Someone - or something - was coming through the darkness toward her. The floor creaked with every step... or was it just the ship being tossed about by the sea? Had she passed the elf by accident, so she was behind her? She shivered to herself. Her eyes still hadn’t properly adjusted to the darkness, so even though she glanced behind her, she still couldn’t see anything.<br/><br/>Dawn jumped more than a little as a hand found her shoulder. “I wouldn't go there if I were you.”<br/><br/>She turned slowly, letting out a breath of relief. Somehow, she was glad someone was there to stop her. As she’d made her way through the darkness, she’d started to question herself more and more until she wasn’t sure that going after the elf was the right decision at all. It definitely wasn’t<i>safe</i>.<br/><br/>“I can explain what happened to her. It’s my fault she is in this state right now. Would.. would you like to have a drink with me, in the cabin here?”<br/><br/>Dawn looked from Verita to the darkness behind her and back again. Dawn wasn’t sure what she meant. Ash’s transformation was<i>her</i>fault? Maybe it<i>was</i>better to learn about it this way than to confront the unknown in the dark. Maybe then she’d have some idea about how to fight it, if she had to. And... she’d be a lot safer with Verita than the elf, especially in the state she was in.<br/><br/>“I...” she started quietly. The captain’s cabin looked a lot more inviting than the ship’s hold, at any rate. Moonlight was better than<i>no</i>light, wasn’t it? And better than whatever lurked in the darkness.<br/><br/>“There might be some rum. All pirates drink rum, and I think we've pretty much, kind of stolen this ship. So it would be a shame if we wouldn’t drink on our health right? Come, Dawn. Let's forget this night for a few moments, and let’s forget the danger lurking below. sometimes some things get better when the morning breaks through, and we have still got a few hours ahead of us<br/>before that happens. Please..”<br/><br/>As Dawn opened her mouth to reply, the Ramen stalked into the hold. “I’m going down below deck, for all your own safety you had better stay up here.” She blinked at him as he pointed at her. “You are too weak right now to stop that elf.”<i>Am not,</i>she almost said, but he’d put to words what she already knew to be true.<br/><br/>He pointed at Verita. “<i>You</i>would get eaten.” Dawn couldn’t help noticing the jug of courage he held in his hands. She put her hands on her hips, but didn’t say anything as he vanished into the darkness. He didn’t seem the same, either. The battle had changed him somehow, and now<i>he</i>scared her, too. He wouldn’t have been a match for the elf before, but now...<br/><br/>“All right,” Dawn said at last. “Anything’s better than standing out here in the darkness, anyway.” She gave Verita a small, but honest smile. “Maybe the captain kept a treasure map. And... I guess a bit of rum couldn’t hurt, either.”<div class="messageTextEndMarker"> </div>