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River, being faster and closer to Ai and the ball than Miyuki, reached them first, and she knelt next to them, giggling softly.

"Poor Ai," she cooed, trying not to laugh. "Nice catch, though!"

She picked up the ball carefully, gently extricating Ai's claws from the firm leather.

River giggled and stood up, the ball safely in her hands now.

"Well, I suppose we ought to put the ball away, now that people are waking up," she mused.

Jess walked up behind her, his hands clasped behind his back. "I have a feeling it's going to be a very quiet morning," he said quietly. "It was really late when they finished loading the ship. Almost morning, I think."

"How would you know?" River asked him with a frown. "You were asleep!"

Jess nodded to where Lancaeriel was standing, way up by the bowsprit of the ship. She hadn't moved a muscle since Miyuki had come up on deck. "She told me."

"I didn't ask," Jess replied softly, averting his eyes.

River giggled and leaned closer to Miyuki. "He's still shy of her because he doesn't really know her," she confided in her friend. "He never met her until we got to the Southland this time."

She laughed again. It amused her because seriously, of all the people to be shy around, Lancaeriel was probably the one to be least shy of! She wasn't like some of the others, who were always in your face (and yes, River knew that she was one of those people who could be overbearing).

River blinked at Miyuki. "You mean she does this often?" she asked, tilting her head curiously. She wrinkled her nose. "That's not good. Sleep is good for a person! Even I can't keep going indefinitely without a good night's sleep!"

"Seriously?" Jess stared at River. "You could have fooled me ..."

"Hey!" River pushed Jess away, and he burst out laughing. Obviously he had been teasing her, though of course with the straight face he'd had, and his usually quiet disposition, it was easy to think that he was being serious.

"Hmm," Jess murmured thoughtfully, taking up his place at River's side again.

River frowned, pursing her lips. "What was she researching?" she asked. "She wasn't like this when we traveled before, maybe the reason she can't sleep now is the same reason she worked so much at night."

Rambunctious and carefree she may seem, but River could be serious and intelligent when she wanted to.

Jess and River exchanged a significant glance, and Jess reached for River's hand.

"Maybe that's what's keeping her awake now," River said again, more slowly now, and more seriously. Her violet eyes were dark now. "To have a love that strong, and to be on her way to finally find him back ... I don't know if I would be able to sleep if I were in her place. It was hard enough when we got back home again, and I knew that our separation would only be temporary at that point ..."

"I bet she's lonely," Jess spoke up quietly.

"Well, you will, maybe, but probably not us," River shrugged. "I don't know how long we're going to stay, but definitely not as long as you - and we're not going to see as many places as you are."

"But if you do find him," Jess added, "be sure to tell us all about it when you get back, eh?"

He smiled warmly. He really was a romantic at heart, and he would be very happy indeed if he knew that Lancaeriel did someday find her husband back again.