Dancing On Ice

Of The Sea and Sky

A knock on the door had Aeralie's maid bustling away from her hair to answer it.

"Now this is hardly appropriate," she said.

"Now you know I'm no harm to a lady."

Aeralie turned in her seat at Perry's voice as her maid shook her head.

"A pirate can't be trusted with a lady of the night, let alone a lady of any value."

"Oh now, no need to be so dismissive of the working girls."

Aeralie's maid looked back into the room. "A most unsavoury fellow for you, m'lady."

Aeralie smiled and nodded and the maid sighed.

"Fine, come in then, but don't stay long. You're hardly good for her heart."

"You flatter me."

"That wasn't a compliment."

Perry strolled in and the maid stepped out, saying she would be just down the hall if she was needed. Aeralie displayed that the bell was easily within reach and Perry closed the door behind the maid who huffed at him.

The second they were alone however, Perry's easy smile for the maid faded and he walked across the room to take a seat on the sofa by the fireplace.

"So, you're leaving," he said, resting his ankle across his knee and lacing his fingers together on his waist, looking at her as Aeralie got up and walked to one of the armchairs, finishing plaiting her hair as she took a seat.

"We are, tonight or tomorrow I assume," Aeralie said, flipping the plait over her shoulder.

"Ready to go home?"

Aeralie gave him a small smile. "I am," she said.

Absently, her gaze wandered around the room, taking in the plush furniture, beautiful bed, expensive drapes, sea view.

"I like the land," she said slowly, "It's strange and different though I can see a great number of similarities between here and my home-sea as well. But I was never interested in the land for the sake of the land itself. I was interested in Dalton. He was my substitute for the sky."

"Why the sky?" Perry asked, tilting his head to the side.

Aeralie looked at him with an expression that suggested it was obvious and she was surprised he had to ask.

"Why? Look at it," she said, getting up and going to the window, pushing it open and leaning against the frame, looking up at the stars.

"I am," Perry said, going over to join her, folding his arms as he leant against the opposite wall, looking up at the glittering diamonds. "But I'm not sure I see the same thing as you do."

"Why did you become a pirate?"

Perry looked at her.

"You say you're fascinated by humans, but there are lots of other things you could have become to be close to people. So why pirates? You're stuck for months on end at sea with the same men and people constantly wish to see the end of you."

Perry was quiet for a moment, thinking about it. "I like the sea," he said slowly, before looking at her. He smiled. "I suppose it's similar to you. I can't reach the sea, can't live in it like you can, so it's the closest I can get. And I don't mind a little drama here and there; I'm not bound by so many rules while serving under Cole."

"I've seen what pirates go through and what they do to people. I'd hardly call it a little drama," Aeralie said.

Perry smiled. "What one pirate does does not reflect on another. As for what they go through, nothing so mundane as a human can harm me."