Jax grinned and thought of diving for pearls as his Captain leaned over the rail and looked below. Deep pearls or deep perils he had said. Jax could not help but chuckle at that. They both looked over the edge of the crows nest and watched a lovely wave from far below. Jax couldn’t really see her but his mind had been memorizing her for longer than he cared to admit. Oh he saw well enough all on his own.

Damn female powers he repeated the Captain's words in his head and took another swing. It felt right to lean against the side watch the moon waltz in and out of the thin layers of clouds and listen to Thomas tell his story. 

Stories of young lust and seeing what he wanted in the dark of night. Jax knew of those. He could not help but wonder if the Captain was telling him more. But he had to laugh out loud at the end discription of the face that settled his tired night..“Sometimes tis best to keep your eyes closed.” He chuckled. Jax glanced up at the moon, “Nights always cast a different light. But still, bet your exports were wagged about on the tongue of that dog faced woman. Least ya didn’t eat hair.” He chuckled at the imagine that brought to his mind. 

“She didn’t demand payment did she?” He slapped the flask in the Captain's direction. “Not as dramatic as your but my first night off ship at a port, young as I was, I was sure the ladies found me irresistible. Got friendly with one feeling oh so dashing and manly only to learn I had to pay her.” 

“Damn female powers.” He laughed and pushed himself higher against the rail. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back feeling the rays of the moon. Or was that the tingle from the flask? Didn’t matter much. It felt good as the cool breeze of passing stars tickled his hair and touched his chest. He opened his eyes to view the sky never tiring of the way the stars dance and directed. 

As he was looking up he heard a melody distance and faint. At first he thought it was Nicki calling to him. She had his boots. She was singing to call him down and back to them. But it didn’t take long for Jax to realize it was not the voice that read stories to him and recited poetry. Although the sound was sweet there was no honey in the song at all. It was far away It mixed with the waves and the salt spray. It sang with promises like that of the whore in some far off camp . Jax turned his head following the sound. He strained his ears and then his eyes. 

There was a faint light below the star light horizon. It rose and faded as if reaching for the night sky, as if it was trying to jump from the sea to the join the moon and her clouds. In fact Jax had to look to make sure it just wasn’t a trick of the waves against the far edges of the sky line. He closed his eyes and opened them again. 

It was a distant fire. Jax knew where they were. He knew that direction. He slowly raised his hand and glanced to his Captain. “Tell me if that far off light is not a ship on fire?”

He watched with more focus wondering if it was a expensive exoitc wonder tapping on their tent flap luring them in the dark. Or a dogfish of a hairy beast they might not want to see in the daylight.