Seacat

Disclaimer: I do not own She-Ra and the Princesses of Power or any of the characters in the series.

Author's Notes: This story is set in an Alternate Universe. A number of canon events didn't happen or happened differently in the series.

I'd like to thank elpenor for his help with this chapter.

Prologue: Four Years Ago

She was the first who heard it, even over the screams and explosions. A whine that made her sensitive ears hurt and her fur stand up. She turned around, hissing, her hands pressed on her ears, as she tried to find the source of the noise.

It didn't take her long. The weird bot in the middle of the village was the source - the whine came from it. She hissed again as the whining grew louder. This was unbearable! She turned, growling, and started to run away.

Horde Soldiers with weird helmets tried to grab her, but she ducked, sprinting on all fours, her claws digging into stone and soil as she raced through the village, not knowing, not caring where she was running as long as it was away. Away from the noise. Away. Away. Away.

Gasping, she drew to a stop on the beach. The sea was there. She couldn't run further. But the noise was still in her ears. And she was boxed in by cliffs.

No choice. She dashed forward, jumped into the sea, tried to dive into the shallow water. Anything to get away from the noise.

Until everything went black.

She woke up with a gasp, her fur drenched with sweat. Shaking and panting, she wrapped her thin blanket around herself. She had to calm down. It was just a dream. A nightmare. She wasn't there. Not anymore. She wasn't surrounded by the corpses of Horde soldiers and villagers, fallen where they had fought.

She wasn't alone in a dead village.

"Hey, kid!"

She gasped again, scrambling back, away from whoever had startled her, pressing herself against the wall behind her mattress, one hand raised with her claws out.

The man bared his teeth - no, he smiled at her. "Hey! It's me! Sea Hawk! The one and only! You had another nightmare?"

She shakingly nodded. "Y-yes."

"Don't worry, that'll get better." He kept smiling but didn't approach her. She saw the bandage over his nose and winced. She hadn't meant to hurt him. He had found her in the village. Had taken her on his ship. Taken her away from that horrible place.

"We'll be in Seaworthy soon. Don't worry, we'll find help there."

Once more, she nodded. More firmly this time.

"So, ah… do you remember your name now?"

Her ears dropped, and she swallowed as she shook her head. "N-no." She didn't. Didn't remember any part of her life before the Horde soldiers attacked her village and killed everyone she knew.

"Ah." his face fell for a moment. Then he perked up. "Well, until you do, I'll be calling you… Seacat!"

She blinked. "Seacat?"

"Yes!" He beamed at her. "Because I fished you out of the sea and you're a cat!"

She stared at him. Then she slowly nodded. And tried to smile.

He patted her shoulder, and she barely flinched. "Don't you worry, once we're in Seaworthy everything will be fine! There are no Horde soldiers there - you'll be safe!"

Safe. She nodded. "Yes."

But she gripped his hand with hers, and when he tried to pull it away, her claws dug into his skin, forcing him to stay.

Safe.

Chapter 1: The Weird Girl

"...and then I said: 'Damn the blockade! Onward!' and we smashed through their blockade!"

"Wow! Really?"

"Yes, really! Left them drifting with broken oars and ruined rigging as we sailed off into the sunset!"

Seacat rolled her eyes at the silly waitress listening to Sea Hawk's boasting. Sure, they had broken through the blockade put up by those deserters from Mermista's kingdom, but it had left the Dragon's Daughter III with a damaged stern. And that had cost more to fix than breaking the blockade had earned them. Which meant they were broke again and looking for a cargo in Seaworthy. Preferably one by desperate people who needed the best ship on the sea. Or gullible idiots with more money than sense who could be fleeced for all their worth - Seacat wasn't picky. She couldn't afford to. Not with a captain like Sea Hawk doing his best - or worst - to sink their ship to ruin whenever he got a chance.

She clenched her teeth, suppressed the urge to growl, and took a deep breath. And a large swallow from her ale. Sea Hawk was a decent man. He had taken her in after her… well, after the attack. Taught her to sail the seas. Gave her a home.

If only he wouldn't keep trying to set her home on fire. And were a little more responsible.

She took another swallow before her mouth could decide whether it was meant to frown or smile. That hit the spot. But now her tankard was empty. Sighing, she set it down and stared at the waitress. The silly wench was still looking at Sea Hawk as if her eyeballs were glued to the man's lips.

Seacat cleared her throat. Neither reacted. She did it again. And again.

"Are you well, first mate? You're not coming down with something, are you?" Sea Hawk asked. "Or are you coughing up a hairball?" He laughed at his own joke.

She groaned - briefly - at his old, stupid joke. Then she flashed a toothy grin at him that had him wince. "Just wondering what Mermista would think about you flirting with another woman."

He gasped in his exaggerated manner, jumping up and holding a hand to his heart. "What? Me, flirting? Never! My heart belongs to my dear Princess Mermista!"

She snorted in return. "Sure, sure." And tried not to feel guilty about the way his eyes had looked at her for just an instant. It wasn't her fault that the prissy princess didn't return his feelings. Not that Mermista would be a good match for Sea Hawk, anyway. Far too straight-laced. Sea Hawk would be good for her, of course - people like Memista needed some fun in their lives or they'd bore themselves to death 'doing their duty'.

Sea Hawk snorted as well and sat down again. "Perhaps you're a little grumpy because you aren't flirting?"

That made her roll her eyes. "No, I'm just grumpy 'cause my tankard's empty and the waitress has run off." And was now busy with another table.

He made a dismissive gesture with his hand. The hand that wasn't suddenly gripping his own tankard tightly before she had managed to grab it. Drat. "That's your own fault."

"Yeah, yeah." She stood. If the Maelstrom didn't come to the ship, the ship had to go to the Maelstrom.

She made her way to the bar - carefully. Her bare feet were perfect for the deck of a ship in heavy seas, and her claw marks just added character to the ship, no matter what Sea Hawk claimed, but there was nothing worse than stepping into spilt ale. Well, except for stepping into vomit. That just felt icky on her feet and fur and was hell to get out of her leggings. Even if the stains didn't easily show on the black fabric.

Some low-life nobody - looked like a sailor down on his luck - stared at her. Or rather, at her blood red tied-off shirt. She tossed her mane back and put a hand on the hilt of her cutlass, then bared her teeth with a growl. The man paled and looked away, hunching over.

Good. She neither wanted nor needed such attention. Nor did she need another attempt of Sea Hawk to play 'protective captain'. Or, worse, prospective matchmaker. She wasn't looking for a relationship. Or love.

The bartender was talking to a trio of landlubbers. Rich landlubbers, she thought - the little girl wore expensive clothes. Probably worth more than she was paying her two bodyguards.

Seacat smirked. Time to show the visitors who was at the top of the pecking order here. She deliberately stepped between the shrimp and the blonde bodyguard, forcing them out of the way. Ignoring their surprised protests, she leaned over the bar top and flashed two coins at the bartender. "Two more ales! And hurry!"

"Hey! Who do you think you are?"

Oh! The shrimp just handed her the perfect opening. Seacat turned, leaned against the bar and grinned. "Me?" She laughed. "You've never heard of me? I am…"

"...Catra? Catra?"

What? Seacat blinked. That wasn't how this was supposed to go! The blonde guard she had elbowed to the side was staring at her and... Were those tears in her eyes? What in the Ocean's name was going…

"Catra! I thought you were dead!"

The blonde lunged, quicker than Seacat had expected, and tackled her. Pressed her against the bar with enough force to drive the air out of her lungs, actually.

"I thought you were dead! For years! They said you were lost! Oh, Catra!"

Yes, she was crying - on Seacat's shoulder. That would get her shirt wet. And her hair.

"You're alive! You're alive!"

Not for much longer if the crazy woman kept trying to crush her ribs. Seacat managed to force out: "Need to breathe!"

"Adora! You're hurting her!"

"Adora!"

"Oh! I'm so sorry! I still don't know my new strength, I mean… sorry!"

The woman finally released her and Seacat took a deep breath. A few deep breaths. Air had never tasted sweeter than right now. Not since her first swimming lesson with Sea Hawk. She flashed the woman a toothy smile that usually served her well to keep grabby sailors away before she had to claw their faces off and make another bartender mad.

It didn't, not today. The woman - or girl, she looked much younger with a watery smile - beamed at her. "Catra!"

"The name's Seacat," she corrected the girl. Unless… No. Her village had been wiped out. She had been the only survivor. If anyone had known her, they'd have found her. Sea Hawk had asked around in every port for months after he had taken her in.

"Seacat?" A dumb expression made the girl look even more… well, dumb.

"Yes, Seacat," she repeated herself.

"Like sea and cat?" the guy asked.

She glared at him. It was a perfectly fine name. Sea Hawk's choice, but still. It might not be the most original name, but it was hers. She had earned it.

The blonde was shaking her head. "No, no… it's been years, but I wouldn't mistake… it's you! Catra! My best friend!"

What?

"Don't you recognise me? It's me, Adora!" The girl gripped her shoulders. "We grew up together! You used to sleep on my bed!"

What?

"What?"

"Adora?"

Seacat winced and shook herself free while the shrimp and the other guard stared at the blonde. She suppressed the urge to rub her shoulders - the girl had a grip of iron. Could probably weigh a frigate's anchor by herself.

But… Seacat wet her lips and took a deep breath. This was just a misunderstanding. It must be. Neither she nor Sea Hawk, not even Mermista had ever found any other survivor from her village. On the other hand… "You're from... Gullpeak?" Her voice faltered a little saying the name, and Seacat clenched her teeth in frustration. She was stronger than that.

"Uh… Gullpeak?" The blonde blinked at her with her mouth half-open.

"Our... my home village," Seacat said, doing her best not to show any disappointment. Not that she'd have actually harboured any real hope. It was just a misunderstanding, as she had thought. Or… was this a con? Some scummy lowlife trying to trick the amnesiac girl? It wasn't as if Seacat's past was a secret. Not with Sea Hawk having made up a shanty about it.

"Home village?" The blonde was still staring at her.

But the other guard was rubbing his chin. "Gullpeak… I think I've heard the name before."

Seacat sighed. Loudly. If they were con men, they weren't good at it. At all. "Yes, my home village. The place I was born and raised, you know?"

She pushed off the bar and got into the blonde's face. You had to get up and personal if someone crowded you - it threw them off balance. And you were close enough to sucker-punch them - or gut them - if you had to. Few people who didn't know her expected her claws to be able to cut through leather and light armour.

But Blondie didn't look off her game. She looked confused. "But… we were raised in the Fright Zone. Together."

What? Seacat leapt back, somersaulting, and landed on the bar top, hissing. "You're Horde soldiers!" It was a trap! The blonde flinched - Seacat knew it! She drew her cutlass and lit the blade.

The other guests flinched, and the closest bunch moved away. Seacat ignored them, growling at the Horde soldiers with flat ears. They had wiped out her village!

"Nonononono!" The boy stepped in between them, waving his arms as if he were capsizing in a skiff. "She isn't a Horde soldier! We aren't Horde soldiers!"

The shrimp joined him. "We're members of the Rebellion. I'm Princess Glimmer of Bright Moon."

What?

"Are you in trouble, first mate?" Great. Now Sea Hawk had to butt in. And he struck a pose. "Don't worry, your captain has your back! The sacred laws of the sea bind captain and crew together!"

Flashing his teeth, the captain stepped closer to her and mumbled. "What's this all about, anyway? Friends of yours?"

"I've never seen them before!" Seacat hissed in reply, crouching on the bar top and keeping her cutlass pointed at the group.

"What? Catra! Did you lose your memory or something?" The blonde pushed through her friends and stepped so close, Seacat would just have to lean forward to pierce her stupid face.

"Of course not!" she growled, unfortunately at the same time Sea Hawk blurted out: "Why, yes, she did, in fact. Didn't you know that?"

She glared at the captain as the three newcomers gasped. As usual when he was in full form - and slightly drunk - he ignored it.

He took a deep breath, struck another dramatic pose, hand on his cheek, and said: "She lost her memory in the same attack in which she lost her family. A poor orphan, the sole survivor of her village! When I first saw her, I knew I could not abandon her to a life in an orphanage and decided to take her in and raise her as the second-best sailor in all the seas!"

He had planned to find her a foster family until Mermista had commented that she wouldn't have expected him to be so caring, but that was neither here nor there. "Don't tell my life history to strangers," she spat. At least, he wasn't singing.

"But it's dramatic!" he retorted. "Besides, it makes me look good. And it makes you more likeable."

She growled at him - she didn't need nor wanted pity. "Yeah, yeah. It's ancient history."

"It's been four years," he said. "Although time flies when you're on an adventure! And life's an adventure!"

"That makes… no sense," the male guard commented. "Wouldn't it…"

"Four years ago? That's when you disappeared!" Blondie blurted out.

Seacat snorted. "What a coincidence!" Even a dumbass con man would've known to say that.

And yet, the blonde nodded with an earnest expression that almost looked convincing. "Yes! There was a mistake during a field exercise! You were sent to the wrong coordinates and never returned!"

"Mistake?" Seacat snarled. "Field exercise? Are you trying to claim that I was a Horde soldier?" She hopped down from the bar top and landed in front of the girl. If she dared to...

"Yes!" Blondie blurted out. "Well, a cadet - like me!"

Blondie was a Horde soldier? Hadn't they just denied that? "You're a Horde soldier?"

"She deserted!" the other guard butted in. "Before her first mission!"

That seemed to finally make the idiot realise that Seacat was about to claw her stupid face off and she took a few steps back, shaking her head. "I'm fighting for the Rebellion."

"Anyone can say that!" Seacat snapped back.

"Indeed," Sea Hawk added. "Taking on a fake identity is quite common on adventures. While I prefer to solve my problems with blade and bravery, guile and trickery are not without merit."

"I'm Princess Glimmer of Bright Moon," the shrimp repeated herself. "A member of the Princess Alliance."

"The future Princess Alliance. Or the reborn Princess Alliance," the guy added.

"You don't look much like a Princess," Seacat told her.

"And you've seen many Princesses, have you?" the shrimp shot back with a scowl.

"Oh, I'm very familiar, practically family, with Princess Mermista!" Sea Hawk blurted out, as Seacat had known he would. "And as my trusted first mate, she's also very familiar with Princess Mermista."

Too familiar, for Seacat's taste.

The shrimp made a frustrated noise - and disappeared in a cloud of sparkles to reappear in the booth Sea Hawk had vacated. A moment later, she returned to her guards' side in the same way. "There!"

"Oh...a demonstration of a Princess's power!" Sea Hawk hit the palm of his hand with his fist and nodded several times. "Impressive!"

Seacat rolled her eyes. "Yes, yes, impressive. But it doesn't prove anything else at all." It probably didn't prove that the shrimp was a princess, either, but Seacat didn't know enough about magic to know if a sorceress could do the same.

And it certainly didn't prove Blondie's story! Seacat wasn't a Horde soldier!

"Catra!" Blondie tried again as if she had read Seacat's mind. "You've lost your memory! At the same time, my best friend disappeared! Doesn't that tell you something?"

"Yes, it does," Seacat replied. She waited until the girl's expression brightened before she added: "It tells me that you didn't think your story through. Not even the Horde sends children into battle!" Mostly because they had more than enough bots and soldiers already, but that was neither here nor there. The girl looked more hurt than foiled, though. And that made Seacat feel… nothing. Certainly not guilty.

Blondie shook her head, sending her silly ponytail flying. "It was a mistake! You weren't supposed to be there - you were supposed to go to a safe outpost like me and get some field experience!"

"Gullpeak!" Guard guy slapped his fist like a miniature Sea Hawk. "I remember now! That was a village that was totally wiped out by some secret Horde weapon four years ago! Yes!"

She was about to claw his face off for his stupid smile - that was her family's death that he was smiling about! - but Sea Hawk's hand on her shoulder held her back.

The guy had the grace to flinch. "Uh… sorry. I got carried away. History is kind of… not my thing, but one thing of mine."

"I am not a Horde soldier," Seacat repeated herself through clenched teeth.

"No one here is a Horde soldier," the guy said quickly, clapping his hand. "So… how about we continue this very informative talk with a little more privacy?"

Right. Half the tavern was staring at them. Seacat groaned - she should've known better than to hash things out at the bar. She would never live this down.

"So! Introductions!" the shrimp said as they sat down - with the three strangers on one side, and Seacat and the captain on the other side. "I'm Princess Glimmer of Bright Moon. This is my best friend, Bow, and our best friend, Adora."

And they made fun of her name? Seacat clenched her teeth. A deep breath later, she snorted. That made the shrimp frown at her and Blondie look… she couldn't place the expression. "The Horde cadet."

Blondie winced at that before rallying. "I'm not with the Horde. I mean, I was - but not anymore." She sighed. "It's complicated."

"She deserted," the shrimp said, "and joined the Rebellion." There had to be more to the story, going by the glance she shot at the other two.

Seacat made a mental note of looking into that. You could never know enough about potential friends and enemies.

"And you were looking for your long-lost best friend after you heard the famous shanty of Seacat!" Sea Hawk clasped his hands to his chest and beamed at the three.

Bow-guy smiled, rather weakly. "Actually, we never heard that shanty."

"If we had, we would've come at once!" Blondie added.

Sea Hawk's eyes widened, as did his smile. "Ah, it's really...Ow!"

Seacat glared at him and pulled her claws from his thigh. This wasn't the time. Actually, it never was the time to sing that particular shanty.

The princess cleared her throat. "We came here because we need a passage to Salineas."

"To see Princess Mermista," Bow-Boy added.

"And you naturally chose me! The best and bravest captain sailing the sea! And the one whom Princess Mermista holds so dear in her generous heart!" Sea Hawk flashed his teeth at them in what he thought was a dazzling smile.

Seacat smirked when she saw the slightly embarrassed expressions on the three.

"Uh, actually, we ever heard of you, either." Bow-Boy looked like he wanted to apologise for that. As if a landlubber would have heard of Sea Hawk. Well, a bounty hunter probably had.

Which was why they couldn't trust any stranger. Though… these guys weren't bounty hunters. And Seacat didn't think that the captain had ever set a princess's boat on fire. Apart from Mermista's, of course.

"Oh." Sea Hawk's face fell - but only for a moment. "In any case, you came to the right people! I and my first mate are the crew to hire for a trip to Salineas. Or to anywhere, actually. As long as it's on a coast." He stood, put one boot on the table and pushed his chest out. "No matter the danger, no matter the odds, the Dragon's Daughter III will always reach her destination!"

"What happened to the Dragon's Daughters I and II?" Bow-boy asked.

"They went down in flames," Seacat replied.

"After reaching their destinations!" Sea Hawk was quick to add.

"While reaching their destinations," Seacat corrected him. She ignored his confused glance. They needed money, but they didn't need those weirdos' money. And if the shrimp was desperate enough to hire them anyway, that meant they could charge more money - enough to make it worth travelling with Blondie. The way the girl was staring at her made Seacat's skin… crawl. Definitely crawl. Not shiver.

"You're hired!" Blondie declared.

"Perfect!" Sea Hawk replied at the same time that the shrimp blurted out: "Adora! We haven't made a decision yet!"

"But they have a ship, they know the princess, and it's Catra!"

"Seacat," she corrected Blondie through clenched teeth.

Instead of being taken aback, the girl's smile grew. "That's the same hissing I remember!"

"Uh, we can't agree on hiring them before we know how much this will cost," Bow-Guy cut in. He seemed to be the least stupid of the three. Not that that would make him smart, of course - Blondie was obviously dumb, and the princess was, well, a princess. And anyone who knew princesses knew that they weren't smart. Mermista was the best example of that.

But this gave her another opening. Seacat smiled, showing her fangs - which, unfortunately, made Blondie's smile grow even more sappy - and quickly noted a number down on a scrap of paper. "Here's our fee, Brain!" she announced as she held it out to the boy.

It was very satisfying to see their mouths drop after they read the note. Guess your allowance doesn't cover this, huh?

"Those are… many zeroes. Very many zeroes," Brain managed to say.

Seacat grinned at him. "Operating a ship isn't cheap." Especially if your captain had the habit of setting it on fire whenever he had the chance.

"Oh, yes," Sea Hawk agreed - for once.

"But… this much?" Shrimp held up the paper, and Seacat winced.

She reached out to grab it, but the captain had already seen the number. "What? Oh, that must have been a mistake. That's two zeroes too many, actually," he said. "You must forgive my first mate - I was the one who taught her maths."

Seacat slapped her face and growled while the three weirdos blinked in surprise.

"Uh… OK… so, we can definitely pay the fee then," the shrimp told the captain.

"Marvellous! To adventure!" Sea Hawk declared, holding out his hand.

Seacat sighed while the two shook on it. Now she was stuck travelling with a weirdo - a Horde cadet - who thought she was their long-lost best friend or something. And a princess, but that particular pain in the buttt paled compared to travelling with Blondie. Besides, the shrimp couldn't be as bad as Mermista, could she?

After having their three passengers pay their bar tab - they actually believed Seacat that this was how things were done! - they made their way to the harbour. Seacat led the way, next to the captain, with the three members of the Rebellion trailing behind them. She wasn't actually trying to lose them, but if they couldn't keep up…

Not that she was losing them, anyway - she could hear them talk behind her.

"Are you sure that she's your friend, Adora? She doesn't seem to like you at all."

"That's just how she is. You have to know her better to, uh, know her."

Seacat rolled her eyes and clenched her teeth again as she felt her ears twitch. She didn't have to glance over her shoulder to know the stupid expression Blondie had.

"Well, she is firmly set against the Horde. That's a good thing," Brain said.

"Except that she is so firmly set against the Horde, she doesn't like that Adora was part of the Horde."

"Right. That's not a good thing."

"But we both left. Why won't she accept that?"

Because it wasn't true! Seacat balled her hands into fists, almost piercing her palms with her claws.

"She will. Once we can talk about this, once I can tell her all about our friendship, she will understand!" Shrimp said.

No, she won't. "I can hear you," Seacat sing-songed through clenched teeth without looking back.

"Uh…"

"Right, I forgot all about her hearing! I mean… sorry?"

Seacat huffed and stepped up her pace. Fortunately, the trio remained silent until they reached the Dragon's Daughter III.

"Alright," Seacat said, loudly, as soon as they had boarded the ship, "stay on this deck and don't touch anything but the railing. Especially don't meddle with the rigging - we don't want to capsize because you unfurl the sail in the middle of a gale."

"Indeed, we don't. Losing a ship to capsizing is one of the worst ways to lose a ship," Sea Hawk added. "I should know, for I have experienced them all!"

Seacat closed her eyes, then blinked. If the weirdos reconsidered...

"What?"

"Are we sure about this guy?"

"I trust Catra! She loathes water. She would never board a ship that's at risk of sinking!"

What? She laughed. "Your Catra hated water?"

Blondie looked confused. "You hate getting wet."

"What?" Seacat glared at the girl. "I don't! I like to swim! I love to swim!"

"You can swim?"

"What sailor can't swim?" Seacat retorted. Swimming was an important skill for a sailor - especially for a member of Sea Hawk's crew.

She felt the captain's hand on her shoulder - he had snuck up on her again, somehow - before she was pulled into his side. "I taught her personally! It was an adventure! I've been bloodied less fighting pirates, but after a long, hard and painful struggle, I succeeded!"

She rolled her eyes and shrugged his arm off. "Yes. I can and like to swim." As long as she could clean the saltwater off her fur before it dried.

"Really?" Sea Hawk blinked. "You like it?"

"When I'm not forced to because our ship's on fire," she quickly clarified.

"Oh." Sea Hawk looked sad for a moment - but Seacat wasn't fooled. She knew him too well. "My first mate likes swimming!" Yes, there he went, hanging on the rigging and all but singing.

"Are we really sure about these guys?" Brain asked.

"They just need to get us there," Shrimp replied.

Blondie, though, was staring at her. Seacat met her gaze with narrowed eyes, cocking her hip. Maybe now the girl had realised that she was Seacat, not Catra.

But the girl beamed at her. "That's exactly how you used to stand when we were cadets!"

Oh, for Maelstrom's sake! She growled at the idiot and turned away. "I'll cast off the lines."

"And I'll set course for Salineas!"

"Ahem…"

Seacat hissed as she turned her head to glare at Blondie. "Don't disturb me while I'm working. Do you want us to capsize?"

"Uh… I thought you were just storing ropes…"

Seacat scoffed. She had managed to keep Blondie at bay by busying herself while they left port, but it seemed that the annoying girl didn't get the message. She just had to meddle, had she? "The lines control the sails. And the sails are what drives the ship - uncontrolled, they can wreck a ship."

"Oh." The blonde took a step back with a dejected expression. Seacat briefly felt the urge to apologise but suppressed it.

"Even a ship as advanced as the Dragon's Daughter III doesn't sail herself," she said instead. "Do you think sailors spend their time doing nothing between ports?"

"No, no, of course not! I just… wanted to talk…" Blondie's shy smile was a pitiful sight.

Seacat pressed her lips together as she finished tying up the spare lines. "Are you going to try to talk about your missing friend again? The Horde soldier?"

"No? Yes? Maybe?" The girl's smile grew forced.

"Save it!" Seacat snapped. "I'm not her. I'm not a Horde soldier. I never was a Horde soldier. I'm not your friend. And I don't want to be your friend!" she hissed in the idiot's face.

Blondie gasped. "But…" Seacat saw her swallow and blink - and were those tears in the blonde's eyes? "Sorry…"

Once more, Seacat had to suppress the weird urge to apologise as the blonde turned and walked away. She scoffed at her own weakness. She hadn't done anything wrong. She wasn't this 'Catra'. She wasn't a Horde soldier. The sooner Blondie accepted that, the better. For both of them.

Seacat liked being the lookout. Climbing the rigging was fun - and no one was as fast at the top of the main-mast as she was. No one not cheating by using magic like the shrimp, that was. She scowled at the show-off, but not for long.

Here, she felt on top of things. On top of the world. At peace. Just her and the sky and the sea. If the wind was blowing strongly enough, she wouldn't even hear the captain's shanties. She took a deep breath, enjoying the smell of the ocean. Soon, they would be arriving at Salineas, and the three passengers would go and annoy Mermista. And Seacat and Sea Hawk could set out again, and leave all this… stupidity behind.

She grinned. After all, the three hadn't hired them for a round trip.

"Oof."

What? Seacat quickly glanced around. The sea was calm. They were still a good way off the reefs that dominated the straits of Salineas and made the Sea Gate the key to controlling sea trade. So…

She glanced down and growled. Blondie was climbing the rigging. And smiling widely at her.

"Ahem. Sorry… I just felt the urge to climb."

Oh for Maelstrom's sake! "Really?" she replied, putting all the doubt she could muster into it.

"I used to climb a lot in, ah, the Fright Zone."

Seacat growled, and the girl winced.

"Usually to follow, uh… my friend."

Of course. Seacat smiled. "So, you're used to high places and strong winds?"

Blondie nodded enthusiastically. "Yes!"

"Good. You can take over lookout duty until dinner." Seacat bared her teeth at the idiot. "And don't slack off, or we might hit a reef and sink!" she snapped as she slid down the other side.

As soon as she hit the deck, she chuckled. That should keep Blondie out of her hair for a few hours - the girl wouldn't slack off. She was far too serious for that, Seacat knew. Always doing her duty…

She frowned, then scoffed. The girl was an open book. Everyone would've known that after spending a few hours with her. Yes.

"Uh… what's Adora doing?" Brain asked,

Seacat rolled her eyes. She didn't want to talk about the annoying girl. "She relieved me from lookout duty so I could do my other jobs on the ship."

"Really?"

Honest and gullible. No wonder he was a friend of Blondie. "Yes, really," she replied.

"And what does a lookout do?"

"Looks out for ships, reefs and other dangers," she explained.

"Reefs?"

"Yes, reefs," she repeated herself.

"But… the ship flies."

She sighed. Landlubber, yes. "It sails over the sea," she told him. "It doesn't really fly. Steer it over land - or a rock, or a too shallow sea - and it'll crash. The magic holding it afloat over the water doesn't work over land."

"Oh. That's why we only have small skiffs on land, not big huge cargo ships."

"Exactly. That's a completely different magic." Honest, gullible but smart. She flashed a smile at him. "You're the brains of your group, aren't you?" A little more information about the trio wouldn't hurt at all.

He blushed a little. Adorable. "Ah, well… I'm a master bowman and a tech master. Well, working on the latter, but I'm close."

"Ah." She cocked her head and looked at his quiver. Men loved to talk about their weapons. "You made the arrows yourself?"

"Ah, right." He beamed. "I've got a wide range of arrows for all occasions! Whatever we'll face, I'll have an arrow for it!"

She snorted. "Really?"

"Oh, yes!" He pulled out a shaft with a hefty arrowhead. "This one shoots glue!"

"Glue?" She took a step back. Glue and fur didn't go well together. Not at all. "Don't point it at me!" she hissed. She didn't want to have to shave off her fur ever again!

"Uh, sorry." He smiled weakly. "Didn't want to scare you."

"I am not scared," she growled. She wasn't scared, She hadn't had nightmares in months. Huffing, she turned away. "I'll be busy doing… stuff."

"Stuff?"

"Important stuff."

Like napping in her hammock. Away from bothersome passengers.

Seacat couldn't wait until Blondie and her friends were gone from her ship.