"I hardly see why a pirate would want companionship from a little stowaway like me, Mr. Crow. Especially considering you're the one who should be looking out for carryons. If we're going to be having little talks every once in a while, you should know what to call me. The captain called me "Chaos-Heart Aris" earlier this evening, you can call me that, or Aris if you want. No clue what gave that man the idea for that nickname, but he seems to know proper monikers. After all, he calls you the Crow."<br/><br/>The remark provoked a small chuckle from Ganelon, although the girl likely couldn't tell that he was laughing at his own nickname rather than hers. The thought that Captain Rotter had given it to him was almost more believable than the truth, given how well he fit his self-imposed role, but he had to admit that the old pirate hadn't missed his mark in naming their little stowaway either.<br/><br/>"The captain? Miss Aris, I call<span style="font-style: italic">meself</span>the Crow, an' make no mistake about it. It's why I get t' spend each day up here instead of cleaning the deck or hauling cargo across it. If the captain had a mind to call his own he'd have hired a lookout fer his skills rather 'n his name, though I'd still have the job either way. Ye'd just see me actually payin' attention if he did, even though we've got more'n a few fathoms separatin' us from anythin' what might cause us harm."<br/><br/>In retrospect, that seemed like information best kept secret, although Ganelon didn't regret sharing it. Everyone already knew that he was incredibly lazy - though he preferred to think of himself as an opportunist who worked exactly as much as was needed and not a second longer - but the captain and crew assumed that he had earned his name rather than adopted it, and he was in no position to correct them. More awareness of his deception meant a greater demand for him to earn his keep, but even if Aris had a reason to tell someone the truth, it was her word against his, and he was nothing if not a very skilled liar.<br/><br/>One look at the grin on his guest's face was all it took to break most of the Crow's confidence. It promised nothing but trouble and misery for him, and the words that followed it weren't much more of a comfort.<br/><br/>"I believe I should stay here for the night."<br/><br/>"Like hell ye do, lass. There ain't enough room up here even fer<span style="font-style: italic">one</span>man t' sleep, an' I ain't leaving for anyone's sake, much less yours."<br/><br/>"...Let me explain. If I go down there, I will be bunking in the same room as about fifty drunken pirates, most with sharp things, and a few wanting revenge for stabbing their mate in the foot. If I rest down below, I may not be alive to have our nightly discussions, now will I? You may listen to your captain's orders, but I doubt the other men do."<br/><br/>"And ye know this from less'n a day spent in their company, hm?<span style="font-style: italic">Impressive</span>", the Crow sneered sarcastically. What he neglected to mention was that Aris was probably right - enough men lacked a healthy respect for the captain's wishes that she wouldn't be safe letting her guard down after having provoked one of them so blatantly. The people she had become involved with lacked a respect for anything but displays of wealth and power, both of which usually came at the price of another man's life. Alone that wasn't much of a problem for Ganelon, who was more than willing to put a knife in each of their throats even without a particular reason, but the captain didn't tolerate his crew killing each other and there were few other options for someone with no real strength to speak of.<br/><br/>The greater problem, of course, was that someone else was trying very hard to involve him in a problem that he had nothing to do with. Someone without the good sense to leave the most troublesome members of the crew alone and thus avoid explaining to the captain why it was necessary to turn them into human dart-boards. Using him for some semblance of protection wasn't something that Aris could be blamed for, but he had no intention of simply allowing it to continue. Unfortunately, she was already asleep and in no position to be easily removed from the crow's nest.<br/><br/>With a sigh, Ganelon shifted into a more comfortable position and picked up his whetstone. He certainly had gained plenty to think about, for better or worse.