The Heroic Seven

Stabbington

But even though the island was otherwise uninhabited and unremarkable, it's geography was still ominously familiar to some.

"Heh. I think we've seen that island before." Sideburns remarked.

Patchy seemed to agree. "Those rocks, few trees and patches of grass look native to-."

"It's Otte, the eighth island of our homeland, you dopes." Answered Mathew, the crown prince of The Southern Isles.

"Oh hell no!" The Stabbington Brothers groaned loudly, they made no attempt to conceal their disdain. The Southern Isles was the last place either of them wanted to revisit!

"Eighth? I thought The Southern Isles only consisted of seven islands." Elsa inquired.

"Oh they have eight islands." Lady Caine confirmed.

"But the eighth is so small that the royal family deemed it too insignificant to be worth mentioning." Explained Cassandra.

"Tch. That is just like the Westergaards." Hans frowned.

Lady Caine cast a glance at Hans. Of the three brothers, her husband would be the one to feel the greatest disdain towards the Westergaard family. This would be a hard episode for them to watch, and exponentially more so because-.

Novak's expression was down cast. He regarded his right arm, the appendage that ended in a stump above the wrist, his right hand was lost. Novak had only his left arm to live with. And though he did well to conceal his pain the lost ate into his soul like none could comprehend.

King Marius frowned as he observed the boy crippled by the amputation, his expression hard, but passive and silent.

Patchy Stabbington narrowed his eye at the king. Whatever the thoughts behind Marius's look harboured, the one-eyed bandit kept a suspicious glare at his father.

•••

"Umm, Novak. Are you alright?" Asked Neoma.

The boy looked up at the concerned girl. The group of seven were by the beach sitting around a large campfire... a curiously large campfire, though no indication of what was above the fire.

"You haven't touched your shark yet." Said Wrenn.

The screen zoomed out and there it was, a great white shark roasting on a giant Black Rock spit. Hence the enormous campfire.

"Goodness gracious me!" Exclaimed Frederic.

"At least we don't have to worry about the children not eating well enough." Chuckled Arianna.

"I must say. Good catch, girls." Praised Flynn, chowing down his piece greedily.

"Glad you're enjoying it. Though I can't say we fished it on purpose." Admitted Eri.

"Hmm. What happened?" Asked Aidan.

"Well. While you boys were sparring. Eri, Wrenn, Amy and I decided to go for a swim." Explained Neoma. "When all of a sudden-.

"This big sausage with teeth came at us looking for a bite!" Grunted Amelia, with much exertion she was rotating the shark over on the spit. "Well. We sure put it in its place!"

With a display of jaw dropping strength, Amelia successfully turned the twenty foot animal belly up. Planting her fists on her hips she dramatically puffed her chest proudly at her achievement. Amelia stole a glance at Novak, she was delighted to find that his mood had lifted. Novak was now chuckling at her and smiling, he had even eaten a few pieces of shark since the conversation began.