Summary - 4/17
The story opened with the crew of the pirate ship, the Sassy Lass, having been captured by a Montaigne privateer ship and Cathena Rivera being dragged to the Captain's quarters as 'company' for the vile captain. This ends with Cathena killing the captain, dressing in his clothing, sneaking back down to the hold, freeing the captives and leading an easy mutiny due to the fact that most of the crew was drunk on the Sassy Lass' rum.

Then, with Cathena still in charge, all those not killed, are trussed up, while the captured First Mate, Eric, is questioned in his quarters. During the questioning, Cathena discovers that it is this mercenary who orchestrated the take down of her ship. While pondering this, Jove, her First Mate and trusted friend informs her of an approaching ship.

This turns out to be none other than Le Emperor's own Pirate hunter ship, the Graceful Frog. In quick thinking by Cathena and volunteering by Eric, Cathena plans a trick to get their ship, now dubbed the Just Rewards, safely away by handing over the captives of this ship as captives of the Sassy Lass. The ruse works well and the Just Rewards speeds away with nary a scratch.

The next day, Cathena's claim on the Captaincy of the ship is challenged by a troublemaker, despite her youth and small experience, she points out that it was her plan and quick wits that saved them all. She is forced to fight the troublemaker and is about to loose when Eric appears, kills the trouble maker and encourages Cathena to claim the kill. Cathena does and her claim is upheld.

Summary 4/18
During the next couple of days, sparks fly between Eric, Jove and Cathena as positions are established. Finally coming up with Eric as helmsman to save him from the rest of the crew now that they know he was instrumental in the loss of the Sassy Lass. Also, Cathena finds a secret cache of coded messages and a code wheel in the form of a book of poetry which allows Eric to decrypt some of the messages.

Then, the peace is shattered by a call that a ship is spotted. It is the Graceful Frog and it is pursuing. Figuring out that it can't be just the people that the Frog is after and the coded messages mention a 'package,' Cathena (at Eric's prompting) asks Jove about the mission of the Sassy Lass. Turns out, the Sassy Lass was delivering a package to someone... who never showed. Jove hands over the package - a book. (Jove cannot read.)

The book is a genealogy of Montaigne noble family lines and family lines that crossed borders - including those into Castille. In particular, Sorcery talent is noted in all lines. Figuring out that the Inquisition and that Invisible College are involved somehow with the help of Jove and Eric, Cathena decides not to destroy the book and it is what the Graceful Frog is coming for. Instead, she hides the book in the hidey hole in the Captain's quarters, hides a second book in the cargo hold and wraps up the key code poetry book, tucking it into her bodice.

As the Graceful Frog closes in, just hours away, Cathena is faced with a horrible dilemma - if they fight, they will die. They are outgunned, out-shipped and out-manned. They are still 2 days from Bucca's waters and no friendly ships in sight. Suddenly, an outrageous and unorthodox plan comes to her mind.

Cathena decides that she will give the Graceful Frog another target. She (over Jove and Eric's bitter protestations) will sacrifice herself for her ship. Taking the coded messages and the poetry book, she will take off for shore in a row boat, luring the Graceful Frog to chase her instead. She makes Jove promise to get the genealogy book to whomever it is supposed to go to and to tell her family what happened to her.

Once in the row boat, Cathena's fear of what is to come is mildly soothed by Eric's disobedience to a direct order (yet again), as he jumps ship to come with her, stating that it was only her presence that kept him alive anyway. She allows him to stay, relieved of not having to face this alone.

The two of them row as fast as they can and the ruse works. The Graceful Frog comes after them instead of the Just Rewards. During the trip, Cathena asks Eric about himself and his tells her a story of being a simple mariner from Avalon. She thinks there is more to him than that - just like she is not just a criminal from Bucca.

Despite their sincere attempt to escape, the Frog does catch up with them. Cathena threatens to destroy the code key book. A vile nobleman leading the capture parties ends up shooting Eric to get her to acquiesce. Eric and Cathena are captured by the Montainges and Cathena silently swears vengeance on the noble who shot Eric. In their capture, Cathena's dread is only soothed by the knowledge that the Just Rewards got free and that the Montaignes have the wrong book.

We leave Eric and Cathena, captured, in a cabin on the Graceful Frog. Eric is recovering from the shot to the arm (just a flesh wound) and the two of them have just been "invited" to dinner as "guests." Both of them have just been given fresh clothing that they are expected to change into.

Summary 4/19
Dinner was an interesting affair as Eric and Cathena supped with Duke Henri Anjou and his psychotic nephew, Pierre. Cathena, now seeing the face of the enemy and relying solely on 5 year old knowledge on how to be a noble, was full of sharp, biting comments that seemed to amuse the Duke and anger the nephew. During the dinner, Eric was revealed as Eric Blake, the youngest brother to the notorious Privateer and a spy for Avalon. While Cathena was surprised, fortune was on Eric's side as their mutual enemy kept them friendly.

After dinner, the Duke revealed that 'dessert' was to be information - an exchange of information to ensure a quick, painless death. Cathena, 17 and feeling both panicked and immortal, absolutely refused to comply and utterly missed Eric's attempt to make her valuable to the Duke by pointing out that not only was she the only one who now knew where the book was, she was the only one who could get it for them from Bucca. She swore that she would rather die first.

As the Cathena and Eric sniped at each other, with Pierre fondling his sharp pointy things in anticipation of the coming torture, Duke Anjou sent the captives back to their cabin to 'sort out their story.' While in the cabin, Cathena and Eric continued to argue with Eric confessing a lot more of his background and pointing out to the pissed off Castillian woman that he really didn't have time to explain to her that he was also a spy for Queen Elaine as well as an Avalon mercenary.

Barely mollified, Cathena kept up the argument but was no longer truly directing it at Eric as she watched the shadows of those around the port holes and door. After a bit, she mimed to Eric, who had figured out that the argument was no longer real, that there were people listening and he should shoulder ram the door - which he did with startling success. He managed to knock out the two guards intently listening but also reopened his wound.

Cathena got their guards weapons, pistols and swords, replaced the door and picked up Eric. The two of them snuck to the rowboats, lowered theirs down and cut the tow line. After all of that drama and exertion, Eric promptly passed out leaving Cathena to get the row boat going in the right direction.

We leave our heros in a little rowboat, miles from an unknown shore, wearing Montaigne formal wear, in the dead of night with about one week's worth of emergency rations. Cathena realizes as she drifts off to sleep that she has no idea which shore they are closest to - Occupied Castille or Free Castille. Either way, they will not be welcomed when they land.