A Mermaid's Cry

Chapter 12-Appraisals Made

It took a bit longer for me to arrive at Elder Dominique's dressmaking hut. I had to take care to not tear the bandages on my feet, and try my best to avoid snagging the cloth on stones or hidden twigs. Along the way I come across a little stream, the gurgling water twisting past low hanging ferns and sweat smelling flowers.

Finding my mouth suddenly dry, I place the parcel on a rock and drink my fill from the refreshingly cold stream. After I quenched my thirst, I briskly clean my nails and wash away the dried salt from my hair and skin.

I patiently untangle my hair, parting each strand out of each gnarled knot. That done, I brush off my dress and take a quick look in the slightly murky liquid. Satisfied with my clean yet haggard appearance, I pick up the parcel and return to the hidden path and my trek to the village. A place that I detested to be near, including its inhabitants.

On the edge of the brush, I watch children run between Mer laden with baskets. Others carry poles with fish dangling from the the wood. With the young males back, many of them huddle around the tool hut. Admiring spears of every point and length, some are light weight made for small fish. While others are heavy limbed wood, with obsidian tips for hunting sharks and squid.

Others admire them in turn, the many female Mer, ranging from two years my junior to even four years older than I. Girls that on occasion, Grandmother has forced me to interact with. Resulting in one of them falling into a mud puddle, or in one case finding a snake making its way up her arm.

Of course, the offended wimp would always tell her parents and then my grandmother. Then it would be an endless list of chores for me, before being made to apologize to the chit's family with a fresh red mark on my face. Thankfully those days are long since past, the older I got the more chores I took on. Helping the Elders saw to that, and kept me too busy to deal with any of them.

However, there are two that are like me. Of course with parents that let them be happy, and not use them for schemes. The only friends that I do have, shy Octavia and opinionated Adila. Then there is my brother Lucas, brave kind Lucas always ready to explore, and at this time training with Uncle Mordecai to hunt in the rough open waters.

I skirted round the main square, hiding behind branches as I watched the other Mer trade or sell food, tools, and exotic treasures from booths of sail cloth and driftwood tables. Goats rush along the ground, herded by young girls and boys to take them to decent pasture. Chickens peck the ground, while females in flimsy slippers and aprons walk around them.

I continue till I come to the main path that cuts through the jungle down to the beach. I wait patently for the road to clear, as soon as it does I rush across the dirt path and plunge back into the jungle scrub. I keep to the shadows, on silent bandaged feet with my dress hem brushing the ground like a beetle's skittering legs.

As I creep to the back of the dressmaking hut, I stop to admire a small clutch of flowers dripping with late morning dew. Beautiful red hibiscuses, their delicate petals in full bloom and dusted with pollen. Gently, I pluck one of the flowers and cradle it in my hand as I depart the undergrowth and make my way through the back door of the hut.

Quietly closing the door, I breath in the scent of the many flowers hanging from the vines growing along the ceiling. Small white flowers shaped like stars, purple flowers in full bloom, and large orange flowers whose petals dangle just inches above my head.

To my side, two looms ready to turn thread into cloth, lie empty and waiting. The shelves behind them, hold small baskets of needles, yarn, and scraps of cloth. Some durable cotton, others are carefully folded pieces of silk. The rest of the shelves hold small pieces of pearls, shells, and bits of glass or colored rock. Plenty of material to make the many dresses the Elder Dominique will soon begin making.

The old boards creak under my feet as I walk past the looms and tables heaped with sewing. I come to stop when I find the Elder, currently sewing little amber beads onto a dress of dark brown like the lines of a butterfly's wings. The sight of it stops me cold, turning my hands boneless and weak. Only one Mer I know has scales that would match that dress. The sound of me dropping the package, jerks her head up from her work.

"Oh hello dear," Dominique says, smiling up at me before frowning when she sees my frightened face. "I'm sorry child I thought you knew that I was asked by Dalara to make you your dress."

"It's alright Madame," I reply, briskly bending down to retrieve the fallen package.  "It's a beautiful dress."

The moment the words leave my mouth, the front door opens to my mother and her friends irritating laughter. Strolling on in, blonde hair swaying along with her blue dress. My mother at once sets her sights on me, her blue eyes flickering with surprise.

"Hello mother," I begin, placing the package near Dominique's hand and walking up to her."Elder Isolde wanted me to deliver a package to Elder Dominique, and I picked this for you to put in your hair. I remembered that hibiscuses are your favorite."

Her eyes go to the flower, and a wave of what I can call joyful tears appear in her eyes. "Oh Corintha," she croons, stepping forward so I can weave the flower into her wavy locks.

When I'm done, she pulls me into a hug while her two nosey friends watch with hands clasped to their chests. I bask in her hold, happy and content. Until the door opens to reveal Grandmother with a quickly furrowing brow when she sees me.

"Corintha look at the state of you," she scolds, tapping her foot as mother pulls back away from me."Dirt on your dress, hair undone, and nothing on your feet."

Hot shame heats up my neck and face. I tangle up my fingers as she picks apart everything wrong with my appearance. Right down to my chipped nails, and the pollen on my fingers.

"Well I can see that there is much to do with you," she finishes, quickly grabbing my wrist and pulling me out the door. "Now come on dear, we need to get you ready for tonight."

I lag behind as she pulls me through the growing throng of people getting the square ready for the feast. When we get through, she stops and whispers something in my ear that has me shaking with renewed revulsion. "You must be perfect, so that the chief's son can't help but want you."

I silently nod, swallowing the bile climbing up my throat. As she pulls me along, I find myself falling deeper into a haze of hopelessness. Her wish is already coming true, after my kiss with Ares I wouldn't doubt that he already does.