The sun was dipping low in the sky as Naoise walked along the shore, leaving footprints behind him that washed away as soon as he'd taken his next steps. He wasn't needed at the moment and it felt good to wander.

Up on the dry sand, families were packing up their umbrellas and blankets and toys. Soon the shore would be populated with the evening crowd of campfires and songs and late-night food and drink. But there was time between one and the other, a time for Naoise to wander and his footprints to wash away-

"My boat!"

Naoise turned around in time to see a draph child grabbing for a brightly-painted wooden boat as it was pulled away from the shore. It had already drifted out a surprising distance, but it wasn't beyond where Naoise thought he could reach.

There was no reason not to go after it.

He wasn't the one who caught it, however. Just as he reached for it, as it drifted out even farther and into water deep enough that Naoise was unsure, it curled up in a twist of water that solidified into a strong hand. Another hauled him up and stood him on what had to be a sandbar.

"Did you lose this?"

Naoise was no stranger to primal beasts, but he hadn't expected to run into one of Auguste's guardians.

"Just trying to rescue it," Naoise explained before gesturing towards shore and where the child and parents were now gazing out at them.

The primal beast smiled and placed the boat in Naoise's hands.

"Then we will deliver it safely," the primal beast said.

"Thank you, ah-"

"Poseidon, the Tide Father. And your name, child of man?"

"Naoise, of Alster Island," Naoise replied as Poseidon took a step forward. The sandbar, which Naoise realized quickly wasn't a sandbar, moved with them, keeping them in waist high water until they drew close to shore.

Naoise knelt to hand the boat back and the draph child squealed with delight upon taking it.

"Thank you, thank you both." The child's parents bowed more times than Naoise felt comfortable with, but Poseidon simply nodded.

And then they were gone, quickly up the beach, leaving Naoise standing in ankle-deep water, with Poseidon beside him, radiant in the last of the sun's rays.

"You have a good heart, Naoise, child of man."

Naoise shook his head, wet waves sending off water droplets. "I wouldn't say I-"

"Accept my judgment." Poseidon's hand was firm on Naoise's shoulder. "Time will clear confusion and bring peace. Now continue on."

Before Naoise could nod, there was a splash as Poseidon fell back to the water he'd emerged from, no more than a ripple around Naoise's ankles.

Naoise looked ahead, along the shore, and continued walking, just along the water line, footsteps disappearing not long after he'd made them, but he was moving forward nonetheless.