We walked in with the rising sun.

  Ziggy was the first person we saw as we walked up the beach. I jumped and almost dropped Fyga when the seven-year-old rushed out of the woods. While my new body didn’t require sleep, I did still get exhausted and I had been going almost non-stop for the last day.

  “BYLER!” The kid’s eyes got wide when he saw the sailor next to me. “I-I-I mean, Master Byler.” He put his hands together and made a half bow.

  I shook my head. Eveth was the boy’s aunt and new to the way the Bokor conducted themselves. I had a feeling that she’d dropped the honorifics in front of her nephew while talking to Val and he’d picked up on it.

  “Zig-”

  “Is the scary one dead?” He cut me off and reached out his hand before pulling it back, like he’d get bitten for trying to touch Fyga.

  “She’s takin’ a wee nap.” Captain Jace got down on a knee, which was a feat for someone with a wooden leg. “Could ya be a good lad an fetch the Backers for us?”

  Ziggy wrinkled his nose as the old man got closer. “You stink.” He looked up at me. “Do I have to?”

  “Zig.” I tried to put on a stern face.

  The captain let out a belly laugh. “Ya ain’t wrong there kiddo.” He slapped his leg. “But I been sitin’ in the belly of a monster far the last week.” He rubbed his stomach. “How abouts I jump in the water and ya grab ma some fixin’s while ya fetch the Backers, then I’ll tell ya the whole story while the important people talk.”

  The brown-haired boy looked up at me, then back at the captain. “Can I bring some friends?”

  “Sure! Bring all the friends ya want!” The bald man grinned. “If yar lucky, I might even tell ya about how I lost ma leg.” He winked with his lone eye. “There was a croc monster involved.”

  “Cellay! Aris! Sharsu! You won’t believe this!!!” THe youth took off up the beach.

  “Remember to get Master Val!” I shook my head as I watched him run. “He’s not going to remember.”

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  “Aye, ta be young again.” The old man stood up, then smelled his armpits. “I guess it has been a year since ma last dip.” He started walking into the water. “Just like a lover’s embrace.”

  I stared at him. It was the later part of the year, so while the water wasn’t freezing, it was morning, and it wasn’t going to get warm for months. There was no way that the water felt comfortable.

  But the old man kept walking until he was out to his waist, then he sat down, sinking up to his head while singing the most garbled song that I’d ever heard.

  I watched him scrub himself with all of his clothes still on, which defeated the entire purpose, in my opinion. He was enjoying himself and showed no sign of getting out any time soon. With my traveling companion occupied and my helper off on a different mission, I was left to find the others on my own.

  It wouldn’t be hard for me to find the captain again, especially if he was entertaining the kids. I left him to his unconventional bath and walked up the shore towards the camp.

  By the time I reached the crude fence that had been made on the beach, a group of ten kids were running past me with an older woman with graying brown hair in a threadbare blue dress chasing them. She stopped as she reached me, letting the children she was chasing get down the beach.

  “Master…!” She touched Fyga’s right arm. “Forgive me, master Bokor.” She looked down at her feet. “I’ve forgotten your name.”

  “Master Byler.” I shifted Fyga in my arms. “And this is Master Fyga.” I bent my knees a little to try to get her to look at me. “You should probably catch up to the kids.”

  Dame Isough looked down the beach, then back at me. “But Master Fyga is-”

  “She’ll be fine.” Fyga’s wounded side was pressed up against my chest, but the crossbow bolts hadn’t left very large holes. “I just need to know where Master Val is so I can tell her what we found.”

  The older woman’s eyes widened. “Should I bring the children back?”

  I chuckled. “I don’t think Captain Jace is going to harm them, but them should come back to camp before he starts telling his stories.”

  “That rotten fleabed is going to rot their brains!” She balled her fist. “What’s he doing here? I thought we’d finally been rid of his fish stories…” Isough swallowed, then smiled. “Master Eveth is out with a scouting party. Master Valerie is overseeing the construction of the barricade on the north end of camp. Her eyes darted down the beach then back at me. “I’ll be right back once I get the children.”

  “Don’t worry, I’ve got this.” I smiled at her. “You keep an eye on the kids, I’ve got this.”

  She hesitated for a moment, worry clouded her face, then it passed as she bowed her head a little. “Yes, Master Byler.”

  She hurried down the beach, telling something that I couldn’t hear.

  I shook my head. It was nice that she wanted to help me, but she already had her hands full with the kids. I’d manage just fine. I kept going up the beach, now that I had an idea of where to look, it wouldn’t be long until I found Val.

  Then we could figure out how to approach the ship on the other side of the island.

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