Captain Anastasia Ramone Dominica, Captain of the White Death, growled in frustration at the map that lay before her. "I don't get it!" She snapped. "It makes no sense." She slammed a fist down on the solid wooden table and lightning cracked outside, even though it had been clear seconds ago. Beside her, her first mate jumped.

"Please, Cap'n, our ship can't take the beatn' that you gettn' angry would give us." He stammered.

Ana swallowed the wave of irritation that swept over her at the reminder of her weakness. She didn't have a strong handle on the magic she possessed. She knew. She didn't need to be told daily.

But the old man had a fair point. The last storm her powers had caused had sunk three ships and nearly sunk her own. Maybe she should try to keep a hold on her temper.

"Of course. I apologize, Tolan." She said, forcing calm into her voice. Outside, rain still pounded, but it was nothing the ship couldn't take.

Tolan nodded, reassured, and began explaining to Ana why the foreign kings were placing their fleets in positions that made no particular sense on the map, but she'd gotten distracted already. The fog nearby was moving in a strange pattern… Casting her senses out, she found a blank spot not too far from them. Instantly she slammed down a thicker screen of fog and pulled the rain back to herself. Rain wouldn't help her crew fight.

"Tolan, this can wait."

"Cap'n, I know you's not likin' this part o' the battle, but-"

Impatience at the man's single focus flickered across her face. Ana held up a hand, stopping all further protests from her first mate. "That's not what I mean, Tolan. I'm no quitter." She glared at him, daring him to argue. He didn't take the dare. "The lesson can wait, but the ship that's coming up on us can't."

The man snapped to attention. "How big's the ship, sir?"

She threw her senses out again, quickly finding the blank spot in her usually clear sense of the ocean. "About the same size as us."

"Is they armed?"

She shot her first mate a glare. "I'm no Carthak trained mage. Why don't you go check? Raid them if you like."

Permission from the captain was the same thing as an order. "Yes, sir!" He turned on his heel and exited her quarters. Suddenly she remembered something.

"Tolan?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Don't kill anyone you don't have to."

Tolan slid out of his stiff facade and into the friend who'd protected her when she'd first joined the crew. "You's one strange pirate, Ana."

She held back a grin. "I was a girl before I was a pirate, Tolan, and a pirate longer than a girl. I'm bound to make a strange one of either."

"Hmph." Tolan didn't sound convinced, but he left, yelling orders for thirty men to arm up.

Ana stifled a sigh, and faced the map. While the battle was going on, at least she could study. She stared at the Tortallan king's ships.

"He's got it all wrong." She muttered. She started moving the ships around, placing them in a pattern that would assist with victory. Slowly she became aware of someone standing behind her.

"What is it?" Ana snapped.

"Trying to beam your ideas to the Tortallan royal family again?" A familiar voice asked.

She sighed. "Calix."

The boy grinned. "Captain."

She whirled, blocking the table with her body. "Shouldn't you be with Tolan?"

"I got a day off. Shouldn't you be leading that charge?"

"I have to concentrate."

"On what?"

Ana gestured in the air. "The weather. I've been keeping that fog off us for a week. And I've been trying to not make a typhoon every time someone irritates me."

"You've fought while keeping off a full-fledged gale." Calix pointed out. "And won."

"It wasn't an experience I'd like to repeat." Her voice was low, dangerous, even. That wasn't right. Calix was her friend, not her enemy. It wasn't his fault she'd been forced to challenge the old captain.

Calix flinched. "Sorry."

She shook off the weird feeling scaring someone gave her. She wasn't supposed to like it. It wasn't supposed to be fun. "I'm going to have to get used to fighting again soon." Ana reminded him. "Or they'll think I'm soft, or spoiled."

"You're not spoiled." He said. "You still eat with your crew, and you never shirk your work."

There was a loud boom from above, and a crash. "Mithros!" Ana swore viciously in Tyran, using all the worst curses she'd heard on the many ships she'd been on.

"And somehow, I can't picture them thinking you're soft." Calix said, a glimmer of amusement in his green-brown eyes.

Ana ignored him and strapped her knife to her leg, over her pants. She tugged off the red handkerchief tied around her neck and went to braid her hair, sticking a strap pierced with nails in it. Men never fought fair. Why should she? Calix stopped her, grabbing her hands.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Getting ready to fight." She yanked her hands away and went back to braiding her hair.

"You're not fighting."

"Yes, I am."

"No, you aren't. I forbid it."

She glared at him. "It is not your place to tell me what to do, Striker."

His mouth fell open. "You're pulling rank on me?"

She shoved down the guilt that rose at this. He had no right to boss her around! He wasn't her commanding officer or her father! "Yes, I am." His shock turned to anger as she continued. "Your job is to fish, not keep the captain from her job!"

Suddenly he shoved her sword at her. "I'm coming too."

"What?" It was his day off! He didn't have to fight every time they found another ship.

"If you insist on trying to get yourself killed, then the least I can do is watch your back."

She stared at him. She'd just been horrible to him! Why would he care if she died?

"Close your mouth, Ana. I'm your friend, and it's clear you want to do this. And you were right. It's not my place to tell you you can't fight."

She took the sword, strapping it to her side. "I don't know what to say."

"Don't say anything. Just fight!" Calix threw the door open and they plunged into the fight that was being held on both ships.