Jaden observed the back of Gregshaw's head, set on a short, stout neck. He saw the tension in the Captain's jaw as he turned his head, glancing at a secondary hallway. It all added to Jaden's nervousness.

The captain finally stopped at the end of the Hallway at a door with a faded inscription: "Captain's Quarters." The captain unlocked the door with a skeleton key and opened it. "C'mon in an' make yerself at home, matey." Jaden did as told, and the Captain followed in and closed the door after peering down the hall.

Once the door was closed he spoke. He assumed his natural manner of leaning up against the door with arms crossed. "Matey, let me be frank with ye. Firs', though, 'ave a seat. An' ye want some whiskey?"

Whiskey. The Captain never touched the stuff unless he had something big on his mind. Such as, when the holt was in a war with some pocket of Hellsman resistance. Jaden carefully slipped off his heavy pack, but kept the sword and tapestry on - still clothed. Uncomfortable, yes, but worth the pain to keep masked. "Um, no thank-you."

"Aight. Hope ye don't mind then." He opened up a cabinet set into the earthen wall. He placed the glass rather carelessly down on the small table resting underneath it. The liquor botte top was popped off, and tossed into the cabinet. He closed the cabinet and poured himself some of the brown-colored drink. A large drag of the stuff was taken, and he poured himself some more.

"Arg, tha's the stuff! Strong year, strong drink…" He twisted the glass of whiskey in paw a few times, looking at it curiously, before setting it down. He resumed crossing his arms.

"Aight matey, let me be frank 'ere. Times wastin'.

"An hour ago a group of ragtag Redwallers came 'ere, all yellin', with their sad, rusty weapons 'n kitchen knives 'n big forks they roused up in there Redwall. Came 'ere lookin' for a big, black fox, name's Jaden, bein' on the run from them fer being a spy or somethin'. I figured ye was happenin' to th' same wonderful welcomin' them Redwallers gives us low life travelin' types - y'know, 'Don't make a mess o'er this place, afores ye get kicked out!' an' stuff. But anyway's, matey - what's goin' on 'ere? I knew ye was workin' fer th' king. Care explain what this spy business 's all about?

"An' matey, what ye says 'ere stays here." He uncrossed his arms for a moment to pound his chest once with a big-knuckled paw. "On me life, matey's - when I's heard ye were double-crossin' them, me reaction was obvious. The Jaden I know's would ne'r do such a thing! H'wouldn't go as far as t… spy on some dibbun sneakin' a big o' grub from th' Abbey kitchens!

"So for the sake of me peace-o-mind an' crew - ye know, I c'n only cast away their doubt wit' assurin' wit' me good fortune an' wisdom, har, if I's got any left in me - please do, laddie tell me wot's up."

Jaden shuffled in his chair restlessly. He kept a tight grip on the straps of his sack. "Um, well, see here… The King of the Northlands - the leader of the Northern Hellsman - has put a time table on me." He related to the Captain what had happened over the past two days and the reaction of the Redwallers. All the while the Captain did not say anything. The most he did was nod every once and a while, and even said "I see."

"-And that's how I got here. I knew there was some trading post… But between lack of sleep, being beat up, and my nerves racketed by those Redwallers, I couldn't remember for the life of me."

Captain Gregshaw nodded again and reached over for his glass of whiskey. "Well matey, see here: me crew has been suspicious of ye, jus' only that ye are a different type. Aye, different. But I'ves had to use me authority t'quiet down some very suspicious ones - y'know, Orthin, Rockdabber, Solstice. Those ones who'r veeerry black n' white bouts eveythin'… even how I tie m'bootstraps over these feet o' mine. Been sayin' some things o'r the past few months that've threatened the integrity o' me crew. Things that've confirmed what ye've said matey."

The Captain threw back the rest of the whiskey. Jaden couldn't wait, so he asked, "So what do ye plan to do?"

The glass was set down. "Tell the crew wot's the matter. No use hidin' it from them - they have every right t'know, as one friend t'th'othah. Cuz, how's messmates supposed t'make ship together when they's got some pickin's wit' each other?"

Jaden frowned. "What do you mean?"

The Captain grinned widely. "Ye know how ye've been wantin' t'set sail o'er the seas matey? Well… I'm supposin' now's the best time!"

Jaden stood up from his seat. His brows furrored in doubt. "So then, ye just trust me on my word? I half expected ye to just smack me across the face or something."

"I know a good beast when I comes across 'im, Jaden. I bet that ye was bein' horrible at a dibbun, laddie, cuz ye are horrible at lyin'!" He offered a chuckle and a pat on Jaden's shoulder. "Nah, not only that, but I've been getting' reports, laddie… I've used to have connections with them Sala hares up until a month ago. They've just tuckered up around their mountain and locked the door tight for no reason whatsoever. An' I had me good runner Sassifrass hop on o'r t'those long-ears, an' they sent 'im on 'is way with a curt brush o'r their words. I don't know wot's got in to them - sad t' say this, but they're jus' diggin' their own graves in that mountain, an' I could care less now. Cuz I got me own crew to worry's 'bout."

Jaden began to lift the sack but the Captain objected. "Keep it 'ere. We'll pack it aboard me ship in a few hours before we all's be leavin'. Been promisin' me crew a great time o'r the seas - some adventure jus' fer the heck'o'vit! Been tellin' them we're goin' t'sail to the Cellikose Islands o'r yonder horizon in th'western seas fer a vacation… Fancy land that is! Many beasts o' me crew 'ave ne'r been thar. But I's ne'r tellin' them it be permanent. First though, we're gonna set sail downriver fer the port town near th' mouth o' th' Great South Stream an' board one o' me larger sea-goin' vessils. That small dingy of a boat ain't much use o' the high seas!"

Jaden leaned the sack up against the chair and sighed. "Gregshaw, what if the King's armies are already advancing down the western shore? I remember some... rumor about it, but I never believed it myself. That would allow those in Mossflower to escape. If they're already down over there, then we may not have a chance to get a boat. That's somethin' we gotta take into fact."

"Aye, an' if they be doin' that, they're most likely be goin' in a pincher movement. Send forces down th' west, an' a seperate one on th' flatlands borderin' the woods in th' east, an' close in. Those who'r gonna run south, like ye said, would be eaten up by those lizzies -gosh I hate those scaley types - but besides, what else are we gonna do?"

Jaden frowned. "The Redwallers wouldn't believe ye, right?"

"No. They dislike us riverdogs. Ne'r liked us. Though we've been shippin' their supplies up an' down river, an' helped those fools out a lot with escapin' the clutches of Hellsman - their fate is deserved. Don't ye say?"

"Well, I wouldn't go as far to say that."

The Captain grinned . "Why not matey? They be killing beasts, an'-"

"They kill woodlanders."

"Now, them hoodlums must kills some vermin though, aye?"

"The Hellsman are very religious in their horde dogma."

"Mmmm, how so? Why'd I not hear about this afore?"

Jaden looked to the ground for a moment. He hoped it didn't turn into another Abbot. And another friend die because of one of his actions.

­- Because if I wouldn't have told the Redwallers, they wouldn't have chased me out... And the Abbot wouldn't have gone out. And gotten slain.

All because of me.

He sighed coldly. "I was afraid of what ye would think."

The otter laughed. It felt forced. "Ye think I'm afraid? I gotta deal with a dozen and more messmates, an' women, an' children. I'm their leader. Ye think I haven't heard it all?"

The laugh dug under Jaden's skin. He knew that the otter friend was trying to lighten the situation, which made it worse - Jaden snapped rather bitterly: "Well, they didn't kill the Abbot, did they?"

That brought a silence over the otter. His smile faded with his laugh. It sort of trailed off. "Woah now!" He tilted his head downward a bit and stared at Jaden in suspicion. "Wot - Wot's this ye be sayin'?"

"I was saying goodbye to the Abbot. Figure it would be the last time I would see him, because, you know, Mossflower is going." Jaden paused to swallow. He continued, pronouncing each word perfectly with perfunctoriness. "Then some squirrel by the name of Algornian came out of nowhere, and slashed his throat. - The fools dead, now. I chucked a dagger at him and he died. Poisoned. I suppose my trainings saved me from doing worse than that to the creature. Ah, oh well..."

Captain Gregshaw eyed Jaden for a moment. He examined Jaden's expression. The dark turn in tone had silenced the normal wisely otter, and had thrown himself into perplexion. He quickly regained countenance and opened his mouth: "My stars matey, 'tis a sad thing indeed."

Jaden replied in the affirmitave quickly. "Yes."

"My 'opes an' sympathies, laddie. Ye knew the abbot more an' 'alf of Mossflower could wish of - I c'n tell from the way ye'd talked about 'im in yore past visits."

"Aye."

"An'," the Captain chimed, looking to the ground. "I would send me crew an' I t' visit 'is grave an' lay flowers on it-"

"I didn't get to bury him."

The words were very pointed. The Captain sniffed loudly, and said, "Oi matey! M'sorry! Arg, me not usin' me head thar... Well matey, then, I would send me an me crew t' give 'im a proper burial, but, laddie.." His voice trailed off and he gestured with a paw. "The sun doesn't stop movin', an' the Hellsman don't stop marchin'. But laddie, I would do it meself, I swear on the furs O' me head!"

Jaden's gaze had shifted to the ground and he nodded. He forced himself to meet the otter's gaze. "Worthless, anyway." A second passed before he realized what he had said. Though it was said unconsciously, and was as self-imposed as his staring, he stuttered to say: "- I mean..."

The Captain continued to examine Jaden's odd demeanor. He simply shrugged, and said, "Well laddie, take it from me - I'm a Captain o' this crew. Half me original crew is alive - aye, if even a quartar. An' each time one passes 'way, I feels like a part o' me dies. Cuz I'm workin' so 'ard an' steady t' put me own years o' experience an' wisdom - hah, if I even gots any left in me old melon. But aye laddie - it kills me each time one o' 'em drops by the wayside! Ah - jus' recently I lost Jagtooth. Ah, poor Jagtooth! Great beast 'ee was, born for the seas. 'Ad good eyes an' could spot a gull from a rock when 'ee would jus' be leagues away, an' could navigate jus' by glancin' once at the stars. Sees, me an' me crew were fightin' a pocket o' them Hellsteeth a wee bit north o' the Porttown over yonder, an' what do ye know... all I could do was keep me other men alive an' runnin'. Aye, I couldn't go back fer 'im! So laddie I know 'ows ye feel. But ye just gotta keep pushin' on 'head, sails full, rudder strong an' steady - if ye gives up now an' figger what ye would do if this-n-that would've come t' pass instead o' what did, ye won't get anywhere. Aye laddie, you an' I - we's got a crew t' look after, an' look after one another now."

Jaden's gaze had slipped. He simply nodded again and said: "Yeah, I guess. But only If I-"

"Oi! Matey, ye're doin' it again!" He bounded forward and brushed Jaden's shoulders off. After doing so, he looked the tod over, while gesturing. "Chin up, boots shiney an' laced, keep yer pants tucked in 'em! Le's go out thar an' rustle up th' crew an' tell 'em the news. We ain't waitin' another season fer this moment. Cuz, matey..." He stepped back, but hesitated before opening the door. He looked back. "Matey, ye know wot th' Abbot 'twould want ye to do. Keep pressin' on."

Keep pressing on. Yeah.

...Well, I guess he's right. The Abbot would want me to keep moving on. Ah... "There is a lesson to be learned in mistakes. If you should regret, you haven't sought out the knowledge that which is hidden from the plain eye.."

Aye.

Jaden shuffled over to the door but still remained silent. For a moment his face betrayed resolution, but it twisted back into perplexion. He just shook his head, shrugged, and sighed. The sea otter Captain offered a pat on his shoulder. "Right matey? Now, les' go." The door opened with a creak and the earthy smells of the hallway wafted in. He changed hands on the doorknob while walking out so he could face Jaden. "Oi matey, this crew's I got 'tis fine. We's not only got sea-skippin' hoodlums, an' rope-lungin' fools, but - great seas an' skippers!"

Jaden quickly realized that the Captain wasn't quite looking at him. His eyes were averted. Jaden glanced over his shoulder, and looked again: nothing. A desk with papers, the cot, the shelves full of charts and a few books, two chest, and his own bag by the chair. He looked at the captain oddly after examining everything quickly. "Are you seeing thi-?"

Not only did the Captain exclaim again, but he pointed violently - "Oi! Matey!" He bound into the room, about knocking Jaden over. "Ye bag's alive!"

This time, Jaden approached the source of Gregshaw's excitement, and was about to touch it when something pressed on the inside. It was rather a rather small and round indentation, with five sharper dimples on the outermost edges - a paw?. Both Jaden and Gregshaw exchanged glances. Jaden reached down and began to untie the sack but Gregshaw grabbed his paws. "Watch it - it might be a baby rattler. Best be lettin' a professional snake killer 'andle this."

Jaden frowned. "Snakes don't have paws." The pressing happened again and Jaden pointed. "Look - see?"

"Oi." He let go. "But be careful..."

Jaden untied the strings the rest of the way and was about to open it when he saw a flash of metal out of the corner of his eye. He looked up. Gregshaw had a short knife drawn. Jaden shook his head, chuckling, looking down. "I don't think that's necessary... Ahhhahhhh!"

Jaden jumped up and took a few paces back. Gregshaw peered into the sack and dropped the knife in shock. It pierced the old wooden floorboards, quivering.

"I's the freakin' spawn O' Broadblade the Great! Lord of Sala 'imself!" Gregshaw motioned. "Look at 'im! Wot... wot... how... wot...!"

Jaden ventured forward and looked inside. Inside was, indeed, the gold striped snout and forhead of the Lord, wrapped up neatly in swadling blankets. Jaden huffed and shook his head. "That is no wheel of cheese!"

Gregshaw's eyes rolled up. "Oi, laddie, our toils an' troubles were great already, but they have increased a hundred fold! If yon Badger Lord 'isself finds out about - aye, 'twould be terrible."