The smell of gravy woke Isra from her sleep. Manami carried a steaming bowl inside her room and set it on the desk. She took notice of the unfinished catnip tea.

"How are ye feeling now?" the redhead asked. "Did the tea work?"

Isra yawned. "I'm not quite sure, but I still feel a little dizzy. It did help me sleep though." She tried to remember how she had fallen asleep. The last thing she thought of was Desert Flower which made her shiver.

Manami pressed her cool hand against Isra's forehead. "Yer fever seems to be making a little progress. 'Tis less hot than it was before." Pulling her hand away, she pointed at the bowl of gravy. Chunks of meat were sinking inside the starchy pool, waiting to be lifted out of the bowl. "Ye should eat now before it gets cold."

Isra frowned at the sight of food. Her stomach was still not feeling well and thinking about her past didn't help her appetite much. The captain shook her head. "I'm not hungry, Manami. Bring it back downstairs. Maybe Damon or someone else wants it." The quartermaster always had a hearty appetite; he would appreciate the extra bowl of food.

"If ye say so," Manami replied. Gathering the bowl up, she took one more glance at Isra before leaving the room. "But if ye change yer mind-"

"No, I'll be fine," Isra interrupted, assuring her firmly. "If I'm hungry, I can go downstairs. I can still walk you know."

The redhead nodded quietly, respecting the captain's wishes.

Isra lay silently in bed and stared at the wooden ceiling. She couldn't understand why the memories of Nanya were bothering her so much now, especially at the wrong time. She had gotten ill while she was navigating Garnet out of the storm, and now she had emotional memories to deal with. Today must had been her unlucky day, though she had never been lucky in the first place.

Born in a small village by the desert, Isra could remember her mother clearly. She had darker colored skin, tanned from working hard under the blazing sun. She was thin and petite just like the other women, and she assisted in raising livestock. Isra smiled wryly, thinking about the times she escaped doing chores when she was younger. She would go off and fetch water from the river on the other side, so she could spend the rest of the day alone in the savannah. Then she would return by sunset with the bucket of water as her mother had requested. Her mother never questioned surprisingly—though she was always too busy to care.

The villagers would always warn everyone about straying too far from home. It was dangerous out of the village because that was where the wild roamed. However, Isra had never worried much. The stories they would tell of people being killed and eaten by coyotes, or being bitten by poisonous snakes were always exaggerated. From experience and observation, Isra had learned that animals only attacked when invoked. She would had never met Nanya if she was frightened of stepping out of the village.

The sand cat was the only one she had ever loved. Nanya, it meant 'beautiful' in her tongue. The physical innocence the furry animal displayed was an illusion; deep inside the feline was a deadly huntress. That was what Isra adored most about the sand cat. She missed her luminous olive eyes that glowed the beauty of the moon. Nanya was nanya. But past the wild nature of feline lurked the affectionate cub she had been. Nanya was almost like her own child, and that was what Isra had lost.

Sitting up from the bed, Isra pushed the memories away. 

No, I can't think about Nanya now, she thought. She quieted her mind for several seconds, letting the scent of catnip sink inside her nose. Perhaps it was the herb that was filling her mind with too many nostalgic memories.

Maybe I need to escape this room for a while. Isra thought of Manami. The pirate would probably worry if she noticed the captain was gone. Even though she had a fever, Isra needed a walk—just anything that would take her mind off of Nanya.

Isra stood up, thankful that the fever hadn't robbed her gait. She headed downstairs quietly where it was too crowded for her presence to be noticed. All the loud merrymaking was beginning to slightly give her a headache. It was surprising that she couldn't hear it all upstairs.

As Isra's hand reached the door, the door swung open. Staring back at her was Yasen.

Yasen stared at Isra's with sudden bewilderment. "What—what are you doing here?"

"I'm… taking a walk?" Isra shifted uncomfortably; she didn't want to explain it to her. All she wanted to do was to get out of the inn before she was going to get suffocated from her thoughts and the crowd.

Yasen stared hard at the pirate captain. "But you have a fever. Shouldn't you be resting?" She didn't understand why Isra would want to take a walk at this time. Night had fallen, and it wasn't safe to be walking alone in the town. She examined Isra whom didn't seem to be carrying her scimitar, and she would look like a perfect target as a victim in her light garb.

"I know," Isra replied, "but I need a walk." She eyed Yasen intently, letting her know that she was serious about it.

The brunette hesitated to move out of her way. She stood there for several seconds until Isra casted her an annoyed glance. Moving aside, Yasen watched as Isra brushed lightly against her and headed outside.

"Wait," Yasen called out, following after her. "I'm coming with you." She didn't know why, but she felt she had to follow the captain.

Isra spun around. "Why? I'm just taking a walk."

Yasen shrugged. "I guess I feel like taking a walk too? Where are you heading to?"

The dark haired woman pondered. She planned on walking to the docks, but she didn't know if she wanted Yasen to be following her. Returning her attention back to the brunette, Isra shrugged. "I guess wherever I go, but if you wish to take a walk too, suit yourself."

Yasen ended up following Isra behind in silence. The two didn't converse much as they walked on the cobblestone streets. They passed by a few pedestrians that hurried on their way home. Although Isra was still a little dizzy, her mind still remained alert. As a trained swordswoman, she was always aware of her surroundings. Even the slightest sound brought attention to her ears.

Isra was leading both of them out of the town square. 

I guess we're heading to the docks, Yasen thought. She had just come back from there, but she didn't mind being with the sea again.

As the docks came into view, Isra was the first to break the silence.

"The moon is so beautiful," she spoke aloud, drawing Yasen's attention to the night sky. The pale crescent of the moon hung in the midnight background, dotted with uncountable stars. There was no doubt it was a wonderful sight.

"I've always loved going to the sea at nighttime," Yasen remarked. She caught Isra's smile under the moonlight.

Isra's smile faded as she thought of Nanya. The moon reminded her too much of the feline's eyes. Looking away from the sky, the dark haired woman walked closer to the shore. She began walking faster that Yasen had to catch up with her.

The dream that reminded her of Desert Flower mocked back at her. The treacherous monster destroyed all she had ever had; her Nanya, her innocence. Isra wished she never took that woman's hand; it was her that introduced her to the path she never wanted to tread. The promises that the woman blinded her with were all lies, and in the end, they all backlashed against her. It even costed her own life.

"Isra?"

Isra trembled as she tried to discard her thoughts. She couldn't look at Yasen. She didn't reply as she stared tearfully at the rolling waves.

Yasen widened her eyes, unsure how to react to Isra's sudden outbreak. Something was bothering Isra, but she didn't know what it was. "Isra?" she asked softly. "Are you all right…?" The memory of Isra crying in her sleep brought attention to her mind. Perhaps it had to do something with it.

Isra broke into a quiet sob. The darkness covered the tears falling on her cheeks, but Yasen could feel her sadness. She searched for something comforting to say, but it didn't seem to help at all. Whatever came out of her mouth made Isra tear up more.

Isra kept wiping tears out of her eyes. She tried to stop crying, but she couldn't control it. All of the emotions she had bottled up years burst into tiny pieces of sea glass. It had always seemed she was in control, but now that façade had been stripped away. She felt naked and weak without it.

Yasen draped her arm across Isra's shoulder, making her look up. Blinking back tears, Isra looked into Yasen's deep brown eyes. Although Yasen didn't know what it was, she would do anything for Isra to share her burden with her at that moment.