Chapter 2. A New found friend

It was mid-afternoon. Innis was dragging the last body through

the shallows when he thought saw movement on the cliff top

above. He stopped and the trailing body bumped against him.

Peregrine falcons squabbling over a catch flew off.

Innis sighed with relief. He rolled the uniform clad body over and

looked at the bearded face. "You ever get the feeling that something's

not quite right, but you can’t put your finger on it."

Water poured from the dead man's open mouth.

Florry called out from the beach.

"When you’re finished chatting with your new found friend can

you give me a hand with this fat bitch."

Innis laughed, he was about to say something when he thought

he heard a noise behind him. He turned and stumbled back in surprise.

Standing further out was a woman with only her head and

shoulders showing above the water. Her eyes were closed and

her face was tilted toward the sun.

Innis was stunned - why hadn't he seen her before now?

"Do you need help?"

The woman didn’t respond, he called out again. The woman

put a finger to her her lips and breathed out slowly. She opened

her eyes and smiled. "There is a sweet irony in all of this.

Forgive me for taking a few moments to savour it."

He had no idea what she was talking about. "Were you on the

ship that ran aground?"

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The woman started to wade toward him. "The ill-fated Loch Ard.

Under the command of the recently departed Capt. Gibbs."

She paused mid-step. "To whom I believe you were just speaking."

Any thought of asking how she had survived the shipwreck

fled from his mind. There was no way of telling what the woman had

seen, or what she might say if she ever left the inlet.

"Let me help." Innis held out a hand to help and reached for the knife

he kept in the small of his back.

An expression crossed the woman's face he couldn't read.

When she took his hand, Innis told her that he was sorry,

and stabbed her in the neck.

It was steel against steel, pain shot the length of his arm.

The knife twisted and cut his hand as it fell into the water.

Its tip and blade broken.

The woman's hazel eyes shimmered.

"There’s no need to be sorry."

Every part of him had rung like a bell and now he was frozen

in place, paralysed. Still holding his hand the woman moved closer.

"You really should be more careful who you shake hands with."

She turned her head from side to side and looked intently at

him - the way a bird of prey looks at what it has caught

in it's talons.

The woman let go of his hand, and Innis fell backwards into the

water. "I am Eurides."

He gasped for breath and almost retched at the thought of how

easily she could of killed him.

"I hope we can get past this awkwardness. I thought you were

reaching for some sort of religious trinket."

"Never put much store in such things." Innis spluttered.

Eurides smiled. "Neither have I Innis."

"How do you know my name?" he said, slowly getting to his feet.

Standing face to face, Eurides was almost a head taller than him.

Innis held his cut hand close to his chest. "What are you?"

"I am a traveller." Eurides hummed to herself for a moment.

''Who no longer believes in coincidence. So I find myself wondering

just what exactly you are Innis."

Under her gaze, he felt like an insect in a glass jar.

Eurides looked past him to the shore line. Innis realised he'd

forgotten about Florry. He turned to shout a warning but the

words caught in his throat. Florry stood motionless in knee

deep water. His eyes were closed and his arms hung limp

by his side.

"You have a decision to make." Eurides said. "Your friend

can't come with us."

Dread crept over Innis. "I'm not going anywhere with you,

and if hurting my friend is part of a test or a bargain of some

kind, the answer is NO. I want no part of it. Just kill me and be

on your way."

"Would your friend say the same?" Eurides said

"Maybe he would." Innis said.

"He would leave you in a ditch by the side of the road and

you know it." Eurides said.

She called out Florry's name. Florry opened his eyes

and the blank expression on his face was replaced by a

look of childish happiness. Happier than Innis could ever

remember seeing him.

"Hello Gert." he said. "Is Elky here?"

"Of course she is Florry. Can you do something for us?"

"You can count on me." Florry stood at attention.

"Soldier can you collect some firewood for a bonfire tonight?"

"It will be the best bonfire ever Captain." Florry said.

He saluted and marched to the shore.

"What was that about?" Innis asked.

"Florry had two older sisters who adored him and they both

died when he was young."

"He's never said anything to me about them." Innis said

"You never told him you were a Pastor's son."

How did she know that?

Innis could hear Florry singing to himself as he combed the

beach for driftwood.

"Florry and I have some work to do before nightfall."

Before Innis could say anything, he felt his body straighten

and walk toward the shore - then his mind went completely blank.

*