Qulanda mumbled softly to herself and pushed to her feet. The steady rapping on the door continued without interruption. "I'm coming!" she called, pulling a sheet from the bed and wrapping it around herself.

She padded to the cabin's door and opened it a crack. "What?" she demanded.

Kemp stood in the corridor. "Sorry to disturb you, ma'am, but I thought you should know that the women we took on board from the...tent are asking to meet with the ship's captain."

Qulanda sighed. "Tell them that either I or Penda will see them by the end of the day."

Kemp bowed awkwardly and looked suddenly unsure. "You are okay, aren't you, ma'am?"

She gave him a tight-lipped smile. "I'm fine, Kemp."

"It's been a couple of days," he said looking everywhere but at her eyes. "You're not...ill or anything, are you?"

"Penda and I are perfectly fine, thank you." She bent her head and caught his gaze with hers. "I do appreciate your concern."

"It's really the crew's concern, ma'am." He reddened suddenly. "Not that we have been talking," he quickly added. "We just want...we don't wish—"

"Thank the crew for their concern," Qulanda said, saving him the anguish of trying to continue. "We are fine and will be back on deck soon."

Kemp nodded and turned to leave. "Do you need anything, captain? I could have some food sent up."

"We're fine, thank you," she repeated. "Kemp?"

"Yes?"

"Bye."

"Good bye, ma'am."

Qulanda pushed the door closed and turned back to the room. Save for a few half-melted candles and the thin shaft of light coming in from the porthole, the captain's cabin was dark. Clothing and ugly wall hangings lay haphazardly about the floor. The entire cabin swayed gently with the rocking of the ship, like a cradle. The musky scent of love and lust mixed with sea salt and hung heavy in the air.

Tripping on junk littering the floor, Qulanda walked back to the bed. Penda sat with her back against the wall, watching her. "I heard," she said. "The crew's getting nervous and the women down below want assurance."

Qulanda gave a small hop a pace away from the bed, landed on top of the covers, threw the sheet aside, and snuggled up to Penda. "Who would have thought sneaking into a prison, leading a rebellion against the jailers, taking those prisoners and overthrowing a ruling tyrant would turn so complex."

"Not to mention taking charge of a huge ship, freeing women being held in slavery, and convincing a horde of men that a guide from Visola is a sea mistress." Penda paused and the jovial tone faded from her voice. "I am proud of you, Qulanda. I can't believe what you accomplished."

Qulanda slipped her arms around Penda and held her close. "I never wanted any of this," she murmured. "I just wanted you."

Penda twirled a lock of Qulanda's tangled hair around one finger. "Joking aside, we have a lot of work ahead of us. The women below are going to need help—more help than I know how to give. And there are still pirates out there."

"I'm not worried about the women," Qulanda said. "We'll give them time, medicine if they need it, and let them know that life is still an option for them."

"Often that's a hard lesson to learn," Penda said. "It's easier for most people to pretend their lives are worthless and surrender control to another."

"The hard lessons are always the ones most helpful to learn," she said quietly, knowingly. "The pirates, however, are something I am worried about. We hurt them, but did we hurt them enough to drive them off?"

Penda shook her head. "I don't think they are going to run like green water imps, Qulanda. And we're in the one ship they would recognize anywhere."

Qulanda closed her eyes. "I hadn't thought of that! What have I gotten into?"

"It's what we have gotten into," Penda corrected. "I'm in this right along with you. It'll be hard, but let's not forget what we have both been through to get aboard this ship. Both pirate groups that went up against us are now dead. So far, I think we are pulling good odds."

Qulanda laughed. "From here on out, you are in charge of all inspirational speeches."

"Is that a order from the captain?"

"Signed and witnessed."

Penda gave a mock salute. "Then I shall do my best to serve, my captain."

Qulanda held Penda's gaze for a long moment. "It still doesn't seem real," she said. "I had convinced myself that you were gone—something I said I would never do. How can you forgive me for giving up on you?"

"There is nothing to forgive. Are you at fault for living your life? Would you be any better off if you had stayed in Visola waiting for someone else to make your choices for you? I love you dearly, Qulanda, but I am not your beginning and ending. That is right here." She tapped Qulanda's chest. "I can demand much from you, just as you can from me, but I cannot ever ask you to give up your right to live your own life.

"By seeing that you chose life when you thought I was lost makes me happy. I want to know that if the day ever comes when I am truly gone that you will keep on living. Your life is your greatest gift, Qulanda Rinter; embrace it."

That said, Penda leaned down and kissed Qulanda long and hard. "Now," she said when they parted, "is it a little more real?"

Qulanda nodded and smiled. "You know Kemp is probably waiting." Mischief danced in her blue eyes.

"I know." Penda trailed a line of wet kisses down the hollow of Qulanda's throat.

"And those women are waiting for the ship's captain."

Penda reached Qulanda's collarbone and continued lower.

"Plus there must be a pile of paperwork waiting—after all, it's complicated running a ship."

"Very complicated," Penda agreed. She paused in her journey down Qulanda's body. "There are a lot of people waiting for us. A lot of people depending on us now." She rested the palms of her hands on the guide's flat stomach. "What do you think we should tell them?"

Qulanda thought for half a second and smiled. "To go burn in the underworld." Her smile turned into a giggle and she pulled the sheet over herself and Penda.

Their laughter carried out into corridor and drew a couple of surprise stares from passing crewmembers. Elsewhere pirates plotted, businesses scrambled to reestablish shipping contracts, a ship full of former prisoners waited for their captain, and mysteries of the Great Hyrulian Sea waited for explorers. For now, however, Qulanda was happy to let all of those things wait for another day. She was enjoying a short respite from all of her responsibilities.

End.