He laughed at her question, not caring in the slightest that she grabbed for him. Her touch sobered his enthusiasm, though, and he looked at her, still smiling, his eyes still sparkling with excitement. "That's the adventure, isn't it? Following the map and the clues, whether you know what's lying ahead or not? The unknown is exciting and challenging, and you never know what you'll encounter when you're roving around."
He sobered though, because he understood her fear and uncertainty. His crew was used to his sudden flights of fancy and went along with him, knowing that he wouldn't lead them into danger or put their lives at risk, but Morgana didn't know him from an albatross. So, he reached to place his hand over hers, giving her wrist a quick, tight squeeze.
"Northeast, toward the Three Sisters. They're small islands, and the waters between them are shallow and filled with sharp rocks, so most ships avoid them or go around them. There are only a few times a year that the waters are high enough that ships can sail between them without fear of being grounded or having the rocks scrape out the hull. I'm not sure yet if we're going to have to deal with the Ladies, but we'll find out when we get there."
He released her and turned his attention back to the helm, his eyes drifting toward the sails that his crew were unfurling to full sail, increasing their speed as the wind caught in the giant triangles of canvas.
"I won't let anything happen to you, Morgana, I promise."
