It seems that Jamos and Sanya were not the only children representing their noble families on the small isle of Flint Locke that evening. So lets go back just a bit and revisit the events of the last chapter from another point of view.

"Hello, Father." Yutton Bralykburn entered the lord's presence like any supplicant approaching a king's throne. At least that's the way it felt as he walked across the threshold into the Keep's great hall where his father sat on a carved wooden chair atop a riser of stone.

The lord of the Keep liked to exhibit his modicum of power in his own domain. He also liked to remind his son that one day this would all be his. But for now it was most certainly not. "Ah the prodigal returns."

"You sent a messenger and requested that I come at once." Yutton said dryly. He was sure he knew what this was all about. He had probably heard the news before it had reached the Keep but he couldn't ignore a summons from his father. He generally stayed as far away as he could from the island he would someday inherit or at least from the man who ruled over it until that day came. That was easier to do since the Blood Moon with the mild winters and calm seas.

"And I greatly appreciate your prompt obedience." He would have punished anything less. He smiled, letting the silence become uncomfortable.

Yutton was used to the ploy. "So why have you ordered me here, Father?" He had come directly from his ship and would like at least to make use of his own fresher for a hot bath and his own comfortable bed while he was here.

The lord gave a short laugh and then flung a holo publication at the feet of his son. It wasn't the infamous retelling of the exploits of the female pirate but it did concern another member of her family. "It looks like you've missed your chance with the Harkon girl."

With a sigh, Yutton bent to pick up the flimsi document and perused the print and pictures. "Aye." It was as he suspected, the story of the formalized betrothal between Jamos Blackwell and Talya Harkon. The match had been a foregone conclusion for years. The fact that words had been said to seal the deal wasn't really of any interest to him. "What does this have to do with me?" He tossed the publication back toward the lord's dais.

"What does it have to do with you?" Lord Bralykburn sneered. "It has everything to do with you! You should have been out there pursuing the girl with more determination."

Yutton had heard all this before. He was done with the accusations. He spat on the stone floor. "We both know this had nothing to do with the groom and everything to do with Harkon's bank balance."

That brought on an even greater laugh from his father but Yutton knew it wasn't the end of this. The old man studied him, "Of course you know what you have to do now?"

"And what is that exactly?"

Lord Bralykburn leaned forward on his wooden throne and lowered his voice conspiratorially, "Hunt down and tame the nexu."

That he hadn't been expecting. "W-what?"

"The other one," the lord waved his hand as if the Harkon twins were interchangeable. "Haven't you always wondered if the rumors were true about that birthmark on her shebs?"

Yutton rolled his eyes to the mercy of the salt gods. It had always rankled him that he couldn't tell the twins apart from their physical appearance. He remembered that time he had tried to speak to Talya alone and ended up with the Knife sneering at him. But they had hardly been more than children then and now Sanya… "There are plenty of other rumors going around about her as well."

Lord Bralykburn shrugged. "So you won't have to pay her father off for her purity. She's still got noble blood and perhaps the Harkons'll give you a reward for bringing their lost pup back into polite society."

That brought a snort from his son. Sanya Harkon had never belonged in polite society.

"Besides," the lord went on. "Get the girl and you get that fine ship she sails on."

If there was one thing that all witnesses agreed on, it was the consentient opinion that the Bloody Galia was the most beautiful craft ever to sail the northern sea. Could he do it, though?

"What's the matter?" his father jeered. "Don't think you can overtake a little girl playing pirates?"

"Of course I could!" Yutton spat.

The lord laughed out loud again. "Then prove it boy! Go and take your Harkon bride and that Dxun of a dowry ship she stole!"

…

Yutton couldn't believe he'd let his father goad him into this. He hadn't even gotten that bath in his own fresher or to sleep in his own bed before he left the Keep again to go out searching for what would most likely be just a mist on the waves. He followed the rumors and hearsay to Flint Locke and low and behold not long after he had sat down to a hand of cards in the pub, the word came from the harbor that the Bloody Galia had docked.

"This is your chance then!" His first mate, and one of the few crew members who he'd let in on the purpose of their mission, whispered anxiously into his ear.

Yutton waved the man away and focused on his hand. The cards weren't going his way. He should fold, maybe…

"Just wait. Let's see how this plays out."

Several of the men from the Galia 's crew wandered into the establishment and Yutton tried to size them up over the top of his cards. He wasn't certain how they had managed to build up such a dubious reputation.

Evidently neither was his first mate. "We could take them, Capt'n!" the man hissed in his ear again. "Especially after they've been drinking for a bit. They're celebrating something."

"Aye." Yutton knew exactly what they were celebrating. It was four years to the day from the last time he had seen the ship's captain, at that party for her and her twin's 12th birthday. Honestly he hadn't expected to get this close to the objective his father had set.

"Well?"

Yutton ignored his crew member and played his mediocre hand. His opponent had been bluffing and submitted to him a pile of credit chips before leaving the table and letting another man take his place.

It was then as the next hand was being dealt that the Knife herself burst into the establishment. Her crew gave her a cheer and then Sanya grinned and called out, "Ale for everybody, on the house! I'm finally old enough to not have to have to stab the pub keep to order it!"

"It's her!" The first mate elbowed his captain, stating the obvious.

"Aye." Yutton picked up the cards that had been dealt to him and made a show of studying them so as to hide his face from the newcomers. He accepted the mug of ale that was brought to him in honor of the uppity female with a nod, but neither she or her companions were paying him any mind.

There was someone else however who had slunk in behind the Knife who was paying her undivided attention.

"Kriff," Yutton muttered under his breath. He recognized his rival, Jamos Blackwell, the moment he sat down at the bar.

What was he doing here? Wasn't today supposed to be his wedding day? Yutton tried to remember what that holo announcement had said about the betrothal. He was certain that it had given the date of the bride's 16th birthday as when the blessed event would occur.

"What's the matter? Bad hand?" The nearly toothless sailor sitting across from him at the card table lisped.

"What?" Yutton glanced at his cards and then shoved some credits toward the center of the table, distractedly. "No, I'm in."

His attention went back to the bar where Sanya was nearly sitting in the lap of the man beside her though she continued to throw curious looks at Blackwell, not quite seeming to recognize him.

"When are we going to make our move?" Yutton's first mate hissed, impatiently.

"Not yet." Yutton sipped his ale, drew another card and called the other man's bet while he waited to see what would happen next.

And something did. Sanya Harkon raised her glass. "A toast to my twin who's getting married tonight!" She threw back the liquid and then turned towards the man beside her. "Finally getting a taste of what her baby sister is so experienced at!" She took his bearded face in her hands and pulled him towards herself to kiss him hard on the mouth.

Jamos Blackwell dropped his mug. There was laughter and Sanya studied him.

"I don't believe I caught your name before."

"It's ah… Jak. Jak Frasier," he dithered and ran his thumb across the sideburn on his left cheek as if making sure that the scar beneath it was still hidden.

Her eyes widened with the realization that this was no Frasier. And then a whole gamut of emotions crossed her features. She had obviously come to the same conclusion that Yutton had a few minutes before. If Jamos Blackwell was here then her sister wasn't getting married tonight.

There was a whispered conversation between the Knife and the man she had kissed and then with a grin she led him away from the bar. Who knows what was going through her mind just then other than finding a place where the two of them could finish their conversation in private.

After they left Yutton looked again at Jamos Blackwell. The younger man's Adam's apple bobbed in a hard swallow and he seemed unsure how to proceed.

Yutton started to stand up before a hand was laid on his arm. "We ain't finished playing yet."

"Oh, aye." Yutton laid down his cards. It was a good hand, the best hand in the game as luck would have it.

The other player cursed and threw down his own cards in dismay.

But Yutton was hardly paying attention. He stood and took a step towards the bar.

"Your winnings, sir?" The first mate asked.

"Aye." He waved it off as unimportant. "You take care of it."

When Yutton looked again at the bar, the second son of Blackwell was nowhere to be found. "Kriff," he said again as he plunged out into the night after the other two children of the north's nobility. He was sure that Jamos had seen the same hungry look in the eyes of the gentleman with whom Sanya had left the pub.

The Knife could most likely take care of herself. She had been marauding for two years now and had probably come up against far worse than an amorous admirer. She had always been good with a blade. It's not like Jamos Kriffing Blackwell should have forgotten that.

"Hold on there!" Yutton caught up to his one time rival and grabbed his shoulder to stop his advance.

"But you don't understand. That was…" Jamos cocked his thumb toward the harbor where the Bloody Galia lay at anchor but before he could finish the statement he realized who it was that had impeded his progress. "Bralykburn? What on Dxun are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question." Yutton crossed his arms over his chest and looked up at the slightly taller youth. "Weren't you supposed to be marrying one of the Harkon twins this very night and not the one who just made her way out of that pub?"

Jamos smiled guiltily. "Would you believe I boarded the wrong ship?"

"No, and I doubt the Harkons will either."

"They can't be too worried yet. My ship might've got held up by the wind or the weather."

Yutton huffed. "Well, it won't take them long to figure it out. It's not that long a voyage from the Hold to the Hall."

Jamos grimaced but he didn't speak again he was too busy staring at something over Yutton's shoulder.

Yutton turned to see what it was.

Sanya Harkon was standing at the rail of her ship gazing at the harbor. She had taken off her hat, holding it in her hands and the moonlight danced off her red hair both from above and from the reflection of the water below. It could have just as easily been Talya standing there and Yutton cursed himself again for not being able to better tell them apart.

"I swear I didn't know she was going to be here." Jamos lowered his voice as if worried she might overhear them talking.

And then the man from the pub who she had kissed earlier stepped up close behind her. It was obvious from their point of view what his intentions were. After a few minutes she moved away from him, but he followed her presumably toward her cabin.

Jamos made a move toward the ship, whether out of dumb chivalry or something else Yutton didn't know, and he put out a hand to stop him, "She's made her choice."

Jamos stood fast and swallowed, "Aye."

"It's time for you and I to make ours. Come on." An idea was forming in Yutton's mind as he shunted the other lord's son back towards the pub.

At the entrance Yutton's first mate handed him the bag of credits, his winnings from the card table. He didn't seem to have noticed his captain's companion. "Are we going to take the ship while she's distracted?" He growled in a low voice, impatient for action.

But Jamos had heard as well. "You're not going to…"

Yutton groaned, "Assemble the crew and wait for me."

The first mate hurried to obey but Jamos stared slack jawed.

Yutton turned to him. "It's why we came here. But now…" he indicated a seat at an empty table and gestured for Jamos to sit. "Part of that's up to you."

Jamos sat but he huffed, "I won't be a party to…"

"Stealing back the ship she stole from you?" Yutton asked, amused.

The taller young man slunk further into the chair. "It's like you said, she made her choice."

"And you made yours when you left her sister at the salt formation. You sure you weren't afraid you were being forced to marry the wrong one?"

"I didn't want to be forced to marry either of them." Jamos, the pampered brat, pouted. "I told you I had no idea she was going to be here."

Yutton took a moment to put his thoughts together. He could still make the attempt to take the ship with Sanya on it. Most of her crew were here getting drunk and her mind was surely not on attack at the moment. But the very presence of this sorry excuse for a noble second son had opened up another option. "What are your plans now?" Yutton asked him.

"Me?" Jamos sat up a little taller. "I'll find a ship, a crew to join. I just want to sail. I never wanted to play the game." Then he brightened. "I could join your crew!"

"No," Yutton answered flatly. "That won't be happening." He sighed and rubbed his forehead. "So this wasn't just some kind of detour. You're not planning on going back to Harkon Hall and honoring your betrothal contract?"

"No way on Dxun!" Jamos actually laughed. "I'm finally free of all that. You don't think I would willingly submit to…"

"Aye!" Yutton looked around to see if anyone was watching them and tried to gesture for the other young man to settle down and shut up. "You're not going back. So," he lowered his own voice considerably, "Talya Harkon is free as well."

"Free as a Mollymauk!" Jamos grinned and gave his long arms a birdlike flap, nearly upsetting a server's tray. He took a mug to lighten the load and gave it a swig. "As far as I'm concerned she's all yours."