John
*Shrike hopped around and allowed her to pet him before she pulled alway. He began to clean himself with a silent focus. As she asked and rambled and stuttered, Shrike began to twist his head at her like a confused dog... His eyes somehow portrayed a feeling of 'why are you so anxious?'*

*Shrike flitted to her shoulder and perched himself there, looking at her still. He looked like he would speak, but didn't. Instead, he stayed sat on her shoulder and accompanied her into the lower deck.*

*He flew from her shoulder to land in a hammock, rummaging around before peeking up with a coin in his beak, feeling pretty pleased with his find. He flicked it down towards Ves before hopping around on the floor.*

*Shrike kept his eyes out for dangers, but found nothing of note to be concerned with. Instead he flew into the office and began to peck the desk with vigorous intent.*

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Christina
Ves began rummaging through the tiny office. It consisted of a basic wooden desk and a couple of shelves. Ves searched the shelves first. There were three books on the shelf as well as various trinkets and knick-knacks. A lot of it seemed personal, as though it had meant something to Kip. She collected the books however to bring them above deck. Maybe one would prove useful.

She moved to the desk next, opening a drawer for Shrike. She found nothing of note and frowned, disappointed. No. Something didn't feel right. She began her search again, digging her fingers along the bottom of the drawers. She pressed down and heard a distinct *Click* As she opened the hidden compartment. 

"Ah! Here!" She said with a satisfied smirk. Then she reached into the compartment and pulled out a small rectangular box. It was locked, of course, and the key was likely somewhere on Kip. No matter. She was an excellent lockpick. After searching the rest of the office, she headed back above deck. 

"Björn? I found a few books. And look! I bet Kip hid something good in here!" She gave the box a little shake as she approached her lover. "There are a ton of supplies down there as well. If we can learn to sail this ship, we'll be set for a while."

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John
*Shrike hopped up and down on the desk, trying to get her attention. When she finally opened it the first time he got annoyed and started pecking the drawer... Finally, she understood him! He hopped around in a little joyous dance.*

*He flew to her shoulder and stayed there as she ascended the stairs... Björn was toiling away in the morning sun as he let out a loud grunt of effort, hauling a netfull of fish aboard the ship. He had gotten good, learned fast and was hauling in food, money and also removing the evidence. Besides the black-red sheen the ship had, it was cleaned and tidy. A few of the bandages Björn had were bleeding through but he was doing well. He turned around saw her coming.*

"Ves! You clever woman. I told you I had faith in you." *He knelt down to her height and kissed her cheek, taking the box and shaking it himself... He had no clue what he was doing and handed it back.* "Well if there are a lot of supplies, I'm glad to hear it. I think it would do us good to make sure this ship ports somewhere that doesn't know Kip. The less questions the better." *Shrike cawed in agreeance... Or annoyance. It was hard to tell with him sometimes.*

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Christina
"Björn! You should be resting! What are you doing?" She asked, alarmed by his actions. Then his kiss made her forget herself. She blushed a deep red, setting a hand on her cheek where his lips had been. First beautiful and now affectionate kisses. It was enough to make Ves melt. Her heart fluttered in her chest.

She exchanged the box for the books, hoping one happened to be an instruction manual. Wouldn't that be lucky? The box would wait however. She set it beside the satchel and moved up beside Björn to prevent him from any more work. "You sit. You're bleeding through your bandages. See if you can make any sense of any of these books. I'm going to climb up there," She pointed to the mast, "And see if I can lower the sails. I saw Kip do something with the ropes up there."

It occurred to her that she was still naked. She had set out their clothes on the railing while Björn slept. She now moved to check if they were dry yet. Finding them warm and comfortable, she quickly got dressed again. Then the Kobold moved to climb up the mast. She kept her pace steady, placing her feet carefully, digging in her claws for extra traction. She didn't want to fall.

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John
"Okay I'll sit, but you be safe okay?" *He shook his head as she realised her lack of modesty.* "Thanks for the view at least!" *He laughed to himself and sat down, watching her get changed and climbing up. It occurred to him he needed to wear more layers and started doing so.*

*He flicked through the pages of books... Botany, whatever the fuck that was. A book about a lustful Dragonborn maid that Björn would keep for later... A book on sheets of lines with dots on them. He tried tapping them, sniffing them and licking them. Nothing worked! He then hummed to himself as he tried to figure it out - that's when he realised they were markings of pitch for music! He would suprise Ves with this later... She'd love it! The Goliath watched his lover climbing up the mast and sighed, he felt some strong emotions he didn't know the name of whenever he looked at her... Moreso after everything that has happened.*

*Finally he came across a book labelled "Seafaring for Dummies" That seemed to detail how a ship worked. He peered up and yelled to Ves.* "HEY! I got a book with instructions!"

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Christina
The view? Oh! He meant her naked form. Ves blushed, silver scales turning red and traveling down her neck. Then she did something that surprised even herself. She swished her tail at him, moving her hips provocatively, trying to draw his eyes to her waist. Then she scurried up the mast, burning an even brighter red at her boldness. But had he even noticed?

Reaching the top, Ves secured herself and began to study the rope. It seemed to be tied in deliberate ways and her keen eyes followed each loop. Finally she reached for a particular twist and pulled down. The sail immediately began to unfurl. Ves grinned with delight until a gust of wind caught the partially open sail. The boat jerked into sudden movement and Ves yelped, clinging to the mast tightly to keep herself from falling. 

The ship moved a few yards before the anchor yanked them backwards. Ves felt herself lose her grip and begin to fall. She scrambled to cling to something, managing to grab ahold of a rope at the last minute. It slowed her fall drastically, but she still fell. Ves landed on her back, the air knocked out of her lungs, and her hand burned badly from the rope.

Perhaps she should have studied the book first before pulling on random loops of rope.
John
*Oh Björn noticed. Björn noticed very well and he was pleased with her confidence. It made him smile more and it showed her want for his eyes on her, his attention. He wanted to call something up to her but if she got flustered, she'd likely fall.*

*Björn flicked through the instruction manual as he noticed a crude drawing of what Ves was doing.* "Wait! Wait Ves-!" *Aaaand she had fell. The Goliath got up fast, too fast and ended up cramping as he raced over to her. He knelt over her with a concerned expression, but also slightly humoured.* "Ves?! Are you okay?"

*He got to work on scanning her body for pain or injury; any visual damage. He checked her hand and winced at the red burned scales on her hand... It was immense and very sensitive. He had then tried to slowly sit her up so she can get more air.* "Breathe."

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Christina
Ves struggled to inhale, to make her lungs work again. Her eyes slowly opened and she looked up at Björn. She coughed and then choked, inhaling too sharply. Slowly she sat up. "Ow..." She mumbled, looking down at her rope-burned hand. She tried to move her fingers and instantly regretted it, hissing in pain. "I'm okay," She wheezed, trying to convince herself of that fact.

The ship continued to strain in the wind. Ves frowned, looking up at the sails. Well, she had figured out how to make the boat move. Not that they were going anywhere with the anchor weighing them down. "We should... Pull up the anchor and maybe get away from this particular spot? Just in case anyone happens by and sees something they shouldn't."

Very shakily she rose to her feet. The fall had scared her more than anything, though her hand throbbed. Ves had very low tolerance to pain. "I'll try and steer... Though maybe you should take over once you pull the anchor up. We can follow the coastline. Avoid going back to Broughton. Maybe we can find another dock further along." And maybe by then they would have figured out *How* To dock. 

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John
"By the Gods Ves! You should be more carful. You don't look okay!" *He looked at her and shook his head.* "You should have really been more careful. What if you broke your neck and died? I would *Not* Be feeding you to the fish!" *He wasn't angry, but he was protective over her.*

*As she stood, Björn scooped her back into his arms and shook his head once more.* "No walking for you." *He walked with her in his large safe arms up to the helm of the boat and sat her down.* "You stay here, I'll handle the anchor. I will read you the book as you sail. We can make this work together, okay?" *He put his hand on her shoulder and nodded his head, determined to help.* "Oh! And one more thing." *He leaned in and smirked, whispering into her ear.* "The next time you shake your rear at me like that, I will smack it." *He kissed her cheek and walked down to the anchor's chain.*

*The Goliath eyed the chain up, his brow furrowed. This would have been easier if he wasn't injured. He would probably rip a few bandages or maybe open one or two wounds... If that's what needed to happen for the Anchor to come up, that's what he must endure.* "I'm going to pull!" *He grasped the large, metallic chain and began to heave.*

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Christina
Ves squeaked as she was scooped up into Björn's arms. She forgot her pain momentarily as he moved to the helm and set her down. Ves eyed the wheel, which seemed large by her standards. Yet Kip had managed it. Surely she could as well. It couldn't be *That* Hard to turn a wheel and steer the boat.

She froze at Björn's words. Her entire face turned red and she felt hot suddenly. A little droplet of sweat trickled down her back. And his kiss only made the blush travel further down her neck! She hated when he moved away and resisted the urge to reach out and stop him. Instead she watched him stroll over to the anchor, taking the time to admire him in return.

At Björn's call, Ves gripped the wheel tightly and prepared herself. Her hand felt like it was on fire, but she did her best to ignore the pain. "Okay! I'm ready!" She called back to her lover. She worried about his wounds and wished she hadn't lowered the sails without thinking. It had been foolish of her. She was normally more cautious, but her curiosity had gotten the better of her. 

As the anchor left the bottom of the sea, the boat jerked into motion once more. The winds were really intense and caused Ves to squint a little. She was surprised by how strong it was! She felt every shift and change through the wheel, which she held tightly and directed carefully. She didn't want any sudden turns to capsize them. Soon a smile spread across her face. Look at them! They were doing it! They were sailing!

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