Jewel

Jewel is a young woman of Broome. She is a candidate in the Rosalyn Trust competition.

Early life
At an early age Jewel would take part in trading voyages from Broome across the Sea of Serpents. Jewel received a golden armband on her fourteenth birthday, a custom followed in her family. Each of Jewel's brothers supposedly received an armband as well. In addition to her brothers, Jewel is known to have an aunt, and cousins.

Shadows of the Master
Jewel registered as a candidate in the Rosalyn Trust competition, and walked a long way from Broome to take part. She met Britta near the harbour graveyard, and despite them being rivals for the apprenticeship, acted kindly toward her. She woke Britta when it was time to go into the Traders' Hall when she could have left her to be late and be taken out of the running. In the Traders' Hall, it was clear that the other candidates (mainly traders' daughters) thought her an oddity and were repelled by her, going so far as to move to another chair when Jewel sat down beside them. Though Jewel made light of it, Britta could see that she was more hurt by it than she seemed.

Jewel warned Britta not to touch or turn over her exam paper before the examination time began, to avoid being disqualified. Britta was grateful for the help, as it prevented her from making a costly error, and later repaid the favour by giving Jewel advice on a question Mab might ask her in the interview. After the examination was over, the interviews began. Jewel was certain that she would never receive an interview, for she felt that she made a fool of herself before the testing time by asking Sorrel if he could tell them the names of the ports the Star of Deltora would be sailing to. However, she was shocked when she received an interview, and further shocked when she was announced as one of four finalists.

Because Jewel, Britta, Sky and Vashti scored evenly on the initial test and interview, they were given another challenge—to use one gold coin to make the best trade possible within the time frame of two hours. They may only walk within the harbour. Jewel objected to this, as it meant that Vashti would have an advantage over the other candidates because she had grown up in the harbour. However, Mab told her that although she knew that the test was unfair, they did not have enough time to think of a better one as the Star of Deltora sailed at dawn.

Jewel returned to the meeting place in the harbour with a fine bone-handled knife from Hotnots & Sons worth two gold pieces. She seemed happy when Britta made it back just in time with her own trade, and appeared surprised when she heard of Britta's misadventure. After Britta's unique trade of a blue glazed candlestick made it clear that she had won the challenge, with Vashti a close second, it seemed as if there would be only the two finalists, for Mab had no wish to stage another impromptu test to break the tie between Sky and Jewel. Fortunately, Sorrel remembered that the exact wording of the Rosalyn Trust specifically said that there must be at least three finalists to come aboard the ship, and so all four candidates were allowed to sail aboard the Star of Deltora when it left at dawn.

Mab offered Jewel a place to sleep in the Traders' Hall, and Jewel accepted. At dawn, she set sail with the other candidates aboard the ship.

Two Moons
Sky, Vashti and Britta drew straws to decide who would share a cabin with Jewel—Britta drews the short straw. Jewel was pleased and surprised when Britta managed to choose the largest cabin for them, and wondered how she knew, but Britta claimed it was a hunch. Jewel and Britta stowed their belongings in their cabin, and Jewel warned Britta not to touch her weapons. On the deck of the Star of Deltora, Vashti insulted Jewel, calling her an ignorant savage. Jewel took Vashti by the neck and threatened her, but Mab intervened and warned Jewel that another violent incident would have her off the ship. Mab then revealed the locations where the Star of Deltora would make port -- Maris, Two Moons, and Illica. Jewel expressed excitement at the thought of trading in Two Moons, and confusion over trading in Illica, which she had never heard of. The four competitors were told to search out the reading room for information on the three ports. Jewel purposely mentioned greasy food in front of the seasick Sky, causing him to be sick over the side of the ship. Jewel cheerfully remarked that now there would be fewer people vying for the best books in the reading room.

She traded for an inlaid music box at Two Moons.

The Towers of Illica
Jewel initially moves out of the cabin she and Britta share.

Jewel later aids Sky to haul Britta back on board the Star of Deltora when Britta is thrown overboard by an unknown attacker. After explaining she was not Britta's attacker in Del, she works with Britta to collect information about Illica from The Trader's Guide To Illica. Jewel also moves back into Britta's and her double cabin.

Upon landing in Illica, Jewel is invited to stay in the tower of the Collector, Madam Bell-Slink. She and Britta, while exploring Illica, discover Sky has left the ship, and follow him to the final hiding place of the pirate Bar-Enoch. Jewel refuses to partake of the treasure found within Bar-Enoch's refuge.

During her subsequent stay at Madam Bell-Slink's tower, Jewel, scared of suffocation in the bedchamber she is given, breaks out of the tower and returns to the Star of Deltora. She boards with little trouble when Sky is on night watch. The following morning, Mab is forced to pay for the damages incurred by the tower doors when Jewel left. Jewel fears she has been disgraced, and is left with little chance of winning the Rosalyn competition.

The Hungry Isle
The music box she traded for in Two Moons was left in her cabin, where it was smashed by the mutineers after they left the the Star of Deltora.

Physical appearance
Jewel is tall and broad-shouldered. She has smooth dark brown skin and brown eyes. She wears masculine clothes, a wide band of gold clasped around one arm, and matching earrings the size of jam jar lids. She carries a knife at her belt and a pouch of spears on her back. Her head is shaved and decorated with painted patterns of swirling red, as is the custom in Broome to ward off dragons. Britta initally mistakes Jewel for a "deckhand." It is later revealed that the gold band around Jewel's arm is a weapon known as a kish.

Personality
Jewel can be loud and exuberant, and often jokes and makes light of the present situation. She appears confident on the outset (Britta notes her 'richly confident voice') but it is clear that the traders' daughters' rejection of her hurts her deeply, though she refuses to show it. She is very courteous, even toward those who are her competitors, and tries to act friendly. In this way, she befriends Britta.

Jewel is also shown to be a generous person, as she chooses to wake Britta up in time for the Rosalyn Trust competition instead of leaving her to oversleep and miss it (and thus take her out of the running for the apprenticeship). This generosity is further shown when Jewel warns Britta not to touch her examination paper before the examination writing time begins, lest she be disqualified.

Jewel is also shown to be cunning, as she notices Sky's seasickness and talks loudly about her favourite food in his presence, causing him to be sick so that he will not be able to get hold of the best books in the library cabin before Jewel does.

Abilities
Not much is known about Jewel's abilities at present. However, it can be assumed that, as she is from Broome, she is a reasonably good dancer and is capable of fending for herself whenever needed. She seems to be a skilled trader as well, as she makes a good bargain of a gold coin in exchange for a knife with a fine hilt worth two gold coins during the additional challenge set by Mab.

At some point, Jewel reveals she can detect Sky's scent, but is unable to use it to track him.

Britta
Jewel first met Britta outside the harbour graveyard, and although they were both rivals, she acted cheerful and courteous towards her. When it was time to go into the Traders' Hall, she was generous enough to wake Britta up so she would not be late and miss the examination. Later, she warned Britta not to touch her exam paper before the writing time began, lest she be disqualified. This helped Britta avoid a terrible mistake, as she admitted to herself that she would have touched the paper if Jewel had not warned her not to.

All through the examination and interview time in the Hall, Jewel acted friendly toward Britta, and cheerfully called her 'little nodnap'. It appeared as if she was willing to become friends, though Britta was slightly wary of her because they were both rivals for the apprenticeship and were competing against each other.

Star of Deltora

 * Shadows of the Master
 * Two Moons
 * The Towers of Illica
 * The Hungry Isle