The Maidening Ceremony

Chapter Two - Scene 3

Finley woke eventually. He slept so long most of the Community forgot he had been injured or that he existed at all. Arilya had not forgotten, though. And neither had the Council or Damien. The healer looked after Finley, changing his seaweed bandages and making sure he received nourishment in his unconscious state. Arilya visited the healer's cave after her classes; she did not want Finley to be alone when he woke up.

But Finley was alone. Though Arilya's parents ignored her and had once discussed casting her out of the Community to become shark food, they still housed and fed her. Finley's parents died when he was an infant, his mother in a fight with another mermaid and his father wandered into a den of deadly jellyfish while outside the border hunting for food. Finley was too young to remember them and he did not miss them. The Council ensured he had food and a cave to sleep in. There was nothing else he needed.

It is a common story. Merphen are orphaned at an alarming rate. But they are resilient. They grow up, the Council pairs them, and they have merphen of their own. The cycle of life.

Finley did not mind being alone. It was all he knew. But Arilya could not stand the thought of it. So when he did wake up, she spent all of her free time with him - helping him with his homework, racing him around the Community to rebuild his strength, even tolerating his pranks against the other merphen in their class.

Most merphen in Finley's position would have resisted Arilya's forced friendship, but not Finley. He did not really like her hanging out with him constantly, but he did not hate it either. It was easier to spend time with her than not.

Theyteased her, played tricks on her, and in general did their best to break herspirit. But she would not let them andFinley had to admire that about her. So,he let her prevent his "loneliness."