Page 22 of Queen's Griffon

Would he return? He’d not actually said. She pivoted in his room, taking in the space. Much larger than her cabin, it held a wardrobe full of clothes large enough to fit her twice, maybe even three times, around. Further prowling showed a desk with nothing on it although the drawer yielded parchment and a stylus. A map hung on the wall, and she eyed it with interest, especially the handwritten notes. He’d drawn a circle in an area between Verlora and Saarpira marked with a K. Another drawn shape north of the Daervanian continent with a U. An oblong shape to the west of her country held a squiggle. Verlora itself had been X’d out.

Was she being foolish following Opal’s advice? The captain sure seemed to think she was wasting her time, but what else could she do? Hunted by her own soldiers, she had no home, no throne. Her own people would turn her in for the reward. Even if they deposed Benoit and recognized the lies, she still had the Zhos problem. If that monster escaped, they were all doomed.

In that moment, everything seemed utterly hopeless. Dejection struck and she slumped on the edge of his bed. Perhaps she should give up and see if she could become a sailor. Or even better, a mechanic. Garth claimed she had a gift for tinkering. She could settle on Saarpira. Maybe see if Simhi and Kreed’s mother would take her on as an apprentice. She could fix things until the world ended.

“Cap says you need some clothes.” Simhi entered without knocking, carrying a bundle of fabric.

Avera’s lips split into a smile. “That would be most welcome, please.”

“I brought you some of mine since I tossed yours. Undine slime is impossible to remove.”

“You undressed me?” Avera asked almost tentatively.

“Aye. Why? Did you think Cap did it?”

“I didn’t know what to think,” she muttered.

“I mean, reasonable assumption seeing as how Cap dove into those waves after you. And this after telling us over and over to always stay tied and never risk ourselves because one life lost is better than two.”

The claim froze Avera. “Wait, are you saying Captain Griffon saved me?”

“Yup. Thought you were both goners but luckily Kreed’s got good eyes. He spotted him bobbing and tossed out a flotation ring and reeled you in. You would have died if not for Cap. He forced the water out of your lungs and then breathed life into you.”

Avera frowned. “Breathed life how?”

“How else? By blowing into your mouth.”

The reply had Avera squeaking. “He kissed me?” And she’d not been conscious for it!

“He filled you with air from his mouth through yours,” Simhi corrected with a chuckle. “And what do you know, it worked. It doesn’t always, you know.”

The captain saved her life and she’d accused him of taking liberties.

Her hand went to her neck. “Did you remove my locket when you undressed me?”

Simhi shook her head. “You had no jewelry on you.”

“Oh. I must have lost it when I fell in the ocean.”

“You hungry?” Simhi asked. “Cook saved you a plate.”

“Oh yes.” Avera dressed quickly and followed Simhi to the galley where she had to endure back slaps as the sailors who spotted her congratulated her on how many undine she killed.

“You’re almost as good as the Cap,” declared one grizzly fellow.

“She only beat me by two,” Simhi huffed. “And that’s only ‘cause Kreed kept getting in the way.”

“Do you often have to fight?” Avera asked to distract her friend.

“Nah. Most ships surrender quickly and just ransom some of their cargo in exchange for being set free undamaged.”

“What if they don’t?”

“Then we board them and take everything and send them limping back to port.” Simhi grinned widely.

“What of the undine and other nonhuman threats?”

“Those are rather rare. That’s only the second time I’ve encountered those slimy bastards. Mostly we’re dealing with crabs or the occasional kraken.”

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