Enid smiled as she walked, finally reaching the beach. It felt so warm and welcoming, just like she remembered from back home in South Carolina. She couldn't help but take her shoes off, excitedly running through the hot sand. Oh, how she wanted to go swimming, but she had no swimsuit!

She remembered one of the times that she was somehow able to go to the beach without the company of Audrey...and it was with Harry! She remembered how excited she was, though she loathed her overly long, overly modest swimsuit. Not because of the modesty, rather because it restricted her movement.

"Mamma's is so short that she nearly gets us kicked out! This clunky thing stops me from runnin'!" Enid complained. Harry just smiled.

"Oh, please, Enid. I think you look lovely," he smiled as he carried their picnic basket.

"I can't believe Mamma and Daddy let me go without Audrey. I like it this way! All Audrey does is sit and tan all day! She never even wants to go swimmin' with me!" Enid said, crossing her arms and huffing. Harry just chuckled and ruffled her hair.

"Don't worry. I'll go with ya, Birdie," Harry said, that charming and lovely smile on his face. Birdie was a nickname that he'd had for her, but once he had gotten fired, Enid despised the nickname and claimed that no one was to ever call her it again.

As Enid ran across the beach, she remembered the swimsuit, she remembered Harry, she remembered her nickname, and she remembered her love for the fired butler that she knew she'd never see again. Oh, how her heart ached for him! Her thoughts of Harry, however, eventually turned into curiosity about the Von Bon Bon boys...one of the baroness's younger sons was quite attractive…

"Get over it, Enid! You're here to visit the captain, after all!" Enid told herself, continuing to walk toward the large ship. There, she saw that someone was unloading a huge amount of fish from very large nets. It reminded her of the fishermen back at home. She always got angry when her father would call them "lowly" or "slobs." She often told Audrey that she had more respect for a dirty fisherman than she did for a corrupt lawyer who spent all day just doing paperwork. In the Edwards household, fish was often on the menu, and Mr. Edwards had no one else to thank than the "lowly, slobby" fishermen.

Enid waited a bit, not wanting to interrupt the unloading. Whenever all was done, she made her way to the ship, looking for the lowered plank. The captain himself was still in the ship, his back turned to her, but even then, he wasn't what she expected. She had expected some kind of navy member or young sailor...but he was a pirate captain! He was large and bulky, with strong arms and greasy black hair. One of his ears sported a gold earring. The most shocking thing to Enid, however, was that he had no legs! Instead, he had two peg-legs. He looked like the pirates right out of the fantasy stories that Enid had read as a child.

Whenever Captain Brineybeard turned around, however, Enid saw that his name fit pretty well. Along with his greasy black hair, he had a greasy black beard that was long and bushy. None of his lower face could be seen except for the large smile that spread across his lips as upon seeing her. He was wearing an eyepatch, but the visible eye showed a look of kindness.

"Ahoy, young'un!" he said, his smile growing wider. Most of the pirates that Eden read about were scruffy, foul-mouthed, booze-guzzling thieves, but already, Enid could sense that Captain Brineybeard was different. She didn't know if he was a booze-guzzling thief, and he was quite scruffy, but he didn't seem foul-mouthed so far!

"A-Ahoy, Captain! My name is Enid Edwards, and I've been told by Biddy Kahl that I should come and pay you a visit! She's given me nothin' but positivity about you, sir," Enid smiled as the salty sea air blew around her. The salt was probably what made his hair so greasy.

"Ah, so Miss Kahl sent ya, eh? Consider yerself lucky. She doesn't go messin' around with anyone, y'know! Well, don't just stand there! Come aboard!" Captain Brineybeard said, stepping aside. Enid was a bit nervous, but she didn't want to be rude, so she walked up the plank and entered the ship.

Enid hadn't been on a boat for a very long time, so she was very shaky at first, even to the point where she had to hold onto one of Captain Brineybeard's strong arms to keep her balance. Don't get me wrong, Enid did earn her sea legs...she just didn't know how to use them sometimes.

"M-My apologies, captain! The last time I was on a ship is when my mamma and I went on a cruise! Oh, but that was three years ago!" Enid gushed, the captain letting out a hearty laugh and giving her a pat on the back.

"No need to apologize, little lass. Yer already leaps ahead of the landlubbers around 'ere. Some of 'em can't even gaze upon the ship without gettin' sick. In fact, Dr. Kahl came 'round 'ere lookin' for his daughter one day and got nearly mesmerized just by the bobbing! I can't blame him too much, though. Ol' lad's 50, after all," Captain Brineybeard laughed again. "I don't 'ave anythin' against him, though. He's a kind and genteel ol' lad."

Enid smiled a great deal as he said this, sitting down on a barrel that was in the ship. Oh, he seemed wonderful so far! This was the type of man that she wished her father would have been like. Well...maybe not a ruffy, scruffy pirate, but his personality was something that she longed for.

"Kind and genteel, huh? I'd sure love to meet him!" Enid smiled, the captain nodding.

"He's definitely worth talkin' to, that's fer sure. He always rambles on about two things: his robot and his concerns for that daughter of his," Captain Brineybeard replied.

"Oh, of course. I have my own concerns for Biddy, but at this point, I think that everyone who knows her does," Enid sighed, thinking back to her dream. By the tone of the captain's voice, Enid knew the exact concerns that Dr. Kahl had.

"Even I do, little lass. She's a mighty fine woman, and I'd hate to see someone like her end up in a home where she ain't happy. Why, if I had my way, I'd take her on my voyages with me. She's great company."

"Oh, that's so sweet of you! She should be grateful, knowing that so many kind, lovin' men and women are looking out for her. That was somethin' I always wished for back home...and I'm happy to say that I've found it here. Oh, Captain Brineybeard, if this is what love feels like, I'd say that I've found lots."

"I'd say you have an abundance too, little lass. Just lookin' into those eyes of yours could melt hearts of steel. That little face'a yours is sweeter than those of the little Stageplay babies," the captain chuckled, ruffling her hair.

"Oh, please, captain, you're makin' me blush! It may be true that I've befriended people such as the brutal King Dice and the deadly Rumor Honeybottoms, but I can't be that cute! Mugman, oh, God bless him, he thinks I'm some kind of angel! I don't want anyone catchin' onto that! I've tried to convince him several times that I'm no angel, but he just won't believe me! He doesn't accept it, and I swear that he never will," Enid smiled, a small blush spreading across her soft, pale cheeks.

"Can I really blame the lad, though? There's not many cute lasses such as yerself here in Inkwell Isle. Certainly none of them upper class ladies. Pansy, perhaps, but none one else. Ya've heard of Pansy, haven't ya?"

"I've heard Biddy mention her when talking about dresses with her, but I've never actually met her."

"Ah. She and Miss Kahl are good, good friends. It's a shame, though. Miss Kahl wants 'erself to be considered high-an'-mighty, so she only associates 'erself with these high class girls. It's a genuine friendship, but it breaks me heart. I consider us chums, but I'm nowhere as close to her as she is with that Dice."

With this, Captain Brineybeard offered to take Enid on a small trip. How could Enid resist?! She'd just been thinking about how long it had been since she'd been on a ship, too! Enid was already so happy, nearly forgetting the fact that Rumor Honeybottoms almost killed her.

Captain Brineybeard whistled, and off they went! Enid trembled a bit as the ship started to move, but then she remembered her South Carolina home once again. As she saw the far-off lands represented by mere shadows and outlines, the selfish thought of running away came to her mind. It would be so easy to run off to one of these faraway lands and forget about the Devil...or even just throw the dice into the ocean. Enid genuinely though about it, but knew that it wasn't an option. The Devil could potentially harm one of her friends, or even come for her himself.

Enid sat on the barrel, smiling as she looked around. Various sea creatures jumped out, looking at the captain joyously. A jolly looking squid jumped onto the ship, waving its tentacles before going right back into the water. The second one, being a surprise to Enid, was a shark. It, like the squid, jumped right onto the ship, smiling and letting its big teeth show.

"Goodness!" Enid cried, but the captain ruffled her hair and gave the shark a pat.

"Ay, 'e just wanted to pay us a visit! 'E means no harm," Captain Brineybeard said, encouraging Enid to give the shark a pat herself. She seemed nervous, but eventually gave in, giving the animal a small pat. To her surprise, the shark smiled, gave her a small whistle, and jumped right back into the water. So, in Inkwell Isle, sharks whistled.

Finally, Enid and the captain got back to shore, and the girl's face was full of energy and excitement. "Oh, captain! That was amazing! Thank you, thank you!" She said, throwing her arms around the man's shoulders and hugging him tightly.

"No problem, little lass. No problem. Y'know, Dr. Kahl will be comin' home for the evenin' soon. You should go an' stop by his house," Captain Brineybeard said as he let Enid off of the ship, waving happily.

"Oh, I will! I'm dyin' to meet Dr. Kahl myself!" Enid said, slowly getting used to being on land again as she waved her hat as a goodbye, running off. Next stop, the raggedy old house!