The captain's daughter sleeps soundlessly next to you in the large cabin you have taken as your own. The quilts are tangled about her plump form, a single, pendulous tit sitting naked in the night. You look at the girl for a long moment. Her face is soft, round, and plain. Her nipple is large and dark. It is nice that she sleeps without a sound. When awake, she can hardly manage to keep her mouth shut. You sigh, then lie on your back to gaze at the lantern that swings from the ceilings with the rocking of the waves. Half the night has already come and gone, and though there is tiredness in your eyes, you find yourself unable to sleep. The lickspittle of a captain told you earlier that you should be arriving at Pyke tomorrow and the thought has been seeding in your mind ever since.
You will be seeing your father. Your stomach twists at the thought. You are uncertain of what to expect. You have been away from home for so long, sometimes you wonder if it truly is home. But no answer ever comes to you. With a sigh, you roll onto your side and close your eyes. You imagine your homecoming for the thousandth time, as you have done since you were a child. You see the blue-green sea spread beneath the gray sky, the black rocks of Pyke rising high from the water. It will be cold and windy. The air will be damp and will chill you to the bones, but you will smell the salt in the air and be glad. Your father will ride to meet you. There will be no joyful embrace, but you will know from the look in his eyes that he is glad to have you home.
A second sigh escapes you as you drift off to sleep.