The dinner was magnificent, the Faeries really out did themselves with making the crew feel welcome, which was strange because Faeries were notorious for being hostile to strangers. The entire length of the banquet the town elders constantly were praising Elsenor, by desert it was getting excessive. Elsenor was soaking it up like a proper royal should, lots of smiling and thanking. But at the other end of the table, Gabriel, Elanna, and Tanis were itchy. " I don't like here" said Tanis, " we've never been welcomed anywhere like this. I know we have a queen, or a former queen with us but my ear it twitching."
" The ear that twitches before an ambush?" asked Gabriel.
" Hey, the entire Army of Stone Mountain relied on my ear during the Tunnel Wars" said Tanis, " I know when trouble is coming."
" I agree" said Elanna, " I just want to get back to the ship and make sure our 'free' repairs aren't going to leave us with no Rune Stone."
" I agree" said Gabriel, " besides I need to clean up my room, all my books are in a pile on the floor."
The banquet was complete and the trio graciously excused themselves before going back to the Esmeraldas' Triumph.
" Where are they going?" asked Alexis.
" Back to the ship" said Audrey.
" Should we go too?" asked Alexis.
" Nope" said Audrey, " I found something even better to do."
Audrey and Alexis quickly left the dining hall and slipped through the twisting and turning halls of the palace until Audrey stopped in a large doorway. Both Catakas' tails began to twitch as they stared. Before them was an art gallery. Their attention was drawn to a large solid gold cat statue with bright red ruby eyes. " Beauty" purred Alexis.
Audrey leaned over and whispered to her sister, " I don't think they would mind if we borrow it for an extended, indefinite period of time. Besides they already have many other pieces, what is one more to them?"
" It is so shiny, and pretty" said Alexis, " but this will take some thinking."
Audrey and Alexis slowly walked around the art gallery taking all the nuances of the room. One all had several large windows that looked into a courtyard garden. The garden was full of heavy bushes and lots of places to hide. Audrey and Alexis smiled at one another, it was all coming together.

Sebastian was relaxing in a magnificent stone pool when Elsenor came in. She smiled at him, they had been eyeing each up all during the banquet. Elsenor slipped off her robe showing her flawless Faerie beauty to Sebastian. She gently slipped into the water and glided over into Sebastian's arms. " I've never been with a human before" said Elsenor.
" I'll make sure to do my best" said Sebastian.
The pair began to kiss as Elsenor's wings slowly began to tremble.

I still don't like it" said Tanis, looking at the Esmeraldas' Triumph completely fixed and in almost better condition that it had been in years.
" I can't complain" said Gabriel, " the workmanship is amazing."
" Maybe we were wrong about our hosts" said Elanna.
" I agree" said Sam, walking back carrying a massive tray of food, " they're letting me restock the galley."
" Where is Sebastian?" asked Elanna.
" He and Elsenor are getting acquainted" said Sam.
" Really?" asked Gabriel, " I didn't know Faeries went for the whole Human Fever."
" Elves don't" said Elanna.
" Well maybe soon I'll be able to become a princess" said Sam, " I would be so nice, Princess Samanatha Martell."

Audrey and Alexis hid in the garden watching the night watch slowly walk past. The pair were hidden behind a large statue by a rippling pond. They started for the window that led to the gallery. As they readied to crawl through the window they saw shadows coming towards them from the hall. Both quickly ducked back down and heard two men enter. " You're sure the bitch doesn't suspect anything?" asked Toral.
" Of course" said one of the town elders, " she is busy fornicating with the human that brought her here."
" Filth" said Toral, " I can't believe we had to play nice, couldn't we have just arrested her and sent her to her sister for execution."
" No, no" said the elder, " she still is under the protection of the mercenaries, I do not want to fight them openly, you saw what they did to your other vessel."
" I don't care" said Toral, " bringing Queen Elsenor back to her sister in chains will advance my career decades ahead of where I am now, and the reward money will certainly help improve Greenhaven's standing as a trading center."
" I will have to discuss this with the others but I believe they will see it your way" said the elder, " but what of the crew?"
" We will give them a choice, leave with their lives or die with the disposed queen" said Toral, " then once they are in their ship kill them anyways, no witnesses make it easy to sell our version of the story. Did your men plant the surprise?"
" Of course, those were my personal engineers, those silly humans will never find it" said the elder, " come we must meet with the other elders before moving against the former queen."
The pair walked through the gallery and down the hall. " I think we are in trouble" said Audrey.
" No kidding" said Alexis, " we have to warn Sebastian and get to the ship."
" We'll split up" said Audrey, " you go to the ship and I will find Sebastian, but first."
The pair slipped into the art gallery and deftly picked the lock of the glass case that held the golden cat statue. " We might need this" said Audrey, carefully replacing it with a large rock from the garden.
Audrey stowed the statue in her satchel and the pair split up.

Alexis ran as fast her little paws could carry her through the streets of Greenhaven and to the docks. She leapt onto the ship, burying her claws in the side of the ship. She climbed up to Gabriel's window and began to frantically knock on the glass.
Gabriel was roused from sleep in his chair and saw Alexis' face in the window looking scared to death. Gabriel unlatched his window and Alexis spilled inside. " There is a trap onboard" she sputtered, " the Faeries are planning on killing us and returning Elsenor for ransom to the real queen. They are going to kill us, we have to find the trap."
" Slow down" said Gabriel, " the Faeries put some sort of trap on the ship."
" Yes, yes, I know Human ears aren't as good as ours but I think the word trap and death at least made it through those small ears" said Alexis, " wake the others we have to find it."
" Okay, okay" said Gabriel, " here calm down."
Gabriel stroked Alexis' ears until she relaxed and purred a little, " Okay, let's find our trap" said Gabriel.
Gabriel and Alexis woke Elanna, Tanis, and Sam and explained the situation to them. " I think I am allowed an 'I Told You So'" said Tanis straightening his beard.
" You're were right, from now on we trust your twitchy ears" said Elanna, pulling her robe on, " okay Tanis if you were going to put a booby trap on the ship were would it be?"
" In the gun powder" said Tanis, " simple flame trap would blow this ship into a forest of splinters."
The five rushed down to the gun deck and stopped at the gun powder room door. Gabriel reached for the knob but Alexis grabbed his hand, " No, they probably rigged it to go off if somebody opened the door" said Alexis.
" How would you know?" asked Sam.
" Lets just say I've encountered a few traps in my previous career" said Alexis.
" I agree" said Tanis, " lets go to the trap door."
" What trap door?" asked Elanna.
" The one I had built in the floor so I could drop the gun powder to the hold in case of fire" said Tanis.
The crew hurried into the hold, and looked up at the ten foot distance between the deck and the ceiling. " I didn't say it would be easy" said Tanis, " I never expected to have to climb through it."

Sebastian and Elsenor lay in bed watching the moon travel across the sky. " Hmmmm" purred Elsenor, " you were magnificent, I think I'm addicted."
" Care for another dose?" asked Sebastian, " I know I would love one."
" Absolutely" said Elsenor.
Elsenor slowly straddled Sebastian and was about to consummate their love once again when the door burst open and loud meow made both of them leap off the bed. Audrey was standing in the doorway with her eyes as big as dinner plates, her jaw hanging open. " What is it?" asked Sebastian, pulling his pants on.
" We're... ah... trouble... naked... sex... ooops" stammered Audrey.
" Trouble?" asked Sebastian, " what did you and your sister do this time?"
" Not us" said Audrey, " her."
" Me?" asked Elsenor, " what is it?"
" The elders and the captain that brought us here are planning on capturing you and sending you to your sister for execution and then kill us. We have to get the hell out of here now."
" Those bastards" said Sebastian, " come on, we have to get to the ship."
The pair quickly dressed, " Go out the window" said Audrey, " it is faster to the gate."
Elsenor spread her wings and wrapped her hands around Sebastian's arms. With effortless grace the pair flew out of the window with Audrey climbing down the wall. They met up on the ground and started for the wall. " Halt" said a guard stepping out from the shadows.
Sebastian swung in a tight arc and punched the guard square in the face. The helmet flew off his head as he crashed into his guard post. Bells began to ring all across the palace, " That was subtle" said Audrey.
" Let's go, I think we've over stayed our welcome" said Sebastian.
The three ran through the gates as more guards began to appear from all across the palace. Arrows began to rain down on them from every which direction. The trio sprinted as fast as their legs could carry them out of the palace and down the steps, Audrey taking a dramatically distant lead. Now they just had to make it to the ship.

Gabriel was standing on wobbly legs as Elanna sat on his shoulders, Alexis on hers as they lifted Tanis towards the hatch. " God Tanis, lay off the desserts" groaned Alexis.
Tanis' stubby fingers pressed into the trapdoor and carefully lifted it. The trapdoor lifted clean up and Tanis gracefully leapt through the opening. The act of pushing off of Alexis' shoulders toppled all three into a heap on the floor.
Tanis lay frozen, inches from his nose was the trigger of the biggest flame trap he had see since the retaking of the foundry in Mount Thunder. Tanis took in a deep breath and slowly exhaled, many a Dwarf lost his beard and eyebrows to these sorts of traps, many more lost their lives. Tanis slowly drew his dagger from his boot, Faeries may be very magical creatures but he doubted they knew much about making traps. One piece of string ran from the door to the trigger on top of four bottles of Dragon Fire, a black sticky foul smelling liquid that burned like fire from a dragon. Tanis looked at the trigger, a little rolled up scroll that when unrolled would ignite a little fire, just enough to set off all four bottles and ignite all the gun powder. Tanis carefully leaned over and with a fast flick of the wrist cut the string. At the same moment he grabbed the little scroll and used the cut string to tie it securely close. Tanis smiled and rolled over, " I got it" he shouted through the trap door, " what are the three of you doing just laying around, we have to get this ship moving."

Sebastian and Elsenor raced through the marketplace with the guards close on their heels. They sprinted into an alley and then over a small fence dividing the alley into two. They rounded the corner and could see the docks in the distance. Their spirits now lifted by the sight of their destination so close. They raced to the ship and as they ran for the gangplank, more guards appeared blocking them from the ship. The guards that were chasing them quickly closed in from the rear. " Give up" shouted Toral, " you are totally surrounded, you have choice you must surrender."
" Any bright ideas?" asked Elsenor.
" Give me a second" said Sebastian.
The guards leveled their crossbows, " No" said Sebastian.
Suddenly from above the guards Dragon Fire poured down over many of them, " Now I think you should surrender" said Gabriel, " unless you and your guards want to become rather crisp."
" What is that?" shouted Elsenor, some had splattered on her dress.
" Dragon Fire, our friends here rigged the powder room with it" said Tanis, lighting his pipe, " now unless you want to go up in a puff of smoke you let us leave."
" We'll track you down" shouted Toral, totally soaked in Dragon Fire.
" Possibly" said Elanna, " but you people seem to be shrewd businessmen, therefore we have a business proposition for you. We are willing to offer you five boxes of pure Red Fairy. This certainly will be enough payment for you to forget about us."
" How pure?" asked Toral.
" Pure enough" said Elanna, " now will you accept?"
Toral nodded, " It is a fair trade, take your fouled whore with you and never return to our city."
Sebastian quickly hustled Elsenor up the gangplank before she could open her mouth to be offended. Elanna dropped the five boxes into Toral's arms as the Esmeraldas' Triumph lifted into the air. The ship's deployed its sails and quickly began to fly northwest, the shortest route out of Faerie territory.

" Well that was a complete bust" said Sebastian, stewing in the galley, " we nearly get killed and then we lose the Red Fairy, and now we'll be too late to get the bonus from Schwartzenselbe."
" But we had a good time didn't we?" asked Elsenor.
" Yes we did" said Sebastian, " guess there are a few things that are better than money."
" I'm going to show them all to you tonight" said Elsenor.
" Don't worry boss" said Audrey.
" Yah, I think we got a fair trade from those stupid Faeries" said Alexis.
" And what was that?" asked Elanna.
" Oh possibly this" said Alexis, " show them Audrey."
Audrey pulled out the cat statue from her satchel, " I borrowed it from their art gallery" said Audrey, " with all the commotion they won't notice it missing until we are plenty far away."
Sebastian smiled at the two Catakas, " Yes this possibly might be a fair trade" he said, " Gabriel, " who fast can you get us back to Westfell?"
" Well" said Gabriel, " we have two courses available for us."
" Take the faster and more dangerous one" said Sebastian, his attention drawn to the top of Elsenor's dress which he was playfully unlacing.
" How did you know?" asked Gabriel.
" You offered two courses" said Sebastian, " one is safe and slow, the other is fast and dangerous, so what is the danger?"
" The Canyon of Teeth" said Gabriel, " the winds inside the canyon will get us back to Westfell the afternoon before the festival, but if we screw up inside the canyon we're going to be impaled on the jagged rocks that line it."
" Which means you'll have to be up early to pilot your ship" said Elanna, " so don't go overboard."
" We'll try" said Elsenor.
The pair skipped out of the galley and into Sebastian's bedroom.