"Come about!" Fiona called toward the boat, she and Jake jogging past the adults, but not getting too far before they noticed that Simone, Lena, Wolf, and Gordon had all come to a solid stop.

"Get back here..!" Lena nearly hissed at her daughter. She didn't like to use such a tone on the child, but at this point she didn't want to risk either of them getting harmed by these strangers. A sigh escaped her as Fiona and Jake obeyed, not pausing as they wheeled around and returned to the adults. Lena instinctively gestured for them to stand a few steps behind, and they did, although reluctantly.

"Let us do the talking. Alright?" Wolf told them, arching a brow. He got nods from Jake and Fiona, and he was content to step forward with the other adults.

"Come about!" Simone barked loudly down toward the bank. Her eyes narrowed as they fixated on Tommy, who had been rowing the vessel to the island. Her mood suddenly turned more irritable, and moved away from her cohorts and closer to the bank.

Tommy sensed the Matriarch's stare on him and he had to force himself to keep from shaking. He'd better make this fast. He kept a calm façade, bringing the boat to rest on the sand, conveniently behind the cover of a blooming patch of shrubbery.

"Alright, we're here!" he nearly stammered, quickly ushering the Toores from the boat and onto the bank. "See, the welcoming committee's already arrived!"

Melvin stared up at Simone, the first member of the island colony he had ever seen. She scared him; those narrowed eyes, that stiffened posture. If anything, a welcoming committee is the last thin he'd have suspected Simone to be! He stayed a few steps behind Grace, who merely stood there, eyes locked on the Matriarch in front of them.

As Dimitri assisted Kaleb with the knapsacks, Tommy grabbed the teenager's arm and roughly pulled him aside. The cover was serving to hide them well, at least for now, so he'd have to make sure that Dimitri understood what they had discussed.

"Remember the agreement, boy." Tommy's voice had turned from chipper to venomous as he gritted his teeth, squeezing Dimitri's arm as if to emphasize the point. Dimitri merely stiffened his form, his eyes squinting slightly as they moved into Tommy's direction.

"Yes, sir.."

"I didn't lead your family into this damned swamp for nothing. You all look innocent enough, they shouldn't suspect you guys to uncover our little plot."

It was true. Tommy had met up with Dimitri earlier on, before the family's departure from the wagon train. The eldest Toores son had heard Kaleb complaining that the trip had been taking far too long, and Dimitri offered his services. First of all, he needed Dimitri to convince the others that there was a shortcut through the swamps, to get them to where they were now.

"Thanks for clearing the trail…but why did you lead us in circles?" Dimitri growled. Another yank from Tommy on his arm.

"This colony is small, but they're sharp as tacks. I had to keep you all safe while I made sure none of their scouts were out and about"

"..Safe?"

Melvin had turned his attention from Grace and Simone as he heard his brother whispering to Tommy. What were they talking about? The boy moved toward the boat, slowly reaching down as if he were going to grab his knapsack. But he secretly listened in on the conversation.

"Yes, I said safe, boy. That woman there? Her name is Simone Lenoir, the Matriarch of the colony and as mean as a water moccasin. Don't dare mess with her."

"Al..Alright, sir."

Melvin was stunned; he'd never heard his very brave brother use such a scared tone before.

"Remember. Get that information we need, and there will be a guide waiting for you in three days to take you on the rest of your way."

Information? What information? Melvin didn't dare ask; he merely grabbed his knapsack and slinked away, back to Grace's side.

Kaleb grunted as he looked at Simone. She was tall and very proud. But she was still small in frame. He could snap her like that.

"Who are you?" he demanded, stepping forward. "Where's the leader of your colony?" He looked up and saw Wolf, suspecting that he was in charge of this less-than-pleasant encounter.

"I am," Simone responded, unmoving.

Her eyes shifted from Kaleb to see Tommy hurriedly rowing away. Within moments, the small boat had vanished around the bend. Now Simone was especially suspicious. If Tommy was involved, this couldn't be good. Her eyes shot back to Kaleb, as Dimitri joined his mother and brother further down the bank.

"A woman doesn't lead a colony," Kaleb grunted, unimpressed with Simone's declaration.

"This woman does," Simone stated emotionlessly. "And, if you have any intelligence in you at all, you would not speak to me in such a tone. After all, you are trespassing on my island."

"Oh, your island, is it?" Kaleb couldn't hold back his laughter. In the background, Grace looked more and more worried; although her husband had always looked down on females. And in her mind, she secretly cheered Simone on.

"Yes. My island. And if you keep up your insolence, I'll run the lot of you into the water and you can swim back to the other side of the bayou."

"I dare you, Frenchie."

"I apologize for not wishing to participate in your barbaric ritual of who's stronger. But I do have more important problems to attend to."

"Kaleb..!" Grace called out weakly, taking a few timid steps forward. This argument was escalating to a dangerous level and she didn't wish to earn the brunt of his anger later. But Dimitri getting to the academy was her priority. And if Simone's colony was who they would be staying with for the time being, the last thing she wanted was to be denied.

"A woman doesn't run a colony," Kaleb repeated, not moving as he saw Wolf, Lena, and Gordon moving closer, and his eyes moved to Wolf. "What, are you too weak to take your place as a man to lead the colony yourself?"

"Kaleb..!" Grace snapped, getting more angered.

"You, stay where you are!" the burly man roared, wheeling and storming toward his wife. She was shaky, but she stayed in her place.

"Don't you dare!"

The sudden bark from Simone startled everyone in the group. The pause from Kaleb was just long enough for Simone to get herself between Grace and Kaleb.

Simone couldn't help it. She'd seen this happen before… in her own family. Years of anger boiling to the surface and finally coming out, Simone would be damned if it happened again!

"Get the hell away from them, you stupid ape!" Simone roared at full volume. She wasn't scared of this Neanderthal, if she got into trouble she had her colony to back her up. But for now she had to get Grace and the boys into safety. They weren't safe with him.

Gordon rushed to Grace as she was ushering her sons from the scene.

"Quick! Get up the bank!" he whispered.

Everyone heard a hard THUD at that point. They turned to see Kaleb having wrestled the Matriarch to the ground, an arm around her neck and she wrestling back.

Before Grace could cry out, both Gordon and Wolf had ushered her away into hiding, Dimitri following.

"Wait..!" Melvin panted, struggling up the bank. He was too small for this! He clamored over the rocks and shrubs like a drunken mule, clawing at anything he could hold onto. The fight was getting louder and he wanted to get away from it! He struggled to move quicker, but his nervous movements only faltered his progress.

Simone had managed to wriggle free and was now preventing him from following the others up the bank. As Kaleb plowed forward, she charged, ramming herself into his side, all of her weight driven into the attack. It was enough to send Kaleb down for the moment.

Melvin climbed more desperately. "Help me..!" But his mother and favored brother were long gone.

"Wait…didn't you have another son?" Wolf asked. They were already partway down the trail.

"Why…yes…I thought he'd be able to catch up." Grace's tone was almost nonchalant enough to have her two escorts worried.

"Gordon, take them to the bunkhouse," Wolf instructed before bolting back down the trail. As the sounds of the fight reached his ears, Wolf's heart caught.

Simone had received a few blows, one in particular to the stomach that sent her down. As she struggled to her feet, Kaleb hit her again, then held her down with a heavy foot on her sternum.

"You don't dare speak to me that way!" he roared. Simone only glared at him, gasping for air but not uttering a word.

Melvin was sure he wasn't getting out of this alive. His hand slipped on a root and he slid down the bank a ways, screaming as he struggled back up. At that point he felt something grip the back of his shirt and hoist him up in one swift move. He blinked, and he was on the bank. He turned and found himself in Lena's arms.

"Let's get you out of here," she murmured, carrying him as she got to the trail. She stopped near a wall of trees.

"Fi! Jake! C'mon!"

The two others in question had been huddling in the brush since the brawl had ensued. Lena called again and they appeared, shakily following Lena down the trail.

Wolf charged past them and into the open, hurdling down the slope and body slamming Kaleb. He tumbled off of Simone and into the water with a CRASH!

"Are you alright?" Wolf asked, helping his Matriarch to her feet. She was trembling and out of breath, barely managing to regain her composure.

"Y-yes.." she panted, as Wolf offered his shoulder for her to lean on.

Her eyes shot immediately to Kaleb, who was dragging himself onto shore, sore and breathless.

"You are not welcome here. I want you off of my island at once."

Wolf and Simone turned, moving back up toward the trail. Simone turned her head once more to look at the man who had threatened not only his family, but her colony.

"You have until sundown."

With that, the two vanished in the curtain of branches and Spanish moss.