King’s heart leapt as Annie blew into the horn; he knew immediately, even without her explanation, that she was reporting him to others.

“I'm not going to hurt you,” he told her. “I'm not a threat.”

Whether she believed him or not, King couldn't tell. She simply stood there tall over him, watching him, the bow in her hands.

A figure appeared in the distance behind her, a man. He stopped a moment at the sight of King. Then, after speaking to someone King couldn't see, the man hurried Annie’s direction, a pair of spears clutched in one hand. He covered the rough ground easily and quickly, both familiar with the trail and simply nimble. 

Others began to appear, from both that same direction and from up the beach. King noted that nearly all of them carried weapons, either bows, spears, knives, or a combination therein. He wondered whether they were for combat, hunting, or both. 

When the first man arrived, King repeated, “I'm not going to hurt you. I'm not a threat. I'm just a survivor of a ship wreck. I'd like to search for my companions.”