Vance had provided wine, as well.She had made a point ofopening a vintage bottle.Whatever she wanted to discuss, it clearly involvedsome celebration.Isaac, for his part, had only been drunk a half dozen timesin his life, and he had learned not to miss the chance whenever it appeared.
“So,” Zaria said, clawing some gristle from her teeth.“So,the bloke invites Isaac to step outside, real serious-like.Sir mage here goes,‘nah, arm wrestling, that’s what we’re doin’.’Everyone watching just aboutcracks on the spot.The bear’s got hands the size of Isaac’s head, and thelatter’s so drunk he can hardly sit on his stool.”
“Do we really need to tell this?”Isaac asked, taking a biggulp of wine.
“No, no,” Vance said.“I spoke of runnin’ my ship agroundthrice in a day.It’s only fair.”
“Captain—”
“We’re hearing this.Boatswain, continue.”
“So, they sit, right?”Zaria gestured with the meat on herfork.“And while the bloke’s turned ‘round to laugh with his mates, Isaac’smoving his arms below the table, casting a spell.Nothing seems to happen,though, and he gives me a big ol’ wink while he sets his arm.The bear grabshis hand, and they start wrestlin’.The other man’s clearly not trying atfirst, thinking it’s already settled.Then, after a moment, his eyes just aboutpop from his head, and he starts screaming real loud.Isaac slams his knucklesdown to the table.The bear rushes from his chair, and his hand’s so burnedit’s still hissing, and he’s grabbing every drink he can find to douse the fur.
“Isaac just sits there, laughing about it.The rest of thecrew aren’t of the same thought.They step forward, loosin’ their scabbards,and sir mage makes the flame go bright in his hand, and you can see the firereflecting off the eyes of everyone in the tavern, and he just goes ‘anyoneelse wanna try?’No one answers.I figure that’s enough, and I tell them to gettheir mate to a sawbones, and they do so, huffin’ and spittin’ the whole way.Ifollow them out to make sure they’re actually leaving.By the time I get back,Isaac’s orderinganotherdrink.”
“Got them free the rest of the night,” Isaac said, finishinghis cup in two large gulps.
Percival made an effort to smile,if only because he could tell that the story was over.He quickly returned tosawing at his steak.
“My word,” Vance said, whiskers twitching.“I’ve got quite adelinquent aboard.True terror with a bottle.You sure you can handle thatvintage, sir mage?”
“I’m fine.”He began to pour another glass.“I promisethat—”
Zaria kicked his shin below the table.She gave him a sternlook, using her eye to order the wine bottle down.Ever since the incident shehad just described, the hyena had kept a careful watch on his consumption ofalcohol, making it very clear when she thought he had imbibed enough.
He ignored her, filling his cup.“I promise not to burn theship I’m sailing on.”
“Ah,” Vance said, “and what about ashore, then?”
“I prefer homes and orphans, in that case.”
Vance blinked at him.Percival glanced up at Isaac.Heremembered, suddenly, that both of them were veterans of the Scorch, who hadlikely been witness to the armies of mages burning roughshod along the coast.As servants of the Royal Claw, they might have participated in the siege ofValrynn, which had forced the denizens into depraved acts of starvation.It wasthe same event which had forced Zaria’s father to sell her for coin.
He really had drunk too much.
“Sorry,” Isaac said.“That was poor of me.”
“Well,” Vance replied, her smile gone.“It’s good someonelaughs about it.”
“Captain—”
“Leave it, please.”The otter finished her own cup andglanced at Zaria, changing the subject.“Your hand bothering you?”
The hyena tried to smile, cutting apart a dried apple.“Nah,capt.It’s fine.”
“I’ve noticed you favor the off-hand, at times.”
“It’s just an old wound.”Zaria opened her hand, stretchingthe fingers with a grimace.It had been a small miracle that Zaria had beenable to keep the fingers at all, let alone the hand.After Soren’s wound hadbegun to fester, few surgeons had been willing to do anything but amputate.“Gets a bit stiff.The sea don’t help much.”
Vance made a noise in her throat.“How’d that happen?”
Zaria shrugged, not looking at Isaac.“Pirates.Got stuck ina boardin’ action, once.Cutlass went straightthrough the hand.Fucked the nerves, as the doctor told me.”She gestured ather patch.“Lost the eye on the second swing.”
“Well,” Vance said.“Them’s cutthroats for you.”
“Aye, capt.Glad they didn’t do worse.”
Vance’s gaze lingered on the hyena for a moment.She noticedIsaac was watching, let her smile return, and turned to her first mate.“Percy.”
