The boy was no Copper Isles slave, Ana knew that. If he was a fresh-caught slave, she was the Lioness of Tortall. Slaves didn't carry swords, like the one that rested at his waist. Fresh-caught slaves had not yet figured out that obedience earned them less bruises than defiance, but his face had no bruises or scars. He might be from the Copper Isles, but she wouldn't bet on it. Even so, there was something she liked about him, something that made her extend her hand to him in mercy, a motion she rarely used.

""I'm Anastasia." She said. He looked up, surprise on his face. Was he surprised because she'd spared his life, or because she was a girl? He was impossible to read. She really wanted to leave off the last part, to just be a normal person for a while longer, but it wouldn't be fair for Justin to hear it from someone else. "Ramone Dominica." Fear and confusion overtook the surprise. She wasn't sure if she could take the emotion she knew came next: Anger. Shoving her hand further toward him, refusing to change her mind, she added, "Welcome to the White Death."

She halfway expected him to grab his sword and be done with it, but instead his hand moved toward hers. He hesitated, a hair's width away from contact, before clasping her hand with his own.

"It's nice to meet you, Captain Anastasia." He said.

"You won't be so pleased soon enough." She warned him. "My crew doesn't sit around doing nothing. We work, and we fight."

"I can work." He promised as he stood. She glanced at his soft hands, and carefully schooled her face to keep incredulity from showing. Work? She'd pay good money if he knew how to work hard.

Ana looked down, and grinned. "Great job, men!" She called.

Justin followed her gaze and stared. Not one of her crew was seriously injured, and all of his crew was tied up. No one was bleeding too badly, and no one was dead. Tolan and the others had followed orders well.

Ana climbed down the rope, and Justin followed. She walked over to the captives.

"Who's your captain?" She asked, her voice ice cold.

No one spoke. A closer examination revealed they were all gagged.

"Shake your head if you are the captain of the-" She looked at the ship that was swarming with her men. "Queen Thyet."

"Arrald gave a hearty shake of his head. She drew the knife that was in her boot, and beside her Justin looked away. She hesitated, then handed the knife to Justin, hilt-first.

"Do whatever you think best with him." She ordered.

Justin turned white, but it was clearly a test. The other pirates leaned in, to see what the boy would do.

He took the knife. He had a good grip, one that you either learned through hours of practice, or hard experience. Given the shade of white he was turning, she would guess the former.

Justin braced himself, then put the knife to the captain's neck. He pressed it in, not even enough to draw blood. He gritted his teeth, and started to drag the knife across the poor man's throat. Then he shook his head. He turned toward Ana. "I'm sorry, Captain. I can't do it."

She didn't say a word, but she raised an eyebrow. A slave who refused to get revenge on the ones who kidnapped him? More proof he was no slave. Justin returned his attention to the captain of the other ship.

"You never beat me, and stopped your men from beating me." Justin said. He pulled the knife through the strip of fabric that gagged the man. "Tell me why."

The man whispered, "You look like my son."

Ana was thinking, two fingers dancing on her chin. "Where are you from, Captain?" She asked.

He answered her warily. "A little bit of everywhere."

She smiled, but there was no warmth behind the smile. "But everyone has somewhere they call home. Where is your home, Captain?"

"I'm Carthak born, Captain." He responded.

She waved that away. "I can see that! I want to know where you'd go if you stopped… trading." The man looked at Justin, and Ana wanted to hit him. Can't anyone just answer a question? "You mentioned a son. Where does your son live?" She said, with exaggerated patience.

"Tortall, Captain."

"Switch the flags." She ordered Calix, who'd come up behind her. He gave her a slight grin.

"Yes, Captain." He turned to obey, but she stopped him.

"Wait."

"Something else you wanted, Captain?"

""Yes. Take Justin with you. He made the right choice." She said, glancing at the boy.

Justin visibly relaxed and followed Calix.

"Andersons?" She glanced around, then cursed in Tyran. Barely remembering to switch back to Common Easter, she said, "Mithros bless it! Did that stupid mage sleep through the whole thing?"

"I didn't see him, Captain." Tolan offered.

Going back to Tyran, she cursed again. "Someone go get him."

Three men scampered off. Behind her, she heard a sniff. She whirled around, but no one was there. The air began to speak.

"I am not a 'stupid mage', thank you very much. Of course you didn't see me, Tolan. I don't like being seen. Captain, may I talk to you in private?"

Ana sighed. "Will I be able to see you?"

"Once we're safely inside your cabin, and I've sealed it from eavesdroppers, or unexpected guests, yes."

"Very well." She started the trek to her cabin, grateful for the standing water that made Andersons' footsteps very clear. The mage got offended when she stepped on him.

She ducked inside and closed the door. "Will you drop the shield now?"

"One moment." His moss-green gift filled the corners of the room. Then he appeared. "Better."

The mage wasn't anything special. He was muscled, as anyone on a pirate ship would be, and his hair hung shoulder length. Day-old stubble brushed his cheeks, and sweat shone on his face under the light.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" Ana asked.

"I wasn't fighting, Captain, because I was scattering your magic. Did you know you brought someone with the Sight aboard? That boy?"

Switching to Tyran, she swore vivdly, describing what she'd do to the trickster god Kyprioth if she got her hands on him. Switching back to Common Eastern, she spoke much calmer, a frightening contrast to the swearing, spitting girl she'd been a moment before.

"Do you know who he is, Andersons?" She asked.

"No, Captian." He said. "What did he claim to be?"

"A slave." If they'd been on the main deck, she would have spat to show her appreciation of that idea.

Andersons frowned. "He's definitely not a slave. But why would the crew risk your wrath to lie for him?"

Ana hesitated. The man was right. Usually, she didn't have any patience for slavers. They'd be thrown overboard tied to a cannonball. "His hands are soft, like he hasn't seen work before." She said slowly, formulating an idea. "He was on a royal ship. He knows how to hold a sword." She looked at the mage. "He couldn't be a noble, could he?"

Andersons shrugged. "You could ask him while I'm using eyebright. But I've never tried it on Sight mages before…"

The girl-captain sighed. "Why can't the nobles stay away? If I don't let him go, his noble father will get righteously angry, and King Johnathan will finally go after me. If I let him go, he'll tell his noble father that I'm dangerous, and King Johnathan will finally go after me. I really have no choice."

"Keep him for a week or so." The mage suggested. "Bring him back to Tortallan port yourself. Earn his trust."

Thinking over it, she slowly nodded. "Thank, Andersons."

Andersons grinned. "Don't thank me. Just put me ashore at the Tortallan port. I need to catch up with my old teacher, Numair Saliman."

"The black robe mage?" She asked, incredulous.

He smiled. "What rank do you think I am, that I can fool someone who's Sighted?"

Ana shook her head ruefully. "Always full of surprises, huh, Andersons?"

"Always, Captain."