Caleb trudged across the deck of the ship in sullen silence. As water traced its way down his face a voice from home echoed through his mind. [i]'What do you mean 'why do I always sit outside when it rains'? I love the rain. It washes away the bad. It makes me clean and new. That's why, silly.'[/i]

It felt like that conversation had been lifetimes ago. He'd thought his friend had been silly for willingly getting wet every storm, but secretly had loved the idea. As the words repeated themselves in the back of his skull Caleb tipped his face up towards the clouds. The rain wasn't washing anything away and it made him hate the weather even more. 

A cold sensation on the palm of his hand caused Caleb to jump. Ribbon wagged her tail, seemingly pleased to have startled him. Absently the young boy scratched her ears as they followed their short companion to the captain's wheel. Ribbon whined as Caleb let go so he could untie the spokes and take control once more.

"We should turn the ship about three degrees to the starboard side." Rainbow directed in his most commanding voice. "That's the side with your bird." Caleb had proven to be hopeless at remembering which was starboard and which was port. He could see stars on both sides of the board. 

Flower ruffled his feathers indignantly against the wind and tucked his face further under one wing. Caleb dutifully guided the ship a little bit in that direction. "How much longer do you think we will be sailing for?"

"That depends." Rainbow answered lightly. He stared off the side of the ship absently, watching the black waters behind them. "Maybe a few hours, maybe a few years. Not much longer in either case!"

Caleb blinked at Rainbow. He was still convinced there was something not quite right about his companion, but he'd given up on trying to understand his answers. "Alright then."

Rainbow pulled out his spyglass and turned it to the waters. He scanned them casually. Every couple of adjustments his focus would return to the same spot in the water. After several minutes of pointlessly scanning for nothing, Caleb began to grow suspicious. Slowly the small copper eye pointed once more at that same spot in the waters approximately three ship length's behind them.

"Something good?" Caleb asked as casually as he could.

"In this rain it's hard to tell," Rainbow answered before he could remember to be evasive. The small creature winced like he was mentally kicking himself for giving Caleb something new to worry about.

Caleb wasn't about to let up now that he had a foot in the door. "What is it?"

Rainbow sighed in defeat. "I think a hippocampus. Too big a body of water for a kelpie, so I don't think we'll be eaten. Still, it has been following us."