It had been a long time since she had sailed these waters, but Captain Sanya Harkon wasn't admiring the view as she sleeplessly paced the deck willing the wind to carry them faster. The only time she was still was when she stood at her old favorite spot in the bow, leaning out like a figurehead.

She was so exhausted that she was beginning to see things. Was that a ship? Would they overtake Bralykburn before they reached the island? No, it was just brylk playing in the waves.

Sanya rubbed her eyes and a shadow descended over her. It was just like so long ago when Leon came to stand beside her and dropped the hat, that she still always wore, onto her head to hide her long red hair for the taking of their first prize. Only this wasn't Leon. Leon was dead.

The tall figure of Jamos Blackwell spoke softly, concerned by her recent behavior. "You need sleep. You'll be no good to anyone if you're too exhausted to stand and fight."

Reluctantly she followed him to her cabin after securing a promise from Freddie to alert her if they sighted anything at all.

Sleep still didn't come easily but Jak had ways of helping her to relax and she must have drifted off at some point because he was still lying there beside her when she woke. She had had her doubts when she put Drokko off on that island that maybe she had made the wrong choice. Maybe she shouldn't be with a Blackwell. But now her heart swelled at the sight of him.

"I love you, Jak."

He smiled and kissed her nose and then began to jabber while they rose to dress. She wasn't really paying attention to his words just enjoying the tone and cadence of his voice until something sparked her interest.

"What did you just say?"

He pulled his tunic over his head before he responded, "Just that I'm surprised it took him this long to go and get her. When I saw him he seemed pretty eager."

"You saw Yutton Bralykburn?" She tried to let that sink in. "When was this? When were you going to tell me about this?"

"It was… the same night I ran into you actually." He smiled at the memory but she wasn't smiling. "He was as surprised as you were that I wasn't standing at the salt formation with Talya at that very moment."

"That was two years ago," Sanya realized.

"Aye," he chuckled still not grasping her mounting displeasure. "He had been sent by his father after you, since they'd heard about my betrothal to your sister, but when I told him I wasn't going to go through with it…"

Sanya's hand went to her knife instinctively. It was a very small part of herself that stopped her from drawing it and burying it in Jak's chest.

"You knew he was going to take my sister for two years," she growled. "And you didn't bother to tell me?!"

He noticed now how furious she was and tried to explain himself: "I never thought he would try something against her will. I assumed he would offer -."

"Get out." She knew she didn't want to kill him but in her present state she was quickly forgetting it.

Jak, wisely, hurried out of the cabin and let the door slam behind him.

...

Able Seaperson Freddie leaned against the rail with macrobinoculars pressed to her eyes, scanning the waters ahead. She'd only seen Harkon Hall once or twice when she was sailing with her father, and he'd kept her close at hand the one time he got shore leave there. But like her captain the island didn't distract her. She had a job to do, and she was going to do it.

That was until she heard a huff behind her and a man asked "Tell me, is the captain always so short?"

Freddie lowered the binoculars. Jon stood beside her almost at attention.

"She will be if you keep sucking up to her like that," she gestured to Jon's posture. "We're pirates, not the kriffing navy."

Jon relaxed. "Something's not right with her, something medical, but she won't let me examine her." He scoffed. "Not that it's anything new; hardly anyone on my old crew wanted me to treat them either."

"Why was that?" She hadn't seen Jon in action, but from the looks of Boggs' arm he was a quick and accurate worker, sewing up the gash without too much pain.

"According to them nursing is women's work. The only reason a man would become a nurse is to get a good look at the other men." As he spoke he rolled his eyes.

"Do you?"

"Do I what?"

"Want to get a good look at the other men?"

"No!"

Freddie shrugged. "Nothing I haven't seen before."

"Well you're not seeing it here," Jon groused. "I like women, always have, but good luck trying to get anyone in the north to believe it."

"If your job causes you that much trouble, why'd you choose to be a nurse?" She too had a job that had given her grief, but she hadn't exactly chosen it and she'd gotten out the second she had a chance.

"Because it's the best job in the galaxy," he answered immediately. "I save lives. And I get to work with the most impressive women there are."

She didn't notice he was staring at her when he said it. Instead Freddie was absorbed by the captain's door swinging open and Jak all but flying out.

"Looks like the captain's not happy," she muttered.

"This is what I was talking about. Mood swings, short temper, even vomiting on the deck. In fact…" to Freddie's horror Jon started toward to cabin. "Now's the time to examine her if I'm going to catch everything. "

Freddie watched as Jon knocked on the captain's door and let himself in. "Well, there goes the bravest man I've ever met."

The words hadn't even left her mouth when Jon shot out of the cabin like he was propelled by the force of the captain's shout. Everyone on deck, Freddie included, flinched.

A series of loud noises indicated Captain Harkon was deigning to show herself and Freddie decided to look very busy. And busy she became as soon as she looked through the binoculars again.

"Freddie, report!" Sanya ordered.

Thank the salt gods she had something to report. "We've spotted a ship. Looks like the Bralykburns but it's a ways off and we have the wind to beat them to Harkon Hall."

"All sail! When we drop anchor, battle positions!"

…

Talya lit the brylk oil lantern and set it in the window of what had once been her sister's bedroom. Then she sat on the window seat and prayed to the salt gods that tonight might be the night that her rescuer would see it and know what it meant. She had done everything she could. She had passed the message to Miara.

There was no way of knowing if she had even found the note Talya had hidden in the pocket of Trevon Blackwell's shirt. Perhaps he had changed before he had arrived home at the Hold and the little sheet of flimsy had been lost or washed with the rest of the laundry.

Talya was fairly sure at least that it hadn't fallen into the hands of Lord Blackwell. If it had, surely there would have been reprisals for her audacity.

All she could do was set the signal that she had instructed Miara to tell Yutton Bralykburn to look for, and wait. She had done so the last three evenings and so far nothing, but it could have taken some time for him to get the message and make the voyage to the Hall. She had to believe that he still would come.

Hands folded anxiously in her lap, Talya looked around Sanya's room. It was much as it had been on the night she left four years before. No one ever came in here anymore but the room was joined to Talya's through their fresher so it was easy enough for her to enter undetected.

In the first days and weeks after Sanya's disappearance Talya came here often. She wondered if she might see Sanya's ship sailing back if she watched hard enough out this window. Very few ships sailed here now. That was another reason it was a good spot for her work her plan. Only if someone was looking for the light in the window would they know it was out of the ordinary.

She stood and walked to the bed, the last place she'd seen Sanya before she snuck out the window. Underneath it Talya had hidden a small bag packed with necessary items. She didn't have much anymore, after so many of their goods had been sold for the benefit of Lord Blackwell. She was able to pack an extra, modest dress to change into in case there was some adventure in her boarding of Bralykburn's ship and the one she was wearing became wet or dirty. She was nothing if not practical and she wouldn't appear before her future husband looking like a vagabond even if it was almost true.

Satisfied that her bag was still packed and ready to go she went back to the window. Perhaps it was a fool's hope.

She thought of going down the corridor to Herron and Dalla's wing and looking in on little Betha while she slept. It was becoming more obvious that the girl was going to be a big sister in a few months time but she hadn't been told that and Talya couldn't tell her goodbye either. It broke her heart.

She rested her head on the cool pane of transparisteel. She should just go back to her own bed, get some sleep, go back to playing the good daughter tomorrow morning. But then… was that a light out on the water? She cupped her hand against the window and squinted.

It was! It was a ship! Someone was coming! Someone had seen her light!

Alright! Aye! It was time! Her message had told Yutton to come to the cove around the east side of the island from the main ship building yards. That's where she would be waiting.

She slipped on her thin shoes and grabbed the bag. She said one last silent goodbye to the room and the house and her sleeping family and then she climbed out the window taking the lantern with her so she might have light on the path.

Is this what it was like when Sanya left home, she wondered? Maybe once everything was settled with Yutton he would agree to go and look for her sister. No one had yet been able to find her but there was always hope. After all her plan had worked. Her rescuer was coming.

…

The sky above was clear and cold and the stars so bright and familiar. None of the moons were shining tonight but Sanya didn't need them. She had seen the light of the lantern in her old bedroom window and she watched it now as it bobbed down the hill towards the little cove east and out of sight of the main harbor.

"Looks like someone's expecting us." She said softly but loud enough for her crew to hear and obey orders. "Better put up the banner that we took from that last frigate."

"The Bralykburn colors?" Freddie asked.

"Aye. We don't want to disappoint." Sanya pressed the macrobinoculars to her eyes again but she almost didn't need them to recognize the figure on the pebbly beach as her sister. When she lowered them again her cheeks were wet. It must have been the spray from the northern sea.

The captain scrubbed at her eyes with her sleeve and then pulled her hat lower over her face. "Lower the row boat. Markos you're with me." Then she looked at the others. "Stay close until you see my signal. Ready for action but don't attack without me. Bralykburn is mine. We've a score to settle."

She looked over the faces of the Bloody Galians but she didn't see Jak. She was still angry at him but a glance from him would have still strengthened her resolve. Oh well, she'd have to go on without it.

Sanya jumped into the little row boat. Her sailing master already had his hands on the oars and was ready to row them in.

…

Talya didn't know one ship from another the way her sister had always seemed to. Sanya could rattle off the sets of the sails and masts and yards when she was not much more than a toddler. One thing Talya did know was heraldry however, and the flag on the ship that weighed anchor in the deeps off the cove was definitely a Bralykburn standard.

Her heart hammered in her chest as she watched a little boat being lowered over the side and two figures descending into it. She held up the lantern as if it would help her see if one of them might be Yutton. Maybe he would just send a couple of his men to fetch her instead of coming himself.

Suddenly fear pooled in the pit of her stomach. Had she done the right thing? The Bralykburns were known to go pirate. Her own sister had gone pirate. She really had no idea what she was getting into.

The little row boat hadn't reached the beach yet. Maybe she could run back to the Hall and forget all about this stupid plan. Maybe they would just sail away if they thought she had changed her mind. Her hand trembled as did the circle of light thrown by the lantern onto the rocks at her feet.

She froze hearing the bottom of the boat scrape against land and then one of the figures jumped out and splashed into the shallows.

"Lya!" That voice was definitely not Yutton Bralykburn. It was…

She was enveloped in a hug before she even had a moment to process. And then they were holding each other at arms length, staring at each other after so long. It was like looking into a cracked, dirty mirror.

"Kriff, Lya it's been so long!" Sanya cried. She was crying. She let go of her sister only to wipe at her eyes with the sleeve of her coat.

"What? How?" Talya glanced again at the ship and now she could see that it was the Bloody Galia but the sails? The Bralykburn banner? They weren't sailing together now, were they?

"We got word he was coming? We sailed as fast as we could to get here before him. Everything is going to be fine now." Sanya took off her hat and crammed it down onto her sister's head with glee.

Her crew member had pulled the boat up a little further on to the beach.

Sanya looked at the things that her twin had been holding, the lantern and the small bag. "Is that all you're bringing? That's alright I've got stuff you can wear." She took the bag from Talia's hand ready to toss it to the man by the boat but then she stopped. A mischievous light came into her eyes as she opened it and examined the contents.

"Change of plans, Markos." Sanya dragged her sister toward the row boat. "Get her back to the ship and make sure she's comfortable in my cabin. You can toss out some of the quartermaster's gear if you have to."

"You're not coming back aboard, Captain?" the man scratched his head but he continued to follow orders.

"I'll be back on board soon enough." The pirate captain grinned from her crew member to her sister and back again, "Tell the crew to take the Galia north around the spar and stay out of sight. I'm gonna give Bralykburn the surprise of his life."

Markos shook his head. "You can't take on the whole ship by yourself."

"I don't have to. I just need to get Yutton alone, kill him, and then wait till dark to take one of the ship's boats and you all can come and pick me up."

"Sanya, No!" Talya burst out.

The crew member seemed to agree with her. "There are so many things that could go wrong with this plan. The least of which is Jak finding out and murdering me because I let you go through with it."

"Come on. You know my luck is better than that."

"I hope it's not about to run out." The man put one of his feet into the boat and reached out a hand to help Talya aboard.

Talya turned again to her twin to protest. "Sanya, you don't understand. I planned for…"

"It'll be alright. Trust me." Sanya pushed her sister into the boat and helped Markos give it a shove into the surf. "I'll be there soon and then you can tell me everything. It's so good to see you!"

Sanya watched them for a moment longer and then picked up her sister's bag and looked around for a place she could change. Thank the salt gods for her sisters practicality. Everything she needed was here.

She made the transformation quickly thankful that the dress had a high collar that covered the tattoo on her chest. Speaking of her chest the bodice of the dress seemed a bit tighter than it should have. She and her sister were always around the same size. Though it had been four years and they had both done a lot of growing especially in that area. Maybe it was just because she had been working hard on her ship and was more muscular in her shoulders and back or maybe it was because her sister probably wore a corset.

Well there was no time for that. She managed to squeeze into the garment, hiding her own clothes and boots behind a rock. She pulled on the impractical slipper as she stepped back out onto the beach and looked out once again at the sea.

The home where she had grown up was just behind her but she didn't spare it a glance. The future was ahead and as she noticed the Galia slipping around the northern tip of the island she saw another ship coming up from the south east. She hoped they hadn't spotted each other and then she remembered the lantern.

She held it high and waved it in the direction of the approaching vessel. "Come and get me Bralykburn," she whispered. "I'm ready for you."