[center][b][h1]Home coming[/h1][/b][/center]
As the waves come into the sleepy little coastal village, a ship starts to unload it cargo. Grain, metal goods, supplies for the coming winter, military equipment for a small garrison, and other items that would be needed. Ten solders and five archers were preparing to disembark. The tents would only be useful till the first real storm came. Earlier in the day, the two large warships had fired flares and cannons announcing the arrival. A few of the ships had left port, running the shallows so they could not be boarded and searched. No captain wants to have his vessel searched or worse seized. 

Andrew Richard Whitewood III, now an Abbot was coming home. The village was originally called Dragon Spit, till the Dragons took offense to the name and it has hastily changed. Andrew was a noble bastard of the royal court. He and his mother were exiled to Pigeon Spit. He ended up being turned loose in these streets as a child, to survive or die on his own. He learned his first trade, thieving, from the pirates, whores, and street rats. He was made an honorable member of the Gold Tooth, the thieves guild, when he could finally pay his dues. Back then, he was called Andy and he spent as much time in the stocks at the docks as he spent in the school. 

But life takes funny turns at times. His was when the Red Dragon, Fire claw, and the Sea Dragon, Riptide found him useful. They wanted a treaty with the king, territory to hunt and in return peace. Men and dragons have warred for as long as they have been alive. So Andy was sent to the king with a message. His uncle the king, kept him at the royal court. Andy's life took a second funny turn, he was educated and assigned to the church to keep him from being a royal pawn in court politics. It was there Andrew found that he had skills for administration and a distaste for royal politics. 

Now his uncle was sending him “home” quietly banishing him from the royal court. Back to Pigeon Spit with instructions to help it become a city, help prepare for the coming war with the Western Isles, and of course pay the proper taxes. 

After the troops gear was loaded on the barge, next came the horses. Andrew was placed on a smoke grey mare at the captain of the guard's instance. Andrew was not sure if this was to get him killed off, either by the horse bucking him off or by someone mad at the king. At the thought of someone thinking about assassinating him as he arrived with two large war ships docked close enough to send sailors to destroy the town, made his heart beat fast for the moment. Then he shook his head at thinking  that he had been at court too long. First chance, he gets, he is getting off this horse, put on normal clothes, and get something to drink at the Rusty Peg Tavern.