<em>The Store Room </em><br/><br/>Dr. Rehner bobbed beneath the low-slung beams beneath<em>Mercy's </em>forecastle and opened the furthest door to a hollow just behind the prow, nothing more than a storage closet for the ship's materials. A single yellow lamp hung from a hook at just head height, and in its streaked glass weary reflections stretched and distorted.<br/>"Me, I work on the island," Dr. Rehner said. "Before that, I was born in Gundarak." Her eyes were searching for recognition in Aloisa when she named the place, squinting for it.<br/><br/>The huge bolts of sailcloth accommodated Michelle and Zoe comfortably. Sage utilized a rough stack of planks for a bench and a barrel labeled in unknown hoop-and-slash script to bury her head in her arms. Margaret settled in a coil of rope and seemed to regret it immediately.<br/><br/>"It does not exist anymore." Dr. Rehner overlooked the signs of mice in the store room and helped Michelle out of her smock. There were red lines striped onto her pale peach skin like the marks of a grill, and surrounding the skin was tender, pink. Allowing Dr. Rehner to touch it drew a sharp breath. She did not know whether to endure or protest.<br/>"Ten years ago it was annexed by Barovia. The Gundarkite left the forest for the most part to settle there. Barovia is good for them, I think. There is peace with the devil. It is not a place for a doctor."<br/><br/>Dr. Rehner inspected Sage's frostbitten fingers and toes, and the bruises revealed when Zoe disrobed, all the while noting observations she did not share.<br/>"I have nothing for the pain until we reach port. For now, you must all get out of those clothes. The wet will be your death of cold."<br/><br/><em>The Deck </em><br/><br/>At the captain's direction, the<em>Mercy </em>continued its journey, the violent winds and capsizing waves of the night before nothing but a vivid dream before these sparkling waters. Baykur remained on the deck while the crew worked, watching Jacqueline, appraising her.<br/>"You can spend the time on deck when you are not in the way. We will house you with your friends in storage."<br/>As the ship's course changed, Baykur joined Jacqueline at the railing, looking out, but observing the sea turned her too much into a sailor. She looked out over the morning sky, instead, the sun taking shape from a pool of gold on the horizon, the clouds deeper shades of blue than the waves.<br/><br/>"I will lend you my girl to fetch what you need, so you do not wander into the hold or crew quarters. She will keep you fed and clothed and in good spirits. She will serve you well until we arrive."