Pirate's Tail

Chapter Thirteen

The ship glided through the small strait and into the lake. Its sails appeared pink in the early morning sun. The ship anchored near its brothers in the center of the lake, and a small group of boats rowed out from the dunes to meet it. Shortly thereafter these boats went about ferrying men and cargo to shore as the ship was unloaded from its voyage.

The tribe awoke in their typical early fashion. Their days revolved around the sun. They woke up when the sun rose and slept when the sun went down. There was little to do on the island between these hours besides sleep. They met the boats at the shore and helped unload the supplies and people.

Ace had grown accustomed to this schedule and had awoken as well. His hopes rose with the possibilities that this might be the ship that had picked up Captain Harris and Charlie in Jayoria. It appeared to be a Jayorian vessel, similar to the Grass he'd toured with Commodore Gates, only this ship was larger. He went down to the shore and eagerly waited for the small rowboats to return to shore with the people and the supplies.

The first couple of waves of rowboats were mostly supplies. There was rope, beer, wine, nails, and food, which Ace helped to unload. Ace and the Farobi people waded out in the lake and unloaded what they could carry from the rowboats. It wasn't until the fourth trip from the ship that the small boats started ferrying people over. As the first wave of people approached the islands, Ace quickly scanned their faces, hoping Captain Harris was on the boat. The first boats made it to shore, and the people onboard were beginning to jump out.

"Mr. Lynx!"

Ace spun around and saw a muscularly built man with shoulder-length blond hair. It was Captain Harris. Ace sprinted toward Captain Harris and embraced him. Ace then turned to Charlie, who stood next to her husband and gave her a hug and a kiss.

"What the heck happened, kid? You didn't want to join us on our vacation? Or was life just getting too dull for you?" Captain Harris asked playfully.

Ace shook his head. "Nothing of the sort. I decided I needed to give back to the community, so I enlisted in the Menquin Navy."

Captain Harris and Charlie looked stunned. "Seriously?"

"Well, maybe enlisted isn't the right word. I kind of accidently got on the wrong boat in Haiglin and fell asleep."

"What?"

"Yeah, remember the last time we went salvaging, when the large Menquin ship came into port, the Visp?" Ace said.

"Oh dear." Charlie gasped, putting her hand over her mouth.

"I got caught in a hail storm on my way back from Abigal's and I went to the docks to take cover. I found a rowboat on what I thought was the dock, and I crawled under it for cover. I then fell asleep."

Captain Harris shook his head. "Ace, my boy."

"How was the Visp?" Charlie asked.

Ace shrugged. "It wasn't too bad. Captain Alphs was initially tough on me and locked me up, but then I was promoted to cabin boy. I learned a lot."

"How'd you get here?" Captain Harris asked.

"We went to Jayoria first, and I think I might have seen you both there. I was with Captain Alphs in a stagecoach and—"

"See, honey? I told you it was him. You didn't believe me," Charlie said.

"It was a long-shot to think that Ace was in Jayoria," Captain Harris said.

Ace nodded. "I met with the Prince of Jayoria, then the Visp headed here. I was swept overboard near the island and washed up on shore."

Captain Harris nodded.