Defender of the Crown - Page 1 (Patreon)

Tarja and Jostein were far from home. They left Ahstad a few days earlier to find the captain who could take them to his crew. Especially Tarja was more hungry for an adventure and opportunity to test her skills. On the other hand, Jostein was holding back because he had responsibilities with the city guard and wanted to follow his brother's sample. When few men left the castle to the villages at the shore, Tarja decided to follow them. Jostein went with her, but he would not join the crew. He would be visiting villages with his brother and see how things were. Shore villages were wild places, and they didn't belong to any kingdom. David, Jostein's brother, explained to him that some villages might be willing to join Ahstad if King Michael would provide stability for them. 

On their way, other travelers told an interesting story. There was a captain who had traveled longer than anyone else. Instead of heading for open seas, he traveled through Riverlands starting from these villages. Rumour told that he had more and more wealth to share every time he returned. But his trips were long, and sometimes he traveled over winter and returned when sea ice was melting. 

Tarja was more than interested in talking with this captain. Also, David got interested in meeting him. Raisa thought she might know the captain, but she was not sure. She didn't plan to come to shore villages, but this interesting story changed her mind. She was after her cousin Lauren who had joined an incorrect company. Raisa was sure Lauren would be somewhere around villages because she was spotted with a raiding party some time ago.