Hanabaptiste shifted the book, turning it so Rio could look at the pages. Keeping her voice coy, she answered, "There might be a dragon. See if you can sound out this word, though." Her voice was even and playful. She didn't notice her hands had started to shake holding the book.

---

Pieter studied Berlin through lidded eyes as he refilled the mug. His shoulders were pulled in, his chin tucked and eyes lowered. He looked like a man who had gotten a thrashing and was bracing again. Pieter was fond of the boy, aye, but Berlin lived for him. Obviously he had been shaken to see Ro breakdown like that. Pieter would follow his Captain to hell and back, but he sometimes he needed someone to point things out to him."

"Burl, the boy's gone through things that would have broken soldiers. And aye, he's happier than he's been in a long while, and he's doing well. But he's still a child. Seeing the town would have brought everything back at once. We're finding those slavers, but ya gotta know that Roo's gonna take it hard. Mayhaps it'll give him comfort. Maybe'll hide. But they need to be stopped."

He looked out at the sparkling sea, watching the dark blurs of the fish swimming around the [i]Borealis.[/i] They stood silently, looking out on the waves. 

"Ye should speak to Hana too- she's been keeping it together but she's gonna come apart ugly like."