Fable

Tempest Snare lies between the Narrows and the Unnamed Sea. Saint built his fortune by mapping its treacherous waters and dredging wrecks there. West ignores Fable after they leave Ceros, so she follows him into his cabin. She reassures him about the difficult maneuvers they will need to execute in Tempest Snare, and he reveals that he and Willa haven’t told the rest of the crew that they’re siblings. West dives into the water to undertake the “disgusting, tedious job” of scraping barnacles off the ship’s hull (298). Fable assists him even though she knows that this will make it apparent that she cares about him.

At dawn the next morning, the labyrinthine reefs that make up Tempest Snare come into view. From her perch atop the mainmast, Fable uses her scar to call out directions to the crew so they can navigate between the reefs. Tempest Snare has sunk countless ships, and she’s keenly aware that West and his crew are trusting her with their lives. The ship must turn at a sharp right angle between two reefs, and the crew barely manages the difficult maneuver. Knowing that the ship’s hull could have breached and doomed them all, Fable tears up in relief.