Two objects would find their way to the Captain’s corner of the guildhall.

The first was carefully wrapped in deerskin, which when pulled back revealed a simply bound book. (Simple, and yet it was the hide of a shark, and therefore fascinating in its own right). This would be Ambrosine’s original intended gift, stolen by Tove for….reasons Tove was unwilling to articulate. 

Tove, for her part, committed no simple vandalism on this book of sea shanties. Instead she had filled its margins with art and commentary. Sketches of ships, sea monsters, pirates, and men and women of questionable virtue (and limited attire) were all rendered with exquisite care. Additional verses were carefully squeezed onto the bottoms of pages. Alternate word choices wiggled into empty space. Entire new pages had been spliced in with works she felt had been left out unfairly. One or two of them may even have been of her own invention.

I regret nothing, the spicy art least of all. -Tove

The second box, then, must be what Ambrosine had sent along as an alternative. It was one of Imke’s clockwork wonders–a raptor, no more than five inches high. It had clearly been modeled after Cap’s own snub nosed darling, down to the careful coloring of every little scale. 

When wound, the little raptor would walk along in an excellent mimicry of a raptor’s gait, and something inside even replicated the absurd little noises the creature made. 

I apologize for whatever Tove did to the book, although I’m sure it’s actually an improvement. Just don’t tell her I said that.-Ambrosine

Author Ambrosine
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