Constantin was good with the violin, as it transpired. When Kurt wasn't sparring with De Sardet – or the handful of guard recruits stationed aboard their ship – he liked to listen to the prince's son play. The Legate would often join him and they would sit together, making requests for songs, or learning shanties with members of the crew that weren't on duty.
Kurt knew that De Sardet would never be comfortable on the boat, but she seemed to find solace in the time the three of them spent together. Sometimes, on rare occasions, the captain would join them and try to teach Constantin some reels, which everyone seemed to enjoy a great deal.
That day, as Vasco approached, Kurt fully expected the Captain to have a new tune for them, but instead of a roughly penned score for the prince's son, he carried a stiff leather tube and made for De Sardet.
"Your Excellency," he said, with a guarded smile, "There's something I think you should see."
The legate's gaze flicked between Kurt and Constantin, a question flickering across her features. She stood though, and followed Vasco to the bow of the ship. Kurt found his feet too and shadowed her, his stride measured to match hers.
At the rail, the captain carefully unscrewed the top of the leather tube, upending it and letting a brass tube drop into his palm. He looked out across the horizon with it, focussed it and held it up for De Sardet to look through. Kurt noted that the captain's hand never left it, and though he seemed happy to show the legate the view through the lens, he was unwilling to hand it over.
As De Sardet accepted the unspoken invitation to look, Kurt understood why.
Carefully, she placed both hands on the shaft of the telescope, then squinted through the eyepiece. A second later she gasped and almost dropped it. Vasco laughed as she did, his grip still tight as he offered her the chance to look again. Greedily, she placed her eye to the lens and when he was sure she had the brass properly in hand, Vasco released his own grip.
"I've never seen anything like it!" she breathed, "I've looked through eye-glasses when I visited the Bridge Alliance, but I've never seen anything like this!"
"That, Your Excellency, is The Endless Knot. It's a Naut vessel that was scheduled to sail out of Hikmet five days ago. Winds being temperamental, I can't say exactly when she launched, but it does mean-"
"It means we're around a week out…" It was a barely audible whisper, joyful and relieved but tinged with… something.
"That it does, m'lady," the captain's smile was sympathetic, "But that means that this is the hardest part. Now you know we're nearly there, but still have to wait."
Vasco had shown Kurt the telescope after De Sardet had left, and Kurt had to admit that it was an impressive object. The tiny speck on the horizon – which was so tiny that he hadn't been entirely sure it was there at all – had jumped into sharp focus as a majestic galleon, easily the equal of Vasco's much-loved vessel.
Iniitially, Kurt hadn't understoof the wisdom in the Naut's words, but he could see the marked change in De Sardet's behaviour now that she knew land was close. It was as though her very skin itched – like she found it impossible to find peace within herself. And she wasn't alone. Constantin too began to grow restless too.
There was even a change in the energy of the sailors as day by day they sped towards the approaching shore – a renewed purpose which made for neat, precise work.
Kurt felt at odds with it all. Whilst he couldn't ever imagine hanging up his guard's uniform for one of the Nauts', he was reluctant to sail into the harbour. The long evenings listening to Constantin play the fiddle whilst talking in respectful whispers with De Sardet as they did so… there was a camaraderie between them that there had never been before, an equality impossible between student and teacher.
When he found the legate on deck late that night, he wasn't in the least bit surprised. For a moment he considered turning around – finding another railing to lean distractedly against – but she turned then and smiled at him and he found himself approaching her. He tried to muster some sense of enthusiasm to share with her, but when he reached her side and propped himself on the barrier beside her, he couldn't help but noticed the slightly wistful look that graced her moonlit face.
"You alright, Greenblood?"
"Probably," she sighed, "Don't misunderstand me, I will be very glad to plant my feet on solid ground and never so much as set foot on a boat again, but…"
She paused and looked at him for a moment, before turning her attention back to the dancing froth in their wake.
"For what it's worth, I've enjoyed the chance to spend some more time with you and your cousin. Well, any time without it being a job. You were right – he's pretty good at the violin." And you're just… good. Kurt swallowed the words.
"I'd heard him play before but I didn't realise how naturally it came to him. I do suspect that the Naut songs with become something of a party piece though…" she smiled, "I almost wish we had more time. I'm ready to land, but I'm not sure I'm ready to say goodbye to the old world in its entirety. And that's what it feels like I'll be doing when I step off this boat – like it's…"
She drew her lips in, between her teeth and then bit down – troubled, thoughtful. Kurt was suddenly aware of the fact that he had somehow moved close enough to her to feel the heat of her side against his.
"I miss my mother," she said quietly, blinking back tears. Automatically, like he had in the storm, Kurt wrapped an arm around her shoulder. She stiffened for a second and he was about to step back when she leaned her head against his. It still took him by surprise that she was as tall as he was – Els had reached his shoulder on a good day.
But this is De Sardet, not another lover.
"Was she… lucid, when you saw her?"
"She was. She couldn't see much but she knew me."
He nodded, unsure what else to say. It didn't seem like she expected anything more, though.
They stood like that for a while, until the night air and lack of movement made them shiver. Kurt reluctantly peeled himself from his position around her and she stood and stretched.
"I'm glad you're here, Kurt."
"Me too, Greenblood. Me too."
They smiled at one another and she gestured to the stack of blankets she'd been lining her hammock with, "We should probably sleep. There's a whole new world to explore soon…"
"Are you going to be warm enough out here?"
"It's not so bad when the sun comes up."
Kurt chuckled and unclipped his cloak, handing it to her in as unceremonious a way as he could. She pulled it around her and smiled broadly, "Thank you. It'll give it back first thing."
He nodded, "Just promise me you're going to sleep in an actual bed when we reach the port."
"For at least a week," she said and began the elaborate task of arranging the blankets. He left her to it. If he'd stayed any longer, he suspected he wouldn't have been able to leave.
The sting where the cold night air had replaced the warmth of her body on him sang as he descended to the room she should have been sleeping in.
