Hanabaptiste was taken by how collected the Captain was, ordering his crew with a practiced air that expressed courtesy and brooked no disagreement. It wasn't anything like the other sea captains she'd known, who were taciturn men prone to vice. Well, he was comfortable with silence, and it wasn't like he was a saint. Still, she thought, the man had something about him. Uban, meanwhile, had a way with words. While conversing with him, she found herself laughing and enjoying herself. Most of her time traveling as a hedge mage had been in solitude- traveling alone was generally safer for those with a shaved scalp on the continent. Petty highwaymen would rarely target mages without the incentive of great wealth. So the only dangers Hana faced on the road was her own inexperience as she adapted to a lifestyle on the road. Consequently, it meant the long stretches of empty road dragged on in silence. Hanabaptiste rarely stayed long enough in a single town to put down roots, and she never felt safe in the rowdy taverns. Friendly company was welcome, and even if slightly rough, it was sincere. The man with the propped feet languidly stood up, moving with the relaxed grace of a lionhawk. "I'll check the traps, Cap'n. Maybe when the hedge mage is done with her pet projects, she could curse the fucking rats off this ship." He left the room, leaving a palpable chill. It was in this chill that Rio huskily asked her, "So...do you have any books that are.....Interesting?" The first thought was the strict governess she'd had that taught her how to read High Thasyne- rote memorization and a switch to the inside of the knee for every grammar mistake in the essays she was forced to write. "Let's start with [i]Militie Huns.[/i] It's a new comedy that came out, and it should be easy to learn from. Find me after you're finished with your chores."