Arya and Beth were close on her heels. Arya said, "Careful, Calancy, we don't know who they are." The small dragonkin said, "She knows him. He's part of her family, mother's brother, I believe." Beth called after Calancy, "This is family?" Calancy smiled and said, "Brother of my mother." The larger pixie man bowed to Arya, speaking many words and saying, "Caelan," pointing to himself. "He's thanking you for finding and saving her," the small dragonkin said. He lisped all the words he spoke in their language, but he was easily understood. Arya turned on him, saying, "Whom might you be, sir?" He made a face that could be construed as a smile, saying, "I am Belaletrix." Arya nodded, saying, "You clearly understand three of the languages we are going to be in contact with; you could be quite useful to us. Can we trust you, though?" Belaletrix looked at her, "To not lie, yes. To not violently attack you or your crew, yes. I swore that to the swarthy killer below decks before he would free me. To give away all the secrets of my race, no. To not study your culture and inventions to sell the information later, no. To swear fealty to a lesser race, no. To take payment, housing, and transportation to a spot of my choosing, yes. To aid you in understanding language, maps, and peoples for that price, yes."
Arya looked at Belaletrix for a few moments, then reached out to shake his hand and said, "Done." He didn't understand the reaching out of hands, but he touched hers. "You humans have such strange customs," he added.
Springer, Dirk, and Portsmith, standing nearby, watched this exchange. Dirk said, "Perhaps a dangerous but useful agreement, Arya. But the crew and I will attempt to abide by it. As to these others, the humans, perhaps they will make an introduction, and we can see to their lodging and maybe their usefulness?"
Belaletrix smiled and said, "They are all pirates." Jon stepped out of the line toward Arya, saying, "He's not wrong, we are all that is left from two pirate crews the dragonkin captured and enslaved. My name is Jon, and before being a pirate, I was a Knight and a Lord. These others are damned good sailors and fighters. They can introduce themselves, but I have no doubt they would make an excellent crew. Except for a few of them having very light fingers, if you catch my drift. You have my fealty, Mam, if for nothing else than for saving me." Arya turned to the other former human slaves, "Light fingers can be removed. Swear fealty to our cause here and now or go overboard."
The pirates introduced themselves one by one and told of their sailing skills, and they swore fealty to Arya one by one because they didn't know the cause. Arya and the captains were surprised when one introduced herself as a woman. Arya wondered if she would feel safe bunking with so many male crew, and Drena said, "I will kill them if they try to abuse me." Several of the other pirates nodded seriously at her remark.
"Well then, I believe we can bunk the humans with the rest of the crew, as there are enough spaces for nine. Portsmith continued, "The dragonkin can bunk in the small spare cabin for watchmen under the fore castle. It's small, but has a bed, a desk, and a porthole for decent light in the day. Jon "Connington," I believe, can bunk in my spare cabin, as a former lord, he should have no less accommodation. For the pixies, we can turn a spare meeting room that has a privy into a bunk room. When the carpenters are good with the few repairs the ship needs, they will see to it. Until then, they may have the room and the bedding they need. We gathered another month or two worth of water and foodstuffs from the booty, so we should have no trouble feeding our new sail crew members and the others." Arya asked Belaletrix to translate all that to the pixies, and he did. The pixies all nodded in understanding and agreement. Bart and four crewmen carried large pots of hot food on deck, along with some stools, and served them all their first real meal in years. They ate like hungry animals and looked very satisfied when they finished. Only Belaletrix picked at the food and said his menu would require some changes.