𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭 // 𝐧𝐢𝐤𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐢 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬𝐨𝐯

𝐨𝐧𝐞. 𝐫𝐞𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧

CHAPTER ONE

Reunion

     It wasn't often that Estelle got a good night's sleep.

Not anymore, at least.

It used to be that the light swaying and the sounds of waves lapping on the sides of the ship was like a lullaby to her. If she ever really needed help sleeping before, all she had to do was relax and let her power wash over her, something calming from somewhere else in the world filling her mind to help her sleep.

She was too afraid to do that after her last job.

Letting out an exasperated breath, Estelle sat up in her cot and shrugged on her clothes. It was a lost cause, anyway. Might as well let someone updeck off duty for the night.

The night sky was twinkling with stars, winking like they knew things Estelle didn't. To be fair, that couldn't have been more true. The sea was a calming lull, the waves sloshing up against the ship. There were only three people on the deck, one to man the helm, and two on look-out.

Estelle called the nearest woman over to her. "Kija, get some rest. Tomorrow's a big day for everyone," she said in Fjerdan, Kija's mother tongue. She always preferred to speak to her crew in whatever language they were comfortable with, even though most of them all knew Ravkan, at the least.

Kija gave Estelle a toothy grin and bounded down to the crew's quarters. She wasn't much younger than Estelle, but was not as mature as she should have been at her age. It had something to do with a defect during her development, and when Estelle let the girl join her crew, many others advised against it. As far as Estelle saw it, however, if she could pull her weight, she was perfectly fine.

Estelle glanced at who else was on duty. Sylvia and Ana, her quartermaster, who sat on a barrel by the helm. With a simple glance towards the stars above, Estelle joined Ana.

There was no question as to why the Kerch woman had been chosen as her quartermaster. Not many people would think twice with her disability, instead call her useless for her complete lack of hearing and throw her aside. Not Estelle, though.

The first time they met, Ana had been in debt to one of the many gangs in Ketterdam, doing anything to pay it off. Kill, even. As a fresh captain who'd just taken the reins from her former captain, Estelle needed a right-hand. Ana was the perfect fit.

Back then, she was a brash teenager with a knack for reading lips. Over the years at sea with Estelle, she'd become the one who often talked the brash teenagers from making stupid decisions. Being deaf had no impact on her work ethic.

"How's the night so far?" Estelle signed once she'd grabbed Ana's attention.

Ana smiled, a small smile coming to her lips as she closed her book. "Calm. Dark. You know how it goes."