Rod only spent another nine days aboard The Small Adventure. He spent his time trying to avoid detection and removing the wristlets from the shackles. He left the ship when he noticed a small harbor town on the horizon. It was close enough for Rod to make out different buildings, yet The Small Adventure made no move to head there. He jumped from the ship with only the coat he had taken from the crewmen the first night, and a small bag, which he also took from a crewman, containing some fruit and a few trinkets he had found while looking through Mr. Smiths crates. He hoped to sell the trinkets for some coin when he could.
It took Rod four hours of swimming to reach the shore, and another two of rest before he made his way into the town itself. By which time the sun was already beginning to set. Rod made his way through the narrow streets, looking for a tavern that might accept one of his newfound trinkets in exchange for a bed and a meal. After extensive searching, four failed attempts, and one rather annoyed owner who had him forcibly removed, Rod finally found The Beggar's Choice. Rod found this to be quite a good sign, what with the old adage about beggars and choosing, and was delighted to find that they would in fact accept an emerald brooch that Rod offered for his stay.
The Tavern keeper pointed him to the dinning hall where Supper was already being served, and that the cook would be told to prepare another meal. Rod sat down at a small table and waited for his dinner. As he waited he couldn't help but over hear the other guests' conversations. One man was a Merchant who was talking about how he never stopped off in this town without staying at The Beggar's Choice, 'cheapest Tavern in the area' he bragged. Another couple, newlyweds Rod believed, where talking about their plans for the future with some poor soul who made the mistake of sitting at the table with them.
The Rod heard a voice that he noticed. He quickly looked around the Dinning room looking for the face he remembered the voice belonging too. He finally found the face attached to a man sitting at a corner table, talking with a young girl. The man, Rod knew, was named Caster Something, or Something Caster, he couldn't quite remember any more of it. Caster was talking, very animatedly, about some poor slob whom he had left back in the last town. Said how he was talking to the slob about passage to the Town of Mountain's Reef, but had instead gotten the money, and then left the slob for the military to hang.
Rod had quite enough of this and walked over to Caster's table. He sat himself down very casually and simply said "Hi" and waited for Caster's reply. Caster was dumbstruck.
"How did you get away? They where going to hang you when I left." Caster asked after regaining the use of his mouth.
"Oh, it wasn't no trouble, I simply ran away." Replied Rod with a smile. At this point Rod finally noticed the girl. She was about his age, with lovely long hair, which she had tied into a tight braid. The girl seemed to find Caster's bewilderment amusing.
"JUST RAN AWAY? What's that supposed to mean?" Caster said beginning to lose his patience.
"It means exactly what it says. I just ran away." Rod said calmly and with a small hand gesture to emphases how simple it was.
"You just ran away, from an entire military fort, unharmed?" Asked the girl, who's confusing of the situation had finally won over her amusement.
"Yeah, it was quite easy. They marched me up to the Noose, and I stood there, then I ran. Oh they did give chase, but I managed to lose them, and stow away on a boat, then when it got near to this town, I jumped ship and swam to shore." Rod said trying to sound as casual about it as one would describe a simple day on a farm.
"You must be quite the man then. So why did they try to hang you?" Asked the girl, letting her dought in Rod's story slide.
"They told me it was for Piracy. However it was mostly just cause they caught me talking to this bastard, and assumed I was a Pirate just as he is. And you still owe me my money, and you owe me for my Mother's Pendent that that man, Moorings, took form me." Rod answered, directing the last part to Caster.
"I don't owe you anything, you gave that money to me for passage, and then got yourself captured before I could take you where you wanted to go. And as for your pendent well why should I be responsible if you can't keep a tighter hold on your things?" Caster replied with a satisfied smirk.
"And are you a Pirate?" asked the girl, trying to change the subject from Rods lost goods.
"Maybe. Someday." Answered Rod. "And you still owe me my money."
"I don't owe you anything, come Sarah, we should get back to the ship soon anyway." Caster said as he stood.
"No you don't, your not going anywhere until I get my money." Rod jumped up to block Caster's way.
Caster too this as an assault and tackled Rod, knocking two tables down in the process. Rod used Caster's momentum and rolled with Caster. The roll finished with Caster on his back and Rod on top, holding him down.
"You owe me my money." Rod said holding Caster down as best he could.
"I owe you nothing." Spat Caster attempting to free himself.
"Yes you do, you owe me money" Rod repeated.
"No I…" Caster begin.
"And my mothers Medallion." Rod interrupted.
This continued for another few minutes until Sarah finally intervened. Rod felt Sarah's knife on his neck. "And why do you think He owe you money?" She asked.
"Because it was he who tipped of the military to have me arrested." Explained Rod.
"Really? Marian is this true?" Sarah asked, directing the question at Caster.
"Your name's Marian?" Snickered Rod.
"Oh shut up. And no its not true, per say. I never told the military to arrest him, just where to find him." Caster said with a guilty tone.
"Oh and what did you expect a man like Moorings to do if he got a tip form somebody about where to find someone? Take him out for lunch?" Sarah said putting her knife away. "Ok Rod, was it? Why don't you come talk to our Captain tomorrow morning and we'll see what Caster can do to repay you ok?"
"Wait Caster's not the Captain?" Rod said sounding confused.
"Caster? He couldn't Captain a dingy. I know, we let him try once, he sank it. With his own gun." Sarah said with a laugh.
"You lied to me? How could you lie to me?" Rod looked hurt.
"Is that really the surprise here? He turned you in to the Military." Sarah said.
"Oh yeah… So tomorrow Morning, um.. where can I find your Captain?"
"At the Dock, we usually stay on the ship when we're docked. It's the Heaven's Rain. And don't be late." Sarah said as she led Caster out of the tavern.
With that Rod headed on to his room, which he was told, was ready for him. It wasn't until two hours later that he realized he hadn't eaten dinner. Nonetheless he went to bed excited. Tomorrow was going to be a good day, he knew it.