Ava didn't know what to expect from the night but the events that unfolded couldn't even be imagined. Ava had no time to ask what was going on before Theo had ushered her off to go find Xyra. The last thing she had seen was a wave of Eloxian soldiers, a large portion of them with torches. Ava had heard about their razing technique but she never thought she would witness it. She had run off to find Xyra still not fully understanding the gravity of the situation.

Ava wouldn't have found Xyra if it weren't for her large hand reaching through the crowds and pulling Ava to her.

"Where is Theo?" Xyra asked with a tight grip on her. What was it with pirates and grabbing her that sun?

"She sent me to get you," Ava said, "she said you would need my help."

Xyra didn't say anything else. She just kept a tight grip on Ava's arm and led them out of the crowd. They began to walk away from the square and to the port when Xyra finally let go.

"What's happening?" Ava asked as she jogged to keep up with Xyra's quick pace.

"We are preparing for the worst," Xyra said, "I know you haven't been trained in this yet but I need you to save the questions for later. There is a possibility that no one here will have a home tonight so we need to prepare our ship for that."

"And you need my help with that?" Ava asked, a bit surprised.

"Aye," Xyra nodded and kept her quick pace, "I don't have a quartermaster and our replacement is busy leading the vanguard. I need someone to help with the flow of refugees if we need to take any on."

Ava nodded. She was getting a very important job with little to no instructions and expected not to ask questions. She would be fine, everything was fine. It wasn't like people depended on this or anything. A bell could be heard coming from the center of town, the alarm bells had rung. She looked back to see if she could spot anything happening in the square but she couldn't; they were too far. They arrived at the ship and some of the crew had rushed up to Xyra and shouted different questions.

She answered some, tabled others, and one of the questions she delegated to Ava.

"Xyra, what do we do about accommodations? How many are we expecting?" Xiomara asked.

"Ask Ava," Xyra said and then went on to the next question.

Ava blankly stared at Xyra with her mouth slightly agape. Xyra said Ava would help with the flow of refugees not create the system in which they flowed. Ava felt out of her depth but she figured this was as good a time as any to prove her worth on the ship. She began to walk further onto the ship's deck and Xiomara followed her.

"How many people can this ship hold besides the crew?" Ava asked.

"Probably another 200 people but it would be a tight squeeze," Xiomara said.

"Including the lower decks?"

"Aye, we can fit about 75 people in the cabins if they squish together and 150 or more down below."

"Alright, we are going to try and get as many people on here as possible. The lower decks need to be cleared out completely. That will be just for the refugees," Ava said and paused to ponder her next command.

Her time as a cabin girl made her familiar with how many crew members had cabins. 17. Even though they were all allotted a cabin, only 17 of the 34 crew members had one and the rest slept in the lower decks. The lower deck women would have to relocate and double up with those that already had cabins as they saw fit. The lower deck stuff could be gathered in Theo's room and when the women came to collect it, they could decide what room to sleep in. Whoever didn't want to share a bed could have a cot brought up from storage for them. She relayed those plans.

Ava also thought about what the flow would look like once people started coming. She glanced over to the town and saw a few smokestacks rising up, at least a few would be finding a home on the ship tonight. She had to separate the incoming people to keep them as safe as they could be. Women who were alone, single mothers, and children that were alone would be ushered to their own cabins. Men would have one side of the lower decks and completed families would also stay in the lower deck.

She communicated that to Xiomara who needed no other instruction before she ran off and spouted off her own commands. The crew really was trained well. Ava hoped that she wasn't the one that would mess it up. Xyra approached her and handed her some blank papers.

"We need a log of everyone who boards the ship. We need their full name, their age, and you need to ask to see if they are missing anyone. Got it?" Xyra asked with a rushed and tense tone.

Ava nodded and took the papers that had been pressed against her chest. Xyra walked a few steps before retreating back to Ava, "You are going to need to find a quill."

That was something Ava didn't need to think twice about. She knew just where to get one. Ava marched straight into Theo's office and took a container of ink and quill right from the surface of her desk. She put it on top of a side table Theo had in the room and dragged it out to the deck. She placed it in front of a box so she had somewhere to sit and then she went to find Xiomara. Ava found her and requested help in finding three women to help. Ava got her help and soon delegated jobs to each of the women.

One would stand at the ramp onto the ship and guide people to sit on the deck until they could be seen by Ava. Ava would jot down their information and hand them off to one girl if they were to go into the lower decks and another if they needed a cabin. She had set her system up just on time. People started to roll in wave after wave and Ava was going through people so quickly she didn't realize how many people she had gone through until the waves of refugees were no longer coming and there was just a line of people waiting on deck.

Ava would jot down their name, age, ask about any missing family members or friends, check against her list, categorize them into which accommodations they would have, and then she would write down where she put them. She had assigned each of the hammocks in the lower decks a number so she would write the number in her log to be able to track them down easier later. She apologized for being unable to answer any of their questions but promised that once everything had settled they would be answered and solved.

It was a long while before she finished up with the last person. A young couple who were sent to the lower decks. She didn't see anyone else but she stayed at her station anyway. They were pretty full. She had to triple up rooms she had already doubled up but no one she told seemed to mind. They were grateful to have a safe place to rest their head. Ava had pushed their capacity way past the 200 more they were allowed and she wondered how Rose would cook for all of those people.

She was observing the crew run back and forth on the deck loading up things from shore. It looked to be provisions and items needed for survival on the ship. Extra rations for the extra mouths. Ava wondered how long they could keep the people on the ship and if they even had time to stop between here and Gossem. The trip to Alenroux was already delayed because of bad winds.

Most of the crew members had shown up on the ship at one point or another. Morgana, Iona, Oceane all came back to escort some people and load up some supplies but Ava hadn't seen Cooker or Theo. Ava was starting to get a nervous feeling in the bottom of her stomach the longer that passed without either of them showing up. Cooker eventually came back with a large group of people. There were no hammocks or cabins left so they would have to find a comfortable spot on the floor. Ava had seen the crew bring in pillows and blankets so at least there would be some relief from the hard floor. Ava signed them in and gave them the same spiel she had used for everyone. She kept glancing over at Cooker who had stopped to talk to Xyra, concern spread on both of their features.

Ava checked the group in and stayed at her station, hoping and praying the Captain would come through any minute. Time passed and Cooker ended up making herself useful elsewhere but Xyra was anxiously pacing the deck. What Xyra was showing outwardly, Ava was facing on the inside. She was sick with worry. Ava heard footsteps on the ramp and Theo's hat popped into view followed by Theo. Ava let out an audible sigh of relief and slumped forward a bit on the table. Xyra also had a visible reaction but she restrained herself from charging towards the captain. Theo's hands and face were dirty with soot, dirt, and blood and oddly enough, she was carrying something in her arm.

No, not something. Someone.

Resting on Theo's hip was a small little girl with jet black hair, just like Theo's. It was short and shaggy with a slight curl to the ends of it and Ava's heart both melted and shattered. There were no signs of anyone else with Theo which means the girls currently didn't have any parents and she looked to be barely older than a length. Xyra was bypassed as Theo made a beeline to Ava.

"I need to know if Pika or Bari signed in. Did you see them?" Theo got straight to the point, she was still in crisis mode.

"No, I didn't sign them in," Ava replied.

Theo rapidly shot out the next question, "Are there other children that you found without parents?"

"Aye," Ava said, "many of them. They are sharing a few cabins upstairs."

"Put her there with them," Theo set down the little girl, "I found her hugging someone's body. I think it was her mother. We also still need to see if these kids have any family aboard. We have to do a check eventually, will you see to that?"

Ava nodded and tested to see if the little girl could talk, "Hello precious, what is your name?"

The little girl just made a cooing sound and looked up at Theo and held up her arms.

"No," Theo said, "go with the nice lady. She'll take you now."

Ava got up and tried to hold the little girl but she struggled against Ava's arms. There was no crying but there were uncomfortable noises and a lot of pushing against Ava's chest to get away. Ava set the little girl down to see what she would do and she cozied up to Theo's legs, refusing to move.

"Mes," Theo said and tried to encourage the little girl, "Mes mes, kion la ikiem."

Ava knew that mes meant to go but didn't catch anything else. But even with the command in two different languages, the girl wouldn't move.

"Theo I think she is scared," Ava said, "Maybe you should take her just for the night."

"I don't like children. I'm not good with them," Theo said coldly and tried taking a step away from the child. The child followed.

Ava got up and picked up the little girl and sat her on the box next to her, hoping that it would be enough to keep her there. Theo began to walk away thinking the issue was solved when the little girl flopped onto her belly and began to shimmy down the box. She fell down with a small thud on her butt before she picked herself back and waddled towards Theo as best as her toddler legs could.

Theo sighed loudly and Ava had never seen Theo so on edge before. She squatted down and held the little girl in place an arm's length away, "Mes. Go."

The little girl just raised her hands up and grabbed at the air indicating she wanted to be picked up. Theo gave up. Ava watched as she bent down and scooped the child back up. With a scowl on her face, Theo called for Xyra to come into her quarters and with that Ava was left mostly alone on the deck. Save for a straggling crew member, she was it; just waiting for a person in need of shelter to stumble on by.

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Theo had walked in and set the little girl down. Xyra followed closely behind and when Theo turned to face her, the realization was already on Xyra's face. Theo shook her head, a simple no to confirm what Xyra had suspected. Pika and Bari were dead. Burned alive in a house fire. Xyra's breath was knocked out of her chest and she grabbed the chair to steady herself. She closed her eyes and shook her head repeatedly.

"No, no, it can't be," she insisted, "are you sure? You checked around to see they weren't there?"

"Xyra..." Theo said, unsure of what else to do. They had experienced loss before, in their profession, it was hard not to, but this was different. Pika and Bari were supposed to be untouchable; permanent fixtures in their lives until they died peacefully in their sleep. Theo had never counted on having them ripped from the world in such a way. This loss hit harder than any other one because it was one of the only losses Theo had never planned for. Their house burning was on a loop in her head and her heart was heavier than it had been in lengths.

Xyra's eyes filled with tears and they silently streamed down her face. Theo couldn't remember how long it had been since she had seen her best friend cry.

"I didn't go see them today," Xyra said through a cracked voice.

"Xy... I'm so sorry," Theo pulled Xyra into an embrace and let herself shed a few tears as well. She had forgotten about the little girl until she softly bumped into their legs and joined in on the hug from down below.

Cooker marched into the room and looked at the scene in front of her. She saw the tears, the embrace, the sad looks and she got the point. She said nothing, turned on her heel and left, slamming the door behind her.

"I should go after her," Xyra said softly, head resting on Theo's shoulder with her eyes closed.

"You don't have to," Theo rubbed Xyra's back, up and down slowly. Xyra was probably going to take it the hardest. Xyra had spent a large portion of time with them when she was younger, having a lot of Uncilo based business in this area of Safriti. Her and Bari had gotten really close and while she loved Pika, it was different with Bari. Bari saw Xyra, understood her, helped her. Xyra was just as serious as a child and Bari was the only one that truly embraced that.

"If I don't go talk to her, she's going to bottle it up," Xyra said and Theo knew she was right. Cooker's way of handling emotions was a phenomenon. The longer that passed, the more she kept her feelings to herself. If someone managed to catch her at the crest of her wave of emotions she was more likely to let it all out.

Xyra was equipped to defuse both Cooker and Theo. Theo and Cooker with each other? Not so much. They were too similar and too stubborn in their approaches that they butted heads. So Theo wouldn't be able to be much help.

"Go," Theo said, "I'm going to take a minute then get started on figuring out what our next move is."

Xyra nodded and stepped away and then looked down at the little girl and her face softened, "She's so cute, Theo... "

"Fucking keep her then. She won't leave me alone," Theo complained, the last thing she needed was an annoying baby in the way of things.

"Theo, she's just a little kid. She's got no one right now and she seems to have imprinted on you. Try and be nice," Xyra asked, "you were once little and had no parents. You'll be good?"

Xyra stayed just long enough to make Theo give confirmation that she would behave before going out to find Cooker.

Theo sighed deeply and walked to her bed and fell back on it. The little girl ran after her and pawed at the sheets until she was let up, like the little puppy she and Cooker once snuck onto their first ship. The only difference was she had actually liked the puppy. Theo resumed her dejected, laying down position and the little girl simply sat down right next to Theo's torso. Her little arm came up to rest against Theo's ribcage. Theo tried to be nice and the only way to show niceness to a baby in her eyes was to pat it gently on the head. The little girl giggled at that so Theo must've done something right. Against her will, she cracked a smile.

The little girl had no idea what was happening. She probably had no concept of pain or loss or death. She was clutching a young woman's body as the flames from neighboring buildings were surrounding them. There was no one around that seemed to be the little girl's family so Theo had no choice but to take her, afraid that she would walk into a fire or hurt herself on rubble. Xyra was right, the little girl had probably imprinted on her, after all Theo was the one that saved her. As if someone that was like family dying wasn't enough, she had to watch as everyone else lost everything too. This orphaned girl was on Elox's hands just as much as every other death was

Theo stopped paying attention to the baby and just stared at the ceiling. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down from her nervous and tense state but she couldn't. Upon closing her eyes, flashes of the houses in flames burned her eyelids. She opened her eyes once again, scared to even blink. She had so much to get started on but she couldn't push past the grief she was feeling. She had seen them that morning and now they were gone and she just had to keep going. She was expected to brush it off and work.

Theo sat up and sighed. Duty called.