Dancing On Ice

The Rip Tide

Aeralie sat on her bed in her quartets; tail pulled to her chest, rocking as she stared at the wall ahead, her mind racing.

They'd taken him. The humans had taken Kazimir out onto land.

They'd taken him away from the sea.

Of course he could breathe out on land but being away from water for too long would exhaust him. How could merfolk last out of water? She had no idea; she'd never known a mermaid or merman to do it.

And his tail!

She had seen all that blood pouring from him, he was so badly injured. She could only be thankful she had only seen red and no silver bleeding out of him.

But it didn't change the fact that he was far from the sea and he would struggle to get home without help.

She had to help him.

It was her fault this had happened.

Her curiosity had got the better of her. She had dragged him in because wherever she went he followed to look after her. She knew that and had always taken it for granted.

Now look!

He had gone somewhere she couldn't follow to look after him!

What did she do?

Her father.

She had to tell her father.

She shot up from her bed as the planned formed then instantly sat back down again.

No, what was the point in telling him? He wouldn't care.

He would be glad to see Kazimir gone – he was convinced Kazimir was the reason behind her interest in the world Above. Deaf to all pleas that suggested otherwise.

All the powers of the ocean and he wouldn't cause a ripple to help Kazimir, he would let Kazimir save himself or be lost.

So who?

Who could help him?

Who matched her father's power?

The answer came as simply as glow coral lighting up.

She looked up, towards the window that looked out towards the dark seas beyond. Drifting over, she set her hands on the sill, looking in the direction of The Rip Tide. An area of caverns that sat deep under the beautiful reef. Close to the surface, a hideous current ran through the water, strong enough to make even merfolk and whales think twice before trying to swim through.

But worse, inside the caverns...

A chill ran up her spine and she pulled back.

She couldn't.

She couldn't go there. There were things even she couldn't do. Swimming between warring ships scared her less than going... there.

Good merfolk didn't go there. Sensible merfolk didn't go there. Those were weren't desperate didn't go there.

She swam back to her bed but couldn't sit.

Because there wasn't another option. Not one she could think of at least.

And was it really so dangerous? If her father went then, sure, maybe, it would go badly but if she went... she just wanted to talk, to ask... blame didn't lie with her after all. It had all happened before her time so maybe...would that matter? Would she risk Kazimir's life by doing such a thing?

No.

No this was Kazimir.

That alone would be enough to turn the tide in her favour.