The weather was perfect. The water smooth like a coin, not a single cloud in the sky, a nice breeze in the sails. Just the day to go to sea. So much like the old times.

Ruel stood on the bridge, leaning on his shovel, one eye fixed on the land, which was dissolving into mist in the distance, the other on Yugo, proud and happy by the wheel.

"Slowly" he admonished, and the kid grinned. "Learn how to hold the course first."

"Ay, ay, captain!"

"Have I ever told you I've been a skipper-"

"We need to get organised."

Ruel shot Eva an askance look. "What exactly do you mean?"

"Watches at the steering wheel and in the galley." The cra explained.

"I'm steering, Eva, look!"

"That's nice, Yugo" she said, her stare never leaving Ruel's face, "but you need to sleep sometimes, don't you?"

"What's the problem?" Ruel shrugged. "The ship is mine, Yugo is my deckhand, the rest of you can work for your passage."

"Excuse me?" the cra clenched her hands, turning bright red, rather like carbuncle of at most average quality .

"We're supposed to pay you, old skinflint?"

"It's my ship."

"Wraagh!"

Had Ruel ever in his life been moved by a woman's scream, he wouldn't be holding the shovel right now.

"Don't get mad, Eva!" said Yugo, merrily. "It's just a couple of days, right, map?"

"The isle of Oma can be reached in two weeks by sail" Grufon informed him. "If the wind is good."

"Well? You want to go hungry for two weeks?" the question was rhetorical, but Yugo (kids!) answered with his usual energy anyway. "I can cook!"

"O, no, no, I need you on the bridge." Ruel hurried. He wasn't keen to stand at the wheel on these old, tired legs of his.

"We need a system of shifts." Eva insisted. "Somebody needs to steer all the time, that's one. Two, cooking and washing-up. Three-"

"All right, all right. A crew meeting, that's what you want? Fine. Pull the knight and the princess up here."

Eva glared at him, turned and went to the deck. Ruel shook his head. Women just have to complicate everything.

The blonde, judging by her gesticulation, was now yelling at the princess, stretched on deck with her feet in the air. The words flew past him, but Ruel caught something about "adventures". He chuckled.

"See it, Yugo?"

"Eva is waving her hands." Tofu perched on the boys shoulder and got a light pat for it. "Wonder what this is about?"

"Don't worry about it. Girl's stuff. Ahoy, knight-boy."

"Are you alright, Dally?"

The iop swiped a hand over his chalk-white forehead and stood up straight, with a little help from the railing.

"Me? I'm great, it's" he yawned, showing all the details Ruel had been trying to purge from his memory since quitting that dentist job. "It's the sea air making me a bit tired." He smacked his lips, shuffled his legs and lodged his elbows between the railings behind him.

"The air, sure." The sword at the knight's belt rolled its one eye.

"Weapons should be secured below deck." Ruel said, but Yugo didn't get the gist, sadly. "You've still got the shovel."

"A Guardian of Shushu never leaves his ward unguarded." spoke the knight with as much solemnity as he could muster. Rubilax chuckled, earning a weak slap on the guard from his fearless gaoler.

"Heey… Is that all you can do?"

"We're here." said Eva, pulling a sulky Amalia to the bridge.

"Well then, there's five of us-"

"Eight." Yugo smiled, tickling Az. The tofu sneezed, then burrowed itself in his pocket.

"Five who have hands and legs and can do work." She specified. "Twenty four hours to a day, let's divide this into four watches six hours a watch. Somebody needs to steer-"

"Eva, stop boring us." Amalia elbowed the iop, who fluttered his eyelids.

"What? I'm not sleeping!"

"What did I say just now?"

Ruel did feel for him, a little. Ya'll never beat a lass, as his old grandpa used to say.

"Eeeer…" Iop's forehead wrinkled.

Eva rolled her eyes. "Alright, stop this, you're tired already. Somebody has to steer, somebody else works the sails, we take shifts cooking. Today me and Dally, tomorrow Yugo with Ruel, then-"

"Come, you're not making an elderly man cook?"

"And a princess! I'm not sweating in the kitchen."

"The galley." muttered Ruel, but Eva stomped her boot.

"You" she poked Ruel's chest "move faster than Dally does."

Rubilax giggled. "Well said, blondie!"

"And you, Amalia, wanted adventures, didn't you?"

"Yes, but-"

"Great! We're all set."

"You know what, Eva" started Ruel sweetly. "How about a friendly game of rummy before we start all this work, eh?"

She eyed him suspiciously, but nodded.

"Why not. Yugo's already taken the first watch steering" the kid grinned happily. "Dally, can you take the sails?"

"Mmmm… anything for you, fair lady..."

Eva stomped, the knight's elbows slid off the rail and he sat with a thud, accompanied by shushu laughter.

"Dally! Wake up!"

"Yes, ma'am! And you shut up!" He slapped the sword's hilt.

Eva gave a curt nod. "We'll go down to the deck to play. After Yugo you'll take the wheel, Ruel. Amalia will man the sails."

"Why me?"

"Well, I'm cooking. And you, as I said, were out for adventures."

Ruel had to climb into the Haversack to find his deck of cards, a somewhat frayed, but still very good one.

"You were expecting a three-star inn?" Eva said when he climbed out. Again at this.

"I was expecting to be treated with dignity!" Amalia's cheeks were beetroot-red. "I am a princess!"

"Funny, here I thought you've asked not to be called that. Oh, Ruel, do all your things have to smell like that? I'll shuffle."

"You don't trust me?"

The cra gave him a superior look, then a snort, and pulled the cards out of Ruel's hand before he could move. "Don't be silly, of course I don't."

"What are the stakes?"

Eva stopped shuffling in order to, very theatrically, roll her eyes.

"Enutrofs… Can't you simply play for fun?"

"Never." He declared, hand on his chest. Amalia glared, then opened her mouth, so he was quick to add "The risk adds spice. How about galley watches?" He blinked desperately at Amalia, who finally got it.

"Yes!" she chirped, holding back a smile. Some days, Ruel liked the princess.

"That's going to be so much more interesting! Say yes, Eva!"

Eva gave her a surprised glance, then shrugged.

"Alright, if you want. A week in the galley. Cooking and washing up, and if you lose, you're not wriggling your way out of it."

"Wriggling my way out? How dare you!"

"Whatever you say, old miser." Eva dealt neatly, with an air of a proffessional croupier. "Ace of hearts. Take it or leave it."

"I can still see a bit, thank you. And yes, I'll take it."

They spoke little for the first couple of dealings, just enough to keep Amalia awake. Ruel watched his opponent, blushing from the sea breeze, focused on her hand of cards, wind blowing her fair bangs aside. She spread the cards on deck in triumph. "Rummy! Show'em, Ruel."

"How's the score, Amalia?"

The princess yawned. "Mmmm… One hundred eighteen for you, Eva."

"I win! You're our cook now."

"Another game?" Ruel gathered the cards and knocked them on the boards.

"Alright. But no cheating."

Ruel shuffled the deck slowly, ostentatiously staring the cra right into the eagle eye. He blinked at Amalia, who stretched herself out beside. "Don't get burned, princess."

"Oh, shut it." She mumbled drowsily.

"Ha, there's a beautiful sequence. Rummy! How are you doing, Eva? Hm, hm, hm… twenty four, that's forty nine for me!"

"Where did you get these cards?" Eva snatched them from the deck and held up to the sunlight.

"Can't remember." Ruel shrugged. "Give'em back."

"No, I'll deal."

"Who's breaking rules now?"

Eva scowled. "Amalia, score."

"Mmm?"

"Wake up!"

All she gained was the sight of the princesses back, as she turned to her side. Snoring. Shouldn't sadida get energy from the sunlight?

"She'll get a heat stroke. Hey!" Ruel used Eva's lack of focus for an opportunity to snatch his cards back.

"I'm dealing now, like the rules say." he said, shuffling them.

"Two weeks in the galley for the lady." Ruel gathered the cards in one smooth movement, entirely satisfied. "Give up?"

"You wish! You've got to lose sometime! I bet Amalia's watches against yours!"

"Eh?"

"Two people on cooking duty, have you forgotten?" She pulled the deck from his hand to shuffle it.

"Fine by me."

"But you're not keeping the score." She said sternly. "Dally!"

Ruel stifled a laughter, which wasn't easy. She must have a cooking wish.

"Dally!" the archer stood up and looked around. "Yugo! Where's Dally?"

"He was sleepy, went below deck!" Yugo hollered from the bridge.

"He was supposed to be helping you!"

"I'm doing fine!"

"Fine, of course. I'll go get him. Stay here, you." Eva waved a finger in front of Ruel's nose.

Amalia snored.

"Couldn't you have said?" Hearing Eva's voice, Rule opened an eye.

"Thought… I ate some..."

"Oops, careful." The breeze brought to him a heavy, acidic stench. Ruel wrinkled his nose, sitting up.

"Sick?"

The redhead, ghastly pale, was kneeling, hands on the railing. He nodded only once before leaning out the board. Eva stroked his back. "I guess you're off duty, then."

"It'll pass." Ruel said. "Should have seen me on my first day sailing."

"Not for all the kamas in the world." Eva sneered at him, then spoke gently to the knight.

"I'll make you some mint tea, alright?"

"I'll...ugh...live..."

"Of course you will. Call me if you need me." Having patted his hand, she stood up.

"Well, girl. We play or what?"

Eva looked over her shoulder on the image of misery that was leaning over the board. "Maybe later."

"Ah, that's great." Ruel flopped back on deck. "Find me a chair."

"Hmmm… What?" Amalia said groggily, waking up.

"Find your own chair." Eva shrugged. "I'm not your servant."

"You are, since you've just lost two weeks of galley duty."

"Excuse me? What's that got to do with chairs?"

Ruel stretched on the deck, supporting his head on his hands.

"Along with Amalia. I'm looking forward to the tasty dinner!"

"Like bwork! Gimme those cards!"

Amalia rubbed her eyes. "Why are you shouting?"

"Cards!"

Ruel had no difficulty at all holding the struggling cra at arm's length.

"Tomorrow." He chuckled. "Today you cook."

Eva moved back to stare daggers at him, but then sighed.

"Fair enough. But your bony bottom gets a kick tomorrow!"

This said, she marched below deck.

"Well? What are you still doing here?"

"Me?" Amalia fluttered her eyelids. "What are you talking about?"

"To the kitchen."

"Pray, tell why?"

"Eva lost your watches, too."

The princess turned red like a well-ripened tuberbulb. "I'll show her!" She shouted, running downstairs.

Ruel, well satisfied, stretched upon deck, windwards. It was a wonderful day. Not a cloud in sight.