Striking Waters

“Did you know.. It’s considered rude to board another’s boat without the captain’s permission darling?” I sweep my eyes towards him- the captain. He’s handsome by human standards, with his sea blue eyes, and darkened hair. His rugged beard made him very nice to look at. Apparently I was staring because he asked voice very low, almost a growl, “Do you like the look of me little minnow?” Another man from his crew puts in, “Sir I am not so sure, these fish understand our words.” The captain looks at me calmly, assessing me. For what I did not know. “Oh I think she understands well enough.”

I did, I was taught their tongue by my mother. She used to walk with them on their ridiculous two legs. The price had been her tail, a stupid trade if you asked me. Love is not a good enough reason for me to give up my love for the sea nor the creatures in it. Especially since that witch who had given that bargain to my mother refused to let her out of it when it became clear that dirty pathetic human was not capable of love. As soon as he had my mother in his bed, he lost interest. She couldn’t speak to him and it irked him apparently. Since my mother failed to get his voiced declaration of love, and hurt by his betrayal she killed him and waited for her time to run out on the bargain. As she waited her sisters were appalled at the thought that her death would not be in the sea, they worked a different kind of magic.

It allowed her to turn to sea foam, she still gave her life, as the bargain demanded, but she was not denied the sea. The witch was very enraged, but could do nothing. Except attempt to make a claim on me. I am a product of the human and my mother. Her sisters tell me they gave her the sea rites, because they knew I was being carried. Once my mother faded to swirl the ocean forever I was formed through the frothy depths. A child of the sea. The witch is watching, watching to see if I somehow had the ability to grow legs from the bargain she’d struck with my mother. She wants something from me, I just don’t know what.

Hence why my current predicament, for me especially is dangerous. If I retained anything from my father’s side and somehow managed to claim my human side, the witch would come for a payment of some sort. Any other child of the sea, would keep their tail, I on the other hand have no idea what may happen as my tail dries on this ship. I cast another fearful look to my tail. The captain notes it. “You have no need to fear from us lass, you won’t be hurt on my ship.” I obviously believed him right? No way in hell was this ruggish beautiful man telling me the truth. My tail is starting to flake as it dries and somewhat is starting to hurt.

I shift against the net that is painfully squeezing me and cutting off circulation in some areas. He kneels down next to me, lifting a hand to show me to relax. The other reaches behind him and when he pulls his hand back there is a knife in it. My eyes fix on that knife and I start to struggle in earnest, making pitiful whimpers. After failing to calm me down he puts the knife away again quickly. “Okay okay no knives. Okay see? I don't have anything in my hands. Okay we are going to have to do this slower then. I am going to untangle this by hand. Everyone else quit gaping at her and get this ship moving again.”

He studies my eyes as everyone hastens to follow his orders. His is a liquid pool of cobalt, and I am entranced in them. He appears to be struggling with a similar issue. He clears his throat and looks down at the net. The net, right, yeah bigger problems here. I never noticed, but being out of the water exposed to the chill air on my skin, it’s cold. The world is very chilly and I can’t help the shiver that goes through me. He notices and yells, without taking his eyes off me for someone to fetch a coat. I am not sure what a coat is, but hopefully it is warm. He asks permission to begin detangling the net. I nod slowly.

The coat comes and it looks like a bunch of cloth like the stuff on their body. The captain takes the coat and wraps it around me. It immediately blocks the chill that was creeping in. I shiver again when his hands begin deftly unwrapping the shredded net that's entangling me. I wish I could say the second shiver was from the cold. I fear he knew too, for a small smile started picking the corners of his mouth up. “I don't think I caught your name darling.” “That’s because I didn't give it to you.” It’s his turn to shiver. I don't blame him, even among my people the ocean's call is strong in my voice. Um, I believe the humans have something similar called a siren. When I speak, it definitely sends chills racing along nerves.

The ocean gifted me her call, when she is hungry she asks her children of the sea to feed her. She devours the humans and their floating pieces of wood. She says it brings balance to the world. I don't know and don’t question her. This time he does smile and it stops my chilled heart. Something inside me thaws at the sight of it. Maybe this is what my mother saw when she decided to leave the sea. Either way, as nice as it feels, I would never leave the sea- not for anyone. His hands brush along my scales and I inhale sharply. He pauses to watch me and continues to do so, until I sigh and say, “My name doesn’t translate very well. At least not without you losing your hearing.” He chuckles and says, “Well pick one of our names then so that I may have something to call you.”

“I do not not know any of your female names or male ones either.” He seems very thoughtful at this and then asks, “How about minnow?” My temper frays, “Are you seeking to intentionally mock me?”He seems a little taken aback and that is the only reason I don’t rake my fingernails down his face. “In my culture a minnow is very offensive as is touching a female’s tail without permission. I know you aren't familiar with this and so I am not upset, but if you run into another of my kind, you would do well to not call them that.”

“Seeing as you are on my ship, I will call you whatever I damn well please.” We each launch into another intense staring contest, this one is a contest of wills. The sun is starting to set and my aunts will be expecting me in the hall soon. We are to sing for the ocean for the full moon tonight. It is a ceremony of sorts. I imagine I will not be going to that tonight, even if I get out of this blasted net. He keeps working to detangle me in silence. He gets the part off my lower fin and sees why it hurts. The ropes had slid up under the scales and chafed. Drops of blood dripped onto the deck and there was a nasty ring of purple around where that rope had been. A few scales had been peeled back and some torn clean off still clinging to the rope. I try not to look at either that rope or the damage. I internally wince and he gives a low whistle and a low, “Ouch” There are things, creatures of the deep that would be attracted to the blood.

Not the pesky sharks, most humans were afraid of, no they usually no better then to attack a mer. Even injured a shark will not take the risk of our power. Other creatures, ones with eyes black as hell and fangs sharp as hooks, they have no qualms about attacking a mer. They do not worry about the sea mother’s wrath that would be incurred by killing a child of the sea. No they serve their own masters, things like the sea witch protect these creatures from the ire of the mother.

Even if I managed to get free from this net and these people, it would not be safe for me, bleeding to attempt to swim home. Plus I don’t know if I even could swim right now, the blood circulation being cut off has really made the muscles in my tail sting and throb. I am relieved to see that my tail has fully dried and while cracked scales dull in color look back at me, at least it is still my tail and not those knobby legs the land humans walk on.

“You must have met my people, you seem so calm about all of this.” He gives me a small smile, while still working diligently to get me free from the ropes. I'm not sure if once free from the ropes what is going to happen to me. “I’ve never spoken to a merfolk before, I have however been on the see my whole life and I have seen some of its wonders. It’s beautiful and deadly.. I have a feeling you and the sea are one and the same.” I lean back on the drying deck to avoid his eyes, but also because I am worn out from straining against the net as it pulled me from the waters below. I had been swimming and hunting fish for the ceremony tonight when I’d gotten snared.

“You seem to have a love for the sea, why do it?” He asks me what do I mean and I do hear genuine confusion. “The net, why put the net out? Many other things get caught and drown besides me.” I lift my head to look at him when I hear a growl. His eyes go from soft blue to molten steel. “You think I did this to you? Look around minnow, do we look like fishermen to you?” I growl right back at the minnow comment, not sure where I got the will to do so. He is right though they don’t have the things I’ve seen fish boats have. “I'm sorry I just assumed, since you found me. We don’t usually get ships through here. That’s why I didn’t see the net until it was too late. I wasn’t aware enough to be paying attention. As I attempted to shred the net, well as you can see it only made it worse.” He curses, when one of the barbs of the net catches his thumb. A few were hooked in my stomach, so I knew that had to have hurt. Most of the hooks were around my tail, since that’s where the net was, however a few did line the top of the net, where it circled. Pretty sure I had a few in my arms and my lower back as well.

I may have been guilty of mumbling, “big baby” under my breath to him. His stern look under thick lashes has me clenching some muscles in my tail. Okay sure I may find this two legs attractive. “Mhm im a baby eh?” I give a smirk and he starts to laugh under his breath, so the others can’t hear. A few do and look shocked. I wonder if the big bad captain laughs much. A really big brute comes over the deck groaning under his weight. I feel my face blanch, but the captain whispers to me before the man gets to us, “Don’t worry he is just a big baby too. Wouldn’t hurt a fly that one.” Regardless of this I still feel uneasy as the man finally gets to us and kneels beside me. “Meh names Jared, young lady. I came to see if there is anything I could do to help. DId you need or want anything? Besides this insufferable lout to shut his face?” I can’t help it, I laugh at the captain’s indignant face. Both men listen to my laugh as if soaking in the sound.

After a moment Jared asks my name and I answer, “Well this lout wants to call me minnow, but that word is an insult among my people and he insists on using it still.” A mock glare is thrown to the captain and a, “well that isn’t very nice of ye, is it captain?” I decided I immediately liked this man. “Well if you will consent lass, I think it is fitting yer see? You are a fish no disrespect and its suiting of ya.” I blow out some air as the captain starts gently but firmly pulling brbs from my skin. I start to bleed in earnest and Jared winces. “Those bastards and their nets should hang for this.” I let out a painful chuckle and tell him that I like him. “Well this here idiot is Rowan.” He motions to the captain. The captain-Rowan says, “Pleasure Im sure little minnow.” I scowl at him. Jared asks if I’d like some seawater brought to keep me from drying. In confusion I look to my tail and see why he asked.

Those two had kept me away from the pain that was steadily growing from my tail. It was drying and flaking and now it’s starting to peel. My old fear of growing legs returns full force, and I mumble a hasty yes please. He nods and leaves to find a bucket. Rowan asks me why my tail is doing that and I lie and say I don’t know.