"That's it, Yama-chan, come at me!"

Tanaka held up his hand as a target, beckoning with the other. He danced backward on the deck, light as seafoam, forcing Yamaguchi to follow him. Yamaguchi's fists were raised to the level of his chin, and sweat stood on his face and soaked his hair. His eyes were hard and his mouth was screwed up in a grimace of concentration.

"C'mon, c'mon, strike while the iron is hot!" Tanaka splayed the fingers of his open hand in encouragement. Yamaguchi struck out and landed a solid blow on Tanaka's palm. Tanaka laughed, hard and loud.

"Good, good! Turn your body into the punch! Extend your arm fully, but keep your elbow bent! Good, good! Again!"

Right, left. Right again. Yamaguchi punched. Tanaka backed away and presented his other hand as a target as well. He changed position constantly so that Yamaguchi had to follow moving targets. Yamaguchi's eyes were sharp and focused, missing nothing, and his shoulders were not hunched in self-protection, but bent forward in aggression.

He did not seem aware of the crowd that had gathered to watch, some silent, some hooting or cheering. They'd been having their nightly lessons for more than two weeks, now. Every day, even when Yamaguchi and Hinata were exhausted from the day's work, even when Tanaka had to drag himself away from a game of cards or a lewd story told by another shipmate, the three of them had found the time to practice and learn from each other. Even if they only had energy for a short while before they stumbled to their hammocks with limbs limp as noodles, they worked together.

It had begun to tell. The difference in Yamaguchi was as clear as a cloudless sky. Hinata could see it, and he could only hope that Yamaguchi saw it, too.

People had begun to watch on the third day or so. Just two or three at first, older sailors who had been with the Swan for many years and were drawn by any hint of some new entertainment to be had. They had snickered and nudged each other, watching young Tanaka Ryuu teach his little kouhai how to throw a punch, how to pivot on the heel, how to follow through after a blow.

Yamaguchi had barely been able to stand it. His shoulders hunched around his ears, his face flamed with embarrassment, and his already clumsy movements became even more uncoordinated and flustered. But Tanaka refused to let up. He wouldn't let Yamaguchi stop, even when the watching sailors joked and mocked amongst themselves. Tanaka just grit his teeth, his eyes flashing in the dim light of the ship's lanterns and the moonlight above, and bid Yamaguchi to continue with the lesson. And they did.

Yamaguchi worked hard. He didn't give up. He fought through his embarrassment, his fear, his self-doubt. He threw himself into the lessons with everything he had. After only a few days, the watchers ceased to matter. Yamaguchi was able to ignore them, focused solely on the task he had set for himself. Tanaka grinned when he saw it, wide and delighted, and Hinata cheered from the sidelines, too.

Hinata didn't mind the crowd, which grew and grew as the lessons continued. When it was his turn to spar with his senpai, he threw himself into it with joyful abandon. He wasn't any better than Yamaguchi at fighting, not at the beginning. But he was strong and fast and swift to react, and he had always enjoyed competing in front of spectators. For him, the gathered watchers were a spur, not a burden.

Yet as much as Hinata enjoyed his lessons for the time spent with his senpai and for the development of his skills, his pleasure in watching Yamaguchi was just as great. If not greater. Gradually as the days passed the jokes and laughter of the watchers had faded, replaced with genuine interest and shouts of encouragement. They were all seeing what Hinata was seeing—Yamaguchi learning, growing, and becoming. He was like a newly hatched bird, shedding fragments of shell with every shake of his wings. Soon he would be mighty. He would soar.

"Keep going, Yamaguchi!" Hinata cried, pumping his fist in the air as he watched Yamaguchi and Tanaka dance around the deck. "Chase him down! Give him what for!"

Tanaka laughed and sidestepped Yamaguchi's swing at the last second, and Yamaguchi stumbled forward, off-balance. Tanaka caught his shoulder and kept him from falling to the deck. "Oi, there, little shipmate! Don't hurt yourself, now."

Well, perhaps Yamaguchi wasn't ready to soar quite yet. But he was getting there. He would reach it soon. Hinata clapped and cheered.

Yamaguchi spread his feet on the deck, panting and flushed. His fists lowered to his sides. "Tanaka-senpai... I...I feel dizzy..."

"Oh, aye?" Tanaka halted in concern and laid a hand along Yamaguchi's cheek, raising his head so he could look in his eyes. He tsked loudly. "Aye, we'd best take a breather. Hinata! Fetch some water, would you?"

Hinata ran for the fresh water barrel. Tanaka led Yamaguchi over to the mast to sit, supporting him with a firm grip on his elbow as Yamaguchi's steps wavered. They had to pass through the watchers to get there, and then Tanaka carefully lowered Yamaguchi to the deck. One of the other sailors, the one everyone called Juan the Elder, patted Yamaguchi's head and praised his fortitude as Hinata raced back with a dipper of water, spilling most of it as he ran.

That was the end of the lessons for that night, though Hinata felt he could have gone a little longer. Tanaka called a halt and would not be gainsaid, though after some water and some rest Yamaguchi said that he felt fine as frog's hair. And indeed, he was well enough then to be embarrassed by the attention, which he had been oblivious to when he wasn't feeling himself. Nonetheless, to their hammocks they went, to dream and plan and anticipate the morrow.

Even with his newfound strength, Yamaguchi was not as cheery and optimistic as Hinata, who was now certain that no matter what, they would be able to deal with Billy Hanson and his mates when the time came. But Yamaguchi was no longer gloomy and despairing over the prospect, either. Progress had been made and would continue to be made.

X

The Swan sailed on. In the first weeks, Hinata and Yamaguchi had been too overwhelmed and too busy adjusting to their new life to pay much attention to the larger goings on of the ship. But as they settled, as they learned and grew and earned their sea legs, they began to listen to the talk of the older sailors and to feel an interest in the mission.

At the time they'd been brought aboard, the Swan hadn't had any particular purpose except restocking supplies in Yukigaoka. (Which supplies, it appeared, also included fresh conscripts.) Soon after they set sail, though, Captain Ushijima had received orders from the capital island of Yeddo. For months, the Swan had been patrolling the major merchant routes between the most populated islands, keeping a watch out for pirates and escorting the occasional trade ship. Now, they were sailing for the edge of the Archipelago on a new mission.

Hinata was unreasonably excited at the prospect. When Yamaguchi and he were able to steal away to their hiding place for a little while, it was all he wanted to talk about. Yamaguchi indulged him in speculating, too, but he had no more information than Hinata did.

"They said we're going to the Iron Island, at the very edge of the Archipelago!" Hinata announced one day, all but yelling in Yamaguchi's face.

Yamaguchi winced and stuck his little finger in his ear, but nodded amiably at his friend's excitement. "Aye, so they did. I heard it, too. I was standing with you when those sailors were talking, if you remember."

"Aye, aye, but what does it mean?" Hinata was kneeling in front of Yamaguchi, his toes pressed to the deck and his hands on his knees. As he spoke, he bounced up and down with the motion of the ship, unable to be still. "The Iron Island is the furthest defense of Aritossa, isn't it? They call it the Wall, because no enemy can pass within a league of it. Are we going to be patrolling there, now? Is there some sort of threat from beyond the Archipelago that we must face?"

"I don't know, Hinata-chan." As usual, Yamaguchi's patience was infinite, matching Hinata's infinite eagerness jot for jot. "I imagine we'll find out and all when we get there."

Hinata stuck his lower lip out in a mighty pout. "But I want to know now."

Yamaguchi wrinkled up his face in a cross between a smile and a grimace. "Well, then, I guess you'll just have to spy on the officers' meetings until they mention what the mission is."

Hinata's eyes widened and widened. Then he leaped to his feet, his fists clenched at his sides. "Do you really think I can?"

"What? No!" Yamaguchi jumped up and put his hands on Hinata's shoulders, doing his best to push him down to sit again. "Don't be an idiot. I was joking! You can't spy on the officers' meetings—that's plain foolishness, it is, and you'll get yourself whipped for insolence."

After a few seconds of resistance, Hinata let himself be forced down to the deck again. His frown was bigger than ever, though, his eyes liquid with admonishment. "That wasn't a very funny joke, Yamaguchi. You got my hopes all up. It seemed like such a good idea!"

"Well, it isn't." Yamaguchi left his hands on Hinata's shoulders, standing up on his knees while Hinata sprawled slump-shouldered and loose-limbed on the deck. He patted Hinata's shoulders, clumsy and a bit too rough. "It's a terrible idea, and I'm sorry I'm so bad at telling jokes. Don't you even think about it and all. We have no choice but to wait and find out with the rest of the crew."

"Aye, aye. As you say." Hinata crossed his arms over his chest and huffed a sigh.

"I'm sorry I mentioned it." Yamaguchi's voice was entirely sincere, his expression twisted with regret. "Try to forget I ever said anything."

"I can't help it," Hinata complained, waving his hands in the air in a flail of frustration. "You're so smart, and your ideas are always so good! How else was I supposed to take it?"

Yamaguchi's hands slid off Hinata's shoulders, and he knelt back on his heels with a groan. "I'm not that smart. I ended up here, didn't I?"

Hinata sobered, his arms settling down at his sides again. "You couldn't help that," he told him, his eyes large and round. "You were just walking home from your friend's house. You didn't do anything wrong."

Yamaguchi shrugged, folding his hands in his lap. His face was red, and he couldn't seem to meet Hinata's eyes, his gaze continually slipping away. Hinata sighed again, though for a different reason this time.

"Let's talk about something else," Yamaguchi muttered.

"Aye." Hinata perked up, his eyes sparking with interest. The enthusiasm returned to his voice right away. "What do you think the Iron Island is like? I heard they have the largest fortress in the Shifting Sea, and a harbor with a sea gate. Do you think that's true? What will it look like?"

Yamaguchi nodded, settling into the new topic with a grateful smile. "There is indeed a sea gate at the Iron Island, one of the largest in the world. We studied the Iron Island in school for a few days. There's a great chain boom across the mouth of the harbor, and it can be raised and lowered by winches at corner gates on either side of the mouth. It's quite a feat of engineering and all, and they say it's a marvel to see it in action. I hope we get to see it."

"But the boom will be lowered for the Swan, won't it? They wouldn't be worried about an attack while Captain Ushijima is about?"

"Aye, mayhap. But still, something could happen..."

The hopefulness in Yamaguchi's voice made Hinata grin. He was glad to have found a topic to engage his friend's interest and take him away from the melancholy that had gripped him. Someday, he was going to convince Yamaguchi that he was an amazing person and had no reason to regret or blame himself. For now, though, at least he could distract him. Hinata puffed up with delight at his success, and he let Yamaguchi lead the conversation for the rest of the day.

X

The sailors continued to watch Tanaka's lessons with Yamaguchi and Hinata. It was not always the same men, and some nights the group of watchers was larger than others. But on the whole, it continued to grow. Their sparring matches had become a source of amusement for the ship, and Tanaka beamed with pride, sharp and bright, at every shout of encouragement or cry of advice aimed at his proteges.

Hinata even thought he saw Captain Ushijima watching, once, standing on the quarterdeck with his hands clasped behind his back, his shoulders broad and stiff against the starry sky. But the light was dim, the figure only a silhouette, and it might have been his imagination.

Then came the night that Hinata had been waiting for, though he hadn't realized he was expecting it until it arrived. Hinata had sparred with Tanaka first, that night, giving Yamaguchi some time to rest. Now it was Yamaguchi's turn, and Hinata sat on a barrel at the edge of the crowd and cheered him on while he chased Tanaka around the deck, dogged and determined.

Yamaguchi's swings had gained in power as the days passed, and now there was an audible whoosh sound as his fist flew threw the air, seeking its mark. Tanaka took each blow to his hands like a champion, laughing and grinning in exultation, but Hinata didn't miss the tiny winces that crossed his senpai's face on occasion. Yamaguchi had grown to be a tough opponent. Everyone could see it.

Hinata glanced sideways, watching the crowd as they watched his friends. He loved seeing their faces. He loved watching the skepticism of the newcomers melting into admiration, then enthusiasm, as they saw what was the happening here. The fierce joy of the regulars as they saw, again, how much Yamaguchi had grown. The proud, nostalgic expression on the face of Juan of the Elder. Maybe he used to fight, too. Maybe he wished he still did.

Then he saw them, standing at the back of the group, noses in the air and faces drawn with disgust. Billy Hanson and his mates had come to watch the lesson. Hinata froze for a moment, staring at them with eyes growing ever wider. Then he faced forward again and hunkered down, hiding his grin. Let them watch. Let them see. Let them understand just what they had gotten themselves into when they had dared to threaten Hinata and bully his friend.

After another minute or two of vigorous exercise, Tanaka called a halt, reaching out to put a hand on Yamaguchi's head. "Waah, oi, that's enough for now, Yama-chan! Ah, you're dripping sweat! We'll get a drink, aye? Rest a mite."

Yamaguchi nodded, just a touch dizzily, but his feet were firm on the deck. Tanaka ruffled his damp hair and led the way over to the barrel Hinata had jumped away from, anticipating their need. He'd already filled the dipper, and he held it out for Yamaguchi as they approached. "Here, Yamaguchi! Drink your fill!"

Yamaguchi accepted the hollowed-out calabash and tipped it to his mouth, letting the water run over his chin and neck, spilling onto his tunic. Tanaka laughed and thumped his back, congratulating him for "drinking like a man."

"You've come a long way, little kouhai!" Tanaka declared, his boisterous voice carrying over the entire ship. "Pleased as punch, I am, and you should be too. I was right when I called ya a brawler. Put those fists to use just as ya have been, and not one man in a hundred will be able to stand against ya."

Several of the gathered crew laughed and agreed at this, and Hinata punched Yamaguchi's arm hard enough to make him flinch and almost drop the calabash. But not everyone was so pleased. Of course not. As the laughter and noise began to die down, a loud scoff tore through the group, sharp and unexpected, startling and silencing.

Tanaka turned toward the sound at once, his eyes flashing like a bolt of lightning from above. He found the source of the scoff and narrowed in on it, then stalked forward. Several of the crewmen between stepped aside to give him a wide berth. Billy Hanson stood still on the deck, paralyzed where he stood as Tanaka Ryuu came toward him like a rolling storm.

"What did you say?" Tanaka asked, low and menacing. "I thought I heard a sound come out of your mouth, but that couldn't be right, could it? It was a slug, wasn't it? A slug came out of your mouth. Where did the poor ugly, misshapen thing go?" He made a show of staring around at the deck with wide eyes, even lifting up one of his feet as if afraid he might have stepped on it.

Then he looked back to Billy Hanson, his wide-eyed, playful expression closing down into unadulterated disgust. "That's what it was, right? Surely ya didn't say a word against my kouhai. That would be far uglier than any slug upon this great green earth, and I would be compelled to squash it with a will."

Billy stood his ground, though he swayed back on his heels as Tanaka loomed over him. His friends at his shoulders seemed to give him strength, or perhaps he was simply unwilling to appear weak before them. After a moment of silence, he narrowed his eyes at Tanaka, his mouth drawing down in a frown.

"Aye, I made a noise. It was a reaction, that was all. I couldn't control it. The words coming out of your mouth were simply too unbelievable for me to bear."

His friends snickered and nudged him, breaking out of their stunned stillness at being under Tanaka's baleful eye. Billy straightened at the encouragement, a smirk appearing on his lips.

Tanaka stood back, no longer looming over the powder boys. He rested his hands on his hips and watched Billy with his chin raised. "Unbelievable, was it? What was it that I said, in particular, that you disagree with so heartily?"

"Well, all of it." Billy showed his teeth in a snarling grin. "Every word. The idea that Pimple-Face Tadashi would ever be a match for anyone, let alone a hundred."

"Oh, aye?" Tanaka tilted his head in mocking question. "Shall we put it to a test, then?"

"Tanaka-senpai..." Yamaguchi dared to protest, but he was instantly drowned by the hail of cheers from everyone around.

"Aye, to the test!" "Let's have a real fight!" "Show us what you're made of, powder monkeys!" "Give us a show!"

They had all been waiting for this moment, it seemed. For the endless lessons and practice and sparring to gain weight and significance. If it was fun to watch three young sailors pretend to fight, it would be that much more entertaining to see a real match.

Billy raised his chin, too, mirroring Tanaka's aggressive stance. "Aye, let's put it to the test. I'll fight Yamaguchi right here, right now." He raised his fist in expectant delight, and his smile was a horror to behold.

At the edge of the crowd, practically forgotten by all, Yamaguchi whimpered and shrank, hiding his face in his hands. Hinata patted his back, stepping forward as if to shield him. "Don't worry," he whispered. "I'm sure Tanaka-senpai has a plan. He's wise and he's kind. He won't put you in danger."

Tanaka held out his hand in front of Billy Hanson's face, flat and splayed to halt his momentum. "Nay!" he thundered, and the crowd went still. "Not right here, right now. That wouldn't be fair, would it? Yama-chan just spent an entire bell working hard, while you've been resting your gams after enjoying your meal. That wouldn't be a fair fight at all!"

A few of the other sailors nodded, considering the sense in this. Billy blinked in confusion, his fist lowering to his side. Yamaguchi breathed a sigh of relief.

Tanaka shook his head, slow and solemn. "Nay. Tomorrow. Tomorrow when the work is done and we've all had time to recover from the labors of the day. Then we'll have our test. You'll have a chance to prove your mettle. And Yama-chan will show ya, for good and all, exactly how far he's come."

He looked around at the watchers. "Does that not seem a good plan? Is it not fair and just?"

"Aye, 'tis," said Juan the Elder, slapping Tanaka on the back. "We'll look forward to the morrow, then, aye?" He looked around at his peers, and there was a general murmur of agreement. Some looked disgruntled at the delay of their entertainment, but none dared protest after Juan the Elder sanctioned the plan.

"Tomorrow, then," Tanaka said, with one last smile for Billy Hanson. And he turned on his heel and stalked off, back to his kouhai.

"Tomorrow!" Billy cried to his back, a promise and a threat.

"Tomorrow!" Hinata squealed in Yamaguchi's ear, excited almost beyond the bearing.

And Yamaguchi merely nodded, weary and disconsolate. "Tomorrow."