Chapter 2. A New found friend


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


    the shallows when he saw movement on the cliff top above.


    He stopped and the trailing body bumped against him.


    Two peregrine falcons squabbling over a catch flew off.


    Innis sighed in 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 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, so he called 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?"This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    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 a hand out to her and reached for a 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."


    Turned her head from side to side, she looked intently at


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


    in it''s talons.


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


    water. " My name is Eurides."


    Innis 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." he spluttered.


    Eurides smiled. "I like that about you Innis."


    How does she know my name he wondered as he 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''m a traveller." Eurides said. She hummed to herself for a moment.


    ''''I don''t believes in coincidences Innis. So I find myself wondering just


    what  exactly you are."


    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. If hurting Florry


    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 all 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.


    *