Gold, Blood, and Ice.

Silver Hooves looked over each stallion on the gun deck as he walked through it. His gaze was that of a thinking stallion; he was thinking over each lad and if they'd have the means and motive to keep drop the barrels and crate that he saw just the previous night. Silver approached the gunnery officer of the deck, Iron Heart.

"Captain?" He said upon seeing Silver approach. "How are you this most tense of mornings?" He asked as he strolled around checking the hooks that held the cannons in place during firing. Silver had known Iron Heart for nearly a decade, he had served with Iron Heart in the Royal Navy and even employed Iron Heart when he acquired his first ship: The Judas.

"Not so good, bud." Silver said as he loitered nearby Iron. "Have any of the empty powder barrels gone missing lately?"

Iron was caught off guard by that question. "Empty powder barrels? No I did a complete inventory by hoof this morning. Sixty four full barrels and fifteen empty same as last week. If any barrels have gone missing you might check the hold; Gail was told me he let one of the new lads take inventory yesterday."

Silver nodded slowly as he made note of that. "I'll head down in a bit, then. Mind if I question some of your gunners anyhow?"

Iron chuckled in his deep voice. "Why are you even asking my permission? They're all you're sailors, Captain."

Silver smile and left his old friend with just a nod and brief thank you. Silver walked towards the forward of the deck and looked over each sailor. He saw one lad who looked absolutely beaten. The stallion was rather young and he looked as though he had been up the entire night. He had bags under his eyes and seemed to move about sluggishly, Silver raised and eyebrow and approached the lad.

"Excuse me." He said as he approached.

The colt turned sluggishly then snapped to an alert posture when he noticed he was talking with the captain. "Y-yes, captain?!" he said as his appearance grew to be nervous. His sudden nervousness could just be the natural response to being approached by an authority who usually doesn't acknowledge your existence. Silver made a mental note of it of course.

"Were you awake around midnight last night?" Silver asked as he gave the lad a stern emotionless look.

"Y-Y-yes I was, sir." The boy said.

"Where were you?"

"The crew quarters, my friend Lucky Feather and I were playing cards by moonlight." The boy said.

"And whats your name, lad?" Silver asked.

"Green Wing, Captain." The lad said.

Silver backed off of the colt and left him to duties. Silver went up to his quarters and retrieved an old note book and pen. He ripped out the pages that had been previously used and tossed them out a window. He clicked the pen and began to write.

Tossed Barrels

-Three barrels and crate were tossed at one in the morning to allow for pirates to follow the Silver Eagle
-Items were tossed from a large porthole at the aft of the gun deck.
-Iron Heart confirms that no empty powder barrels have gone missing; crates are as they've always been uncounted.
-Suspects:

1. Green Wing (Possibly also Lucky Feather)

Silver stuck the small note pad into a coat pocket and then left his quarters bound for the hold. He made a brief stop on the quarter deck while Mito kept the Eagle on course. He took out his spy glass and aimed it aft-ward towards the ever following tail: The Nightmare Moon's Revenge. She was at full sail and he could spy the movement of crew on her main deck. He closed the spy glass and then headed below and down several decks into the hold. The hold was usually inhabited by a few stallions who served as basically loaders and unloaders. They usually sat around not doing much of anything. They generally unpacked and ran food up to the galley for Chef Hair Hoof to turn into meals, or they brought out additional tools and materials like lumber.

The hold was were Silver Hooves found Lucky Feather. The young earth pony was quite a shaggy fellow but he was also very strong. Silver watched him move two large wooden kegs of rum by himself; one under each hoof while he walked on his hind hooves. He quickly made a note on his tossed barrel's page. He crossed out "Possibly also Lucky Feather" and below put:

1. Lucky Feather (Strong enough to move three or more empty barrels and a crate easily.)

Yet for a lad who's been up all night Lucky didn't look as tired as Green Wing did. Lucky was actually quite alert and energized. He lugged about cargo with ease. Right as Silver approached Lucky he saw the energized lad taking a large gulp of a liquid from an open iron mug. Silver smelled it immediately: Coffee.

"Lucky Feather?" Silver said as he neared. "You have a minute, yes?"

"Yes, of course, Captain Silver." Lucky said.

"Good. Now; where were you last night at about one in the morning?" He asked.

"I was finishing up a hand of cards with Green Wing, one of the gunners." He said shrugging.

"Anypony able to verify that? Aside from Mr.Wing?" Silver asked.

"Aside from, Greeny? Not that I can think of, sir." Lucky said. Lucky was calm and collected as he spoke. He didn't seem guilty to any stretch of the imagination. Silver didn't exactly hire born actors so either he had finally come across a natural actor or there just wasn't any guilt present. He knew he'd need more evidence before he would find the culprits. Silver left the loader to his duties and began to hatch a new plan...