I moved towards the sound of falling trees.

  I found Val about ten minutes from the camp.

  “HEY!” I waved my hands before she could start hacking at another tree. “WAIT!”

  The ginger straightened and bounced the blade off of her shoulder while she waited for me to get close enough that we didn’t have to yell to talk.

  “They’re about to start fixing dinner.” I jerked my thumb back towards camp.

  The group that she had been working with all looked at the Bokor and waited for her decision.

  “Alright, pick up what you brought and head that way.” Val sheathed her sword and regarded me. The two of us started walking away from the workers, who were either too oblivious or smart enough not to try to listen to our conversation.

  “What’s so important that you’re going to cancel the workday early?” Val left out the ‘without running it by me’ part of her question.

  “Sir Kaeso is on the island.”

  “Who?” Val interjected before I could finish.

  “The ship captain that poisoned Fyga!” I motioned towards camp. “He’s going to beach his ship there in a few hours and wants the four of us to come aboard and eat dinner with him and talk about what we are going to pay him to transport all of these people to a city.”

  “You should have led with that.” Val growled as she moved past me.

  The two of us were able to catch up to the workers and breeze by them. When we reached the hole to the storehouse, Fyga and Eveth were waiting for us.

  With Marshal Emes and Captain Jace beside them.

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  I glanced around.

  “Isough is with the kiddos makin’ grub.” Captain Jace waved towards the beach. “So what’s so important that ya cut da workday short? We still ain’t got all dem log tied back after the kiddos destroyed it!” He shook his fist. “If they got that much energy, then they should be diggin’ holes!”

  “Here.” Fyga held out my sword. “You did grab it before you walked off.

  “Yeah, I should have done that.” I slipped the strap over my head so my sword was on my back where it belonged. I looked around the area. There were still people milling around, but almost all of them were on the beach.

  “The captain of the pirate ship is going to beach here in a few hours and wants the four of us masters to come on board and discuss what we’ll pay him to take everyone to Carthage.”

  They just stared at me.

  “Nope!” Fyga shook her head. “If he gets all four of us on board and has some way to trap us, then he can do whatever he wants with the people here. All of us can’t go.”

  “I was thinking about asking you to stay here.” I looked from the black-haired woman to the blonde. “And you.”

  I held up my hand as everyone started to speak. “Master Val has to go as she is the senior master here.” I almost said only Bokor, which I knew that Captain Jace was aware of, but I wasn’t sure how many others were.

  “I have to go because so far, he’s been dealing with me.” I thought about pointing out that I was the only one here with any amount of legitimacy, but the papers didn’t have names on them, only the dates of how long they lasted. I motioned at the two women. “Which means if half of us go and half stay…” I let them finish the math.

  Neither of them looked happy about being left behind, but they at least saw the logic in it. I swallowed before I started the next part.

  “I want all of you to be on guard tonight. If he thinks that we’re all going to be on board, then he might send some crew to try to ambush everyone here and then use the people as hostages.” I settled on one of what I considered the more likely scenarios.that my brain had conjured up.

  “We ya won’t be goin’ alone!” Captain Jace slapped me on the back. “I’ll watch your back fer ya!”

  I looked over at Marshal Emes. “Can you keep an eye out here?”

  The gray-haired man patted the mayor’s sword on his back. I’d given it to him since Theo wasn’t around anymore and he was doing the job that Theo should have been doing. “I’ll do my best.”

  I looked over at Val and nodded my head for her to say something.

  “Whatever happens tonight, I’m sure that we can handle it.” The ginger smiled at everyone. “Now let’s all get something to eat so they can’t ruin our dinner.”

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