Atop the deckhouse, Indranil and Lorindel help Captain Olnut guide the Javan Queen. The light of both the silver moon Luna and the smaller aquamarine Celene shine through the ragged drifting clouds. Since both are more than half full they are able to provide more than enough light for the brothers’ night vision. As they come abreast of the drifting capsized canoes, they see that the bodies of the Amedi are floating in the water around them. Other things are now scrambling atop the canoes. At first the brothers think that they are crocodiles, but then they see that these are far too humanoid. In fact, they are dressed in loincloths and necklaces made of crocodile teeth. The brothers estimate that standing, these creatures would appear to be six feet tall powerfully muscled cross between a human and an iguana, with leathery scales, a short reptilian snout filled with teeth, and a thick tail like that of an alligator. The largest of them, now crouching atop the capsized war canoe, seems to be hailing the boat.

Indranil says to Lorindel, ”Brother! Do you see them? Are these the lizardfolk? Perhaps we should alert Sir Ragnbjorn that we have found them. What do you think?”

The Captain says, “That sounds like a good idea, one you had better go down there and tell Sir Ragnbjorn.”

Lorindel lowers his bow to avoid sending any unintentional hostility, but holds his bow and keeps an arrow loosely nocked.

Indranil springs lightly down from the deck house roof to the deck and then sprints into the deck house saying, “Sir Ragnbjorn! We have found them! The lizardfolk! They are all around us! What should we do?”

Ragnbjorn says, “Well that solves the problem of trying to find them. It looks like they have found us! Let’s go out and see what they want.”

Rain follows Fingol out onto the deck and asks him as they are leaving the deckhouse, “Hey Fin, how do I say ‘Thank you’ in Draconic?”

As Ragnbjorn, Fingol, Gar, and Rain follow Indranil back out onto the bow, where Sgt. Apone is watching the lizardfolk crouched atop the canoes off the port side there is a cry from Noch on the starboard side followed by a splash. Everyone turns to see what it is when a lizardfolk warrior clambers up onto the deck from the starboard side and hurls a javelin right at Ragnbjorn crying in Draconic, “Die you filthy hairless ape!” Fortunately the javelin bounces off, for Ragnbjorn is wearing mithril armor under his tunic. The reptilian warrior whirls around and dives off the boat.

As everyone rushes over, Noch surfaces and he is desperately trying to keep afloat in his leather armor. “Help me! The lizardfolk grabbed me and pulled me over! They’re going to kill us!” His eyes are wide with fear as he looks around the water and the keelboat, still at full sail, pulls away from him leaving him in its wake, but his fear seems to be a bit contrived. There is no sign of the lizardfolk warrior who tried to kill Ragnbjorn. Then at the last possible moment, Noch manages to swim up and catch the side of the Javan Queen.

Rain answers her own question to Fingol, “Never mind,” and crouches down to string her bow in cover.

Aramek puts his light crossbow across his back, readying a magic missile, just in case and follows Gar toward the bow.

Lorindel draws tight his bow, and runs along the deck towards the nearest threat, but it does not seem as though any of the other lizardfolk are attacking. They are craning their heads trying to see what the commotion is aboard the Javan Queen.

Indranil cries, ”By the gods! The lizardfolk must think we are an enemy! Father Gar! Do your stuff!”

Gar throws both hands in the air. “Wait! Please don’t shoot yet!”

Fingol scans the boat to see if anyone else is by themselves and thus vulnerable to being pulled off the boat. Seeing that everyone has moved back from the gunwales, he heads back to help Noch back aboard. Perhaps, thinks Fingol, we’re only safe because the keelboat is too large to rollover like the canoes. But for now, we have to pray for the best.

Rain says to herself, “Wait… did I see Noch and the lizardman together at any point? What the hell is going on?”

At Gar’s request, Lorindel holds. “Give me a reason, Father!” shouts Lorindel. “As far as I can see, they’ve initiated this conflict.” He then calls to Ragnabjorn. “Sir, orders!”

Ragnbjorn shouts from his place at the bow, “Yes, Father Gar is right. Everyone hold their fire. Captain, bring her about and weigh anchor. That’s Chief Rahk and I want to know if that was his man and why we’re being attacked.”

Lorindel complies with the command. He once again lowers his bow, but keeps an arrow loosely nocked.

“You sure about that sir?” the Captain asks.

“Chief Rahk may not know I’m aboard. Let’s give him a chance. Indranil, go down into the hold and bring forth the Banner of Rao. Everyone else, stay ready but keep your weapons down.”

As Indranil runs below deck, Gar looks up at Lorindel and says loud enough to be heard, “We should hold our fire because they just saved us from the Armedi, that’s why.”

Aramek takes note that the lizardfolk in the boats seem unaware of what just happened regarding Sir Ragnbjorn. He wonders to himself, Why aren’t they attacking as well?

Back at the stern, Noch is climbing back aboard with the help of Vaskez and Drake. He is wet but otherwise okay.

Rain readies her bow in normal non-aggressive fashion. She stands next to Ragnbjorn awaiting orders and keeping an eye on Noch. Rain is not really sure, but with all the confusion she is conjuring up images of Noch jumping in the river, shape changing into a lizardman, climbing back aboard and throwing the javelin, then jumping back into the river and changing back to human, then screaming for help and climbing back aboard with some crazy ass story of being dragged down by unseen lizard guys.

Indranil races down to the hold to get the flag. The Banner of Rao is a large white flag embossed with Rao’s heart shaped mask of tranquility. Since Rao is the Flan god of peace, reason, and serenity, his banner has long been used among the nations of the Flanaess as a call for truce and negotiations. When he gets down in the hold, Indranil finds the banner easily enough, but Master Ailil of the Fishmonger’s Guild rushes up to him and asks, “What is going on up there? Are we still under attack?”

Indranil responds, “Master Ailil, we are now safe from the Amedi attack and we have just made contact with the lizardfolk. We have some diplomatic niceties to go through as we establish initial contact with Chief Rahk. Please stay below while we do that.” With that Indranil races back to the deck to hand the flag to Sir Ragnbjorn.

Newt awakens when Indranil came down to fetch the Banner of Rao and overhears his response to Ailil and the fishermen. Impelled by the impatience of youth, a sense that the fishermen were neither friendly nor useful, and a general need for more information about the people she has now found herself with she quickly heads up to the deckhouse. Looking around, she moves to the back of the deckhouse to eavesdrop on those standing at the bow.

Remembering her earlier question, Fingol whispers to Rain, “If you want to say ‘thank you’ to them just say, ‘Hrrm ahk siss.’”

Newt, who speaks Draconic, knows that this is actually the lizardfolk equivalent to, “I am a slut.” She can’t imagine why one of these people would set another one up like that.

Before long, the Javan Queen is brought around to where the war canoe is drifting. The crew is now at the oars in order to keep pace with it. The Banner of Rao now flies from the mast. The lizardman identified by Ragnbjorn as Chief Rahk hails him in Draconic and the two begin to converse. Alone among them, Fingol, Aramek, the Marinus brothers, and the eavesdropping Newt are able to follow the conversation.

Gar knows enough Draconic to follow a little, but it is hard to make sense of as he is not familiar with all the quirks and idioms of the reptilian language.

“Hail Sir Ragnbjorn!” says Chief Rahk, “It is muddy to see you more sun. I believe we have nest egg, Lord Heslex. He found me and told me of your hunting but not hunting. When I came out here to meet you we found Cypress Hill like spoiled eggs and the Amedi snaking. There was also a chick out of its nest waiting to be eaten, though we were not hungry. Did you scoop it up?”

Ragnbjon says, “Hail and well met Chief Rhodophylax. Our yokey Father Gar,” he indicates Gar, “seems to have rained sunlight upon Lord Heslex. I am glad that he came to you. Your brooding is most certainly appreciated. Oh, and yes, we snapped up the chick. The nest is otherwise empty.”

Chief Rahk nods and says, “The Amedi have recently taken up the worship of some cold bringing one. Our tales say that over a thousand years ago such a one was bowed to. Now it seems he is bowed to once more. The Amedi are now consuming. Our tongues should hiss elsewhere. Can you bring your carven log to the cold side? We will nest there and hiss at each other.”

Ragnbjorn responds, “Yes, that sounds like a deer drinking water. I will tell the Captain.”

Newt makes a mental note that Sir Ragnbjorn and Sir Fingol speak Draconic. She wonders who else knows that tongue. Newt gasps quietly on hearing that the lizardfolk had been so close. Hearing herself, she chokes the gasp off and hopes nobody heard her. The lizardfolk saw me! I thought I had done such a good job of hiding! I didn’t even see them at all! It’s a good thing I’m with these others now. It was only dumb luck that I wasn’t killed when I was alone.

As Ragnbjorn turns to the Captain, Chief Rahk and the other lizardfolk dive back into the water. Ragnbjorn says, speaking Keolandish again, “Captain Olnut, please take us to the northern bank of the river. We will camp there for the night so that Father Gar, Fingol, and I can speak with Chief Rahk.”

Lorindel slips over towards Ragnbjorn and questions, “What about the assault? Will you not demand justice? It’s an outrage,” he whispers.

Ragnbjorn answers so that all nearby can hear, “Oh, don’t think I will let that pass by without comment. Still, I have a strong feeling that Chief Rahk knows nothing about it, and it will be the first thing I ask him about. Nor do I plan on letting any of us be put in a vulnerable position until I’m sure of his answers.”

Rain steps over to Fingol and asks, “So what did they say?”

“Nothing that we hadn’t already known or guessed,” whispers Fingol. “Then arrangements were made for further talks.”

Rain whispers back sarcastically, “Nice… but are we not a bit too close to the last engagement to be coming ashore now for a chat with more potential hostiles?”

Tired of her questioning, Fingol pulls rank a bit, “Keep focused, guardsman!” he replies in a quick whisper.

Rain is visibly surprised at this answer to her benign question and answers, “Uh yah… sorry Fin… er… sir.” She moves away from Fingol, still keeping her eyes mostly on the the lizardfolk but also on Ragnbjorn.