Heaven Hath No Rage - Book Two

Back at Sea

"Come in!" Xyra called as she gathered some papers and a journal off her desk. The door opened silently. She glanced at the entrance to find the new first mate, "You are up earlier than expected."

"I have grown used to rising around dawn. Got some breakfast, toured the ship, now I am reporting for duty," Kaia stood at the doorway, "I can come back at a different time if you'd prefer."

"No," Xyra flashed a smile but it didn't last. She was trying to be nicer to people, less standoffish but it didn't come naturally, "now is a great time to start."

Xyra gathered the rest of her belongings before walking out of the room and closing the door behind her. She guided them down the hall and towards where Xyra remembered the storage to be.

"How privy are you to what has been occurring on the ship?" Xyra asked as they walked.

"Not very. But I assure you, I am a quick study," Kaia assured although it wasn't needed. Her reputation preceded her.

"Ask me any questions that come up. I am working on some notes for you with some important crew information so you can get acquainted with those on board," Xyra said, "I will run you through my shift's routine and update you on the ship's happenings."

"How do shifts work?"

"We've got the crew back on a half sun on half off schedule. We've got a morning and night crew. I usually take the mornings and Theo takes the night shift," she explained as they arrived at the storage room, "In here you'll find Miss Yurwa, all of our supplies, and any ledgers or documents you are looking for."

Xyra opened the door for Kaia and introduced her to Miss Yurwa. After, they swung by the kitchen but Rose was not there, then they went to all areas of recreation, carpentry, and then checked in with the new boatswain, Gianna. At seeing the new ship hand, Xyra felt her heart twist. Pearl was missing and while it was good news Gianna seemed to have a handle over matters thus far, the presence of their old officer was missed. It must have rubbed off on her mood because they were almost on deck when Kaia asked.

"You alright? You've been scowling for a few minutes," Kaia asked.

Normally, Xyra would brush it off and not let anyone in on the fact she was bothered but that felt like a disservice to Pearl.

Xyra cleared her throat, "We lost our last boatswain, Pearl, in the fight. Gianna is new and seeing her face instead of Pearl's was a reminder that we have lost integral people to this crew."

Kaia nodded, a silent apology for her loss.

"Pearl was an officer. So was Oceane, who is missing," Xyra caught her up, "along with Morgana and I who are leaving, and Red who is no longer with our crew we are down to five officers spread out amongst a fleet of seven."

"Have hope. Your missing friend may come back," Kaia offered.

"Hope is hard to have when most of your life a missing pirate ends up being a dead one," Xyra deadpanned and she could feel her heart hardening at the thought of Oceane lying at the bottom of the ocean, unaccounted for in those honored for their sacrifice to Corinspe. She cleared her throat, "the amount of officers does not matter now but it will soon. So, keep an eye out for the department heads to see if any of them are suited for leadership positions."

"Understood," Kaia nodded as they emerged onto the deck.

Xyra took them across the deck and Kaia was shown the infirmary, introduced to some of the morning crew sailors, and was caught up to speed on all things first mate. She was given Xyra's usual schedule, a list of her duties, and a detailed manual for ship questions, codes, and rules that Xyra had created the moment she realized she was going to leave.