Fable

The next morning, the Marigold reaches the village of Dern. West and his crew see something on the docks that makes them uneasy, but Fable is unable to identify the source of their disquiet. She also notes a tension in the air that suggests a storm is on the way. Fable wants to go into Dern and make some coin, but West forbids her to leave the ship: “You’re cargo. And the only cargo that gets off the ship at this port is the cargo that’s staying here” (85).

Fable watches from her position aloft in the mast as West and his crew enter Dern’s tavern. She investigates the Marigold’s cargo hold because “no currency [is] more valuable in the Narrows than information” (88). She finds a hidden pouch of feldspar and steals two brass buckles. Next, she sneaks into West’s quarters. Moving aside a rug, she reveals a black wave painted on the floor. This is her father’s crest, which means that the Marigold is actually a shadow ship, a vessel that “carried out tasks that their master didn’t want to be associated with, or worse, manipulated trade at ports” (93). She suspects that the crew will inevitably run afoul of the law, jeopardizing her chances of reaching Ceros.