasir pushed away from the railing. "In that case, I'll speak to the cook. An unpleasant discussion should be accompanied by a nice meal."

"Does it have to be unpleasant?" Cassia muttered, not doubting that it would be for her, at least.

Nasir laughed. "I suppose that depends on what lie we manage to—"

"Captain!" The shout made both Cassia and Nasir jump. They turned simultaneously to find Askari running up the stairs before he crossed the quarterdeck with long strides.

He skidded to a halt, his mouth opening before his eyes fell on Cassia. A strained look crossed his face.

Nasir sighed. "Spit it out, Askari. Secrets don't keep well on ships anyway."

"It's not that, Captain." Askari pointed toward the bow. "It's that."

Cassia shaded her eyes against the sun, peering in the direction Askari had pointed. She couldn't see anything beyond the glare off the water. Lowering her hand, she instead looked at Nasir, hoping he might give a hint as to what his first mate had seen.

It surprised her when she found his expression just as strained as Askari's. His jaw was clenched, his warm skin now sallow. She watched as he pulled a spyglass from the pocket of his coat, bringing it up to his eye.

Again, she looked in the same direction as he was, but couldn't see anything worthy of the mens' reactions.

"Tack to port," Nasir said. "Full sail. No need to panic."

Askari darted a glance at Cassia. "Captain?"

"Yes, Askari. I know." Nasir lowered his spyglass and turned to Cassia. "It might be best if you return to your cabin."

She opened her mouth to ask why, but Nasir just offered her the spyglass. She snatched it from his hand, lifting it to her eye and peering toward the north. It took a moment of scanning along the line of the horizon before she saw it.

A ship with white sails. From the main mast, a pennant flew. All she could make out was a forest green field with a white splotch in the middle. The ship was moving fast, judging by how the image began to clear, revealing the snarling head of a white wolf. Swallowing against a suddenly dry mouth, she lowered the glass. 

She looked over at Nasir. Striving to keep her voice as even as he had, she said, "I hadn't realized Brunian pirates sailed so far south."

"I believe they prefer the term privateer." Nasir took back his spyglass before gesturing toward the stairs. "Now, if you would?"

Cassia nodded. It would certainly be best if she returned to her cabin, out of the sailors' way.