Complaints of Women

Serenica glanced angrily at the captain and the first mate.

"You want something uplifting?" she asked, now with a calmer voice. "Or do you want to hear the truth?"

"Serenica, you're drunk." Spade shook his head and tried to dig out the ritual dagger he always used for pointing at things and people. Apparently it was too deep in his pockets, and Serenica had plenty of time to climb up on the gunwale and grab a rope to emphasize what she was about to say.

"We're going to rally peasants and former slaves against the might of the Great East! We have less than hundred strong men, some of whom actually have weak hearts –"

A spray of water interrupted her. She wiped wet hair strands off her face and went on with her rant.

"What I mean to say that the Maroon King wants our blood! This is different from Kinley, we're neck deep in manure! We're as good as dead!"

"Will we let that bother us, though?" Nayk asked.