Devan was having a good time stomping through the woods making as much noise as he wanted. He had trained for years to be silent, and it had paid off but now it was just fun making noise and stomping around.
Devan knew that the time was going to go fast, and he would have to hurry if he was going to be able to bring a log for the mast down to the beach. He was hoping by the time he found a log that he was going to have time to drag it to the beach before it would get dark. As he looked around, he saw that trying to maneuver something that large here in the dark was just asking to get hurt.
Devan looked up at the sun to try and calculate the time he had left. He knew that he still had a few hours to find what he was after and drag it back. Even if he didn't drag it back to the part of the beach that he was working at as long as it was straight to the beach dragging it in the sand was going to be better than trying to get it through the trees and trying to turn it.
He knew that he was going to have to find what he was after then probably leave it there see what was going to be the straight way to the beach then go back to it. He knew that if he just started pulling back the way he came it was going to be rough. Devan knew that he didn't have to have it done today but he wanted it done soon so that he could get off the island.
Devan could not believe how big this little island was once you really started going through it. Finding the perfect tree that he needed was turning out a lot harder than he thought it was going to be. Looking at the woods there were trees all over, but most of them were too big and heavy. The ones that weren't looked too wimpy to hold up to any kind of storm. The last thing that he wanted was to have it break in a storm when he was in the middle of nowhere.
Just as he thought. It took him almost until dusk to find a tree that was going to work as a mast. He knew that there was no way that he was going to get it to the beach before dark but with some effort, he might be able to clean it up and get it ready before he was going to have to leave it. The last thing he wanted to do was get stranded in the woods for the night. Not that he was going to be scared to sleep in the woods, but he knew that there was no way to get comfortable here when everything was still all set up on the beach.
As Devan chopped at the branches with his dagger, he hated Rodger and the others who had left him here all the more. With every strike, it made him madder at them seeing his beautiful daggers getting dull with no way to sharpen them again. They were never meant to be used to chop trees or branches.
Devan knew the perfect punishment for them. He was going to use his dull daggers on them just to make sure that it would hurt more as he took their lives.
As the sun got close to the horizon Devan knew that it was time to leave things where they were and head back to the beach for the night. He took one last look at the tree and knew that it was not going to take much work tomorrow to finish it up, even with his daggers getting dull. Then it was going to take all his strength to drag it to where he was going to need it. He was just hoping that he was going to have enough power left in him after that to get it to stand up in position. Devan knew that was something that he was going to face tomorrow so there was no point in stressing over it now.
Devan stepped away and he was glad that he had not been trying to lift or drag the tree as he stepped wrong and twisted his ankle. Devan quickly sat down and took a look at it. He could tell that it was just a minor sprain and all it was going to do was annoy him and slow him down a little.
Devan knew that the best thing for it would be to get it down and into the cool water to make sure it would not swell up on him and slow him down any more than he already was. Devan went slow at first trying to put as much weight on it as he could stand. At first, it gave him pain but then as he stood there it eased up. With every step he took it shot a little pain up his leg, but it was nothing that he couldn't block out he was just going to have to take it easy and slow making sure that nothing else happened to it.
It was approaching dusk when Devan made it out onto the beach, he was glad he made it out of there before it got too dark to see. It would have made it easier to do more damage to his ankle. It was easier for him to go through the sand of the beach, but he still had to worry about re-twisting it. He knew that he had to get to the water to help it, but he was going to need a fire once he was done in the water.
As the sun sunk into the horizon, he knew that he was going to have to get the fire going again while he could see and just have to keep being careful with his leg. The ankle complicated moving around but it was still easy enough since he had everything that he needed right there on hand.
Devan thought as he worked to get the fire going that it always seems like when you want or need something to hurry up it never seems to hurry and do what you want it to. As he struggled and would build the fire up and light the kindling on fire. It would start up on the kindling and then quickly die before setting anything else on fire. After the third time that it happened, Devan started to get pissed. Because it never took this long to get it going before. He found himself wishing that he had put more wood on the fire before he left to go into the woods.
Devan took a deep breath and figured that one of the pieces of wood that he was using had to be too wet, so he took his time and disassembled it completely then using other wood he rebuilt it and as he lit it the fire took off. He was relieved that at least he got it going finally and it lit up the beach enough that he was able to get down to the water without any issues.
As Devan drew close to the water, he was glad that he had taken the time to build the fire first. The air had taken on a chill, or it was just the fact that the sun was no longer heating everything up that it felt chilly to him. Devan got a chill as he stepped out into the water, but it didn't take long for him to adjust to the temperature of the water. Even though it was a little on the chilly side it eased the pain that he was still feeling from his ankle.
Deven stood there looking out into the ocean and the night sky and saw how the water was reflecting everything and he had to admit how peaceful everything was. As he looked out it seemed that the sight was calming his mind, he was able to let go of the anger that had been building in him for weeks now. Not that he was ready to forgive and forget what they did but as he stood there thinking he felt that he didn't need to torture them before he killed them. In fact, if they come up with the money and a bit extra, he might even let them live. At least in this calm moment, he was having it was worth giving it a shot.
Devan thought about all the money that he had tucked away, and he knew that he really didn't need to make any more and he could live peacefully and never have to kill anyone else. Having Rodger and the others get a drop on him showed that his senses were getting dull. Who knows next time what would happen, but he doubted that they would just tie him up and then let him go with the promise to pay him to stay away from them.
Devan shook his head and thought about the reality that really was the situation that he was in. He knew that they had captured him, and he was helpless without his weapons. Then they put him on a vacation with the promise to return with the money that he would have earned for getting the girls.
Then he thought about the girls. Stan wanted them, and so did Rodger. It was as if he could get the girls, he would be able to control both Stan and Rodger and get even with everyone at the same time. Not that he needed them for himself, but if he remembered correctly, they were like twins or something and they were cute as well.
Devan stood there listening to the surf as the little waves washed up on shore. Devan knew no matter what he was going to do he needed to finish the raft and get out of there and find a ship to take him to them, or at least to a populated port.
Devan was relieved when his ankle stopped hurting completely and only gave him a tender feeling when he walked on it. He stood in the surf for a while longer till he was actually feeling the chill set in. It was not the temperature of the water it was the air blowing on the wet skin that eventually made him feel cold.
Devan made his way back to the fire and warmed himself up. He sat there thinking he had never slowed down this much in his life. He started wondering if this was what retirement was supposed to be about. Could he handle his life being this way from now on? Then he thought even if he was ready to retire, he would not want to live like this. He wanted people waiting on him to make his life easy.
As he sat there, he figured that Stan might have had a good idea. To get yourself a couple of girls to take care of you and having them young and beautiful was the way to go. Although he was not sure about the whole slave thing. He figured the money that he had should be enough to draw a couple of attractive girls in. After all, it was not like you could take the money with you when you die.
Devan thought that if someone came and killed me later then it would kind of even the score, but having young girls wait on him hand and foot until it happened would not be such a bad way to go. At least he could think of a lot worse ways to go. Then he thought back to some of the ways that he had used and at least when he took someone else out it was quick and more or less painless.
Devan nibbled on some of the food that he had left but he was not all that hungry. He didn't know what he was feeling, more than it was just blah mixed with boredom. He knew that things would be better in the morning at least partly. But for now, all he could do was go to sleep and wait for the morning to come.
Devan climbed into the hammock and stared out past the fire to the night sky. He didn't know what he was looking for, but he couldn't help but keep looking. It felt like he needed to look out, but it felt like there would be a sail that would appear at any moment on the horizon. Devan knew that even if there was a sail out there. There was no way that he would ever be able to see them. Especially in the night and so far away. Even if he could have spotted them, they would never have been able to see him. That is if anyone was even looking out.
Even knowing all that he still could not shut his eyes and just sleep he just kept looking. At some point in the middle of the night, Devan closed his eyes and sleep took him letting him have a peaceful dream. Which was his first in a long time for once he was not chasing anyone or running away from anything.