That night, Ivy would find an excuse to train with Perry. Any excuse. She had to find one, and she had to do it in secret. She had to tell the woman how her plans had worked out, and what she intended to do to fix these things.

Perry told her they should find a way to keep watch. But Ivy instead suggested sparring with their swords. Perry, after some reluctance, had agreed.

The discussions had lead to a showdown between Ivy and the woman she called her best friend. Nearby, a lantern gave off a dim light. In the sky above, the stars were woven into bands of clouds. Ivy's stomach lurched. Hopefully, they wouldn't lose anybody if another storm were to appear. Perry waited nearby, brandishing a cane sword.

Ivy took her own sword and countered it. As she worked, she noted her stance. These movements were fluid. She knew this dance. She knew the steps, and she had the memory. If only Captain Val could see her right then. Ivy took a step back, trying to calculate her next move. Trying to ignore that thought. But it was too late. The melancholy hit her, like a reopened wound. All of Ivy's practice had lead her to this moment. And now, as she looked into the surrounding area, she found herself wondering if she had made a mistake. Not that it mattered at this moment. If she had made a mistake in coming here, or in sparring with Perry, she found herself wishing she could do something more.

When she wasn't looking, Perry took a small knife and threw it at Ivy. Ivy ducked, and the knife lodged itself into the wooden side. Perry stepped closer, her gaze narrowing. She took another knife, still throwing it at Ivy. Ivy ducked once more. That knife also lodged into the ship's wood. Perry took her third and final knife and she threw it at Ivy. Ivy ducked once more, rolling across the ship's platform.

She didn't know how she had dodged it. She wanted to question the woman, and what her endgame was. It was a miracle upon some ancient religion that Ivy had such instincts. She glanced at Perry, who gave her a long, cold look.

"You wanted a new captain?" Perry said.

"Yes," Ivy said. She remembered her discussion with the ship captain earlier. By all rights, if she were to support her friend, she would become the traitor. But at this point, Ivy didn't care. She leveled a slow, dangerous glare at Perry, and then she gave a look which could cut daggers into the woman's soul. "Those skills. You were showing me for a reason."

"If I distract Captain Pedro with my knife skills, will you shoot him?" Perry asked.

Ivy took her gun and brandished it, loading it and readying it. "Let's go. I will follow you down to his personal quarters. We have the darkness for our advantage."

As Perry and Ivy slipped down below deck, they had a silence about them as they reached the bottom wrung of the latter. In landing quietly on their feet, Perry lead the way to Captain Pedro's quarters, only to find it locked. Ivy swore softly. She then pointed to the lock.

Perry nodded. "Do you know how to pick it?"

Ivy took two pieces of metal, twirled them around in the keyhole, and then pushed into the room once they heard a click. Perry gave a low, contemplative look. Ivy stepped aside silently, while Perry took one of her knifes and threw it at Captain Pedro's rocking hammock.

The knife spliced through the fabric just above his head, before landing with a resounding thud behind Captain Pedro. Captain Pedro gave a low gasp, then he looked up.

"Ivy, we made a deal," he said, still half asleep.

Ivy leveled her gun at him. "I only said what I needed to to buy us time. And your time here aboard this ship is done here."

Captain Pedro made to speak, but before she could, Ivy pulled the trigger. The force of the gun would wake the entire crew. But as the former captain's body now slumped, bleeding on the hammock. The material soon gave way, leaving him on the floor. Ivy stepped over to him, taking the badge and giving it to Perry.

"This is yours," Ivy said. "You have more tenure aboard this ship. You should take it. And in the morning, we will start a new era among the ship. We are going to fight these people, and we are going to make it so that we end the constant struggle for power here."

"Captain Peregrine," Perry said. "Maybe that name does have a nice sound to it."

The woman hesitated, looking at the badge, although guilt strung its way across her face. Ivy grimaced. She wasn't supposed to do this. She wasn't supposed to take out another ship captain.

"Maybe we can recruit new people in the city," Ivy said. "We can state to those who were looking for Captain Pedro that he fell ill."

"Ill," Perry said, giving a low, contemplative brow. She bent down to him. "I suppose we should take his body and place it into the sea, then. Before the others notice."

Ivy nodded.

The two women hoisted the old captain's remains above deck together, before they would take the body and haul it over the port side of the ship. Ivy lowered her hat in response, giving a low, almost fake bow.

"My dear Captain, I apologize," she said to him. "But you were not going to bring peace to the people. Not like this. I did what I had to do, and I only apologize for the fact that I didn't see through you sooner."

Captain Perry gave a low nod. "He deserves less."

"I know," Ivy said. "He should really be grateful to us, wherever he is in the afterlife."

Captain Perry looked upon Ivy once more, lowering her gaze to the sea after that. "I don't suppose you want to address the crew for me?"

"I do," Ivy said. "But we are going to search his quarters first. If we find any signs of betrayal, that will be our reason."

"But here's the thing," Perry said. "We are rebels on both sides. That man played you, and you ended him. This is what I need from you as a first mate. I want your oath that you will not kill me in the same fashion unless there is indelible proof that I deserve it."

"I promise," Ivy said. "Although I would be surprised if you wanted to keep making oaths with me."

"I don't," Perry said. "But although I have more tenure aboard this ship, you have now killed two captains and a king."

"And I still intend to kill the pirate queen," Ivy said. "I don't have much of a plan. But I will make a deal. If you help me kill Queen Lavender, I will help you aboard this ship, and I will promise not to kill you."

"Is that your final offer for something like this?"

"Unfortunately," Ivy said. She gave a low shrug. "I'm sorry, then. I know I should be better than that. I mean, you are my friend."

"It's not that," Captain Perry said. "When was the last time you betrayed someone you called a friend? You have shown here, and with your history, that your oaths and promises mean nothing. I mean, I am certain you made a deal with the captain before you killed him for my sake. And so while I do consider you a friend, it does not absolve my thoughts that you are rather selfish. You will kill for personal gain. And from what you have shown me, it will take multiple oaths to keep you here. And no matter what deals you make, you do not keep them if something better comes up. And so I am going to need you to promise me that, as a first mate, you will not do the same to me. Nothing in return."

"Yes," Ivy said.

"Here's the thing," Captain Perry said. "You may think that you are first mate material, but you are not. You run around, and you swayed to help me. And for what? What did you gain from it, besides the guilt from killing Captain Pedro, when you likely made to make a promise to help aid the ship. And it's as you said. I cannot have you sewing disunity. I don't want to kill you, and I know you swore an oath. But if oaths mean nothing to you, then let's part ways diplomatically so that no one else gets hurt."

"Wait," Ivy said. "When you threw those knives at me, did you mean to kill me?"

"Yes," Perry said. "You're lucky I am not trying again. I know your magic has its place aboard this ship. I wasn't expecting you to dodge my attacks like that, and I wish you hadn't. Because since you have been aboard this ship, we have had nothing but trouble. I am not superstitious, but I do believe we are better off without you."

"I lived on the streets for several years," Ivy said. "If I didn't have survival instincts, I would have been dead by now."

"Yes," Perry said. She picked up one of her knives and began to sharpen it. "We all walk that walk before joining this ship. You're not special because of it. But what I am about to offer you might seem cruel to you. I promise I have a reason. But I will pay you three hundred coin and leave you at the next port city, and you can be on your way. You can use it to find another ship to take you to the main continent if you need. And you can consider it a gratitude of mine. You have sacrificed a lot to put me here. But now that I am here, I want to make sure our ship has a chance to survive."

"Alright," Ivy said, giving a long moment. She had enjoyed her time aboard this ship, but there was something dishonorable about it. "I don't need you then. I can go after Queen Lavender myself, then."

"Why are you so obsessed with her?" Captain Pedro said. "See, that's another problem. I don't want someone who is this focused as my partner aboard this ship. While I appreciate your support, your aggression is a liability we cannot afford to keep here. I am being gracious to you right now. But if you refuse, I will just as soon have the resources to kill you. And you cannot fight all of us. You might have your special powers. But it's not enough. Consider the mercy I am about to give you as a thank you, as you said to Captain Pedro after we tossed him into the sea. Is that enough?"

"Yes," Ivy said. "I can agree with that."

Ivy hated this. She could try to kill Captain Perry by herself. But what would that do? She still wanted to kill Queen Lavender. That bid wouldn't change. And perhaps now, she could try to find another time to kill this woman.

"Listen," Captain Perry said. "Captain Val did everything to keep us alive. She was the mother that many of us wish we had as children. And we cannot replace her, no. But we have all defiled her legacy enough, and that ends soon."

I have lost everything, but at least I have the coins to go with it. What's more, I now have 320 coins to keep me company. Although at this point, I am starting to believe that money, while it is important, isn't the only reward I yearn for.