John Silver turned his head to watch Madi as she made her way to the cottage he had been resting in. It has been several hours since Fremah had tended to his leg. John had been in and out of consciousness most of the day and into the night yet each time he opened his eyes Madi was there. Sometimes slowly rocking back and forth in the rocker by his bed. Sometimes lightly sleeping with her head tilted towards him. Sometimes reading by candle light. But always she was there.

When she slept he would try his best to stay awake, to simply watch her. John would keep rhythm with the rise and fall of her chest as she rested peacefully. Even now feeling half dead he wondered what it would be like to touch her again. Even to taste her lips.

Now as she enterd the cottage he noticed both her hands wrapped around a small clay cup. "Fremah says you are to drink this" Madi said as she walked towards the cot John sat on stopping short at the gap between his legs. "All of it"

Reaching for the cup Madi held out to him he purposely brused his fingers aginst hers "That's odd. In the days we have been here I have yet to hear Fremah speak at all."

"She wont speak to you."

"And why is that" John asked as he sniffed the dark brown liquid in the cup. He smelled mint and ... grass? But why was it so thick and brown he wondered.

"Because Fremah thinks you are a blue eyed devil" Madi said out right.

This confession was giving just as John took his first swallow of the dark liquid. Caughing he looked up at Madi before trying to place the cup on the floor.

Madi stop him short. "Drink all of it... now."

Taking a deep breath John asked "And why does she think I am the devil might I ask?"

"It's not just you, she thinks all white men are the devil."

Look up, into her eyes John asked "Ah, yes... of course she does. And what about you princess?" before taking a deep swallow of Fremah's brew. For all he knew this was to make him sterile and had nothing to do with his leg.

"I belive there are reasons to be cautious" Madi said as she kept eye contact, determined not to be the first to look away. She had come to realize this was a battle of wills with him. This staring contest they held several times a day. So far she had been loosing. It was a fact, his eyes sometime haunted her dreams.

As he listed, John also observed all she did. The rise of her eyebrow as he called her princess. The touch of the silver bracelet she wore before she answered him. The way she was determined to keep eye contact. One word popped into his mind. Soon.

"Cautious... explain."

Madi noticed things to. The way his voice took on a deep quality. The way he moved in closer, the gap between their bodies less so.

"It is in your nature to be deceitful is it not?"

"To be loyal is the code of the pirate Madi and I can tell you this, I will never be anything but loyal, honest and truthful with you."