As the mice prepare to set out on their trip to Maple Harbor, a storm begins brewing out over the lake. The winds begin picking up and clouds gather overhead. The party build shelters on the beach and prepare to wait out the bad weather.

The storm rolls in overnight, and despite the rain and rolling thunder, the mice are safe and protected. While still overcast and a little blustery, the incliment weather seems to have mostly died down by the late morning, so they board the Green Fields and set sail.

Not long after they set forth, they notice another ship on the horizon, gaining on them quickly. Agnus takes a good look at the ship and suggests it would be best if they avoided an encounter with it. The crew hoist sails and do there best, but are eventually caught up to. Seeing the rough crew of obvious pirates, our mice prepare for a battle. Rusty, well into his cups, takes Flower below decks to prepare the cannons. Bucksnort draws his sword and hides at the fore of the boat while Agnus hunkers down at the helm.

The pirate crew grapple aboard and cautiously begin advancing across the deck. At this point, Dirk, at encouragement from Bucksnort, steps out of hiding and begins to try to engage in a parley. This does not go smoothly. After revealing the existance of his companions, the pirates pounce on him and take him hostage. Bucksnort leaps out from cover with a bellow, piercing one of the nearby pirates with his sword. Dirk, hearing the commotion, comes pounding up from below with his sword drawn, Flower, knives ready at his heels.

The pirates have little time to react before the furious mice are upon them. Clearly under powered and considerably worse fighters, they quickly give up under the onslaught. At this time our mice are begining to think that while only the other day they might not be able to find a boat, by the time they get to Maple Harbor, they may come rolling in with their own fleet.

Just then a voice from the pirate ship calls out. The captain has revealed himself and demands to speak to Agnus, for he knows this ship and has been searching for Agnus. Much to everyone’s surprise, the captain is none other than the ‘dead’ folk-hero, Dain!

Upon discussion, they find out that while he was captured by the weasles, he managed to escape after much torment and hardship. Disgusted by the frivolties of the mice that got him into the predicament, he turned his back on the mouse towns and set out on a quest to rid the world of The Raven.

He has spent the last several years searching for clues to its lair and assembling a party to accompany him on this quest. He invites the party to leave off what they are currently doing and join him in ridding the mouse lands of this terrible scourge.

Tempted by the request, the party feels some pains of concious about just dropping their current mission; they are Guard after all. However, to find out Dain’s story and the thrill of the proposed adventure seem like noble goals, so they agree to come meet Dain and discuss his proposal, after they go to assist in Maple Harbor.

Dain promises to tell them all and that he will wait for them on the Island of Tortuga, the notorious pirate hangout, at which the two ships part ways and our mice continue on their journey.

As they get further out in the seas, the chop increases and swells begin jostling the boat. Erratic wind gusts buffet the ship and toss it to and fro. It is everything they can do to keep heading foward.

Dirk carefully tracks their progress on the maps he has available, spying for landmarks and shouts directions to the pilot. They try hugging the coasts of some islands to block the wind and get some calmer water, and manage to make progress.

Coming around the shelter and back into the open waters for the last stretch to the harbor however, the wind and waves once again toss the craft around wildly, almost bucking Flower into the dark depths. Bucksnort barely manages to lunge forward and secure her as Rusty and Agnus struggle together at the wheel to maintain their headings.

Eventually, tired and battered, the crew manage to struggle into the port. Several sails are torn and some rigging is damaged. It will take Agnus several days to repair the ship and make her sailable again.

As they tie up at the docks, they become aware of a large commotion happening up the hill at the town. It appears to be a riot well underway, with chairs being thrown through windows and lots of shouting going on.

The Mouse Guard rush up to see what the disturbance is about. Cries of “Fair pay for fair work!” and “We’ve had enough! We demand more!” echo across the square.

Then Bucksnort spots, at the head of the fray, a terrible, dirty scumbag, Mr. Smith. With a cry of rage, he rushes forward, drawing his sword to confront this enemy. Just shy of outright slaughtering the malcontent, Bucksnort demands to know what is happening. The whining, wheedling lowlife complains that he deserves better than what is being offered him, and demands that he is entitled to benefits that he has in no way earned. Disgusted by this spineless worm, Bucksnort thrashes his enemy to disgrace and humiliation. Seeing their leader beaten, the rioting crowd quickly disperses and slinks away.

A couple of days pass as Agnus prepares the ship for their trip to Tortuga. As soon as supplies have been loaded, they party heads out, to inquire after Dain and conquor The Raven.