Liadan drew her knife. "I don't know, let's kill it quick."

"What if it's just someone who needs help?"

"Killing would be easier." Liadan said, walking around the island towards the noise.

Aron scowled and went after her, quickly getting in front so he would face the danger first.

Nelek lay on the rock. His face was covered in seagull blood. He looked almost dead, but his fingers moved.

Aron stopped in his tracks. "It's....it's Nelek. I think. How did the others not find him?" He glanced at the ground. "It doesn't even look like anyone came this way in search of him."

Liadan swore. "Is he alive?"

"Well we heard a moan and a chain rattle." Aron looked around for a stick to poke Nelek with.

Nelek's eyelids fluttered. "Aron?" He said hoarsely.

"Yes, Nelek. It's me and Lia." Aron removed the bladder of water from his belt. "I don't have a lot of fresh water, but have some."

"Sileas and Yehudit too?" Nelek asked, reaching for the water bladder.

"No, just us. They had a head start on us. In fact, it looked back there like they had been here. I don't know how they didn't find you."

"I could hear their voices." Nelek said between gulps of water. "I heard my voice too, but I wasn't talking. It's mermen. They've been using my hair to make themselves look like me with some magic." Nelek touched his overgrown hair where it looked like chunks of hair were chopped off with a dull knife.

"Lia, help me get this chain out of the ground and we'll need to set off tonight. We're going to have to sail as far as we can without breaks so we can try to catch up."

Liadan took out one of her forks. "I can probably pick the lock."

"I knew you'd have a way." Aron stepped to the side to let Lia in.

Liadan fiddled with the lock until it popped open. She helped Aron get Nelek onto his feet. "Aron, there's a merman disguised as Nelek with our daughter."

"I know. We can't rest, we've got to set sail immediately."

"It's going to be dark, I hope we don't crash into anything." Liadan fretted but half dragged Nelek towards their little sailboat.

"Lookout, they're not going to just let me leave." Nelek warned.

In reply to Nelek (msg # 245):

Aron grabbed a large thick stick. "We might not be much in the line of fighters, but I've got the heart of a fighter right now."

A young man in a loincloth charged up the beach towards Aron. He had a shell knife.

Aron stood ready for him, wielding his stick like a sword.

Liadan dropped Nelek to fight the momzer attacking her Aron. Screaming obscenities she stabbed at him with her fork.

Drip screamed too. He slashed with his shell knife.