“We've just performed a successful raid on Kadmos's ship,” I said. “We've taken many useful things and have brought them here to see if you'd like to trade with us.”
“Ah, you have stolen from the thief.” The chief chuckled. “Fitting, I suppose.”
“They are just sad and lonely men,” Tigerlily said.
“Tigerlily!” The chief looked sternly at his daughter. “You have not visited their village, have you?”
“No, Father,” she said demurely, but I caught the barest glimmer of rebellion in her eyes.
Uh-oh.
The chief didn't see it, though, and he smiled in satisfaction. “Good. Stay away from those pale men; they are full of hatred.”
“And yet we sit with these pale men,” Tigerlily murmured.
“Because they escaped the evil,” the chief said to his daughter, “and that is why we can be friends with them.”
Tigerlily looked down at her hands.
“Now, what have you brought us?” The chief asked me.
We emptied the bags and began the haggling process. But as the men went over the qualities of the items, I watched the Indian princess. She looked sad and unsettled. I knew that look; I'd worn it myself until very recently.
Tigerlily was in love with a pirate.
Chapter Thirteen
“Come here,” Praxis whispered to me as he motioned me over.
I'd been on my way back to the tree from picking berries for Drakon. He wanted to make a pie with the supplies we'd got from the Indians and the spices from the pirates. I had a basket full of ripe fruit, which I set down before I hurried over to Praxis.
“What is it?”
“Shh,” he hushed me and pointed.
We were behind a wide oak, and in the clearing before it, Erastos was lying in the sun; hands behind his head and a smile on his face. He looked peaceful and so very handsome. I smiled and started forward.
“Hey,” Praxis hissed and pulled me back. “Hold on; you'll ruin everything.”
“What are you up to now?” I grimaced at Praxis, who was always playing pranks.
“Look.” He pointed into the trees where a contingent of pixies was flying, a bucket held between them. “I bribed the pixies with honey.”
“What's in that bucket, Prax?” I asked as I watched the pixies fly above Erastos.
“Just water,” Praxis chuckled. “From the mountaintop.”
“Praxis!” I hissed as the pixies overturned their bucket.
“Praxis!” Erastos shouted right after me. “You vicious child!” Erastos stood and flung water from his face as he searched the woods around him.
“Oh, the cleverness of me!” Praxis ran off.
“Praxis!” I called after him, laughing a little despite myself.
“Which way did he run?” Erastos asked me as he came striding up.
“Uh ...” I gestured vaguely as I looked over Erastos's wet hair, dripping over his nearly see-through tunic which was clinging to his muscles like a second skin.
