When morning broke over the lake, Junayd and Nurlan were already awake and packing up their camp.

"Best night ever!" Junayd said without hesitation.

"I guess we know what kind of man you are." Nurlan joked.

"What? I can't enjoy a good song?" The younger soldier asked.

"As long as the song is all you enjoyed…"

Phoca came up on the beach. Her wet, smooth skin and seal-like whiskers glistened in the morning light. "Good morning! I trust you slept well," she said amicably to Nurlan.

"I did, ma'am, but I think we should be on our way. Could you lead us, please?" Nurlan asked with a politeness that was unusual for him.

Phoca smiled, "A straightforward gentleman: how rare! I should like to know you better." She turned to Junayd, "My sisters think you are quite handsome. They would like to know if you have a lady back at home."

Junayd straightened his shirt and puffed out his chest. "I am pleased to tell them I do not."

Phoca barked a laugh, "I will give them that information." Out in the lake many selkies peeked above the water and waved their flippers shyly at Junayd. Happy for the attention, he waved back at them and winked.

Nurlan thwacked his fellow soldier on the back of the head. "Come on, lover boy. Let's get moving."

The trio (along with Junayd's many adorning ladies off in the deeper part of the lake) made their way down the shoreline. As the soldiers were riding on horseback, they made quick time and were to the boatman before the sun had made it a quarter of the way up the sky. Polymedes looked at the approaching group with great interest.

"Welcome! I have been waiting just for you. Have you come to cross the lake?" The boatman asked.

Junayd and Nurlan exchanged a curious glance before dismounting. "Yes, but you seem to have no boat," Nurlan noted as he pointed at the empty dock.

The faun inclined his head and flashed a toothy smile. "You are very perceptive. Your friends have not returned my ship just yet. Quite curious if you ask me. But have no fear, I have a second boat," Polymedes announced proudly. He motioned to the dock and before their eyes appeared a second ship on the far side of the dock.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

"That's remarkable!" Junayd exclaimed.

Phoca scowled. "You know the rules, Polymedes."

The boatman shrugged dismissively. "I do not see any Fates around, do you? A faun should be entitled to a little drama now and then. If they are going to the other side of the ice barrier, they will see much more than my parlor tricks. On that note, you two better be off. If you see your friends, remind them to return my boat…"

Phoca stopped him, "What do you mean 'if'? Surely you mean when they see their friends. Or have you done something that would make you doubt their reunion."

The faun shifted uncomfortably. "The girl was very kind to me, so I do feel slightly guilty."

Nurlan grabbed Polymedes by his shirt and lifted him off the ground. "What have you done?!"

"Easy now. Remember I have the only boat and believe me when I say that it will not leave without my permission. If I tell you what I have done, will you promise not to hurt me?" Polymedes asked.

Junayd motioned for Nurlan to put down the faun. The latter reluctantly complied, but continued to stare daggers at the boatman. "Tell us what you did and I might not kill you," he growled.

Polymedes held up his hands in surrender. Fauns were not particularly magical, and the boatman knew that in hand to hand combat, he would lose to the veteran soldier. "Fair enough…I told the gnomes about your friends. They have had their eyes out for humans for some time now. I did not do it for free, of course. I am not on their side in this whole mess. I am just an enterprising businessman." Polymedes straightened his collar as if he had made a good defense for himself. He nearly missed the murderous glint in Nurlan's eyes.

"I will enterprise you, you sniveling excuse for a creature!" Nurlan nearly took the head off of the faun, the latter only barely ducking in time. Junayd grabbed his comrade and pulled him back.

"We need to get on our way to reach them before the gnomes. We likely have quite the fight ahead of us." The younger man said reasonably. Nurlan clenched his fists but did not take another swing.

Phoca was also angry. "When they reach the Fates, you will see what your greed has done for you. Your punishment is just delayed."

"Too true, ma'am. Too true." The faun held his hat in his hand, but his tone suggested he did not believe his own words. Junayd and Nurlan both opened their mouths in shock as they could view Polymedes's horns and pointy ears for the first time. Neither of them knew exactly what a faun was, but they knew for sure now that he was not human.

'Nothing will surprise me after this,' Junayd thought. "Just lend us the boat," he said aloud. Polymedes stepped aside. The soldiers released their horses to the wild. It was possible that they would find their way back to the fort, but they were just as likely to roam free.

The men stored their gear in the rowboat. "For a small fee I could..." Polymedes began, but Phoca stopped him.

"You have helped quite enough! If I find that you have given more information to the gnomes, my sisters and I will take matters into our own hands," the selkie said angirly.

"Trust me, ma'am. You won't find out." Polymedes put back on his cap. To the soldiers he said, "When you get to the other side, tell the boat to 'go home'. The boat will find its way back to me."

Nurlan was still too angry to speak to the faun, but Junayd voiced their question. "What about when we want to return?"

Polymedes laughed, "What is it with you humans and looking so far into the future? Your lives are so short; enjoy the present! If you return and find yourself in need of a boat, it is likely the boatman will appear. So stay sharp, and good luck!" The faun used his foot and pushed the boat out into the lake. The soldiers began rowing.

The lake was deceptively large and even though they were both strong rowers and had the help of the selkies (despite the men's objections that they did not want to bother the ladies), they did not seem to be making much progress. It was as if the lake kept stretching, and maybe it was. Finally when they were half-way across, the selkies bid them farewell. It was a slow process, for each of the ladies wanted to say a personal goodbye to Junayd. He bore the attention with pleasure and even gave one of them a kiss on her wet cheek, making the rest of them jealous. Nurlan also said goodbye to Phoca. "I hope we shall meet again under better circumstances," the selkie said.

"Me too," Nurlan said honestly. He was not a man to spout sonnets, and Phoca took the small compliment graciously. When the selkies were gone, the men settled into rowing once more. Before long, an unsettling darkness set over them. "Night is not due for many hours yet," Nurlan observed warily.

"This is not night," Junayd said. "This is magic."