Chapter 45: Duck and Run 

Troy

“Look at that thing.” I said to Keaton as we pulled the skiff to shore once again, the high tide beginning to retreat as we dragged the skiff onto the beach. I tied the rope to the stake above the shoreline, double checking the knot before looking back at the dog, who was following Maeve around as if she were a mother duck, and he was the duckling. “That’s it. That’s his name.”

“What is?” Keaton asked, wringing water from his shirt. We had almost capsized the skiff as we broke over the reef where the waves crashed into the shallows with vigor. Keaton had gotten the worst of it, the wave soaking him from the neck down.

“Duck, that’s a perfect name for him.”

“You’re naming the thing now? I thought we weren’t keeping it.”

“Try telling that to Myla and Maeve,” I said, shaking my head.

Robbie was walking towards us, looking out over the water before stopping short of us, allowing us to catch up to him.

“The crewmen we sent out as scouts last night are back,” he said, motioning to the group of men congregating around Olly’s cooking fire. “Pete said they saw no signs of the other skiffs.”

“Any signs of other people?” I asked, running my fingers through my hair.

“No, not even a scent. They did pick up on a lot of wildlife, though. Pete went a little nuts, according to the others.”

“Well, none of the crew has shifted in weeks. I don’t blame him for feeling the urge to chase lizards through the brush.” Keaton leaned over and shook his wet hair back and forth, spraying me and Robbie with water.

“I could use a shift,” Robbie said, wiping the water from his shirt as he glared down at Keaton.

“Aye, we all could. Go ahead, Rob. Let us know if you run into anything worth noting,” Keaton said as began to walk up the beach ahead of us, his sights on Myla.

“Want to come with?” Robbie asked.

“Sure, why not.” 1 shrugged, glad he asked. I hadn’t shifted since I was at the castle and had access to the grounds.

We walked up the beach for a moment with the intent of letting the others know I would be joining Robbie.

But then I had an idea.

Maeve was sitting on the beach, rolling a seashell in the palm of her hands as we approached. She looked up, shielding her eyes from the Sun with her hand.

“Hey, what’re you—”

“Where’s the dog?” I asked, looking around. Robbie whistled loudly behind me, the sound startling me and making me flinch.

The dog came bounding up the beach towards us, his tongue hanging out of the side of his mouth.

“How big do you think his brain is?” Robbie asked.

“Pretty small. I mean, look at him,”

stop in front of

to understand this. He barked

from the attack. Duck bounded past us, zooming across the sand in a wide circle at least three times. Robbie watched in

and ruffling Maeve’s hair

him? Did

“Yeah, that’s his name.”

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Chapter US Dexa

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that’s a terrible

going out for a run with

if it was because she couldn’t shift or because we were taking the dog with us. “You might scare ham if you

was obviously someone’s pet at one point. We’re just taking him

her lips looking down at the shell in her

can decorate our tent with them. I said, and she glared up at me, tossing the shelt back into the sand. I’d take you if VOU

to run with your arm still

and the bruising from being tossed across

sighed, stretching her legs out

but there was still an obvious rift. I kissed her, nonetheless, thankful when she returned the kiss

a small

urge to ruftle her hair again, my hand clenching into a fist to stop myself from messing with her just

still watching the dog run excited circles around the camp, and soon we were walking in the

of our clothes, Duck sitting patiently

said to Robbie as I shook

bit as I pawed the ground, testing out my hurt arm.

shining in the soft sunlight coming through the canopy

us, his eyes wide. He was trembling slightly, his tail

can understand us?”

Robbie

I ask a dog?’ I stared at Duck, tilting my head from

said, ‘Do you want to GO,

huffed, pawing at the ground again. “He can’t understand us, man. Don’t tell Maeve we

was nervously shifting his weight. I barked, once, getting his

running into the depths

hours since we left camp, and the sun was beginning to set. Duck was lapping water from a small creek we had found, panting happily as he turned from the water. He was having

greyhound. He looks like one,’ Robbie said

in Avondale? I haven’t thought about that in years, ‘I answered, sitting down and resting my front legs. I

rested for a moment, talking about running along the beach on our way back, just to scope things

stilled, his ears perking up and eyes going

as he sniffed. I lifted my snout,

is that

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