A cry rose from the Crooked Coin patrons. Ash yelped as well, stumbling into Caspian. He didn't budge. His eyes remained closed, his breathing low. It was as if the rest of the world had faded away around him.

Except it hadn't, and Ash was experiencing it in real time, and she needed him to snap out of it. She shook his arm, her aggravation building when he still didn't react. "Caspian, we need to leave. Now. Or at least get to safety." Lumena Village had faced a few earthquakes in her time, and she couldn't remember all the safety tips, but she didn't think standing in the middle of a burly crowd was one of the recommendations.

The bottles and furniture continued to rattle as the tremors showed no signs of easing, but the shouts had shifted, beginning to form words.

"It's him!"

"One of those blasted scoundrels from the magic-infested crew!"

"Gut him before he brings this entire place down on our heads!"

"Move, girl, if you don't want to die along with your friend."

This came from the bounty hunter at her feet, who had given up trying to rise with the jarring movements beneath him. His words washed over Ash like frigid water. She slowly turned to face the crowd.

Their eyes seared into Caspian, fueled by both hatred and fear. He'd been the one to instigate something with the other man, so of course they'd suspect him. Not that Ash could even say they were wrong. She'd seen the magic swirling in his eyes moments before this happened, and it wasn't as if she knew what his magic did.

Even if this was his fault, though, she wouldn't let them kill him.

She kicked his shin, praying that would get through to him, then bit back a curse at the pain that shot through her toes. It received a reaction, at least.

His eyes fluttered open, but he wasn't looking at her. He seemed miles away as they glowed amber, as if lost in the throes of the magic. Her heart seized. He'd lost control, and she didn't know how to help him regain it.

And sword-wielding pirates were inching toward them.

Teeth gritted, Ash turned back to face them and, bracing herself as well as she could, drew her dagger.

Dozens of hardened criminals approached her, much more skilled, more dangerous, more willing to hurt. She was a fool. She should be running, not defending this pirate she barely knew.

She gripped her dagger more firmly and held it in front of her, digging through her mind for all her training. When most of it had been for one-on-one and disengaging to escape, though, what would help her here?

Her magic roiled as her fear fed it, prickling under the surface of her skin. It would be easy to let it lash out, just like it had so many other times she'd been cornered by those stronger than her. All those times, though, she'd been left as incapacitated as Caspian. Only the strike from the fox man and Scion magic had pulled her from its grip.

No, she needed to be in control.

Someone reached a large hand toward her, as if to shove her aside. She swiped the dagger at them. They recoiled with a curse, and hate-filled eyes that had been so focused on Caspian flicked to her.

Ash flinched away. The man and a woman near him turned blades toward her. Before they could attempt anything, though, a particularly harsh lurch of the ground had everyone scrambling to keep their balance. While they had each other and tables to grab onto, Ash fell backwards, and her back hit an unmoving form.

Caspian, still unaffected by the world around him. Except this close, she heard him breathe a single word under his breath.

"Wolfbane."

She should have trusted her instincts. Should have kept that name close to her chest. She didn't know why it had dragged him so deep into the dregs of his magic, but now it was going to be the death of them.

"Caspian, please." She nearly whimpered her last attempt at a plea before she reestablished her balance and placed herself between the stupid pirate and their approaching end.

"Caspian!"

The world seemed to still as the familiar voice snapped through the tavern. At first, Ash thought it was simply the force of the voice causing everyone to pause, but no. The quaking had ceased as well. Or it had least become so faint that she barely noticed it. A few of the goblets and plates still clattered on the tables, the only indications of the slight tremors still rocking the land.

A low moan sounded behind her, and then an unsteady hand rested on Ash's shoulder. She startled, but she didn't dare take her eyes off the surrounding criminals to check on Caspian.

"I... wha?"

Mutterings passed through the crowd. At first, Ash only heard those wondering if they should still rush forward. Then came the ones spitting about her, the menace, the scourge, the captain of the unnatural.

But a couple whispered their relieved thanks she had come to collect her mutt.

Lorica shoved her way through the crowd, and when she broke free, she leveled her blade-like stare on Ash and Caspian. They softened ever so slightly when they took in the situation.

"Caspian, that is enough."

The pressure on Ash's shoulder left, and with Lorica present, she dared to turn away from the crowd to study Caspian. Most of the color had left his face, accentuated by the faint glow of amber in his eyes. As she watched, though, the light dimmed. The fainter the illumination, the quieter the rattle within the room until, finally, nothing.

Caspian stared forward, meaning he should have been seeing Ash, but she had the unsettling sensation of being looked through. There was no tension in his body, but there was also just... nothing. It was as if he'd released all feeling when he let go of the magic.

Ash's heart turned into a hard lump in her chest as she saw an imprint of Odella over him. He wore an expression of such similar blankness, saw with the same lack of seeing. No, she couldn't see someone else like this. It didn't even matter if she wasn't fond of him. Not another person, please.

But then he spoke, and her heart beat again. "I apologize, Captain."

Lorica's jaw ticked. When she spoke, it was loud enough that the surrounding people would hear her. "We'll discuss this later. Return to the ship, and I don't want you to step off it again while we're here."

Caspian clenched his fists at his sides, but he only nodded. Even when a few of the criminals snickered about the "dog" following his master's orders, he kept his head down and shoved his way to the door.

Ash took a half step as if to follow, but Lorica placed a hand on her shoulder. "No. You're staying with me."

Ash shrunk under her gaze, sure that she was in trouble for whatever had happened. To her surprise and confusion, Lorica shifted her attention toward the back of the tavern.

"I will need you with me to explain what happened. Landdweller will not take kindly to magic being used on his land."

Ash followed Lorica's stare, and when she found out what she was looking at, Ash wished she could shrink even further and disappear. A broad-shouldered man leaned against the banister, his large arms folded across his chest. His long red hair fell over his shoulder in a ponytail, leaving a clear view of the chunk missing from his left ear.

"Captain Nightwrath." Some of the chatter had begun in the room again, but his voice still cut across it. He grinned, revealing the blank spaces of a couple missing teeth. "It has been some time since I've had the honor of drinking with you. Come along now, if you don't mind."

Lorica nodded. Placing a hand between Ash's shoulder blades, she led her through the crowd of people and toward the stairs. Every step closer they took, the harder Ash's heart beat. It almost hurt by the time they stopped at the first step.

The man, who she could only imagine was Landdweller, smiled down at them. This close, she could see that his skin was a collage of scars. Some large and vanishing beneath his clothing, others small marks against his skin that could almost blend with his many freckles.

He jutted his chin past his shoulder. "Let's take any further conversation to my office, shall we?"

"We are on your ship, and thus, it is your call." Lorica lowered her head as if in respect, so Ash mirrored the motion, but she noticed a strangeness to the captain's relaxed posture. She probably wouldn't have detected it if Linden hadn't spent portions of her practice teaching her to loosen her wrist.

Lorica could become a deadly force at a moment's notice.

Landdweller surely spotted this as well, but instead of calling her out on it, he simply laughed. He strode up the steps, and it was clear he expected them to follow. Lorica led, but she stayed close, watching the crowd below until Ash was safely out of their reach.

The staircase led to a branching landing. The left took them to a hallway with rooms. Another small set of stairs on their right led to a door. It hung ajar, revealing the room beyond.

They entered. Landdweller likely had some sort of organization to his office, but to Ash, it was chaos. Papers and trinkets covered the walls. Mismatched furniture pocketed the space. Landdweller fell into a lush chair positioned behind a drab desk before throwing his boots atop it. A clump of wadded papers lay beneath a fallen mug. It was not the only toppled object either.

"Nightwrath," Landdweller drawled. He'd found a coin somewhere. He held it between the thumb and forefinger of one hand and flicked it into spinning with the other. "We have a deal."

"We do, yes. None of my crew will use their magic while upon your soil." Lorica's gaze flicked momentarily toward Ash, though she wasn't sure if it was in warning to not drop the magic and reveal its usage or in chiding for breaking the rule she hadn't known. "That is," Lorica went on. "They are not to use it unless attacked or threatened by another, as is the rule for all acts of force upon your cove."

Landdweller closed his fist around the coin, and his brow went up. "Are you implying that another of the residents here gave your little first mate a reason to summon an earthquake?"

Lorica shrugged. "I was not here at the onset of events, but I trust Caspian enough to stake my life on it." She inched sideways and extended a hand toward Ash, shifting the other pirate's attention to her. "This is the newest addition to my crew, and she was the one accompanying Caspian. She'll have the answers you seek."

Ash wanted to gape at Lorica. They hadn't shared words on their way to meet with the pirate lord of Varno Cove. Lorica had no way of knowing why Caspian did what he did, and she hadn't instructed Ash on what she needed to say. Was she meant to lie? To say they were attacked? It wasn't far from the truth.

"Well, girl?" Landdweller peered at her, some of his good humor fading at her lack of response.

Swallowing past her nerves, Ash said, "I was separated from Caspian when one of the other residents approached him and accused me of being someone I'm not. He thought I was with some Wolfbane man—"

Lorica's deep inhale cut Ash off. Noticing, Lorica waved for her to continue, but some indiscernible emotion churned in her eyes.

"He thought I was with whoever that man is, but then Caspian appeared, and the man realized I was with the Nightwrath Pirates. He wouldn't release me, and he was not saying kind things about the crew and Captain Lorica. And then..." Ash bit her lip and shrugged. She still didn't know what Lorica wanted from her, but she'd heard this bargain that she had with Landdweller, and Ash didn't want to find out the consequences, so she made a split-second decision. "Well, you felt what happened, didn't you?"

Ash resisted the urge to look at Lorica for approval. The captain wouldn't know of any modifications, and Ash couldn't reveal that she'd made any. It wasn't as if she'd made any big changes. The man had tried to drag her away, and Caspian had come to her rescue, only growing physical when the man proved difficult. She didn't need to include that the magic only took effect after she mentioned Wolfbane's name.

Unfortunately, it appeared she had messed up. Landdweller scrutinized her. "The people who come and go on this island are very familiar with my rules. We haven't had anyone stir trouble here in nearly a sol-cycle now. So, tell me, who did this man think you were that he'd risk my wrath by mishandling you?"

Ash vowed in that moment to perfect her glamour enough that it would mask her facial shifts. The warmth drained from her face, and Landdweller's lip curled. She had to think, and fast.

"The best lies are those with a hint of truth."

Roan's voice. She shoved it out of her mind, but the advice was there, and as much as she hated the speaker, it was good advice.

She sighed, as if ashamed. Or maybe she really was. "I look uncannily like the Dreamwoven roaming the lands of the western continent, and I may have used that to my advantage a time or two. The man thought I was her."

Landdweller's expression lit at this information, and he dropped his feet from his desk so he could lean forward. "Is that so? And can you prove you're not actually her? I'm just saying..." He shrugged, attempting a nonchalant air, but that gleam in his eyes spoke of danger. "You could be lying to me right now."

Lorica snorted, drawing the man's eyes to her. "I have kept the Scions off your tail for half a dozen sols now, Byreth. I wouldn't lead them to you now." She shifted her weight onto her back leg and crossed her arms. The other pirate was taller, but with his seated position, Lorica was able to peer down at him. "Besides, it's easy enough to prove. The girl's Dreamweave is incomplete, just like the rest of ours. No Scions' puppet would have that."

Their gazes locked for a few tense seconds before Landdweller threw his head back and laughed. "Yes, yes, of course. Forgive my manners, Nightwrath. Just have to check, you know. Most of my patrons don't tend to make false claims. Besides." Again, he shrugged, though this one was much more like a naughty child caught in the act of a crime. "Can you blame me? Imagine the numias I could earn for the Dreamwoven's return."

Lorica shook her head and sighed. The air within the room finally seemed to ease, and Ash relaxed. It seemed she'd said all the right things. Everything would move on without consequence.

But apparently, they weren't done here.

"I will forgive you," Lorica said, her voice musing even if her eyes remained sharp, "if you can give me some information."

Landdweller raised his brow. He leaned back in his chair and resumed his twiddling with the coin. "Does this have anything to do with why you've returned to my cove?"

"We're looking for a treasure."

"Now, let me stop you right there." Landdweller held up a halting hand. "You know I don't impede on your escapades outside of here, but I also will not assist in them. If you're wanting to butt heads with another pirate, I'm staying out of it."

"This is fair by your pirate code, though." Lorica walked over to his desk and placed her palms against it so she could lean forward. The grin she gave him would have looked mischievous if not for the danger tucked into the corners. "It's a singular item that we have both been after, and until he sells it off to a buyer, I'm more than allowed to keep pursuing it, am I not?"

Ash hated to hear Callum referred to as an 'item,' but she understood the necessity. She wasn't sure how Landdweller would react if Lorica revealed that the treasure was a human, and she didn't think the captain wanted any crumbs of information to get around. Whatever was happening with Callum, it was special. They needed to keep people's eyes away from him.

Landdweller smirked up at Lorica. "You do love the twist things in whatever way you can get away with, don't you? A woman after my own crooked heart." He glanced out his window, as if weighing her logic with the other pirates he may be giving away. Finally, he sighed. "Alright then, Nightwrath, what do you want?"

Before Lorica could reply, Ash stepped forward. Both pirates' eyes turned to her. Ash fought not to shrink within herself, but Lorica didn't know what Ash and Caspian had found out. They'd theorized about the hired crew, but she knew it to be Wolfbane's. Even if they still needed information, she needed to make sure they got the right kind.

Lorica must have read the situation enough to realize that Ash knew more than she'd said, but the captain also suddenly looked exhausted, as if piecing together knowledge that stole away her energy for the day.

"Go ahead, Ash," Lorica said. "Ask Landdweller your question. This is his cove, and if anyone is informed on its going-ons, it's him."

Ash forced her spine to straighten and stared at the now-curious man. "Wolfbane," she said, thankful when her voice barely shook. "I want to know whatever you know about Wolfbane and the deal he made with someone to lend out his crew."

*****

Lorica to the rescue!  Nobody died, and Landdweller is a cool dude VwV So it seems they'll finally be getting information :D Well, Caspian won't.  He's been sent back.  I'm sure he's fine, though.  Probably.

Let me know your thoughts on the chapter down below, and if you enjoyed it, don't forget to vote and comment! I also have a discord open to anyone who wants to join, and we have a section there to discuss the book :D Let me know if you want to join!