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Edge of the World

A gray feline pushes open a trapdoor above her, the sudden lack of light making her blue eyes useless for a few seconds. When her eyes adjust, she can't help but pause on the ladder. She steps all the way out and onto the gently sloped roof of the cabin she shares with her daughter. "Isn't it beautiful, mom?" asks another feline, completely in awe. Raven looks down at her daughter Karma and smiles. She sits down next to the younger feline and looks to the night sky. Sure, it's beautiful, but Raven never shared the same appreciation for the stars. Karma, however, adores the stars. The brown feline had once told her mother that she thought the night sky was a sea, and that she was going to sail across it one day. Karma, much like her mother, was a dreamer. But it's not entirely Raven's fault. She was born a dreamer, too, though Raven chased something other than the stars. "Oh, if ye think that's impressive," she starts, "ye should've seen how it were back at Detrova Bay."

"Oh? It must've been amazing if you took time to look up from your bedsheets to see the stars."

"Young lady, that tongue a yers is sharper than me old sword."

"Wonder where I got it from..." Karma mutters. "But I could see it, if you would bring me there, like you've promised many a'time."

Raven sighs. "And as I've told ye before, cub, I ain't got the crew and I ain't got the ship. But one o' these days, ye'll see what it be like at the edge o' the world."

Now Karma sighs. "We could ask aunt Ivy, I bet she'd bring us," she suggests carefully.

"I'm sure me dear, loving sister would love te bring us, if she weren't so busy stuffin' her pockets."

There's a long moment of silence. "I'm sorry me dear, ye know how I get when it comes to me sister."

"Mom?"

"Yes?"

Karma points off to a cluster of lights on the horizon. "What's that?"

"Is that not one o' the consolations er whatever from that fancy book a yers?"

"Constellations. And those ain't stars...It looks like fire. And it's moving. Is that a boat?"

"Shouldn't be, 'less it's yer aunt comin' fer another a her 'surprise visits'."

Raven squints her eyes and stares at the lights on the horizon. Something's not right. Those lanterns aren't in the same positions. And she'd recognize the outline of the sails of her sister's ship even from miles away, at night. Then the lanterns on the side of the ship catch a glint of a jewel in the figurehead and a flash of red light breaks the darkness. "Karma," she calls in a cautionary tone, "fetch me spyglass from me bed table. Smartly, mind ye." Karma may be a bit rebellious, and fiery at times, but she knows when to listen. "Aye," the younger feline states. She rises to her feet and drops down the ladder. Raven rises to a crouch.

A few moments pass before her daughter returns to the roof and gives her the wood spyglass. Raven brings one end to her eye and like a dead-eye has the ship in her sights within a heart's beat. The unmarked white sails are her first clue. Her sister never sailed under white sails, and vowed she never would. And no good kind of company sailed under unmarked sails. "Karma, fetch yer things. Make haste, cub." Her voice is stern and commanding. Her daughter nods and drops back down the ladder. Raven keeps her eye trained on the ship as she backs up to the trapdoor and jumps down. She rushes through the cabin to her own temporary room.

She rifles through drawers, pulling out clothes and stuffing it into a large leather bag. She comes to a drawer where an old tri-cornered leather hat lies. Raven picks it up carefully and sets it on the top before closing the bag. She yanks open the wardrobe while slinging the pack over a shoulder. She pulls out a sword belt and fastens it around the waist of her short, gold-trimmed mahogany dress. She runs a check through the hilts of the weapons sheathed on the belt, counting three daggers and two cutlasses. She pulls out a spare cutlass and ties it to her pack with a strap of leather. She pulls out another leather pack and slings it over her other shoulder with a grunt, the contents clinking together. Karma appears in the door as she turns to leave. The taller brown feline wears a loose crimson tunic and a pair of black breeches and carries two packs as well, and a cutlass of her own at her hip. She also has a look of fear in her green eyes. "C'mon cub, it's nothin' we haven't faced before," Raven reassures, reaching up to ruffle her daughter's partial mane. "Now, scurry to the dinghy." Karma nods and turns, hurrying off.

Raven sighs heavily. "Shit!" she grumbles to herself. "How'd those cannon fodder even find us 'ere? And if they found me..." She can't bring herself to think it. She sighs again and rubs her temples before following after her daughter. She weaves through the dark hallway and steps outside onto the sand. A glimmer of pride washes over her as she takes notice of Karma tying down her bags and weapons, keeping her bags from getting wet and her cutlass accessible. Raven pads down the beach and starts working with her daughter to tie her own bags down. The two of them get the small sailboat prepped in a few minutes as they both check over everything. "Ye got everythin'?" Raven asks her daughter. "Even yer books?" The taller feline pats a leather pack and nods to her mother. "Then we cast-" A loud boom echoes through the quiet night. "Hit the deck!" screams Raven. The two females drop to the sand and cover their heads.

The older feline counts under her breath, smiling proudly as she hears Karma doing the same. Seven seconds. That's when a cannonball hits the water with a loud splash. "Shit! They're firing at us!" yells Karma. Raven smirks. A life at sea does have its perks. "Watch yer tongue, girl. It be just a warnin' shot, ta scare us out. Pirates don't do 'warnin' shots'. Means they're likely navy," Raven explains, climbing onto the boat and grabbing hold of the tiller. "Means they be lookin' to send us to the gallows. And they can't do that with a cannon. While they take the time ta row a longboat to the shore, we head south. Shoving off!" Karma joins her mother on the sailboat as Raven jumps out to push the dinghy out into the bay. The canvas sail catches the wind as she springs back in. Karma tugs on the rigging to angle the sail, propelling them through the water.

Raven lets out a hearty laugh as her adrenaline starts to subside. Karma first looks at her mother in shock, then starts to giggle, then laughs heartily as well. "Alright, cub," Raven speaks, broken by a chuckle, "good job today. Proud of ye." Her daughter smiles despite herself. "Ye would've done well on a ship." Karma suddenly frowns, leaving Raven confused. The younger hybrid wasn't made for the pirate's life. She more prefers the quiet life, spending nights under the endless sea of stars. Likely inherited from her father, for her aunt and mother were born chasing a dream. And Raven, for the life of her, can't bear to settle down.

The grey feline sighs and looks out at the rolling waves and loses herself in her thoughts. She tries to be a decent mother. It's just something that doesn't come naturally. Sometimes it's her dreams that get in the way, dragging the cub to some deserted island to hold her mother from a rope dangling into a well. Other times it's her pride, pulling her daughter into some rather unfavorable situations. But it's not like there's a book on how to be a good parent. "Let's just get back to the harbor an see about gettin' outta here," she plans aloud. "Or we could message aunt Ivy," Karma mumbles.

"Yer aunt's got her own problems. We needn't bother her wit ours. Pull the sail a little more t'da west."

Karma grumbles but adjusts the sail. "They shot a cannon at us, Mom! We'd be safer on her ship than here!"

"Oh, ye thinks that now, does ye? If they be huntin' us, then they be likely huntin' me sister too. And if they ain't already found her, then we be draggin' them right to her."

Karma relents. "I guess I see your po-"

"Pull 'er east."

Raven's daughter blinks.

"Pull 'er east. They be waitin' for us at the harbor."

"I-I don't..."

"Slack the line and draw the sail east. We be sailin' into a trap. They knew they wasn't gonna get us at the island. They shot the cannon to scare us back to the harbor, where they be likely waitin' fer us. Otherwise they would've come from the south side of the island, cause ye can bring a ship a lot closer on the ass-end of the bay, where the cabin be."

"But where else can we go?"

"We ain't got the supplies to go far, an' the closest place be Bowbreaker Bay. Our advantage there be the rocks. Can't get a ship through there. But, it'll slow us down. But we ain't got another choice."

Karma adjusts the sail and Raven pulls the tiller. The boat cuts east. Silence presses on with the darkness. Raven holds the tiller and thinks. How'd the navy even find them? Not even Ivy knew exactly where they were. And no one else would know how to follow her trail other than her sister. And whoever is after them has a lick of common sense, rare for the navy. She closes her eyes and takes in the still of the night. The waves rocking the sailboat lull the two females into a trance-like state.

A few hours pass before they reach Bowbreaker Bay. The name is quite fitting. Jagged spines of rock jut from the water, holding in their grasp the remains of ships not lucky enough to navigate the stony minefield. "Karma, we're here. Fold the sails, grab an oar," Raven instructs, grabbing an oar herself. "Don't push off of the rocks. Just keep 'er from runnin' into 'em." To show her daughter, she reaches out with her oar and touches a nearby spire of rock. She doesn't push, but keeps the boat from getting any closer. Karma watches and does the same. The two use the oars to guide the dinghy through the bay, swerving through the spikes. "Hey," Karma calls, "I think I'm getting the hang of this!" Her mother chuckles. "Careful, Karma, don't get ahead a' yerself. There be a reason they call this Bowbreaker Bay. Mind yer left."

Raven looks around at the broken carcasses of ships and boats that couldn't escape the bay. One wrong move, and that could be them. Wouldn't be the first time that she'd lost a boat to 'the mouth of the beast'. But they have no other choice. That's what leads her into an almost trance-like state as she mindlessly guides the sailboat through the spikes of stone. They have more than a few close calls before they clear the stony fangs.

The dinghy finally pushes up onto the sandy shore. "Grab yer things, especially yer steel. We might be a meetin' some rather unsavory characters," Raven warns, grabbing her packs and slinging one over each shoulder, making sure she has a free hand to place on the hilt of the cutlass at her belt. Karma mimics her mother and the two head out, leaving the dinghy behind. "Where we heading, Mom?" Karma asks.

"Well, I was figurin' that we could hole up somewheres for the night. An' in the morn, we'll look fer a way outta here."

Karma looks down at her feet as she follows her mother. They're both exhausted and starving. Arguing wouldn't do any good. The younger feline starts to quietly hum a flowing tune. She looks up at the night sky, and at the expanse of shining stars glimmering like lanterns in an endless ocean. There's no moon tonight, but that means the stars shine even brighter. Mixed with the constant breeze blowing through her fur and the waves crashing gently against the shore, and this could be paradise. To her, at least. Her mother's paradise was always found in places spoken of only in legends. And Detrova Bay was one of those places. Raven just loves to share the harrowing tale of her arrival at the uncharted island. And when Karma had first met her aunt Ivy a few years back, Ivy had told her a story about the lost island as well.

The two walk until their feet meet cobble and the darkness is broken by lanterns. Ahead lies a small town, with a tavern on a hill above it. They walk to the weathered wooden building and Raven leads the way through the palm wood door. The door creaks on its rusty hinges, the noise drowned out by the sounds of conversation and chatter. Barmaids mill about the room in crimson dresses fit for a brothel, tending to patrons and serving drinks. A tired-looking red fox polishes a pint glass from behind the palm counter. Raven finds a stool at the bar and Karma sits next to her. The bartender looks at the two females, sets down the pint glass, and grabs a white bottle from behind the bar and sets it in front of Raven without a word, skillfully pulling out the cork with his claws. She tilts her head at the bottle of rum. "I...I didn't order-" she stammers. "Didn't have to," the bartender replies in a gruff voice. She raises an eyebrow but sighs. "How much?"

"Covered. The lady in the corner over there said if two cats were to walk in, serve some rum to the short one." He gestures to a booth in the back left corner of the bar, where a few rough-looking men stand around with hands on sword hilts.

Raven narrows her eyes and grumbles. She stands from her stool, setting her packs down, and walks right over to the booth. The tall men guarding the table look down at her. One holds out a hand to stop her. "Ye wanna keep lookin' down at me, 'cause ye won't be when yer on the floor," she threatens. There's four men total, all armed with cutlasses. She sticks her tongue out at them and walks right past them. She walks into the booth and looks at the seated figure concealed in the shadows. She clears her throat. "Better watch yer tongue there, before ye lose it. Just because I'm short don't mean I can't kick yer ass!" she says loudly. The rest of the room falls silent. Karma winces and stands from her stool and walks over, ready to stop a fight. As she gets closer, she notices the playful smirk on her mother's lips, and the barely suppressed giggling from the stranger. "Ye be callin' fer a mutiny? I oughtta toss ye in da brig!" the stranger responds. Her accent is thicker, her voice more gruff. She looks up at Raven with a wicked grin and the two smile at each other.

Karma's eyes go wide, and a broad smile crawls across her face as she recognizes the stranger. But she stays silent. Raven pulls her sister into a tight hug. "Ivy!" The pirate captain hugs back. They part, and Ivy looks over at Karma. "My my, ye've grown! How old ye be now? Ole' 'nuff to drink with yer aunt?" the captain asks with a hearty laugh. Karma smiles back. "Old enough to outdrink my aunt!" she jokes.

Raven looks to her daughter. "Go fetch the bags, and me rum."

Karma nods and does as she's asked.

"Ivy, what ye be doin' here of all places? On the outskirt of nowhere?" Raven asks her sister.

"Well, thought I might come visit me dear sister an' me niece. Needed to dock the boat anyways."

"But how did ye know where we were?"

Ivy pulls out a bundle of folded papers bound with a string. "Yer daughter kept in touch. Every full moon or so I'd get a new letter."

Raven looks at her daughter's signature in disbelief, then to Karma at the bar. "Cub," she starts sternly, "ye told Ivy where we be?" The bottle of rum slips out of Karma's hands and shatters against the stone floor. "Mom I-I-" the younger feline stammers.

"I don't want to hear yer excuses, savvy? What I wanna hear is why ye thought ta hide it from me?"

"I just wanted her to know how her family was."

"She's got 'nuff sense in her to know we ain't died in some hole! At least if ye would've asked me, I coulda gotten them to her more discreetly than some damn bird! That be how they found us! They likely got one a yer damn letters and came a lookin'!"

Ivy pipes up. "How who found ye?"

Raven answers her. "The damned Navy."

The captain's eyes go wide. "Shite..."

Karma doesn't respond, and instead looks down at the floor.

Raven isn't quite through with her daughter. "An' I told ye to leave yer aunt out a all this! If they found us, how hard do ye think it woulda been for them to find her? Think! Ye got the brain fer it! If Ivy woulda told ye where she be, then we coulda all had a nice family reunion at the gallows!"

Tears gleam in Karma's eyes. Clearly the girl hadn't thought it through.

Ivy looks at the empty pint glass in front of her.

Raven sighs and stands, looking up at her daughter. She didn't mean to make her cry. "Karma, I'm sorry fer yellin' at ye. But ye need to understand the danger ye coulda put yer aunt in, that ye put us in. But I was thinkin' of reachin' out to yer aunt anyways." She turns to her sister. "Ivy, ye wouldn't happen to be sailin' by Detrova Bay, would ye?"

Both of the other females look at Raven with a mix of shock and wonder. Ivy smirks. "It just so happens that I be needin' to procure some new steel for me crew. I suppose I could add a stop to me route."

Karma wipes the tears from her cheek and looks at her mother. "Really?"

"Detrova's full a 'black sheep'. The Navy ain't got sway o'er there. It's the perfect place to disappear fer a while." Raven explains.

"An' besides,'' Ivy adds, "They'd be outta their minds ta follow us there. Drink sparingly, mateys, but drink on me. We set sail in the morn."

Raven and Karma sit down with Ivy as the captain flags down a barmaid to get the trio drinks. Karma listens and laughs as the two sisters exchange stories, even drinking a bit at her mother's permission. Ivy keeps her word and pays for the night of drinking, and even for a room for the three, and another for her guards. The trio retire after their night of fun, exhausted.

. . .

Ivy and Raven are up first in the morning. Raven groans and sits up. "When did I get on the floor?" she asks. Ivy smacks her lips and raises an eyebrow. "When did I eat eggs?" The two look at each other and smile slowly, then start laughing. "Woul' you two quiet down?" Karma asks painfully. "Rise an' shine, beautiful daughter a' mine," Raven teases. The younger feline groans loudly and sits up, rubbing her temples. "Everythin' hurts," she complains. Raven and Ivy laugh at her. Ivy tosses her a long cloak. "Better put this on, if yer Momma's right." Karma responds a little too slowly and the cloak hits her in the face, knocking her back down onto the bed. The sisters giggle and each grab their own cloak. Raven dons a new dress before slinging hers on. The already-oversized cloak is huge on her, covering all of her body and dragging on the floor behind her.

They eventually manage to drag a groaning Karma out of bed and help her get dressed. When they leave, they have to help her down the stairs. Ivy gets the girl a glass of water to help her sober up. The three sit down at a booth in the corner of the room, Ivy's guards surrounding the table. "So, ye've never been to Detrova, have ye?" Ivy asks Karma. The younger feline shakes her head. "No, Mum never took me," she explains.

"Well, ye be in fer a treat. An' I'll make sure ye get ta see somethin' special on the way."

"Wha' might that be?"

"Ye'll see."

Raven grins. Her daughter gets excited easily. They let Karma finish her glass of water before standing and leaving a small pile of silver coins on the table. "Less head through town, I be needin' to pick up some things," Ivy plans. Raven nods to her sister and grabs her packs. They follow the pirate captain out of the tavern and down the hill into the town of Opal Cove.

Opal Cove is a sleepy little harbor town without much to its name. It's a popular stop amongst merchant ships because it's far enough away from any governmentalized city to care about what's on the ship, and visited enough to somehow have anything you could really need from nautical maps to food supplies. A lot of the people that live here are anything less than friendly, unless they want to sell something. The three hybrids keep their hoods up and their heads down.

Raven looks around from under the shadows of her hood. She overhears a lot of whispering from the townspeople about her and her family. She bites her lip and grits her teeth, anything to stay out of trouble. But she can only keep it in for so long. Her eye starts to twitch, a low rumble builds in her chest, her fists clench around the straps of her packs. But that all changes when one tipsy wolf has the nerve to shout "Get outta here, shortstack!"

That does it for her. As a few other drunk people around the wolf chuckle, she drops her packs and pulls a knife from her waist. "The only one who be a'beggin' is gonna be ye," she growls lowly, "fer yer life!" The others back away quickly as the dagger in her hand glints from under the folds of her cloak. Ivy looks around for her guards, which went ahead of them so they wouldn't draw attention. Karma sees one of the others who saw the knife reach a blue-scaled dragoness in a fanciful uniform. She looks back to her mother in horror. "Mum, we gotta go!" she warns. As Raven looks over, the wolf backs away and bolts. She looks back and growls. "What is it? He got away!" Karma points to the dragoness now gathering other navy officers. "Dammit!" Raven quickly sheaths her dagger and unfastens her cloak. "Whelp, time to make a run fer it," she says, dropping the cloak and slinging the packs over her shoulders.

Ivy takes off first, with a quick glare at her sister as she passes. Raven and Karma follow closely behind, weaving through the crowd, both shoving and getting shoved. Raven grabs her daughter's hand and pulls her along behind her. "Keep up!" she grunts. "Ye can't just let it go, can ye sis?" Ivy snaps. "Yer short! Deal wit' it instead of dealin' with yer steel! We be almost there, an' ye had ta go an' make it harder, like always!"

"Hey! The boat be right there, an' he had it comin'!"

"Like Hell he did! One a' these days there ain't gonna be no one to save ye!"

"I-"

"Just shu' up an' run!"

Raven grumbles but holds her tongue. She can still hear the shouts of the officers chasing them. She should've just let it go. But she can't stand people making fun of her height. She sighs and tugs her daughter's hand behind her. The people around them are starting to realize what's going on, and are starting to panic, making it even harder for them to weave their way through. But they're almost there, just a bit more...

"Gotcha!"

The older feline feels a sharp tug as Karma's other hand is grabbed and she's yanked back. "Mom!" she shouts. Raven grips her daughter's wrist. "I gotcha, honey," she assures the girl. "Raven and Ivy," the dragoness starts, pulling back on Karma, "you are wanted for crimes against the nation."

Raven exaggeratedly rolls her eyes. "Wha' did I do?" she asks sarcastically.

"You are wanted for the crimes of Piracy, Treason, Smuggling..." the list goes on and on.

"I didn't ask fer a list! Now le'go! Ivy!"

The pirate captain whips around, pulling a flintlock from her waist and aiming it dead-on the dragoness's head. "Yer gonna wanna le'go a' my niece, ya scaly prude." The officer stops pulling. Karma uses the moment of opportunity to pull her mother to her, get her hand free, grab a dagger from Raven's waist, and slam the blade into the blue dragon's arm. The sharp steel blade sinks into her forearm between the bones and goes all the way through her arm until steel glints from both sides. The dragoness screams as blood starts pouring from the wound, and she lets go of Karma. Karma grabs the hand of her shocked mother and takes off. Ivy kicks the officer away before taking off right behind them.

As grass is replaced by wood under their feet, Raven looks to her daughter. Karma's free hand is soaked in blood, and determination gleams in her mint green eyes. And Raven couldn't be more proud.

Ivy takes the lead and brings them onto the recently polished oak deck of a ship that's very familiar to Raven. Her heart flutters with a mix of happiness and anxiety as soon as her foot touches the deck. Something in her lifts, but something else sinks. Ivy changes too, stomping loudly on the deck with her bare foot. "Up an' at'em! All hands, to stations!" the captain calls. A few people milling about on the deck snap to attention and hurry to their stations. A few go to man the rigging, and others go about to do various other things to prep the ship. The ship is loosed from the harbor, the anchor's raised, the sails are angled to catch the wind, and the boat takes off, just in time to see the dragoness run to the end of the dock and finally rip the bloody dagger out of her forearm. She turns to her men and points with the dagger to a navy ship docked nearby.

"We're about ta have company!" Raven calls to her sister. Ivy looks back from the helm. "Shit! We'll have ta lose 'em. We can't outrun no navy boat. 'Specially not right outta the harbor," she grumbles. Then Raven's and Ivy's eyes meet, and something passes between them.

"It be risky, cap'n," Raven voices.

"It might be all we got." Ivy sighs. "All hands..." there's a long pause as she addresses the crew. "Set sail for Songbird Shallows! An' make peace wit' yer gods." There's a resounding "Aye, cap'n!" and the crew set to work on directing the ship.

Karma looks to her mother. "Songbird Shallows?" she asks curiously. Her mother's never mentioned such a place before. "Aye," the older feline answers. "They want a chase, we'll make damn sure they get one." Raven gives her daughter a mischievous grin.

Raven walks off a bit to the bow of the ship and puts her hands on the oak railing. It's been so long since she's ran her hands across the railing, breathed in the sea air. The ship looks like it's been taken care of. And well. She runs her hands across the smooth, sanded railing, leaning forward into the wind. She closes her eyes and takes it in--the salty breeze in her fur, the creaking deck beneath her, the sound of the flowing black canvas sails. She turns around and leans on the railing, looking at her sister at the helm. This might not have been her life, but it was definitely Ivy's. But it definitely isn't her daughter's, as she watches the girl stumble around the deck, trying to keep her balance. Raven hasn't brought her on a ship this big before. She giggles lightly and smiles. She stands and walks over to Karma, putting an arm around her shoulders to help her.

"Ya know, it's all in the hips," Raven advises. "Don't move against the boat, move with it." Karma glares back at her. "So, where are these Shallows?" her daughter inquires.

"Given the wind holds, an' the current stays...couple hours out. Probly be nearin' sunset by then."

"Are they gonna catch us?" Karma has a look of light fear in her green eyes.

"Wha? No, no. They weren't prepped to set out when we did. A ship like tha'll take bloody long to prep. But that don't mean we be free yet. I can promise ye that they ain't gonna follow us through Songbird Shallows. Not in tha' ship. They might try to go around, but tha'll take days."

Karma relaxes a little.

"Oh, an' ye owe me a dagger."

"What? But...I-"

"Relax, I only be messin'. But tha' was some quick thinkin', girl."

Her daughter smiles. "I been meaning to ask you why you and Aunt Ivy are wanted so badly. I mean, I know y'all are pirates, but were you really that bad?"

Raven hesitates. "Kiddo, I've done a lot of things I be not so proud of. I've lied, I've cheated, I've stolen, I've killed. An' I ain't got the best a'morals neither. An' while I be not so proud, I wouldn't change a damned thing if I could." She looks at Karma's hands, and sees them shaking, the blood from the dragoness still soaking her brown fur. "C'mon, cub. Less' go wash them hands. And trust me when I say that ye ain't gon' want to be up here when we hit them Shallows." She leads Karma below decks to the quarters, where she uses a filled canteen from the galley to help the other female wash the drying blood from her hands.

The two stay below deck, getting some much-needed relaxation in Raven's old cabin. She just kicked out the first mate and took over. Karma produces a book from one of her packs and relaxes in her mother's old rope hammock to read by the light of a lantern hanging from the beams above her. Raven sits with her back against the wall, staring at her distracted daughter.

Karma's saved her more times than she'd care to admit. She would've cut that wolf had it not been for her. While Raven's impulsive and hotheaded, Karma always puts method before madness. Logic before lunacy. Of all the grand adventures and epic journeys the former pirate's been involved in, Karma is without a doubt her greatest. Maybe she didn't need to chase legends around the world. Maybe Detrova would offer a chance to settle down and let Karma have a chance at a normal life, at least for a while. But it wouldn't be for forever, that much she can promise. Raven never could handle settling down. But for her daughter, she could tough it out. She sighs and stands, stretching out her sore back and wincing as her joints pop. "I be goin' to talk with me sister. I'll be back soon, ta get ye for the sunset," she says. Karma nods.

Raven goes above deck and walks over to the helm, where her sister stands. "Ivy, can I talk ta ye fer a bit?" The captain nods and gestures to another crew member, who takes the helm. "Of course. What about?" the other hybrid asks, walking aimlessly around the ship with Raven.

"It be gettin' dangerous out there, Ivy."

"Oh, so tha's it, eh? Raven, it's always been dangerous out here. It will always be dangerous."

"I know, I just..."

"Aww...Is me li'l big sis worried about me?"

"Aye. I be thinkin' about holin' up in Detrova. At leas' for a li'l while."

"Ye know I'm not gonna-"

"I'm not askin' ye ta settle down. I know ye too well. But it be nice to know ye be alive an' well. I don' wanna ask much, jus' maybe ye pay a visit more than once every few years?"

Ivy fishes her seashell necklace from under her tunic and rubs her thumb across it."Sis, yer right. It has been gettin' more dangerous on the seas. An' it has been nice havin' yer daughter to talk to." The captain sighs. "I suppose it wouldn't be too out of the way, 'specially since I know where ye are."

A voice from the crow's nest interrupts them. "We be approachin' Songbird Shallows, Cap'n!"

"Keep 'er straight an' true! Don't trust the current!"

"Aye aye, Cap'n!"

Raven smiles at her sister and takes her leave, letting Ivy resume her role as captain. She walks across the deck to the starboard side and grabs hold of the railing. A gentle fog is rolling in with the waves. The wind picks up ever so slightly, blowing through the hybrids fur and sending a chill down her back. She can practically taste the static in the air. There's a storm brewing, which is perfect for the runaways. She closes her eyes and takes in the sounds of the waves slapping against the hull.

Much like Bowbreaker Bay, Songbird Shallows are equally famous for bringing down ships. But there's a clearing carved through them, if you can find it. You can't trust the current, for it'll drag your ship straight into the rocks. Can't use oars, either. They'll break before they can do any good. Sunset is the best chance one can get at making it through. The sun shines through the water at just the right point to make it as clear as glass. However, that doesn't make the travel any less rough. The current tugs and pulls at the ship, rocking it, bouncing it, playing with it.

Karma appears at the top deck, looking a little worse for wear. Raven walks over and helps her daughter to the railing of the ship. "A li'l seasick?" she asks. Karma nods and hangs her head. "Close yer eyes, breathe in the salty air, listen to the waves." She stands behind the younger hybrid, and moves her hands on top of the other's. She can feel them trembling.

"Karma, listen to me."

Her daughter looks at her.

"Ye did what ye had to back in port. If ye hadn't stabbed her, Ivy woulda done much worse."

Karma doesn't say anything in response, but her grip on the railing loosens.

Raven stays silent too. She softly nuzzles her daughter. A phantom gunshot rings in her ears, the smell of gunpowder fills her nose. She's glad her sister never pulled that trigger. She sighs silently and looks back out to the sea.

The wind picks up after a while and the fog blows past them. Finally free from the shallows, the open ocean lies before them. The last gleam of the setting sun vanishes beneath the horizon and the sky fills with stars. Karma looks in wonder at the sea above them. Raven smiles. She brings Karma to the bow. She covers her daughter's eyes and snuffs the last lantern lit on the ship. She leans the other hybrid's head down and pulls her hands away. Karma's breath is stolen instantly. The silver stars gleam in the glass-clear ocean, the twilight reflected in the calm sea. It looks like the ship is cutting through the stars. Raven smiles and embraces Karma.

The endless horizon lies before them, holding everything. Soon the ship will arrive in Detrova Bay, the Edge of the World. And so begins a new adventure, one without gold or jewels, without lands lost to legend or blood-thirsty rivals. For now, at least. For Raven's a dreamer, and the lost shores of lands spoken only in myths will forever call to her.

--Nightshade