The next day found them stationary on the sea. There wasn't even a breeze, the surface water was flat like glass. Aulix stripped and jumped into it, causing barely a ripple. Arya looked wistfully after him, but didn't want to leave their stuff unattended. The sailor she'd saved on that epic stormy night, came over.

"I'll watch your stuff if you want to join him."

"Thanks."

Arya put a poncho, from her pack, over her head. Then she took off her leather corset and put on a shirt. Her pack still had the swim shorts from when she went fishing with Benn. Those replaced the leather pants. Once done, the poncho went back in the bag. She tied the shirt up in the front and strapped a knife to her calf muscle. Then up on to the edge of the boat railing Arya jumped. She balanced a moment to scan the water and then dove in. The water was so clear, that she could see Aulix swimming below her. He was following a darker shape, that looked at least twice his size. She reached out with her mind and shivered involuntarily. It was their mystical water beast.

"Hey, anyone know how long my friend has been underwater?" Arya shouted to the ship.

It took a minute for the sailor in the crows nest to get down the rigging, so she could hear his answer. "Since before you went in. He should come up soon."

"Thanks!"

She was worried, if he was just floating, because of a mind connection, then he could drown. Just when Arya was about to dive down to bring him up, he returned to the surface. He was laughing after sucking in air. He saw her face and splashed her.

"Don't ever freak me out like that again," she scolded.

"Who do you think taught Benn how to swim and stay under so long?"

"Sorry, I should know better than to doubt you… I just thought you were," she paused and rolled her eyes back in her head. Flat water could carry voices easily.

"I was for a bit, but it's too hard to stay under when I do." He swam closer, "I'll tell you later."

"It's nice just floating like this, but knowing something could come up from down below also makes me hyper sensitive."

"We can go back if you want. The men on the ship are going to love watching you come out of the water," he chuckled.

"Jerk!… You get out first and I'll follow. You can block their line of sight," she replied. It wasn't that she was embarrassed, it was that she didn't want the men on the ship hitting on her. That usually didn't end well for them.

The wet shirt clung to her, a few of the sailors whistled their appreciation. Once on board, the sailor watching their stuff, gave her some canvas to wrap around herself. She nodded thanks and moved to her pack, to change under the poncho again. Aulix borrowed the canvas to wipe the salt water off his face, arms and legs. She did the same, but still under the poncho. Satisfied, Arya changed out of the wet clothing.

"Today would be a great day to catch some big fish."

"That's every day, but yes easier today. I'm hoping to see some birds come by. I'm dying to know where we are."

She smiled, "getting restless?"

"Understatement."

"Didn't our water friend tell you where we are?" She teased.

He looked at her like she was nuts. "You know what it's like in that mind. How we determine location, is definitely not something it would define the same way. And it wouldn't care either."

Arya nodded, then hung her wet clothing up to dry. Sitting down on the deck, she leaned against her pack, hands behind head, with a sigh. This was as relaxed as it could be.

"Going for a nap?" Aulix asked the obvious.

"Just dozing in the sun. Nothing else to do anyway."

He picked up a piece of wood he'd been whittling and decided to work on that. Late afternoon a breeze did come and the sails picked it up, moving the ship at last. All the passengers were on deck. It wasn't long, that like on all lenghty journeys an argument broke out and charged the air with tension.

"Isn't that the jerk you had a problem with too?"

She cracked open an eye and looked to where the raised voices were. "No, that guy was bald and is starboard. This guy is a different ass. I'm not surprised."

"You should go pick a fight and school him on manners," Aulix chuckled.

"Maybe." Arya could use the excersize, but didn't want to cause problems on board, so far from their destination.

However when she heard a child get involved, both eyes opened and took in the argument. The fat guy hit the child who was trying to defend his mother. Arya stood up and cracked her knuckles. "Are you going to bet on me kicking his ass?"

"Damn straight."

"What happens if I kill him?"

Aulix snorted, "the ship passengers will cheer."

She rolled her head on her shoulders and then walked forward. Arya stood to the side, since some of the sailors were trying to contain the situation. When the fat man knocked out the Boatswain and pulled out a knife, things changed quickly.

"Hey I'm trying to relax over here, can you shut up now?"

"Keep out of this bitch!"

Arya smiled, "what's your name?"

The man didn't answer her. He did try to make the child's mother, follow him, by applying pressure on her arm. Arya smashed his wrist and he let go. The woman scrambled away, pulling her son with her. Two sailors pulled the Boatswain out of the way.

"Look, just have some ale and sit down. No need for any more fighting. We've got a long way to travel still."

Aulix knew that she was setting the stage, making sure that everyone that was watching, believed all attempts to let him walk away had been offered. As expected, the man's attention landed on Arya. She circled him, like a predator playing with it's pray. A small smirk twisted Aulix's lips. The pray stabbed the air in front of Arya.

Tall Skinny guy, from the nightly card game, started the betting on who'd win the fight. Few thought that she'd win, especially having witnessed the knock out punch that took out the sailor. Arya gave Aulix time to get in on the game.

"Captain, it appears he wants a fight." Arya shouted out.

The ship's Captain stood by his cabin door, having been disturbed by the shouting. "Do what you need to do."

She smiled and gave the Captain a nod. In and out she moved, studying how the man thrust the blade and where he put the balance on his feet. A few lightning fast jabs, irritated the larger man. He laughed in her face and taunted. Arya moved on the balls of her feet, she threw a leg kick at his knee, three times. Then when he went to defend against the low kick, she landed one on his face. He kept standing, spreading his legs wider, as he took the impact.

"Block Head here, needs some manners." Arya said to the crowd, still dancing away from the blade. She was waiting for Aulix to nod, that the gambling was closed.

Timing was everything in a fight. When Block Head's knife arm was extended, she grabbed hold of it. He took the bait and slammed her onto the deck. He laughed, thinking the victory soon would be his. He was between her legs, making dirty comments. Her leg slid under and over his partially out stretched arm and angled her leg so that the side of his neck was pressed against her hamstrings. Quickly raising her other leg up and placing it over her angled leg in a figure 4 shape. This trapped his head and one arm between Arya's legs. Putting both hands on the back of his head, she pulled it down diagonally, maintaining the leg posture. Squeezing her angled leg against his neck, put pressure on his carotid artery. He was strong and realized she was winning the fight.

"Block Head here is about to pass out!" She called to the gathered spectators.

"The hell I am. I'm Belnor and I'm gonna kill you!" Using strength from adrenaline, his knife hand tried to stab her side and then neck.

Arya's legs tightened, but now that she knew his name, mercy was no longer an option. Shifting her body and holding his knife arm, in the right way, cause him to have the blade dig into his own neck. Blood squirted out, as contact with his jugular vein was made. "Aulix, get this idiot off me," she said, struggling under the big man's dead weight.

The Captain came forward, giving orders to his men, "throw the body overboard. Swab the deck to clean away the blood. His things, she gets first pickings and then the rest of you can have it."

"Don't want anything from him, y'all can take what you want…. damn it, he bled all over my clean cloths," Arya sighed.

The Boatswain was conscious again and he coughed, "I've got a clean shirt you can have."

She accepted his offer. Then said to the Captain, "that was all self defence."

"Don't worry, we all saw that you gave him plenty of chances to walk away. I won't even bother with the port authority…. Right everyone?" He asked the crowd and smiled when everyone nodded.

Aulix collected his winnings, waiting for the crowd to disperse. Arya saw him rubbing his temple and led him back to where they'd been sitting, before the commotion.

"It's here again?" She asked.

He nodded and closed his eyes, after laying down. He wasn't gone long. "The Block Head just got eaten. It likes human flesh. Told me it's better than chicken."

Arya knew he had a strong stomach, but Aulix was pale and looked nauseated, swallowing repeatedly. "Don't tell me any more…. But why didn't it eat us, when it could've done it easily while we swam?"

"I don't know and don't want to ask it right now… that move you did, that's Taron's."

She smiled and winked. "Yeah, he taught it to me one of the times we were play fighting."

Aulix laughed. "Right. Enough said."