<span style="font-family: 'Georgia'">Silence loomed over the room. The girls laid together on the bottom bunk, the eldest stroking her younger sister's hair, murmuring a soft lullaby she remembered always singing to her to lull her to sleep.  Their time together was short when a pair of boots pounded in the hall. It grew louder and Joanna prepared herself for the worst. She removed herself from Ellen's arms as the captain approached the doorway. Ellen sat up and crawled out of the woolen blanket.<br/>
<br/>
"Stay right there," Joanna told her in a soft tone. "You don't need to deal with this."<br/>
<br/>
She squeezed her shoulder and watched the captain as he pulled out four dinner rolls and set them down on barrel nearby, and began a simple speech, one that Joanna felt she would not be interested in hearing, but listened regardless. The captain's intentions were quite different than what he displayed to his men. It begged the question of why. Why did he hide his true self? What was so terrible about showing who you really were? She nodded in acknowledgement.<br/>
<br/>
The captain's words were somewhat appeasing. Although Joanna wouldn't admit it, it brought her comfort knowing the captain had a good soul. Joanna knew what she had to do now. It'd be difficult to take on some of the jobs she'd be tasked with, no doubt, but she could clean the decks and well, she wasn't sure what else she <i>could</i> do. She was a thief, not a housemaid or a proper lady. The men seemed far more educated than she was herself. She mulled over the thought of asking what kind of tasks she'd be assigned, but decided against it.<br/>
<br/>
Tomorrow morning, she'd bring Ellen breakfast if she could, and keep her in their room, for her protection. Joanna would see to it that she and her sister made it out alive. The moment an opportunity found itself to leave the ship on the next port, Joanna would make sure they used their time wisely and got away as far, and as fast as they could. It wasn't as if the men would care anyhow. <br/>
<br/>
"Agreed," she noted, her accent more pronounced and clear, now that she wasn't yelling. "Thank you and have a good night, Captain."</span><br/><br/><div style="text-align: center"><div class="bbImageWrapper lazyload js-lbImage" data-lb-caption-extra-html="" data-lb-sidebar-href="" data-single-image="1" data-src="/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fcdnw.nickpic.host%2FpZYD42.png&amp;hash=ebe2d0e748a8e875f707ffe54ac72ab4" title="pZYD42.png">
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</div></div><br/><span style="font-family: 'Georgia'">Seagulls approached the horizon as gentle waves crashed against the hull of the ship. Joanna groaned and rolled over on her back. Something was off. She moved her arm to the space beside her and found that her sister was not there. Her eyes widened as she finally became more aware of where she was at. The lantern had burnt out and the rolls were still on the barrel from last night. She yawned and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Ellen's familiar breathing washed away her fears, even if only temporary, and she glanced over at her sleeping figure. <br/>
<br/>
"I'm sorry, Ellen," she murmured. "I gotta lock ya up today. I'm sure you'll see the light tomorrow."<br/>
<br/>
Joanna ate two of the dinner rolls from last night, surprised they were still soft on the inside. They weren't as fresh, but they weren't stale either. She brushed off what dirt and dust she could from her mangy uniform; it would do for now until she was able to get a better deal at next port. Joanna grabbed the keys from under her pillow and quietly left the room. She locked the door from the inside and stuck the keys in her pocket. <br/>
<br/>
It was her first day of duty, first day of real work. Admittedly, she was nervous about what kind of chores he might dole out. There was only so much she could do, having little real life experience and not being able to read or write. She hoped it was something manageable, but tried not to let last night get to her. He'd probably give her something difficult in front of all those men; afterall, it was just as he said, his facade was only an illusion, so she had to play her part.<br/>
<br/>
"Don't talk unless you're spoken to, don't give out your own opinion, just keep your head down, do the work, and make it through the day."<br/>
<br/>
Joanna left the hall promptly. She got a drink of water from the place Tim had shown her and Ellen before heading upstairs to see the captain for her first assignment.<br/>
</span>