Oceane felt downright giddy. She was already a morning person but even if she wasn't, the sun she had planned would have been enough to make the early wake-up time worth it. The sun wasn't even close to rising when Oceane hopped out of her hammock and ran up to her room. Her room was, as most times, a disaster. Not only were her plants taking over the room, she now had a ridiculous amount of ribbon, and thread, and fabric, and paper littered around the room. Proof of her hard work and dedication to the craft of sewing.

Laid out on her bed were several outfits she was working on, none of them finished. Oceane kept getting too excited about ideas that she would start a new project before completing her last. That resulted in about 8 different sets of clothes being constructed at once. The clothes she had promised Theo, however, was something she diligently worked on. And gods knew she needed all the time on it she could get, after bugging her captain for so long about it there was no way she couldn't deliver. But everything that Oceane had produced had been shabby, wonky, and not fit for Theo which meant she had started over around ten times.

Amongst all her trials and all her errors, she had managed to successfully finish one item of clothing. It was a shirt, plain and simple but crafted by her own two hands. It was more akin to an undershirt than a shirt, being sleeveless and a bit tight, but she was proud of it anyway. That is what she chose to wear for the special sun ahead of her, she layered it with a vest, some pants, her worn-down boots and she was quickly back out the door, leaving her room in disarray once again. After a quick stop to fill up her waterskin, getting her bow from the armory, and grabbing her bag from the lower decks, she was back on deck trying to find who she was looking for.

"Iona!" Oceane shouted and jogged up to her friend with a smile, "good morning."

Iona did not look as pleased or as happy as Oceane felt, she had bags under her eyes and she was exhibiting the telltale signs of having an early shift.

"Morning, O," Iona yawned and finished coiling up some rope, finishing the task Oceane had interrupted, "you ready?"

"I am, are you?" Oceane asked.

"Aye, give me a moment to grab Evanna and we should be on our way," Iona put the rope away and walked off, leaving Oceane alone on deck.

She was jittery, too excited for the sun ahead to stand still. She wished that they had been able to dock at the port, but that was never the case for Drokian. Too many important were people around to get away with docking, even with their special merchant's permit to dock in most of Efriti. Not only were they out of port, they were so far from it Oceane couldn't even see the outline of land from where they were. No one was around to keep her occupied and she was so ready to just go, that she decided to just climb into the boat that would row them to shore. Oceane wondered why Evana had to go to shore, she had never shown an interest in Drokian any of the other times they had been there.

Oceane distracted herself by pulling a stale biscuit from her bag and biting into it. What a fulfilling breakfast. She had snuck it from the kitchen the night before knowing she would have no time to stop for a snack on her long walk through the forest. It was hard to eat and instead of finishing it, she began to pick off crumbs and throw them into the ocean, in hopes that some fish would benefit from it more.

"You're going to attract a sea monster," Evana commented as she climbed into the boat, Ioana right behind her.

"We've got a vanguard leader with us, she can fight them off," Oceane offered Iona up for the challenge.

Evana just laughed as she took a seat next to Oceane, "How are you this morning, dear? Excited?"

"As always," Oceane beamed, "why are you going to shore?"

"It's a surprise," Evana patted her hand over Oceane's knee and Oceane let it be, she did love a surprise.

"Iona, how are you feeling about the mission?" Oceane asked.

"Wish I could be doing more to help but..." Iona shrugged, always one of little words.

Iona worked on getting them on their way and soon enough the ship was fading into the distance. After a while, Oceane took over the oars to give Iona a break, it was a long journey- over an hour of rowing- before they arrived at their destination. Oceane hopped out of the boat and helped Iona push it to shore. Once the sand was beneath their feet and the boat was secured, Oceane took a look at her surroundings. They were near a small stream that trickled down from the forest and into the ocean. She knew exactly where they were.

What she had lost in the time rowing to shore, she would make up because of their positioning. It was luck, or her god Pelas, but they were technically one in the same. Oceane could waste no more time, she wanted to squeeze every second she had of her stay in Drokian. She waved behind her without turning as she darted for the trees.

"Thanks Iona! Okay, bye!" Oceane yelled behind her.

"Oceane, do you know where you are going?!" Ioana called out after her.

"Aye! I'll be back in the second hour of the aftermorning!" Oceane slightly turned her head to project her voice.

Oceane followed the stream until the forest gave way to a path, she stepped on the path and crossed over the small bridge that covered the stream. Once she was clear from the hurdles of roots and bushes and holes, she took off. Oceane could feel how close she was and a smile was plastered on her face even as she ran- and she hated running. Her bow and arrows clanked around on her back and the pile of coins in her bag weighed heavy on her side but it didn't slow her down. The trees began to fall away from the path, getting thinner and sparser until finally she had made it past the edge of the forest and began to travel along where the path skirted the coast. It snaked up a small incline until the path ended at a cobblestone town center.

Oceane barely saw a soul out in the small fishing town, she moved slower through the town than she had on the way there but she was still speeding along her way. Everytime she came back to this place, the place where she grew up, the nostalgia never failed to invade her senses. Memories of playing in the town center and causing mischief with the other children flooded her mind. As she moved through the familiar surroundings, the clinking of her belongings drew some confused stares her way but she just flashed a bright smile and waved. Most people recognized her and waved back but no one stopped, it was early and everyone would be heading out to get started on their jobs or go fishing for lunch and dinner. Which is precisely what her family would be doing at that moment and she wanted nothing else but to join.

Following one of the several footpaths leading away from the town center, she began to head off in the direction of her family home. Their town was small, only numbering about 200 people. The houses along the path she was taking were spread out and there were not many she had to pass until she got to her childhood home. Nothing had changed about it since she was last there, what used to be an ever-growing structure that was always being modified was now just a simple, unchanging house. Since Oceane's mom had died several lengths before, her father had failed to continue its upkeep or expansion. The blue paint that decorated her house, and several of the houses along Drokian's outskirts, was fading from the beautiful vibrance it once had.

Oceane's excited butterflies had turned into nervous ones. It had been a while since she had last been home, and the last time she had visited didn't go so well. It was Oceane's fault, really. She could blame no one but herself. Oceane had dreamed of adventure since she was a child when she would watch ships come and go from the Drokian waters. She would watch them and long for the sun where she could join one of the ships and sail off into the horizon. When she was old enough, she convinced her dad to let her go find employment outside of Drokian.

When Oceane left home and her family was under the impression that she was going to join a fishing crew. Which, to her defense, she did do. But the reason for joining the fishing crew was not to seek long-term employment, it was to hitch a free ride to Dove Island. Oceane had heard that the pirate ship, the Scorned Woman was recruiting and had put out the word that they would be sailing along the Dovish coast in search of wannabe pirates. She knew that it was what she was meant to do. Oceane was not cut out for village life, or the life of a fisherman, or any other mundane job. She was born for adventure and shenanigans and all she did was make sure she was following the right path for herself. But in doing so, she failed to inform anyone in the family of her change in careers. It wasn't until the last time she had seen them that the truth of her situation came to light; which didn't really go over well with everyone.

It wasn't like she was being selfish, she had brought thousands of gold back for her family. So much, in fact, that the riches she lugged back to Drokian were far more than her family needed and it ended up going to some of their neighbors and friends. And it also wasn't like she was away for lengths at a time. Drokian was a major port of interest for them and as such, she got to frequently visit home. Well, more frequently than most of the girls on the crew got to see their families. Her visits home were never extremely far apart, except for the last length. They had done a stint in the East and then had been dealing with the pirate crisis which meant they hadn't anchored near Drokian in almost a length.

So, not only did the last time she was home not go very well, it had been a length since she had last visited. She wasn't too sure how it would go. Things didn't necessarily leave on a sour note, but there were many unsolved issues still in the air. As the dirt crunched under her feet and the faded blue house came closer, she let a large grin take over once again and regained the pep to her walk. It was her father, one of the happiest and most understanding people she knew; he would be delighted to see her again. What happened a length ago was in the past. Oceane had brought gold, gifts, and herself. That would surely be enough to lift anyone's spirit. The excitement she felt about seeing those that meant so much to her was enough to overtake the nerves and she sprinted the rest of the way home; unable to stop the energy that came over her.

Oceane paused only momentarily at the door, wondering if she should knock first. She decided against it and pushed the door open which led her into the houses' main room. The kitchen and their small living room were housed in that main room but no one was there. Oceane pulled her belongings off of her and set them down on the table in the kitchen before walking over to the next room.

"Baba?" Oceane called out and spun around the room to make sure no one was hiding.

She walked to the door that led to their garden in the back and yelled out again, "Baba! I'm home!"

A greying head popped up from behind a raised planting bed. It was her father and Oceane felt her smile reach her cheeks. She sprinted forward as her dad stood up from where he had been kneeling on the ground and opened his arms for her. She barrelled into the strong, sturdy arms of her father and squeezed tight.

"My dear Oceane," he kissed her head, "I had no idea you were coming."

"You never do," Oceane mumbled into his chest, taking advantage of an embrace she only got every so often, "did I scare you?"

"No," he chuckled, Oceane's head vibrating against his chest, "I am always ready, always waiting to hear your voice."

"Where are River and Fjord?" Oceane pulled away, her smile still stuck onto her face, "Don't tell me they've gone fishing already. I wanted to get here in time to go."

"Fjord is upstairs sleeping," her father put his arm around her shoulder and walked them back inside, "River is gone."

"Gone?" Oceane's smile dropped into a frown and she pulled away from her father, "What do you mean, gone?"

"Your sister caught a merchant's eye. He had been courting her for a few cycles while he was stationed in Drokian and when he left, she went with him," he walked to the kitchen and Oceane followed, "we had a small union ceremony at the town center. She's been gone three cycles now."

Oceane felt her heart sink a little bit, "You didn't write to tell me..."

"You are always on the move, what with your profession and all," her father attempted an apologetic smile before turning away from her and beginning to light their fire for some morning tea, "there was no way of knowing where to write you."

"Baba," Oceane took a few steps until she was hovering just behind him, watching him make the drinks, "you have always written to me, you know where to write to. Nothing changed."

"Oceane, much has changed," he said without looking over at her and Oceane felt like a heavy punch had collided into her chest. The mood had dramatically shifted. Some of the excitement and energy from before had left.

It had never happened before, feeling uncomfortable in her own home. It rarely ever happened in her sun to sun life, Oceane and being uncomfortable didn't mix; like oil and water. But an unfamiliar feeling of sadness washed over her. She had nothing to say. Her father had shown no signs of being upset with her when she had first seen him but perhaps that was because the shock of her being home outweighed how he truly felt. As the minutes passed, did he remember he was upset with her? He hadn't even sat down at the table to ask her about things before he turned his back to her and began making tea. The tea could wait, dammit.

Oceane gave him some space and walked away towards one of the chairs in the living area. She sat down and stared out the window, slightly curling in on herself. Outside she could see where land dipped off a few hundred feet away and met with the ocean. The sun was rapidly rising and filtering into the house. Her father made no move to talk to her, which was far beyond normal. Oceane felt almost like she didn't belong, like she wasn't wanted there, like she was a dirty pirate; which was too unforgivable.

Footsteps were rushing down the stairs and Oceane turned around to face where the noise was coming from. She saw her brother at the base of the stairs, similar short, tight curls framed his face. He had a wild grin on his face as he rushed towards his sister. Oceane stood up, awaiting the impact of his hug. He collided with her and she couldn't help but laugh as his massive frame enveloped her in a tight hug.

"I thought I heard your voice," he said as they hugged, "it's been too long, little sister."

"Fjord," Oceane pulled her face away slightly to gasp for some air, "let me breathe."

Fjord slowly released her but held her shoulders, "You're shorter than I remember."

"Ey," Oceane pushed one of his arms away from her shoulder, "I'm not shorter, you're just taller. Somehow."

"I thought you were supposed to be rich," Fjord reached forward and picked at a piece of thread coming from Oceane's shoulder, "what's the point of piracy if you can't afford something like a nice shirt."

"I made this myself!" Oceane laughed and pulled fully away from her brother, "you've gotten meaner."

"My apologies," Fjord held his hands up, "but I would stick to being a pirate. I don't think sewing is your thing."

"Fjord," their father chimed in, "stop messing with your sister and go get the fishing gear. You both can go catch us some lunch."

Her father turned around with a tray of teacups and walked over to Oceane who picked one up. His mood seemed lighter already like he was trying his best to make the visit worthwhile and not dredge up any drama. She picked up a cup of tea and sipped it, burning her tongue in the process.

She breathed in deeply to try and cool the burn before making eye contact with her father, "Are you not coming fishing with us?"

"No, dear," he took a sip from his tea, "I have an errand I need to run. But I will be back before you are and I will be preparing a wonderful lunch for all of us."

"I haven't had a home-cooked Safritian meal in way too long," Oceane began to smile again, even if it was uneasier than she would have liked it to be, "but if you find a way to push back your errand and come with us, I would love that."

"It's imperative I get it done," he smiled and put his hand on her arm and squeezed it before putting his own cup down, "speaking of, I should probably go."

Her father walked over to her and placed a kiss on the side of her head before he walked out. Fjord came back into the room carrying a basket full of supplies. Oceane slung her bow and arrow on her back and followed her brother out of the house. They walked in tandem away from their house and down to the shore. It was a slightly steep walk down but nothing she hadn't done before. As they walked, she looked over to Fjord's smiling face.

"How are you?" she asked.

"Oh, you know," Fjord shrugged a bit, smile not really dwindling, "it's not the same as when you lived at home, pretty boring. Even worse now that River isn't here."

"Baba didn't write to me about River and barely told me about what happened," Oceane said, "What're the details?"

"He met her while she was at Drokian's port selling jewelry she had been making, apparently it was love at first sight. The guy is rich, like super-rich," Fjord mused, recalling details to share with her, "has no last name but is pretty convinced that when the reclassification rolls around, he'll get one."

"Looks like she's moving up in life," Oceane commented, not trying to hide the slight disdain in her voice over the fact that her sister might become too wrapped up in higher society.

"My youngest sister is a part of a notorious pirate gang and my other one will soon have a last name," Fjord stated and then sighed dramatically, "and I am stuck at home."

"Fjord," Oceane felt a bit of guilt pinch her chest and she stopped in her tracks, "I didn't know you wanted to leave."

"I don't," Fjord chuckled and kept moving, making Oceane keep pace, "which almost makes it sadder."

"You're taking care of Baba, that's not sad," Oceane attempted to make him feel better.

"You're right," Fjord shifted the basket to one arm and flexed with his other, there wasn't much there, "I'm a downright hero."

Oceane laughed at his antics and continued to follow him down the footpath that led to the ocean. Their town's shore was different from the beach they had landed on. There was no expanse of sand and flat land, just tall rocks that extended from the coastline into the water. As they got closer to the water and the rocks appeared in view, she realized she had little time to speak before they began to fish. Fishing was a quiet event and she wanted to get her questions about her father out first. Oceane's choices were affecting him and it was eating her up inside.

"How is he?"

"Baba?" Fjord asked and Oceane nodded, "His health is good, but his mind? I do worry sometimes. He seems frazzled, out of sorts."

"He's been like that since mama died," Oceane pointed out, when she died he had become more nervous, more skittish.

"Sure, that's true but then he found out what you've been up to, and then River left and something changed. It's just been us and I think it's taking its toll on him."

"How can you tell?"

"He's been talking to her," Fjord said, kicking up some of the dirt as they walked. He was referring to their mother, "like having full conversations out loud to her and I don't know why. It started when River left."

"Oh."

Oceane had nothing else to say. She knew that if his mind had been declining, it was her fault. Oceane left home too soon after her mom died. Her mama was a force, a beautiful person, a light. She had died five lengths before and the loss of her from their lives was devastating. Even a length after her death, no one had really recovered from it but Oceane left anyway. If Oceane hadn't have left and set that standard, would River have gone too?

"Have you ever considered coming back?" Fjord broke the silence, stopping right before the rocks met the water.

"Aye, a lot," Oceane admitted with a sad smile, "when my prime is over and I've given what I can to my Captain, I would like to come back home. Settle down, maybe find myself a man to have a union with, if anyone should be so lucky. Maybe even find some lonely children to raise on the coast, living off the land; just like how mama and Baba raised us."

"But that's lengths from now, you might die between now and then," Fjord said as if it was something he thought about often, Oceane never returning home.

"I've got luck on my side," Oceane offered a reassuring smile, "I'll make it back home eventually, I promise."

That didn't seem too reassuring for her brother but he dropped the subject. They were at the edge of the water and any more talking might have scared the fish away. He set down the basket and began to retrieve his things. Oceane had what she needed, only her bow and arrow, and she stepped out into the water first. Her footsteps were slow, steady, careful. There was no noise aside from the ones nature was making and Oceane was sucked into a trance. All that existed was her bow, the water, and the rocks she was maneuvering between.

The fish were shy that day, there were barely any around. It took the better part of an hour before Oceane had enough of a catch to call it. Walking back to shore, she placed her fourth fish in the basket and counted how many were in there. Six, which meant they had enough and also that Fjord had only managed to catch two.

"Ey! Loser!" Oceane teased then whistled, "let's go. We've got enough."

Fjord waded out of the water and placed his supplies gently back into the basket before picking it up, "Shooting all those people with your arrows must have been good practice."

"I'll have you know that shooting fish is a lot harder," Oceane chuckled and took off ahead of him, forcing Fjord to jog after her.

She barrelled through the entrance to the house with Fjord closely behind her. She laughed as she kept running into the kitchen and came to a stop behind her dad, who was cooking rice.

"Baba! I caught four fish and Fjord only got two," Oceane boasted and pointed to the basket that was being set down on the counter.

"Not everything needs to be a competition, Oceane," Fjord rolled his eyes.

"You only ever say that when you lose," their father commented with a slight chuckle and he turned around to push them out of the kitchen, "let me prepare lunch in peace. Go engage in your foolishness somewhere else."

Oceane paid attention, only slightly though, and removed herself from the kitchen but stayed in the room, crashing down onto the living room couch. Fjord walked over to the chair in front of the couch and pulled a stack of cards from the table.

"Poli-voli?" Fjord asked.

Oceane took the pack of cards from him and began to shuffle. Poli-voli was a game that River had made up when she and Fjord were kids, while Oceane was just a toddler. It was a card game based on deceit and lying; which Oceane was quite good at. If her father was looking for peace to cook in, he didn't get it. The game quickly got heated, as it usually did, but her father didn't seem to mind. If anything, he looked more relaxed than before. Their house had always been a loud and boisterous one, their mother was a wild soul which meant the children she raised were just as rambunctious and full of energy as she was. Their father was always the calm one in the house and now was no different, he was quietly laboring away on their lunch while Oceane and Fjord yelled at each other loud enough for the fish in the ocean to hear them.

The aromas from their lunch slowly began filling the room and Oceane was getting hungrier by the minute. Her father had said he would prepare a feast and that is what he did. All of their childhood favorites, Fjord's and Oceane's, lined the table. They joined him at the table and Oceane didn't hesitate to begin serving herself. The overall mood in the house was lively, familial, warm; but Oceane felt a nagging at the back of her head. They had swept the issues her father was having with her under a rug and it made Oceane feel suffocated like she had been trapped under the rug as well.

Oceane told some stories about her travels, avoiding anything touchy or in the realm of piracy. The fact that she had stolen most of the gifts she brought back from dickish and rich shopkeepers was not mentioned, she had sticky fingers but her father didn't need to know that. Neither did he need to know about any of the killing they did or any of the reasons for the missions they went on. There was little she could actually say that wasn't somehow connected to a sensitive subject for her father. So she gave the floor to Fjord, who recounted some of the odd jobs he had in the past length.

"Enough about me, though," Fjord said with his mouthful then took a sip of water, "let Baba speak, I'm sure has a lot to say. Like the two union offers he received."

Her father laughed and put his hand over his heart, "Oh, my dear, it was too funny."

"Why would anyone think that would get them anything but a resounding no," Oceane laughed and leaned her elbows on the table, intrigued, "who was it?"

"Two widowers who recently moved into town," her father wiped his face with a napkin and let out another laugh, "they had caught wind that our family had been doing well with coin and heard I did not have a partner."

"It was his own fault though," Fjord chuckled, "they practically came every sun and he let them in and even made them pastries and tea."

"I thought they were just being friendly!" he reached over to put more rice on his plate, "I assumed they had heard I was not intending to ever have another union, you know everyone in this town talks; I figured it had reached them and they wanted to spend time with a widower, someone who understood them. It didn't even cross my mind that they thought I was attempting to court them."

"And they proposed the union to you?" Oceane laughed.

"Apparently, they got tired of waiting. It had been cycles," Fjord butted in, laughing at the situation as he probably had a thousand times since it happened.

"Your mama was not angry though," her father smiled as his laughs subsided, "she found it all quite funny too."

Fjord shot Oceane a look and Oceane returned it. She raised an eyebrow and looked back at her father. He was graying but still young, only 34, and his mind slipping at such an age was not too common. Oceane, like Fjord, was worried.

"Baba," Oceane started, unsure of how to approach the situation, "how do you know that?"

"I have always told you Oceane, your mother never left us. She is still here. We talk frequently," he said with a smile and Oceane felt like throwing her food up, a cold chill ran down her spine. Had she caused her father to lose his grip on reality?

Oceane looked back to Fjord once her father had looked back at his plate of food and Fjord just shook his head, telling Oceane to drop the subject. It was probably something he had tried to talk to their father about before and it didn't work. Oceane did just that and dropped the subject, letting her father run through the list of people in town he wanted to update her on. The mood in the room was light but Oceane's wasn't. She wanted to spend the rest of her time there, which was not long, in joyful spirits but she couldn't get it to happen. She felt bogged down with stress, which wasn't something she was used to. Oceane was bright, energetic, carefree, feeling weighed down, and upset, wasn't the norm.

Still, she kept a smile on her face to not upset her family and finished lunch, which was delicious despite everything else. It was nearing her time to go, she knew it, but she almost couldn't bring herself to leave. She had to though, any thought of coming back home to make sure her father was okay had to wait until after she completed her duty to her crew and her brethren.

"I have to get going, now," Oceane said as she cleared the last of the plates from the table, "but I'm going to be back as soon as I can. Maybe, I'll take a small vacation and stay home for a bit."

Oceane walked to her now empty bag, slinging it over her shoulder along with her bow and quiver. She walked to Fjord and hugged him tight before hugging her father. She pulled away but her father held onto her hand with both of his.

"Stay, Oceane."

"I wish I could, Baba, but I have a duty to my crew. I'll come back home when I've fulfilled that," Oceane brought his hand to her mouth and gave it a kiss.

She pulled away from him and blew both of them a kiss as she walked away.

"Oceane, please, I want you to stay. It is dangerous out there," he walked after her.

"No, I'm sorry," Oceane shook her head and if she was honest, she was in disbelief she was able to say no to him. She had never had to do it before.

"Baba," Fjord stood next to him and put an arm around his shoulder, "it's alright. Let her go, she'll be okay."

"She is going to get killed, Fjord, you should be stopping her too."

"Father, she'll be able to protect herself. She has been able to for this long," Fjord argued and kept somewhat of a grip on their father.

"Not when there is a war against her kind! Against all criminals!" he began to attempt to pull away from Fjord, Oceane had never seen him so out of control of his emotions.

Oceane stepped forward and placed her hands on either of his shoulders, grounding him, "I am not a criminal, Baba."

"To be fair..." Fjord chimed in.

"Not the time for jokes, Fjord," Oceane glared up at him then back at her father, "I am a good person, despite the information that The Center feeds you. We do good things."

"They won't care if you're good when they take you off to jail or kill you," her father argued.

"Theo is an amazing captain, we won't get captured. She has not steered us wrong yet. Plus, I've got luck on my side," Oceane attempted a smile, "I have to go now."

Oceane kissed her father on the forehead then turned around and rushed out the door. Oceane undid the locks and opened the door but as she walked out of the house her father shouted out behind them.

"Oceane, I told them your crew was in town!"

Oceane spun around, anger unintentionally taking over her expressions, "What?!"

"They knew who you were, they came to my door threatening you!'" her father tried to catch her at the door but Oceane kept backing up, "they said you would be safe if I cooperated next time your crew came to town."

Oceane's stomach dropped and she didn't even say another goodbye before she sprinted away. Her ears were ringing and all that was going through her head were Theo and Cooker. She had compromised their mission and frankly, the whole crew. Maybe Cooker and Theo had yet to enter the complex and she could catch them before they walked into a trap. Her father didn't know why they were there, just that they were in town. But the authorities were bound to know better than to just sit idly by and hope that the pirates popped their heads up. There was a clear pattern down the coast of Efriti where pirates had been robbing official buildings for information, they would be foolish not to protect themselves.

Luck was on her side. She would get there in time. She would be able to warn them. She would save the day and they would get out of Drokian waters before anything bad could happen. Oceane faltered in her fast stride for a moment, thinking of the safety of her family. The government knew where they lived. She would need to come back for them, which only meant she had to push harder and go faster. The path out of the town soon came into view but so did the row of soldiers that was blocking it. She stopped immediately and tried to look for a way around them but they caught sight of her before she could find another route.

Oceane would just have to make a run for it but as she was going to run, two pairs of hands grabbed her on either arm. She tried to wiggle free but it was useless. Oceane resorted to being as scrappy as she could, kicking and thrashing around but the men were not budging. One of the men that were making up the blockade jogged forward.

"You, girl, where are you going?"

"Away," Oceane answered, still fidgeting against the soldier's grips.

"This area is under lockdown," the soldier said, "return to your home."

A voice emerged from behind them, "I was just headed that way, shall I walk you back?"

The voice belonged to a soldier appeared who came to stand next in front of Oceane. He was better dressed than the others, indicating his rank, and Oceane's hands were slightly shaking from her nerves.

"No, thank you. I'll be leaving now," Oceane said with a smile and continued to struggle against the soldiers, not giving in to whatever they wanted her to do.

"To join your pirate friends, Oceane? I do not think so," the man said and grabbed her arm from one of the soldiers tightly and began to drag her with him, back to her house.

Oceane put up a struggle but her captor was twice her size, in width and length. There was a reason she was an archer, her body wasn't made for one on one battles. It was almost pathetic the way she was dragged back to the house. As she entered, she saw two soldiers hovering over the couch, her father and brother sitting on it.

"Thanks for the information, old man," the man holding Oceane had a nasty smirk on his face, "let's see what we can get out of you, pirate."

He squeezed Oceane's arm and dragged her to the nearest room, which was her father's bedroom. She was roughly thrown onto the armchair in his room and wasn't even given a moment to gather herself from all that was going before he began.

"Tell me what you know."

"About what?" Oceane blinked up at him, making her eyes go wide and innocent.

"What are they up to?"

"Who are you?" she asked back.

"What are they doing here, Oceane?" the man said more sternly.

"Who are you?" Oceane repeated, "I'm being interrogated, least you can do is be nice enough to tell me who I have the pleasure of speaking to."

"General Hoffstater," he said, "leader of the Efritian branch of the military, and after I catch your friends, general of the whole thing. "

She had heard many stories about the man in front of her. They had even been chased a few times by his ship, she had never set eyes on him though. Hoffstater was a high-ranking member of Eloxian society and also one of the biggest scourges to underworld history. He had made his career taking down roamers, and traders, and pirates. It only made sense that he was so involved in the effort against them.

"They've got the big guys out here after us?" Oceane whistled, "I feel important."

He slammed his foot on the ground, "What is the mission?"

"I don't know," Oceane lied with a shrug, "they don't tell me things."

"The information we have suggests that you are an officer," Hoffstater stated as he began to walk around the room, picking up an object every few feet, inspecting it, and then setting it down. Oceane wanted to lunge out of the chair and make him stop touching her father's things. But she stayed in place. Hoffstater looked at her once again, "you must know something. It would be a shame if your father and brother were to suffer the consequences of your lies."

Oceane felt rage. Violence and physical combat was never her cup of tea but at that moment she felt like she could rip his heart out with only her hands. Her biggest fear was coming true, her family was caught in the middle of The Center's evil. She had always known that her family was at risk, no one was safe in Safriti, but she had never assumed that the danger to them would be brought about by her. She had always worried that the antics and doings of someone else in town would result in her family getting punished, but there was no one else to blame but herself.

Oceane didn't let her face show that she was downright terrified over what was going to happen next. She schooled her expression just like Xyra had taught her to when she was trained how to withstand interrogation. While her face didn't show her struggle, her mind certainly felt the effects of it. She was torn, would she lie and potentially get her family killed? Or snitch and get her friends in a predicament? Or would she snitch and still get her family killed? It was arbitrary to The Center who they kept promises to and she wasn't too sure Hoffstater would spare the life of a pirate or their family.

"Well your intel is wrong," Oceane said and twisted her expression into one of disgust and indignance, "I practically got kicked from the team, so to speak. They don't tell me things anymore. They didn't even brief me on this mission because they said it was irrelevant to me given that I was coming to visit my father."

"But you know what they're after," Hoffstater said, "you have to had been made aware about some part of their plan."

"And if I did, why would I tell you? What can you guarantee me?" Oceane stared at the general, who resumed his pacing around the room.

"Safety for your family from our forces, safety for you from pirate retaliation," Hoffstater offered, "they clearly care not for you if you are given such a title as officer yet are not told anything. Save your family, Oceane. Help us in defeating the evil that lurks our coasts."

Oceane shut her eyes and took a deep breath, clenching her jaw and making sure to put on a show. She could feel Hoffstater's eyes on her and as she opened hers, they made eye contact. He looked at her expectantly and Oceane dropped her head and sighed.

"I heard them say something about meeting a roamer contact in the West District," Oceane said, "they are trying to get some information about an Eloxian warship we've been chasing after."

Hoffstater went from a hopeful smirk to a frown, "Funnily enough, I am not inclined to believe your story, pirate, but fear not. We will find your friends. We have our men stationed in every office and every government building. No record or official is left unguarded right now."

Oceane prevented a scowl from appearing on her face, trying to stay as unaffected as possible. She couldn't give away that she was lying, even if he already knew it.

"Only time will tell if what you have said is the truth," Hoffstater walked towards the door, "If not, well, I'm not sure what I will be provoked to do."

Oceane heard him chuckle a bit before walking out, leaving her in the room by herself. She wasted no time in running after him but when she attempted to open the door, it was being held tightly in place by something. Technically speaking, she wasn't trapped. There was a way to get out. Every room in their house had some form of escape, her mother had insisted on it when the house was being built. Part of the reason her father was always expanding and adding was because of the ideas he and her mama would come up with. The bottom floor rooms all had an entrance to a small, yet functioning, tunnel system that met in a small underground bunker. This bunker housed two tunnels leading away from their house, one that would take towards the shore they had landed on and another one that would take them more inland.

It had taken her father lengths to complete. It was a project he had started ages before she was even born and finished ages after. A handful of their neighbors had begun to pitch in over its construction, hoping to also get use out of it, and what started as a simple escape route for their family had turned into a tunnel with multiple paths leading to their friend's houses as one traveled along the tunnel system. The system was a closely guarded secret and only a handful of people in the town even knew about it, which meant the soldiers wouldn't know about it.

Oceane rushed around the room and began collecting different items. She found a bag and stuffed it with things she knew her father would want. Special items from their mother to him, his journal, clothes, the stash of platinum coins he kept in case of emergencies. Oceane was doing what she never thought she would have to do, packing an escape bag. Somehow, someway, she would have to get to her brother and father and aid them in getting to the tunnels. She couldn't' just leave them but she was at a loss as to how she could help.

There were no windows in the room, so there was no way to climb out that way. She couldn't just go into the tunnel and take one of the other paths back to another ground-floor room. The entrances to the tunnels were just that, entrances to the tunnel, not entrance from the tunnel to any other room. The door would seal behind her and no others could be opened. So, while Oceane had a way out she couldn't take it. But time was progressing forward and with each second she was inside, she was missing out on meeting back up with her crew.

The mission had been compromised, nothing Oceane did at that point could save Theo and Cooker from ending up in jail. They were going to get caught because of her father, a snitch. She wondered if Fjord knew about it, placating and keeping her calm all sun just to shoot her in the back with an arrow. Oceane knew that jail wasn't the end of the line for her captain though. She had witnessed first hand all the times they had escaped from a cell, herself being included in many of those times. But that didn't mean her duty to them was done, she had to be there to aid with the plan. She had to meet up with Iona and the rest of the crew to enact their 'everything went to shit' plan. If she didn't make a run for it soon, she would be letting down her crew.

Oceane had nothing left to lose except to try and knock the door down herself. It only took three crashes against it before her shoulder was bruised and she sunk to the ground in defeat. The tunnels were calling her name but she couldn't leave her family. If she disappeared from a locked room, they would think her father or brother have something to do with it and kill them. Or even if they didn't think that, they would kill them to make an example. Oceane was stuck, not able to help either of her families. She stayed there on the floor for what seemed like hours, she wasn't sure if it was or not, but she was left in an almost catatonic state. All she could think about was how any of the other pirates she knew would have been able to think of a solution, would be able to leave. But she was weaker than most, and most likely not as smart as anyone else, and that was why she was pitifully sitting in her own wallowing instead of being able to do anything.

She was shocked out of her state when the door opened up from behind her which caused her to fall backward. As her back hit the ground, she was lifted back up. Oceane yelled out in pain and her hands shot up to her head, attempting to pry off the hands that had gripped a handful of hair.

"You lied," she heard a voice say, Hoffstater, "prepare to face the consequences."

Oceane felt herself getting dragged back until her hair was let go and she tumbled onto the floor of her living room, getting dropped at the feet of her brother and father. She felt hands immediately come to help her sit up. Oceane stood up once she had regained the ability to do so and she put her arms out, barring anyone from reaching her sitting family. Looking around the room, she saw at least ten soldiers standing guard. Hoffstater turned to one of them, one that was dressed slightly differently than the majority. Oceane recognized the uniform as one of a squadron captain.

"Keep watch over them at all times. Do not let them out of your sight and station guards at every door, inside and outside," Hoffstater commanded and began to walk out.

"I thought we were taking the pirate to jail with the others," the captain spoke and Oceane's gut felt the words. Some of her crew had been apprehended.

"We cannot risk taking her to jail right now in case that is what they are counting on to make an escape," Hoffstater said, which was not true but it was smart logic, "we need them apart for now."

"No!" her father interjected, "you promised me she would be safe! That you would pardon her!"

"You will keep quiet, old man," Hoffstater snapped and Oceane reached her hand out to place it on her father's knee, keeping him calm.

Oceane locked eyes with him and nodded slightly, letting him know they would be okay. Any other outburst on his end and she was afraid he would end up with a split skull.

"So, we're just keeping her here?" the captain asked and Hoffstater pinched the bridge of his nose, annoyed at the question.

"When the other two prisoners have been transferred to the ship taking them to The Center, she'll be boarded on after," Hoffstater answered, his tone tense and his patience already worn thin.

"And the other two?"

Hoffstater looked like he was going to behead the man for incompetence, "Tell me, Captain, what is the protocol when someone harbors a criminal or a fugitive?"

"They'll stand trial in Drokian's square," the captain recalled.

"And in this case, was this family harboring a criminal?"

"Yes."

"So it would come to follow that..." Hoffstater trailed off.

The other man's face lit up with recognition as he lifted his finger up, "They'll go to jail to await a public trial."

Hoffstater didn't even give the poor soldier a confirmation that he was correct before making his way towards the front door, "I have more pressing matters to deal with. Do not let them out of your sight."

Hoffstater left while the captain began to bark out orders, informing the soldiers in the surrounding areas inside and outside of the house what their plan was. Oceane's heart sank with every moment that passed. Her weapon was halfway across the room, having been stripped from her earlier as she was escorted back to the house, and she had nothing to defend them with. The soldiers in the room were fully armed and armored. If any of them were to even move wrong, it wouldn't go well.

Oceane kept herself calm though. From the window, she could see there were still several hours before dark which meant there were several hours before whoever was captured would attempt to escape. As long as she was on the beach with her family by nightfall, she still had a chance to reunite with the Scorned Woman. Oceane was no longer worried about not being to help her crew with anything, it was clear that she had missed her opportunity to warn them about the trap and had missed her opportunity to catch up with the leftover crew to enact their emergency plan. All that she was worried about now was getting abandoned on land, left behind because she wasn't there on time.

That would leave her and her family stranded. They would have to resort to moving inland until Oceane could find them someplace safe to stay. But even then, where would she go? Drokian was Theo's last planned stop in all of Efriti. From here, they were supposed to head to the rendezvous point, an uncharted island she would have no way of getting to. After that, they had no plans. Oceane couldn't predict what they would choose to do next, so she wouldn't be able to intercept them. If Oceane wrote to them, Theo certainly wouldn't just stop along different cities and check her mail and write back to Oceane about where they were going, it wasn't safe and they were short on time. So, if she didn't catch her crew she didn't know how long it would be until she saw them again.

Oceane knew luck was on her side, it was kind of her thing. She relied on it a little too much sometimes but it had never let her down. Between then and nightfall, an opportunity would present itself and she would be able to make a run for it with her family and save them all. Until that moment presented itself though, Oceane had to stay prepared. And she did. Her body was tense, keeping her senses on high alert for anything that seemed like a way out. Hours passed though, and nothing happened. It was painful to watch as the sun got lower in the sky, akin to torture even. Her chances of success and survival dwindled with every breath she took.

Where was her luck? Where was her favor?

Oceane watched as the sun dipped out of the sky and plunged their world into darkness. She began to panic, her window closing. She shut her eyes and muttered something, a prayer to Pelas, a plea for help and a promise to do everything in her power to adhere better to their tenets in exchange. Oceane opened her eyes and as she did, the door opened. A man who she hadn't seen before entered. His uniform was one she recognized as commander. The Baethan army ranks always confused her but she was pretty sure the commander was the captain's superior; Xyra had made sure she had learned at least that much.

The way the captain straightened up confirmed her thoughts. The captain saluted his commanding officer, "Commander Ikka, sir."

"Why is an entire platoon stationed at this house, Captain?" Ikka asked, he seemed even more peeved than Hoffstater had been.

"We were given instructions by General Hoffstater, sir," the captain answered, "he says they are dangerous and we can't let them out of our sight until morning."

"General Hoffstater thinks too much of these criminals," Ikka shook his head, the dislike for the general clear on his face, "it's a small girl, an old man twice your age, a boy with no muscle. They are not capable of much."

"I resent that," Fjord said, "I'm just lean. Doesn't mean I'm not strong."

Oceane dug her heel into his foot to get him to shut up. They were about to get the break she had prayed for. Luckily, he was paid no mind.

"Sir, are you giving us new orders then?"

"Yes. I need your soldiers to go to Drokian and start doing sweeps around the city," the new orders were handed down, "we need all the men we can get scanning the city's perimeters for incoming pirates. They are bound to come and try to break out their leader sooner or later."

"Yes, sir," the captain turned to his soldiers and began to shout out commands for the new plan.

He assigned a few people to stand guard outside of the house and that was all Oceane needed to start planning her break. As men filed out of their house, some looked apprehensive about going against the General's commands, but no one spoke up. They were probably going to get killed for letting her escape on their watch but Oceane found it hard to feel bad for them. Eloxian scum.

The room was silent, no one dared to speak. They were alone but the feeling that one word would end their life had not yet lifted. Oceane looked out the window until she saw the opening she was looking for, the soldier who was directly outside the glass had moved out of sight and began to talk to the soldier posted in front of their door. She waited until she made sure they were deep in a conversation, their muffled voices seem to carry the tone of a passionate debate. Oceane slipped off the couch and kneeled in front of both of the men, taking her father's hands into her own.

"We have to go," Oceane said in a whisper, "they are going to kill you both if you stay."

"Oceane, I am so sorry," her father pulled his hands away from hers and cupped her face, "this was meant to protect you. They knew your name, they knew you worked for them. They said they would pardon you and let you stay with me if I told them when you were in town."

"That doesn't matter right now," Oceane put one hand over his and gave him a sad smile, "we have to go."

"You and your brother must go," her father nodded and tapped their foreheads together before looking over at Fjord, "I will stay here and make sure to cover for you as long as I can."

"No, Baba," Oceane shook her head, "there is no reason for you to stay back. You must come with us. Let's go."

She stood up and so did Fjord but her father stayed sitting, he shook his head and Oceane reached down for his hand again. She tried to pull him up, feeling the frustration rising, "Baba. Let's go."

"Where will I go? This is my home, this is all I've ever known," her father allowed himself to be stood up but he didn't move as Oceane tried to pull him towards the rooms.

"I can take you to River," Oceane tried convincing him to move, to follow her to the rooms, "Theo will drop you and Fjord off there. You will have money to settle down again, start anew. Maybe it will even be good for you, Baba."

He shook his head and pulled his hands away from Oceane. He didn't look as panicked as she felt and she wondered why he didn't have a fire under his ass to flee. They would kill him. He flashed her a smile.

"I'm not leaving, my dear," he said, "I built this home for your mother. It is her favorite thing, I will not abandon it. I will not abandon her."

"She's gone, father," Fjord interrupted, "she isn't here. We are here, we are real, we are alive. Come with us."

"Go," her father said and faced Fjord this time, "take the tunnels inland and when that ends, don't stop running until you are miles away from here. Find River."

Her father and brother exchanged a look. Oceane didn't know what it meant but Fjord gave up his push to get him to come. He stepped back from their father and began to walk back towards a room, trying to tug Oceane with him. But she wasn't giving up that easily. She pulled herself free from her brother's gentle grasp and she hugged her father tightly.

"Baba, please," she whispered, "come with me. I promise it will be okay. Mama will forgive you. She'll understand."

"I do not desire to start a new life, Oceane, I want to stay here with her," he said and hugged her back, "if it means dying, then that is what I must do. If it is time for me to see your mother again, I am ready for that."

Oceane shut her eyes tightly, holding back the tears that were about to fall.

"Listen to me carefully," she pulled away from him and made him look at her, "You have to tell them that I promised you that I'd come back for you. Tell them I told you I would come back to save you after the war with pirates had ended. That is what you need to tell them."

Her father nodded.

"Why?" Fjord asked.

"They'll keep him around," Oceane said as she rushed to her stuff the soldiers had stupidly left untouched.

"They have no reason to keep him around, they've got the pirates they need. No offense but one less pirate they have in their gallows won't make a difference," Fjord really knew how to pick the best times to engage in meaningless debate, "They much rather make him an example."

Oceane wasn't sure what his angle was, if it was trying to inspire fear into their father to come with them, it wasn't working. He seemed unfazed.

"Theo has never been successfully captured and I don't think she'll break that habit now," Oceane walked back over to her father and Fjord after grabbing her bow and arrow, "without the pirates they need, they'll want every link they have to the Scorned Woman alive; just in case it proves fruitful. Hoffstater's been after Theo for lengths, he won't let father die."

"If that is what it takes for you to go," her father nodded, "I will tell them what you've said."

Oceane gave her father one last hug, taking in a deep breath and trying to absorb some of his calm, "I'll come back. I promise."

Oceane pulled away from her father and began to walk away but her brother stayed put, this time being the one that exhibited hesitation at leaving their father.

"Fjord, let's go," Oceane beckoned him but he shook his head.

"If you're coming back, I need to stay too. I need to make sure he's okay."

Oceane walked back to him and took his hand, tugging him along, "They only need one... I've seen it. They only need one of you to keep a lead alive. They'll use the other one as an example. Both of you won't survive."

Fjord pulled his hand away from Oceane's and ran forward to hug his father. Leaving him behind was hard for both of them, of course, but for Fjord it was going to be harder. Oceane was already used to not being around, but Fjord hadn't ever spent an extended period of time away from their father. Even though she was younger, she knew she had to step into the role of protector. He would not be okay after this. Fjord let go of their father and Oceane regained a grip on his hand, pulling him back toward the room she had been in before.

Before slipping into the room, Oceane took one last look at her father who had since gravitated into the kitchen to make himself some tea. She forced herself to go further into the room and she pulled the escape bag out from where she had hidden it under the bed. Fjord had also entered and was pulling aside a dresser to reveal the small door that led into the tunnels. Oceane did not allow herself to dwell, all that it would do would bring pain and regret. She crawled into the tunnels' entrance as soon Fjord managed to get the door opened and didn't even wait for confirmation that her brother had entered before she began to crawl ahead.

Fjord was behind her though, she eventually came to find out.

"I didn't know, O," he said, in anguish over what had just occurred.

"Keep quiet, Fjord," she replied in a hushed whisper.

They crawled for minutes on end. It was pitch black but her eyes began to slightly get adjusted to the darkness. Not enough though and the farther they traveled the more uneasy she became. They had done escape drills before, their mother had made sure of it, but the feeling was always the same. The feeling of the world caving in, the feeling that the tunnel would never end and they would be stuck underground forever. Her shoulders and arms getting cramped from the crawling and every moment that passed was a moment closer to Oceane just pausing to cry.

As she was giving up, about to give in and sob, the small tunnel gave way to a larger room. The small bunker they had been waiting for. Oceane whispered a heads up to Fjord and climbed out of the tunnel. Fjord climbed out right behind her and when she knew he was settled, she walked to the left of the tunnel, the route to the forest that led to the shore.

"Oceane, where are you going?" Fjord asked and pulled her arm, "we have to go to the right."

"We are going to the forest then following the stream to the ocean," Oceane replied and kept walking towards the left.

"We have to go inland and go find River," Fjord said and stayed in his place.

"I will take you to her," Oceane said then corrected herself, "Theo will take you there."

"She's in prison," Fjord said, "if you haven't noticed."

"As I said, she is going to escape," Oceane stated what she knew to be true.

"And what if she already has and left you? These are pirates Oceane," he said but his tone was more pointed than it had been when discussing pirates before.

"Aye, they're pirates but they are also my fucking family. No less than you, Fjord," Oceane defended and Fjord had nothing to say to that, "We don't know they left unless we go check. If they are not there, we will figure it out. We will go inland."

Oceane couldn't see very well in the dark but it looked like Fjord had nodded. She took that as permission to continue on and she felt around for the entrance before slipping into the next tunnel. The same feeling came back and Oceane found herself crawling faster than she had in the last tunnel, itching now to get out. Every second counted. Fjord kept up as they rushed through the tunnel and finally they hit the end of it. Oceane felt above her for the hatch and she easily found it before she pushed it open slightly. Her eyes peeked through the small gap she had created. All around her were thin trees, they had arrived at the edge of the forest. No one was around and she pushed the hatch all the way open before climbing out.

Oceane helped Fjord out and she readjusted her belongings. Without speaking she let him know they were about to start running. Oceane closed the hatch then took off, looking for the stream to follow back to shore. After searching in the dark, running in what felt like the wrong direction, she found the stream, and the race had begun. It was her against the universe and she just prayed she could catch up to its plans. Fjord might not have had muscles but he had speed, which was all she could ask for. They ran through the forest, over roots, and under branches.

The stream was her guide as she bolted into the darkness. All she was thinking about was getting there on time. She was whispering prayers to herself the whole way, hoping to pull favor once again to her side. Hoping that luck would let them catch up to Theo. Hoping to be lucky enough to escape the fate that not many did. Fjord was slowing down but Oceane kept him at her pace with words of encouragement. When that didn't work, it was fear. When that didn't work, it was the promise of seeing River as soon as he could. She was proud of him, they had been running for miles and she couldn't tell when it would end, too dark for any landmarks to stand out to her.

Soon after her legs were starting to yell at her to stop, she found the piece of hope she needed. The moonlight shone through the edge of the forest, an inviting light, telling her their trip was soon coming to an end. To her left, she heard voices. Looking over, she saw glowing lights making their way through the trees. She veered off the straight path and made her way towards the lights, maybe it was Theo and Cooker. She made sure Fjord was following her as they sprinted towards the noise.

As they got closer though, Oceane noticed there were far too many lights. Too many voices, too many deep voices; these people were not Theo and Cooker. It was too late to run back, they had gotten too close. Oceane stopped suddenly, Fjord crashing into her from behind. She managed to stay on her feet and pull them behind a tree, peeking out to figure out what was happening. The lights from the torches provided some light and Oceane watched as five figures, maybe six, jogged towards the beach. Oceane heard what she had been looking for, she heard Cooker's voice yell something out to Theo. But the voice belonged to none of the people with torches and she couldn't realized she couldn't get to Cooker.

Oceane was trapped behind the tree, the soldiers in between her and her crewmates and she was unable to move towards the shore without alerting everyone to her presence. Theo and Cooker and whoever else from the crew was there would get in the boat waiting for them at the beach and take off as soon as they could and Oceane would miss them by mere minutes. Oceane would need to find a way to the beach, and quickly, or they would be left. All she could think to do was follow behind the last soldier in an attempt to sneak past them when the moment presented itself. Luck needed to be on her side without fail this time. One twig snapping at the wrong time would make them find her.

Oceane stepped forward, the ground under her didn't make a sound. She motioned Fjord to follow and they were soon darting from tree to tree, behind the line of soldiers. There was more yelling between the soldiers and Oceane had a hard time hearing if anyone else from her crew was shouting. All of a sudden, she heard a loud yell from Cooker telling Theo to keep going. At that exchange, the soldiers picked up their pace and so did Oceane. No longer worried about hiding behind trees, she followed the path the soldiers' made.

That is, until she saw what was happening.

As they approached the edge of the forest, where the last of the trees gave way to sand, Oceane saw a figure that could only be Cooker. She had crashed into the ground and Oceane helplessly watched as Cooker was captured. Oceane jumped behind a tree with Fjord to have some sort of cover, which was perfect timing because a soldier turned around to survey behind him. Oceane could now clearly hear the conversation between all of them. Cooker was telling Theo to go, the soldier was telling Theo to surrender, and Theo was failing to negotiate her way out of the situation. Between all of the soldiers crowding one area and the angle of the tree she was behind, there was no way to see Cooker or the person holding her captive.

Oceane turned to Fjord and made sure he knew not to follow her that time. She pulled her bow off her back, reached back for her quiver, and pulled an arrow out. Carefully, she stepped out from behind the tree and attempted to stealth into a better position. Slowly, she found an angle in which she could somewhat see the man who was holding Cooker. She heard him begin to count down and her heart began to beat faster. She needed a lot longer than she had to find the right place to take a shot.

Oceane wouldn't get that time thought. She had to make due. Exhaling the tension in her body, she brought her hands into position and drew back on the string. One eye closed and the other open and searching for where to aim, she found the spot she needed to hit. The soldier was heavily armored and the only place her arrow was guaranteed to cause damage was in the small sliver of skin on his exposed neck, right between his helmet and his shoulder pieces.

Five seconds left but she still didn't have confidence in her ability to get a clean shot. Her hands were calm but her body felt like it was on fire. The time was dwindling and it seemed as if she was the only one that could prevent Cooker's blood from staining the beach red. Three seconds left. She sent out a prayer, probably having expended her favor for the rest of the length, and took her last few seconds to take a breath. The soldier holding Cooker yelled out, one, and at the sound of it, Oceane released her arrow. It flew through the air and lodged right where she wanted it, sticking to the side of his neck. Oceane's arrow had barely left her bow before she was reaching behind her for another one.

The man she had struck dropped his grip on Cooker, too occupied with holding the arrow in his neck and yelling. Cooker was dropped to the ground and it took her only a second to get back on one foot and into the fighting. Oceane released her next arrow just as the person she was aiming for turned around to try and ascertain where the arrow that shot his comrade came from. It was, for lack of a better term, a lucky shot. The arrow pierced his eye and he dropped unceremoniously.

"Fjord! Stay put!" Oceane called out as she ran forward and nocked another arrow into place.

Theo had run up from her spot, which had not been visible to Oceane, and joined the fray. She didn't even need to use the next arrow she had prepared because, by the time she had taken aim at a soldier, Theo was already cutting him down. The anger in her face was undeniable and she looked as if she could take on a sea monster with her own two hands. Cooker was on the beach engaged in a serious sword battle but by the time Oceane tried to help with that too, Cooker had overpowered the other man and ended his life. There was a trail of bodies from the beach up to the edge of the forest and it had taken less than a minute to get there.

From near death for one of her crew to the end of the road for everyone else, their luck had turned quickly. Oceane darted out from under the cover of the trees and towards the beach, announcing her presence as she ran.

"Theo! It's me!" Oceane yelled out as she saw Theo turn around in the direction of the forest to ascertain where the arrows, and unexpected help, had come from. Oceane watched as the captain's demeanor relaxed a bit knowing it was an ally that had come to their aid.

Theo's head snapped away from Oceane and towards Cooker, who had fallen on the ground once the last soldier had been killed. Theo bolted in her direction and unceremoniously skid onto her knees in front of Cooker. Oceane followed her lead and ran towards her fallen crewmate. Theo was grabbing Cooker's face and turning it around in her hands trying to look for any large cuts around her neck, Oceane watched as she dropped Cooker's head and Cooker let herself fall back on the ground, catching her breath as Theo panicked above her.

"Cooker are you hurt?!" Theo yelled even though she was close to Cooker's face.

Oceane couldn't see Theo's face from where she was bent over Cooker, but her tone and her frantic hands pulling at Cooker's clothes to try and reveal any injuries gave away the hysteria Theo seemed to be on the brink of a meltdown. Oceane couldn't recall a time where Theo had reacted this way about something. Cooker seemed unfazed by the clearly shocking chains of events that had just occurred as she just stared up at the night sky.

"Captain, I think she's alive," Oceane reached forward and put a hand on Theo's shoulder but Theo jerked it away.

"Cooker, dammit!" Theo stopped messing with her clothes with a grunt of frustration, "Are you hurt? Just answer me!"

Theo grabbed Cooker's collar and shook her until Cooker peeled her eyes away from the stars above, "Fine. I'm fine."

A large sigh of relief left Theo's lips as her head fell forward onto Cooker's stomach and Oceane watched as Theo's hands gripped Cooker's shirt tightly. They were all silent and unmoving for a few seconds before Cooker brought a hand to rest on the back of Theo's head.

"I'm fine, kid," Cooker rasped out, still somewhat out of breath.

Theo quickly pulled her head away from being buried into Cooker and turned to the side, spewing out the contents of her stomach. She sat back on her haunches, catching her breath before another round of puking was upon her. Oceane would have rubbed her back or held her hair through it but it didn't seem as if touching Theo was a good idea at that moment.

"I thought these were supposed to be some of the toughest pirates on the sea," a voice came from behind her, Fjord, "no wonder they're annihilating you all."

Theo was on her feet in less than a second, her falchion gripped tightly in her hand and the tip of its blade pressed against Fjord's throat. Oceane quickly pulled Fjord back away from the blade and got in between the two, carefully trying to diffuse the situation.

"Who the fuck is that, Oceane?" Theo asked, a scowl etched onto her face.

"Captain, this is my brother," Oceane said, "I need us to take him somewhere on our way back to Corinspe. Something happened back at home, I'll explain when we're on the ship."

Theo put her sword away and stepped forward, moving Oceane out of the way as she got into Fjord's face. Oceane wasn't going to intervene, Fjord had said what he had said and if he was going to be on the ship, he would have to learn to respect the Captain.

"I don't make it a habit to allow men on my ship," Theo looked Fjord up and down, "but you seem to be harmless, if the help you gave us during the fight was any indication. I like your sister, which is why I'll allow you on my ship but step out of line and I won't bother to see to it that you meet your intended destination."

Oceane was too distracted with the conversation that she didn't see Cooker stand up and grab Theo's arm, tugging her away from Fjord.

"Let's get out of here," Cooker said and then continued to pull Theo away as they walked towards the rowboat.

Oceane began to follow but her brother didn't move. Oceane sighed and turned around, "Fjord, please, we have to go."

"You're just going to let her speak to me that way?" Fjord crossed his arms.

Oceane, despite the heaviness in her soul and the dread she was feeling, let out a laugh, "She's the captain of a pirate ship, brother. One that is giving you free passage, she can speak to you as she pleases; especially after you disrespected her."

She walked up behind her brother and began to push him but Fjord was pushing back, "Oceane, wait."

"No, Fjord. No more waiting, we need to go," Oceane knew that Fjord was thinking of going back; it was taking everything in Oceane not to run back too.

Theo was safe, she had done her duty to her crew and now she could go save her father. Except she couldn't. It was too late, whatever they were planning to do with him- being arrested or being killed- had already happened. As much as it pained her to think about it, that was their current reality.

"I can't just abandon him, Oceane! I know you have no problem turning your back on family but that's not me," Fjord said and his words hurt Oceane in the depths of her being. She knew he was lashing out and panicking but it didn't burn any less.

"I've never turned my back on my family!" Oceane felt tears spring to her eyes and she dug deep as she pushed harder, making leeway, "I am not turning my back on him, we have no choice. But I have the ability to save you and I'm not giving that up."

Fjord's feet lost purchase in the sand and Oceane began to succesfully push him towards the boat. His resistance lessened but Oceane could tell that he wasn't going to let himself be taken without a fight the whole way. It was as if they were both working through the guilt in different ways; Fjord convincing himself that if he struggled to be taken away it would absolve him of responsibility for what happened and Oceane convincing herself that if she struggled to save one family member it would make up for the one left behind. Eventually, they reached the boat and Oceane got Fjord to climb in.

Theo and Cooker were each holding an oar, staring ahead in silence, when Oceane got inside. Wordlessly, they began to row. Oceane and Fjord's backs were to the shore, which was probably for the best. There was no point in staring at the land taunting her with who she left behind. It was a horrible silence, the kind where all she could think about was how quiet it was. So much so, she couldn't hear her thoughts. Her mind was as devoid of anything as the air. Which again, was probably for the best. Maybe, this was what shock was like.

"O," Theo said and Oceane broke her gaze into emptiness and looked over at her Captain.

Theo was pointing behind them, towards land. Both Fjord and Oceane turned around and off in the distance, barely visible with how far they had traveled, was smoke shooting up into the sky. Oceane's gut churned and she felt like keeling over the side of the boat and pulling a Theo. It was unmistakable where the fire was coming from. It was her town. Her father had stayed back to protect a home that wouldn't be there by morning. Oceane felt faint, her ears rung and she couldn't seem to clear her head enough to have any sort of feelings or reaction. She just stared, trying to see what else she could gather. But nothing was visible, she couldn't tell if the smoke was just from one house, several, or the whole village.

Next to her, Fjord doubled over and buried his face in his arms. Oceane looked over and did all she could, she draped herself over his hunched body and felt as he silently sobbed into his knees. He had just mentioned that morning his lack of ambition for leaving home and now he was forced from it, made to watch it burn. He and Theo had gotten off on the wrong foot but she hoped that Theo would read the situation and be nicer to him upon arrival to the ship. Fjord would be in a fragile state, he needed nothing else to add to his discomfort.

Eventually, Oceane was being tapped lightly and she unwrapped herself from her brother and looked back at Theo just to realize they were coming up on the ship. Fjord's breathing had leveled out underneath her and in the endless hour they had been on the water, he had fallen asleep. She gently woke him and when he did, Oceane's heart broke at seeing the pure sadness on his face. He looked shocked at the sight of the ship, the sheer size of it enough to leave most people speechless.

They climbed on board and were immediately overwhelmed with people. Theo brought her hand up to her mouth and let out a loud whistle, the dozens of people rushing towards them stopped.

"Sailors to your stations! We need to clear out of Efriti as quickly as we can!" Theo said and no one moved, "I know you all have your question, they will be answered later. Let's go, I will not ask again!"

With a clap to her hands, everyone scattered except Tuni and Iona, who were in front of Theo in the blink of an eye.

"Fortune, take Cooker," Theo said and Tuni didn't question the command.

Cooker was whisked off to the infirmary, Tuni asking questions as soon as they were on their way. Cooker limped away, her ankle twisted and in pain. Theo turned to Oceane.

"Go with Iona and find a room for your brother. Get him settled in. I'm going to get us sailing and out of these waters, then I'll come to find you, alright?" Theo put her hand on Oceane's shoulder in an attempt to be soothing, which didn't work, and Oceane nodded to confirm she had heard what Theo said.

Theo removed her hand from Oceane's shoulder and walked towards the helm. Oceane turned to Iona who was looking at the both of them concerned. Iona was familiar with her brother, having visited the village with Oceane on several occasions. To ease any worry, Oceane flashed a smile but it ended up being a half-assed one that did nothing to ease the creases on Iona's forehead.

"Let's get you to a room," Iona said and put her arm around Fjord and then another around Oceane as she led them inside. Oceane still could not feel anything, just numbness. Behind a curtain, there was the sadness and the grief that wanted to pour through but the curtains never opened, and Oceane didn't know how to get them to do so. She didn't know where to even begin to confront things what had happened. She let herself be guided off the deck, to await Theo in whatever room she ended up in.