Ilona felt as if the world around them had gone still. She could hear the wind rustling the leaves overhead and Mason's trembling breaths behind her. His grip was still vise-like on one of her wrists, but the other was free for her hand to slide down to the hilt of her sword.
The traitor pirates stood frozen as well, eyes darting from face to face of the people before them. They appeared to be just as surprised as Ilona and her men. Moments ticked away and still no one moved. No one knew what to do.
Finally, to everyone's surprise, it was Anja who stepped forward.
"We don't want any trouble, boys," she said, raising her hand from the hilt of her sword. "We're just here to bury the dead."
"U-us too," one man stammered, lifting a shovel up for them to see as proof.
The groups quietly studied one another.
