The journey south-east was smoother than the initial crossing. Clearing the Outer Isles would only take two days and Syko spent more time on deck enjoying the warm breeze and clear skies.

Kay'la spent majority of her time chained to the helm, a focused look on her furrowed brow. He noticed she was favoring her right side more, resting on the toe of her boot. Syko tried to talk with her, but it was clear she wasn't interested in conversation.

Instead Syko tried strike up a conversation with Sedrick, who was propped against the railing, mending ropes.

"Hello," Syko loitered up to him. "Fine weather."

Sedrick didn't look up from his ropework. "Good season for sailing."

Syko nodded in agreement, rocking back on his heels. Sedrick gestured and Syko dropped to sit next to him. They sat quietly, Syko's attention spilt between the intricate movements of Sedrick's fingers and the stolid figure of Kay'la above him. 

"The Captain," He said finally, "She seems... How long have you known her."

"Many seasons. She is a dear friend to me."

"Is she always so forward?"

Sedrick set his ropes in his lap and looked at him. He reminded Syko of a livestock dog.

 "I don't understand."

"Never mind." Syko was embarrassing himself trying to make small talk.

"No, please, I want to understand your meaning." Sedrick's full attention was on him.

Syko pulled his knees to his chest. "I just mean-Well I'm not really here by choice. She could have just asked."

"The Captain is a complicated woman. She didn't seek you out for herself. She received a letter from her patron and knew we would be going somewhere dangerous. She felt it would be a good to have a proper healer onboard." 

"She says she heard about me from someone-the man who hurt her. Who was he?" 

"What did she tell you?"

The same response Mr. Cotter had given him before. Clearly this crew wasn't one for gossip.

"Just that."

"Kay'la has been captain of this ship since before I met her. She was with a man then. He left, I joined the crew as her quartermaster. He came back three seasons ago, joined as a hand, tried to sweet talk the Captain but she saw through him, and when he couldn't get what he wanted he tried to kill her."

Syko's mouth fell open, "That's horrible."

"She's moved past it, or will once you've fixed her up."

"Where is he now?"

"I killed him in a tavern brawl two days after it happened."

Syko sat dumbfounded. He remembered the heavy fist Sedrick had struck him with. 

"Did you kill him for the Captain or for your own gain?"

Sedrick turned back to his ropework. "That man was a disrespectful, salacious prick. He insulted me, I asked for an apology, he insulted me again. I challenged him and I won."

"What do you think of the Captain?" Sedrick asked.

"I don't really know." Syko thought for a long moment. "She asked me if I was afraid of her. I'm not, but she's nothing like the last master I served. I don't know how to behave around her."

"Just be yourself."

"I don't think it's that simple."

"Why not?"

Syko looked to Kay'la, focused on the horizon, then leaned to Sedrick. "I'm not sure I can do what she needs me to do."

Sedrick started braiding. "I think you do a fine job. The men are in better health than ever."

"The men are easy to treat but-" He looked back to Kay'la. "What if I'm not as good as she thinks I am?"

Kay'la looked down at them and Syko turned away. 

Sedrick stood, "You should  speak with her."

"About what?" 

"Anything you want, get to know her."

"Familiarity breeds contempt." 

"Friends close, enemies closer." Sedrick ascended to the helm and spoke with Kay'la. Syko felt self conscious like they were whispering about him.

Kay'la patted Sedricks shoulder and came down the stairs towards Syko

Syko stood as she approached.

"You should really wear a hat while you're out here." she exhorted

"You don't have a hat." Syko retorted 

"I grew up on ships, under the sun. You don't get out much."

"I think the last hat floated away." Syko bit the inside of his lip.

"Then we should get you out of the sun." Kay'la ushered him into her cabin. "I want to discuss business."

Kay'la threw the blankets from her bed onto a chair and sat down.

"Tell me what again what you need for your work and I'll have it all prepared by tomorrow."

Syko started explaining but was interrupted by a knock at the door.

Kay'la jumped up and let in a lanky middle-aged man. Kay'la ushered him toward the workbench.

"Eskal, I'm sure you know our healer Syko."

"Yes ma'am." Eskal shook Syko's hand anyways. His palms were smooth but his fingertips were calloused. 

"Syko needs an assistant, and I thought of no better man for the job."

"Thank you, ma'am. What is it you need?"

"Are you any good at sewing?" Syko asked

Eskal looked from Syko to Kay'la and back. "I'm the sailmaker sir." 

"Right," Syko's neck flushed. "The right man indeed. Are you squeamish?"

"Am I squirming?" 

"Are you faint-hearted, Eskal?" Kay'la clarified. She had stepped back to lean against the table. Syko was glad she hadn't left him alone, he really wasn't good with people.

"I can stand blood. Used to work for a butcher." Eskal wore a proud expression. Syko found it perturbing.

"This is a bit more precise than butchery. I'll need your assistance with a surgery. Have you ever heard of that?"

Eskal shook his head. 

"I'll be doing the hardest parts, but I'll need you to hand me healing materials and prepare my supplies while I work on the subject. At he end I'll need you to sew the wound closed."

Eskal furrowed his brow and nodded. "Who's the subject?"

Syko hesitated.

"I am," Kay'la answered, "Can you do this?" Her question was directed at Eskal but her eyes were locked with Syko's.

"Yes ma'am, I won't let you down." Eskal thumped his breast.

Syko broke eye contact and looked down at his tools. He pulled out a piece of cloth and his sewing kit. 

"Here Eskal, I'd like to see what you can do." Syko wrinkled the fabric to form two small folds and pinned them in place. "Sew the two folds together."

Eskal leaned his frame over the table and reached for a short thick needle with a wide eye. He looked back at the folds of fabric then substituted the needle for a long slender one. He thread it with ease then worked his hand back and forth with the rhythm of a conductor. 

His work was better than Syko expected. It could still use practice but the stitches were even and his technique was excellent. He detested relying on a stranger to do his work but he couldn't do it alone.

"That's very good work Eskal, but I'd like you to practice more. The stitches need to be a bit closer together and at a slight angle." He handed him a swatch of cloth. "You can practice and show me tomorrow."

"Can I borrow your sewing kit? My needles are far too thick."

Syko bit the inside of his lip. "Sure, just make sure you bring it back."

"Thank you Eskal." Kay'la dissmissed.

Eskal took the needles and cloth and departed with a final nod to Kay'la.

Kay'la stepped up to the workbench. "Are you prepared, Apothecary?"

"Almost Captain," Syko flipped through his notebook. "I need to prepare some bandages and, of course, my razor." Syko bit his tongue.

She cocked her head, "Do you think you deserve it?"

"I can't work without it."

Kay'la put her hands on her hips and sauntered to the cupboard. She pulled at a knot on the interior and removed a small panel. It made him wonder what other secrets she had tucked in these walls.

She padded back to the workbench and set the knife between them. When Syko made no move to touch it Kay'la pushed it towards him. "A demonstration please."

Skyo took the blade and pulled the cloth off it. He laid it flat along his hand, hilt away from him, and gestured at the runes placed equally along the spine.

"You see these," he began, "they're healing runes. One for mending, growth, regeneration, transmutation. These two are for specialty use, one for pulling objects toward the razor so I can remove them and the other to repel bodily fluids so I can see what I'm working on. This one at the very tip is to keep the blade sharp, it works any time I activate it. This last one at the heel is to maintain the blade as a whole, it activates any time I activate another rune."

Kay'la leaned in focusing intently on the runes. "How do you remember what each rune does?"

"I have a pretty good memory and if I forget I have reference catalog in my cabin." 

"And what about words of power?" 

"I have some written down but I don't need most of them, and my razor is a conduit, it's powered by my affinity."

"Why do you call it a razor?"

"Because its a precision instrument. It should have a precise name."

Kay'la nodded wistfully, "So, when do I get to see it in action."

"You won't actually see it but I'll be ready by tomorrow."

"Why won't I see it?" Kay'la put her hands on the workbench.

Syko slid his satchel between them. "You'll be sedated, I'll make a sleeping draught-"

"What if I don't want it?" She crossed her arms.

"Captain, this is a very painful procedure. It's not reasonable for you to be awake through it."

"Why not?"

"Because it's not. Why would you want to be in pain?"

"I think I could take it." She cracked a smug smile.

Syko rolled his eyes and slid his satchel to the side. "Give me your hand."

"Why?"

"Prove it."

They were in a standoff. Kay'la hadn't expected him to call her bluff. Syko studied her face, her jaw clenching as she swallowed, her eyes drawing to the knife but snapping back to narrow at him.

Silently she extended her hand back onto the bench. Syko held her palm with his left hand hand and hovered the knife over Kay'la's index finger with his right.

He looked at her again, giving her a chance to concede. She had a calm expression, as if this were nothing more than a palm reading.

Syko focused again on her index finger and, with smooth pressure, sliced down to the muscle on her middle joint.

Kay'la took a long, deep inhale followed by a slow, controlled exhale, relaxing her jaw.

"That wasn't so bad." Her voice was pinched flowery.

She tried to pull her hand back but Syko caught her by the wrist. "We're not done."

He activated the runes on the blade. They radiated blue in succession as he suspended her blood and stitched each layer of flesh back together, the tip of the blade erasing its previous path.

Kay'la gasped, catching herself on the bench as she buckled in pain. She didn't cry out, just hissed and bared her teeth like a feral animal. Syko was almost impressed 

When he was finished Kay'la caught her breath and examined her finger. There was only the faintest line running vertically up her finger. 

"Alright, I admit, it hurts."

"And that was just simple mending." Syko said smugly

He had intended to win. He poured in extra affinity to make a point. It had him feeling lightheaded but his inflated ego was keeping him upright.

"So how does the sleeping draught work?"

"Don't you ever trust in things?"

"Trust but verify. I trust you know what you're doing but I still want to know what affects I should expect."

"I still have to mix it, but it's designed to put you into a deep dreamless sleep."

Syko explained in detail the effects the draught would have and why it was necessary for the procedure, then explained the procedure itself.

Kay'la listened intently.

"It's the recovery I'm most worried about. You'll need to rest for a full day at least. No moving around."

"Easy," she waved her hand, "I'm in need of a break."

Syko sighed in disbelief and went back to his preparations.

"Lastly I'll need a pot to boil my items. We can use the table as a work space."

Kay'la sought to have the room outfitted by third bell the next day. "We'll clear the Isles tonight and I'll be well rested as you advise."

She found Syko another hat before returning to the helm. He put it on and went outside again, reclining himself over the stairs to the foredeck. He watched the whisps of clouds pass as the crew scuttled about with their tasks. 

One was tracing a carving into the mast.