[i]So, I'll ask Kai about a swordsmith, head there, get my sword fixed, get drunk while I wait, then talk to the captain and see if I can find a ship headed back to Lendria.[/i] Ray placed his hand on his chin thoughtfully, then noticed the stubble growing on his chin. [i]And get a shave.[/i] Ray was still in his quarters when the ship sailed into port. He was taking his time getting ready for the shore party, not looking forward to his talk with the captain. He swore his oath to serve her, and he wasn't one to break his word. [i]Of all the things I once had in life, only two things remain: my honor and a promise.[/i] His gaze rested on his broken sword, lost in thought.

Ray was still lost in thought when the Coral Pearl docked. The thing that brought him out of his reverie was the extra footsteps on the main deck above him. The voices he heard were muffled, but he could make out most of what they were saying. The veiled threat by the others onboard the ship, the brief but tense standoff with Kai, King Fin or Captain Fennel or something like that, and Luro's garrulous drone going on about mating with walruses as they left. Though he was certain he was lacking context, Ray couldn't help but mouth a silent 'what' to himself after listening to that last detail.

It was rather clear that his crewmates would need help: Ray knew Captain Runali well enough that she wouldn't dare abandon their quest, and once she objected to this Fenn's conscription, they would be in deep water without a raft. It was only a matter of time before the rest of the pirates on the ship began searching it, so Ray moved quickly and quietly to gather his swords and get off the ship; he'd be no use to his friends if he were captured. He crept to the gun deck, holding his sheaths to keep the blades from rattling. He opened one of the gun-ports and climbed out of the ship and under the pier, taking great care to ease himself onto the water rather than jumping in with a conspicuous splash. He had to wade through neck deep water, trying to keep his swords above the water and not make any excessive sloshing noise. It got easier the closer he got to the shore, but still took painfully long; the frigid water had soaked him to the bone and he was worried for his friends, making what took no more than ten minutes seem like an eternity. 

Ray dragged himself onto the shore, wheezing at the cold of the water still clinging to his now heavy clothes. He had to catch up to his friends, but had lost sight of them minutes ago, and neither had any idea where they were. Before he had any time to do give a guess where they had gone, he heard voices coming his way. Another group of pirates were patrolling down the coast and spotted him. Cursing himself for his lack of subtlety, Ray ran down a street, hoping to lose them. Their voices raised as they gave chase. Ray turned several corners trying to lose them, but they were relentless. Ray, in a panic, burst in through a door and shut it before the pirates spotted him again. He tried to quiet his breathing while his lungs screamed for air. He heard the pirates' voices get louder through the door, then after a tense minute, recede into the distance. He breathed a sigh of relief, then realized he had no idea whose house he burst into, and slowly turned around....