For Caleb, the revelation of the presumed identity of their maritime shadow brought forth a sense of youthful excitement, and the boy nearly abandoned his position at the tiller in his haste to see the fabled beast from the deep. Rain formed a haze that blocked out the horizon, falling steadily across the roiling brine. Squinting Caleb scanned the churning waters, forced to shield his vison from the downpour that was slowly rising in intensity. “I’ve never seen a Hippocampus before!” He cheered, his human eyes having no chance of spotting the distant creature, though not from lack of trying. “Do you suppose he’ll approach us?”

	“Let us hope he keeps his distance.” Rainbow muttered, raising the spotting glass to his eye once more. Sure enough a flash of crimson, and a trailing fin could spotted, a massive lithe figure swimming just beneath the surface, staying well away but undoubtably following at a leisurely pace.

Why though?” Caleb asked, bringing forth his personal knowledge on the sea creature. “Every sailor I’ve ever spoken to insist they are shy and harmless, and keep their distance unless the ship is in dire straits. If a man is of pure heart and noble spirit, the Hippocampus would often rescue them and deliver them safely ashore. Many take them as signs of good fortune for those poor souls in peril.” Caleb’s optimistic view clearly was not shared by his companion. The boy withered under the baleful look Rainbow threw him, as the goblin lowered his spyglass intent on educating his naïve young pupil.

	“Aye, poor souls in peril.” He pointed out, rolling his eyes skyward. “The key to every tale regarding the [i]noble[/i] Hippocampus. If you ask me, we’d be better off if this one goes away. I’m not liking the look of those clouds, and these waves are growing larger by the second. What if they are the cause to all the trouble, just to get good representation in survivor’s stories?”

	“Don’t be a sourpuss,” Caleb waved away the smaller creature’s concerns. “That sounds ridiculous, and what would they care about some sailor’s tale? Besides we’ve seen plenty big waves already, twice the size of these, and enough rain to flood all of the King’s Woods. But never a Hippocampus. Either way I’m sure the [i]Eagle’s Deliverance[/i] here could handle the worst tempests the ocean could throw at us.”

	Rainbow cocked an eyebrow. “The [i]Eagle’s Deliverance[/i] huh?”

	“Yeah, I thought she could use a name. You don’t like it?”

	“No, no it’s a perfectly suitable name I suppose, for a paltry ship. Though as Captain I figured it would be my duty to bestow a suitable title for our fine vessel here.”

	Caleb wrinkled his nose. “You’re the captain? Shouldn’t I be captain? I do all the work around here after all.”

	“Yes, good point. And on that note, turn us three degrees starboard, er, Flower’s-side-board, and tie down the tiller there, so you can go add more canvas to the jib. I want to leave behind this deluge and that nautical menace, the sooner the better. Step to it First Mate Crowsnest, the sea awaits no man.”

	Caleb gave the grinning goblin a roguish two finger salute he’d seen fishermen give each other on occasion. “Alright fine, [i]Captain[/i] Rainbow, but could we please keep the name [i]Eagle’s Deliverance[/i]?”

	Rainbow seemed to take this plea into consideration, twirling one large ear around his index finger and stroking his pointy little chin, apparently deep in thought. “I would prefer something more noble and gallant myself, [i]The Mighty Rainbow,[/i] or perhaps the [i]Dancing Rainbow[/i] something along those lines. Tell you what young’un, we will put it to a vote. All in favor of [i]The Dancing Rainbow[/i] say aye.” He raised his own little hand, pretending to ignore Caleb’s sour expression. “That’s two votes for the [i]Dancing Rainbow.[/i]”

	“Two votes!” Caleb exclaimed.

	“Yes, Captain counts as two votes.” Rainbow explained without missing a beat. “All in favor of [i]Eagle’s Deliverance[/i] say aye?”

	Caleb’s hand shot up in stalwart defiance, and Ribbon barked, and Flower squawked.

	“Haha!” Caleb crowed, sticking his tongue out at the perplexed goblin. “You’ve been outvoted.”

	“It would seem I have,” Rainbow admitted in a mix of surprise and good humor. “Fair’s fair, the [i]Eagle’s Deliverance[/i] she shall be.” Then lacking any wine or rum to shatter on the bow Rainbow slapped the ship’s deck with a water ladle thus solidifying the christening. Satisfied by his victory freshly ranked First Mate Caleb set to his duties with a gusto, turning and tying down the wheel and before getting to work on the jib sail. Now practiced in this task Caleb finished efficiently just as the first rolls of distant thunder could be heard. Dark clouds were rapidly overtaking them, filling the western skies with ominous cumulonimbus. Even inexperienced Caleb could taste destiny on the salty breeze. Despite the little crew’s best efforts, it seemed the [i]Eagle’s Diliverence[/i] would be amid her first true storm soon enough.