her Captain was still in full control of his faculties. She shrugged and replied, “sure they could… it’d just be easier for me to poison your ale so you didn’t see it coming.”
Dexter laughed with her, sharing a moment of warmth at the dark humor. Both knew nothing of the sort was every likely to happen. Dexter’s laughter faded quickly though, as he remembered the real reason he was troubled.
“Has anyone reported anything strange lately?” he asked her.
“Strange? Well Xander thought it strange that you were tired,” she said thoughtfully, caught up in his question. “He probably thought it unusual that I could drop him to the deck with a single punch as well, being a wee little elf girl and all.”
“Nobody’s claimed to be seeing things then?” he asked.
“Seeing things? Like what?”
Dexter sighed. He wanted to tell her, but he knew she might think he was going crazy. Hell, he knew she would think he was losing his mind!
“Dex,” she said, sliding off the chair and kneeling in front of where he sat in his. She put her hands on his thighs. “What’s going on?”
He shook his head, dismissing it. “It’s nothing, I’m just taking Kragor’s death hard.”
She shook her head in turn. “No, Dex, it’s not. I know how dear he was to you. I know you too, and you’re not the type to be put down by this. It’s not that losing Kragor didn’t hurt you or any of us. There’s something going on, you know it and I trust you. I know you,” she stressed, “and I believe in you. Even now, with you strung out and not able to think, I’ll put my life in your hands and say that you’ll do the right thing if the choice comes up.”
Dexter looked at her for a long moment. He finally made a decision and took a deep breath. When it released, he felt the tension in his back release. He nodded and smiled. “Sorry I’ve been away this week,” he said.
“It’s Kragor,” Dexter added. “He ain’t gone.”
“He’s not… Dex,” the elf said cautiously. “We gave his body to the void, you saw it.”
“You’re thinking I’m daft now?” Dexter asked her.
“No, I’m trying to understand,” she said, reassuring him.
“Get off your knees, somebody coming in might get the wrong idea,” he said.
She shrugged. “It’s no secret.”
“What’s no secret? There’s nothing going on,” he protested.
She grinned. “Maybe not, but that’s our secret.”
“What?” He gasped in shock. “You been telling them that-“
She stood up and put her finger to his lips, silencing him. “I’ve been doing no such thing. It’s a small ship, they see and they talk though. I hear better than they think.”
“It’s Rosh, ain’t it? He talks filth like that all the time. I’m going to have him scrubbing the keel for a month straight!” Dexter stood up, their prior conversation forgotten as he tried to push past her to head to the deck.
She put her finger to his mouth again to silence his protests. “It doesn’t matter who it is, Dexter. I don’t stop them because that would just fuel the flames.”
Dexter paused, not paying attention to how close Jenna was to him. She had a point; if he intervened it would just strengthen the gossip. He looked down and saw Jenna staring up at him. He stared at her, noticing how expressive and beautiful her eyes were. He shook his head, cursing inwardly at how tired he was.
Jenna reached up and put her hands on his head, then pulled him to her. She kissed him, unable to stop herself even though she knew she should not have done it. She could not help herself though; she had a hunch that this might be the only time she could ever get away with it due to his exhaustion and sluggishness.
Dexter’s world disappeared when she kissed him. He stumbled but she caught him, and he found himself for a long moment only able to focus on her lips. She broke it and pulled away and looked at him. There was longing in her gaze and a bit of fear as well. She was terrified he might reject her, even though he had not pulled away from her.
“Please be truthful with me,” she asked, her voice vulnerable and quiet. “Did you feel the magic?”
Dexter closed his eyes and wanted to deny her. He could not deny they had kissed, but he could deny that it had been special. All he had to do was open his mouth and say no. When he tried, however, it came out sounding a little different. In fact, it sounded remarkably like a “yes.”
She beamed. Her eyes sparkled and her face seemed to glow with pride. Dexter had wanted to say no. He had meant to say no. But instead he had said yes. He sighed and shook his head.
“I’m your Captain. You’re my first mate, that’s all there is to it,” he stated, trying to make it sound less hollow.
Jenna shrugged. “I’ll be your mate anytime you’re wanting me, Captain,” she said with a wink.
Dexter sighed. “This is a private mutiny.”
The elf kept on smiling.
“Get back to work,” he muttered, sinking back into his chair and at a loss for words.
Happy, she snapped off a fist to the chest salute and then turned and left the cabin. It was not until an hour or so later that she realized they had not finished their conversation about Kragor. Suddenly worried about Dexter and about the ship, she found the first excuse she could to head back down to his cabin. She knocked softly and heard no response. Upon sticking her head in she found him slumped over his desk, sleeping. She frowned but backed away. It was not the best of positions, but she knew disturbing him would just rouse him prematurely and he desperately needed sleep.
The Voidhawk settled onto its landing struts with the gentle groan of flexing timbers. Thick ropes from either side were cast off to be grabbed by the dockworkers at the harbor. No sooner had the gangplank been secured when a large man wearing an open vest made of boiled leather and studded with metal rivets crossed it. Behind him came two other men wearing chain shirts covered in tunics with the emblem of their allegiance. A third man followed carrying some scrolls and wearing a frayed brown robe. A torque around his neck implied he wore it unwillingly.
“Permission to come aboard?” The dark skinned man asked from where he stood a single step away from the deck of the Voidhawk.
Dexter looked him up and down before nodding, “granted. I’m Dexter Silvercloud, Captain of the Voidhawk.”
He stepped onto the ship and made way for his men to come behind him. “Talik, Harbormaster of Azmir.”
“I thought this was Azmea?” Dexter asked with a frown.
“It is, this is the free state of Azmir, the only registered Void-Port on Azmea.”
“And a fine city it is,” Dexter followed up quickly. “All the trade comes through here?”
“Through this port, yes,” Talik said then grinned. “And through me.”
Dexter returned the smile. “Of course it does.”
“Have you any goods to declare?”
Dexter chuckled. “No cargo.”
“A fine vessel such as this and no cargo?” Talik’s raised eyebrow indicated as well as his tone and his words that he doubted Dexter’s honesty.
“We were hoping to find some work here, take on some supplies, and maybe find some fresh crew,” he explained.
Talik nodded. “You won’t mind then if we search your ship?”
Dexter’s eyes narrowed. “That’s not very friendly.”
Talik shrugged. “The Lords of Azmea let Azmir run free for a reason. Smuggling violates our agreement, so we take a dim view on smugglers. There’s nothing that can’t be had here, and those that try to get around don’t make it back to the Void.”
Dexter glanced at the harbor and the thriving town beyond, weighing all that Talik had said. It sounded very much like Xander had told him, that bode well for the mage.
“Sometimes cargo is small or stored in unusual places,” Talik continued more softly, turning to follow Dexter’s gaze. “I’m a groundling, but I understand the ballast must be stowed just so to keep the ships balanced. Sometimes cargo is forgotten and not found until later. Might there be some lashed away forgotten sack or box
