was a deeper undercurrent to their connection, more than them both being prisoners.
Then he stood and took a step backward, as though needing to put physical distance between them. "I must attend to my duties, but I could bring you some books to pass the time?"
She couldn't help it, she laughed, the idea of a mermaid reading a book so ludicrous quite apart from the obvious problem. "We do not have books, your markings mean nothing to me."
The frown returned to his too serious face. "Then how do you learn history, pass on stories or poetry?"
Do landwalkers not talk to one another she wondered, that they need to scratch everything down? "Stories are passed mouth to ear."
He made a noise and scratched his chin. "Chess then? I could bring a board."
She tapped her tail against the floor. She wanted to escape, not have some landwalker distraction. What she would give to swim, to power through the water. Her heart ached and struggled with each beat. Yet he seemed to be trying. "What is chess?"
"A game of strategy between two players."
Games. He offered her games. Lethargy took hold of her body, what was the point? It would be easier to lay down and die now, rather than be carved open by a laughing audience.
"Hey," Fenton's whisper drew her gaze. "Don't give up yet."
The tears sprung to her eyes again and she wiped them away. "You will not help me escape."
"I can't. The other men—" he choked the words out.
She waved a hand and cut him off, he was just as powerless. She was a pile of gold, they would never let her go. Better to concentrate on the small acts and perhaps distract herself. "I like games." She tried to smile.
He nodded and swallowed. "I'll send Timmy when he has a break. He has a sharp mind and he can start walking you through the moves."
She drew back at mention of another landwalker. "Not another man."
"Timmy is a youngster and he will treat you with respect." He withdrew as he spoke, physically by stepping backward and a wall seemed to drop between them. His openness of a few moments before, disappeared just as he did.
She wanted to scream with frustration. Above her head came the noise of men, the creak of timbers and the occasional call of a circling seagull. Fenton dissected her prison in easy strokes. She had only to drag herself up to the deck and freedom would be within reach. An expanse of flooring stretched between her perch and the bottom step. The slats were worn smooth by years of feet and cargo dragged along the surface. There would be few splinters to stick her on the way past. How hard would it be to haul herself up the steps?
A sigh rose in her chest. The crew worked above, how could they miss the sight of a mermaid crawling across the deck, hoping to reach the railing?
A light tread on the stairs interrupted her failed escape plans, and made her look up. Small feet in equally small boots appeared followed by a short, slender frame. Sun bleached blond hair curled around a chubby face that still carried puppy fat, although the hint of the man to come showed in the square jaw. The boy had one eye, the other covered up. He stopped on the last step.
"Hello, miss," he spoke softly.
"Hello, Timmy," she replied. She smiled since given the child's hesitance, he seemed to need encouragement to approach. Whatever the species, all young were the same, reluctant and curious at the same time.
He carried an object tucked under one arm and he swapped it to hold in both hands as he took slow steps toward her. "Mr Fenton asked if I would teach you chess."
"You have my full attention." The smile came easier this time, even though her heart sank heavy in her chest. The pressure seemed to build and she coughed to relieve it somewhat. Would death claim her if she just laid down and willed it to come?
Timmy dragged over another crate to act as a table and then rolled over a barrel for him to sit on. Ailin moved herself so her tail sat to one side, out of the way of their playing field and allowed her
Then he stood and took a step backward, as though needing to put physical distance between them. "I must attend to my duties, but I could bring you some books to pass the time?"
She couldn't help it, she laughed, the idea of a mermaid reading a book so ludicrous quite apart from the obvious problem. "We do not have books, your markings mean nothing to me."
The frown returned to his too serious face. "Then how do you learn history, pass on stories or poetry?"
Do landwalkers not talk to one another she wondered, that they need to scratch everything down? "Stories are passed mouth to ear."
He made a noise and scratched his chin. "Chess then? I could bring a board."
She tapped her tail against the floor. She wanted to escape, not have some landwalker distraction. What she would give to swim, to power through the water. Her heart ached and struggled with each beat. Yet he seemed to be trying. "What is chess?"
"A game of strategy between two players."
Games. He offered her games. Lethargy took hold of her body, what was the point? It would be easier to lay down and die now, rather than be carved open by a laughing audience.
"Hey," Fenton's whisper drew her gaze. "Don't give up yet."
The tears sprung to her eyes again and she wiped them away. "You will not help me escape."
"I can't. The other men—" he choked the words out.
She waved a hand and cut him off, he was just as powerless. She was a pile of gold, they would never let her go. Better to concentrate on the small acts and perhaps distract herself. "I like games." She tried to smile.
He nodded and swallowed. "I'll send Timmy when he has a break. He has a sharp mind and he can start walking you through the moves."
She drew back at mention of another landwalker. "Not another man."
"Timmy is a youngster and he will treat you with respect." He withdrew as he spoke, physically by stepping backward and a wall seemed to drop between them. His openness of a few moments before, disappeared just as he did.
She wanted to scream with frustration. Above her head came the noise of men, the creak of timbers and the occasional call of a circling seagull. Fenton dissected her prison in easy strokes. She had only to drag herself up to the deck and freedom would be within reach. An expanse of flooring stretched between her perch and the bottom step. The slats were worn smooth by years of feet and cargo dragged along the surface. There would be few splinters to stick her on the way past. How hard would it be to haul herself up the steps?
A sigh rose in her chest. The crew worked above, how could they miss the sight of a mermaid crawling across the deck, hoping to reach the railing?
A light tread on the stairs interrupted her failed escape plans, and made her look up. Small feet in equally small boots appeared followed by a short, slender frame. Sun bleached blond hair curled around a chubby face that still carried puppy fat, although the hint of the man to come showed in the square jaw. The boy had one eye, the other covered up. He stopped on the last step.
"Hello, miss," he spoke softly.
"Hello, Timmy," she replied. She smiled since given the child's hesitance, he seemed to need encouragement to approach. Whatever the species, all young were the same, reluctant and curious at the same time.
He carried an object tucked under one arm and he swapped it to hold in both hands as he took slow steps toward her. "Mr Fenton asked if I would teach you chess."
"You have my full attention." The smile came easier this time, even though her heart sank heavy in her chest. The pressure seemed to build and she coughed to relieve it somewhat. Would death claim her if she just laid down and willed it to come?
Timmy dragged over another crate to act as a table and then rolled over a barrel for him to sit on. Ailin moved herself so her tail sat to one side, out of the way of their playing field and allowed her
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