ELEVEN
By morning, Nekane's constant crying had nearly driven Sativa mad. Sativa wanted to scream at the woman that she'd lost all four of her sisters and almost been married off to a stranger because of the dragon. At least her late husband had chosen to fight the beast. But Sativa understood grief better than most, after losing so much more. Grief paid no heed to reason or sense, especially when it was so fresh. Why, Nekane had not been a widow for more than two days.
So Sativa spent most of her time on deck, staying out of the way of the crew as they occasionally adjusted the sails. There was less of this than she expected, for the current carried them seaward.
When the endless fields gave way to forest, Sativa wanted to cheer, because she wasn't sneezing any more. But it grew hot
