216th Day, 0600 Local Time. Grand Arena, Shadowhaven.

You are roused from your bunks just after the sixth bell, and marched, without manacles, by a handful of guards to the Arena. Fifty yards behind you is another group, presumably the riggers, and in front of you in Magnus, stripped to the waist and shackled hand and foot walking between two hulking orcish soldiers. He looks pasty and rather pitiful, but when he looks over his shoulder at you he has that familiar glint in his eye.

215th Day, 231st Year. 1100 Local Time. Trade Council High Security Brig, Shadowhaven.

Jay reflects aloud, for not the first time, that last 2 weeks have been pleasant by prison standards. The food isn’t bad, you’ve got a window that looks out on the street below, the room is relatively large for the four of you, and you aren’t manacled to the wall. Quint, Brecklum, Taz, and Wung were all released within the first 3 days, since they had no recent history in Shadowhaven and held no share in the ship. They had their pay already, and although they seemed sheepish about it, chose to leave rather than remain in prison with their new employers. Taz indicates that he would be willing to ship with you again when you are released, and said he would speak to his friends in the Council on your behalf. The others left with mumbled apologies and wishes for luck. Quint promises Jay he’ll make it up to him one day.

160th Day, 231st year 1500 local time, Foreign Quarter

You’ve finished your preparations for sailing when Brislim returns to the vessels, his civic guards in tow. With him are three soldiers of the Trade Council. “Hail the ship! It appears you are making ready to depart. If that is true, these gentlemen would care to look over your cargo, and make sure everything is in order. It’ll save you time getting out of port today”

The Trade Council soldiers board the vessels, but it’s a rather cursory affair. They don’t even request destinations, just taking a quick look at the manifests and interviewing the crew briefly. They look ready to leave when the officer, an ensign, turns and asks, pointing at the ships log, “So, where is this wildling, Blendin?”

152nd day, 231st Year. Noon, Local Time, Dragonspine.

The journey was uneventful. Tooly spent much of his time repairing the Grandee, and while she is no ship-of-the-line, she has a single functional cannon on her port side, a working tiller, and a pair of small but usable sails.

This meant his tinkering time normally devoted to the Swoose was thankfully short.

You are in the middle of changing shifts when Moira calls down from the top of the envelope to inform you she has spotted land. Within an hour, you can see an island that can only be Dragon’s Spine laid out before you. It’s a long undulating ribbon of land, with two vast peaks in the center, the Wings of the Dragon. There is a small forest near what would likely be considered the head, and of course your destination, the Foreign Quarter, located near where one might expect the rectum were the island indeed a living dragon.

117th Day, 0630 Ship Time, Uncharted Island

Jay and Clovis grudgingly hand the wildling his coins; Asesh was a tad more rubbery than expected.

Gardner lands the Swoose atop the tower. As Jay and Clovis prepare to investigate the tower, Moira clears her throat and speaks up. “Gentlemen, the Guild and I cannot thank you enough for your rescue – I daresay the message I bear would have been lost with my life if it weren’t for your help. I will bury my crew, because whatever they may have become, they were good men while they lived.