“It’s a lot to take in, Bells. Add to the fact we all have to adjust to life at sea is going to be stressful. Just know that I am here for you whenever, after all, it’s now my principal job now. Right?”

  “Har, Har you mangy mutt, I can order you pitched overboard. I was elected as captain. I am sure no one will mind as long as we reel you back in. Eventually.”, joked Bella, her mood lighting as she chided Reza.

  “Oh please, it’s only been two days since the vote. I am sure if you did, they question their choices in all this as I am the only healer on board which we really need to fix. I can ask the girls staying who’d like to learn from me,” Reza said, smirking cheerfully despite the threat.

  It still surprised Bella as she mulled over Reza’s concern about how much lighter the Kuri woman acted now that she was away from Soalis’s temple. Bella wasn’t alone in her surprise at the former slave’s relaxed attitude. Almost immediately after getting far enough away from port that they truly felt like they had accomplished their plan. But none could deny that there had always been hints to this side of her. It was why so many of them turned to her as their healer when their lives had been full of suffocating, dark feelings.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  Finally, nodding in an agreement, Bella said, “I can’t see a reason not to Reza. Though that gives me an idea about the ones that wish to go different ways than us. I think we should let them but if we can see what trades they may know or feel they can get their sons or daughter’s into as apprentices. “If we do this correctly,” Bella said, “we can provide them with the resources they need to succeed as businesswomen. In return, we’ll have a network of buyers and sellers for our goods—or whatever the Lady might have us do, which will probably involve stealing.”