Sage had passed out the second his head touched the pillow. He supposed being up through half the night after already being so exhausted did that to a person. At least it meant his dreams came and went for the rest of the night....enough to stir him here and there, but nothing potent enough to wake him. He was grateful for that, at least.

He woke some time later in the morning, shifting with a quiet groan. The places he'd scratched himself stung now, and he let out a quiet sigh, reaching for the roll of bandages he kept hidden under his bed. This sort of thing happened more often than he'd like to admit. His mind was still quite groggy...in the quiet mornings like this it admittedly took him a while to wake up. In the face of danger, he could be up and making decisions in a split second, but when all was quiet and the golden light was streaming in through the window, and he was warm and msotly comfortable....well, he'd lay around as long as he possibly could. He really wasn't a morning person.

Eventually though, the knock sounded on the door, and when he pulled himself up to answer it, his first mate handed him two plates-obviously breakfast for him and Jora. The food came with the message that they'd spotted a ship, far off in the distance that looked to be following them. It didn't look like a threat, but the old man said he was keeping an eye on it just in case. Sage nodded and thanked him tiredly, closing the door with his foot after that and poking his head into Jora's little area once he was sure she was decent, handing her the plate with a small hum of "breakfast."

He wasn't ignoring what had happened last night, but he needed some time to process it all. How much he'd really want to share with her. He'd been tired last night. Frazzled. He'd let a lot slip out, more than he'd necissarily meant to . He was just....not sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. She was being supportive, yes, but he wasn't sure how much she wanted to hear from him. He also didn't know how long she'd be here, and maybe that scared him more than anything.

Because in the end, he'd lose her again. She'd go back to her city, her ship, and he doubted they'd see each other again, unless he'd been caught and was about to be hung, and she just so happened to be at land then. He moved to sit down at his desk with a sigh, wondering if it was smart to rely on someone who would be gone in a week's time. She was all he had....but he didn't really have her. She'd offered her support while she was here. She'd kept him alive. That was it.

He sat back in his chair, pushing the plate of food to the side, his stomach rolling. He needed to eat...he knew that. But he just couldn't. Maybe she should've stayed out of it. He'd have died, but he'd have died fighting for his home. His family. He'd be buried in the ocean. That didn't sound so bad. It certainly sounded better than limping around like this, slowly tearing himself apart from the inside out.

He shook his head with a scowl. He shouldn't even be considering that. Beign alive was a blessing....you had to fight for it but it would be worth it in the end. That's what he'd always told himself. Now...he wasn't so sure. He'd been fighting for so long, what if this was a good as it ever got? His fingers tightened on the edges of his chair as he drifted off into his own mind again. If this was as good as it got, he wasn't sure he wanted it.

Sage had sat down not really paying attention to what Jora was doing.... He hadn't seen her emerge from her little area. Well, that was ok.... He didn't mind. And he certainly didn't mind her pulling him out of his mind.

He sort of blinked, glancing over at her as her voice drew him out of his mind before sighing, drawing his lower lip into his mouth yet again. "We don't know that," he noted gently. "You won't be here forever." It wasn't angry or accusatory or anything... He was simply stating a fact. She'd leave at some point. And if he relief too much on her now, when she did leave, whatever happened it would be even worse than last night.

He was quiet for a moment, before sighing and picking up a proven, fiddling with it. "Who am I to you," he finally asked after a moment. He needed to understand that. Why she was helping him. Why she was being so supportive. Were they friends? Both of them had grown to hold people away, to keep walls up around them for a reason. But here she was, letting him be vulnerable, and supporting him. But he wasn't sure why. What had made her turn on her own crew to get him out of there.

"I just need your honesty," he added softly. He wouldn't get upset, whatever her answer. But if she really was his friend, if he really could open up to her without getting hurt again.... He needed to know. Because if he opened up, and something she did hurt him, he wasn't sure he'd ever recover. Of course, he would be hurt when she left, but he couldn't keep her here. She had a home, a life. A family. He wasn't going to keep her from that.

Sage waited in the heavy silence as she thought. It was a tough question, he knew that...but he had to know. He did appreciate her honesty, of course, and he knew she was sincere about it all. She wasn't just saying she liked him and was his friend....this was more real, somehow. She was comforting him, still, and that hadn't even been his question. He'd just wanted to know how close they still were. What their relationship meant to her. It had been years....ten or more. They barely knew each other, and yet they understood each other perfectly.

It was an odd relationship....one he didn't fully understand either. So her response of I don't know didn't surprise him, though it did sting a little bit to know they weren't best friends like they used to be. He couldn't expect that though....too many things had changed. When she said she wouldn't leave until he was ready, he let out a sort of heavy breath, slouching back into his chair. "I don't know if I'll ever be ready," he noted softly. And by ready, he just meant fine enough to manage on his own. He wasn't even specifically talking about her leaving.

"I don't want to keep you from your life. Your family." It didn't seem fair to him, keeping her here instead of where she belonged. She had people she loved, and who loved her. She had a job, and a good one. Both she and her father were well off. She'd never have to worry about getting in trouble with the higher up ranking citizens, because she was one.

His head jerked up in surprise when she mentioned they were probably still friends. He had hoped for that...but he was also terrified of the answer all the same. It made no sense. All he wanted was someone to help him out. Soemone he could trust with it all. But that was also his worst fear. That he'd find someone, and then he'd just get hurt again. It wasn't soemthing he'd get over when she hugged him or whatever....especially after what had happened on the farm. Physical touch freaked him out a little bit still. But...not from her. No, for whatever reason he wanted her touch. It was stupid, really.

When she brushed her fingers against his, he moved his own hand after a moment to sort of lace their fingers together, almost heasitantly. It wasn't romantic, or a gesture of love, but one of trust. Support. She had her problems too, but if she was willing to support him, then he'd gladly support her too, if she needed it. But it was also one of thanks. It wasn't easy, to listen to someone and help someone like him. He'd already kept her up for most of the night, and that wasn't likely to change. And...he didn't want to hurt her. Sometimes his flashbacks caused him to go into fight or flight mode....which meant acting like a lunatic. He might not recognize her. Hit her or...try for a knife or soemthing, before she got him under control. He didn't want that.

Sage could feel the weight of her thoughts as they sat there, almost like another smoke curling around them and mingling quietly with his own. It was a little odd, but it was honest. And that was something he'd always appreciate. She wasn't going to sugar coat anything, wasn't going to promise him something she wasn't 100% sure she could keep. And that was more important than anything else she could give him. An empty promise meant nothing.

He nodded slightly when she spoke up again....only barely moving his head, but it was an acknowledgement of their relationship. They weren't sure what exactly it was, no....but it was strong. It was a good one. They wouldn't let anything happen to the other one. They'd be there to support each other, no matter what happened. "Neither are you," he murmured in response to her comment. She hadn't shared much about her past, and he wasn't going to push...but there was more to her than just working her way up the ranks. Her words were heavier, her eyes less bright than as a kid. Something had happened to dim that...and while she still carried the same spark of life, it was carried differently.

He moved to release her hand and stand up then, knowing he had a job to do. She was welcome to tag along, or stay in the cabin, whatever elseshe wanted to do....but he had things to get done, so he left that option open to her as he wandered out of his cabin, a careful eye checking over the rigging and sails and ropes, making sure all was well with the scene. His first mate greeted him, sharing a few quick statements - one man was ill, but not bad. Another had twisted an ankle lunging after a loose rope during the storm the day prior. He ordered them both to rest until they were fit for work again, in a few day's time before moving on to squint out at the vessel, still trailing on the horizon.

He handed a spy gladd to Jora, who had followed him out with a hum. "Looks like they're followin' us, eh," he sort of mused. He didn't need a spy glass to see that far away...he could clearly make out the little men running around, as well as the rather loud captain shouting orders. They were from the royal navy, he saw, which made his jaw tighten. They were being hunted....and that wasn't something he took lightly. But, in situations like this, it was best to take things into their own hands. "Make sure the men are ready for a battle," he noted quietly to his first mate, moving to take the helm from the man watching it, changing their path slightly.

To the rival vessel, it would look like they were still going straight. The other ship wouldn't change direction, since they wouldn't notice the slight chance. He slowed his own ship down too, just a bit, so the other ship would catch up as it got dark later. They'd catch up, realized his ship was tilted, keeping him away from their cannons, but giving him plenty of room to sink them.

Of course, he didn't need the cannons, he could just crash a giant wave on them or soemthing like that, but sicne he was only half nymph, his powers were taxing, and something that big created a lot of effort. Plus, he didn't really want people to know he wasn't fully human. Once they knew he was part magical creature, they came prepared to fight someone with large amounts of power. Which he had, but didn't necissarily like to use. Either way, there would be a fight that night, and he was determined to win. His attacks were fast, and deadly. He generally left no survivors.

Sage nodded when she mentioned they'd be coming at them in full force. He was well aware of that .. which is why he knew they couldn't mess this up. Luckily, he and his crew knew exactly what to do. They did the same thing every time. Well, not the exact same thing ...the alternated between three methods, aloud them as efficient as any plan could be. This just prevented anyone from figuring out what they were doing and figuring out a way to fight it just as effectively. It was a pattern he and his crew knew well. But to anyone else, it would seem random. That was the goal. Stay secret, stay safe.

And when secret wasn't necessarily an option, like now, while they were clearly being hunted....well they had a special way of doing things. He glanced over at jora as she told him she'd do anything she could and he nodded, moving his eyes back to the sea and the course ahead of the ship. "I want you to stay below," he noted. "Protect those of my crew who can't fight. I'll need a strong defense there if they breach us," he noted quietly, knowing the royal navy wasn't someone to be trifled with. He'd lost a lot of good men to their guns and cannons. To their swords too. And he was determined to keep as many of them alive as possible in this battle. But those who were ill, or hurt from the previous battle ...they wouldn't be fighting. Many just physically couldn't. One had a broken leg, another a broken arm. A few with nasty wounds to the torso or head. Someone would have to protect them. He knew Jora could keep the enemy away from them.

He noted her wary gaze though, and understood it well. Lives were at risk. This wasn't going to be easy. "You saw desperate defense, from a starving crew," he noted quietly after a moment. "This is us attacking them," he added. It would be much different than what she'd seen before. Sure, their moves last time we're swift, and silent....the storm aiding them to make the ghost seem like a ship, disappearing into the rain once they had what they needed. This would be sharper. Deadlier. More accurate aim. He knew he had to finish them off quickly, before they had time to gun his men down. Gun him down. As captain, they'd aim for him with everything they had. Take out the leader, they could control the crew. Well, they were wrong there.

In case he fell in battle, dead or too hurt to lead, his first mate would step up. The crew knew this, and they would listen to him without question. He would immediately become captain, and would be able to make sure they stood their ground or retreated safely. In a situation like this there could be no retreat though ...at least not a permanent one. But even so, he knew his crew would be ok if he fell.

The adrenaline was coursing through his body now, a familiar thrum that caused the sea around him to react, churning beneath the boat as it went. He moved to tie his hair back into its normal messy bun, a casual movement but telling his crew it was almost time to fight. To do what they could to secure their freedom.