Morning found the Sovereign lined up with the channel through the great reef. The tide was coming in and the attempt to pass through the channel began. The whole crew was in the sails, at the rails and doing soundings. The draft was a bit deeper than Caelan had ever sailed through the reef with but he was optimistic they could do it. It went well all morning, they deftly navigated the shoals and rocks. At noon the tide began to recede and the going got tougher. They began ticking against shallower bottoms and the ship groaned at times. Caelan on deck shouted, "One more section and we are through!" A loud scrapping sound followed his shout and a crewman rushed up on deck telling Captain Springer, "We are taking on water."
Springer wondered aloud, "How? We barely scraped that last reef." The carpenter Trevor rushed on deck, "We've got to get her out of the water! It's shipworms that have caused the hull to leak." Springer turned to Caelan seeing that he understood and the treekin said, "I know a shipyard that we can get to quickly, a friend operates it."
A quarter of the crew was running bilge pumps when they crossed the straight and Caelan pointed to a dock they could pull into. "The Dawn Shipyard" he said. They pulled the ship in to the longest dock, barely fitting between it and another shorter one. A small older man had come from a little office inside a large warehouse to see what was happening. His grey hair and scruffy bearded whipped around in a breeze. Caelan at the rails shouted down in a strange tongue, "Kaiya my friend we need a wagon quickly for two badly wounded smoke spider survivors! This ship requires extensive work as well she has shipworms, can your crew lift her she is leaking badly?"
Kaiya turned and ordered a small wagon and horse to come out. He turned to stare at the crew members who were lowering the two wounded onto the dock. "They and this ship are from the far east." Caelan informed the dock foreman. Kaiya went wide eyed at this,"From beyond the islands?" Caelan nodded as he Arya, Thomas, Dirk, Drena, Brienne, Belaletrix, the treekin healer, a doctor, another treekin and Trevor and Thomas dropped to the dock next.
Caelan shouted to Arya as the wagon, with healer and wounded pulled out, talk to Kaiya about what the ship needs. The come pay the healer!"
Through two translators the conversation with Kaiya progressed.
"The shipyard was closing in two weeks as the owner had died and his family was selling the yard. What crew was left was finishing one job and they would be out of work. He could get them out of the water but it would take real capital to keep the crew and convince the owners to let them stay open. If the Sovereign needed a new hull then it would require nearly a season and the wood to repair her."
Arya asked about wood that would be worm proof. She asked about lodging for her crew while the work happened. She then dropped a bag of 200 gold coins on Kaiya's desk. He seemed unimpressed so she spread 10 large gem stones before him. He nodded. He got up and shouted orders to the crew at work on a small fishing vessel. They stopped and stared at him then ran to wheel out 10 large gantries. The sail crews had finished lashing down and dropping the sails, they disembarked and pitched in with the shipyard crew. Strong straps were pulled under the ship and attached to the gantries that were locked into place. Kaiya smiled as he saw the strange crewmen working hand in hand with his crew. He took a small hammer and tapped at the Sovereign's hull as the gantries began to lift the ship. He shook his sadly and waved his hand from above the water line downward and then motioned off. The small group understood clearly his meaning. They would be in dry dock for months if not longer.
Arya said, "Wood and lodging?" When it was translated to him Kaiya took on a thoughtful look. He smiled and said, "We have a leftover stock of a very rare and expensive wood that worms won't eat." He motioned for them to follow. A young Aman girl had followed them out to the ship watching and listening closely to everything. She turned and ran into the warehouse and began removing large tarps from a large and dusty pile of planks. Kaiya laughed and said, "This is Jiemba, she is an orphan that helps in the yard when she isn't studying languages. This wood is pohutuka and a worm will not touch it. As to your lodging there is an unused mansion over to the right there. The owners maybe willing to rent...for a price, you could sleep 100 in that place but it is abandoned and will need work."
Trevor studied the dark wood, he flexed a plank, tried to spit it with a hammer and then tried to cut it with a knife. He turned to Arya and Dirk saying, "I have never seen wood like that before. But it is solid, flexible and hard to cut. If they can cut and fit it to the ships curves it should work. If the worms won't eat it."
Arya turned to Kaiya saying. "Cost for the wood and repairs?" Kaiya looked thoughtful the said, "I have a value of 1000 of these gold coins in my hand now, 100 times that amount every month for three months will cover it. Or 299,000 more plus whatever the charge is for rent and also our cook left for other work we will have to hire another and buy food." Arya responded, "We have cooks and food. But the captains and our advisors will need to agree to the total price. Please ask the owners about the price for rent. I will need to go to the healers next can someone show me the way?" When translated Kaiya nodded and motioned for Jiemba to show them the way to the healers.