A scent wafted on the air and for a moment, even Berlin forgot where he was, like he was thinking hard upon a dream. But he blinked, snapping back into reality and looking up to see a very tense Rohaan come down from the crow's nest. He hadn't seen him like that in a long time. Body tensed, coiled, withdrawn. Head hung low but looking outward like a cornered dog, and he walked without his usual slap-slap of bare feet against the deck. Instead he padded, stalked, like he did not want to make noise or draw attention to himself. But whatever made his stomach turn or put his neck-hair on end was not clear or directed at any one thing, it seemed. It wasn't Hanabaptiste, he thought. He was doing very well with her earlier. And though he watched her perform the weather magic with some suspicion, Berlin could see the wheels turning in his little head, knowing that what she was doing was just for the wind. 

Berlin tried to quietly make eye contact with him but the boy avoided his gaze as he made his way below deck to start making food. With the ship steadied and heading swiftly in the right direction, Berlin left his post at the helm and followed the shifter down to the galley. Speaking in Vokurian, he began, [I]"Rheoaan. What's on your mind?"[/I]
The boy looked up at his chin. "Mm?" When Berlin repeated the question, Rohaan shrugged, answering also in Vokurian. [I]"Nothing, I don't know. I'm making breakfast."
"And that's all?"
"Yes..? Why, Ca-mm?"
"I know you. You're in a mood, but I can't figure out what sort..."[/I] Berlin leaned against the doorframe with his arms loosely folded over his great chest. [I]"Did something happen with you and Hanabaptiste?"
"Hana? No. She's teaching me to read. Showed me all the letters. She seems okay."[/I] That was a great admission, Berlin noted. It would seem small for anyone else to say, but Berlin knew him. Hana must have been doing very well indeed. After a pause, Rohaan added, [I]"Did I do something wrong, Ca-mm?"
"No lad! No, you've done well. I just want to make sure you're alright."
"I don't hurt, not really. Just feels like a bruise."
"That's not what I meant, Rheoaan. Something's bothering you, I can tell. Remember, you gotta talk to me about these things, aye?"[/I]

Rohaan nodded his understanding, but he followed it up with a shrug. [I]"Nothing. I don't know."[/I]
Berlin was silent as he watched him for a moment. 'nothing' wasn't accurate, but the 'I don't know' was. There was something Rohaan was feeling that he couldn't put a finger on, something he would try and coax out of him. In Carisian this time, he asked, "Did you see something on that ship that bothered you? Was that it?"
Again, Rohaan shrugged. "No? I don't know."
Berlin sighed. "Okay." He reached into his pocket and took out a little flask. "Here. I know you haven't gotten any sleep, and you've done well. Have a sip, eh?" Rohaan stopped cooking to take the flask from him, smiling. It wasn't often Berlin let him drink, but it did happen every so often. 

The crew ate a good breakfast--seeing as how they'd only recently resupplied, they still had some fresh goods on board and that morning's spoils were freshly scrambled eggs, a wedge of cheese, and a loaf of fresh bread. While ship fare was never luxurious, nobody on the Borealis ever ate poorly. After the meal, Berlin clapped a hand on Hanabaptiste's shoulder. His touch was warm, friendly. "Good work out there. With you on board, no ship will ever outrun us, eh? I'm glad you decided to come with us after all."

The sky was awash with pastel pink and orange that pushed away the fading blue of early dawn. The air was chilly still, the sun not yet high enough to give the world its warmth. Uban was aloft on the ropes when he finally spotted land. In the darkness, they'd come closer than he'd expected. But something seemed off, like the sky was hazier than usual. An early autumn fog, he assumed. But as they drew closer, Uban could see that it was not fog. It was smoke.

Coming down the main yard, Uban found Pieter, who was nearest him and with a folded brow said, "Something's going on in the harbor...there's smoke. A lot."