The receding tide was not only a source of joy for Jasmine alone; simultaneously, it was also a magnificent banquet for the flock of seabirds.
The sound of wings flapping "phach phach" echoed everywhere as they competed to land upon the exposed reef. Their long beaks rummaged into every rocky hollow, searching for the unlucky prey that had been trapped in the crevices when the water withdrew.
Jasmine did not want all the seafood to be eaten clean by the seabirds. She carefully left the Dragon Egg on the soft straw cushion inside the horse carriage, took hold of a coarse cloth bag, and called out to Angus:
"Go, go, go! Move your feet quickly! We must go catch the seafood before those birds devour everything."
Jasmine led the few guards to roll up their trouser legs and wade down onto the reef, their bare feet feeling the coolness and roughness of the stones.
