7 days later, in the afternoon, Arya and Thomas were found in a heated pitched battle on the poop deck again. Thomas was acquitting himself much better, and Arya was still brutally punishing his mistakes, but nothing she could do would wipe the smile from his face. After disarming him yet again, she raised her sword to deliver a blow and balked at that same smile on his face. She dropped her sword, saying, "It's damned hard to keep hurting a man I've kissed. Bronn, you are now in charge of teaching him." She handed the wooden sword to Bronn and scuffled off to her cabin. Brienne got a wide-eyed look and followed after her. Bronn strutted out to young Thomas and said, "At last, I understand the smile you have plastered on your face all day. But you can wipe that smile off your face in front of me. She just tasked me with seeing to it that you survive in battle. Do you really understand what that means? Fighting isn't about style or skill; it's about winning. You need to learn that all is fair in war and... well, that other thing." Bronn looked after Arya's retreating form. He walked up to Thomas and swept both his legs straight out from under him. He hit the deck with a crunch and a shocked look on his face. Bronn snarled, "Now run along to your cabin and contemplate the meaning of winning in battle to survive. Tomorrow I will begin to hurt you badly unless you understand that meaning."
Brienne sat beside Arya with an arm on her shoulder, querying her about that kiss remark. Brienne had a look of motherly compassion on her face; it kind of scared Arya. Beth and Calancy were at their studies, and Calancy was making some real headway with the language. Beth finally figured out the gist of the other two's conversation and piped up, "Even I noticed his fine bearing, he might be a right catch." Arya waved off the remark, "It was just a spur-of-the-moment thing; there would be insurmountable complications in a shipboard romance. My plate is already full, and I can't really afford to split my concentration. He's really smart though..." Massive girl talk ensued. Calancy picked up on the conversation and started making kissy smooching sounds at Arya. Arya blushed a little. Calancy's laughter filled the room.
Just before evening meal, the ship suddenly slowed and then glided into a slow crawl. Everyone on board felt the change, and Thomas ran up on deck, still favoring his shoulder, to see what was amiss. Springer was at the wheel and shouted, "We seem to have lost the current." Some 700 nautical miles they had ridden it, but it had played out here. Thomas oversaw adjustments to the depth and angle of the 'water sail,' but nothing made much difference; the current was gone. A crewman up one mast shouted that the ocean seemed 'different' just ahead. They all ran to the prow, and sure enough, even the color of the water seemed different just ahead. As the ship slowed to a stop in the new water, a breeze picked up right behind them. Shouting and orders ran through the whole length of the ship. "To the sails, men, we have wind behind us again!" The 'water sail' was hoisted back up and stored with care, and the rigging came to life. Happy sail crews joyously set sails, and the ship lurched forward alive again. As the 'water sail' was being carted to storage, Captain Portsmith came alongside Thomas, saying, "You saved us, lad, you probably saved all our lives. If ever you have need, I owe you one."
They sailed all night, and the wind picked up as they went. They were flying across the water in the morning's first light. As the combat training began again, a shout came from a mast. "Sails ho to the north!" Calancy was at the rail, and when she saw the other ship, she started shrieking, "Enemy, Enemy, Enemy!" at the top of her lungs. Beth corralled her and herded her off to the cabin.
Captain Dirk was at the wheel, studying the ship. It had strange, slanted, square-looking sails and maybe 10 oars sticking out from its sides. The other ship spotted them, and their sails adjusted as they made a beeline towards them. Dirk gauged their speed and screamed, "All hands on deck, all hands on deck, armed. We have some bad intentions as company lads."