these weeks have been the six longest weeks of his life- but also the shortest. he’s taken to the captaincy like a bird takes to flying. which is to say, hesitantly and without being completely sure of himself. he has battled for territory more times than he cares to count, but so far that has been his only working policy. keep the territory, look after the ship, everything else will deal with itself until uma gets back. he’s always been outwardly sure of her coming back, he’d never doubt her loyalty- but he doesn’t know what would happen if she was found by their guards. they wouldn’t be inclined to just give her back, would they? so she’s being sensible, she’s hiding, she’s recouping, she’s planning.
except apparently the words uma and sensible don’t belong in the same sentence. he’s trawling the seafront, looking for fish to steal when he spots the blue against the grey sand and brown waves and his feet move before his head catches up. he touches her gently, carefully. she’s unconscious, but doesn’t look injured. so of course, he hoists her into his arms and carries her back to the ship. people stare but he doesn’t have the free hand to teach them not to, so for once, he lets it slide. uma is more important. once on the ship, he takes her to her cabin and lays her on her bed, covering her with blankets and then settling into a wobbly chair at her side.
it’s hours later when she jerks awake, making him jump in surprise, but immediately reach for her, fingers hovering inches from her shoulder. “ uma, ” he murmurs, soothing and reverent. “ it’s alright, you’re alright. ”
she’s sure it’s all a dream until she hears harry’s voice, it anchors her to the moment and gives uma a chance to focus on the rocking of the ship as it moves with the waves. she’s done it, she’s fought her way back onto the isle and as odd as it is she’s happier for it. but she cannot deny how disconnected she feels once the realization has settled in. uma has given up not just her freedom but the access to magics she’s only ever dreamed of wielding.
there’s a feeling of emptiness that she’s uncomfortably familiar with, only this time uma knows exactly what it is that’s been taken away from her. it’s something that she’ll keep to herself, but the loss is still felt and deeply. it’s a choice she knows she’d make again if she has to, her crew and her people come before her own wants and needs. something that uma has proven time and time again, even at risk of her very life. she merely hopes the rest of the isle remembers that despite her failure to bring the barrier down and free them.
at least she still has harry, at least she hopes so, uma knows better than to assume but she knows she’s let him down as well and it eats at her when she looks over to him. “what happened? the last thing i remember is breaking through the barrier and making it to shore. how’d i get here?” she resists the urge to reach out and hug him, but she does lift a hand to his chest, feels the beating heart under it and reassures herself again that this isn’t a dream.
