Anna had never seen anything so busy in her life. The streets of Quinn were thronging with people and animals and market stalls, and the noise was deafening. Clamping her hands over her ears, she followed Lee through the winding alleyways, unable to decide what to look at or concentrate on first. Merchants hawked their wares and children darted in and around the multitude of squeaking cart wheels and crates of vegetables.

"Where are we going?" she shouted, above the din. It took several tries before Lee finally heard her.

"The Inn, where else? We have to stay the night, it's too late in the day to start through the Candlewood." The message was garbled, drowned in the cries of peddlers and the flapping of flags in the steady sea breeze. Anna turned her attention to the chaos that surrounded her, always keeping an eye on the back of Lee's shirt. She didn't want to get lost in this crowd.

At last, Lee stopped in front of a two-story building, the word "Inn" painted in faded gold lettering on a somewhat battered sign. The door was open, and people were coming in and out. Some were trailed by boys lugging trunks and suitcases and satchels; others came alone. Anna stepped inside warily, letting Lee do all the talking. She felt strange, like a fish out of water, or the one color that didn't match the rest. Although the faces of the people of Quinn seemed to be kind enough, she had felt quite a few suspicious stares as she passed. Her pirate garb, somewhat tattered due to the lashing rains and howling winds of the storms they had weathered, was attracting a little too much attention for her liking.

"Don't worry," Lee said, when she mentioned it to him. "No one will hurt you. And if they try to, well, you can defend yourself."

"If I drew the scimitar, it would only cause more trouble!"

"Don't you have any other ways of fending off attackers? I'm sure you have a pretty deadly bite. Your bark sure is deadly enough..."

"Quiet, you!" Anna smacked him with a tea cozy lying on the table.

"Alright, alright. Only a joke! I'll be back, I'm starved. They serve dinner downstairs in half an hour, if you're interested. Or there are some restaurants in the town as well. Take your pick. But don't get lost, and don't wander off, and don't open your mouth to speak a SINGLE word. Got it?"

"Oh, go away already. Really, I'm not a toddler."

"Fine, fine. I'll see you later."

Anna sat at the small table, looking around at the equally small room. It looked as though it could stand a little attention. The carpet bloomed with water stains and the beds, all three of them, had been hastily made. Lee had explained that the storms had done Quinn plenty of damage, as it was a seaside town; Anna guessed that the owners of the Inn simply didn't have time to tidy the rooms as much as they might have wanted to, what with people pouring in and the homeless needing shelter. She found it amazing, though, that the town was so busy despite the disasters rolling in one after another. They were truly resilient people. The storms knocked them down, and then they simply got back up again.

The streets were growing quieter as the dinner hour neared. Dusk fell upon Quinn, gradually hushing the proposals of the merchants and the hammering of carpenters working feverishly to patch roofs or put up shanties for temporary homes. Anna, drawn by the wonderful aroma of soup and bread wafting up to the room from below, had one hand on the knob when the door itself suddenly flew open. She stepped back with a shriek as Lee came bounding in.

"Sarah! We have to go!"

"What??! Why??!!"

"No time to explain right now! Just come with me, and hurry!" Lee snatched his rucksack full of belongings, shoved Anna's coat and bag into her arms, and dragged her out.

Breathless, Anna ran out of the inn behind Lee, who didn't seem to be making any attempts at hiding from any intruders who may have been lurking nearby. Clueless, the girl did her best to keep up as evening shrouded the harbor in a soft mist. They seemed to run for a while, and Anna was surprised to find that they weren't running toward the ships at all. In fact, the tall masts retreated further and further behind them, and the road no longer branched into alleys but went on alone. The cobblestones thinned out and became packed earth, rutted with wheel tracks. Finally, panting, Lee stopped just a few feet away from a sign that had once stood straight, but was now slightly skewed after the storm winds. TRADE ROAD had been painted on the splintered and worn wood.

Anna, remembering the name, frowned at Lee. "But I thought you said it was too late to start? Really Lee, what's going on??"

"We were followed here. The taverns and shops are buzzing with news. A ship with green sails is moored in the harbor and men have been asking about the passengers of the Corona." Lee turned to face the dark expanse beyond the sign. Barely visible in the gathering twilight, rows and rows of trees continued on for miles. The road went on, cutting through that darkness and marching westward to places Anna had never known. It seemed that the adventure was only just beginning. Lee stared out at the forest for a while, and then glanced toward the lights of Quinn.

"There isn't any time to spare. Whoever is following us, whether they are friend or foe, is still hunting through the town right now. If we leave, we can escape and get to Asphel...at least there the Kingdom is strong and we will have protection, if our pursuers prove to be our enemies."

"And what if they aren't enemies...?" Anna wondered aloud, but Lee had already begun walking into the shadows of the forest. He called back to her, the sound ringing through the still air. Anna took one last look at Quinn, and then hurried on behind him. "But Lee, what about Sam? Is he safe there? What if they get to him?"

"Sam can take care of himself. He was the one who warned me to take you and go. They saw the ship sail in, and some of the sailors went back to him and reported their suspicions. Sam didn't want to wait to find out what they wanted, and I agreed–better to get you someplace safe and not waste time while we might be in danger."

"But why? Why is it so important that I leave Quinn?" Anna stumbled along, for the way was dark and the light was dim. Gas lamps were spaced along the path, but they burned low, for any small flame might set the entire forest on fire. Every light was enclosed in thick glass, and the wicks were trimmed only twice a year. It was nearly impossible for Anna to avoid tripping on the occasional root or rock, and she was already quite tired. Lee, however, marched on. His face was set into grave lines as he answered her.

"Because they were asking about you."

Sam, captain of the R.S. Corona, finally found himself walking down the streets of his hometown once more. It felt like ages since he had been back to Quinn. The Royal Fleet, of which his ship was a part of, mainly docked in the waters of Cradle Bay; the Navy was housed with the rest of the Kingdom's forces in the sprawling Grand Castle of Asphel. Asphel, of course, was busy enough; in fact, maybe even busier than Quinn, for its significantly smaller size. There were many similarities between the two cities, the crown jewels of the Kingdom's sea ports. And yet, Sam could never shake the longing to be home. It felt good to stroll past the lighted windows of the restaurants, and it felt even better to fish out a somewhat rusted key and open the door to his little house in its quiet lane. Even the air seemed familiar and easier to breathe. He was worried about Lee and Anna, and wary of the few people he met, but there was nothing like being home at last. It calmed him.

As he turned the knob and pushed the door open on its creaky hinges, Sam suddenly heard voices behind him in the otherwise hushed street. Stepping quickly into his house and shutting the door all but for a crack, Sam listened intently to the conversation.

"The ship is empty. Sailors must have cleared out for the day. Best to check all the inns, seeing as there isn't anywhere else for them to go." A tall man, whose face Sam couldn't make out in the shadowed lane, was walking at a steady pace. He and his companion walked right by Sam's house, lingering briefly at the corner. A quieter voice answered into the night.

"Nevertheless, we must keep searching, Orris. We need to find her." Sam thought the second figure was most definitely a girl; she was smaller in stature, and a hooded cloak was wrapped snugly around her. That seemed odd to him, because even the autumn chill had yet to descend upon sunny Quinn. In fact, the sea air was actually warm and comfortable. It was obvious that the girl must be hiding something. The tall man, whom she had addressed as Orris, nodded in agreement.

"We are only steps behind them, Mistress. It is only a matter of time."

"I can always use–"

"You must not speak of it, Mistress. It would not do for others to overhear." The man's whispers were low and urgent, but Sam's proximity to the pair even through his nearly closed door was still enough for him to hear everything. He noted a foreign accent in their speech, but could not call to mind where its origins might be. "This secret must be kept until the absolute final moment, when everything will come together for the good or the ruin of all." The girl bowed her head, and one hand flew to her throat. The glimmer of the green stone set into a ring on her finger caught the light briefly, and then Orris spoke again. "Come, Mistress. It is well past time to return to the ship. My men are searching all of Quinn, and they will not return empty-handed or without news."

"And if they return without her?"

"Then...then perhaps, Mistress, the time will be at hand. I am sure you will know what to do."

Their talk faded as they continued on, further and further away. Sam heaved a sigh and then shut his door. They must be from the ship with the green sails, he thought to himself. Fumbling for flint and tinderbox in his damp pockets, he moved to light his lamps. However, he never managed to reach the lamp, for suddenly heavy boots were thudding down the same street he had just turned his back on. Crouching, Sam peeked over his window sill and through the glass as several men ran by. They looked like they had been born and lived and would die on the sea; their arms, in the pale moonlight, were seamed with scars and covered with barbarous tattoos–pirates? They seemed to be searching for something, or someone. They went from house to house, peering through cracks in shutters and occasionally knocking loudly on doors. Sam muttered curses under his breath as one of them went so far as to run right up to his very window and seemed about to smash it in with a bayonet. However, a shout from one of the others stopped the man in his tracks, and he soon returned to the street.

"Well lads, if the lady wants blood, she'll have blood," the leader said. "Remember your orders. Find the girl before dawn." And the cruel sneers that slowly curled across their faces were enough to drain Sam of all the pleasure of being home. He stuffed the tinderbox back in his pocket and tried to think of what to do next.