Faline wasn’t sure what to expect, but the cramped quarters and spartan furnishings were not impressive. A short bald man sat behind a fold-down table with a ledger, quill, and inkwell built into the surface.

“You’re late,” Schmidt said, in a way that was both accusatory and final.

“Yes, sir,” Argus replied, holding the door open and giving Faline a gentle shove into the room.

Schmidt looked up from his ledger. “Who is this?”

“Tripps, my new helper.”

The captain looked Faline over, frowning as he did so. “Good Creator. Are we raiding orphanages for recruits these days? This one can’t be more than eleven.”

“I’m thirteen,” Faline interjected, then instantly wished she hadn’t.

Schmidt’s eyes narrowed. “You sound like a ten-year old girl.” He looked past to Argus. “You sure this one isn’t a eunuch?”

“Hadn’t checked, sir.” He raised a hand and approached Faline. “You want me too?”

Faline’s cheeks grew hot. Oh no.

The Captain grunted. “No, just serve the food and drink and begone.” He started closing his ledger.

Argus smiled and winked at Faline before turning away. She swallowed. She wasn’t sure what a eunuch was, but imagined the verification process wasn’t something she wanted to experience. Faline set the basket and pitcher down and began to set a place setting for the Captain. Her limited experience back at the settlement was enough to get things arranged right before putting the food on the plate. Unlike what the crew ate, Schmidt had good hunks of cheese, some fresh fruit, and some chunks of salted beef. She poured ale from the pitcher into the Captain’s flagon.

Schmidt watched her with intense eyes, so much so that sweat began forming along her hairline. When she finished, the Captain examined the plate and the drink. The seriousness of the look made her nervous. Had she done something wrong? His gaze fell on Argus. “When did Tripps come aboard?”

“Yesterday, sir.”

He looked at Faline. “Drink from the cup.”

She picked it up, her nervousness causing her to shake a bit. With the other hand, she steadied herself and took a sip, then set it down.

“Now, try one piece of cheese, fruit, and meat.”

She took each one, popped it into her mouth, chewed, and swallowed it. What was the man making her do? When she finished, he stared at her. Very hard for nearly a minute. Just when she thought she couldn’t take the look anymore, he sighed and waved her away.

“Fine, go. Argus, you stay, I will have a word with you.”

Faline started to curtsy, then caught herself and turned it into an equally awkward bow. Schmidt gave a crooked smile. “Just go before you fall over. I can see why you’re called Tripps.”

Faline’s face grew hot. She turned and raced out of the room.

On deck, she stared off into the distance, letting the evening breeze cool her thoughts. She walked slowly back to the galley. By the time she reached it, Argus appeared as well.

“Quite an impression you made,” Argus said, his voice a bit jovial.

“What was he having me do with his food?” she asked, falling into her seat.

“Tasting it,” he said. “In case it was poisoned.”

“Poisoned? Why would he think that?”

“Remember what I said about my previous helper, and what happened to him?”

“You said he disappeared during the night.”

“Yes, because I dumped him over the side.”

A shiver of fear crept up her spine. “Why did you kill him?”

Argus slid into the bench opposite her. “You don’t understand. He was already dead. He ate some of the Captain’s food before serving it to him and then keeled over in front of the Captain. Ever since, Schmidt has made someone taste his food before he eats it himself.”

“Who’s been tasting his food before I came aboard?”

Argus stuck a thumb into his chest. “Me. That’s why I asked for a helper, because I’m not dying because someone is trying to kill the Captain.”

“So,” Faline said, “Whoever tried to poison the Captain is still onboard?”

“I would presume so.”

“Fantastic,” Faline said, slumping against the wall. “This couldn’t get much worse.”

Argus cocked his head to one side. “Funny, you said that. Captain wants you to accompany the shore raiding party tomorrow.”

“Why?” Faline said, incredulous. “I can’t fight.”

“That’s exactly the Captain’s point. Everyone needs to be able to fight, or at least defend themselves, otherwise they’re a burden to the rest of the crew. So he wants you to get some fighting experience. After we feed the crew supper, go see Duncan. He’s putting together a shore raid during his watch.”

Faline buried her face into her hands and sobbed. But Argus smacked her hands away, and she looked up at him.

He stared hard with an annoyed look on his face. “You need to stop that. Get yourself together. I’m actually going to cook something decent for dinner, so the crew has some motivation to fight, and I need your help.”

Tears dripping from her cheeks, Faline nodded. Her situation just kept getting worse, with more reasons, ways, and people to kill her. If they discovered she was a woman, there were even worse things they might do to her. There didn’t seem to be any escape from her circumstances. But as she started to help Argus cut up potatoes and onions for the stew they were preparing, a thought appeared in her mind. Going on a raid meant going ashore, and they were going to do it at night. How hard would it be to sneak away and escape the Reavers? Not very, she estimated.

Banging on metal caught her attention. Argus was slamming wood into the stove and cursing under his breath.

“What’s the matter?” Faline asked.

“This infernal piece of crap won’t light, and I need to get the water boiled before we can use it to cook.” He hammered away at the flint and tinder, trying to get the sparks to catch the kindling. “Grab a candle from the lamp, we’ll do it that way,” he said, thoroughly annoyed.

She pulled down the lamp and gave him the candle. He tried several times to get the kindling to start, but it refused. “Why don’t you use the Old Ways?”

He shot her a sidelong look. “I don’t know how. My talent was with healing. I can get sparks to fly, but nothing better than flint and tinder.”