Shadows of the Woods

Chapter 12

Jed felt exhausted as he and a group of soldiers swam as fast as they could to the gates. Dark blue shadows marked the soft skin below his eyes, and his lips were set into what felt like a permanent, hard line.

The streets of Gorlan Fay were deserted, but Jed could feel unseen eyes watching him from the windows. The merpeople of the great underwater city were afraid, and they should rightly be. The last time the magical world had been afraid of a disease, The Black Plague had wiped at least half of the mer out. Mer memory was long and vivid, and the news of this terrible, deadlier disease had people seized up with terror.

Jed's group slowed as they reached the great stone arches of the gates. There was a slight commotion there; a group of mer guards wearily restrained an older mer woman, and Jed couldn't understand her garbled pleading until he was close.

"Please, look at them, they are well - "

"Ookami." Jed touched her shoulder gently, and the merwoman turned to face him. Her dark blue eyes were wide and bright with fear, and her pretty, lined face looked panicked. Her silver hair floated like a cloud around her, and her green tail swished in the water frantically.

"Prince Jed!" She bowed low, the top of her head trembling slightly.

Jed rubbed his neck in vague irritation; he hated it when the people called him that, but they continued to despite his displeasure. The soldiers were watching quietly, floating in a loose ring around Jed and Ookami.

"What's the problem, Ookami?" He asked her gently, taking her hands. "You're scaring the surrounding dwellings with your yelling."

"Please, Prince Jed." Her lip trembled, and her hands gripped Jed's painfully. "It's my son."

Jed looked past her to the gates and his heart fell.

The giant, flexible membrane had been pulled tight and secure over the usually open arches. A group of mer guards were stationed beside it, making sure it wasn't broken through or pulled back up, and just beyond the transparent membrane floated a young merman and his wife.

They stared back at him anxiously, clutching each other's hands fretfully. Jed knew the man well; they'd gone to school together, chased eels together in their childhood. Jed gently disentangled himself from Ookami and swam over to the membrane. The guards obligingly parted to let him through, and Jed peered through.

"Nodame." Jed said quietly.

"Jed, please." The man replied urgently. His blonde hair floated into his dark eyes, and he pushed it away impatiently. "Please, look at us, we're fine."

Nodame really did look fine. His pale, broad chest was smooth and unblemished, and he didn't seem to have any trouble breathing or be in any pain. His red tail looked healthy too; none of the scales were missing, and his fin didn't look thin at all.

Jed glanced at his wife. He'd gone to their wedding, but for the life of him, he couldn't remember her name. She looked back at him silently, her blue eyes fearful.

Maybe a little too fearful.

"Why is your wife wearing a breastplate?" Jed asked calmly.

She flinched as if she'd been struck, and Nodame's calm expression flickered to reveal a look of terror. A second later, he was calm again.

"We went to visit relatives over by America." Nodame explained slowly. "You know how dangerous the waters are there. I was just looking out for her safety, Jed."

Jed flipped his tail in agitation and sighed. "Take it off, please."

"Jed, is this necessary - ?"