On the third day, as they flew across the ocean toward the kingdom of Great Pearl, a bottle in the water was spotted by Cwenburg.
The serpentarium turned toward the bottle, and from inside it, protected, a paper was examined by the trio. It was a treasure map!
SIREN COVE
— Wait, you two, you're all excited. It's impossible. The map is clearly of a cove. What are the chances of finding that exact inlet on a colossal island like Pearl? — Leofwynn tried to dampen the other two's enthusiasm, but then Cwenburg pointed:
— It's there.
And it was indeed an inlet just like on the map.
— What convenient plotting! — Leofwynn complained, but the serpentarium headed for the first marked spot.
— There are three markings. Probably three treasures. One on a hill, another at the bottom of a lake, and another in what looks like a grove.
— I bet the treasure is in the grove. — Cwenburg's long ears turned red, as did her little face, excited by the possibilities.
— Don't get your hopes up, Cwenburg. There's probably nothing at these markings. — Leofwynn insisted. — Why would anyone bury a treasure, make a map, and throw it into the sea? They'd have to be a lunatic. — Leofwynn kept talking to the two of them, but it was no use, on the trail between the trees, they kept checking the map every minute until they spotted a hill similar to the one crudely drawn.
— Now we just have to dig.
— Leave it to me! — Cwenburg transformed her hands into hooved horse paws. Just as mermaids could transform their tails into human legs, every unicorn girl could transform her hands into unicorn hooves.
Cwenburg dug, throwing up earth that turned into a thick cloud of dust, sweating in the process.
— What a workhorse! — Æthelflæd was impressed.
They found a chest with an inscription "cokcloth". They read it together as they opened the chest:
— Cokcloth. Cokcloth! Cokcloth?
— What could it be?
— It must be very valuable.
— Come on, look, there's something here. — Æthelflæd held it with both hands. It was a piece of cloth wrapped around something heavy.
She examined the piece, admiring it.
Then it was Cwenburg's turn to realize what it was, and she blushed.
Finally, Leofwynn took a long time looking, staring, turning it over and over, until Æthelflæd explained, with the unicorn girl blushing even more:
— It's a cokcloth, a cock wrapped in a cloth…
Holding the stuffed member, Leofwynn wrapped it back in the cloth and threw it far away, with Æthelflæd running after it.
— It might still be useful. I'll keep it for alchemy! — she claimed without meeting their doubting gazes, realizing how she would use it when no one was looking. They never spoke of it again, and the cokcloth was stored in one of the alchemist's bags.
After a third of the day, finally, the grove and the lake were explored. The two chests were close by, one visible at the bottom of a shallow lake, and the other between two banana trees.
— Let's go to the banana tree first. — Cwenburg suggested, and the others pushed the chest, as it was stuck, with the lid wedged between the stems.
On the ground, they opened it easily, as it had no lock. It was empty.
Then, they went to the submerged chest and, unable to move it from the bottom, because even in the shallow lake, the chest was extremely heavy, they arranged the ropes.
They tied and lashed them to two nearby trees, creating the contraption that allowed them to drag the chest out of the water.
Water leaked through the cracks, revealing something unexpected, a very small, though muscular, dwarf, evident in the time-worn clothes. He ran between the trees, hiding. Then, somewhat irritated, the three took off flying on Godwyna.