I looked to the stern, Northpoint was gone from sight and Dustspear was slowly fading into the horizon. While my fleet was sailing eastward, bound for Redwater, my thoughts were on several people to the west.
The first of those was Asha, who while I didn’t intend to marry, had dominated my nightly thoughts regularly since I’d left Sunspear. Given she was carrying my child – probably the first of many I’d have – it was understandable that my thoughts turned to her. I worried for her health and found myself, each night before bed, offering a small prayer for her safety, and the birth of a strong, healthy child. Those prayers were only given to the Old Gods. The Seven could fuck right off, and the less said about the twisted Drowned God of the Ironborn, the better.
Whenever I thought about Asha, my thoughts turned to others in Sunspear, especially Ari. She seemed happy about Asha's pregnancy, but I worried about our future. Once Doran knew Viserys was dead, he might seek a husband for Ari to secure her rule over Dorne. The idea of another touching her or any of my ladies infuriated me, but I had little control over the matter. Ari was heir to Sunspear, and a bastard like me, even with my conquests, was unsuitable for her.
The only way to gain Ari's hand would be if she agreed to give Dorne to Quentyn and become Lady of the Stepstones, but Ari would never agree to that. My thoughts then drifted to Nym, Sarella, and Ty. Sarella was secretly studying at the Citadel in Oldtown, while Ty was finishing her time with the Silent Sisters or returning to Sunspear. I owed Ty an apology for my reaction to her helping Alysanne sneak out of Winterfell.
I missed Ty more with time. She was smart, quick-witted, and more intelligent than she let on. Before she left for Oldtown, she asked many questions about the Old Gods, and Oberyn thought she might convert. I wondered if her faith had changed or if she still trusted the Seven.
My mind after briefly passing over Beron, Alysanne, and others, shifted to Rian. Alongside Asha, it was he who spent the most time in my thoughts. I missed having him at my side, and while I could fly through the minds of the captured and broken gulls now with me – numbering twelve in total when we’d set sail from Northpoint – it wasn’t the same. Rian was a part of me, more so than any of the ladies, and having him so distant made me feel incomplete. It had been the same with Kaa when I’d left him in Sunspear and Northpoint when attacking Dustspear and The Whores. However, that issue was soon to be resolved.
About a week after we’d arrived back in Northpoint, I’d sensed a shift in Rian’s mind. It had taken me a few hours to work out what was happening, but I’d come to realise that Rian was returning to my side. Talon must’ve left the nest, at least enough that Rian was willing to no longer monitor his progeny. Each hour I’d sensed Rian come closer, much as I’d done when he’d returned from the Red Mountains with Riona, meaning he was bound for Northpoint. The issue was that, after another week of gathering supplies, training the men to work in units, and setting up Northpoint – primarily by assigning Phineas Irryl as mayor – I could no longer delay departing for Redwater. It had been a day since we’d left, spent rowing to push us eastward. Now, with a decent tailwind to carry us over the sea to our target, I wondered if we’d soon be too far gone for Rian to join us.
Another issue was Riona. Sunfyre eagles were believed to mate for life, and if that were the case the odds were that she’d be flying with Rian. While I felt he could manage the flight from the Broken Arm to Dustspear, I feared she might not. Now, there was a chance that she remained behind in Sunspear – something I suspected Ari and Alysanne among others would approve of – but I felt it was more probable she’d attempt the flight with Rian.
Provided she was able to reach Dustspear safely – which I felt she could as eagles had incredible range when soaring through the air - then Phineas and those who’d come from Sunspear would know the birds and ensure they were well looked after. However, the longer it took Rian to reach the settlement, with or without his mate, the smaller the odds became of him joining me for the new campaign.
The sound of the men, most manning the oars, moving in time – chanting, amusingly, Drunken Sailor as they worked – drew my focus back to my location. My flag was aboard the Red Kraken for this campaign. While I adored the Windchaser and considered her my ship, she wasn’t, even with four scorpions on her deck, built for war. She was a fast transport vessel, and I’d assigned her to that role in Northpoint.
The Ilaerah’s Luck had also remained behind as, once all the necessary supplies for the campaign – be those food, resources, or spare arrows and bolts – had been secured aboard the Pride of Saltbrook. The cog was the largest of the ships in my fleet, and since most of the trade goods that would head to Sunspear wouldn’t need the large vessel, it had worked out well to have it carry all our supplies.
Daemon, along with his squire and page were aboard the Coral Howl, while Bronn, Cayde, and Jaeronos were on one of the four galleys in the fleet. The last was commanded by Dorvan Slate. The man was one Cayde had known since they were kids, and while trueborn, as a third son of a landed knight, had never been destined to inherit much. He had been taken as a squire by a hedge knight, but the man had died in a minor tourney somewhere in the Vale, and thus Dorvan turned to be a sellsword. There was likely more to his backstory, but that was all I’d gotten from him and Cayde when the latter had brought the man to me.
Two other sellswords, Jeffery and Illahdor, had also been made lieutenants in my ranks. The former was a lowborn who’d fought with us in The Whores and proven himself capable of leading men when the captain of the galley he was on had died and he’d assumed command. Jeffery wasn’t as skilled as Bronn, nor, thankfully, as quick-witted and blunt, but he was a good hand. The same was true of Illahdor, who originally hailed from Volantis. The man had been with us from the beginning, and on the recommendation of others, had earned his promotion. Illahdor had asked me about how I’d ignited my blade, and after I’d explained it away as a trick of wildfire – which I wasn’t sure he bought – he’d warned me that the priests of R’hllor would, once they learnt of it, possibly show interest in me.
That Volantis, or at least their religious base, would turn their attention my way was something I’d been expecting to eventually happen. Still, I had perhaps a year before the attention of Volantis, and other Free Cities, would focus on my actions in the Steps. Plans existed for how to handle that, or at least delay them attacking for as long as possible so I might gather my forces to counter them, but those were for another day.
The promotion of the four new officers – the last had taken the position as head of the guards in Northpoint – and the increased rank and pay for Daemon, Bronn, Cadye, and Jaeronos, were needed due to my enlarged forces. Across Northpoint and the fleet, I had close to eight hundred men at my command. Most were former pirates who’d bent the knee, but a good chunk were sellswords. All had signed the charter I’d created when I’d first planned the attacks against the Grim Prince, and while there’d been no major violation of the rules, I knew it was only a matter of time until it occurred. Still, the man losing a week’s wages for theft of food from the stores on Northpoint had shown, I hoped, that I would enforce the rules.
While, if I took all my men and ships, I felt I could sweep most, if not all, of Redwater with relative ease, I couldn’t do that. I needed to leave a decent force on Dustspear. While it was unlikely any of the Pirate Lords from other islands would attempt to test my defences – or even retaliate for my actions in The Whores – I couldn’t take the chance. Without Northpoint, not only would my forces lose our only safe harbour in The Whores, but it would destroy my chances to build something designed to last beyond the battles that awaited me in the North and beyond.
As such, a bit over a hundred and fifty men, along with three galleys and the two surviving longboats, remained behind. The longboats were to patrol just out to sea in shifts, watching for approaching vessels, while the galleys were to remain ready to sail if needed. If a supply run to Sunspear was needed, then one of the galleys would escort Ilaerah’s Luck there. That many men, along with the hundred settlers in Northpoint, should be enough to dissuade anything but the most determined of attacks; something I felt no Pirate Lord would attempt so quickly.
That left me around six hundred men – which included the crews – to man my fleet. That meant things were a touch tight across the seven vessels, but nothing that couldn’t be endured for the week or so it should take to sail to Redwater.
With that force, I should be able to take Redwater, though I doubted that even unless most of the pirates there bent the knee when attacked, then I might not have the forces to maintain control of the entire island. Hells, even if all three Pirate Lords – and I disliked that title, but it worked to signify the power players in the Steps – swore fidelity I wasn’t sure I could maintain control. Not in the way I wanted.
Of course, the Pirate Lords wouldn’t bend the knee with all their men. Individually, I should be able to overwhelm any of them, but if they combined forces, I’d be looking at a two or three-to-one disadvantage. That meant I was going to have to fight smart to gain the island; or at the very least, majority control of it.
Fighting smart would also be needed for my squires. The boys were in their cabin – more accurately, a large storeroom that had been converted for their use – cleaning the weapons and armour we’d be using. Ymir was with them; the pair having adjusted well to the idea that they could communicate with me through the direwolf. Both had begun meditating in the hopes of unlocking magic and while I felt Trystane would unlock Water Magic soon enough, I hoped Edric had some ability to wield some form of magic. If he didn’t, there was a good chance he’d grow jealous of Trystane’s ability. Regardless of whether he did or not, I was hoping to train him, once he was a little older and stronger, to wield mass weapons. That should, I hoped, place the idea in his thoughts that he could become the Sword of the Morning, which was a fair conciliatory prize if he lacked the capacity for magic.
My head spun there, sensing a familiar presence calling out to me. A Myrish Eye was lifted to my sight, and I scanned the horizon, trying desperately to spot a familiar shape moving above Dustspear. “Hello there,” I muttered warmly as I found the speck in the sky above the island. However, as I watched, I saw another speck appear in the sky and knew Riona was there as well.
I was happy for him, though I knew that Rian would have to rest for a while before coming after us. For a moment, I considered ordering the fleet to slow, but after the day of rowing, and with the breeze in our sails coming from Dustspear, I knew that it wouldn’t take Rian long to catch up. At the height he flew, the air moved quicker, and I expected him to arrive by the evening. If he didn’t, I’d have a torch lit to guide him. Regardless, I would be waiting.
… …
That evening, I was back on the quarterdeck of the Red Kraken. My meal was eaten quickly as I sensed the impending arrival of my final companion for the campaign. At my side, Ymir circled, either sensing my agitation and excitement at Rian’s return or looking forward to the event as well. Kaa was nearby, curried up on top of a barrel. Normally at this hour, the viper would be snoozing in my cabin, but when I’d stood to return to the quarterdeck, he’d made clear his intent to come. Once here, as if knowing who would soon be arriving, he’d shifted from my shoulders to the barrel. While he appeared to be sleeping, the occasional flick of his tongue, along with how his head shifted whenever I moved too much made it clear he was only resting.
Even in the dwindling light, I didn’t need help spotting Rian. He was far above the setting sun, and angling toward us from the south. As he moved closer, gliding gracefully through the sky, I struggled to remain calm. The man at the helm kept looking at me as I paced, waiting for Rian to return, and cursing the seconds for seemingly growing longer with each passing one.
Eventually, Rian was closer enough that I could make out the markings of his feathers, noting the shifting of colour in his plumage. Seeing us below, he circled the Kraken, his high-pitched whistle drawing the attention of the helmsman along with others on the deck. Those who knew the bird returned to their work, those who didn’t whispered among themselves, a few pointing excitedly at the eagle. If any one of them went for a weapon, they’d be dead before they had time to point it at the eagle.
As Rian circled back toward me I felt his joy at our reunion mix with mine, and as he swooped down I stepped to one side, extending my arm. Normally, I’d not let him land there, both due to his size and the sharpness of his talons, but I’d come prepared. While lacking metal vambraces, I’d wrapped some cord around the forearm and felt I could endure the weight for a while.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Rian agreed, as when he finished his dive toward us, his wings swooping out and causing the helmsman to stumble back in fear at how massive they were, he flapped over and then grasped onto my arm. I grunted, not used to the weight after some time apart. While I’d seen him in Sunspear, I’d not let him land on my arm for several months, or more accurately, he’d chosen not to, choosing instead to remain close to the nest.
“Hey there, boy,” I said with a wide smile threatening to split my face in half. My other hand came up, and he leaned into the touch, letting me scratch him at the back of his skull. A few excited chirped whistles exited his beak as I scratched him, which drew happy grunts and moans from Ymir. “Rejoining us?” I asked, drawing an energetic bobbing of Rian’s head.
I laughed at the display, knowing he understood me. “Good. I can not wait to fly with you again. Though this time, I can be beside you.” Rian tilted his head, not understanding my intentions. “you shall find out tomorrow,” I continued, figuring that conversation could wait. “For now, we shall head to the cabin.
I was sure the helmsman if he’d recovered from the appearance of the massive – I’d place Rian’s wingspan at about ten feet – bird land on my arm would think me mad for talking to Rian as if he were human. I, however, didn’t care. Rian was back, and for the first time, I was sailing into battle with all my bestial companions. While I’d still use the gulls, as there was no way I was risking Rian for what I planned to use those birds for, it felt great. As if finally, after a long time, I was finally whole again.
… …
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… …
I looked around, the enhanced eyesight allowing me, along with how I was, to let me see the island that sat in Redwater Bay even as I crossed over the southern coast of the main island. The port there, located at a point where the coats veered in, had been scouted and now it was the turn of the northern port.
That southern port contained about forty buildings, though perhaps half were in a state of disrepair. The buildings that weren’t abandoned had sections missing, suggesting the pirates had taken planks from them to repair other buildings, or even the vessels at the docks. There were four galleys there, though one had slipped its moorings while I’d circled above, and another galley – which was heading north from the port – was already at sea.
Assuming the port had enough men to man all the ships to a minimum level, it meant the southern port contained more than two hundred men, though I suspected more as they’d want some men to remain and guard the port if all the vessels were at sea. That was a concern as while it was in line with the intelligence I’d received about the island’s forces, those estimates had been the mid to high expectations. Now, at a thousand pirates minimum, I was already looking at a two-to-one disadvantage. However, if the ports were manned as I would have had them, with spare crews for at least half the vessels docked there, then there could be nearly two thousand pirates on the island. And that was if the other ports weren’t bigger than the first one I’d reconned, and that there weren’t others I didn’t know about dotted elsewhere on the island.
Another issue that arose, at least for engaging Vaegon the Firetouched – he controlled the southern third of the island – was that even before I’d turned away from the southern port I could see the northern one. The ports were located at the narrowest section of the southern end of the island, which was a smart move. Likely that decision had been made by a Pirate Lord who’d ruled here long before Vaegon, but it was still something that would require careful planning for, and until proved otherwise, I’d work on the assumption that Vaegon had placed his ports and created the tracks himself. It was always wiser to believe an opponent was smarter than they truly were than dumber.
What would also have to be considered for the attack plans was the track that ran between the two ports. It was wide, perhaps good enough for two carts to pass on, but only simple dirt. However, it ran almost directly from one port to the other. The only point where it didn’t, and the section that ensured neither port could see the other with a Myrish Eye, was a large hill which the track snaked past.
Swooping lower, a concerned whistle came from above and behind me. That was Rian who, while disliking me flying in the mind of anyone but him, was learning to enjoy the experience of having a partner. The first gull I’d dominated and flown had met an unfortunate accident when, while diving around the skies, playing with Rain, the eagle had extended his claws and captured the gull in mid-flight. It had taken me a few hours to recover from the experience of having my wing severed, but I’d slid from the gull’s mind quickly, fearing what it would feel like when Rian killed the gull.
He hadn’t, and as I, back in my body, I’d watched him release the gull. The damaged and broken creature fell to the sea below, unable in its last moments to understand what had happened and where it was. Rian had screeched painfully when the gull had fallen, but after slipping into his mind he calmed; assured that I was safe. He’d then spent the time before I’d entered this gull watching me; his concern radiating outward so clearly that I didn’t need a bond between us to help me sense it.
With this gull he was remaining further from me, staying higher to act as my lookout. If there were any birds of prey on the island – which was a possibility – he’d warm me of their approach. So far, the skies had been clear save for other gulls and birds that inhabited, but I remained concerned that I would soon be forced to fly defensively. If not because of an attack from above, then potentially from one below.
Circling around the hill, I slid lower and closer, seeking to find any type of watchtower on it. I was surprised to find none as, before reaching the southern port, I’d spotted one at the southwestern tip of the island. Or, more accurately, they’d found me when I’d had to pull back and avoid an arrow that had raced toward me when I circled the point over land. The tower was designed, based on its location, to spot any vessels sailing to the south, or trying to sneak around the tip of the island to assault the southern port. It didn’t, thankfully, have a clear line of sight toward Dustspear, otherwise, our fleet might well be spotted by it on approach. However, if there were other towers along the edge of the island, ones that allowed Vaegon to monitor the movement of ships to the west as well as south, then they’d be an obstacle to overcome.
The fleet was still three, perhaps four days from Redwater, and even with a Myrish Eye was little more than a fudged line on the horizon. However, by the end of the day tomorrow, I should be able to make out some features. It would take any lookout there longer to spot my fleet, but if there were towers along the coast, then they would. That was why, once I’d scouted the northern port, I planned to sweep the coast from it back to where I’d discovered the watchtower, seeking to see how many more Vaegon had active.
The only upside, potentially, was that the watchtower I’d been sniped at from, didn’t appear to have a Myrish Eye. Or at least I’d not seen any of the trio of men there with such a thing in their hands, nor in the tower. They might have had one in the small cabin beneath it – though calling it a cabin was a stretch – but that was unlikely as it wouldn’t make sense to keep it stored there on a decently clear day such as today.
Content that the hill didn’t contain a watchtower, at least one that allowed clear sight and communication with the two ports, I flapped my wings and rose upward. Above me, Rian circled, ever watchful. Once the scouting was done, I’d play with him again, letting him chase this gull; perhaps even allowing him to feast on it – though only after I’d slipped from its mind. The gull was replaceable, and while it would take time to locate a gull and then crush its mind, I wasn’t going to deny Rian some fun and reward for a day of simply gliding around watching my back.
Once high enough, I flew north, using the path to guide me. Though if today had been less clear, then I’d have been able to follow the breeze. It was blowing from the northeast, and it was hard to miss the smells left by humans. While Rian replied on his sight and hearing to hunt, gulls had a sharp sense of smell as well. That meant I was forced to endure the disgusting scents coming from the pirates. Hopefully, it was because they refused to bathe – which my men wouldn’t be doing as I’d located a small river a few clicks north of the southern port – and not because of the general smell of the port. Otherwise, even if it weren’t feasible for a long time, the urge to tear the place down and rebuild it would be hard to ignore.
The first thing that stood out about the northern port was that it had defences. Or at least far more than the southern port. That port had a badly damaged wall covering the island-facing sides along with two towers at either side of the port from which archers could target approaching vessels. The northern port, however, was far more heavily defended.
A wall ran around this port as well, though on the eastern side of the gate for the track, that sat on top of a small earthen embankment. The area outside the wall on both sides had been cleared, at least partially, for about ten metres meaning an easy attack on the wall wasn’t doable. Circling overhead, I focused on the wall from the inside, noting that while the eastern side was solid and well manned – I counted a dozen men working in pairs along that section of the wall – the western side had holes in it, and perhaps half as many men guarding the approaches. That made it clear that Vaegon was concerned about an attack from the east, likely something Rakakz – who controlled the centre of the island – had done in the past. The gaps in the western wall were well-trodden, suggesting paths led into the forest to watchtowers, or hidden hunting grounds or stores.
As I circled I counted about fifty bodies moving around the port, though as some had ropes around their necks, or lacked weapons, and were getting pushed and bossed around, it was clear Vaegon kept slaves to handle the menial labour. I’d seen a handful in the southern port, though there were more here. Given the buildings here were in a better condition, or at least a higher percentage were, I suggested the manpower based here was greater as well. That added another fucking wrinkle to my plans, but one I felt I could work around.
The reason Vaegon had the extra men here would be that Rakakz and Allerion had ports in Redwater Bay as well, and it would be the more logical place for them to skirmish with each other. That also explained why the ships in port, along with two more floating on the waves in the bay, were all longboats. The smaller craft had a lower draft, meaning they could sail closer to the coast, using it for cover to approach enemy positions. Hells, if there was a major river, the longboats could sail up it at least partially. The galleys in the southern port, and I assumed in the ports controlled by Rakakz and Allerion on the other coasts of the island, would be for striking at passing vessels, or larger attacks on open waters near the ports of the other Pirate Lords.
The two longboats at sea had their sails furled and were resting in place meaning they’d dropped anchor. Either they were scouts, monitoring for an attack from another Pirate Lord, or waiting for other ships to join them before moving to raid. Regardless, the fact that Vaegon and the other Pirate Lords used the bay for constant skirmishing, had been the final nail in the idea of using the small island that sat in the bay and was something I’d have to deal with once I controlled Vaegon’s ports.
The island in the bay was smaller than any of the seven islands in The Whores, but had a perfect location to both control the bay and monitor the sea between Redwater and Dustspear. I had some plans for the island, mainly to use it as a military location for projecting power, but those were far into the future. Before I could enact them, I’d need full and proper control of Redwater, along with examining the island. According to some pirates, it was claimed the island was cursed, and that any man who ventured there came back broken in the head, or never returned. While I wasn’t discounting magic being involved in those events, I suspected the true reason was due to some form of predator that dominated the location. How it could survive on the small island, one that looked very much like the peak of a mountain poking out from below the water, wasn’t something I knew, but nor was it something to concern myself with currently.
Turning my focus back to the port, I watched how the men moved. I noted which buildings they entered or emerged from, how they were armed, and where any stores were held. While taking them out was an option, I wanted them intact if possible. My men needed food and having the buildings intact would allow the Pride of Saltbrook to not be our only storage location.
Lifting my head slightly, I caught sight of Rian above me. There was a faint burst of worry – a remnant of the gull’s mind – but it was shattered before it could become an issue. While Rian disliked me in the mind of the gull, feeling I was somehow undervaluing him, I’d convinced him while sharing his thoughts that this way he wouldn’t be in danger from a stray arrow. Something that was proven when I’d stumbled on the watchtower when I’d reached the island.
Dominating the gull also helped me push Skinchanging on further. My bonds with my companions were high – Kaa’s was maxed at Level 10, while Rian and Ymir were at Levels 9 and 7 respectively – but I’d not yet gotten Skinchanging to Level 100. It was sitting comfortably at Level 92, and while the practice of breaking the minds of the gulls had granted me another level, I was cautious about reaching Level 100.
At that point, I should gain another Instinctual Bond slot, and I wasn’t sure which animals I’d like to grant that to. Now, I’d not actively chosen the bonds with Kaa, Rian, or Ymir, but with the direwolf I’d been drawn to him, suggesting the bond was something I had some control over forming. I had some ideas for what animal I’d like to bond with – including insane ones of a dragon or kraken – but I’d have to wait and see what it would be.
The other issue was that I felt Level 100 would be the maximum for Skinchanging. Fire Magic was at Level 100 and had been for about three-quarters of a year, and while it was possible to move to the next tier, I didn’t feel Skinchanging would be capable of doing so. Not without the taking of a Trait. For Fire Magic, I’d done a lot of mediating near open fires, even renting out a blacksmith’s shop in the Shadow City to meditate near the furnace there, but I’d not yet discovered what would help me unlock the next tier. It was possible that I simply couldn’t do so until whatever event – I suspected the Red Comet – happened, but I’d continue attempting to unlock it regardless.
My attention returned to the port below as a group of men emerged from one of the main buildings near the dock. The group moved in unison, six others standing around one who both led and was escorted by the others. The lead man’s shirt was bright – insanely so to the gull’s sight – but it was the man that drew my initial attention.
There was no hair on his head, instead, the skin and part of his face were scarred. Those marks I knew were the result of extensive burns, which meant this man was Vaegon the Firetouched. The way the pirates in the port scurried to appear busy, and the slaves moved to avoid Vaegon’s gaze, made it even clearer I was looking at the opposite commander. My gaze then turned to the weapon he carried on his back.
A large axe designed for two hands to wield was secured there. A closer inspection confirmed it but the slightly warn grip along the throat of the shaft suggested it saw regular action as well.
I watched as Vaegon and his group moved to the dock, the men there hurrying to ready two of the ships. They might’ve been heading out to replace the longboats holding watch in the bay, but I doubted that. Such behaviour wouldn’t need Vaegon, and what looked like his commanders, to come to the dock together. That meant the group was heading off to raid, something confirmed when Vaegon turned and grasped arms with two of the six men with him. Those two each headed for one of the longboats, the crews pulling up the deck plank the moment the commanders stepped onboard.
For a moment I considered following them, using their movement and attack to determine the locations of the ports of Rakakz and Allerion that lay in the bay, however, I decided against it. While that intel would be useful, I wanted to scout the coast from here to the watchtower I’d found to the south. That would take time to do, something I’d not be able to manage if I followed the raiding party.
Once I was sure the coast was clear or not, and how that would alter the battle plan forming in my head, then I could return with Rian to scout the bay fully. Though first I’d return to the Red Kraken, or more accurately my body. From there, I’d relay what I’d found to Edric and Trystane who’d transcribe it, and then add some markings to my map of the Stepstones. At some point, I’d have another such map commissioned as this one was proving extremely helpful for my campaigns, but details about The Whores and Redwater were understandably inaccurate.
Eventually, I hoped to have the most accurate map of the Stepstones in the world, but that was going to take years to build, and I’d need others to scout locations for me. Until then, this map was what I’d work from.