(480 words.)
Billie found him not aboard her ship but high above it, standing on the slanted roof of one of the long-abandoned buildings nearby.
She considered this with a frown and crossed arms. It was much harder for her to make those kinds of climbs without any of Daud's shared powers, and he knew this. He would also know that she was damned stubborn, and he would have to try a lot harder than that if he had wanted to avoid talking with her. She found her grip on a few protruding corner bricks and began to haul herself up.
"This is yours?" he asked as she reached the top, gesturing out toward the sea where the Dreadful Wale sat, half-docked and half-beached.
It was a pointless question – she'd told him where to go, and her ship was the only one anywhere near here – but she nodded anyway. "That's it," she added briefly, still catching her breath from the climb.
"Interesting name," he said. His tone suggested that he had already done the necessary rearranging of letters to work out the real meaning there.
She shrugged. "Felt right at the time." She stood up and tilted her head as she observed the Wale from this new angle. It didn't look so bad from up here. All the cracks and leaks were far and hidden away. "She won't go far, but she's got some life in her yet. Sturdy enough to do what we need, at least for a while."
"A fitting name, indeed," he said drily.
"Daud…"
He shook his head before she could say anything more. He eased his way to the edge of the roof and sat down, slowly and carefully lowering himself, sighing as he folded each aching limb.
It was strange to finally see him so worn down. She was older now than he'd been when they first met and was already so tired so much of the time. She often found herself wondering how he'd managed for so long, only ever slowing when the guilt of the Empress's death had managed to eat away at him.
"You can't beat Serkonos for sunsets," he said suddenly, staring out into the purple-hued dusk as it settled over the ocean. "I never appreciated that as a boy. Missed this one sitting in that cage, but hopefully I'll see a few more before this ends."
Billie could say nothing to that. She sat down next to him, close as she dared, and watched as the purples melted into blues and then blacks, until the dim lights from the Dreadful Wale reflecting on the water were all that could be seen. Then she sighed and nudged his shoulder with her own. "Come on, old man," she said. "You need some rest, and then I can tell you how stupid this plan of yours is."
He laughed. "I always appreciate your input."