A few more hours passed. But they were the kind that didn't feel long while they were happening.
The hold remained dim and unchanged. And Sonder thought long and hard. All her thoughts were occupied with what the man had said and what she should do now that she had heard them.
At some point, the guards were changed again.
Four new sailors came down quietly, as if they were too loud, they might draw attention from the thing inside the cell.
The previous group left quickly.
Relieved that their time was up.
The new ones took their place with the same rigid caution, though they tried to appear steadier than they felt.
Sonder looked at the man inside the cell, and he remained where he was, resting, or pretending to.
She wondered if he slept as little as she did, seeing as he said that the two of them were similar; undead, or a vampire, whatever kind of creature he was.
And if he was long-lived as she was, he could lose track of time. Maybe he already was out of time and was just waiting until they reached the island to come back to his senses.
She stood up.
"I'll be back," she said simply to the guards.
When she noticed that they were clearly uneasy at the idea of being left alone, she reassured them that she'd only be away for a short time and that she doesn't think that anything will happen.
So, she left and climbed the stairs up to the deck.
It was bright, and she needed a moment to adjust.
There were only a few people on deck, and they seemed tense, staying close together.
But she wasn't here just to look. She went to find the captain.
And he wasn't hard to find.
He stood near the helm, one hand resting against the railing, his gaze fixed on the horizon.
He noticed her before she said anything.
"How's our guest?" he asked, turning.
"I don't know," Sonder said. "But he is still in the cell."
That was enough.
He gave a grunt.
"Captain, can we not turn around? Just turn around?"
"No." It came immediately. Not even a moment's consideration.
"He threatened everyone on the ship," she said. "Not just you. Everyone."
"I heard," the captain replied. "Doesn't change it. You think I don't want to? Turn this whole thing around, put as much sea between us and that island as I can. I would. In a heartbeat."
He gestured vaguely toward the ship.
"But we don't have that luxury. We had supplies for two weeks. That's already stretchin' it, not comfort. Wind's been against us more often than not, and we're carryin' more people than I'd like. If we turn around now, we don't make it back. Not without runnin' dry. Food. Water. Both. No 'maybe' about it. That's just how it is."
"We go to the island?"
"Aye, and resupply. That's the plan, and then we leave immediately. That good enough for ya?"
"Yes. It is the best I could hope for."
"We won't linger, and let's hope our friend down there's just talkin' big."