Prologue

Torbjörn looked at the budget that Taru had revised to match the funds that they had actually been given, which were much less than initially planned:
-So we're down to five crew members, and there's still not enough for proper salaries. No one will want to work for us. Unless we actually find people who will basically work for free.
For some reason, his words put a smirk on Taru's face:
-You know what? I think I may know where to find just what we need. How does getting three people and only have to pay one of them sound? If you're interested, the package will consist in a night scout with basic magic skills, a skald and mechanic, and an advanced mage. All three able to speak three languages.
-That cousin you once told me about, by any chance? asked Trond.
Taru nodded. Siv pitched in:
-You mean "those cousins", right? You were just talking about three people.
Taru pointed at the piece of paper on which she had done her calculations:
-With that kind of money, anything decent you get will have at least one catch to it. The trick is to go for catches that are manageable. In the present case, I have to make two things clear. One is that you will need to believe in magic to realize what a good deal you are making. The other is that yes, I do mean a single cousin.