Sons of the Tide (mlm)

Chapter 29: Time to Kick Ass

Caleb

Joseph and Caleb spent the rest of the day and that night sleeping, both of them much too tired to do anything else. Joseph had to admit, it was nice. He knew he was safe and now that Caleb was okay he finally felt like he could rest. The only thing keeping him from staying on that island was Hawke. They needed to get to the lagoon in time to stop him.

Caleb was nearly healed by noon of the next day, all of his cuts have turned into pink scars or hard scabs. That was a relief.

His mother had brought their cleaned clothes at some point as they slept, they were neatly folded on the dresser beside the ones she'd given them to change into.

As Joseph got dressed, he noticed the button on his shirt was back in its place, good as new. Caleb noticed him looking at it and smiled. "My mom must've fixed it after she cleaned it."

"I'm looking much more distinguished now, aren't I?" He asked jokingly as he buttoned the last of his shirt shut.

Caleb chuckled and smoothed over the collar of the shirt with his thumbs. "Of course."

Once they were dressed, Caleb took Joseph's hand and they walked down the beach until they made it to his mother's hut. Cecelia was sitting on a chair inside, eating a bowl of rice. She smiled when she saw them. "Good morning, gentlemen."

Joseph smiled at her as Caleb's mother handed him his pistol back. "I cleaned it for you. You should really take better care of it, it was fifthly."

Joseph tucked it into it's holster. "Thank you."

She hummed and went back to cleaning the pot she'd cooked the rice in.

Cecelia looked at them and wiggled her eyebrows. "Sooo... you two have fun yesterday?"

Joseph looked at her with warning in his eyes and she grinned. "Cecelia..."

She only grinned wider. Caleb held back a laugh as his mother looked at the both of them from the side of her eye. "You didn't bruise my son up, did you, Joseph?"

Joseph turned an amazing shade of red, and Caleb couldn't hold back his laugh. "Only in places you can't see."

Joseph smacked his arm and glared at him as they all laughed. Cecelia threw her hands up in the air and shouted in victory. "You owe me five coins, bitch!"

His mother sighed dramatically and slid five gold coins towards her. Caleb shook his head. "You two are unbelievable."

"It's part of our charm." Cecelia set her now empty bowl on the little table in front of her. "We need to get going if we want to make it to the lagoon before Hawke."

Caleb sighed. "We should stock up on supplies, first."

"Already done, my dear," his mother said from her spot at her wash basin. "I've loaded you with some food for the journey, medical supplies, and some extra weapons, just in case."

Caleb knew his mother's weapons weren't your ordinary harpoons and knives, they were enchanted. They'd be of good use. "Thank you, mother."

"I can't accompany you, so I'm sure as hell making sure you're prepared." She stood and wiped her hands on her skirt. "I also want to give you this."

She pulled the long woven cord she wore around her neck over her head and placed it on Caleb. "There are both parts to a baby kraken's beak. They will give you strength for magic."

Caleb put his hand over the beak and kissed his mother's forehead. "Thank you. I'll make sure it comes back to you safe and sound."

"You'd better. Took me years to finally kill that little shit that was scaring away all my fish."

Cecelia laughed slightly, then held up a knife made of glass. "Look what I got."

Joseph's face said what he was thinking; how was a glass knife useful. His mother smiled widely. "The blade is made from the sand on this island. I made it myself."

"It catches anything it cuts on fire." There was a sinister light in Cecelia's eyes when she said this, which made Caleb huff a laugh and Joseph stare at it with exasperation.

"Don't catch yourself on fire, please." Joseph used his finger to push the blade away from them. "Or me."

She laughed giddily and put the knife into a leather holder on her hip.

"If the boat is ready, we should go." Caleb looked at his mother. "We'll come back after everything is said and done."

"Don't rush. The sea will tell me how things go." She smiled, and her crows feet were the only thing that showed her age. "Find your sister and bring her back, alright? I miss that girl."

He nodded. "I'll try."

She patted his shoulder and smiled. "Don't die."

"Of course not."

With that, she went back to washing her dishes and they filed out of the hut one by one. Joseph was last, and Caleb only noticed he'd fallen behind when he came jogging up beside him on the way to the boat. "What took you so long?"

"Just thanking her, is all." He slid his hand into Caleb's. "Let's get going."

Cecelia hopped into the boat first and started pulling up the sail. Joseph was after her, and Caleb pushed the boat into the rising tide until it was far enough it to sail. Once they were in deeper water, he climbed into the boat and cast a look at the island, which was already fading from view.

"Time to go kick some ass!" Cecelia shouted from behind them, holding the rope for the sail and grinning with determination.

Joseph's grin was all teeth and his eyes were light with the sun coming over the horizon. Caleb turned away from the island and looked onto the endless sea.

In Cecelia's words, it was time to kick some ass.