Garrison finished securing the last of the ropes, allowing the solar sails to billow out to catch as much distant starlight as possible, and looked down. Nathaniel had made it halfway up the foremast ladder and was clinging, calling. "Nathaniel! Don't move, I'm coming down!" He released the mast, grasping the top of the ladder and slid down rather than climbed. Twisting his body, Garrison straddled Nathaniel and put an arm around him. "Hey, listen to me. You're safe, okay? I'm gonna take us both back down." He twisted the small alien into his arms and turned his back to the rope, bracing himself since the thing wasn't secure in the middle, and jumped down to the upper deck below them.

He landed on his feet softly, with Nathaniel cradled in his arms and clinging close to him. "There we go. Hey, you okay?" He purred reassuringly, nuzzling the creature's ear. "You got pretty high up before you stopped."