#dreaming

Then "Nooooo..." "Bartolomé finally says

"Then uh.. Captain. I think you lost"

"Thanks" Drily

Siv begins to question Bartolome, low and easy. She has questions, and more.

Dagmar is stoic, guarding the surrendered minions.

Then Siv comes out, wearing as many clothes as before , but with a a new eyepatch "Now he's nude."

Snerk!

"You go rescue your captain, lads, he's tied up and so on." Siv says "But we will take your weapons. If you hadn't tried to ambush and kidnap me, I think you'd have found Dame Dagmar up for trading but you blew that. Let that be a moral lesson to you all"

"Fair price is a fair price." She shrugs. "I keep my word. Ain't there a code?"

"Take what you can!" One pirate chimes

"Give nothing back" the other exclaims

Siv sighs "We ready to go, Dagmar, Jaymes, Vali?"

"Sure."

The others nod, and as they head out, Jaymes says "The mask?"

"He sold it," Siv says "but I know to who"

"Jeeez."

"Good news? He sold it to pay for ship repairs, so it's on this island" she says

"Bad news? " A sigh "It's to the owner of some arena /hiipodrome thing"

"What would they want with a mask?"

"Must be more to it than we knew?" Jaymes too is confused "I thought it was .. just a mask"

"Well, if it's just decorative we can probably do it for coin..."

"Well, that will be a boring quest" Siv mutters

"Don't jinx it," Valii warns.

Siv, it turned out, had jinxed it.

"What, just SELL It to you?" The owner of the Hippodrome says "NOW? Just.. like that? When the THEME of the next even is the unknown forces are watching our great race?"

This, of course, after they had tracked the fellow down.

His office chamber is comfy, and he's offered drinks as he listens to their request.

"Just sell it, because you just bought it."

"You, madame, have no sense of theatre!" THe owner says

"So - when is the next event? It'll be old news, can we buy it then?"

"Well, it's supposed to be tonight, but I"m going to have to delay" He sighs

"Why?"

"Short of riders" He sighs "The big event is a race, you know? 25 riders to celebrate 25 years for the hippodrome.... 25 horses... but I'm short the full number of riders. "

"...How many do you need?"

"Three, but I need folks who actually can RIDE. Do you know how RARE riding is on an island? Everyone's a sailor sure, but put them on a horse and they freak" The guy growls

Siv looks over at Dagmar "if you remember this, I'm not going to live it down am I?"

"Well, I can ride. So can Siv."

"And..." She looks at Jaymes and Vali.

"Ahem" Vali holds up his hand "Not the jouster the Chief is, but yeah. I competed."

"So. Three riders. You get your anniversary, we get a mask."

"You know, NOW You got a deal!" He grins "You race, and after, you get the mask"

"We got a bargain?"

She sticks out her hand. "Sure."

They shake on it, "Well, be here in 2 hours, and we'll set you three up with horses. This is my lucky day! I don't have to take those fliers down after all ! Can I get you guys a place to stay while you wait, food maybe?"

"Can I meet the horse?"

"What now?" A pause "I guess, sure"

" I mean, it doesn't much matter which horse you ride, as long as I get my 25 riders and 25 horses"

"Sooo.. you're saying I can pick? Okay."

"Well... a few of my riders have their favorites, but we got at least five you can pick from. Follow me" he says and guides them.

"Nice."