Grace stared at a mountain of sea charts on her desk, running her fingers over the yellowed hemp paper. Under the flickering candlelight, the shipping routes marked in red-inked lines resembled dried blood.

When Dustin entered, he saw her sliding a thick collection of leather-bound ledgers into a rosewood case. Between the pages, words like "freshwater supplies" and "ration calculations" revealed her meticulous planning for their upcoming voyage.

"Any news from the fishermen?" he asked.

Grace