Repairs to Dauntless were light, aside from the main mast. Chains were run, and pulley systems were put in place to move the mast back to its proper position. Ozzy and Butterbelly were needed for this, their large frames and high STR equaling dozens of normal sailors. Care had to be taken not to cause more damage. Captain Woodrat looked pointedly at Ozzy when he said this. Slowly and with care on Ozzy's part, the mast was made straight again at its base. Woodrat and a team of three woodwrights took over from there. They examined the mast from top to bottom and planned a complete repair. Masts of this size were composites made from the wood of many trees. Once fused by a team of competent wood wrights, the mast would be far stronger than a similar one carved from one tree.

Ozzy was getting a workout. After the mast was made straight, Woodrat started teaching him the art of fusing or 'marrying' two pieces of wood together properly. While Ozzy was fixing the hundred-foot-long crack he had put into the mast, Woodrat set to work creating oak bands to reinforce the mast. Some of the pieces they had salvaged from the sargasso were old wood, black with age, and hard enough that only Woodrat could work with them. He added piece after piece to the mast as he reworked them into rings to keep it from splitting again, and below decks, he doubled the number of braces holding it in place. Woodrat was proud of his work, and the last thing he wanted was something he made breaking again. Of course, there was every chance of that happening as long as Ozzy was around.

Throughout the day, the Butcher poured his smoke into the wood and welded the two sides of the crack back together. Woodrat made it look simple. For him, it was like both sides of the wood reached out and grasped the other side, erasing the fissure and making the wood stronger than it was. Ozzy could barely glue the two sides together, leaving a weak splot that could split again. Woodrat came behind him, working three times as fast. But that was what molding wood for decades did. He might be a captain now, but Woodrat would always have those skills.

A few hours after dark, they called it a day. Ozzy could keep working, but everyone else was exhausted. They would start back up in the morning. Cavendish, Shively, Woodrat, and Ozzy were all in Cavendish's cabin, discussing the day's adventure. Cavendish laughed as he contemplated his glass of rum. "It is times like this that teach a Captain wisdom. I've learned I need to stock a much more extensive wine selection and double up on foodstuffs for the crew. Our 'short voyage' took an unexpected turn, and despite what the experts in the port have to say, we were poorly supplied."

Woodrat saw nothing wrong with having to drink rum but understood the gist of what Cavendish was saying. "Aye, plan for disaster and not be surprised as often. I've been craving sweets for a few months. Maybe I'll stock up on molasses and nuts the next time we hit port. A pecan pie now and then sounds like a fine thing."

Wood was scarce in the smoke, and what little was grown on the islands was jealously hoarded. Any bit found floating was gathered up and re-used. Damaged ships might be broken down to make a better ship. Dauntless was composed of pieces of wood from a hundred older ships. Upon hearing of the adventures in the Sargasso, Captain Cavendish had even mentioned that the Queens might sponsor an expedition. It would take mages who dealt with growing plants to calm the murderous weed, but if the wood from dozens of ships could be salvaged, it would be worth it. Captain Woodrat could claim a sizable bounty for its discovery and for bringing the information to an officer of the Queen's. Dauntless could benefit as well as the ship making the expedition. The two captains made tentative plans for the future.

Woodrat was thankful for filling Splinter's small cargo area to the brim with wood and scavenged items. He'd known the value at the time, both to sell and repair his ship, but hadn't expected to reap a bounty so soon. Dauntless took every timber and plank that Woodrat would sell them. He kept a few choice pieces for repairing Splinter, but the rest was moved to Dauntless, which was immediately used to repair the large ship. Captain Cavendish turned over a sizable chest of gold to Woodrat as partial payment and a signed contract that he could use to claim the rest. The Captain of the Dauntless wasn't stingy when it came to his ship. The contract included payments for food and rum, as well as the assistance of Splinters' crew in escaping the disaster.

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Cavendish knew he would be facing a board of inquiry when he returned. There would be questions about why he simply didn't 'requisition' what he needed from the smaller ship. Many captains used the Rules of Requisition to take what they wanted for their ships, leaving merchants to argue with the naval accountants for repayment. Such repayment was always less than the market rate of the goods. Cavendish wasn't worried. Splinter's crew and Captain had destroyed Conquest and ended Lord Peerson.

The Queens would know this already. What sane Captain would pick a fight with someone so monstrously strong that they could break your ship? He looked forward to his inquest. He had some grand stories to tell.

That night, as the Captains gathered for a meal and conversation, the talk turned to how best to spend the windfall of 20 Enhancement Points. Cavendish gave the younger captains his thoughts. "You have a rare opportunity. Few captains earn so much in times of peace. Even a major battle doesn't guarantee such a reward; only if your side wins, your ship survives, and fate recognizes your contribution to the battle. So, it's good to ponder how best to use those points."

"You are all in the third tier, and your options are three: Your furnace, your smoke, and your aura. Corruption and radiance will enhance many things and can raise your heat and smoke, so I include them in the first three choices. But remember, skills can also raise your stats, while only points and fate will give you a higher aura. Some captains would tell you to look to your foundation first and ensure that you have enough smoke and heat. This is sound advice for a junior captain who can rely upon a senior Captain. But the admiralty isn't going to give even a small ship to a Captain with a meager aura."

My advice is this: Put it all into your aura. Shine like a beacon and take promotion to your own ship as fast as you can. As Captain Woodrat has shown us, even commanding a broken raft is a fine thing. That is my council, but each of you should make your own decision. That's the essence of being a Captain." Around the table, the other men nodded and discussed their choices before heading to their hammocks or the main deck to stand watch.

Woodrat approached Ozzy. "Tell me your thoughts, man, from the conjunction."

Ozzy was mulling over his choices. He didn't have access yet to normal rewards for Tier 3 yet. This made him doubt he'd be able to keep the Captain's options when he returned to the conjunction. This was a good chance to pick up extra RAD and COR or take a chance on Aura being usable somehow in the other world. Jack had said that his active fire resistance had been close to shielding. Would it work the other way, and aura and shielding become a skill in the conjunction? He looked forward to getting home and finding out.

"Thinking about Cavendish's advice. You?"

Woodrat smiled. "I want to shine! I bought all I could, adding seven points to my aura and a point of radiance. I have all the ship I'll ever want and a fine crew, and now I'll shine as brightly as Splinter does."

Ozzy winked at him. "Or use those silly cufflinks to go slumming in dockside taverns when you just want to sit with sailors and drink some bad beer."

Woodrat nodded. "That's important too."

"I think I'll follow you down that path, but with a point of corruption. I need to keep myself in balance so I can sit next to you at a seedy bar." Ozzy made his decision and spent the points. The two of them joined Captain Cavendish on the command deck. The three of them were taking the last watch of the day. A few crews of sailors were at work doing repairs, but for the most part, the ship was quiet, as if floating in the calm seas. Smoke and some remaining moisture had combined to make a thick fog that evening, a rare event in the smoke, and it made for an eerie scene as if the two ships floated side by side in a cloud.

Cavendish was finally relaxing after the horror of the past weeks. "Tomorrow, we set sail for the capital and main navy harbor. I expect that when word gets out, the two of you will have an audience with the Queens. Captain Woodrat will be officially invested as Baron of Cingo, and there will be many fine words. This would be a good time to request a favor from the crowns to aid Captain Ozzy in returning home. Evergreen has granted boons to the Queens before for lesser acts of bravery. With luck, you'll be home in a couple of weeks."

Ozzy looked forward to that.