Acceptable losses.

As the circulation in her body finally got back to normal and Johanna was able to stand by herself, she took a step back from King, and considered the man again. He was definitely more accustomed to life on this island than she was, and cooperating with him would likely be the key to her survival.

“For starters,” King spoke, “Nothing is free. If you want something from me, I’ll need something from you in return.”

Johanna nodded. Maybe commerce was the right word, instead of cooperation. “Understood. I’m guessing that since you just let me out of your trap, I need to give you something now?”

King’s lips curled into a smile, and Johanna had a sudden urge to turn and run. Something about this man set her on edge. “Correct. As you don’t have much to negotiate with right now, why don’t you hand me your coat and we’ll call it even.”

Johanna looked down at her weathered captain’s coat, a sturdy piece of clothing that had seen her through many storms, and then back to King, who was shirtless and barefoot, and reasoned that she could afford to give up the coat. “Fine,” She acquiesced, quickly shedding the heavy coat and tossing it to King, who caught it deftly with one hand.

King examined the article of clothing, inside and out, before putting it on. King was roughly the same size as the captain, so it fit reasonably well. He seemed satisfied, at least. “Good. Now, I’m going to reset this trap and then head back home before it gets dark.”

Johanna looked up towards what little sky showed between the thick overhead canopy. It did seem like evening was approaching. “And would I be correct in guessing that if I want to follow you back to whatever counts as shelter on this island, I’ll need to pay again?”

King had turned away from Johanna and was fiddling with the rope trap, but he replied in the affirmative. “You learn quickly. Information is the key to survival, and if you want to learn where I lay my head at night… your boots. You can keep them on for now, but they belong to me.”

Johanna let out a sigh. She had expected exactly that price, but it was clear that she couldn’t afford to pay with articles of clothing forever. “Fine. You can keep them once we reach your… House?”

King finished resetting the trap, and immediately set off into the jungle, motioning for Johanna to follow him. It was immediately apparent how much time the man had spent getting used to navigating the jungle stealthily. He moved silently, ducking and weaving and hopping effortlessly through the mess of greenery, leaving no trace of his passage. Even trying to mirror his actions and route as closely as possible, Johanna was both noisier and slower by a significant amount. “Home is just ahead,” He pointed at what seemed to be a very ordinary shrub, before adding, “And try not to set off that tripwire in front of you. I don’t want blood all over my new boots.”

Johanna looked down and cursed, before gingerly stepping over a tiny white cord sitting at about ankle-height. Apparently the trap she had stumbled into earlier was not the only one she had to worry about in this jungle. In fact, if they were so close to his shelter, then it was likely that King had dozens of traps and snares set up in the surrounding area, either to dissuade intruders or catch easy meals. Perhaps both. For now, though, Johanna watched the man disappear behind the shrub he had pointed out earlier, and she followed just behind.

A ladder led down into a hole in the ground, and Johanna wordlessly descended into a surprisingly large and well-lit room. She immediately spotted a large fire pit, with a thin column of smoke exiting into a hole in the ceiling, a wooden bed frame padded with furs and leaves, a large stone slab set into the floor, and a doored exit on the opposite side of the room. If he carved out this hole in the ground himself, King was a fairly talented architect and carpenter, in addition to the other skills he had already displayed.

“You can leave the boots by the ladder,” King instructed, crouching by the firepit and setting it ablaze. “And now you know where to find me in the future.”

Johanna knelt down and began unlacing her- no, King’s boots. She didn’t like having to give up so much already, but in a way, it was comforting to know that at the very least, King seemed reliable. She had a feeling that anytime they made a deal, he would uphold his end no matter what. Of course, that also meant he would never give up more than he offered, and looking back, Johanna realized she had only bargained for the information of where he lived, and if night was approaching, it seemed she would have to strike another deal if she hoped to stay here tonight.

“I want to stay here tonight.” Johanna spoke clearly and carefully as she stepped towards where King was tending the flames. “A-and if you have an amount of food and water you can spare, I would like that, too.”

When King turned to face Johanna, his eyes raked over her, top to bottom, before answering. “I’m guessing you haven’t picked up anything worth trading during the short walk here.”

Johanna pursed her lips, before nodding. “Correct.”

King sighed. “Well, Johanna, I’m feeling very generous tonight, so here’s the deal: In exchange for assistance hauling water from the nearby pool tomorrow, I will grant you food and water for tonight.”

The captain nodded eagerly, “I accept.” She immediately recognized just how generous this deal was: Not only was he granting her sustenance tonight in exchange for nothing more than a bit of hard work, tomorrow he would show her where to find fresh water of her own for future use. She would be a fool to turn that offer down.

King nodded, before continuing. “As for sheltering here, I’ll give you two options. You may sleep on my floor tonight, by the fire, with your feet bound. I will untie you in the morning. The cost for this will be your socks and the number of people who were on your ship. Alternatively, you may sleep in my bed, tonight and any time you require shelter in the future. The price, in this case, is that you are no longer allowed to wear clothes in my house, and any night you wish to shelter here, you will sleep with me.”

Johanna’s eyes went wide at this, “You mean-”

“Sex, Johanna. If you want free access to my bed, I get your body. For the night, at least."

Johanna took a deep breath. At least he was honest. And not bad-looking, if she was being completely honest…