The tides were pulling out when Corin wandered down to the beach. Sand and rock glistened as the sun struck them, drying them with warm late morning rays of light. The shells of stranded invertebrates wriggled in search of cover. They disappeared one by one as the young man walked by, following the beach south towards a small cliff dotted with a network of newly exposed caves along the shoreline. 

As he passed into the shadow of the overhanging rock, the sand cooled and the sea breeze brought a chill to the air as it whistled past him and into the winding passages of the caves. He passed by the largest cave and went on to a smaller opening that was a bit like a stout doorway. It was roughly five feet tall and three feet wide. Corin knelt down at the entrance and opened up a clay pot stashed there, removing a candle. With a flint from his pocket, he lit the candle and ducked into the cave. 

A few feet in, the sand gave way to smooth rock, and a few feet further the ceiling rose so that Corin was no longer required to stoop. The candle flickered as it tried to illuminate the damp stone all around. The flame swayed in the breeze as it cycled through like a gentle breath from the earth. The sounds of ocean waves crashing outside seemed distant as the stone caught the noise and redistributed it as a soft echo. 

Further on, the passage split and Corin took the narrower right hand side, keeping the candle held high and his free hand held out to steady himself as he waded through shallow tide pools. Abrupt the passage took a sharp left and terminated in a neat little alcove of smooth stone walls that met a natural ledge about the height of his hip. 

Corin brought the candle down and began to light the candles that adorned the ledge, throwing deep shadows behind himself as the walls illuminated. Bright colors adorned the walls where children’s fingers had painted the abstract figures years ago. Corin reached out, his fingers just brushing against the cool rock, following the gentle curve of the swirling lines of the illustrated sea creatures. The memories were bittersweet. It seemed a lifetime ago that he had stood here with Thetis and drew these pictures. 

Below the ledge was a nook they had carved together and inside was another clay pot identical to the one at the entrance of the cave. Kneeling, Corin opened it and removed the spare candles, revealing a small driftwood box with a tarnished latch. After a bit of prying, the latch popped open. In the tangle of old seaweed three round spheres gleamed in the flickering light, the remaining token he had of his childhood friend and the treasure he had protected from pirates and worse. Taking the pearls into his hand, Corin allowed his grief to wash over him like a wave, and as it receded he heard the shuffle of footsteps behind him in the cave.