When Xan returned to the cart, he was surprised to see Katar sitting up and awake. The Verdan was leaning back against some of the crates, his lower half still wrapped in the fur blanket. Taika was helping him drink some tea by cupping his hands in hers while he held the cup. She looked up when Xan opened the flap.

“Katar, sir! Glad to see you up!” Xan said as he climbed up into the cart.

Katar gave him a weak smile. “Well met, Xan,” he said.

Xan noticed with some dismay that Katar’s voice was softer, and talking took him more effort. It reminded Xan of the time limit they were fighting against.

Shadow was still playing with Sage’s stray feathers. When Xan entered the cart, however, she blinked onto Xan’s shoulders. She briefly rubbed her head against his, then blinked onto Taika’s shoulder instead.

“I’ve got him up to speed on what we’re doing,” Taika said, reaching up with one hand to gently shoo Shadow away. Shadow’s tail flicked once in annoyance before she blinked over onto Katar’s lap.

“That’s great, because I’ve got good news,” Xan said, sitting on the bench. “Stell’s got everything arranged, and we’ll be able to ship out in a couple hours.”

“That’s… good,” Katar wheezed. He reached for his daughter’s hand and squeezed it, giving her an encouraging smile.

“Wait – just like that?” Taika asked.

“Just like that,” Xan said. “All that’s left for us to do is make sure we have enough supplies.”

Taika craned her neck to look at the crates and sacks in their cart, making a mental count. “Well, we have enough food for two people for about four days. We were planning on stocking up at the next village before we found you.”

“And for four people?” Xan asked.

“Four?” Taika queried back.

“Stell is sending Dee with us to help us manage the skiff,” Xan explained.

Taika looked over their supplies again, frowning as she thought. “Maybe two to three days, if we stretch it out enough.”

“Alright, then,” Xan said, standing up.

“Where are you going?” Taika asked.

“To get the rest of the supplies we need. There’s a couple places around the harbor for ships to stock up on water and rations.”

“Won’t you need the cart to bring it all back?” Taika asked pointedly.

Xan hesitated, realizing she was right. If nothing else, having the cart would make it easier to move the barrels of drinking water they would need to bring along.

“And another thing, do you even know how long it will take to get to the Meridian Shrine?” Taika asked.

“Four days,” Dee piped up. They all turned to see the young Rodentian poking her head in through the flap. She wriggled as she hauled herself up into the cart. Then she stood up and dusted herself off.

“At least, that’s the estimate Auntie gave me,” she said, “so we’ll need to get enough supplies to last until then.”

“I thought you were going to help with the skiff?” Xan asked, mildly confused at her sudden appearance.

“No, Auntie says she and Gohar have got everything sorted. She put me in charge of helping you make sure you’re ready for the journey.”

“Well, alright then,” Xan said, giving a brief chuckle. “Let’s get going.”

“What about the cart?” Taika asked.

“Don’t worry about it. I can just get a push cart from the storehouse,” Dee said.

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“Dee and I will handle the supplies,” Xan said. “You just stay here and enjoy some time with your father.”

Taika looked like she was about to protest, when Katar squeezed her hand again. They shared a look, then Taika sighed wearily.

“Alright,” she said.

“We’ll be right back,” Xan reassured her as he pushed aside the flap.

He and Dee hopped down from the cart and headed towards the storehouse door that was in the cliff face right behind the Caird & Caird shipyard. Xan couldn’t help but notice that Dee was walking with a bit of a skip in her step.

“You seem rather cheery,” he commented.

“I’m excited!” Dee said. “This will be the first time I’ve gone on an adventure outside of Vaimea!”

The young Rodentian’s enthusiasm was contagious, and Xan couldn’t keep himself from smiling. “Your first time, huh? Aren’t you nervous?”

“Not at all!” Dee replied. Then she saw Xan’s look of skepticism and amended, “Well, maybe a little. But I’m more excited! My bright idea is going to help Taika and her father get to the Meridian Shrine faster. Think of it! Something that I thought up is going to help someone!”

“That is pretty amazing,” Xan agreed, although his smile started to falter and his enthusiasm started to wane when Dee mentioned Taika and Katar. In spite of the fact that everything was going right for them today, a sense of foreboding continued to nag at him. He tried his best to ignore it as he followed Dee into the storehouse.

With Dee’s help, they managed to gather all of the supplies they needed in less than an hour. Newly laden, they returned to the Caird & Caird office building.

When they got there, Katar was still resting inside of the cart, and Taika was in the middle of giving their horse some water. Dee told them to wait a minute so she could run inside and grab her things.

Isaac was already on the way out, pulling on a light leather overcoat. He clumsily side-stepped Dee as she rushed passed him.

“Sorry, Isaac!” Dee called over her shoulder.

“Not a worry, miss!” Isaac called back, straightening himself up. He buttoned up his overcoat as he made his way over to Xan and Taika.

“I trust you have everything you need, then?” he asked as he eyed the small push-cart Xan was leaning on. When Xan confirmed this, he pointed away to the southern end of the Crescent, on the other side of the row of shipyards.

“Chief’s already down at the wharf. Just follow me, and I’ll lead you there,” he said.

“Hold on!” Dee called. She raced out of the office, skidding to a halt next to the push cart. She had replaced her green-dyed uniform with a plain brown set of woolen clothes. She pulled the strap of a satchel over her head and onto her shoulder. After taking a moment to catch her breath, she smiled and gestured to indicate that she was ready to go.

“Very well. If everyone is ready?” He looked over at Taika, who also gestured to indicate that she was ready. “Then follow me.”

The small procession followed Isaac around the western side of the Crescent and down to the wharf. Several wooden docks jutted out from the stone landing here, where at least a dozen small boats of various sizes were tied up. Xan noted that most of them looked new, and he thought to himself that perhaps this was where the shipyards kept their smaller craft until they were bought or traded for.

It didn’t take them long to find Stell and Gohar. The two were busy hammering away at something in the bottom of a long skiff. Gohar straightened up to wipe her brow with the back of her wrist.

“That ought to do it,” she said, giving whatever it was an experimental tug.

Stell also straightened up, dusting her hands off. Her ears twitched as the small procession approached, and she turned around to greet them a moment later.

“Perfect timing, Isaac,” she said.

“Aye, chief,” Isaac said, pressing a finger to his brow.

“Well, sailor-boy. What do you think?” Stell asked Xan, sweeping an arm wide at the skiff. It was a modest sailboat, about eighteen feet long, with a single mast and rigging for a single triangular sail. Two oars were stored under the benches on either side of the rowing well, and a small tiller sat at the stern of the ship.

“She looks good,” Xan said after looking it over. Then, with a wry smile, he asked, “Does she have a name?”

Gohar snorted another laugh as she stepped out of the boat. “He wants to give a name to a dinghy!” she chortled, shaking her head. Xan spread his hands in an apologetic gesture.

“Well, it wouldn’t be polite to set sail without first learning her name, now would it?” he said.

“Pheh. Sailors,” Stell muttered. Then she beckoned to Xan and Dee. “Come here.”

Once Xan and Dee had joined her, she pointed to what she and Gohar had been working on. A large iron lockbox had been installed down in the rowing well just astern of the mast. Stell held a finger to her lips, then gently lifted the lid to reveal a Terra Sang crystal the size of a watermelon. The green, spherical crystal hummed slightly. Then she closed the lid, locked the lockbox, and handed the key to Dee.

“Now, this is how it’s going to be,” Stell said, giving both of them a stern look. “You’re to sail out of the harbor and up the coast, well out of the sight of the watchtowers, before you even think about taking this thing up out of the water. Dee, you’re in charge of the lockbox and its contents. When you’re not busy with that, help Xan with navigation.”

“Got it,” Dee said, tucking the key away.

“And you—” Stell said, turning her good eye on Xan. “Being the sailor, I’m putting you in charge of this expedition. I trust you understand what that means.”

“Well and clear,” Xan said, nodding.

“I mean it, Xan Rais,” Stell said, giving him a look that sent a small shiver down his spine. “Don’t take any unreasonable risks. I expect you to bring her back exactly the way you found her.”

Xan swallowed. “Aye, ma’am,” he said.

Then Stell nodded, seeming satisfied. “Very well. Let’s get everything loaded.”