The road to Frost! A path towards destruction?

[Tetsuya]

Casey placed a calming hand on Mira's shoulder to help steady her emotions. "Easy Mira, we don't know how good their investigation team is. Let's not jump too far just yet," he spoke gently.

While the guard kept a wary eye on Daemira, he answered Kaen's question first. "As far as I'm aware, a necklace that the Governess was wearing, but it's not turned up on the suspect. We've concluded that her partner currently has it on their person. As for motive, I couldn't really tell you," he said, addressing Daemira now, "The suspect hasn't said a word since being incarcerated. And from what I've heard, the investigation team have removed any charms on her, as well as attempting to detect any spells used within the building the murder happened in. Nothing has turned up, so it looks to be purely physical related instead of magical."

As he finished, the guard returned followed by a woman who looked to be in her early thirties approaching them. She wore a warm garb that stood out from normal clothing, as well as several badges over her heart as awards for her service. She took one look at the Casey and his group, and scoffed at the sight. "What is this? I told you not to admit anyone," she said in a harsh tone.

"And I haven't Captain. These people just arrived, and I've only explained why they can't enter.

"Then turn them away already. They can reach the next town in a days time for shelter. I'm far too busy to deal with this right now.

"Ma'am, they've expressed a wish to help us with the situation. Shouldn't we-

"And allow this to turn into a three ring circus? I don't think so, and not on my watch. You have your orders-"

"Does she have an attorney?!" Casey spoke up.

This new voice caught the Captains attention, narrowing her eyes at him for interrupting her. "Who?"

"The suspect of the crime; Does she have an attorney?" he asked again.

The Captain turned her harsh gaze on the older guard, who looked away while sweating nervously.

[Lance]

Kaen looked at the newcomer, instantly becoming guarder because of her harsh attitude and outright hostility.

Daemira on the other hand, almost started to get off her horse at the look she shot Casey, only to be stopped by her lover again. "The way I see it, you've got one man on the lamb and a woman who may be going to the fucking noose without an effective defense. It's a small wonder folks love you snowmen so much, you're downright inviting." Mira's tone was downright acidic, her eyes shooting the woman a piercing glare that was more icy than the tundras that lay beyond them.

[Tetsuya]

Casey looked off to the side after Daemira's jibes at the Captain, feeling a sweat drop roll down his cheek. The Captain however just gave the offending woman a hard glare, not liking her tone, but not taking the bait to shoot an insult back. Her gaze fell back on Casey once more, and asked, "Why on Terra Mystica do you want to know if the suspect has an attorney?"

Casey straightened himself a bit before answering, shoving his anxiety down a mental hole. "Because if she doesn't, then the following trial will be nothing but a farce. With a defending attorney, it will be nothing but a one sided story without anything real coming to light," he said, reaching back into a saddle bag to pull out a book before continuing, "For a few years now, I've been studying law in my free time back where I came from. I picked up this law book about a week ago, and so far the justice system nearly reflects what I've studied."

"And what, you want to defend her in court? Even if I were feeling even remotely sympathetic for the little thief, her crime is one that I will not abide."

"And yet you can't afford a court trial to be one sided either. The social repercussions could be great if it's not a fair trial. Your Governor knows this is true, otherwise he wouldn't bother with a trial in the first place," Casey pointed out.

The Captain continued to glare at the man arguing with her, noting he wasn't backing down from his claims, even if he was feeling intimidated. Before she could speak, her guard spoke up, "Captain, sir, I don't mean to intrude, but from what I've heard none of the attorney's have offered to defend the suspect. From how open-and-shut the trial looks to be, it may be that no one wants to attempt a feeble defense."

With her hand resting on her swords hilt, the Captain seemed to be thinking everything through. Casey just hoped she would at least see his point of view. Nearly a minute passed before she spoke up again, "I assume you're not legally allowed to defend anyone yet?"

Casey gulped, hoping she wouldn't ask that question. Nevertheless, he spoke honestly, "No, not yet I'm afraid."

Her constant hard glare at Casey unnerved him, not sure what she was thinking. "Fine, I've a proposition then. I'll lead you, and only you to the suspect. If you manage to get her to talk to you, then I'll see to it you are allowed to take the exam to defend the suspect. I'll even let you investigate the crime scene if want. But if you don't get her to say anything, then you and yours move on to the next village. Is that an acceptable offer?"

Casey didn't even think it through. He immediately spoke, "Yes, it's a deal."

[Lance]

Kaen listened to the discussion unfold, thankful that there seemed to be some kind of agreement being reached, though the cautious glance he gave the Ice Kingdom Captain was more than enough to show that he wasn't exactly trusting of their "hosts". 'The Ice Kingdom is not known for being welcoming...I wouldn't be surprised if more military tried to stonewall us.'

Daemira placed her arm on Casey's shoulder, squeezing it protectively. "If something happens to him...no amount of armor or magic will keep you safe from me, do you understand me?" The succubus' wings flared from her seals, her anger making the sigls fail as she flexed the appendages anxiously, almost like an unconscious threat display

[Tetsuya]

The Captain shrugged and rolled her eyes at the threat, most likely used to getting such often enough that it didn't phase her anymore. "Yes, yes, your mate won't get a scratch on him," she said as Casey climbed off the horse. He then turned to give a calming gaze to Daemira as he held her hand. "Don't worry, I'll be just fine. I know enough to defend myself if I need to," he said before releasing her hand.

Casey then walked towards the Captain, and said, "Alright, lead the way. The faster this is done, the sooner we'll be finished." With a scoff, the Captain turned to lead Casey inside the town, but not without giving one more order to the elder guard. "Show his group just inside the gates, and let them resupply at the nearest merchant you can find. Keep them at the gates afterwards. I don't expect this to go very far."

He saluted the Casey and the Captain marched off into the town, soon disappearing from sight. "Alright, you two follow me. We can get your horses somewhere to rest before I escort you."

As the Captain lead Casey, he asked her, "How often do travelers come here? I can't imagine this crisis being very good for trade."

She spared him a glance as they walked further into town, her gaze returning to the street ahead. "You're at least learned enough to realize that. This is the first time in nearly fifty years since a town wide close off has been held," she finally answered a short pause.

[Lance]

Daemira squeezed Casey's hand softly, her heart aching a bit as they separated. She had finally found someone she loved, and now she'd come to find that just him being away for a little bit was painful to endure, to say nothing of them now being trapped in what she was rapidly considering "enemy territory."

Kaen just watched the Captain and Casey leave, only ceasing his observation when the Guard spurred them on. He looked at the armored man and nodded, his expression unreadable due to his lacking a human face. Though, for the soldier, the Oni's polite tone was a small sign of cooperation. "Very well soldier...lead the way."

[Tetsuya]

The guard nodded as he lead the way past the gates, guiding Kaen and Daemira into the city to a nearby stable. "So, let's just get this out of the way then. I assume you folks came from one of the Fire Kingdom towns?" he asked.

'That's not bad, considering how medieval this place is,' Casey thought to himself when he heard the Captain's reply. As the Captain lead him further into the town, his eyes wandered to take in the sight of the buildings, the slanting roofs reminding him of some old European architecture he couldn't quite recall.

His focus on the town itself was broken when the Captain lead him into what looked like a guard barracks, and then further into the building where a bunch of jails lined the walls, many of which were empty. "Not too much crime goes on if your cells are this empty," he stated.

"Don't let that fool you. Small time thievery and other such low crimes still happen on a regular basis, and such crimes are handled fairly expediently. My men are usually chasing down bread thieves through the streets. Murders do happen, but they're usually uncommon," she explained. She then stopped and turned to face Casey, her expression unreadable. "What's really your goal here? Why are you willing to stick your neck out for a murderer that you don't even know?"

Casey didn't have an answer readily on hand for the question the Captain asked him, but he did answer. "I'm not really sure myself, honestly. It's not like I'm getting anything out of this, but I can't stand idly by either, especially if there's someone who needs help." A silent moment passed by as the Captain stared at him with a steely gaze, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword. She then gestured to small chair nearby. "Have a seat there, I'll bring the suspect here to this cell for your interrogation," she stated, before turning to walk further in.

Casey did as told, and sat in the chair, and patiently waited. 'More an interview really, but I'm not going to correct her. She's kinda scary.'

[Lance]

Kaen was taken aback by the rather apt guess that the soldier had made, his surprise almost palpable as he rode alongside the armored man. "I...erm, that...is correct. We were originally from the Fire Kingdom's capital, sent here as a response to an incident regarding an attack by a person who claimed to be a planted mage from your kingdom. King Aldari sent us in an attempt to investigate without risking a full blown war between the two nations. I however am not a citizen of the Fire nation, I come from an Oni tribe that lives closer to the borders of the former wind kingdom, I merely volunteered because I was present at the time the attack happened, as well as to protect my two friends."

Daemira nodded, "I'm here because Casey, the one your angry boss walked off with, is my Mate...I'd be with him now if he hadn't asked me to accompany Kaen to the Stables."

Kaen sighed at Daemira's snappish answer, shaking his head as he spoke up again. "You have my word that we only wish to speak to your commanding officer or a noble who can get us an audience with the queen. With the passing of her family, and now this attempted assassination that was proclaimed a work of your people...I believe, and the king does as well, that someone is pulling strings in some mad attempt at causing more unrest if not a full out war. And I know I do not have to put any emphasis on how BAD that would be for everybody in Terra Mystica should that happen."

[Tetsuya]

The soldier had given Daemira a look that spoke curiosity about what she had said, but decided with his better judgement to just leave it be. No need to anger a woman who was upset. Still, the explanation he been given sounded fairly dire. "Hmm, I see. That's dire news indeed, and one which I'd rather not have spread around here. The situation between the kingdoms is bad enough as is," he said with a tone that spoke concern. It took only a few minutes to arrive at the stables, guiding them to where they could leave their horses. "I'm fairly certain I don't need to ask you this, but I feel I should anyway. Please do not share this information with anyone else. I'd rather not have rumors spread around town about this."

He then turned his attention to Daemira, and said, "I am sorry about my Captain's attitude, but please understand that with current situation in town, she has had to keep a certain level of professionalism about her. It has effected her mood as of late. I'm certain she did not mean to offend you."

As Casey sat in front of the jail cell waiting for the Captain to get back with the murder suspect, he couldn't help start tapping his knees with his fingers. He wasn't sure what had kept him so calm before, but now it seemed the gravity of the situation started to weigh more on him now. 'What the hell am I doing? I don't even know these people! Why am I going out of my way to help someone I don't even know!? Despite his thoughts, he was doing a pretty good job of keeping a calm poker face on. 'Okay, just calm down. It's...not that bad. I'm well studied in law, so even if I do lose the trial, at least it's not going to be a one-sided court procession with only the bare evidence revealed to place a death sentence on the suspect. The least I can manage is get her out of the firing range. She might not like being behind bars for some odd years, but I am going to be new to this. I think it might be the best I can manage for her.'

He nearly jumped out of his seat when he heard the loud clang of metal bars closing near him, not sure when it was he closed his eyes to focus his thoughts. When looked around, he saw the Captain leaning near the cell door waiting for him start. He then looked in, and saw the supposed murder suspect sitting across the cell staring at him. He blinked as he took in her appearance. She was...decently cute all things considered. She certainly didn't look the type for wanton murder anyway.

Still, he was here to try to get her to talk, so he cleared his throat before speaking. "Good morning-" "It's noon..." Casey looked up at the Captain, not expecting to be corrected. "Oh, uh, okay then. Good afternoon then," he said, giving the Captain a glance before continuing, "My name is Casey Talquin, and I would like to be your attorney for court."

The response he got was a scoff from the girl in the cell, who turned her head away at the mere mention of an attorney. Casey frowned at this, but decided to keep going anyway. "Of course, in order to defend you, I need to cooperate with me. I can't help defend your case if you don't talk to me." The girl just turned her head away as she leaned against the cell wall, the chains of her shackled clinking a bit from the movement.

Casey sighed after a few moments of silence passed, the whole silently pleading the girl to say something, anything to keep the Captain from calling an end to his interview. "Well, you tried. I expect your group to leave as soon as possible," the Captain said after another few minutes of silence.

Casey sighed, feeling a little defeated as he stood. As he turned to be lead away, they both heard another voice ask, "Why do you care?" They both stopped, not expected the new voice, before they turned to the wolf girl in the cell. His expression asked an unspoken question, which she turned her to look at him in to ask again, "For all you know, I'm some common thief who's done something horrible. So, why do you care? What's in it for you?"

Casey, a little taken aback by how gentle her voice sounded, turned to face the girl as he carefully chose his next his words. "Because...I can't simply stand by, and watch someone be tossed aside as if they are nothing. I failed someone else already just by simply waiting, and hoping things will turn out better. I don't want to make the same mistake for anyone else. If there's even a slim chance that I can help you, then I'm willing to do everything in my power to do so."

Silence reigned for the next several moments as the girl seemed to consider Casey's words. He waited with near bated breath, not sure if the Captain was going to start pulling him away or not. What followed next the clinking of chains as the girl walked forward, and sat in the chair on the other side of iron bars. "Fine, let's talk then. I was getting bored of not talking anyway," she said.

He looked at the Captain, seeing her surprised reaction, which turned to anger again just quickly. She then nodded towards the chair, silently telling him to keep going. Without a word, he retook his seat in front of the cell, and followed it up by asking, "So, Ms. Thief, would you happen to have a name?"

The girl only gave a smirk at his snark, and replied, "Watch it, bud. You're already on thin ice with me. Literally."

"That only makes it easier to break the ice, then. So, do you have a name?" Casey asked again with a smile of his own.

The girl could only sigh, silently letting him keep his point. "Yes, I do. My name is Jen Arlaen, thief by trade, and aspiring Master of Thievery."

[Lance]

Kaen nodded when the soldier asked him not to spread his information regarding the attack on the palace around, lest they start some kind of panic. "Of course, the last thing either of our groups need is a public panic, especially with the amount of stress your commander is under at the moment to begin with."

Daemira, meanwhile, simply shrugged when the soldier asked her to excuse the Captain's foul mood, her voice level and a bit guarded sounding. "It's not the first time I've had a problem with a high-ranking authority figure as of late...the last one locked me up because Succubi were "scary"...at least this time I don't need to wait for someone to let me out of a dungeon."

[Tetsuya]

The guard regarded Daemira's response with an air of confusion, not completely sure what to make of it. "That...sounds rather unfortunate. I thought the Fire Kingdom was more open towards other races?" he asked. He likened the actions of whoever locked her in a dungeon as someone from his own kingdom, and had a more severe xenophobic mindset.



"Master of Thieves, huh? That's a rather...auspicious title to work towards," Casey said. He never imagined he would meet someone who actually enjoyed a life of crime. Yet, here he was, speaking to a young girl working toward being the best at it, or at least a certain side of it anyway.

The Captain simply scoffed at this. "Taking pride in stealing others valuables. Such skills would be better suited in the military," she stated.

"Maybe, but we both know I'd never get too far. My 'sword' arm wouldn't get me very far." Casey pondered this line for a few seconds, before asking, "Why wouldn't you be able to get far?" Jen looked away for a moment, before lifting her left arm. "When I was a kid, I was a bread thief, and stole food to stay alive. One day I was chased through most of the town, and tried to escape in the sewer system. But I fell from the hole, and landed badly enough to break my arm. It never healed properly, so it hurts if I lift anything too heavy. I can barely hold the ledge of a roof with my arm. Holding my dagger isn't too bad though, I can use it defensively enough to protect myself if I need to, but I'd never use it to attack. Why would I when I can use my ice magic to freeze my pursuers?"

As Jen talked, Casey had fished out a note pad and pen, and started making short hand notes of what he was being told. As pointless as it seemed, this information might be important in some way. There was no reason to not make a note of it. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but does that mean your dominant hand is your left?" he asked. "Used to be, and kinda still is, but I've learned to be more ambidextrous. Sometimes I still favor my left though," she answered easily, "Is this even that important?"

"Maybe, or maybe not. It won't hurt to be thorough. So why did you choose the life of a thief?"

Again, Jen looked away, as if mulling over the question somewhat. "I...don't want to talk too much about that. It gets too personal, and I'd rather keep it to myself. If it satisfies you, I chose to become a thief because it was the only skill I had that I felt I was good at," she answered somewhat defensively. Casey made a few more notes that would make sense to him on his note pad. 'She answered defensively, possibly had a hard past. I'd have to become a closer friend to get her to open up,' he thought to himself, 'I think that's enough about herself and occupation that I'm going to get for now. Time to ask the bigger questions.'

"Okay, that's about all I need about who you are. So, now for the meat of this interview. Please, tell me what you were doing before the time of the murder?" he asked boldly.

Jen's eyes narrowed at his question, judging what Casey was trying to get from this question. "Why would you need to know that? Did you mean to ask me what was I doing in the Governor's house?"

"No, not really. I can assume that you and your partner that night might have busted in to steal something, and we both already know what sort of position the guards found you in when they arrived. I'd rather avoid that redundancy until after I can do my own investigation of the crime scene. I want to know what you were doing before and up to that point, so we can set up a proper time frame of what could possibly happen between you entering the home, and the moment the Governess was killed."

"Hmph, what's the point of that? Everyone already believes I killed her. What's the point of fighting the verdict?" Jen asked solemnly, almost like she had given up.

"So I can believe in your innocence of this crime, and fight to reveal the hidden truth." Casey answered boldly, and rather easily. The answer caused Jen to look up, looking somewhat surprised.

"Pff, she's not innocent. She's a thief, her whole life she's been breaking the law," the Captain spoke up finally.

"And I won't argue that. She's a criminal, yes, but that doesn't necessarily mean she's capable of murder. She said she uses a dagger for defense if needed, but she never said she's taken a life. I think that speaks a lot of her character. Tell me, you've obviously chased after her for a long time now. Has she ever been convicted of murder before?"

The Captain paused at this, bringing a finger and thumb to lightly pinch her chin in thought. "There...is nothing that comes up automatically. She has a lot of assault charges, most of which are her freezing my men's feet to the ground."

"So up until now, that says she has done everything in her power to just run away. This murder seems to be the first she's been charged of."

"Then what do you really think this current crime means?" the Captain asked with an angry tone.

"That's what I plan to find out. There's too many uncertainties so far, and I don't believe anything until I have more evidence to suggest otherwise," Casey spoke, before turning his attention back to Jen, "I want to believe you're innocent of this murder, but I can't do my job if you don't meet me half way. That's why I'm gonna ask again, what were doing before the time of the murder."

[Lance]

Kaen placed a hand on Daemira's shoulder when the soldier questioned the Fire Kingdom's more tolerant attitude, having long since noticed how the Succubus was still bristling over Asmous' behavior. "Most people are, including the Fire king...the captain of the Royal Guard however was far more...cautious regarding nonhumans."


Daemira just scoffed. "I didn't know cautious was a synonym for "asshat"...it'd explain the fucking Captain here nicely enough if it really did..." The succubus crossed her arms and huffed in annoyance, clearly not about to change her tune regarding the Guard Captain any time soon.

Kaen just sighed and shook his head, knowing that arguing with the wound up succubus was futile in the extreme. "Yes...well, as much as I tend to agree about her behavior, we must be more diplomatic than that. It is as this young man has said, the kingdom is far, FAR more isolationist than the Fire kingdom. Isolation can breed contempt and distrust for the outsider, even more so for nonhumans like us, Daemira."

[Tetsuya]

The guard, while squinting at Daemira through the eye slot in his full plate helmet with some anger, decided to let her insults slide for now. With their horses stabled, he then turned to guide them to the nearest market center. "This way please, you can resupply at the market to last you for the remainder of your journey. Well, depending on whether the young man was successful, or not to get the suspect to finally talk. If you are lucky, you might be get to stay at a warm inn instead of the freezing outdoors," he said.


A long moment of silenced passed between Casey and Jen, having repeated his question to her. She had been staring at the ground, thinking over everything that had happened the night before. She then breathed a sigh, before giving the Captain a stern glare. "Let me be clear, I don't intend to reveal where my home is. If I did, I would never be allowed back in. Understand?" she asked.

The Captain glared back at Jen, as if unsure she even let this pass. However, she did relent, "Fine, it doesn't matter. My men will still find your guild base anyway, with or without assistance. We have before, and we will again. By all means, elate to us your wrongdoings during the night of the murder."

Jen continued to glare at the Captain for a few more seconds, before he expression somewhat softened as she looked at Casey. "I'm not sure what you will get out of it, but fine, I'll tell what happened that night," she said, taking a breath before she got started, "That night, my partner and I had been hired to steal a few items for one of the guilds richer clients. And one of the items in question was a necklace in the Governors home. Normally, stealing from the man who runs the town is a no go deal, but after some research, we discovered that it was just an ordinary item with not much significance other than monetary value. Obviously, a condition was placed; taking on the contract meant we had to leave absolutely no trace of our presence in the Governor's home. Of course, being a pro thief, I do my best to never leave a trail that can be lead back to me, and in turn back to my guild.

"As you can tell, that bit of the contract was royally fucked, because the Governess is dead, and her murder charge is placed on my head," she finally finished. However, she briefly glanced at the wall to her right. It was so quick, Casey had almost missed it, and wondered if something was on her mind. But he didn't know enough to really tackle what it could mean, so he let it go for now. Instead, he decided to tackle another topic.

"So you're a member of a guild? I'm assuming that means a guild of thieves, correct?" he asked, to which she nodded. Jotting down a few notes, he then asked, "What sort of jobs does your guild usually take or do? It can't all be about stealing for others, right?"

"Heh, you're pretty smart, aren't you? I can't give you list of clients or anything, but I can at least tell a few things," she said with a smug smile, "As a guild, we have a some rules we live by; a code of honor, I guess you could say. Stay out of sight. Loot only when you can get away with it. Never steal from the poor. And the most importantly, never, ever kill anyone if you can help it. It's not only a crime in town, but a mark of shame in the guild. The reason for that is because we aren't an assassin group. We don't need that sort of attention. If I have to explain the reason for that, then you're clueless."

"I can imagine the reason yes. It's unnecessary attention that could move the Governor to call for a city sweep to be rid of your guild, something that no one really wants. Stealing stuff is one thing, but thieves have to kill for stuff, then it's not a very good thieving guild," Casey concluded.

The Captain just scoffed at this. "As if it's any better to just leave a thieving guild to it's business. If I had my way, there wouldn't even be a guild in this town."

"Better a den of thieves than a group of murdering psychopaths. This town wouldn't be able to flourish if you had the latter," Casey pointed out.

"An excellent point," Jen added. This only made the Captain scoff at her.

[Lance]

Kaen nodded, hopping off of his horse and waiting for Daemira to do the same before following the guard. "That would be very nice. My fire magic is good at keeping us warm, but it would be nice to just have a day or two without needing to worry about that."

Daemira nodded in agreement, her voice flat as she spoke. "Thankfully the capital is only a days journey if we use the main roads...the Ice Kingdom may be about as friendly as a Minotaur with a spear up it's taint, but it's efficient if nothing else...just gotta survive this fucking cold..." Daemira shuddered softly, her face a bit pink as a harsh gale cut through her clothes and took her breath away. "G-g-goddamn weather..."

[Tetsuya]

The guard that escorted Kaen and Daemira turned left around a corner that opened up to a marketplace. "Here we are, you should be able to find everything you need here for the road ahead."



"Still, the light cast on you wasn't good to begin with since you're a thief. With you being accused as a murderer, this case isn't looking very good. From a standard lawyer's stance, taking on your case isn't very smart. It's almost a guarantee that you would be sent to the gallows," Casey admitted.

Jen's ears visibly lowered when he said this. "Which is why I'm wondering why you're even considering this. I don't have a chance in the courtroom tomorrow.

Casey frowned at her statement, figuring he should have kept his mouth shut. Still, he forged on. "If that may be the case, then I'll throw as many hard balls as I can. Doesn't matter if there's a one percent chance of winning, I'll do my best to uncover the truth of these events."

He then cleared his throat as he stood, deciding he had enough information for now. "Captain, I'd like to investigate the crime scene now. I'm not completely satisfied with certain things yet. I'm certain after I've had time to study the scene I'll have more questions to ask Ms. Arlaen."

The Captain sighed, "Fine, you managed to get her to talk. I'll send for someone to prep your exam, and meanwhile, you can start your investigating the crime scene."

"Wait, you're not a lawyer?!" Jen asked, sounding somewhat shocked, and maybe a little angry.

Ah, not yet at least. This will be my first court trial I'm afraid," Casey said while scratching the back of his head.

Jen stood there shell-shocked for a few seconds until her head dipped low. "I'm going to be hanged for sure if Governor allows this," she muttered.

"Don't be so sure about that," he said, causing Jen to raise her head, "Just because there's a low chance of winning, doesn't mean you're convicted yet. Besides, I'm convinced you're innocent of this crime. I just need more information and evidence to prove it." He spoke with a confident smile, trying to at least raise her spirits before he left the jail with the Captain.