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I tamp down those needling thoughts as I push myself through the rest of the day. I’d forgotten entirely about thepromise I made to Roslyn about having a celebration, but it would seem Roslyn took matters into her own hands, because the revelry starts without my having to say so.
Out on the main deck, Haeli, one of my riggers, pulls out a lute and begins playing a jaunty tune. Lotiya and Deshel dance together, arm in arm. Other girls clap along or join in the dancing. Wallov and Deros take turns twirling the girls about. Enwen soon joins the fun, but Kearan sits alone in the corner with his drink.
Roslyn, noticing this, takes a break from the dancing and tiptoes over to him.
“What do you want?” Kearan asks.
I can tell by the way she tips her head that she’s surprised he heard her. “I watch you from above sometimes. You pull out that flask a lot. Does rum really taste so good?”
Kearan turns to her then with strangely sober eyes. “Doesn’t need to taste good. Only needs to be strong.”
“Can I try some?”
Kearan shrugs and offers the flask. Before I can step forward, Sorinda is there, yanking the flask from his grasp. She upends it on his head.
Kearan sputters, “Damn it, woman! Do you delight in anything other than soaking me?”
“Idiot,” she says. “You don’t give drink to a child.”
“I wasn’t going to! As soon as it was near her nose she would have handed it back.”
“You couldn’t have known that.”
“You can’t stand to come within five feet of me because the drink is so strong.”
“I can’t stand to be near you for many reasons.”
They go on like that, lashing out at each other. If Kearan could manage to keep up with her, I’m sure it would come to blows. Roslyn wisely shrinks back from the two of them and returns to the dancing.
“Quite a pair those two,” Niridia says, stepping up beside me.
“I’ve never seen anyone get under her skin like that,” I say.
“It’s probably a first for her. I wonder how long it will be before she realizes she fancies him back.”
I let out a guffaw. “Sorinda? Fancy Kearan? I don’t think so.”
Niridia shrugs. “He wouldn’t be so bad if he cleaned himself up a bit.”
“And stopped drinking.”
“And shaved.”
“Worked out a bit.”
“And had someone right his nose.”
We both laugh. I hadn’t realized how much I needed it.
“All right,” she concedes. “I suppose he doesn’t have a chance.” We turn to observe the dancers together, and Niridia adds, “You know, it wouldn’t hurt to have one more man out here to share among the girls.”
And just like that my thoughts return to the brig. To what Vordan said.
“Has Riden suffered enough?” she asks.
I want to say no. To leave him in there until we reach thekeep. But that would be me being selfish because he overheard what Vordan said and not me punishing him for what he’d done. I was only going to leave him in there for the day anyway.
“You may let him out,” I say, “but warn him that if he disobeys orders again, he’ll stay in there until we reach the keep.”
