I gazed around the small camp. By now, mostly everyone was awake. Tanner was standing by his mare, saddling her up.

“Where are you going?” Sam asked him quietly.

Tanner glanced over at her, looking slightly irritated, “Going after your sister, of course.”

“Why?” Sam asked, frowning.

“Because…she rode off into the darkness about three hours ago and hasn’t returned.” Tanner scowled at her.

“Amber’s gone too.” Elizabeth said quietly, “She followed Serah.”

“Great.” Tanner grumbled, “C’mon Henry. Now we have to go find Serah and hide Amber’s body.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Sam asked as Henry stood to join Tanner.

“Serah and Amber aren’t exactly friends.” Elizabeth explained.

“Well, why do you want to go after Serah?” Sam asked, “Isn’t she alright?”

“Oh, she’s probably fine.” Tanner said, “I don’t doubt that. But we need to get going, and I don’t know about you, princess, but I want to get home. So get up.”

Sam sighed as she stood to her feet and gathered her blankets together.

The sudden sound of thundering hooves caused the rest of us to scramble to our feet. Turning in a full circle, I surveyed the field around us, searching for nay sign of movement, or where the approaches hoofbeats could be coming from. Then I saw them, two riders coming in our direction, having just exited the woods and making their way towards us.

“Never mind.” I said, “They’ve made their way to us.”

Serah and Amber quietly trotted back into the gentle flicker of the remaining fire.

Elizabeth scrambled towards them, “Are you okay?” She demanded, “Are you hurt?”

Serah frowned at her, “What are you talking about?”

But Elizabeth scowled at her, “Not you, Cap. Amber, you good?”

Amber laughed for the first time in months, which surprised everyone, “I’m okay, Elizabeth.”

I noted how she called Elizabeth by her name instead of just ‘pirate’.

This pleased Elizabeth, who flashed Amber a friendly smile.

Uthera interrupted the moment by jumping in front of Serah, her eyes wide and a grim frown on her face, “I had a dream last night.” She said simply,

Serah, surprised by her every exaggerated display, frowned back at her, “About what?”

Uthera turned and pointed an almost accusing finger at Perryn, “Him.”

Perryn blinked at her, frowning.

Tanner sighed, “Listen, Uthera. If you think that you—“

“—And you.” Uthera turned back to Serah, interrupting Tanner. “He died. You got mad at me because I killed him.”

“Huh.” Elizabeth said, “Maybe you’re telling the future. Kill him real quick.”

Serah scowled, which got a smirk from Elizabeth, but she ignored it, “Yes well. We all have our fair share of dreams, Uthera.”

“No, but this was different. I was evil.”

“Aren’t you evil anyways?” Leo asked.

“No! Well, not to you. Anymore.”

“But you were.”

“That was when you were a threat to me. I didn’t know where you came from.” Uthera explained.

“And we’re not a threat anymore?” William asked, sounding slightly offended.

Uthera shrugged, “Nope.”

“And why not?”

“Because Serah won’t let you hurt me.”

“Well Serah won’t let you hurt any of us.” Leo replied sharply. By now, the royals were all glaring at Uthera.

“Uh, you guys can kill each other for all I care.” Serah said, dismounting her horse, “I’m not your caretaker.”

Leo looked at me, “Perryn had a dream like this once, though.”

Instantly, Serah jerked towards Perryn, “You did? What happened? Why didn’t you say anything?”

Perryn threw up his hands in surrender, “Because I didn’t think it was important?”

“Well, what happened in your dream?” Uthera demanded impatiently.

“We were on deck of the ship. Well, actually, at first it was just you two on deck then somehow I came up there. And it was raining, and there was a big storm, and you were yelling at each other and it was just general mass chaos. Then you stabbed me. And I fell. And then woke up. And Leo was there, yelling at me.”

Leo pumped his chest proudly, “I did wake you up, didn’t I? You’re welcome."

“It was raining in my dream too! And, we were on the ship!”

“You can’t both have the same dream.” Serah said, shaking her head as she sat down around the fire, poking the remains of it with a stick.

“But it happened.” Uthera said.

“You could be lying.” Tanner said.

“Why would I be lying?” Uthera snapped.

“Because we’re pirates.” Elizabeth said, “That’s what we do.”

“So you’re going to believe this random kid who washed up against your ship over me?”

“Yes.” Henry said.

“What if he’s also just a pirate from another land? He could be just as deceitful!”

“Believe me, he’s not.” Elizabeth scoffed, “Do any of them look like pirates?”

Uthera inspected them, one by one, “Maybe they’re royals but you just don’t know it.”

I felt my body go cold as the campsite became dead silent.

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Elizabeth interrupted the silence, “The Isle is no place for royals.”

“You’re right. It isn’t. But, if some royals were to stumble their way on this Isle, you do know what hefty sum we can get for them from Milah, correct?”

“I am aware, yes.” Serah said, her voice steady, but filled with malice, “That is why you know that if I were to find some royals, Milah would know of it immediately.”

“Who’s Milah?” Kate asked quietly.

“She’s the real ruler of this town.” Uthera said, “She’s the most terrifying person out there. Serah rules our port, but Milah rules the entire island and all of its inhabitants.”

“Is she also a pirate?” Amber asked.

Uthera shrugged, “She used to be. But no one has seen her around for a while. A few years or so.”

“She ever beat you up, Serah?” Amber prompted.

Serah chuckled humorously, “Many, many times.”

Amber’s jaw dropped, “Really? And you let her?”

“Well, Amber, when one gets beat up, you don’t tend to want it to happen. You don’t ‘let’ someone beat you up. They do it on their own accord.”

“Well, why did she beat you up?”

“Because Serah has a sharp tongue and has a bit of a problem with authority higher than her.” Uthera said before Serah could reply, “Also, her sarcasm sometimes ticks people off.”

“Will we ever meet this Milah person?” Robin asked.

“Pray that you don’t.” Serah sighed.