Endless Ocean, Infinite Sky

Heather sat on the edge of the dock with her bare feet dangling just above the water's surface. Her long black hair whipped around her face as she stared out over the shimmering ocean. Flowering trees swayed on the land behind her, sprinkling their delicate petals over the grass. It was spring, and the world was blooming.

Heather watched as a single petal floated over to her. She watched it drift down to land in the water before it was finally swept away by the waves.

As she continued to sit there, something in the distance caught her eye. Lifting a hand to the wide rim of her pointed hat, Heather squinted out over the water. There was something outlined against the horizon. A ship.

Heather tucked a stray strand of hair behind an ear before climbing to her feet. It was time to leave before the people on the ship got close enough to see her. But then suddenly, a flash of motion caught her eye. Heather froze, shocked as a figure fell from the ship's deck.

The blur of motion hit the water with a splash, and Heather nearly let out a cry as the figure sank beneath the waves. Without giving herself a moment's hesitation, Heather threw off her pointed hat and leaped into the ocean.

Kicking as hard as she could against the water, Heather swam toward the sinking figure. Her teeth chattered from the cold, but she pushed forward. The figure had short black hair and was dressed like a pirate. His boots, pants, and coat dragged him down faster and faster the more waterlogged they got.

Heather stretched out her hands, but she was still too far away. Gritting her teeth, Heather felt her magic surge through her veins, and then she was shooting forward as purple light illuminated the dark waters. Her hand closed around the pirate's arm.

After dragging the pirate out of the water and onto the dock, Heather collapsed, coughing and gasping for breath as the now icy wind tore into her. Her hair and clothes were plastered to her skin, but despite her shivering state, Heather quickly sat up and turned to the pirate lying next to her. She blinked as she finally got a good look at the pirate's face. This was the person who had saved her from the water just a few weeks ago!

Heather quickly placed her hat back on her head before holding her hands over the unconscious pirate. Muttering softly to herself, Heather's hands began to glow with a faint light.

Before long, the pirate's eyes fluttered open. "You—" The pirate stared at Heather before bursting out in a coughing fit.

"Are you alright?" Heather asked in alarm as she helped the pirate into a sitting position.

The pirate's voice was no more than a whisper. "Why did you save me?"

"I—" Heather blinked at the pirate. "Wait, you're a girl?"

The pirate dropped her gaze as she nodded.

"Why did you save me that other day?" Heather questioned as she got over her momentary surprise.

"Why did you want to die?" The pirate looked back up at Heather. Her eyes fell on Heather's hat. "You're a witch?"

Heather let out a soft sigh. "I am a witch. No one wants to associate with a witch, and it got to a point where I got too tired to live on. I ended up here for a quiet death. But you saved me. Now that you know, do you regret saving a witch?"

The pirate stared at Heather with wide eyes. "I—I don't feel that way at all. I don't regret it."

Heather sighed again as she turned to look back at the ocean. "After you saved me, I suddenly didn't want to die anymore." Then she looked over her shoulder at the pirate. "What about you? What's your story?"

"The place I came from is not worth mentioning," the pirate said shortly. "Life was hard. My parents wanted to sell me, so I fled. I met an old fisherman who taught me how to sail and look after a ship. After we parted ways, I took to the seas. Being alone out in the middle of the ocean has made me realize I don't have anything worth living for."

Heather took the pirate's gloved hands in her own and gave them a squeeze. "You don't have to be alone anymore—you have me now."

"What?"

"I'm Heather." Heather offered the pirate a smile. "What's your name?"

The pirate dropped her gaze. "Jade."

Heather held Jade's hands. "You're not alone anymore, Jade. I'll join you out on the waters."

"Are you sure you want to sail the oceans with me?" Jade asked quietly. "The ocean is a very different place from the land you're used to."

"I'm sure. It's not like I have a place here to return to anyway." After jumping to her feet, Heather helped Jade up as well. Then, standing on her tiptoes, Heather squinted as she looked out at the ship drifting on its own toward the horizon. "Do you think it will wait for us?"

"Oh no!" Jade clapped a hand to her head. "I didn't anchor it. We're going to have to swim." Just as the pirate made to leap off the dock, Heather grabbed her hand to stop her. "But the ship—" Jade protested.

"Leave it to me!" Heather flashed her a smile before hurrying down the dock and over to the skinny trees creaking in the winds. After choosing a long branch, Heather snapped it off the tree. "We can use this," she explained confidently.

Jade blinked. "A branch?"

Heather nodded proudly as she held the branch between her knees. "I've been practicing flying. I promise we won't crash."

Jade hesitantly took the branch in her own hands, and then suddenly, the ground seemed to give away as the two of them shot upward. Glancing over her shoulder, Heather giggled at Jade's look of utter amazement as they flew through the open sky.

"How?" Jade asked weakly, her eyes wide as she turned to Heather.

Heather twinkled knowingly. "It's magic."

The two of them touched down on the deck of the ship a few minutes later, and Heather set the branch aside before hurrying over to the railing. Holding her hat with one hand to prevent the wind from sweeping it away, Heather looked at the land in the distance.

"My ship isn't that big," Jade admitted as she walked over to lock the helm in place. "Besides the kitchen and bedroom, below deck is mostly storage."

Heather let her arms hang over the wooden railings. "I don't mind spending time outside."

Jade turned to head beneath the deck. "I'll go get us some blankets. We'll be lucky if neither of us catches a cold."

✦ ✦ ✦

Heather sat across from Jade. The two of them were bundled in blankets below deck. The sunlight streaming in through the round window on the side of the room was warm, and the cold that had previously chilled Heather to the bone had thawed.

"You have a nice place," Heather observed as she looked around the room.

"Thank you," Jade said quietly.

"Is something wrong?" Heather asked worriedly.

Jade let out a sigh as she dropped her gaze to the floor. "No, I'm just not used to being around people."

"That makes two of us, then." Heather smiled faintly as she pulled her blanket tighter around herself. "Where are we off to first, captain?"

"I was thinking we could go to the small seaside village. We can stock up on food and other things we'll need to stay on the water."

Heather nodded approvingly.

"Heather," Jade said after a while. "After I pulled you from the water, you found a reason to live just like that?"

Heather twirled a strand of her long hair around a finger. "I did. I wanted to live to get the chance to thank you. I want to thank you for being the first person to help me. Even if you didn't know I was a witch at the time, I'm still grateful."

A soft smile flickered on Jade's face. She rose to her feet. "I'll go make us something to eat."

Heather watched the pirate leave. Now alone in the room, Heather took the opportunity to look around. The room was fairly empty save for a single bedroll lying in one corner and a chest of drawers in the other. A writing desk sat in the middle of the room with a brush set laid out on top of the wooden surface.

Heather flopped over onto her side—a blanket caterpillar with a pointy hat. No one wanted to associate with a witch. But Jade . . . Jade didn't seem to mind.

Heather was drawn from her thoughts as she sneezed. She sniffed. Her dark hair was in tangles as it spilled over the wooden floor around her.

"Heather?" a voice said softly. "Are you alright?" It was Jade.

Heather sniffed as she sneezed again. "I think I might have caught a cold."

"Already?" Jade's eyes filled with concern as she set a bowl of rice in front of Heather.

"Is this for me?" Heather asked. The bowl of rice was at eye level in front of her.

Jade nodded silently as she took a seat across from Heather.

Sitting up, Heather reached a hand out from her blanket cocoon to pick up the bowl. "Thank you."

"There's a lot more of it, too," Jade informed her. "You can have as much as you want. Even with there being two of us now, we still have rice for months. We'll restock when we reach the port town." When Jade finished her own bowl, the pirate made her way over to her writing desk and reached for a brush.

Scooting across the floor, Heather came to a stop in front of Jade's desk and peered down at the words blooming from the tip of the pirate's brush. "You've got beautiful handwriting," Heather praised as she craned her head to the side in an attempt to look from the right angle. Her inky hair cascaded down her back. "What's this? A shopping list?"

"Exactly. Since there's going to be two of us on this ship now, we'll need to get you your own bedroll. And we could get you another set of clothes, too, while we're at it."

"You have that much money?"

"I have a bit stashed away from previous trades," Jade explained as she finished the list. She then set her brush down and sat back to wait for the ink to dry. "It should be enough, but I'll cast my nets out again just in case."

"Nets? Are you going to catch fish?"

Jade climbed to her feet. "The merchants in the town will buy fresh fish. I'll throw the nets out when we get closer to the shore."

Heather nodded, perking up. "When you do, do you think you can show me? Maybe eventually I'll be able to help catch fish for us too!"

A small smile tugged on Jade's lips as she nodded.

✦ ✦ ✦

When the sun started to dip beneath the horizon, Heather sat with her nose pressed against the window. The sky outside was a pale pink, and the water was a mirror image of the sunset above. Before long, the golds and pinks of the sky faded into a star-flecked night.

"Are you planning to sit there all night?" Jade asked from her bedroll. "You should get some sleep if you don't want to wake up with a cold tomorrow."

Heather sighed as she flopped over. She had laid her blanket out opposite Jade's bedroll, and her hat was folded up on top of it as her pillow. "Goodnight, Jade."

Jade blew out the candle on the small table next to her bedroll. "Goodnight, Heather."

In the morning, Heather woke to find Jade sitting in front of her writing desk. "Good morning," Heather yawned.

Jade looked up. "You're awake."

Heather nodded as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"Do you feel alright? No cold?" Just as the words left Jade's mouth, she sneezed.

"You've got a cold!" Heather jumped to her feet and hurried over to Jade. "You were in the water longer than I was—no wonder you got sick!"

"I'm fine." Jade held out a hand to stop Heather as she sneezed again.

"You don't seem fine," Heather pointed out worriedly. She draped a blanket over Jade's shoulders. "You've got a cold."

Jade just sniffed. Her nose was a reddish pink.

"You should rest." Heather rose to her feet. "I can make us breakfast. Do you have any tea?"

Jade scooted over to her bedroll. "The tea is stored near the rice. The door next to the kitchen leads to the storage room."

"Got it!" Heather hurried out of the bedroom.

After preparing the rice and the tea, she set them on a tray and made her way back to Jade's room, careful not to let the soft rocking of the ship trip her up.

"Here." Heather set her tray down before bringing a cup over to Jade.

"Thank you," Jade said quietly as she took the cup from Heather.

Heather dipped her head as she took a seat next to her. She offered her a bowl of rice next.

Jade sighed as she took a bowl. "You shouldn't stay this close to me. I don't want to pass on my cold to you."

Heather blinked. "Oh, that's right."

Jade slept for most of the day while Heather sat by the window, watching in awe as they glided over the waves. Heather finally tore her gaze away from the glass and shuffled over to the corner of the room. Taking a seat on the floor, she adjusted her hat before raising her hands in front of her. The magic flowing through her surged as she channeled it into her fingertips.

Then, tracing her fingers through the air, Heather began to write. And when she was done, she sat back to proudly admire her work. Heather, the name hanging in the air in front of her glowed.

"Heather," Jade read as she sat up.

"Jade!" Heather exclaimed. The magic vanished as she jumped up. "Are you feeling better?"

Jade rose to her feet. "Much better. I want to go outside. Would you like to go upstairs with me?"

"Sure!"

Now, above deck, Heather rushed over to the front of the ship. The mild wind set her hair fluttering as she gazed out over the ocean. The body of water spread out around them in all directions. Infinite, beautiful, unyielding.

"Jade, look!" Heather pointed into the distance. "I think I see mountains!"

Jade joined Heather at the front of the ship. "We'll arrive at the town sometime tonight. Tomorrow morning, we'll go check out some of the small shops."

✦ ✦ ✦

"Jade, Jade!" Heather giddily jumped up and down as the town made an appearance outside the window. "Wake up! Look, it's the town!"

"Morning already?" Jade sat up. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and winced at the sunlight streaming in through the window. Jade pulled on her boots. "You seem ready to go. Shall we head off?"

"Yes!"

The two of them made their way off the boat, and Heather took in the town with wide eyes as she trailed after Jade. The town was filled with flowering trees, and pink petals swirled down from the pale blue sky like snow.

After Jade traded the fish she had caught the previous night, their first stop was a food stall off to the side of the main road for breakfast. Their next stop was a clothing shop where Jade motioned for Heather to pick out a new outfit. Heather excitedly looked around at the beautiful dresses on display. In the end, she ended up picking out a simple brown dress.

"That's it?" Jade asked from where she was examining a rack of lacy dresses.

Heather clasped her hands behind her back. "I'll admit they're pretty to look at, but I'd rather save our money for something more practical. With the way I run about, a simple dress will last me longer."

"You do have a point." Jade dropped her hand from the dress she was touching.

"I think you should get one, though," Heather piped up. "You would look beautiful."

✦ ✦ ✦

Heather and Jade stood at the back of the ship as they drifted away from the seaside town, watching it until it disappeared into the distance. The day slowly melted into night, and the sky changed colors as the sun sank into the distant ocean.

"Look there," Jade said softly as she pointed toward the sky. "We're approaching a storm."

Heather followed Jade's finger to the dark clouds blotting out the stars in the distance.

"There are a lot of storms on the open ocean," Jade continued. "This one doesn't look bad, but we'll probably have to stay below deck for a few days to avoid getting soaked."

✦ ✦ ✦

"I don't feel well." Heather lay on her side, hugging her knees to her chest. "Everything won't stop moving . . ." Outside, wind howled and waves continued to crash up against the side of the ship with violent splashes. The water sprayed the window with droplets that were quickly washed away before they could drip down the glass. Rain pelted the deck above, and the ship rocked back and forth. "Will all the storms be like this?"

"You'll slowly get used to it eventually." Jade sat at her writing desk with a teacup in one hand and a teapot in the other. She slowly tried to pour herself a cup without spilling the boiling water over herself.

"Get used to it?" Heather echoed hopelessly as the room spun before her eyes.

"I found that trying to sleep through the storms helps." Jade gave up on the tea and set her cup and pot down in a place where they wouldn't tip over. "Sleep through the storm, and when you wake, there'll only be clear skies."

"I can't sleep." Heather rolled onto her back to stare up at the ceiling. "I'm sorry, Jade. I didn't think I'd get this seasick."

Jade offered her a smile. "Don't worry about it. I was like this once as well. But when it was just me, all I could do was suffer through the storm alone. I'm here to help you get through it."

✦ ✦ ✦

Heather wasn't sure what time it was when she awoke, but the storm had calmed and the rain was nothing more than a soft patter on the deck above. It was dark, and the stars glistened in the clear night sky outside the window. Heather sat up and sat quietly for a moment.

She turned to look over at Jade but found that her companion was nowhere to be found. "Jade?" Heather asked. Her voice cut through the silence hanging in the room.

After slowly climbing to her feet, Heather slipped out of the room to check the deck. An icy wind hit her full in the face as she scanned the empty space. Shivering, Heather quickly retraced her steps, this time going to check the kitchen and the storage area of the ship. To her relief, she found Jade in the storage hold.

"Jade—" Heather started, but trailed off when she noticed how the pirate was lying face down on the floor. "Jade!" Heather dropped to her knees next to Jade in alarm. "Jade!" She tried again as she shook her shoulders. "Are you alright?"

"Heather?" Jade slowly stirred. Then she frowned as she sat up. "What am I doing here?"

"What are you doing here?" Heather echoed worriedly. "I just woke up a few minutes ago. You weren't in the room, so I went looking for you."

"I went down here to bring some tea leaves to the kitchen." Jade clutched her head as she tried to remember. "But the storm was at its worst, and with the ship rocking so violently, I think I lost my footing and hit my head."

Heather let out a breath. "Next time, ask me to go with you. Maybe I could have helped prevent your fall." She started to let go of Jade's arm, but she blinked as Jade caught her hand. "Does your head hurt?" Heather searched Jade's face. "I think I can use my magic to make the pain go away."

Jade winced slightly as she nodded.

"You'll have to let go of my hand first," Heather added softly. "I need both of my hands to cast the spell."

"Right." Jade hastily let go of Heather's hand. She sighed. "This was partially my fault. When I came here, I wasn't paying attention to how much the ship was rocking."

Heather lifted her hands, and purple light glowed from her fingers. "I'm just glad you're okay. When I didn't see you in the room, I thought for a moment that you had left."

Jade raised her eyes to meet Heather's gaze. "That wouldn't be fair to you. We're going to live. Both of us."

Heather smiled at that. Once she finished casting the spell, she took Jade by the hand. "Let's go back to our room. The storm has ended."

✦ ✦ ✦

As the days melted into weeks, Heather found she didn't miss her old life in the slightest. Even though she had been alive for over twenty years now, it was only when she set foot on Jade's ship that she had truly just started living.

"Jade"—Heather looked up from where she was resting her head on the railing of the ship—"what's that in the distance?"

Jade came over to stand by Heather's side and squinted in the direction Heather was pointing. She inhaled sharply. "I know that flag."

"Is this a bad thing?" Heather asked quickly.

"Pirates," Jade said grimly. "They're pirates. Get ready to meet them. I'll go prepare."

Heather's head snapped over to Jade. "Are they going to attack us?"

"Not if we attack them first. They know me. And the last time we met, I blasted a very big hole in the side of their ship. I don't think they'll show us any mercy after that."

"What can I do to help out?" Heather hurried after Jade as the pirate made her way below deck.

"Since I don't have any cannons this time," Jade explained as she grabbed a sword from where it hung on the wall of her room, "I'll have to jump onto their ship directly. Can I leave defending our ship up to you?"

"Don't worry," Heather said confidently. "With my magic, I won't let them set a finger on it."

When the two of them returned to the upper deck, the pirate ship in the distance had neared considerably. It was making a beeline straight for Jade's ship, and there was no way they'd be able to avoid contact.

"Ready?" Jade asked from where she stood next to Heather. The two of them were watching the ship steadily approach from the crow's nest.

Heather nodded determinedly. "Ready."

"You!" A loud voice seemed to echo across the still waters. "You dare face us? You've got some nerve. Don't think that just because you're the feared pirate king, you can get away from us this time!" the echoing voice seethed.

"And they still think I'm a guy," Jade added with a shake of her head.

Heather stared at Jade. "You're the feared pirate who controls the seas? Whenever I was in the villages and towns that lined the sea, someone would always be telling the story of the young pirate king who appeared out of nowhere and took control of the ocean."

"Prepare yourselves!" the loud echo roared. And then suddenly there was a bang as a cannon fired. Heather quickly flung up her hands, and her magic flared. The cannonball struck the invisible barrier she had created. It bounced off and splashed into the water below.

"Nice, Heather!" Jade called as she leaped from the crow's nest. With a crossbow in one hand and a rope arrow in the other, Jade nimbly twisted in midair as she fired a shot into the masts of the enemy ship. After swinging across the water, Jade landed on the deck of the ship, and the sound of swords clashing followed.

Heather jumped down from the crow's nest as well and landed lightly on the wooden deck. She looked out at the ship that was now right in front of them. Raising her hands in front of her, Heather let her magic flow from her fingers. The air was alive with purple light as Heather's magic morphed into lions. The lions raced across the surface of the water before finding the cannons of the enemy ship and tearing them to pieces. When their job was complete, the animals faded into the salty air as if they had never existed.

Taking a running leap, Heather jumped onto the deck of the enemy ship. Jade was fighting off a group of pirates, and her blade was a whirlwind of steel.

Raising her hands again, there was a flash of magic as the lions reemerged. They leaped up and hurled toward the pirates. The pirates barely had time to scream before the big cats were upon them, pinning them to the ground beneath their glowing paws.

"Heather?" Jade mouthed as she watched in surprise as all her opponents were knocked down one by one.

"Don't worry, the ship is fine," Heather reassured her. "I wanted to see if you needed help."

"Witch!" one of the pirates on the floor shrieked. "The pirate king has a witch working with him!"

"Forgive us, captain!" another yelled. "None of us saw this coming!"

Heather turned just in time to watch an older pirate with a wild beard step onto the deck. There was a glare on his face as his eyes traveled from Jade to Heather and then back again.

"I thought you worked alone, pirate king," the captain said. There was something like a sneer in his voice. "What, did you get so tired of traveling by yourself that you picked this witch to be your first crew member?"

Jade frowned coolly at the captain. "How about you mind your own business and let us go? If you leave us alone, I'll let you go."

"You?" the captain laughed. "Let me go?"

"Captain!" A pirate burst onto the deck from the staircase leading into the hold of the ship. "All of the cannons have been broken!"

"All of them?" The captain whirled furiously on the pirate. "Now what do we do?"

"This is where we part ways," Jade told the captain. "You should be happy that I didn't wreck your ship like last time."

"You—you—" the captain sputtered as he turned back to Jade in rage. "The next time we meet, I won't let you and your witch get away! The next time I see you," the captain seethed, "the next time I see you, I swear I'll—"

"There will be no next time." Jade cut him off. "We shall not meet again." And with that said, Jade turned on her heel. Heather quickly scurried after her as she climbed back onto her own ship.

"How can you be sure they won't come back to bother you?" Heather asked quietly when the two of them were back on board.

Jade sighed as she tossed her blades to the ground. "I know how to avoid them. I just didn't think they'd actually go out of their way to wait for me here. But now that their cannons have been put out of use, they'll have to return to shore to get new ones. By the time they make it back to the open ocean, we'll be long gone."

"You didn't tell me that you were the legendary pirate who ruled the ocean." Heather looked over at Jade in awe.

Jade took a seat on the wooden planks as they drifted further and further away from the enemy ship. "The fisherman I was telling you about—he was a pirate. He taught me everything he knew in the hopes that it would be able to keep me alive. I learned how to use weapons, and I learned how to sail a ship. At first, I found it thrilling. It was a worthwhile challenge to become the ruler of the ocean. But it slowly began to lose its fun after everyone wanted to try to kill me for the title. I'm at a different point in my life now. That old life is no longer the kind of life I wanted to be living."

Heather nodded her head. She understood.

"You didn't have to join me on their ship, you know. It could have been dangerous."

Heather fiddled with her hair. "I was worried about you. Besides, people fear witches for a reason. None of them stood a chance against me."

A smile flickered across Jade's face. "Thank you. If you hadn't disabled their cannons, we wouldn't have a ship to sail on right now."

"I'm glad I could help."

To Heather's surprise, Jade wrapped her arms around her in a hug. Heather found herself smiling as she returned the embrace.

✦ ✦ ✦

Over the next few days, Heather would pace the empty deck of the ship. She couldn't put her finger on it, but something seemed to be missing. Heather crouched down to stare at the wood.

She heard Jade's light footsteps as she walked up behind her. "Got something on your mind?"

Heather turned to look up at her. "I was just thinking that we have all this space, yet we don't do anything with it." Then her eyes lit up. "What if we made a garden?"

"I actually tried to grow plants on the ship before," Jade admitted. "But none of them lived very long."

Heather smiled. "This time I'll be able to sustain the plants with my magic."

Jade smiled as well. "In that case, the next port town we stop at, let's pick out some plants and soil to bring on board."

"We'll need some big planters," Heather said as she counted off on her fingers. "Lots of soil too. And maybe we should build some sort of covering to protect them from the rain. I'm not sure how something like a fruit tree would do, but we could start small with vegetables and berries."

Heather had lots of time to make a list of everything she would need to start a garden, and by the time they arrived at the port town, she had everything planned out. She and Jade bought seeds, saplings, and soil. The two of them carefully brought everything onto the ship. Now, as Heather was sorting through their supplies on the deck, Jade climbed aboard with a basket in her arms.

Heather walked over to her to peer at the seeds inside. "What did you buy?"

"Flowers, of course," Jade said with a small smile. "If we're going to have a garden, we can't forget flowers."

Heather let out a giggle at that. "You're right! I can't believe I forgot about flowers."

As the ship set course out to sea, Heather set her pointed hat aside and rolled up her sleeves. She and Jade spent the next few days completely transforming the empty deck of the ship into a garden in the making. They built a wooden covering that could easily be covered in a tarp to prevent stormy weather from ruining their plants, and before long, Heather was stepping back to admire their work.

Even though only little green leaves peeked through the soil, Heather was confident that they would have a flourishing garden in no time. It became a new morning routine to care for the crops, and as the days continued to pass, the garden began to bloom.

Heather rolled over in bed. Morning sunlight streamed into the room, and she sat up and stretched. She glanced over at the bedroll next to hers, but Jade wasn't there. Heather stood up and wandered onto the upper deck. Jade was among the planters, carefully watering the flowers. Flowers! Heather's eyes widened, and a smile crossed her face as she made her way over to her.

"Heather," Jade said, her eyes dancing as she beckoned Heather over. She extended a hand to Heather, and Heather took it, letting Jade help her step around the rows of planters. "Look! The flowers are finally blooming!"

Heather crouched down to admire the colorful petals. "They're so pretty. And this one"—Heather gestured to a cluster of flowers with pale blue petals—"these are gorgeous."

Jade smiled. "These are called sky roses. They don't quite look like roses, and they aren't related to them either, but they smell just like them. I spent a while searching the port town for someone who sells them."

"You seem to know a lot about flowers," Heather said, impressed. "What about these purple ones? What are they?"

"Those are a related lavender, just not quite as fragrant." Jade's smile was wistful. "As a little girl, I loved growing flowers. We didn't have much money, but I would collect seeds from wild flowers. But ever since I ran away, my life turned into a struggle for survival. I no longer had time to grow flowers."

Heather reached out to give Jade's hand a squeeze. "You have all the time in the world to do so now."

✦ ✦ ✦

Every day out on the water was calm and peaceful. On multiple occasions, Heather would catch Jade humming softly to herself as she tended the flowers. After checking on how the vegetables and berries were growing, Heather would spend most of the day gazing out over the water from the front of the ship or practicing her magic in the crow's nest. The crow's nest was one of her favorite places on the ship; it was high up—high enough to look out in all directions and see where the ocean merged with the sky on the distant horizon. It felt wonderful to be able to practice her magic freely.

Sometimes Jade would join her in the crow's nest, where the two of them would hug each other tightly to keep warm as the winds whipped at them. Occasionally, Heather would lean over to give Jade a quick peck on the cheek. Whenever she did, the two of them would end up bursting into a fit of giggles. Heather hugged Jade, enveloped in the soft floral scent that clung to her. She looked over her shoulder at the distant skies. And as she watched a lone bird dive in and out of the clouds, Heather suddenly perked up. "I just had an idea. Have you ever thought about having a ship that could sail through the sky? A ship that could sail through the clouds?"

"Maybe in a dream. Why do you ask?"

"I want to try to make our ship fly," Heather said as she clasped Jade's hands in her own. "The entire world will be beneath us."

"I think it would be wonderful to fly," Jade said wistfully. "Do you think you can do it?"

"Let me try."

The two of them climbed down from the crow's nest. Once they were on the deck, Heather nodded to Jade. Then, taking a deep breath, Heather closed her eyes and raised both of her hands in the air. Purple light sparked to life and quickly surrounded the ship. Lifting her hands upward, the ship slowly but surely rose out of the water and drifted toward the sky above. "Is it flying?" Heather cracked open an eye. "Are we flying?"

"We're flying!" Jade exclaimed excitedly. "Heather, we're flying!"

After letting her arms fall back to her sides, Heather hurried over to the side of the ship to watch the water grow smaller and smaller the higher they floated. The light wind ruffled her hair, sending the dark strands fluttering. "Where do we want to go first?" Heather smiled, and laughter danced in her eyes.

✦ ✦ ✦

Jade suggested that the two of them go to a hot spring she had stumbled across years back. It was a small island, and the water in the rocky pools bubbled softly. Even though the sun was starting to set, Heather could still see the steam rising off the surface.

Heather hummed softly to herself as she stripped her clothing and waded into the water. Jade joined her, and the two of them splashed around in the water for a while, giggling. Jade helped rub soap into Heather's long hair, and once they finished washing, they sat side by side at the edge of one of the pools. The water bubbled gently around them, and Jade leaned against Heather's shoulder.

"Sleepy?" Heather asked.

"Just happy," Jade replied.

Heather leaned forward to cup the side of Jade's face with a slender hand.

Jade leaned into her touch.

Heather's heartbeat quickened. For the first time, she was overcome with the feeling of wanting. She wanted to be close to Jade. She wanted to feel Jade's touch. She wanted to explore all the soft curves of her body.

Jade must have noticed the shift in Heather's gaze because she smiled faintly. She gently took Heather's hand and led her out to the middle of the pool of water. Jade's face was slightly flushed as she came to a stop and leaned forward to brush Heather's hair away from her face. Heather could tell Jade's own breathing was unsteady from the way her chest rose and fell. She drew closer yet, and Heather's eyes fluttered shut as Jade's lips met hers. They were soft, and Heather felt the feeling grow as she lost herself in the kiss. When they drew apart, Heather was almost breathless.

Jade's fingers caressed her shoulders, her collarbones, her breasts. Heather's own hands explored Jade's body, tracing the soft curves of her hips. Heather leaned in to press kisses to Jade's neck, trailing lower.

Jade arched as Heather reached her breasts, and a soft gasp escaped her. Heather straightened to meet Jade in another kiss. This time, she let her hands slide over Jade's hips, over her stomach, and then even lower to slip between her legs.

Jade hummed softly against Heather's lips.

"How far do you want to go?" Heather whispered. Her voice sounded almost husky in the quiet night.

Jade's voice was breathy. "All the way."

✦ ✦ ✦

Back on the ship, the next few days of flying through the sky were almost like a dream. Just a few months ago, Heather would have never thought her magic would be able to carry them to such a height. Their garden on the deck of the ship brought a burst of life to the still ocean. Vines now snaked up the wooden pillars, and the blooming flowers added a sweet fragrance to the otherwise salty air.

"Heather." Jade stepped onto the deck, and Heather turned.

"Jade!" Heather's eyes widened. "Where did you get that dress?"

"I actually just remembered I had it when I was looking through my clothes," Jade said with a laugh. The dress she was wearing was a pale green, and the fabric was light and flowy as it swirled around her ankles.

Heather skipped over to Jade. "You're gorgeous, you know that?"

"The dress also came with hair accessories," Jade said, blushing. "But my hair is too short for them to stay properly. I thought the dress and accessories would look good on you. Would you like to try?"

Heather nodded eagerly as she followed Jade below deck. Jade helped Heather change into the dress, and Heather held still as Jade brushed and braided her hair. "What do you think?" Heather asked as she twirled around the room.

"Beautiful," Jade said with a smile. "Now that you have my dress, what do you think I should wear?"

Heather just flashed her a smile. "The undergarments you're wearing right now are fine. You look just as pretty with no clothes."

✦ ✦ ✦

That night, Heather and Jade lay side by side. There was something calming about lying there—something calming about how the window next to their bed was filled with the sky and the ocean. Heather wrapped her arms around Jade, and Jade twisted around to face her.

Heather leaned in to place a kiss on Jade's forehead. Then Heather was giggling as Jade pressed a kiss to her nose. Heather leaned in again, and this time when their lips met, Heather draped her arms over Jade's shoulders to deepen the kiss.

Heather could feel her own heart fluttering in her chest as she rolled on top of Jade. She lovingly trailed kisses over her jaw, her neck, her collarbone. Jade's fingers twined through her hair as their lips met again.

"Again," Jade breathed when they slowly drew apart. Jade helped Heather untie the laces to her sleep shirt, and Heather followed by tugging off her nightgown.

"You're beautiful," Heather whispered. She shook back her long hair as she marveled at the way Jade's skin glowed in the low light. Jade arched into her touch.

"You're even more beautiful," Jade responded in a breathy whisper as she playfully bumped her nose against Heather's. Heather closed her eyes in anticipation of another kiss. Instead, Jade brushed Heather's long hair aside, and her lips were soft and gentle as she pressed a kiss over Heather's closed eyelids.

When Heather opened her eyes, she couldn't help but giggle as her heart fluttered. Jade sat topless in front of her, glowing in the moonlight streaming in through the window. Jade smiled, and Heather twinkled back.

✦ ✦ ✦

"Look!" Heather took Jade by the hand as she led her over to the clothing shop. Delicate pink flower petals flew in their wake as they hurried down the path. "I remember this place! We were here last year."

Jade smiled. "Let's go take a look."

"This dress is pretty!" Heather rushed over to the side of the store. "You should try it on."

Jade laughed. "Alright. Oh, and look at this one! You should try on this one."

Heather called the shopkeeper over, and they went to the dressing room in the back to try on the dresses.

"What do you think?" Jade inquired as she stepped out of her dressing room.

Heather stared at Jade for a long moment. In the new gown, Jade was like a fairy. Beautiful, elegant, enchanting. Her hair had grown out to her shoulders, and Jade shyly brushed a flyaway strand behind her ear.

Heather clapped her hands together. "Adorable!"

Before Jade could respond, the door to the shop violently flew open, and a face Heather never expected to see again appeared. The pirate captain's beard had grown even more scraggly in the past year, but the veins in his neck bulged in the same way as before.

"Well?" he demanded as he looked around the shop in a craze. "Where is he?"

"Where is who?" the shop owner asked shakily as she glared up at him. "Sir, you're disturbing my customers!"

"Where's the pirate king?" the captain roared. "I saw his ship docked at the port! He has to be in this town somewhere!"

The shop owner frowned. "I'll have you know that you're the only man to have entered my shop this morning. I'm sure I'd know if a pirate king had entered my shop."

The captain's gaze fell on where Heather and Jade were watching the scene unfold from the back of the room. His gaze swept right over them, and after a few long moments, he turned on his heel and marched out of the shop. The door slammed shut behind him.

"He didn't recognize us at all," Heather mused.

Jade just laughed. "I guess he would have never thought he was bested by two beautiful ladies. How about we buy these dresses? Let's stay in this town for a little while. The captain probably has his crew watching our ship and waiting to catch us. If we don't go back there for a few days, they'll grow tired and decide to wait for us at the entrance to the open ocean instead. But little do they know, we won't be passing through that way—we can fly."

After the two of them bought their dresses, they made their way out of the shop and down the flower-covered streets. Hand in hand, they continued on until they stopped at one of the vendors tucked between two flowering trees. "Two pastries, please," Jade said with a bright smile. Then, once they got their late breakfast, the two of them continued on their way down the path. They weren't going anywhere in particular, nor did they have any set destination in mind. But wherever they were going, they would go there together.

✦ End ✦