Second Star from the Right (Mint & Winnow)

[Can the hulk make it in to the harbor on its own with some jury-rig? Either by sail or oar?]

Winnow looks with satisfaction on the tiger's dinner. Then he will address the slaves.

"Men, you are all free. There is a small port that you can see there, and the people are civilized and will not harm you out of hand. From there you may find passage home, or at least to places where you can live with dignity."

If the hulk can be rigged, the Celeste's crew will help them do so, then wish them luck and shove off.

If not, Celeste will tow them into port, or at least to where they will wash up on a beach without too much danger.

He will also send over a day's worth of rations and two days of water. He will NOT let any of them onto the Celeste. Some of the slaves are probably innocent, but some might be genuine condemned criminals.

Once that is done, they will head out to sea and perhaps Mint will cast her transport spell.

Xue watches the hulk depart over the horizon, some time later. He mutters to Zhong, "Well, there goes my chance to be a Pirate King."

For his part, Zhong spits over the railing. "Feh. Pirates. Your mother would die of shame, to hear you say that."

"Oh please, nobody still believes the old stories about pirates and ninjas, do they?"

Mint checks the pirate ship herself before it departs. She will take any available maps. She looks rather disdainfully at the two tigers eating human flesh although she makes no move to stop them.

Once the minions have returned to the Celeste and the hulk has departed, Mint will say, "I suppose I should warn you that Amber recently fought and won a war against Shape Shifters and some there will not look kindly upon you if they know what you can do. It makes little difference to myself and Winnow. Oh and Sue, please don't get the mistaken impression that I fear you and yours. You personally have inspired in me no emotion stronger than annoyance. Now what pray tell is a Ningya?"

"Judging by the disdainful looks, your continued inability to pronounce my monosylabic name, and the frequency with which you remind us just how little we mean to you, I can only conclude that you are lying. To yourself, and to us. For reasons entirely your own, and it's not my business to pry."

"However, it is a poor guest who intrudes where he isn't wanted, and only a great fool puts himself in the middle of some kind of family disagreement. And so, Mintabilia Brandsdottir, being neither of these, I believe it is time that the minion and I take our leave." He turns to Winnow, "Captain, it has been a great pleasure. I had hoped for a great adventure with new friends, but since that is not what Fate chose to give me, I will settle for your hand in friendship." He holds out his hand.

"And, I would consider it a kindness if you might bring the boat to within sight of the land. We have sat idle on deck long enough, and a short swim would undoubtedly do us some good."

"Listen well to this you pathetic piece of shit. You have called a scion of Amber a liar and I will have satisfaction. We will see you safely back to land, find some local official to satisfy the local laws, and some legal place in which to do so, and you and I will duel. Winnow, will you speak to this one's second and settle the terms on my behalf?"

Mint withdraws to her cabin in a huff.

"Yes, I see what you mean. Very even-tempered, are your people. Be that as it may, I expect that with the shifting of the roads through Shadow, my people will have a presence in Farmouth. If you find yourself there in the future, please ask after me. You will be made most welcome."

"And as for your cousin's duel, you may inform her that as I am duty bound to challange Leontes, I am unable to accept her own challange. If she wishes, she may consider this a forfiture on my part. It certainly won't be my final lost duel. For what it's worth, I regret using the word 'lie'. It was not my intent to further offend her. Quite the opposite, in fact. I forget sometimes that you warrior types have so much of yourselves wrapped up in appearances. Please extend my apologies to her, when she's calmed down, would you?"

Winnow bows to Mint and murmurs, "Of course I will."

Once she has gone below, Winnow for his part will shake Xue's hand, but only out of politeness. He will tell Franclen to steer for the nearest strand free of rocks and shoals.

"I cannot call you friend on such short acquaintance, but you and I are not enemies. You have made one in Mint, however. If I may point out, aside from the differences in culture which are clashing, you all wear armor and appear to be warriors, yet you are not. You also refer to duels and other warriorly pursuits. This causes a certain dissonance in Mint's reaction to you; she is treating you as if you should be acting with a common sense of honor, but you obviously have your own morals and values."

"But labelling someone a liar must, even in your culture, be grounds for animosity. And I am still unclear about what you think she was dissembling: no, no, please do not explain. I am not the judge of these things. We both must consider this matter only postponed. And I am duty-bound to report it among our people, so that it will impede you in any relations with us, until it is settled."

"And let me point out that you seem to be unused to dealing with peers, perhaps because you have always won your fights, except those with those you are politically required to lose. But if I was the type to take offense, I could also point out that you painted all of my people, including me, with your impression of Mint. This is as if I publicly ascribed you clumsiness because of Peng's stumble. If you truly would like to be my friend at some time, you might think about playing for the gallery of your minions less, and attending to 'appearances' a bit more, for appearances are what we all judge one another by, at least, until deeper things are proved."

A few minutes later, when they are within easy swim of the strand, Winnow will have the ship heave to and offer boats, or they may swim as they suggested.

"Farewell! I wish you good hunting."

Xue ponders Winnow's words as they approach the water's edge. "You make a good point. The armor and the duel are not normal for us, and I did not consider the message they send."

When the coast comes into sight, Xue shoves his men playfully into the water. Before jumping himself, he says to Winnow. "Perhaps we are not friends, yet. But I would welcome the chance to change that. You may tell your cousin that, if she so desperately needs to satisfy herself upon my ruined body, it likely will be available near Farmouth. I think perhaps not for the next several months, but once I have been defeated, I'll need somewhere to heal. I will be without entourage and without armor, and maybe more aware of the nicities. Perhaps I can even make a friend of Mint."

With that, he dives in as well and begins swimming towards shore behind his men.

"Let us head towards Farmouth again, gentlemen. It seems that we are not meant to dally on our journey." Xue kicks at a rock on the beach, sullenly. "I guess we can beg a ride from the Crimson Unicorn, if it's still there. So, let's really run."

All eleven change to tiger form and begin loping back towards Farmouth.

Winnow seeks out Mint, reporting that the anomalous not-warrior hunters are departed.

"I am ready when you are to make the transit home. I find I have had enough adventure for one week, and could use a soak at Amber's barracks bath-house. And there is the poor woman's body to be given over and family to be dealt with and so on."

Mint will, somewhat grouchily, accept that Leontes' duel may take precedence over her own assuming that Winnow explains this line of reasoning to her.

"I am beyond ready."

Does the storm still impede their travel home or has it died away? If it remains Mint will use her spell to attempt to skirt, bypass, or leapfrog it as appropriate. If it is gone then Winnow may easily enough use Pattern to seek a route from these islands to home. In that case Mint will wait until Winnow is certain that he can do this before allowing her spell to lapse.

The squall (OOC- i.e. the merewives) is headed elsewhere.

Finding their way through the waters is difficult. Not impossible, but even getting here initially was anything but direct, even by the standards of traversing Shadow. Simple backtracking doesn't seem to work, while Mint's spells seem to go subtly awry.

(OOC: We persist. Difficult is not impossible. As long as progress is made keep going. If progress stops we assess the exact nature of the difficulty and try something else.)

Ditto. Absent some new adventure, we will keep shifting, trying trumps, presumably trying spells, etc.

Ultimately, the Celeste finds itself within the waters that "feel" like home. Some checking with the original charts, based on stars and the nearest landmark--some very distinctive-looking mountains on the horizon--confirm that they are now near one of the ship's regular ports-of-call.

They have arrived within easy docking distance of the city of Fjordheim in the kingdom of Uberwald--the outermost of the members of the Golden Circle. And, according the Josette, the current home of her brother Fernand. Here is where Prince Triton was supposed to be escorting Sister Mircalla, daughter of Uberwald's King.

(OOC: How many subjective days did the transit take? I'm trying to keep track of Lydia's progress on her latest spell research.)

The final test that they are back must be a Trump call. With Julian indisposed, and no Trump of Diana, Benedict is next in Mint's chain of command. Mint of course has copies of her extensive notes on everything that has happened since her departure ready in triplicate in case she gets through.

Mint focuses her will on the card. Esteemed commander, general, uncle, my report is long overdue.

The Celeste will not yet dock. She wear back and forth, keeping within easy sailing, until Winnow can see the result of Mint's call.

He would like to call Gerard but is unwilling to have them both on Trump and distracted. He is not above overtly listening to her side of the call to Benedict, though, unless she wants privacy.

Benedict's image appears. "Mint. Good to see you alive and whole."

Mint has no problem with Winnow's presence for the call.

"Thank you sir. I'm glad to be both. Cousin Winnow is with me. Thanks to his facility with pattern we have successfully traveled to the outskirts of Onyx island empire and returned to the vicinity of Uberwald. We made the briefest of contact with Commander Julian, and sighted the Merewives' storm there before returning. "

Mint produces the report packet labeled General Benedict and offers it through the Trump. She will also offer the packets labeled Commander Diana, and His Royal Highness King Random of Amber if Benedict wants to take charge of them.

If Benedict wants she will also give a verbal report.

"Unless you have new orders Sir, my intention is to contact cousin Triton, inform him of the new location of the Merewives in Onyx, and see if Sister Mircalla is still available to introduce me to Prince Fernand."

"I think that wise. Although, I'll also point out your cousin Reena is in Uberwald as well and has already met Fernand herself."

"Good to know. Thank you, sir." Mint salutes and ends the call.

(OOC: Did Benedict take all three packets or just his own?)

Mint turns to Winnow. "Do you have anyone you wish to inform of your return?"

Mint will keep watch while Winnow makes a Trump call if he so desires.

After that if Benedict did not take charge of the other packets, Mint will ask to pass them through Winnow's trump of the arrival space near Castle Amber. Once the packets are delivered and Winnow has made or refused any call, then Mint will Trump Triton.

Winnow will make a brief call to Gerard and report all the happenings. In the endless knowledge games, he might as well let his patron have some advantage.

Then he will go where Mint suggests. If it were up to him, he would want to return the woman's body to her family and buy Celeste if they would sell, perhaps to rid themselves of the tragedy.

If they go into port, he will once again see if they can sell, or barter the cargo for something else that has value elsewhere within the Golden Circle.

"My suggestion is that you set course to return the body of the far travellling woman to her family. Such is a noble and important task which I have diverted you from for far too long. It sounds as if both Triton and Reena are in Uberwald and can provide me Trump transit there. In the unlikely event that I may reach neither I am close enough for a spell to take me there. So you need not divert to the docks on my account."

Mint gathers her pack and has it ready in case she departs by Trump. Then she shuffles out four Trumps, Llyr, Triton, Aiden, and Reena. After a moment's indecision she decides to start with Prince Llyr. Fond memories of their recent dance float through her mind as she concentrates on his Trump willing the connection to form.

"Thank you. it will relieve my mind greatly to lay this unfinished task to rest."

Once Mint departs, Winnow will sail for Rebma.

[How do ships transload cargo in Rebma? Winnow would know, but I don't know what your version is.]

Once there, he will seek a port or tax-collection official and identify himself, especially mentioning that he is a member of Amber's royal family in case he is not recognized. He will explain how he came to salvage Celeste (which makes it legally his) and seek to find the identity of the ship, its owners and operators, and especially the nearest kin of the dead. He will show the official the logbook and ship's papers if necessary, but will in no case let them out of his possession.

He will also inquire of from where mana root comes and where it usually is conveyed to for profitable sale.

[OOC - will deal with the Celeste and the cargo after I've done with Mint. She might want Winnow to stick around.]

Prince Llyr's image appears to Mint. As usual, his dress is simple but the very finest. "Lady Mint," he smiles and nods his head. "A pleasure to see you once again. What may I do for you?"

"It is more what I may do for you, your highness. I offered to carry a message to your brother Triton or Sister Mircalla and while my visit to them was unavoidably delayed, it is finally about to happen, so I thought I would check whether you have anything you wish conveyed to either of them."