The Javelin led the way as the Vale Island Navy moved out. Ryon had sent messengers to the other islands to meet at the Green Maelstrom, a whirlpool in the south. The captains of the Five in turn had sent messengers to the other islands and organizations. Ryon stood at the prow of the Javelin. He moved gingerly for a few days, not wanting to reopen the wounds that the splinters had caused. They were acting on the young mouse's information. The mouse had been assorted with the Shale, a ship of the Northern Sea League. When the Shale and the two others ships that it had been traveling with had been destroyed, he had been the only survivor. He had bartered passage to Vale Island on a merchant craft, and had tried to swim from the ship to the shore. The effort nearly killed him. In the weeks that Ryon had been in the infirmary, the Javelin had been repaired to its former glory. The sun shone off the newly polished decks, and the crisp billowing of new sails filled the air. Ryon was about to check with Silver to see how much farther to the Green Maelstrom it was, but recalled with a pang of grief that Silver was dead. He sighed, and asked the ship's navigational officer.
"About five more days, Captain." was the reply.
Ryon had the ship's healer look at his back wounds every day. Finally, when they were two days from the Maelstrom, the healer said that he could take them off. This newfound joy was short-lived.
The ship's Quartermaster walked up to him, tapping an empty water gourd. "We're low on fresh water, Cap'n."
Ryon pursed his lips and nodded. He looked out at the sea. "I've been in this part of the ocean before. Come about two points to port and head that way for a day. We'll be put off course for a while, but there's an island there that we can resupply at."
The ship changed course, now heading southwest, towards a small island.
Lucar and Birchleaf felt the ship change course. Lucar looked at the squirrelmaid. "We're changing course. Any idea why?"
Birchleaf shook her head. "No, but I saw the Quartermaster testing the water jugs earlier. I think we're going to resupply."
Coincidentally, the Pikeshaft was moving towards the same island. Blacktail, too, wore bandages from the battle. The Pikeshaft was going to rejoin the main Sea Horde armada. They too, were low on water. Both ships sailed for the island on opposite sides, not knowing that they would be drawn into confrontation once again.
The chapter coming up is going to be similar to one of the fight scenes of the second POTC movie. R and R!