“Where are we going Captain?” Sylvester yawned as his head bobbed sleepily onto another child’s shoulder. They were on a simple horse drawn carriage, bouncing along the lonely streets at the verge of dusk, Captain Keggard and Polaris sitting upfront with the reins. The sky was a blend between ash-blue and orange, the dew still settling onto the leaves and grass, sending the dim rays of light in every direction.

“A picnic” Amias replied quickly, “I thought it would be nice for everyone to lift their spirits a little after yesterday”

“Ye mean, June?” August blurted, “You’re lettin’er go too fast Cap’n! Its ain’t like ye!”

“Grammar, August”

August was suspicious. The Captain hadn’t looked at him nor anyone else ever since the day began, not speaking unless he had to, yet here he was shoving everyone down the Irish country side in hopes for amusement. Maybe, August thought, it was just him being too immature to put the past behind him like the Captain had done. June had been one of the members closest to his age- one with a challenging personality unlike the others who’d blindly listen to him. He missed screaming with her, quarrelling with her, proving her that he was right even if it were by means of gas lighting. He kicked the big picnic basket set at the bottom of the carriage in fury. Why was it so big?

They trotted on, turning towards a path down a flowery thicket until they ended up in a neat clearing that definitely wasn’t some random part in the middle of the forest. August scanned the close horizons: at the far edge was what seemed to be a simple white washed fence, a large house looming over it from a few yards in. They were on someone’s property-someone rich. The Captain probably wanted to host a raid to null down the sadness of their loss and focus on something else. He watched from the corner, prodding at the soft ground with the heel of his shoe while the Captain and the others laid down a simple canvas mat then settled the abnormally large ‘picnic’ basket at the center. Why was the Captain doing this? Any good pirate (and the Captain was excellent at his occupation) would know never to let your guard down in such an open area- especially when it was in the view of your target. Knowing that he wouldn’t get any answers from Captain Keggard, August sauntered over to the only other source of clear information he may receive.

“Polaris?” August tugged at the White-Man’s cloak, “Is the Captain acting strange with you as well?”

“Well, dear August” Polaris inhaled, “He’s suffering. I guess he wants to put it away, desperately”

“Seems like” August agreed quietly. Apparently, not even Polaris knew what exactly was going on-or- he was a splendid liar as anyone who’d join a pirate crew should be. He watched as Polaris cleared his throat and went on to help the Captain with laying out the rather grimy plates they had carried from the ship. Maybe it was like everyone was saying, maybe this was to help forget. August sighed and sauntered on towards the little event.

Most of the meals were potato based- mashed, cooked and boiled with other pickled vegetables and some bread. A small barely shareable square of cheese rotated across the guests each one cutting a small sliver onto their plates. There were grapes and dried berries and smoked fish that the Captain had hauled out of the ocean earlier that morning. It was nothing compared to the dinner that August had had at Malachi’s house but he was used to it. For the time being, he forgot all his suspicions and tried his best to enjoy the breakfast. He was happy-almost. His stomach ready for a heist at the big house down the lawn.

“Captain” Theodore chirped with his mouth full of food, “Are we robbing that big house over their?” The boy beat August to his question, but he didn’t mind. He looked eagerly at the Captain’s face for a response. Captain Keggard rose to his feet as he finished the last morsel of bread and stretched his back. The sun positioned itself perfectly behind him, casting an angelic and rather handsome aura down his features. August was never not in awe at his Captain’s superiority, he stared longingly at his father figure deeming for the infinite time that someday that would be him. It was also quite obvious that Polaris was just as much encapsulated as he was- for an entirely different reason that it…

“Of course we are” the Captain said in a fluty voice, “we don’t just come across a rich mansion and not take our advantages do we?” He sounded happy, excited almost, however, August easily noted how much Captain Keggard avoided eye contact. From years under the Captain’s wing, August had noted how much Amias Keggard talked with his eyes. Anything he didn’t say verbally was precisely depicted through the way he squinted, or fluttered his eyelids, the size of their pupils or how long he went without blinking- it was as if he could voluntarily control them with his emotions. And from this, August was certain that the Captain wasn’t telling them everything.

“Let me get my sword” the Captain whistled back towards the carriage. The children watched patiently as he dug and tumbled the worn seats in search for his trusted weapon. Finally, he looked back in disappointment. “Looks like I’ve left it back at the ship” he sighed.

The Captain forgot his weapon? How peculiar.

“Not to worry” Captain Keggard mumbled, “You all wait here until me and Polaris go fetch it, alright? We might as well need some more tools” he climbed onto the cart and patted Polaris’s spot on the seat onto which the White-Man silently clambered.

“August” Captain Keggard called, “You’ll watch everyone for me?”

“Aye Cap’n!” August reported jauntily.

“That’s my boy”. For the first time since the day started, the Captain looked right at August. There were tears in his eyes. He watched as the two adults rattled along on their way to the harbor.