Chapter 1[]
Byle lounged among the loose ropes and rigging, staring up at the stars, and letting the gently-rocking ship slowly calm his nerves, the sea gale raking through his fur. The stoat had seen and heard some things earlier that day he instantly wished he’d forget. And as if nasty memories weren’t enough, he soon noticed, to his annoyance, that there were bits of wood missing from the decking, salt water seeping through. Now he’s going to have to go all the way to Runja’s sleeping quarters to report it…Dang... Sighing exasperatedly, with the knowledge that the opportunity of a good nap is to be missed, he slowly raised his cold-numbed body and walks down, to be instantly hit by the putrid stench of sweaty bodies mingled with mold and ship scum below deck.
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Among the many Sea charts, maps, and poorly drawn sketches scattered across the table sat Biray, after many hours of trying vainly to figure out where in Hellgates they where…Every paper seemed to have at least one mistake that destroyed every idea she has of this coffin’s location. No matter how much the weasel tried. So finally, she decided to give up and say they were in Nosee. She snickered over the made-up name, raising her spirits a bit. If they were stupid enough to assign a Lookout for Kitchen Duty (Her stomach still churned at the thought of facing breakfast in a few hours) then they’ll be stupid enough to believe they were in a stretch of landless water known as Nosee…Hopefully. But if that doesn’t work out, she could always say they took the wrong papers, and have the Quartermaster punished in her stead. With that planned, she finally, after exactly six hours of mind-numbing, fruitless search, allowed herself to catch a bit of shuteye before sunset arrives.