“Want to go swimming?”

Curie sat on the roof of the ship, her feet dangling on the edge as she watched Armistice swimming next to them, the dark, submerged mass of her body made no ripples as she snaked beneath the water; a thin jet of black twisted it’s way around her legs as it interacted with the water’s current. She was easily keeping up with them even as the wind buffeted the ship forward at speed.

It was uncanny, but as most things about Armistice were. Curie had sorted her out in her mind, then ignored it all, choosing to adopt a grand deference to the whole situation that served as her personal barrier to the world, one even Jerico now stood behind.

He’d stayed there in his room, feeling sorry for himself while she had gone down into that den of pain and misery to try and save a girl's life. She still remembered the scream Balsam had muffled as she poured wine on Yvette's stump because she'd had to remove the damned foot.

“Tell me Curie, how do you feel about relationships based on false beginnings?” Canipto asked, offering her some toast he’d been frying on a portable pottery burner.

Curie’s eyes snapped open, glancing at him, and then the bread that dripped invitingly. Butter with golden jam that glistened, even under the overcast sky.

“What? Sorry, I was somewhere else.” Curie replied, taking the toast appreciatively.

“You know, imagine your relationship with Jerico- how would you feel if he told you, one day, something he had hidden from you from the beginning?” Canipto recapitulated, leaning back into the deck chair he’d set up for the four of them.

“I don’t know how I’d feel. Jerico would never do something like that.” Curie answered, chewing.

Viscous, red arterial sprays clogs her senses. Yvette’s foot lying in a bucket by the door, her wounded leg up in the air as Curie tightened the tourniquet. She’d managed to cut the posterior tibial artery.

‘Fucking idiot.’

“That’s good. I’m not saying he would, though. With trust being such a precious commodity, would you fault him if he had?” Canipto leaned forward, flipping the few remaining pieces of toast in the skillet.

Curie watched as he turned over a piece that was burnt around the edges. He shrugged, tossing it towards the water where Armistice reached out, catching it with a graceful leap out of the water.

“She’ll not be able to taste the difference while mouldering fish.” He commented at Curie’s look.

“I would fault him. That’d not be acceptable.” Curie said as she crossed her arms, looking out at the ocean, the sky met the sea in a highlight of burnished copper. “Armistice looks like she’s having fun.”

“Ah, yes, swimming is one of the things she really just enjoys.” Canipto chuckled. “Watch closely and you might even catch a smile.”

The hatch jerked, Jerico climbing out with a nod to Canipto. His eyes shifted over Curie hesitantly, walking over to them, he peered over the side at the warbling shape of Armistice under the water.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“I’m glad. She’s very… pent up, isn’t she” Letting out a breath she wasn’t aware she’d kept inside, she immediately felt more comfortable with Jerico beside her, dragging his chair next to hers before he sat down.

Jerico smiled, walking over to the two of them and placing his hand on the chair's headrest. Curie studiously avoided looking at him, quite clearly still not ready to talk, tension bunched in the set of her shoulders. He felt the urge to run his fingers down them, to dig his thumbs in and smooth the knots.

He swallowed, sitting gingerly.

“What have I missed?” Jerico asked. “Seems the sky’s clearing up, bit of a dreary morning hey”

Canipto’s eyes traced the edge of the boat, eyelashes fluttering in contemplation. “Just getting to know the two of you, it’s a good time to relax before more smokeless come around to cause us trouble.”

He looked out at the ocean, before pointing at a hazy mist speckled dot in the distance “we’re being followed, by friends of the captives I suspect”

“Smokeless?” Jerico asked.

Armistice had begun to pull herself out of the water, using one of the rope hooks they’d left in from the attack. A large amberjack in the other hand, it wiggled fruitlessly, her fingers jammed under its gills.

“Normal people. Not like us witches.” Curie said.

“Ah, makes sense.” Jerico replied, “What about the three in the brig, though?”

“Well, they’re not causing us any trouble are they?” Canipto chuffed, noticing Armistice had left the water. “Speaking of trouble though, could I trouble you two to join us for an early lunch?”

“I’m sorry, but I really should check on Yvette again.” Curie said, rising from her deck chair. Armistice stationed herself behind Canipto.

A stony silence began to blanket the roof, intermittently cracked by the vain flapping of the fish still hooked in Armistice’s grip- and the jolt of the chair as Jerico quickly rose to follow Curie.

“Of course.” Canipto said, steepling his fingers as he watched them retreat down the hatch. ”That ship’ll need to be dealt with before we reach home” he mused. then turning in the deck chair and shading his eyes as he looked up at Armistice. “You’re really not helping, you know, standing there like that.”

Armistice shrugged, pulling the fish up slightly. Canipto glanced at it “Yes, I know you’ve brought a fish, that’s not the problem, I think you forget they still don’t trust us.” he chastised.

“I don’t trust them either. They think like humans.” Armistice growled. The fish jerked, her fingers having punctured a hole through the flesh of its mouth in her anger, it jumped in pain thrashing wildly.

She calmly took a finger and slammed it into the fish’s headcase.

“They are still humans.” Canipto emphasised, turning back to look out at the sea. “Have some compassion, they haven’t been brought up with the safety of a coven.”

Armistice didn’t move, save for pulling her finger from the now limp amberjack.

“Were you not amazed, intimidated even, when you saw an elder as a child, or our prince even?” Canipto questioned, his voice dipping with nostalgia.

He stood, taking the butterknife he’d been using and passed it to her. Armistice’s quicksilver eyes didn’t tell him anything, so turning to clean up the mess they’d made of breakfast, he sighed and checked the fire.

“Yes.” Armistice replied a moment later.

He smiled, his fingers slightly stained with soot from the fire. “Of course you were, and now you, to them, are akin to an elder in their eyes.” Canipto said.

Underneath, Curie stood, arms crossed as she waited for Jerico. The rungs of the ladder leading down into the ship rang with Jerico’s weight as he descended, passing several rice straw raincoats that had been hung up to dry, the air grew still at the bottom as he turned to look at her.

Both stood there for a moment, eyes adjusting to the dim light as Curie shifted her weight from one leg to the other.

After a moment Jerico approached, cautiously putting his hands around her arms. When she didn't back away, he pulled her to him.

“I'm sorry.” he said simply, hugging her in the ambient dimness. He traced the nape of her neck, feeling as his fingers got caught in the frizz of black hair that curled out around her head.

She melted slowly, thawing out as if his hug cast heat onto her frozen emotions. Jerico felt a faint dampness drip onto his shirt.