The flood of relief Hana felt with the Captains words told her she made the right choice. And so, like all reasonable people facing a major change in life, she went shopping. 

First Hanabaptiste visited the apothecaries and magical supply shops- This was her first time serving as a Weather Mage on a real ship, and she needed to make sure that it went as smoothly as possible. She bought all the fundamentals she could think of- Moss Island turtle shell, dried punuuy bark, ehtrigs imported from Corf (the lemony smell gave Hana a twinge of homesickness,) olive oil (this she bought from the apothecary. The oil merchant was a fool who didn't know what elemental neutrality was if it bit him in the ass,) and countless other ingredients and supplies she'd be able to use while casting. And, realizing that she'd also be serving as the ships medic, bought a dog eared copy of [i]The Yonnin Navy's Official Chiurgeon Manuael[/i] from the apothecary, as well as medical supplies that let her be prepared for anything, from shot wounds to snake venom to cures for the clap (they were pirates, after all.) 

When she presented her supplies to the Captain to be loaded aboard ship, asking if there was anything else he thought they might need, the big man just laughed, "I'm starting to wonder how we managed to survive this long without a Mage aboard, but I think you should concern yourself about being comfortable aboard ship." Nodding to the drab gown she was wearing, he said, "Get a new wardrobe, what works on land doesn't always translate to being at sea."

So she went out again, this time in a different part of town. She purchased linen knee breeches, clean white poets shirts, and a pair of ankle boots she enchanted to be waterproof. Admiring herself in the mirror at the tailors, she thought she looked like a gallant straight from one of the plays. [i]Maybe the pirates life is for me.[/i]

The last day she spent in the book stores, she'd be at sea for a while, and didn't expect there to be many books on a pirate ship. She found an old textbook from the Schools; it had been printed before the Green Grass Fallacy had been disproven, but since she didn't plan on working sophisticated thaumaturgy, it was still useful to her needs. There was a folio of popular songs for the harp which she purchased on a whim, maybe they'd steal a harp for her to play (How quickly she adapted to piracy!) She also found a collection of Vhilliers plays which she couldn't resist, some thought that he pandered to the base crowd, but she always enjoyed the witticisms Vhilliesrs excelled at. There was a travelogue by the explorer Des Enrolo which promised to be exciting. Finally, she purchased a complete set of the Midengarium, the ancient epic that had been recently translated and had been the favorite of the courts when she left. She wasn't willing to pay the outrageous amount the book merchant had been asking for it, so she agreed to ward the book store from mildew in exchange. 
Berlin and another sailor, a cheerful man missing a finger, helped load her supplies onboard. Hanabaptiste was committed now, she'd sold her furniture, settled rent, and had moved all her possessions onto the pirate ship. Better or worse, this was her life now.

[hr]

[i]Pieter[/i] kissed Maria on the cheek one last time as he swung his bag over his shoulder. 
"I half wish I could come with you. Give up on trying to corral these idiots and go back out to sea. It'd be nice."
Pieter laughed, stepping out of the dirty entryway to the temple, 
"Darling, you'd draw a kraken onto us before we left the port. Stay here, it's not many priests who live this long. Show the young curs how to treat with the gods, and enjoy that four poster bed of yours. Trust me, the bunk isn't as pleasant as you remember it."

She sniffed, glared at the sea dog with contempt, then shook her head and hugged him again. "It's just rare to see old friends like you now. Don't make me come cut you down from a gibbet, you hear?"

He mocked a courtly bow which was only ruined by his canvas bag hitting the splintery wood of the dock, throwing him off balance. Maria returned with a curtsy and a rude gesture, and returned to the temple. Pieter looked up at the sun shining brightly, and turned to walk back to the [i]Borealis[/i]. He'd had a pleasant leave, but he'd feel better back out at sea. And Maria had helped him with how he planned on teaching Uban the ways of the Salt. No more hemming or hawing, he knew what he had to do.

[hr]

Wheel didn't remember much of his leave, but his crotch itched in a way it hadn't before. That wasn't unusual, so he returned to the ship on time for once, carrying a barrel of rum under one arm and a new cutlass in the other. The curse was starting to mutter again, and he planned on letting it out in a place he wouldn't be arrested. He was surprised when he found out the Cap'n had hired a mage for the ship, although he was less impressed when he found out she didn't seem to be the fighting type.

[hr]

Hanabaptiste adjusted to the ship, the pitch of the waves still made her a little queasy, but she welcomed the call for dinner all the same. Sitting in the galley next to the boy, Rio, she tried to ignore his slights. So when Uban- the friendly one- asked her about the Schools, she replied,

"Yes, I studied for awhile at Cleaup School. That was the institution that taught weather magic. Summonining lightening? Well, I certainly wouldn't do it in here!" Pieter, the old sailor who had shown Hana how to fit everything into her sea chest, chuckled. "My instructors could summon lighting, as could any fully trained mage. It's incredibly dangerous, however, to directly control weather in such a way. If I tried to, I'd probably be burnt to a crisp as well as the rest of the ship." Seeing the slight disapointment on the mans face, she continued,  "I can, however, do this." Taking a pinch of salt, Hana made the bumbo in Uban's cup freeze solid as he was about to take a drink. Smiling at his surprise, she waved her hand and the spell reversed itself, returning the drink to it's liquid state. Relieved, Uban sipped it, it was pleasantly chilled, but otherwise the same. 
Watching intently, Rio blurted out, "What's school?" breadcrumbs spilling onto the table. The complete breach of etiquite was so startling that Hana answered simply after Berlin had rebuked the boy, 
"Yes, school is a place where boys and girls go to learn about the world to become upstanding young men and ladies. Well, when I was your age, I was reading my grammar books and arithmetic. When I was older I attended Cleaup School, which was founded by other Elbari five hundred years ago. When I was there, I read a lot of different things, but mostly books about magic. And since I was becoming a weather mage, I read a [i]lot[/i] about how the weather works. If I had stayed, I would have started practicing what I'd learned. What kind of books do you read, Ro- umm, Rio?"