On cue, Evie O’Breen arrived, bearing a massive tray piled high with thick slices of grilled pork. One of her helpers handed out portions of broiled poultry and steamy zampa, the starchy side that looked like orange-tinged cream of rice. Fragrant steam filled the room with scents of crisp chicken skin, salted pork, and toasted grain.

Another server set out platters of roasted turnips, onion halves, and wilted spinach leaves. Caleb slid one over to Tavia. The unicorn let out a gasp of delight and then tucked in with a will. Finally, the last server pulled plates, cups, and silverware out of a drawer set into the great cabin’s side wall near the table.

Everyone passed them around, though Shaw preferred to gobble down his pork slices right off the tray. Evie’s assistant then poured healthy portions of lime-and-rum flavored grog all around. Conversation ceased for a moment as the sounds of chewing, tearing, or the clink of forks on plates filled the room.

Caleb paused between bites of food to take a swig from his mug. It had been a while since he’d had a meal this good, even aboard the Spitfire. The absence of the ever-present fish dishes in the meal told him that Evie’s mess had gone out of their way to make a special dinner indeed.

“Evie, this is amazing,” he enthused. Shaw let out an appreciative growl, while Tavia bobbed her horn. Donal and Sienna nodded together, as their mouths were still full.

“Oh, it wasn’t no bother, Captain,” the elderly woman said. “We’re right pleased that you were able to save more of our kin. Naturally, we felt our officers deserved something extra for their efforts.”

“Well, it’s very much appreciated. I don’t think I’ve had a piece of chicken since I came to this world,” Caleb noted, though he thought about the coops they’d taken from the Dromos Bay and installed on the Spitfire’s deck. “Please don’t tell me that we’re going to be short of fresh eggs after this.”

“Lir and Danu as my witness, I’d never sacrifice our layin’ hens for a single meal! Nay, these hens were already plucked, we took ‘em off the Disgraced Damsel. They’re about the only decent food we were able to scavenge off that rotten ditch crawler.”

A laugh went up from around the room at that. Evie and her helpers finished setting out the rest of their edible cargo and left the cabin. Caleb was closest to the door, so he set down his drink and opened it a crack.

Owen Garrett remained at the helm, holding the wheel steady. The dim glow cast by a couple lanterns set below on the main deck as all but lost in the bright moonlight. A drowsy hint of song floated up from those gathered on deck, though Caleb couldn’t make out the words.

Satisfied, he closed the door. Being careful to avoid tripping over Shaw’s tail, he went back to his spot at the table. A quick refill of grog, and he raised his mug.

“A toast,” Caleb said. “To our success, freeing the Arrenmar from Governor Sims’ grasp, and without losing a single man in the process. And to our successful reuniting of unicorn, griffin, and alloy dragon with our crew!”

Donal and Sienna stood, gave a hurrah! and clinked mugs with Caleb. Shaw let out an appreciative chirp, wrapped his leonine paw around a mug, and did likewise. Tavia stamped a hoof and tapped everyone’s glass with the tip of her horn, which made a bell-like chime that hung pleasantly in the air.

Caleb downed the rest of his mug, savoring the citrus-tinged liquor. He set the vessel down and looked around curiously. Then he stifled a burp with the back of his hand before asking a question.

“Speaking of reunions…where’s Daffodil? Did anyone remember to let her out of the compartment we shut her in?”

Tavia let out a snort of amazement.

“Would you think me so unkind, or careless? Caleb, I let her out as soon as we returned to your cabin. She’s been very busy helping with a special project. Something to speak about after dinner is complete. Mostly because it is an important, yet not urgent matter.”

Important but not urgent? Caleb opened his mouth to ask what she meant, but thought better of it. Instead, he returned to his earlier question.

“So…if she was helping you, where is she now?”

The mare looked around in confusion.

“How odd,” Tavia remarked. “She was right here a few minutes ago.”

Donal set his now-empty plate aside. “Likely she vanished and upped stakes to avoid being seen by Evie O’Breen and her galley assistants.”

“Maybe,” Caleb allowed. “But they’re gone now. Wait a moment…”

Caleb brought up his Quest Window screen. The last entry remained in place, unchanged.

Adventurer’s-Level Quest:

Encourage the newly arrived Arrenmar to join your crew en masse. STATUS: COMPLETE.

“Well, whatever’s happened to her isn’t serious,” he said. “Nothing new has come up in my Quest Window, so there’s no new mission I’m supposed to take on.”

Sienna shook her head at that. “I wish I understood how this second sight of yours operates. It makes me question how my world truly works.”

“It’s still strange for me too. My world doesn’t have screens floating at the side of your vision all the time. At least not yet. Even so–”

Caleb paused as he heard a barely-audible sound come from close by. He held up a hand, asking the others to be quiet for a moment. Then he traced the sound to a drawer set into the great cabin’s side wall next to him. He heard it again.

The soft crunch-crunch of someone chewing.

He slid open the drawer. Daffodil reclined in one of the carved recesses, looking pleased as punch. She finished her chewing, swallowed, and looked happily up at Caleb.

She let out a cute little belch, then covered her mouth with a golden-scaled paw.

“Oops! Sorry, Captain.”

Caleb’s nose filled with the scent of boiled pennies. He took a quick step back before his eyes started to water. Then he held out his arm and rested his hand on the open drawer.

“Uh, no problem,” he said. “Come on out.”

Daffodil climbed out of the drawer and moved up his arm. She settled in by draping herself across Caleb’s shoulders. Finally, she let out another tiny, copper-scented urrp!

“Oh, I shouldn’t have eaten all of that,” she lamented. “My poor tummy! I’ll be sleeping this off tonight.”

Eaten all of what? Caleb thought. He looked into the drawer a moment before he finally figured out what the little dragon had been dining on.

“Daffodil, did you just eat the rest of the silverware?”

“Well, it was silver something,” the little dragon admitted, somewhat sheepishly. “It smelled like silver, but it didn’t taste as good. Maybe it wasn’t fresh.”

Donal and Sienna burst out laughing. Shaw let out a leonine growl of a chuckle, while Tavia shook her head, making her beads rattle. Daffodil just looked confused.

“From what I have read,” Tavia informed her, “Human silverware is made up of layers of silver mixed with copper or nickel.”

Daffodil bobbed her head at the news. “So that’s why it tasted funny!”

That last statement finally cracked Caleb up.

“I think you’d better stick to coins from now on,” he said. “Better for our dining, better for your tummy.”

“You…you’re not mad at me, are you, Captain?”

Caleb let out a sigh. “No, you didn’t get the sets we were using to eat. And I’m sure we can plunder another set of someone’s pleasure yacht.”

With that, he returned to the table. The meal continued, with his officers discussing what had happened during their time apart. Shaw in particular seemed a little perturbed as he listened.

The feathers around his head fluffed up as Donal described the arrival of the Stone Angel and the destruction of the Flogging Molly. His furry hackles raised a bit as Sienna picked up the tale, talking about the rifle and cannon duel at the dock.

“Alas, fate hath been cruel!” the griffin said, with a rake of his claws against the floor. “To have missed such dire combat, the chance to die gloriously! It pains mine own heart! Captain, what about your escape from the Governor’s mansion with half of the captives?”

Yeah, Caleb thought, I better not add any more fuel to this fire.

“I don’t have much to tell you,” he said aloud. “There was a lot of running around, screaming at the top of the lungs, and generally trying not to die. You know, the usual.”

The drake appeared crestfallen at that. Tavia spoke up next.

“Don’t be too hard on yourself, warrior drake,” she said. “You kept me and Daffodil safe from all comers on that island, that was an honorable task.”

“Not to mention saving our butts on the way out of Matagorda Port,” Caleb added, before doing a double-take. “Wait, ‘all comers’? What happened?”

“There are other creatures on that island, trapped by the magic that turns them feral,” Tavia explained. “When one would approach, intending mayhem, Grimshaw’s mighty roars or hisses would scare them off.”

“Cowards,” the griffin grumbled. “The most they could have done is allow me to bloody my claws on their hides.”

“What kind of beasties did you see there?” Donal asked.

“I cannot truly say,” Tavia replied. “I caught mere glimpses through the jungle mist.”

“And I couldn’t see anything!” Daffodil added brightly. “I was stuck inside a wooden box! To be honest, the experience kind of sucked.”

Caleb bit back a laugh. Yeah, I bet it did, little one.

“Regardless, we were kept safe until you rescued the remaining Arrenmar,” Tavia said dismissively. “I did not complete a count of the current crew. But unless I miss my guess, it appears that we’re close to outgrowing our ship.”

“You haven’t missed your guess, Miss Morningstar,” Sienna said, as she finished her grog and leaned forward to speak. “We’ve got one hundred and thirty-two souls aboard, not including Breena or Daffodil.”

Breena let out a sniff as she remained aloft on the support beam. The cat returned to alternately ignoring them or grooming her underside.

“That’s all right,” the little dragon said, as she lay her head down on Caleb’s shoulder. “I’m supposed to be the resident stowaway. Or the resident lutin, anyway.”

“You heard about the lutin thing?” Caleb said, surprised.

“Oh, sure. I found a hiding spot to listen to the crew, over by Ferris Pender’s bunk. He was talking about finding another lutin’s stash and using the silver reward to buy himself a cat, or a lot of cats, the next time we got into a port. Which is kind of strange, because we already have Breena.”

Caleb coughed into his hand. “Ah. Well, it’s a special kind of cat.”

“It must be a very special kind!” Daffodil agreed. “He called it all sorts of names I’ve never heard. Lady Garden, Bearded Oyster, Wizard’s Sleeve, Sugar Notch, Sausage Slayer, Nob Gobbler...”

Donal clamped a hand over his mouth and turned away, trying not to laugh. Shaw let out a gruff laugh, while Sienna was stuck somewhere between amused and astounded. Tavia just looked puzzled.

“I’ll give Ferris Pender this much,” Caleb remarked. “If he can handle a longboat or a rifle as well as he knows naughty Avalonian slang, then he’s definitely of our most valuable crew members.”