What Emily really dreams of is a New England farm. Or, at least, what she supposes one would be like. It occurs to her that these dreams are odd for that reason, actually. Out here in Caribbean waters they have plantations, entire islands devoted to them in cases, but she suspects any of those she's seen would be quite different from those where Alex very likely is by now. But she dreams of one anyway. She dreams of a sweet little farm house, a coup full of chickens, big sturdy horses, cows lowing from out in a field. And of course she dreams of him. She dreams of sleeping in his arms, riding those horses with him, being content to cook and keep house while he minds the farm. She wouldn't be for long, in reality, but that's what dreams are for, right?

Even in these dreams, her mind won't conjure up children for them. She can never decide whether the thought she maybe won't ever have them is a relief or a reason to grieve. Perhaps, for her, it will always be both, which may well be why she doesn't dare even dream of them.

It's been nine months, and still she longs for the nights she has these dreams.

It's rather unfair to Riley, dreaming of another while in his arms. She realizes this. But something in her sort of broke the night Alex left. She finds herself entirely unconcerned by what's 'fair', because 'fair' never seems applied much to her. The only time she gets what's 'fair' for herself is when she takes it and is unapologetic about it. And if Riley has a problem – well. He doesn't have to share her bed at night, does he?

Some small part of her knows that Alex would be ashamed of her for many things now, and it pains her at times to think of it. But then she thinks of that vision, the one she'd had of him and the porcelain-skinned China doll of a beauty. And she thinks that if that's what Alex Sparrow wants out of a lover…well, maybe Emily and he are both better off for his having left, after all.

~-~-~-~
Five Months Ago, Ship Crossing to the New World Colonies
~-~-~-~

The waters here are calmer than what he's used to this time of the year.

They've not yet made it to their destination, though the Captain says it'll only be another two days at most. Alex thinks he'll be, for once, happy to set foot on solid ground after such a journey. The ship isn't particularly large, so space has been rather cramped. And, as if that isn't enough, there's too much now about being out at sea that has him unable to stop thinking of Emily. He misses her desperately, though he scarce misses all the rum-soaked trouble she'd come with by the time he'd left her standing there on the Queen.

The look on her face as she'd begged him to stay…he can't make the image leave his mind. It's haunted his dreams ever since.

"Alex?" A voice murmurs, soft and tentative.

He starts a bit, turning to glance down at the slight figure standing next to him. "Oh. Apologies, Miss Ellsworth, I was – gettin lost in me own 'ead."

Soft, sky blue eyes meet his a moment. "It's alright. You seem to do that rather often. I wonder sometimes if you are thinking of what awaits you at our destination, or whatever it is you've left behind." A pause, Alex turns to stare back out to see, debating on how to answer that. The young woman next to him frowns a bit. "Forgive me. I should know better than to…"

"No…" He cuts her off gently. "It's alright, Miss Ellsworth. I must admit, s'usually what I've left be'ind that I can't stop thinkin about. But I can promise ye wouldn't want to 'ear about that."

She looks a bit as though she wants to protest, but reigns herself in with the practiced control of a lady. "That is quite up to you, of course. After all, it is your future that concerns me. I've spoken to my mother, and she says my uncle was just lamenting in his last letter the fact that he hasn't an extra pair of hands to help him at the store he runs. Now, boys just a bit younger are usually considered best subjects for apprenticeships I think, but I am so very close to my uncle, and I just know that if I ask very nicely he will give you a chance."

Alex turns fully to her now, eyes widened. "Miss – I would owe him greatly if he were to take me on." A pause. "And you as well. I'll never be able to repay the kindness ye've shown me."

"Don't be silly!" She exclaims softly. "I don't expect to be repaid. Only, you might be sure and come to visit me every so often. Our estate is ever so beautiful even during the colder months, and mother and I will have it quite to ourselves now, I think we should both like the company."

A ghost of a roguish smirk tugs at the corner of Alex' slips. "Are ye so sure of that? Perhaps you'd like the company, but yer mother watches me like a 'awk. I think she just wants me away from you and out of 'er 'air."

Imogene laughs, a beautiful sound like the tinkling of bells. "Mother has grown protective of me in the absence of my father. But I know her. She is coming to like you, if only very slowly."

He smiles now, small but genuine. "I 'ope so. I would like to still see ye."

Porcelain cheeks turn a lovely shade of red as she returns his smile.

~-~-~-~
Present Day, the Sea's Queen
~-~-~-~

Eager to start heading for their destination, and with such a journey ahead of them, Adrienne and Emily decide to hold off on their fun little bet. The winds are on their side, and so Emily gives Adrienne the helm (it is her map, after all), hovering close by of course, and a routine is settled into with the temporary additions to the Queen's crew. And in that time, strange as it very much is, Emily begins to realize that she no longer quite hates the other woman as she once did. And, even stranger, the feeling seems to be mutual. She rather doubts they'll ever really call each other friends, but without Alex around, they've nothing specific to fight over.

In fact, she's finding she can enjoy the other woman's company, if not always for very long.

Day's pass before their luck runs out, as it was bound to eventually. They wake one morning to find the winds have died out and the sails hang limp from their beams. With little else to be done for this night, at least, and after a long day spent with little to do, Emily allows the crew an extra ration of rum and retreats below decks with a full bottle in her own hands.

She settles herself in her cabin, curled up comfortable in the window seat with a guitar in her lap. A gift, from her Uncle in fact, though Captain Teague was the one to begin teaching her to play it. They'd been trying to make up for what she'd lost through Alex, she suspects, but no one will hear her complain of it. She enjoys playing, and indeed, has shown a bit of a talent for it according to Teague. Though, perhaps that is just because she enjoys it so and therefore is diligent in practicing.

She strums it, practicing cords and a simple tune between indulging in the rum set beside her.

"Jolie." A voice praises in a moment of silence. "Where did you learn that?"

Emily offers Adrienne a small smile for the compliment. "Captain Teague. Alex's grandfather. I can't play even half as well as he, yet, but it's enough fun that I keep trying."

Taking the conversational answer as the offer it is, Adrienne crosses the room. Emily shifts a bit to leave room on the window seat, and the Frenchwoman makes herself comfortable. "I have always wished that I was gifted with music. My mother was well known for her talent, with a piano and the harp as well as her voice, but I could never play as well as she."

"What about singing? I don't recall ever hearing you try."

"I was – not terrible. But I'm afraid I haven't much wished to since Maman passed on."

Emily nods in understanding. Silence ensues, not uncomfortable, and she goes back to strumming the guitar.

"May I ask you something?" Adrienne asks after a long moment. "I gather it may be – personal."

Emily studies her a moment. "Only if I can ask you something in return."

Adrienne nods. "You may go first, if you wish."

"That scar…" Emily points out on her own jaw the place where the small but noticeable pink scar sweeps up from Adrienne's. "How did you get it?"

Eyebrows raising, Adrienne snorts. "Do you not remember?"

"Remember…you mean it's got something to do with me?"

"At the Fountain of Youth. We fought."

"Well, yes, I remember that, though it's hazy."

Adrienne softens at this, just a fraction, as she glances down at Emily's bad leg. "Yes, I imagine it would be with the state you were in." She shakes her head. "I suppose you wouldn't have realized, but you caught me with your blade," she reaches up to touch the scar on her jaw, "drew blood."

"Oh. No, I hadn't realized with all that was happening at the time. I'd be lying if I apologized, though, so I won't."

Adrienne shrugs. "That is fair. It was petty of me to have come at you as you were."

Pirates. Neither of them even needs to say it. Emily takes a pull from her bottle, offers it to the Frenchwoman. "What was your question, then?"

Adrienne hesitates, excepting the bottle and taking a sip before coming out with it. "Alex. Where is he?"

Emily sighs, and doesn't answer for a long moment, strumming her guitar again. "Gone."

"Well – yes, I can see he is not here, but…"

"No. Gone." Emily sets the guitar aside and reaches for the bottle again. "Probably off settled somewhere in the American Colonies by now, pretending to be a gentleman while he continues to bed whatever pretty little thing even half catches his eye."

"Colonies?" Adrienne sounds, and looks, genuinely shocked. "But why on Earth would he – cela n'a aucun sens. I don't understand."

"Neither do I, entirely." Emily replies.

"Was – was it another woman that he left with? Is that why he did it?"

This is the story she's given everyone, even Riley. Only Jo knows the truth, and Emily is very content to keep it that way. "Aye, there was a woman involved." Another pull from the bottle.

"Well, of course." Adrienne replies, sighing. "There always is with him, no? Still. It seems almost traitorous of him, to run off in such a way."

"Almost." Emily agrees, because she's half begun to the more she thinks on it all. "But it could've been worse, I figure. He could've been truly stupid and decided to join the Navy or something like that."

"That is true, I suppose." Adrienne turns to stare out the window, and there is real sadness behind her piercing, dark blue orbs. "I know it did bother him at times, our way of life." She says softly. "Perhaps he will find happiness, where ever he is now."

Another moment passes in silence. Emily stares down at the bottle in her hands and thinks of Alex and the scowl he'd be sending her way for the drink on her breath and abruptly she stands, shoving the bottle aside onto her desk. "I wonder if your boys would be up for settling that fun little bet we have going."

Adrienne blinks up at her. "Now?"

"Now."

The Frenchwoman eyes the bottle on the desk, then Emily, and then shrugs. "Alright, Capitaine. Lead the way."

The sun has fully set. The stars above twinkle merrily as a crescent moon beams down at the crew of the Sea's Queen. Though having no wind in the sails is a worrying thing to say the least, the stillness that the day had brought means the waters beneath them reflect the skies above with a picturesque beauty. The atmosphere on deck is calm and pleasant as the men enjoy their rum and strike up a tune with battered but well-played instruments.

Joshy is seated beside Miss Gibbs, who looks rather proud as she watches him stare down the man across from him. It's one of Captain LaBelle's crew, not particularly tall, but well muscled and in that way at least three times the size of the ten year old across from him. But Joshy is far from intimidated. He can beat his sister at this game on a good day, so he's hoping to give the brute at least a little trouble.

By rights, he should be in bed by now. His sister worries about him even more than Miss Gibbs, he thinks, maybe, because his mother had always been so ill. Whatever the reason, she is usually very strict about making sure he gets enough rest. But tonight she'd retreated below decks, and Miss Gibbs had agreed to allow him to stay up. (Possibly because of the pout he'd given her, possibly because she'd been well into her double ration of rum by the time he'd asked…probably because of the two put together.)

Emmy also wouldn't be particularly happy that he is playing with anyone but her – actually gambling – as she still seems intent on trying to keep him something close to honest. He tries to pretend it is working, if only because she sometimes seems so much less happy without Alex (the traitorous, lying codfish, he thinks, even if Emmy would scold him for it). Joshy will do anything if it means her brightening up when sad, even just a little.

"Par Dieu. Just look at this boy." The man across from him says, clearly amused, and his friends break into good-natured laughter. The man eyes Joshy up, holding back a smile. "You are quite good, I must admit. I cannot read you."

"You should try playing my sister." Joshy replies, and breaks into a mischievous grin. "Do you fold, then?"

The man looks down to study his cards a moment and then makes as if to reply – but his eyes trail over to something past Joshy before any words leave his mouth. The activity on deck quiets a fraction, and Joshy turns to find his sister has emerged from below decks with Captain LaBelle in tow.

Emmy is making a beeline straight for him. His eyes widen as he sets his cards down and jumps down off the crate he's been seated on, expecting a scolding. She looks to be in a good enough mood. Maybe she won't be too hard on him.

"Giving our new mates a run for their money?" She says, hand on her hip, her expression unreadable.

He blushes a bit, but holds his head up, proud. "Aye, Captain, I think I am."

She struts up to the barrel serving as a small table and snatches up his cards before eyeing those sitting face-up on the barrel and the coins placed in the middle. Then she studies the man, and breaks into a grin as she hands Joshy his cards and leans down so she's at his level. "Up the bet."

"Are you sure?" He asks, a little uncertain.

She nods and gestures for him to take his seat again. He does, and proceeds to do as she'd suggested.

A moment passes. The man across from him raises his eyebrows, glancing at Emmy…and sets his own cards down face up, surrendering with a sigh, throwing his hands up. Joshy beams up at his sister and collects the money before him. Emmy ruffles his hair before turning to address all the men on deck. "Gents, your attention? As I'm sure you know by now, Adrienne and I have a bit of a wager going. I may have mentioned thinking I was good enough with a sword," she pats the hilt of the blade at her hip, "to beat her men. She's interested to see how true this might be," Emmy turns to Captain LaBelle's men, grouped near the brute Joshy was just playing, "and seems to think you'd enjoy the challenge." Joshy watches, feeling worried now though he isn't sure why, as his sister brandishes her sword and tosses it into the air, performing a bit of a trick. "Any takers?" She's using her left hand. Joshy's worry grows. She's been drinking, as have the rest of the men, and she's using her left hand?

The man Joshy had been up against in the card game gets to his feet readily. "It would be a pleasure, Capitaine. Your men seem to agree with you and I would enjoy proving them quite wrong." But he is smiling, and Joshy relaxes a bit as his sister returns it with the grin of the devil's daughter.

It's all in good fun, of course, and the only person Joshy knows more skilled with a blade is his papa. And, well, their uncle Jack.

The man draws his own sword, facing Emmy, and neither seems too intent on making the first real move. The deck is silent. They circle each other a bit. His sister smirks, that smirk, the playful one that means whoever she's smirking at may be in trouble. In this case, she's taunting her opponent with it, using strategy her papa had passed down to her – and that she had recently passed down to Joshy.

Make your opponent come to you.

And he does. The brute shoots forward, and their swords clash, Emmy parrying the man's attacks with ease, though it's doubtful he's using his full strength. Joshy didn't know she'd gotten so good with her left hand. The pair seem to have been testing each other; at once, they both back off, and his sister twirls her sword, mischief in her eyes. Another moment passes, and finally the brute makes his move. It instantly becomes clear how this will go when his sister dances out of the way, swiping his blade away with her own so he stumbles forward a bit. He's big and strong. She's light and fast.

Strength and speed are both their own excellent advantages. He hears their papa this time. It's just a matter of playing to the one you have in abundance.

The men who'd been playing earlier strike up a lively tune again.

Emmy dances when she fights. Even with her bad leg, there are few more graceful than she when on the deck of a ship with a blade in her hand. And, though Joshy still worries, it is obvious she knows very well she won't win this by facing her opponent head on. She twirls around him, dances just out of his reach, meets his blade with her own only when she must – and her opponent grows frustrated. Putting all his considerably might into a single lunge, he vaults forward with no skill involved, swiping at Emmy's bad leg (at least he's remembering it's only a duel). His sister makes no move to parry the attack, but to Joshy's eyes this looks oddly deliberate… ah. She falls to the deck, but is more than prepared for it, and her sword remains firmly in her grasp. Before the brute can think to celebrate a victory, she's holding her sword up to…a certain…rather sensitive…area. Joshy laughs quietly, and it's childish, but he is a child, so he figures he's allowed.

"Ahem." She clears her throat, theatrical. The brute looks down, and his eyes widen. She smirks. "Touché?"

"Indeed, Capitaine." He looks defeated but impressed as he helps her up.

The Queen's crew cheers. Emmy rolls her shoulders, grinning again. "Come on, then! Who's next?" She calls in her smooth alto, boisterous.

But the worry won't leave Joshy. To spite the playful atmosphere, he's just got this feeling something bad is about to happen. He turns to Miss Gibbs, half hoping to see the same worry reflected on the older woman's face. She's usually the most sensible out of everyone on the ship – but not tonight, apparently. She's cheering with the rest of the crew, eyes dancing with amusement. Well. Usually doesn't mean all the time. Joshy just sighs, and watches as another of Captain LaBelle's crew goes to face his sister.

She finishes him off even quicker than she did the first man.

As the third steps up to the challenge, Joshy spies Captain LaBelle off in a corner, leaning against the steps that lead up to the helm. With her men losing so quick and easy, one would think she'd look unhappy. She doesn't. She just watches, her blue eyes cold and calculating and decidedly more sober than the others', even though there's a bottle clutched in her one hand. Her other plays with a bit of gold dangling from her neck. What a strange symbol…

Emmy pauses after her third opponent, catching her breath. She struts over to Captain LaBelle, already beginning to gloat as she snatches the bottle and drinks. Captain LaBelle looks smug, though Emmy doesn't seem to notice. Oh, Joshy hates it when she gets like this! The feeling that something is coming grows stronger. He wrings his hands as a fourth man faces down his sister.

This one knows what he's doing, at least more so than the others. This becomes clear to Joshy the moment he first brings up his sword. Emmy tries to dart around him as she did the others, but he's having none of it. He backs her up towards the rail as men clear out of the way, and Emmy has less and less room. She tries to skirt around him, but he comes down hard and fast with his blade, and she's left with no choice but to face him head on.

Their swords clash, above her head. She's thrown back into some barrels, violently, and before she can make another move, the sword of her current opponent is leveled at her neck. Joshy freezes, but no one else seems too concerned. She still has her own sword, and this is Peg Leg Turner after all.

It soon becomes apparent why they aren't concerned. Emmy drops her sword as one hand darts out to grab her opponent's wrist. The man is just surprised enough that his grip on his own sword loosens, allowing Emmy to dart forward and grab his shirt, pulling him down to plant her lips on his. He drops his sword. She pushes him away, hard as she can, retrieves her own sword as well as his, and holds both up to his neck, her chest heaving but a grin spreading her lips.

"That-that was some kind of cheat!" The man growls as he glares down at his sword in her tiny hand.

Emmy laughs, as do the Queen's crew. "If being a woman and a pretty one is a cheat on its own than I suppose I shouldn't mind it so much, eh?" She tosses up the sword that isn't hers and catches it by the blade, handing it back to the man before her.

At this, Joshy just scowls. His eyes land on Captain LaBelle again, and she still doesn't look too upset. In fact, she looks outright amused now.

"Anyone else want to have a go?" His sister struts back across the deck.

The last of Captain LaBelle's crew don't seem so eager any more.

"You've just beaten my best man." Its Captain LaBelle herself who comes forward, handing off her bottle to the man Emmy's just beaten.

"Well, I'd suppose that settles that, then."

"Mmm, but Capitaine, I have come up with what you should give up if I win."

Emmy looks confused, brows furrowed as the grin still tugs at her lips. "But you've already lost."

Captain LaBelle is grinning now, and it is a cold, malicious grin that sours Joshy's stomach. He really, really doesn't like this. He doesn't know why, but the worry grows more urgent. Glancing around, trying to think of someone else who might agree with him and try to reign in his sister (a hard thing to do, when the one who needs reigning in is captain.) Big, frantic green eyes sweep the deck and pause when they take in the somewhat worn remnants of a Navy midshipman's uniform. Riley. The whole ship knows...maybe Emmy would listen to him.

"Have I?" Captain LaBelle brandishes the short sword at her hip, holding it up as her one hand plays with her necklace again. "We did agree on any member of my crew, did we not?"

Emmy blinks down at the sword, and is obviously holding back laughter as she replies. "Aye, we did that. Are you sure you want to be doing this?"

Joshy slips quietly over to Riley, who glances at him once, twice. "Something the matter?" They've talked before by now, enough times for the older boy to know when something's wrong.

Captain LaBelle glances back at her men. "Allow me a moment?"

"Of course." Emmy still doesn't seem to note anything terribly wrong.

Joshy hesitates as he faces Riley, trying to decide how to go about this. "Does-doesn't it bother you?"

"Doesn't what bother me?" He asks, absent.

"Emmy. The – the way she flirts sometimes. The kiss just now." Bringing this up so blatantly will be very much pushing it, and Joshy knows it, but sometimes whatever works, works.

Riley glances at him sharply, scowling. "Why would it?" His tone is warning. Actually, it mimics Emmy's Captain-ly warning tone. Just how much time do those two spend together?

More and more lately he thinks his mother really had been right about…but oh, now is not the time for that. "You know why. It – it's not as if the whole ship doesn't know, since Alex abandoned her…" Joshy breaks off with a gasp as two larger hands grip his shirt and he's near lifted off his feet. Well. Touchier subject than he thought, then.

"Learn when to watch your tongue!" Riley snaps, but aggression like this isn't much his way, and he releases Joshy. "By the old gods, if you were so cheeky with another man, or your sister herself with the moods she gets in…"

"I'm right, though. It does bother you."

Riley scowls again, and shakes his head. "Peg is – Peg. She'll do what she wants if I make a fuss over it or not. I'm better off not making a fuss at all." Another pause, and he goes on, trying to be gruffer. "Not saying I'd care enough to."

"But – but Riley…"

The older boy pauses and studies Joshy a moment, brows furrowed. "Joshy, spit it out. What's the matter?"

"I don't know." Joshy bursts, a little louder than he intends, causing Riley to hush him, though no one appears to have noticed. "She's just – she's using her left hand, and Captain LaBelle's too confident, don't you see? Something's not right about this!"

Riley opens his mouth to snap a reply, but shuts it again in the next moment, suggesting Joshy's got him thinking. He turns back to watch Emmy as Captain LaBelle struts back out to face the other captain. She's discarded her coat and hat, and Emmy eyes her up.

"You're serious, aren't you? Alright. What do I give up if, by some chance, I lose?"

Captain LaBelle looks around, her piercing, dark blue eyes sweeping over the men gathered close. "You're ship."

Silence. Long and deafening as all eyes land on Emmy, whose smirk has faded into surprise and bewilderment.

"Told you!" Joshy hisses at Riley.

The older boy sends a half-glare back at him before pushing forward. "Captain –."

His voice is drowned out by the sound of Emmy bursting into peals of laughter, though the Queen's crew is uneasy now. "You're not serious!"

Captain LaBelle doesn't bat an eyelash. "Bear in mind, Capitaine, I have my own ship, and once it is again in my possession I would hardly know what to do with a second." Her tone is placating. "All in good fun, no? I only meant for you to give me a chance to prove myself, as you seem to think my being a capitaine as well something of a joke."

Emmy shakes her head. "Why even suggest it? You know you won't win!"

Captain LaBelle throws her shoulders back, haughty. "Why not humor me, if you are so convinced I will not win?"

Emmy still looks amused as she studies the other woman. Riley shoots forward again. "Captain, it's late and you've gone through four other fights, perhaps you should hold off on…"

She glances back at him, her eyes hardening. "I wonder, Mister Connelly, to whose defense are you trying to come?"

Joshy scowls. Is his sister so easily made jealous, even with the way she flirts now? He's only ten and he's beginning to think there's something wrong with the woman's head. He again curses Alex Sparrow. Emmy's only gotten worse since he left. When she isn't sulking, it seems, she's actively looking for all the wrong kinds of trouble to occupy herself with and Joshy seems the only one who's any kind of willing to saying something about it. Except for their Papa, but he'd stayed behind at Shipwreck, and Joshy curses him too (half-hearted. He'd never mean it with his papa.) (And gods, what an earful his sister would give him if she heard some of the things he thinks.)

Riley meets her glare head on, matching its intensity with one of his own. The deck grows silent again as the two stare each other down; Joshy hadn't been exaggerating when he said that they all know about those two. Riley finally throws up his hands. "If you want to lose your own ship on a drunken bet, than by all means." He gestures for her to continue.

"I don't intend to lose anything." She replies, drawing her sword again as she turns back to Captain LaBelle. "You're on, Capitaine."

Captain LaBelle picks up the necklace now and kisses the strange medallion. Emmy gives her sword a bit of a twirl. Captain LaBelle hangs back, poised to defend but not attack. Dark blue orbs meet honey brown ones, and Captain LaBelle is the one smirking this time, looking confident. Too confident. Joshy shoots forward, coming up beside Riley. "Emmy!"

But it's too late. Annoyed by Captain LaBelle's calm, his sister shoots forward first. Their swords clash, and the dance begins again. It instantly becomes apparent that this fight will not be so easy to win. Emmy doesn't have the advantage here of being lighter. In fact, Captain LaBelle is smaller than her, and Emmy's been at this with four other men now. Joshy relaxes just the slightest fraction at first, though. Captain LaBelle is nothing compared to Emmy where skill is concerned. In fact, in the beginning, she couldn't even match up to her own men where skill is concerned.

In the beginning.

Riley is the only one who notices it, possibly because he's dealt with magic before and so has an eye for such things. The older boy curses, drawing Joshy's attention. "What is it?" He asks.

"That necklace, around Cap'n LaBelle's neck. Can't you see it?"

Joshy tries to focus in on the medallion even as the Frenchwoman keeps moving. "See what?"

"It's glowing."

"Glowing? What does that mean?"

Riley doesn't answer. Joshy starts keeping a closer eye on his sister, but in doing so its Captain LaBelle his attention is drawn to. Her stance, the way she moves – it's not as sloppy anymore. In fact, it's beginning to look as though she's mimicking Emmy, quite directly.

Their swords clash again, and Captain LaBelle does something that near sends Joshy into a full panic. He knows that move. He'd watched his sister perform it, and their father, but he'd never seen anyone else master it, not that exact way. It's a special disarming move that Emmy hadn't even tried to teach him yet. And it works. Emmy's sword goes flying across the deck and Captain LaBelle's sword flies up in what could be an accident (Joshy does not, even for a moment, believe that it is.)

Silence. Quiet so complete one could hear a pin drop. Emmy looks shocked, her hand shooting up to feel her cheek just beneath her eye and recoiling as she hisses in pain. She brings her fingers back, the tips covered in blood, and stares in shock. There's a cut starting just below one of her eyes, pointing up towards her temple, bleeding enough already to suggest its deep – and will scar, even on the off chance Emmy will allow Miss Gibbs to heal it with a bit of magic (not that she's likely to).

Captain LaBelle smirks. "Et maintenant nous sommes encore." She says in French. Joshy doesn't know what it means, but Emmy's eyes slowly narrow into a glare. Captain LaBelle gestures to her sword. "We did agree you could switch hands if necessary. By all means, Capitaine."

Emmy stalks over, picks up her sword without a trace of her earlier bravado, and charges Captain LaBelle head on. Captain LaBelle, in a strange switch, gives her own sword a skillful twirl before meeting Emmy's blade with ease. The panic slips away; there's no more need for it. It's over already, and Joshy knows it now. Emmy's attacks are as sloppy and shaky as Captain LaBelle's had been in the beginning. In fact, they are so sloppy that the Frenchwoman looks amused again, and dances around the way Emmy had been earlier, playful.

When she tires of it, she backs Emmy up towards the rail of the ship. The Queen's crew parts, silent, eyes wide as they watch. Emmy tries to get around the Frenchwoman, but it's no use. Soon she's cornered. Captain LaBelle comes down with her sword, once, twice, darts forward in that disarming move again. Emmy's sword goes flying once more; his sister is left defenseless, backed against the rail with chest heaving as she glares so hard and cold Hell might be freezing over.

Captain LaBelle holds her sword up to Emmy's neck. "Je crois que vous venez de perdre, le capitaine." She says. "Now, about our little bet."

And…now the fun begins. :)

French:
…cela n'a aucun sens. – …that makes no sense.
Par Dieu. – By God.
Et maintenant nous sommes encore. – And now we're even.
Je crois que vous venez de perdre, le capitaine. – I believe you just lost, Captain.