Diana recorded her message for the people, and since there wasn't any Ash Maker activity in the last week, there was almost nothing to it. She considered contacting her mother, but given all that she knew about the ship her mother was fine with her boarding, she declined. There was a promise from Angelina that they would be sailing to Aayen G'ld, the elven continent, and the city of Alp'a Linn. By sea it was months, above the clouds almost a day. The ship was ready to go airborne, instead the princess had them continue by sea. Diana had not seen the elven coast in some time. The city they were bound for was at the southern tip, so they would have a good view of it all. There was no expectation for them to sail the whole way. Both her and the Hero knew without saying that Diana was waiting for the Witch to get better so that they could have her leave. The Cleric in Alp’a Linn wouldn’t even notice, or given his perspective on time would think they were an hour or two late. Even the full way by sea, he would probably think they were late by a few days. The man was two thousand years old, unless something pressing came up, he could stand to wait.

When they got to their room after that long day, Diana scanned it with a Sun rune, having it reveal any of the Witch's Flies. She had done so earlier, and found them, unable to destroy the fast moving and incorporeal insects. Made by a much older spell caster, they had some resilience. Now, they seemingly vanished, and she made sure to scan the whole room. The enchantments were the size of actual flies, so she had plenty of places to look.

Checking on the Pirate's transparency had been exhausting, and Diana and Jonah spent the night in their room. Determined by her constant use of magic, Jonah spent dinner experimenting with his magical ability. Watching him summon small lights and a camera along his hands, she was reminded further of all the Sorcerers she had known throughout her life. Using magic with no instruction or true effort. Especially when he rubbed his head in pain.

"All that rushing blood can really hurt your head, hm?" she asked, smirking at him. She lay against the headboard, a book open across her knees.

“Yeah, I had stress headaches a lot before, at least these have a better cause,” he said, hands in his lap now.

“Come on, it’s time we slept,” she said, putting aside everything and getting under the covers, Aiko burrowed under them as well. The ship was sailing into the southern hemisphere and the chill of its winter.

Turning on the noise machine, Jonah tugged down his long sleeved shirt. Touching his hand to his face, he recoiled at their temperature. He hesitated as Diana reached out for him with willing hands. She sighed, skin blushing all along her arms. She grabbed his wrist and he swiftly plucked it out, hissing at the intense heat. The magic faded from her and she rested on her elbows, grinning at him.

“I am not a mermaid, able to take the ocean’s icy depths, but I am a grown woman,” she said. “I can decide what is too cold for me. I can handle a little wintery chill.”

Defeated by the reasoning, Jonah settled in beside her. She went to work taking the briskness away from his hands, this time conducting the heat into her face. The whole time resting on top of him, which did make him forget his pouting and show his nervousness.

“I enjoy the warmth of summer, but cuddling in the winter is enjoyable as well,” she said, holding his wrists lightly. “Don’t you---”

He laughed, squishing her cheeks together and making her lips pucker out like a fish.

She furrowed her brow, pulling his hands away. “How dare you make a fool out of the princess!” she cried jokingly, using the heels of her hands to repeat the process on him. “There, you are a much better fish, Jonah Godfrey. A large mouthed bass with your silvery fins and tail!” She laughed, pushing herself up to kiss him on the mouth. His hands found their way to her back, bringing her closer.

They withdrew, meeting eyes in this obviously heated position. One of her hands caressed his cheek and the other his chest. She drew closer to him, looking into the emerald shine of his eyes. Her thumb ran along the freckles on his cheekbones, sweet pencil marks of charcoal.

His hands trembled on her back, the panic growing in his face had not escaped her. “I um, I am kind of tired,” he said suddenly with a swallow.

She giggled. “Aren’t I supposed to say that?” she asked.

He flushed, shaking his head. “Sorry, I just don’t know what to do. I mean, I’ve had sex, I know the mechanics, it’s just with you,” he stammered, turning away as she grew in her smile.

“Am I revolting? In my nightgown and long socks?” she teased, running her feet around and up the back of his legs. “My hair up like a housewife isn’t the most arousing thing you’ve ever seen?”

“Stop it, I’m sorry I ruined the moment,” he groaned.

“I was basking in the light of your eyes, Jonah Godfrey,” she said, resting her chin on his chest. “Nothing more. Just because I am atop you like a blanket does not mean I wanted sex. I am serious about that.”

“I'm sorry and I know you're gonna say I shouldn't be,” he said quietly, rubbing his forehead.

“I am, and don't forget it, I know you need your notes, to remind you of this new world. Don't hesitate to jot down notes on us," she said. "They are of equal importance."

He nodded and fought to relax, playing with her hair, twirling it with his fingers.

“All the men that have sought my fancy have been nothing like you,” she said plainly. “They have all been nobles of some kind, either by birth or by training. Strong, proud, self assured men, who would sooner jump off the ship than tell a woman like me that they were tired.” She put her fingers to his lips before he could speak. “I am here, and write this down, because I am interested in a man that lacks confidence, but is always fighting to be so. It takes an awful lot of bravery to tell a princess no, even when it's not needed. As you have seen with the Heroes, I am willing to make concessions. So many are required for them. Since you are here for me, I am willing to take your incredibly light, to me, nerves. They are nothing, not even a bother, compared to the comfort.”

She held his chin, thumbing his plump bottom lip. “Not having to drug myself to oblivion with valerian root is practically payment enough,” she said, pecking his lips again. “Did you get that down?”

“I just recorded it, you talk too fancy to do it justice,” he said, holding up his arm.

“Ah, more magic comes every moment,” she said, looking at the screen and the microphone image on it. “Where is the input?” she wondered.

He waved his index finger and the grill taking up the tip. “I have a phone in me, I might as well use all its basic functions,” he said. “I think listening to music all week has been my training.”

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“Set it to record again,” she ordered. He did. She took his hand and spoke directly into his finger. “Relax, Jonah Godfrey, I fancy you, and I will tell you if that changes. If you keep up your present behavior, it’s only going to get stronger. Is that eloquent enough for you?”

He laid there in silence for a while.

She put the tip of the digit in her mouth, holding on with her lips.

He pulled it out as spit gathered and the grill was gone. “Stop, you’re gonna short out my body, or something,” he said, wiping it off.

“It’s dangerous to look at me all gormless while I’m recording my message,” she said, rolling onto the bed next to him. “You never know when I will stop being princess Diana and turn into Diana the salmon.”

He laughed. “I’m a bass and you’re a salmon?” he asked, facing her.

“Yes, I’m sure the two different fish can get along,” she said, with a kiss. “I know so. We have this whole journey ahead of us, and it will be long, but we can swim through it together.”

He leaned in and kissed her this time, hard on the mouth.

“Oh sorry, not tonight,” she said when he withdrew, rolling dramatically to her other side. “Terrible headache, I’m afraid.”

He held her to him, bending into spoons. “I’m a better cuddler anyway,” he said.

“Yes, you are.”

The next day was spent in a far better mood than the whole of last week. Angelina told Jonah that he didn’t have to do any of the ship work if he didn’t want to, giving no explanation as to why. Diana had already suspected that the Hero would lax on him too, she knew he was suffering because of their closeness. It was why Diana made sure to ease his sore muscles every night before her own, no matter how he protested. So with the first mate and his troll wife ignoring him, Jonah sat at the table with Diana as she willingly continued the reporting work. Knowing now how much it improved the morale of the analysts listening to every report, she spent more time playing the thankful diplomat. Had she had someone to talk about it with, and not gone through a grueling training session with the Pirate, then she might have seen the positives earlier.

Beside her, Jonah practiced his magic, listening in as he produced speakers and lights in varying places along his limbs. He made sure not to interrupt Diana speaking with any noise, but she challenged him before replying to the various people on the other line. There were no solid reports, not a single Ash Maker had been fought since the war started, and not a Member had been seen since Blodywn’s trick. While that bothered her immensely, having Jonah start and stop his speakers kept her from showing any anger to the analysts. He couldn’t stand to stop and start music, so he recorded the wind and did it with that.

Lunch brought out Kalyah, lonely and heartbroken. She checked on Jonah, not wearing her vestments, instead heavy night clothing. The resolution of the Witch’s eventual departure, which they had informed her of, did little to lighten her mood. Her friends still were charmed, and would be at Fia’s mercy until she left. She had known of it for weeks, lingering in the back of her mind, she told them.

“I had been second guessing my worship with them,” she said as they were all in Jonah’s room that night. “I was always thinking, maybe they aren’t doing this because they want to, but because Fia thinks they should. I know the Slave Star relies on sudden commands, long term suggestions are always obvious. Their eyes go blank and they perform it like drones. I knew everything about it, I’d studied as much as I could, knowing then I couldn’t fucking change their fate. I knew too that Fia was watching through her little Flies, mocking me for trying.” The Pixie elf wiped at her face, sitting on their couch.

Diana grimaced in sympathy, applying balm to her arms and chest in a robe. Her bout with the Pirate was best summarized as “subdued,” and she felt that it was friviouless now. The Priestess had departed after lunch, still catching up on a week’s worth of lost sleep. Seeing her now, she knew the poor little woman needed more than sleep, but wasn’t going to get it until who knew how long.

“When Old Bill came back to get Jonah, and I heard about the crew laying out on the ship like broken dolls,” Kalyah continued, barely holding herself back. “I, I, I had to have him show me his memory. I had to see it. I can’t believe she’d let them just lay out there!”

Jonah sat beside his caretaker. “He put them to bed,” he said, his lip quivering in sympathy, rubbing her back. “Soon she won’t have any control over what they do.” He had napkins stuffed in his pocket since she came in and sat down.

The tears came suddenly and continued for a while. Aiko jumped into Kalyah’s lap, vibrating in purs, trying to apply as much comfort as possible. Jonah had served as Diana’s cheerleader from the sidelines, scoring her fight with rousing music as he watched. Now he was happy to be the dispenser of the napkins, fellow in watery sorrow. Diana did her best to dispense optimism, or insults about the Hero.

There was no sign of the Witch and the crew gave all of them a wide berth. Diana couldn’t expect to spend a day writing trapping runes and inspecting the ship without an unease traveling about. What exactly everyone knew or was told, or was allowed to believe, none of them were sure.

Diana had drawn a rune, with a great deal of effort and more intricate lines than a usual Druid inscription, to light up on detection of the Flies. The Sun sat on the door of their room, many swirls of three sacred lines contained within the body of it. The rune had taken more energy than the whole of her sparring match with Angelina that day. Whether it would work and the Witch would not just put several more levels of concealment on her Flies, was another unknown matter. In her wounded state she could do nothing of the sort.

The next three days passed in the same routine, dinner with Kalyah included. The Priestess fought hard to remain optimistic, and the napkins slowly became less soiled as Jonah distracted her with music played from his arms. He had a song for almost any mood stored on his limbs. They even let the Priestess sleep on the couch if she wanted to, which she did, as the mass of fatalistic books consumed her room.

The elven shore came into view on the fourth day and they were greeted with the majestic sight of winter mists shrouding the Fairy Forest, (the common name, elven name, Faelyn F'ore). Above the blanket was only the tips of the vibrant reds and blue trees. The mists crawled all the way out to the ship, across the cold green sea. The famous jutting rocks, the Fairy Fingers (elvish name, Faelyn Fahl'gees), were curved and sharp, reaching up taller than some mountains, and had to be avoided, so they were a good few leagues away. The tips of the longest digits were hardly distinguishable, only the smaller and less impressive ones were fully uncovered a mile away from them.

The Pirate shrugged at the lackluster sights as the four of them leaned against the railings. “I should have told you that the weather was too bad to see anything good,” the Hero said, gazing up at the clouded sky. Which now rolled out more chilling fog. “Elven weather lasts a long time, it won't clear for weeks. I think I loved swimming in the frigid sea too much to tell you…” She beamed brightly. “I guess you never took any trips in the winter.”

“I had the luxury of choosing when to make friendly visits to the capital. I was told the elven summer was far more interesting. I see now why,” Diana said flatly. “From the air, I suppose this would all look better.”

Jonah was staring at the fog intently. “This much of the ocean is still really exciting to me,” he said, quietly. “I’ve barely seen the sea at all.”

Kalyah looked at the landscape with a sneer. “The whole continent isn’t that great. The god Domin had a thing for territorial monsters, ones that guard miles of terrain. His followers are all over the place, telling people to preserve them. You’ve seen one sentient carnivorous tree, you’ve seen them all. I’m glad my father wasn’t a follower, we might have lived by one.”

“What? Sentient?” Jonah asked.

“Yes, they talk… a lot. The goddess doesn’t consider them people, thankfully. Along with half the things that Domin whipped up. Or I guess, spat out,” the Pixie elf said, shaking her head.

Angelina put her hands on her hips. “If only I could show you all how wonderful the elven sea is underwater, then you’d see some real sights!” She pointed up. “I can show you what’s above this weather, though. It’s the perfect time of year for some amazing sights.” She turned, cupping her hands around her mouth. “Coal! Prepare to launch! We’re gonna see some flying fish!”

The Tengu flew out of his nest and straight to the helm. “Yes, captain, right away!” he replied.

“What?” Jonah repeated.

“Oh, I never got to see them up close,” Diana said, excited, taking his arm and leading him to the center mast. “You’ll see and you won’t have to watch behind glass!”

“Please, something more to go off of,” he urged as she handed him a belt from the mast.

“The fish that fly in the Cloud sea,” she said happily.

“Oh…”