The horses were in the shade and my men watched every angle of the ruin. "So how long had you been tailing us?" Flint asked. 

"Flint, let her rest," my father said as he returned to sitting on an empty window frame of the church next to Madi, I huffed a laugh. 

"All these years and you still play the parent," I said taking the saddle off my horse and throwing it onto the empty window frame next to him, one of my men led him away. "To answer your question captain, I had received word from Madi requesting my help," Silver looked over at her. 

"And you knew our situation?" my father asked her, she nodded. 

"She was desperate, after I heard of your plan to reclaim Nassau I knew you would need us, and so I have been tailing you for a few weeks," I replied. 

"So you can fight?" Flint asked. 

"Yes..." my father interrupted me. 

"She is the deadliest thing on horseback," he said. 

"We all are," I said. "We'll charge into battle, including myself. Just make sure there are no casualties with the horses."

"They are sacred to us," one of my men said joining me Angus, he was my most trusted and close to me. His long red braided hair swung in the breeze, a few strands caught in his beard. His clothes were worn and his leather boots scuffed.  We spent most of the day talking about battle plans but Silver took me to one side, we walked a few yards together away from the others. 

"You know why I did what I did don't you?" he asked, we paused I could see he was having trouble walking. 

"Yes, you had no choice but to abandon me on the island to be bought up by a horse clan, I was far safer there than on the seas," I said. 

"Good, but my you have grown since I saw you last, and a captain, how your mother would be proud of you," he said. 

"She did not make it with you?" I asked. He shook his head and looked away.

"She died the same day I lost my leg," he said now looking at me as tears misted over my eyes. "Azure, be strong." He hugged me to him pressing my head into his shoulder. 

"Did she suffer?" I asked. 

"No, fate was not that cruel," he said. "I appreciate you coming to my aid after the way I left you." 

"You're family, and Nassau was once our home," I reminded him. 

"You need as many men as possible so here we are," I said.  

"I have just one thing to ask," he said, "don't let Flint get into your head and twist you against me."

"I won't and if he ever dared I would run him through and trample his corpse," I said. 

"That's my girl," he chuckled, I whistled and one of my free roaming horses came to us. 

"Get on, you can barely walk," I said. 

"I am fine," he replied. 

"Give yourself a rest and get on here, Sofia will take care of you," I replied, she laid down and I helped him onto her back taking his crutch from him. "Up slowly," we continued to walk and talk mostly reminiscing about my mother. It was clear he missed my presence, I knew he would be sharp thinking and rational with me around we often thought alike. Tomorrow we would rescue our brothers and take back Nassau, our plans were laid and we were ready.