Sanya takes a renewed interest in the successful completion of the craft in the shipyard. She hopes that someday soon she will have her crew behind her to claim it. When she isn't overseeing that she spends every waking moment with her sister. She struggles to portray the proper balance of dread that Talya will be leaving soon and upbeat encouragement to keep her twin from falling into worry and despair.

Talya also attempts to learn what she can about the new ship. She figures if it was something that her new husband would feel so passionate about, it wouldn't hurt to start out with something they could discuss and form a friendship over.

"I'm sorry." Talya said one day while the twins sat on the hill overlooking the progress on the ship's rigging.

"Whatever are you sorry for?" Sanya asked.

Her twin demurred. "The ship, I know you wish you were the one sailing away…"

Sanya stood quickly as if she couldn't remain still any longer or if she was trying to escape the conversation. "I'll be shipping off myself soon enough. You know that."

Talya also rose with a sigh. She knew the reasons her sister professed to oppose the coming betrothal but she was beginning to suspect that there was something more behind it. She broached the subject carefully. "I wonder if you might be right."

"Right about what?" Sanya turned to face her with a curious frown.

"That Jamos won't even stay at the Hold after I arrive. That he'll leave on some voyage and we won't get to spend any time together at all before the wedding."

Sanya's gaze again returned to the ship in the harbor, "Hmm." She didn't confirm or deny the statement.

"He loves sailing and the sea so much. That's what everyone says." Talya also looked down on the ship. The sails were being hung from the… She tried to remember the correct term: yard… something. "Sounds a lot like you."

"Like me?" the younger twin gave a disbelieving snort. "Well, if he's so much like me, he's bound to love you. I love you more than anything in the world, even sailing." She smirked but her sister could tell her heart wasn't quite in it.

Talya attempted a smile of her own but she couldn't help but remember the one time the twins had met Jamos Blackwell at the betrothal feast so long ago. He had barely noticed Talya but he had looked at Sanya with such fascination…

"We ought to be getting back." Sanya broke her tram of thought and then changed the subject as she led the way up the path. "Do you think they'll really go through with it without even waiting for the Flints to arrive?" She was picking up an old conversation. It was easier discussing their brother's fate than their own.

Dalla Flint, who had been living chastely betrothed to their brother and under their parents protection and their roof for the last two years, might finally become their lawful sister. Mother and Papa had decided that it would be a good thing to have the wedding before the twins fourteenth birthday while the family was still all together to celebrate it.

They had sent queries and invitations to Dalla's relations asking if they'd like to be a part of the event. It seemed that they already considered their daughter to be handed over to the Harkons. They'd signed the betrothal negotiations, trusted that Lord and Lady Harkon would handle the details, and said they could be contacted by comm if they needed to witness the actual ceremony.

"I guess they'll have to," Talya bit her lip. Poor Dalla. Talya didn't know what she would do if her own family didn't even want to come to her wedding. Surely they would make every attempt to be there, even if Sanya was already betrothed to someone when that time rolled around. The Blackwells hadn't made a big deal about their first son's trip to the salt formation with his bride after the scandalous betrothal feast, but surely vows spoken between two such great houses would require a grand audience of witnesses. And surely Sanya and Herron and Mother and Papa would be among them.

Talya's mind wandered to her own eventual wedding ceremony…

She would walk down the aisle between a sea of faces in a beautiful white dress, as white as the salt formation sparkling on new year's morn. Papa would be holding her arm and Sanya would be walking a few steps ahead of her, also in a beautiful gown but hers would be blue like the sea.

Even Talya with her colorful imagination couldn't quite imagine her sister's hair in perfect aray. Stray curls would have worked themselves loose from her braided updo. Sanya would look back at her with a smirk and a wink of playful encouragement or maybe a roll of her green eyes.

Talya would look ahead down the aisle toward her groom, but Jamos wasn't looking at her. He couldn't take his eyes off the maid of honor. And when Talya flashed forward to the part where the minister asked if anyone had any objections Jamos Blackwell tore his hand dramatically from the binding cloth that connected him to Talya and instead walked to her sister. "I want to make sure I don't marry the wrong one…"

Suddenly Talya was jerked once again from her imaginings. Quite literally as Sanya grabbed her arm and pulled her off the path and behind a scrubby pine tree. She started to protest but Sanya silenced her and pointed.

There coming just around the bend of the path towards them were Dalla Flint and their brother Herron. They were talking in low voices and what's more, they were holding hands.

Sanya smiled a wicked smile but Talya gave her a warning glance and a silent shake of the head. And then the couple came close enough that the twins could make out what they were saying.

Dalla's voice was sweeter when she spoke to her betrothed alone, or what she assumed was alone, than when she scolded the twins or sharply answered the questions put to her by the Lord and Lady. One might almost think she liked him. "Out of all the young men they could have chosen for me, I'm glad it was you." She even blushed prettily as she said it.

"I'm glad, too." Herron smiled at her. At sixteen he was still only a little taller than his bride-to-be but he had matured over the last year or so. Even his sisters could see that. "I'm just sorry you didn't have any say in the matter. No one ever asked your opinion."

She waved off the comment. Of course they hadn't asked her. It was a marriage for position. She was to be the Lady of Harkon Hall someday.

"You ought to be asked." Herron dithered a moment, still holding her hand and the dropped to one knee before her. "Dalla Flint, will you marry me?"

Her face brightened at the innocence of his proposal and she gave a little nod before the word, "Yes," escaped her lips as a gasp.

Talya had to cover her own mouth to keep from uttering an, "Awwww," in response but she didn't have to look to know that Sanya was rolling her eyes. She gave her twin a preemptive nudge with her elbow to remind her to be quiet and Sanya muttered a quiet, "Ow."

But the couple didn't seem to notice. Herron leaped back to his feet. "Then would it be okay… I mean would you mind if I… can I give you a kiss?"

Again she nodded with her prim smile and he leaned toward her…

And then Sanya could no longer hold back a guffaw. The couple jumped away from each other and both turned to stare at their observers.

"Sanya!" Herron exclaimed even though both of his sisters stepped out from behind their hiding place.

"What?" She laughed unashamedly. "We were walking here before you were."

"You might have kept on walking!"

Talya as usual diffused the situation before it escalated further. She took Herron's advise to keep walking and pulled Sanya along with her. "We're very happy for both of you." She murmured.

…

It was with very little pomp and circumstance that the six Harkons gathered around the salt formation with a very nervous Dalla Flint, the minister, and a projection of Dalla's parents from a comm unit that fizzed in and out of its connection during the entire service. That was evidently enough to count for them witnessing the union.

Grandmother pronounced Dalla to be a beautiful bride and the twins were lovely in their identical Harkon pink dresses. Even Sanya tried to be on her best behavior. Though her gaze was drawn to the sails of the completed ship in the harbor as they flapped in the breeze. She only returned her attention to the matter at hand when Dalla graciously turned to Talya after it was all over and placed the binding net into her hands.

"I know your future husband isn't here but I'd like for you to have this since you'll be the next one to need it."

Talya smiled her dreamy romantic smile as she accepted the thing and Sanya managed not to roll her eyes. She noticed no such thing was bestowed upon her with the hopes of her future marital bliss.

Dalla herself was in better spirits than any of them had ever seen her. Maybe it was just the relief of having the thing over and done with after years of waiting. That and she seemed to have honestly developed feelings for the twins' elder brother. They laughed and held hands during their wedding feast and when they left it, presumably to consummate their vows, they looked at each other with an ardor that no one knew either of them possessed.

…

That being accomplished the next event to be planned was Sanya and Talya's fourteenth birthday celebration. Not that Sanya was involved much in those plans, she was too busy with plans of her own.

Just as she had expected, Papa called all of the ships into port and even, as if it were a gift from the salt gods, asked her opinion on who he should assign as crew to the new ship.

"Of course you'll appoint me as captain?" she joked with him.

"Ah, my girl, you know I would if I could." He ruffled her hair affectionately and then grew more serious. "I've enjoyed the time we've spent on this project. I'll miss you, Sanya, when it's your turn to sail away."

"Aye, Papa." She smiled awkwardly. She had enjoyed it too. She almost felt bad about stealing the craft he had been commissioned to build. Almost. It wasn't easy to get away from him to speak to Leon or the other members of the crew and when she wasn't with Papa overseeing the final touches on the ship she was with Talya.

…

By the time the day of the party arrived Talya had nearly come to terms with the idea of her going to Blackhold. Things had worked out alright for Herron and Dalla after all. They had started out as less than friends but now…

Talya loved seeing them together and Dalla even confided in her new sister-in-law that they were hoping they might have a baby right away. Dalla told her she was sure Talya would have the same good fortune in her match that she and Herron did. Dalla said that the wait really made it all worth it and that now it really seemed like it had been no time at all.

Talya was glad to spend more time with her sister-in-law while Sanya was off with Papa making the finishing touches to Jamos's ship. She would just rather have spent her last bit of time with her twin. Well, for the day of their birthday celebration they wouldn't have to worry about that. The ship was finished and there was nothing else to keep them apart.

It would have been wonderful if Sanya wasn't still so distracted. Talya wanted her sister to know that she was ready to go, that she didn't have to worry and that she wanted this to be a happy occasion. But whenever she brought up weddings or betrothals or the Blackwells Sanya hastily changed the subject. Maybe it was because Sanya's own betrothal had yet to be announced.

Sure Sanya claimed to never want to be married but what if that was just to cover for the fact that everyone around her was finding happiness in the matches that had been made for them. Well, Talya hoped that she would find happiness in her match to Jamos Blackwell. She remembered again her vision of what her own wedding might be like, and the groom's misgivings about which twin he had met at the salt formation. And then she thought of Sanya.

They were so much alike, they enjoyed the same things, and there was the rumor that Jamos still wore the scar given to him by Sanya, the Knife, as a badge of honor. Talya had never considered it before but what if… What if her twin had feelings for him as well?

Both of the twins were rather quiet during their birthday feast. Sanya had been all day but the more Talya thought about her theory the more she knew she had to speak to her sister about it. Not now though, she would wait till they were alone.

Then Sanya excused herself from the table and when she didn't return directly Talya went to look for her. She found her twin by the open kitchen door, speaking to someone outside.

"... having a real good time," the male voice assured her.

"Aye." Sanya nodded and then noticing her sister stepped back and grabbed a plate of cake from the counter and handed it out to the young man standing there.

"Who is…" Talya began politely if a little confused.

"It's just Leon," Sanya explained. "He's on the crew. They're happy for you too."

"Oh, well… Thank you." She gave him a small curtsy.

"Aye, m'lady." He bowed back to her and gave Sanya a nod before he left.

Sanya didn't bother to explain his presence any further. She just picked up another plate and dipped her finger into the frosting to have a taste.

Talya ventured, "Nya, there's something I wanted to ask you…" but before she had the chance a server ran in and seeing the girls shooed them toward the dining room.

"I'm supposed to be bringing in your dessert. Looks like you've already got yours, Miss Nya." He smiled. "Better get in there so they've got somebody to sing to."

Sanya set her plate back on the tray with a sigh and took her sister's hand. "We'll talk later."

But they didn't get the chance. Sanya kept glancing at the chrono and after a while asked to leave the party because she was tired and not feeling well. Talya stayed but only because it felt wrong that both the birthday girls should leave before the end of the festivities. When she finally reached their adjoining bedrooms Sanya was already asleep or pretending to be.

She stood for a moment considering what she might say and then sob hitched in Talya's throat and she ran to her own bed as the tears started to fall heavy and fast.

…

Sanya hated hearing her sister cry. She wanted to go and comfort her but Leon had told her that everything was ready and she didn't have time for a long drawn out goodbye. She had written a note that explained everything and she'd leave it where Talya was sure to find it in the morning. She had to wait a little longer. As soon as she was sure her twin was asleep she would slip out the window and be gone.

Finally Talya's sobs quieted and her breathing seemed soft and even. Sanya carefully climbed out of bed fully clothed in her brother's old fishing leathers. Leon had promised her that there would be clothing more befitting a captain in her cabin when she got on board.

Her cabin! She relished the thought but it didn't make leaving Talya any easier. "I hope you'll understand." She whispered as she arranged her pillows under the cover so that it wouldn't be immediately noticeable that she was gone.

…

Talya wasn't really asleep. The crying had just gradually stopped as the idea came to her. It seemed so simple. Sanya could have the ship and the boy. All they had to do was trade places! They had done it before. Why not now?

In the morning when Mother and Papa came to escort their daughter to the ship that would take her to Blackhold, Sanya could pretend to be her! Talya wouldn't mind staying home a little longer until other arrangements could be made. Maybe she could stay long enough to see if Dalla and Herron were successful and welcome their baby into the world.

And while she was doing that Sanya and Jamos would be getting to know each other better. Maybe he'd want to take her out on a voyage on the new boat with him and they'd live happily ever after.

She couldn't wait to tell Sanya her plan. Talya hopped out of bed, rushed through the doorway, and fell on her knees next to her sister's bed. She reached out to lay a hand on Sanya's shoulder and shake her awake… but Sanya wasn't there.

Wandering around the room in her shock and dismay she found the note. It said that Sanya loved her more than anything and that Talya was worth so much and she should never ever settle for less.

Talya blinked back more tears. She should have known something like this was in the works. She supposed she could raise the alarm, let her parents know, but she wouldn't do that. Instead Talya looked out the window toward the harbor and silently prayed to the salt gods that her sister would be safe. She rearranged Sanya's pillow decoy and then she climbed back into her own bed to wait until morning. If she could do one thing for her twin she could give her a little more time to make her escape.