Ship of Magic

Ship of Magic
Robin Hobb
The Liveship Traders #1

Prologue sees a group of sea serpents waking up, and one of them who has strange memories / visions saying it is time for them to move.

MIDSUMMER

Chapter 1:
Captain Kennit, of the Marietta, a pirate ship, is on the “Others” island. Had to land in a tricky cove called deception cove, and him and one of his crew, Gankis, are now walking the treasure beach, finding pristine trinkets that are undamaged by the sea and more masterfully crafted than any man could make. He then takes them to the Other, a strange ocean/amphibious creature. Kennit gives him some of his treasures but keeps a couple for himself (Which you are not supposed to do). The Other augurs and confirms that Kennit's aspiration to become the pirate king will come true. Kennit and Gankis barely escape the island as the tide leaves. Kennit was able to break the enchantment the Other put on him due to a small charm carved of Wizard wood. The charm comes alive and can talk to him.

We also are introduced to Wintrow, a young priest of Sa in Jamaillia City (south of Bingtown), being mentored by Berandol. Wintrow has been called home because his grandfather is dying. He seems to have something similar to Autism that makes him very uncomfortable in large crowds.

Chapter 2:
Brashen is a sailor on the Vivacia, a Liveship soon to be quickened (awakened). He used to be first mate under captain Ephron Vestrit, but Ephron is sick and dying so he made his son-in-law Kyle Haven captain, who replaced Brashen and clearly dislikes him.

Althea, Ephron’s daughter, has grown up on the Vivacia, and loves the ship and sailing, but Kyle dislikes her also and confines her to her quarters and says after this voyage she will no longer be permitted to sail. But Althea believes her father will get better and when he does die, he will give her the ship. Althea has seen Kyle is not a great captain and makes mistakes, plus he does not know much about how a liveship works. It is an extremely expensive ship commissioned by Althea’s great grandmother carved of Wizard wood (they are still in debt due to this), and after 3 generations of the family die on it’s deck then it Quickens and becomes alive holding the knowledge of those who have died on it.

Paragon is an old beached lliveship said to bring bad luck. A trader standing by it talking says he wants to buy it to chop it up and sell the wizard wood.

Chapter 3:
Ronica Vestrit is Ephron’s wife. She has tried to manage their family holdings but they are falling more and more into debt, and it is clear Ephron is going to die soon. Another of the original trader families (those who settled this land generations ago and were gifted many acres by the Satrap), Davad Restart, comes to visit but is gross and rude and does not respect women that much. We learn that a mysterious something is affecting Bingtown, and half of all children born are monsters of some sort. Ronica does not like that Althea spends all her time on a ship and wishes her to marry.

Chapter 4:
Kennit makes port in Divvytown, a dirty, crime laden home for pirates. His first mate Sorcor is very good at his job. Kennit dislikes the habit and ignorance of many of his crew, but lets them go about life since pirates are hard to control. He heads to a brothel and spends the night with his favorite whore, Etta. Etta proposes that he basically buy her and let her keep a small home for him whenever he is here but he refuses her.

Chapter 5:
Keffria, Kyle’s wife, Althea’s sister, and Wintrow’s mother, has all her children at the family home in Bingtown. They can see Ephron is dying and the Vivacia is almost back, so he needs to die on her deck. Althea has been having visions/dreams/memories from the ship even though it is not quickened yet, causing her to lose weight and become frail. The Vivacia arrives back at Bingtown

Chapter 6:
Ephron is rushed to the ship,and Althea and Brashen go to get the figurehead peg, a slightly more important piece of wizard wood. They get it for him and Althea and Ephron clutch it, althea expecting the ship to be named hers. Then Ephron, at Ronica’s prodding, says the ship will go to Keffria by right of birth order. Althea is devastated. Kyle has been showing his anger and lack of knowledge about liveships, giving Ronica some discomfort. Kyle tells Wintrow to place the figurehead peg in the figurehead and awaken the ship, since a blood relative must do it, but Wintrow says it is not his place despite his fathers threats and Althea and Brashen do it. Vivacia awakens and recognizes Althea, and likes her. Then Kyle kicks Althea and Brashen off his ship. Brashen leaves to try to find work elsewhere

Chapter 7:
Wintrow goes with his family as they sail into the harbor and sink Ephron’s body. His father sends him to the second-mate Torg, an oafish man, to do busy work to punish him for standing up for himself. Vivacia is sad they are all leaving her, so Wintrow volunteers to sleep on the ship which also upsets Kyle. Wintrow berates the night watch for drinking, recalling some of his grandfathers memories, and asks Torg for a clean blanket but Torg is a gross, dirty, cruel dog-man.
Althea has been getting very drunk about town, and Brashen honors his promise to Ephron and watches over her then offers to walk her home.

Chapter 8:
Keffria and the family go home. Her and Kyle argue lightly about the best way to handle Althea, but Keffria, as always, accedes to Kyle’s will. Kyle gets up to go check if Althea is back.
Brashen walks Althea through town, avoiding crowded areas so she won’t be seen in the state she is in, despite her being rude to him. They pass by Amber’s shop. A rain wilds trader who makes wooden jewelry. He had just gotten Althea home when Kyle opens the front door and accosts them. Kyle is loud and accuses Brashen of trying to sleep with a drunk Althea. He then grabs Althea harshly and when she tries to go inside and tells him to stop he goes to punch Braashen, who is more nimble and dodges. Ronica shows up and tells them all to shut up and stop. She asks Brashen to leave and tells Kyle to calm down.

Maulkin and his sea serpents continue their travels.

Chapter 9:
Brashen goes to sleep on the Paragon, the beached ship. They are old friends.

Kennit and Sorcor have a meal aboard the Marietta in Divvytown. Kennit still needs to convince people to make him pirate king, but starts by telling Sorcor he wants to start an “escort” business (pay us or we attack you). But he also wants to take a liveship for himself. Sorcor makes him agree that for every liveship they chase they take down 1 slaver (Sorcor is an ex slave). Kennit reluctantly agrees.

Wintrow uses good logic and arguments to try to convince his family to let him go back to the monastery and be a priest, but Kyle wants him on the Vivacia since he is the oldest male blood vestrit. As Wintrow pleads his case, he suggests letting Althea take his place and Kyle punches him and knocks him out.

Chapter 10:
Althea wakes up and is listening to Ronica, Keffria, and Kyle argue while Ronica cares for Wintrow’s unconscious body. Kyle starts insulting Althea, so she enters the room and confronts him. They continue arguing. As Althea and Kyle get more angry (Kyle saying she is a spoiled little girl who can’t sail and should be married off, and Althea saying he is a greedy, control hungry man), Kyle swears “By Sa”, that if a single captain says Althea is a good sailor he would give her the Vivacia. Wintrow wakes up and says why not let Althea on the Vivacia and him return to the monastery so everyone can be happy. Kyle is enraged and blasphemes that he does not care if the boy was given to Sa, by Bingtown law until Wintrow is 15 his labor belongs to his father. He again resorts to violence and grabs Wintrow roughly. Kyle makes Wintrow leave and begins berating Althea again. She says all he wants is control of the Vestrit family, and Kyle says he wants to provide for his children and make them profitable again and that Althea is a drunk whore.Ronica intervenes and makes them be quiet. She explains to Althea how she persuaded her father to change the will since it seemed best, and that she included that Keffria must care for her sister until she is married. Ronica feels bad, but after seeing how drunk Althea was last night she agrees with Kyle to not let her back on the ship. Althea pleads with her mother but both her and Kyle say she has no place on the Vivacia. Althea says if that is so she has no place in this family and walks away.

Kyle continues saying stupid, idiot stuff and Ronica finally tells him to shut up. Ronica is beginning to she she made a terrible mistake and Kyle is a mean dumb stupid idiot. She beseeches Keffria that she did not make her heir to all their holdings with the intent of controlling her sister, but Kyle keeps intervening, talking about their children. She realizes Keffria has become a puppet for Kyle, and will not stand up for herself. And due to legal technicalities Kyle is the head of the family. Kyle turns to how he will save the family. He wants to take slaves and sell them using the Vivacia, they talk him out of that so then he wants the family charts for the rain wilds river, which Ephron refused to trade on. Ronica will not give him the charts so he says he will trade slaves. Torg knows slave merchants. Ronica realizes she must be stealthy and try to fix the mistake she has made by giving Kyle power.

Important chapter.

Chapter 11:
Althea goes to Curtil, the family advisor who made her fathers will. Nothing can be done about them, but Kyle’s oath by Sa to give her the ship could be made into a claim with the Bingtown Council. She simply must work for a captain and get a recommendation. She briefly speaks with Vivacia, comforting the ship and herself. She runs into Amber on the docks and feels weird, so she hurries off. She worries for her family, and fears Kyle will harm Vivacia mentally. She does not want Vivacia to end up like Paragon, who was quickened by a father and son dying on his decks at the same time due to a storm or some other mysterious reason. Then the next two captains also both suffered tragedy sailing him. Althea heads down to the paragon to seek refuge.

Chapter 12:
Paragon and Althea talk briefly, she used to visit him as a child. She is startled to learn Brashen is also staying here. When Brashen returns they talk for a while. Brashen Trell can relate to her since he also is the son of a trader family who left them. He tells her she should go back and seek forgiveness. She says she wants to sail and he warns her of the dangers of being a women aboard a bad ship of men.

Kennit and Sorcor spot a slave ship and go take it. The attack goes very well and the men are excited. There is no loot to be had, only slaves, and Kennit knows they will not see much profit from this. But Sorcor is happy and Kennit fears he may have to remove him.

Chapter 13:
Brashen awakes and Althea is already gone, he talks with Paragon and paragon says that he wishes he could die, and that is always an option for Brashen.

Althea sells earrings her father gave her then goes to see Amber’s shop. Amber and Althea talk, then AMber offers her a gift. Althea chooses a serpents egg bobble. Amber says she wants to help Althea thwart fate, and they kind of become friends.

Wintrow is forced to learn everything about a ship rapidly. They force him into any and all chores and he is sore and exhausted. Finally he is invited to his fathers cabin and they share a meal. Kyle is kind of proud of him, and offers him a Vivacia earring to mark him as a member of the crew. Wintrow refuses since a priest can never mark their body. This sends Kyle into a rage and he again states how ALthea can’t be on the ship because she is a woman and Wintrow must be a man (Kyle seems to hate women). Wintrow rebuts his father saying he speaks like a Chalcedean, where they hold slaves so long eventually women start be little better than slaves. Kyle gets even more irate and throws Wintrow out of his cabin, giving him into Torgs keeping. Wintrow is distraught.

Due to a note from ALthea, Ronica briefly talks to Vivacia and asks that she invite Althea home if they speak again. Vivacia tells her how much Ephron trusted her and trusted her to care for their holdings in Bingtown while he sailed.

Chapter 14:
Kennit takes the captured ship, the Fortune, to Askew, a small island town home to freed slaves. He has the ship flying his Raven emblem and will take cheap offers on it. Kennit searches the new ship once the slaves are off-loaded, and finds the captains charts. He realizes how valuable they are. Kennit finally goes ashore, and is worried by how people are acting. But then the townsfolk come up and practically worship him, the slaves he brought them were from their same home village and they are reunited. Everyone is overjoyed and Kennit realizes he needs to trust his luck more. He leaves them the ship and some of his seasoned crew to teach them, and tells them to be pirates under his Raven flag, and that he will take half of their profits. They eagerly accept. He sees a new path to power.

Kyle and Keffria are discussing things. Keffria wants to see Wintrow before he leaves but Kyle says no. He tells her that Trog tried to go scare Althea off when she was talking to the Vivacia but she pushed him off the dock (Awesome). Malta (their eldest daughter) asks if she may speak to them and Kyle brushes her off, but she speaks anyway. She wants to go to the Harvest Offering, and wear a gown like a woman. Keffria and Ronica had not been planning to go due to mourning. Keffria says she will of course not be wearing a woman’s dress, for she is still a girl. Keffria and Malta argue, but Keffria won’t budge. But Kyle is just laughing and then overrules Keffria and says Malta may wear a gown. Keffria is shocked. Malta leaves and Keffria explains to a laughing Kyle that this will mark Malta as a woman able to be courted, and she has not been taught how to dance or deal with pushy men. Kyle is uncomfortable, but then gets angry and tries to storm off which makes Keffria feel bad and beg his forgiveness. Kyle leaves, but not before insulting Keffria and their time courting. Keffria has so many fond memories but he ruins them all and says she was to slow and he had to teach her everything. Ronica tries to comfort Keffria but they are both realizing that Kyle, it turns out, is a stupid pig.

Chapter 15:
The Vivacia is leaving. Wintrow has been struggling to learn the ways of the ship, and has kind of befriended the old ships boy Mild. Vivacia herself also helps keep Wintrow sane and happy.

Althea sneaks up to Vivacia and asks her to summon Wintrow. Althea wants to make sure he will vouch that he heard Kyle swear by Sa to give her the ship. Wintrow says of course he will tell the truth. They both wish they could swap places.

Ronica Vestrit meets with her rain wild counterparts, the family that sold them the wizard wood for Vivacia. Caolwn Festrew is about Ronica’s age. Her daughter recently died, the rain wilds are harsh and disease not uncommon. They go through the many traditions of how trading between their families has always been done, but now Ronica must ask a favor since she is lightly short on the gold she owes. Caolwn reminds her it is “Gold or Blood”, but Ronica convinces her not to take a member of her family, and she will pay extra next time. Caolwn agrees, but reassures Ronica that a life in the rain wilds is not bad. They would care well for a Vestrit family member.

Kyle leaves soon, and Keffria once more brings up the issue of Malta. She really wants to raise Malta the way she sees is right, but Kyle just insults her and her family some more and Keffria once again realizes that she may have made a mistake.

Althea comes to see Ronica at night, and extract her promise that she would speak of her hearing Kyle’s oath to give her the ship before the trader council.

Sessurea supports Maulkin as the serpents continue their journey, despite some in their tangle doubting him.

AUTUMN

Chapter 16:
Althea is posing a ship’s boy aboard a slaughter ship called The Reaper. They go and hunt animals and stuff, gross, dangerous, overcrowded work. Reller, another sailor, is kind to her. The weather is very stormy, and she is tasked with taking the kettle back to the galley. On her return trip, she is almost washed overboard, but an angry sailor pulls her up the ropes. But it is Brashen, who is also aboard this ship, since slaughter ships are the easiest to get on to. ALthea has learned the hard truth that before she was not a sailor. She knew how to do many of the tasks but had never been forced to do them until exhausted and in any weather. It is a hard reality to accept. Althea had lived with Amber through the end of summer, where they made mans clothes and Amber taught Althea how to pretend to be a boy.

Brashen has climbed through the ships ranks quickly due to his skill and effort, and now has his own small private cabin and controls the ships medicine since he can read. He had not known Althea was on board until a ways into their voyage when he recognized her. He thinks Althea is a capable sailor, she just does not have the muscle many of the men have. Reller shows up asking for medicine and we learn Brashen has asked the man to keep an eye on “His Cousin’s boy”.

Wintrow is talking with Mild in the crows nest and is finally starting to learn what it is to be a sailor and maybe even fit in with the crew some.

The Reaper arrives at the Barrens, and the hunters are going ashore. ALthea thinks this means rest but is sent to help row a boat in. She helps out with various tasks on shore, and is disgusted by all the blood, death, gore, and viscera. This goes on for days and she still finds it repulsive, but eventually they are trying to beat the weather and she is forced into helping skin the animal carcasses. She finds she is very good at it and flies through the work. She brags to Brashen when they are alone and he reminds her what would happen if they knew she was a woman. Reller tells her about when he say a host of dragons off the six duchies coast a few years back.

The Vivacia parks at Cress, and Wintrow talks with Vivacia and she shows him Ephron’s memories of the place. He is given shore leave and wants to visit all the sites his grandfather loved. The sailors try to convince him to come with them but he does not like drinking and gambling and whoring. As he explores the town the locals don’t seem very inviting, and eventually a couple of guardsmen tell him to stop staring and get back to the docks. He tries to take a different path to see a wall his grandfather loved but the guards spot him and threaten him until he leaves. Back at the docks, he finds his crew about to fall for a scam. A beast-tamer has a trained bear and lets people pay to fight it, and the whole crew is betting on Comfrey. Wintrow tries to talk them out of it but Comfrey goes in and loses to the bear, losing the crew all of their money. They accuse the beat-tamer of cheating them, and he says someone else may fight the bear for free to earn all their money. Torg tries to make Wintrow do it but he says no so Mild volunteers, who is high on something. The Bear savages mild and everyone is upset, despite Wintrow trying to warn them the whole time they are mad at him and he fears he has lost any chance to be part of the crew.

Chapter 17:
Kennit arrives back in DIvvytown with everything going his way. He now has seven ships in his “Armada”. People are starting to hear of his power and fame, and he is pleased. He goes into port with Sorcor to meet a merchant to sell their goods, Sincure Faldin. Faldin proposes a partnership, where he gets first dibs to sell all goods Kennit brings in, in return for favorable prices. He also raises Kennit becoming king, but says he needs ties to Divvytown, and offers his own young daughters as brides for Kennit and Sorcor. Sorcor is entranced. Kennit agrees to nothing but sells his wares and heads to Bettel’s Bagnio to see Etta. When he enters he can tell something is wrong. Smoke fills the air and their are more men than usual. Bettel also acts strangely and offers him a different girl. He heads up the stairs to his usual room, but then waits in ambush. Three men from below follow him and he kills them all. He then continues up and finds three more men in his room. He kills one quickly but is then on the defensive as the other 2 work together. One taunts his goal to be pirate king and throws insults, and Etta is lying on the bed with blood on her. Kennit is upset, but can’t get to the men, when Etta ambushes them from behind with blankets so they get tangled up and Kennit kills them. Sorcor and his men run up, and are impressed that Kennit killed 6. They killed 4 men outside to get to him. He has them do some tasks but says all his crew should sleep on the Marietta tonight, and has one of his men take Etta to his cabin and care for her.

Chapter 18:
Malta goes against her mothers wishes and attends the Harvest Offering. Before leaving, Kyle left her money and a note saying she should buy a green dress. She goes behind her mother’s back and uses her free time to get fitted for a dress. She steals the silks from Althea’s room that were originally intended as a gift for her. The first dressmaker tells her her colors are not green, and then tries to make a girls dress, so Malta leaves and picks a new seamstress she does not know. This one has cousins/friends that sell perfume, makeup, and jewelry so Malta buys it from all of them based on their recommendations. The night of the harvest ball comes, and Malta sneaks out to go. While she is waiting outside, her friend Dello Trell, arrives but is wearing a girls frock, not a womens gown and Malta is mad. Her brother Cerwin eyes Malta lecherously (She is 12 almost 13, I think he is like 17-18). Her outfit is getting strange looks and reactions. Then Davad Restart arrives and thinks she is a prostitute Cerwin brought. When he recognizes her he hides her behind him so the Rainwilds Traders won’t see her and rushes her back to her house. Malta still does not see what the problem is and thinks she looks great. She, Kephria, and Ronica all argue but Malta does not think she did anything wrong. She has feelings for Cerwin.

Chapter 19:
Wintrow is very sad, and talks to Vivacia. He recently hurt his finger terribly when a rope Mild was holding slipped. Wintrow is trying to reconcile his priestly beliefs with how the sailors all act. Wintrow realizes his finger must be cut off to prevent the spread of infection and disease, and Vivacia tells him to do on her deck, by her. He goes to his father and Kyle is clearly distressed and does not want to cut it off. Wintrow asks him to but he makes the mate Gantry do it. Gantry does it on the deck with all watching and Wintrow does not scream or faint. And tells the crew he is not a coward.

Minglsey brings Amber to meet Paragon, he wants her carve up his wizard wood into jewelry. But she refuses and instead comes back to meet paragon and they begin to form a friendship.

WINTER
Chapter 20:
The Reaper makes port in Nook. “Athel” the ships boy has been more accepted by the crew since her success skinning. The crew is celebrating in a tavern before the ship heads back home the following day. Brashen is using cindin, a habit he never indulged on the vivacia but can give in to now. A pretty barmaid invites him back to her room, and he accepts.

Althea / Athel is celebrating with Reller and some other sailors. They hear rumors of Crimpers in the area. People who steal sailors for ships. They all head back to the ship, but Althea notices Brashen is gone and goes to look for him. She finds his unconscious body in the maids room, with the half naked barmaid nearby, she senses something is wrong and dodges the first hit to her head from behind, she manages to scream for help before she is knocked unconscious.
A couple of nearby sailors overheard and come to help. The only person they think is at fault is the man who hit Althea, despite the barmaid clearly being in on it. She put something in Brashens beer to make him pass out. Althea helps Brashen back to the Reaper. Brashen is still struggling under the effects of the drugged beer.

Brashen finally starts to feel alive, and realizes his shoulder is covered in blood from Althea’s head wound, so he calls her back to his cabin to stitch her up. He gives her a small piece of cindin to help with the pain, and after he stitches her they kiss and end up sleeping together. Althea, under the influence of the cindin, tells him more of her history, and we learn that when she was 14 she was basically raped by a member of her fathers crew at some port, right after her father kicked the man off the Vivacia. Despite their closeness, Althea tells Brashen this can never happen again.

Chapter 21:
I forgot to mention that at the start of the book Davad Restart gave Ronica an “Indentured Servant” named Rache. Ronica grew to like the women and knows Davad would sell her into slavery so she keeps her around. Rache informs her that Delo and Cerwin Trell are in the sitting room. Keffria and Ronica go to meet them. Malta had invited them to their house, and had clearly wanted to meet with them without her mother interfering. Ronica can see that Malta wanted to get alone with Cerwin. She sees that Malta has grown viscous with her wants and feels she is entitled to everything. With Keffria their to supervise Malta is stimied and upset. Ronica has plans for Rache to take care of Malta.

The Vivacia arrives in Jamaillia. Wintrow and Vivacia talk about Sa and his father’s loans. Vivacia senses serpents in the harbor and smells slaves.

Keffria tells Ronica that she feels forgotten, that because she followed the rules and did what was expected people only cared about Althea. Keffria has decided to be her own woman, and tells Ronica she will be taking over running parts of the estate and organizing their ledger books. Ronica is happy. Ronica warns Keffria that is they can not pay the debt to the Festrew family for Vivacia, Malta will most likely have to go to them.

Chapter 22:
Kennit still has been unable to capture a liveship. He is unsure how to feel about having Etta aboard ship and plans to find her someplace to stay. She tells him she thought that maybe if they could figure out what path a liveship was going to take ahead of time, they could wait to ambush it, and use other ships in a fleet to trap it.

Paragon listens ad Mingsley brings another potential buyer to see him. Paragon starts talking and throwing off the tradedeal, speaking of curses and such. When Mingsley starts saying only Live ships can trade up the rain wild river, Paragon becomes distressed. He becomes more frustrated and sullen.

Althea spots a serpent following the Reaper. The serpent attacks the ship and they fight back. Althea saves the mate from following overboard. They manage to kill it but the crew and ship take damage.

Wintrow comes to see Vivacia. He is planning to flee the ship in the night, swim to shore and make his way back to his monastery. Vivacia is devastated. He is her only true family aboard. But Wintrow leaves and swims ashore.

Kennit and Etta are asleep in their bed. Kennit tells Etta very nice things that make her happy, but it was actually his wooden charm talking while he slept.

Chapter 23:
Wintrow is free in Jamaillia city. He plans how to avoid his father.

Vivacia is being berated by Kyle. He is very cruel to her. She warns Gantry he should probably find another ship.

Kennit and Sorcor spot a slave ship and ready to attack it.

They attack the Sicerna, and the captain, instead of fighting back, aggravates a serpent following the ship. As the ships battle, Kennit’s leg is bitten by the serpent. The serpent is about to pull Kennit over into the water, but Etta leaps over and severs his leg above the bite. Kennit is distraught and places anger on Etta.

Wintrow is wandering in the slave market and is disgusted. A slave recognizes him as priest somehow, and asks for final rites for a dying woman. Wintrow comes and tries to help, but shes she is going to die so he blesses her and she gives up and dies. The owner of the slave is enraged and blames Wintrow, says that by right he should claim Wintrow as a slave to replace her. The reason the woman is dead is because she was pregnant so the man gave her poisons to kill the child. Wintrow tries to flee but is hit in the head by a guard.

Chapter 24:
The Bingtown and Rainwilds traders are meeting to discuss stuff, and Malta is being brought as Keffria has decided she should learn more of the family business. Malta is very upset they are riding with Trader Restart to town. Malta complains about most things. They arrive at the Trader Concourse, and are introduced to Jani of the Rain Wild’s Khuprus family. One of the most wealthy and influential Rain Wild’s families. Malta complains and tries to leave the whole meeting, and eventually pretends she has to use the bathroom to go outside. The meeting was to discuss what to do about the new Satrap and the problems he is causing. Outside Malta meets a young Rain Wild’s man, who gives her a scarf for the cold and some flame jewels as a gift. He holds her glass for her. Malta tries to leave with his scarf so he will have to come visit later to ask for it back.

Maulkin and Sessurea’s serpent Tangle continue their journey, although the memories seem to be becoming less clear. But it is clear something will happen soon.

Chapter 25:
The Reaper lands at Candletown and Brashen invites Althea to dinner with him. She tries to say no but he thinks she means yes. Athel goes to get his ships ticket from the captain, but she needs it in the name of Althea Vestrit if she wants to take back the Vivacia. When the captain realizes she is in fact a girl, he kicks her off the ship and refuses to give her the ticket.

Brashen feels like his luck has turned. He is happy and gets clean and has a quiet room waiting for him that night and is excited for dinner with Althea.

Althea feel devastated and lost. She does not want to encourage Brashen so does not go to find him and hides alone in a tavern. Brashen comes to find her, upset, and she explains what happened and her plan to take back Vivacia from kyle. Now they are both sad and upset

Chapter 26:
Amber and Paragon have become close friends. She brings him a necklace as a gift and is trying to learn more about him and about wizard wood and liveships.

Ronica and Keffria have had to cut down on all expenses. They are getting dangerously poor. Then they receive a dream box from an unknown visitor. A dream box is a way of initiating courtship in the Rain Wilds, and if opened will mean they accept. They are mad at Malta for not telling them of the young man and plan to return it.

Keffria steals the box from her mothers room and convinces herself it was actually from Cerwin and is not that big of a deal so she opens it and falls asleep. Malta shares a dream with the young Rain Wilds man.

Chapter 27:
Wintrow is being kept in a large shed, and if he is not claimed in 4 days he will be made and marked via tattooing as a slave. It is his last day to be claimed. Luckily Trog finds him, but because Trog is a cruel vindictive little pig man he leaves Wintrow.

Kennit is in pain and his leg is infected. Doctors have told him he needs to get a clean cut higher up but he refuses. He is mad at the world, but needs to maintain of his ship. Luckily Sorcor and Etta are unfailingly loyal to him and promise to help him. Etta tortured the ships captain that caused his injury and learns that a liveship, the Vivacia, will be coming this way soon.

Chapter 28:
Wintrow gets marked a slave of the satrap via a tattoo on his forehead.

Vivacia is disconsolate and lonely and scared in the harbor. She senses the serpents but no one believes her.

Althea goes to Captain Tenira of the liveship Ophelia and asks to serve as ships boy back to Bingtown (again disguised as Athel). He is a fair man and agrees.

Brashen signs on to be first mate on the Springeve, a merchant ship, but seems to be getting addicted to cindin.

Wintrow is for sale, and luckily his father is in the crowd and despite his anger buys his son. Trog pretends he did not know Wintrow was a slave, then takes him to instead of being marked as free, gets him tattooed as a slave directly of the Vivacia.

Chapter 29:
Malta is confronted about the dream box and lies. She does slightly realize her actions are wrong but that just makes her lash out even more. She is cruel and mean to everyone and hates that they are poor.

Amber continues to tell Paragon of the world, and says she wanted to buy him and he freaks out.

Kennit is getting worse. The leg is very infected but he refuses to do anything about it. His heart and mind are set on a liveship and he makes plans to capture one.

Chapter 30:
Wintrow is back on the Vivacia but this does not help her. Slaves are being loaded on and she feels their despair, plus Wintrow is kept locked up like a prisoner, and she is still mad at him for leaving her.

Keffria and Ronica are visited by Caolwn Festrew and Jani Khuprus. They learn the dream box was from Jani’s youngest son Reyn, and that it was opened by Malta. They also learn that the Festrew’s sold their debt to the Khuprus’. They have a positive discussion and eventually decide that Reyn may begin to see Malta as long as they are chaperoned and can not begin seriously until Malta is a bit older. If they do get married then the wedding gift will be forgiving the debt of the VIvacia, which would practically save the Vestrit family.

Chapter 31:
Wintrow and Viviacia try to reconnect but are still at odds with one another. Vivacia still senses serpents following them.

Kyle is more and more angry at Wintrow, partly because he sees he has made mistakes. He eventually hits Wintrow, and as a white serpent rears over the ship, Kyle prepares to throw Wintrow to the beast. It seems Kyle is under a spell or something kind of.

Maulkin’s tangle are following under Vivacia, but something is wrong. She is supposed to be able to share knowledge with them but can’t.

Vivacia is freaking out as Kyle is about to kill Wintrow. Gantry hits Kyle and saves Wintrow and asks his captain what is going on. Kyle seems confused and unsure. Vivacia was touched by the white serpent and it gave her strange memories and feelings. She talks about being one and other weirdness.

Wintrow and Vivacia are still at odds, partly blaming each other for their situations. Wintrow begins to care for the slaves, trying to be a priest in any way he can.

Ophelia learns who Althea really is and tells her she should have come to the liveships to protest Kyle’s actions. They would back her up.

Chapter 32:
Wintrow keeps trying to help the slaves. One is dying of fever and wants to die on the deck, so Wintrow goes to get Gantry. Gantry is busy listening to Vivacia talk oddly about what happened when the white serpent touched her. He eventually agrees to help Wintrow to stop the spread of fever. When they go down, the slaves, led by former priest Sa’Adar, attack Gantry and free themselves, planning to take over the ship. Wintrow is horrified but one slave kills Gantry.

Despite a brewing storm Kennit is determined and says they will chase the Vivacia, even as she heads into potentially dangerous waters.

Chapter 33:
The slaves overrun the ship, but Wintrow realizes all the death and violence is awful for Vivacia, and tries to get them all to stop and help her. He ends up needing to take the wheel to keep them from hitting rocks. Torg is captured and brought out but Wintrow says he does not trust the man and he is thrown overboard to the serpents. Kyle is alive but beat up but Wintrow says he needs help to get them through this channel. Only 2 other sailors are alive. They work to save the ship.

Malta is furious and blames her mother for “Selling her”, despite being the idiot who opened the box. She thinks Reyn will be ugly and deformed like many from the Rain Wilds and feels betrayed. She consoles herself with thinking this will make Cerwin jealous.

Kennit closes on the Vivacia and says he will take her himself. Both Etta and Sorcor are concerned, but it seems apparent he will die from disease regardless so they honor his wishes and say they will go with him.

Chapter 34:
Althea is summoned, and realizes Ophelia has betrayed her and told the captain about who she is. She is upset, but then learns that the captain plans to let her come back aboard as herself, a woman and a Vestrit, and act as first mate when his son Greg Tenira will have a “tooth ache”. She is ecstatic and Greg walks her into port. They danced together at a Bingtown ball many years ago and seem to have a connection.

Brashen is in port with a current shipmate who is also an ex-shipmate. We learn Brashen used to be a pirate called Weasel as a boy. He gets the sailor, Tarlock, so drunk he will miss leaving with the ship.

Chapter 35:
Sa’Adar recognizes Kinnit’s raven flag and welcomes him aboard, due to his reputation with slave ships. They all talk and come to an argument. Wintrow will do his best to heal Kinnit. If he fails they all die since Etta kills Wintrow then Vivacia kills all aboard her. In return, Wintrow says Kyle gets to live and he can care for his wounds also. Kinnit ingratiates himself with Vivacia and she really likes him. Everything seems to be an equilibrium, and Kinnit may survive. The pirates are good sailors and deckhands and Vivacia feels a bit of hope.

Chapter 36:
She Who Remembers. Something is wrong in the Serpent’s world. Maulkin is not sure what. It seems like maybe wizard wood is dead serpents? Not sure entirely.