Four men crouched over a worn and ageing table, which creaked alarmingly should any weight be put upon it. Outside the wind howled, and so the men huddled close, wrapped in thick layers of fur and sheepskin, trying to keep warm. The room itself gloomy, with only the light from a fire in the hearth and some torches burning feebly from sconces mounted on the walls to help them to pick out the details of the map one of the men had rolled out. But the lines on the large piece of vellum were faded and difficult to read, so they leaned closer, and the table groaned in protest.
“If we set sail in the early spring, I think we will be able to catch him before he has had time to prepare his own fleet.”
“Spring? You mean to wait that long?”
“We have no choice! The winter is already upon us, and th
