Ruby turned and spotted the small boat that sloshed in the water doing its best to make it to the beach. “Tis a single entity.” Ruby waved to her crew. “Eat up! I’ll handle this.” She watched as the members of the crew all saluted her and went on their merry way, still singing their song to themselves as they split back into their groups. “Well, now less be see’n who’some arrives on me beach, aye?” Ruby simply flicked her finger to Digger, “Settle up with Delzie, boy. Head ya back to the fire.”

  “Ye…Yes Captain.” Digger looked back and forth between Delzie and Ruby. “Captain, I can stay if you need.”

  Rubbing her temples slowly, Ruby shook her head. “Nay, Ol’Ruby knows, she does, who this daft person be.” She snickered and put her arm around Ava’s waist. “Digger, boy.” Ruby took a ughing breath, “Round up food and more rum, this day just got more interesting…no bones about it, daft woman.” Ruby snickered and crossed her arms.

  A few more seconds passed before the remaining entourage made out the form in the little boat. “Oh my.” Patricia ughed, “Methinks the Captain gonna has her hand full this day.” She patted Ruby on the shoulder. “Tak’n me leave, Captain. Cpp’n words with her is a devil’s ploy.” She then ughed, “Luck be with you.”

  A few minutes ter the skiff bounced harmlessly on the beach. With a wave of her hand, Ruby watched as Digger, Ava and Delzie all helped the passenger to shore. “Come to be settl’n up with Ol’Ruby has ya?” She ughed and pointed out the people around her. “Digger and Delzie, Avanora and Ner-Natasha.”

  “Ha!” Nerice ughed, “You say it and I will, I hate that stupid n-”

  Pcing her hand over Nerice’s ocean-blue lips, Ruby kept looking at her new arrival. “Mayhaps the …” She ughed, “...dy share herself with me crew here, aye?”

  “I wasn’t entirely sure if you were going to stab or shoot me, Ruby One-Eye.” Bowing to the others, the obvious second pirate captain offered her hand to Ruby and looked at the others. “Pearly. Pearly Pieces of Eight, me be.”

  “Me still might have both done, savvy?” Ruby shook her friend’s hand and turned to the group. “As it be, Digger and Delzie owes me a favor for dismissing me orders.” Ruby raised her eyebrow, “Get mov’n you two.”

  Digger looked at Delzie, “We owe her?”

  Shaking her head, “Yep. You’re in trouble.”

  “Why am I in trouble?” Digger asked as he grabbed Delzie’s hand and started running back to the encampment.

  Happily obeying her Captain’s orders, Delize ughed and did her best to keep up with Digger while wearing her dress. “Because you don’t have what she wants, dear. I do.”

  Standing with her two lovers, Ruby put her hands on her hips. “Enough spill’n greet’n, Pearly. What’s in yer head to be on me isnd?” Ruby nodded to Ava, who then walked over to Pearly and offered herself as an escort.

  “Hungry I am, Ruby. Mayhaps a bit of food for an old dy?” Pearly grasped Ava’s arm lightly and adjusted her sword belt with her free hand. “Ya has to has be of notice there nay be a white rag.” She tapped her pommel and ughed. “Me could just take lovely Avanora here and swim off.” Pearly winked her hazel eye and blew the ptinum blonde a kiss. “What say ya?”

  “Zee, I am not zuch a good zwimmer, yes?” Ava smiled and looked a little deeper into Pearly’s one eye and took the time to gaze over the older woman’s form. “Though…there be a small pool beyond the camp..”

  With a wide grin and a shake of her head, Pearly patted Ava’s hand. “Girl, if’n I did that…I would be the prisoner.” Pearly gnced back to Ruby as she watched Nerice climb on her back. “Me just be need’n a wee time to discuss a prior accord, Ruby.”

  Well-versed with Ava’s flirtatious nature and open heart, the little banter between Pearly and Ava did little to dismiss the concern in Ruby’s mind. “We has barrels O’rum and breakfast soon, generous Captain Ol’Ruby is, y to that. Be you welcome around me fire, Pearly.”

  “Good!” Pearly scooped her free arm under Ruby’s and bounced her way to the encampment. “Friends we be. Lovely.”

  Once they were all seated around the bzing fire that Ava restarted with a magical bout of fme from her mouth, reenacting her dragon-dy abilities, Ruby pulled Nerice into her p and held her dymate’s hands. “Now then.” Ruby watched as Pearly politely kept a friendly distance from Avanora. “I begs ya to shar’n this business and prior accord, Pearly.”

  With a simple bite of her bread and fruit breakfast, Pearly washed the food down with a healthy gulp of rum. “Eye of the Basilisk, dear.”

  “Oh?” Ruby shook her head, “Ya finally give’n back since tis ..borrowed.. from me?” Ruby saw the perplexed look on everyone’s face minus Nerice. “Tis mine ya know.”

  Pearly ughed and set her mostly eaten pte aside, “Me sees things in a different luminosity.” Pearly ughed, “Me could calls it square for …borrowing me Danc’n Dagger, girl.”

  “Well, that’s one of the two confirmed.” Delzie ughed and then sucked her lips when Ruby gred at her. “Sorry, Captain.”

  “Eye of the Basilisk?” Digger asked sheepishly.

  Cpping with excitement, Pearly Pieces of Eight faced Digger, “Young man, Allow me…to tell the tale.”