Their leader went by horse, as did the others in the Sea Serpents that had a certain standing. They only really had a handful of horses, so it was unlikely that they could do otherwise. Vol had eyed his ship, considering whether they could not take it for the quest. But unfortunately, the Tiller lands were nowhere near the sea. It would have only made their journey longer, rather than shorter.
"I wonder if this will go as smoothly as Francis seemed to suggest it would," Harland said. "We bear the magistrate's seal, but how many of them are going to be willing to cede command to a Yarmdon man?"
"We have something more important than that seal, Harland," Penelope told him. "I think you are still failing to understand the power that the gold card for mercenaries carries. It is like the signification of nobility for a mercenary. It is the sort of thing that, no matter your standing, you have to show respect to."
"Does that include actual nobility?" Harland asked.
