They drug the prow of the boat outwards with the anchor and got underway. They went south west by south as Caelan said through Belaletrix translated to the council. "There are three main human populations in this far west.
To the far north and central are the Zon, are large bodied intelligent people who are quite advanced and very warlike.
In the central southern areas are the Thrain. Much larger in body and very much less in intelligence and advancement. They are peaceful and artistic people but are raided by the Zon for slaves and plunder. They do defend themselves.
In the far south are the Anan who are a tall swarthy people of high dexterity, inventiveness and strength of body. They create technical devices and wield powerful magics. I think that it was a very old Anan vessel shipwrecked on Beast Island.
The dragonkin populate the islands we are leaving and have several enclaves on the mainland coasts to the south and north west they have other island nations.
We treekin are south west but to the north of the Anan. We live in a deeply forested plain that is surrounded by mountains. We know of the spiders that attacked we call them smoke spiders and the poison that has attacked both Portsmith and my archer is quite deadly. While our healers magic can sustain them for sometime it will require the skills of the Anan to cure them. The course I am suggesting will get us to the Anan port town where I have friends that can heal them. After that you join us at our home and deliver Calancy home as you were tasked. The enemy that you seek to understand is no doubt the Zon. If any are in the Anan port that are friendly I will see that you meet them. I and my people are fully at your disposal for you know not what a service bringing the young one home has done for us."
After some discussion of how long it would take to reach the Anan port and if their supplies would hold out till then. They had collected 12 barrels of water before they fled, many birds and coconuts to help bolster the food supplies. It was decided to follow Caelan's course.
Then Arya, Drena and Thomas brought out their bags and booty. I have given Drena a sword some rings and her pick among the items in her bag. Thomas was gifted a sword as well. As he discovered this hoard, and we left a huge amount behind, 1/3 of it is his and he may pick as he likes. I myself have taken several pieces of armor and these other swords. One for myself and the others I will gift to those in need and deserving. There are four gemstones, or crystals that I have kept as well. I would discover what they are and how to use them. She dumped to contents of her bag out. A cascade of coins, gems and jewelry poured out. The bulk of the unassigned treasure will be divided equally among the crew. Drena poured her stuffed bag out and Thomas stunned them with a packed bag of gem stones of incredible wealth. The three rubies, a few armor pieces, the books, scrolls and some jewelry were his picks to take. He became extremely wealthy in one afternoon. So did all of them.
She charged the two captains for totaling the amounts on the table and seeing that every crewman got his share. But she also held that one every kind of coin be held out to study where they came from and when.
She gifted one sword each to the other two captains and to Dirk she gave the two green daggers. Later on the poop deck Arya gifted Bronn a sword very close to the one he used. It had a red hue to it. He seemed to love the sword instantly. It cut through other steel like butter and it whirred and trailed a red hue with every stroke. He said it wasn't Valyrian steel but it might just be better.
The flesh wounds Jon and Arya had received healed slowly with much time spent with the treekin healer and both doctors, the two mortally wounded were much more touch and go. The treekin wounded came to every now and then but he would slip back into the fever. Portsmith thrashed around at times but was mostly catatonic. Several times they thought that they would lose him but he rallied and hung on.
In three and a half weeks they began to get close to the reef that surrounded the lands of the Anan. Amazing progress had been made in the healing of the formerly wounded crew and knights, and in the language classes. Calancy was beginning to be fully fluent in the language. Some were getting decent in dragonkin, Beth picked up it and treekin almost well enough to translate for the ship.
Nymeria and Ned became fast friends, they would terrorize the decks looking for rat or 'spare' fish. They became a legendary duo on board.
At last the ship arrived at the one passage through the massive reef system. Tomorrow would a test for all their ship manning skills.