Sanya didn't think she'd done a half bad job at officiating only the second wedding she'd ever attended. The first had been Herron and Dalla's but she hadn't been paying a great deal of attention at the time since she had been planning her escape.

It was a good thing that she had a copy of the book that all northern sea captains carried to instruct them on what words to say at all kinds of official functions. She wasn't completely sure where she had gotten the thing. She had found it in her cabin. Maybe they were like those volumes of the salt gods' scriptures that showed up in the bedside table drawers at inns, meant to give wayward travelers comfort and conviction.

Mhaegen and Hiram had seemed to think she had done alright. Of course they'd been so busy staring at each other she was fairly sure they hadn't really heard a word she said.

Someone else had been staring intently at her during the entire event. Drokko Kira now sauntered across the deck towards her as she watched the shore where the newlyweds had disappeared on the back of his beast.

Why hadn't someone put this idiot back in his cage? She wondered. Sure she had allowed him to come up to the deck to see his cousin be married. But now that he had seen his last friend gallop away there was no reason for him to remain topside. Maybe her crew were just too busy following her orders and making the ship ready to continue north to bother with the prisoner.

"Hey." Drokko sidled up next to her at the rail.

She had to admit, she didn't hate him. He was good looking if you were into that tanned, rugged, beast rider type. He had a charisma and confidence that were magnetic and he was a brilliant leader to his people. He reminded her of herself, a child of nobility, bucking the system. But perhaps they were too much alike. And besides she had Jak.

"You're still my prisoner." She said without looking at him.

She did see him nod out of the corner of her eye. "Figured as much. Planning on dragging me all the way back as a prize to the Lords of the North?"

"Aye."

"Hmm," he mused as if he didn't approve of her plan.

She rounded on him. "What about it?"

Drokko shrugged. "I wouldn't have thought their opinion mattered to you that much."

"It doesn't!" she asserted, looking back out over the river.

He chuckled, "you certainly seem to like keeping one Blackwell happy."

"Jak's different." Sanya's grip tightened on the rail. She didn't have to explain herself to this savage. "He left all that kriffing society behind just like I did."

"Oh did he?" he scoffed. "You know what would really stick in their craw?"

"What?"

Before she could defend herself he pulled her close and kissed her hard. Salt gods could that man kiss! She felt herself giving in to the pleasure of it for a moment and then he whispered against her ear, "Come back south with me and show those northern bastards that House Kira still trumps them all."

She shoved him away and for good measure punched him in the face. "I am Sanya Harkon of the Bloody Galia ! I am the captain of this vessel and all the men who serve on her. The next time you put your hands on me will be the last time you have hands."

Jak was just coming from below deck when he witnessed the kiss and the punch and heard her ultimatum loud and clear. Bloody Dxun I love that woman , he thought as he marched purposefully toward the action. "Is there something I can help you with captain?"

"Get this scum back to his cage!" Sanya scowled without a further glance at Drokko Kira.

The quartermaster snapped his fingers and several of the crew members rushed forward to do the captain's bidding.

Usually Jak's never ceasing chatter soothed her. "It'll be over soon. Another day and a half on this stinking river and then we'll be back on the northern sea. Then on to the Hold to hand over the riff raff…"

The Hold. Her thoughts ran in undercurrent to his words. She couldn't just kriffing sail into the Hold and expect to be warmly embraced by the family. She remembered very well that feast day, the one and only time she actually set foot in the place. She remembered how Jak's brother's doxy was treated by the whole north.

And now here she was kriffing, but not married to, a Blackwell.

Sanya was all bluff and bluster but she was brought up as a noble and she would never want to disgrace Jak or her own family. It was easier to pretend that all that hierarchy didn't exist but even being Captain of her ship she was very careful to keep things democratic. Every man and woman was equal aboard her ship and would get their equal share.

"Credit for your thoughts, my Lady?" Jak teased.

She was not in the mood. "I'm no lady! Bring Kira back on deck and drop anchor at the first mid river island we come to."

The quartermaster relayed her orders to the crew but he looked askance. "What are we doing exactly?"

"We're not going to Blackhold."

"We're not?"

"What?" She shot him a glare. "I thought you never wanted to go back there again."

"Well, aye but it was going to be quite a jibe parading a Kira in front of his centuries old enemies."

"Maybe the enemy of my enemy is my kriffing friend."

He wasn't sure how to take that but Jak knew when to shut up and obey orders. Perhaps there would be time later when they were alone in their cabin to discuss it further.

They came up alongside a small mid-river island after about a standard hour and lowered a plank down to its shore.

"I just saved your ship and you're throwing me off?" Drokko sneered as she pointed the way down with her short sword in no uncertain terms.

"Aye, I am."

He had the gall to wink at her as the plank was drawn up and he was left standing there on the sand. "At least leave me some food!"

Sanya threw a tin of ship's biscuit at him.

He dodged neatly and then picked it up and looked at the label. "Some real food!"

"The great beastmaster can't find his own food?" She taunted him as they upped anchor and began to drift into the current. "You can swim ashore and walk back or call for one of your beasts to fly you home."

"You're quite a woman, Captain Harkon," he smiled at her and waved as they sailed away. "Don't you worry what anyone thinks about you. Just be yourself and let the rest of them be kriffed!"

…

Marooning Drokko was a balm to her anxiety but Sanya was still itching for a fight as they pulled away from the island and soon enough the salt gods smiled down on her.

The next ship they encountered was just asking to be taken. She was small and flying Bralykburn banners. Just looking at the sigil made Sanya remember Yutton, the entitled little lordling who'd tried to charm Talya. He made her blood boil. He might not be on this particular vessel but hopefully she could send a message to him.

The Bralykburn vessel didn't put up much of a fight. They were a trading vessel with few weapons and the Bloody Galia's crew took them easily.

There wasn't much of value in the cargo hold but Sanya ordered her men to take what they had as she surveyed what remained of the vessel's crew.

"You there," She leveled one of her blades at an officer. "What else do you have on this tub?"

"Besides a score of unwashed sods? You've taken it all."

Her crew knew better than to take his word and already Sanya saw Freddie lead a group to search the ship for anything hidden. "And your craven lord?" She asked. "Where might he be while pirates are raiding his shipments?"

The officer's face broke into a horrible smile which showed off his rotten and missing teeth.

"On his way to Harkon Hall," his sadistic grin deepened. "To get himself a bride."

Force of habit alone kept Sanya from dropping her blade. "What?!"

"Clearly he's selling himself short," the officer said over her and looked her up and down. "He should have set a course for the other twin."

Sanya sliced his throat in one smooth motion and almost immediately regretted it. How would she squeeze more, important, information out of him now? But once she remembered what his lord was about to do the rage filled her once again.

Jak hurried to her side. "Was that absolutely kriffing necessary?"

"Absolutely!" She shot back and then raised her volume so the crew could hear. "Forget the search! Kill this lot, throw their corpses over the side and get back on the Galia!"

If the crew noticed or cared about the captain's mood whiplash they didn't let on. They drew their own weapons and converged on the captured crew.

Protests and curses rang out from all the captives but one rose above all the others. "Hey, I'm just the ship's nurse! I don't have anything to do with this!"

Sanya's attention was piqued. She quickly located the source of the voice: a portly man with sandy-colored hair. She had to have heard him wrong; she'd never heard of a male nurse before. "Did you say you're a medic?"

"I'm a nurse." He replied.

"Aye alright, I guess we could use one of those. Maybe I won't kill you." She waved to a member. "Markos, bring the nurse aboard. Kill the rest."

"Jon!" One of the captives shouted after the nurse as Markos led him away. "We were always good to ya. You could vouch for us."

"After what you've done?" Jon snorted. "Not kriffing likely."

Sanya followed him on board while her crew dispatched the rest. No sooner had the last man set foot on the deck then they set sails and hoisted the anchor. They were going to Harkon Hall with all speed.

The very idea of what Bralykburn might do to her sister made her feel literally sick. She stopped and held onto the rail for a moment swallowing back the bile in her throat.

Jon, the new nurse, did not fail to notice. "You're looking a little green, Captain. Can I…"

That was all she needed, a brown noser when the stakes were so high. "I've already had my yearly kriffing physical. See to the men and leave me be."