her.’
Adila sighed. ‘Very well. I will try for
you, Aerlid.’
‘Thank you.’
Aerlid returned to the cave.
Seta’s dark eyes narrowed dangerously. ‘Send
her away.’ she hissed.
‘But she can help, Seta, please, I think I
need help.’
Seta gazed at him darkly. ‘Very well.’ her
eyes flicked to the gemengs. ‘Will she talk to them?’
‘Not unless they approach her.’
‘Will they?’
‘Not if I ask them not to.’
‘Really, Aerlid? That winged one is not a
fool.’
Aerlid rubbed his eyes. ‘Even so. Even if
she knew, Adila would make you a body, if only to let Riley have
hers back.’
‘Are you going to tell her then? And I’m not
sure a body of pure sunlight is what I’m looking for.’
‘Please, Seta, please, let me start with
this? I’ll find you something, I promise. One of Andalla’s men, do
you want one of their bodies?’
‘Hmm… yes, that might do.’
‘Fine. I’ll get one for you. But first,
this. Please.’
‘And somewhere better to live. This is
hardly suitable.’
‘I know. I know. But the world is an empty
place now, I fear I would have to build you a home, I may not be
able to find one.’
‘Then that is exactly what you will do.’
Chapter 14
V ann had been thinking
long and hard about how they might approach this. But tiredness had
taken its toll, he wasn’t sure he was thinking quite right.
Even so, when they were near the cliffs some
of the fish people slipped silently through the waves to
investigate the place Strong Swimmer had been injured.
‘They are still there.’ Zap Zap told him,
once they had returned. ‘And a new one too. A shining lady.’
Riley, so often silent and still, jerked up
at that. ‘Adila!’ she grated. ‘Take me there!’
With more energy than she had ever shown
Riley flopped into the water.
Surprised, Zap Zap quickly took hold of her.
She was staying afloat on her own. But she did not wait. She swam
off, showing signs of Strong Swimmer’s ability, to find Adila.
‘We need to follow her!’ Vann said to Zap
Zap.
Zap Zap said a few words to the fish people
and soon they were all off. When they arrived Riley was on the
beach, and Adila was talking with her.
Adila visibly slumped. She sighed and closed
her eyes for a second.
Vann jumped onto the beach, splashing in the
water. Riley was sitting up in the shallow surf. Her eyes blazed,
but her body was held still and straight. She waited. Zap Zap
joined her in the surf. The other fish people waited further back
in the safety of deeper water.
‘Adila.’ Vann said. Her eyes snapped open.
‘What’s going on? Where’s her body?’
‘Aerlid has done a terrible thing.’ she
sighed. ‘But I can do nothing yet, I must finish this first.’ She
waved her staff behind her. Vann saw some sticks and seaweed
arranged in a human like form.
‘What is that?’
‘I am making a new body, Aerlid led me to
believe Riley was badly injured and needed it. Once it is finished,
Seta, or whoever it is, will leave Riley’s body and she can return.
Though I fear…’ her eyes flicked to Riley and then to the fish
people behind. ‘I fear what has happened to the owner of this
body.’
‘Gone.’ Riley grated. ‘When I… was forced…
here. He is gone.’
And Vann heard grief in her voice.
Adila closed her eyes again. Then she opened
them. ‘I should get back to work. Please, be patient. I will make
sure you are returned to your body.’
‘Wait.’ Vann called. ‘She keeps… we have to
keep talking to her, otherwise she just… it’s hard to make her
respond. I don’t think she can stay here much longer. She hasn’t
slept in days.’
‘That’s not surprising.’ Adila replied,
turning back to them, ‘to go into another body is traumatic enough.
But a body so different from hers, and against her will? She is
losing her hold on it.’ She looked at Riley. ‘You may sleep. I will
bring you back if I feel you drifting away.’
And she turned away again.
Vann and
Adila sighed. ‘Very well. I will try for
you, Aerlid.’
‘Thank you.’
Aerlid returned to the cave.
Seta’s dark eyes narrowed dangerously. ‘Send
her away.’ she hissed.
‘But she can help, Seta, please, I think I
need help.’
Seta gazed at him darkly. ‘Very well.’ her
eyes flicked to the gemengs. ‘Will she talk to them?’
‘Not unless they approach her.’
‘Will they?’
‘Not if I ask them not to.’
‘Really, Aerlid? That winged one is not a
fool.’
Aerlid rubbed his eyes. ‘Even so. Even if
she knew, Adila would make you a body, if only to let Riley have
hers back.’
‘Are you going to tell her then? And I’m not
sure a body of pure sunlight is what I’m looking for.’
‘Please, Seta, please, let me start with
this? I’ll find you something, I promise. One of Andalla’s men, do
you want one of their bodies?’
‘Hmm… yes, that might do.’
‘Fine. I’ll get one for you. But first,
this. Please.’
‘And somewhere better to live. This is
hardly suitable.’
‘I know. I know. But the world is an empty
place now, I fear I would have to build you a home, I may not be
able to find one.’
‘Then that is exactly what you will do.’
Chapter 14
V ann had been thinking
long and hard about how they might approach this. But tiredness had
taken its toll, he wasn’t sure he was thinking quite right.
Even so, when they were near the cliffs some
of the fish people slipped silently through the waves to
investigate the place Strong Swimmer had been injured.
‘They are still there.’ Zap Zap told him,
once they had returned. ‘And a new one too. A shining lady.’
Riley, so often silent and still, jerked up
at that. ‘Adila!’ she grated. ‘Take me there!’
With more energy than she had ever shown
Riley flopped into the water.
Surprised, Zap Zap quickly took hold of her.
She was staying afloat on her own. But she did not wait. She swam
off, showing signs of Strong Swimmer’s ability, to find Adila.
‘We need to follow her!’ Vann said to Zap
Zap.
Zap Zap said a few words to the fish people
and soon they were all off. When they arrived Riley was on the
beach, and Adila was talking with her.
Adila visibly slumped. She sighed and closed
her eyes for a second.
Vann jumped onto the beach, splashing in the
water. Riley was sitting up in the shallow surf. Her eyes blazed,
but her body was held still and straight. She waited. Zap Zap
joined her in the surf. The other fish people waited further back
in the safety of deeper water.
‘Adila.’ Vann said. Her eyes snapped open.
‘What’s going on? Where’s her body?’
‘Aerlid has done a terrible thing.’ she
sighed. ‘But I can do nothing yet, I must finish this first.’ She
waved her staff behind her. Vann saw some sticks and seaweed
arranged in a human like form.
‘What is that?’
‘I am making a new body, Aerlid led me to
believe Riley was badly injured and needed it. Once it is finished,
Seta, or whoever it is, will leave Riley’s body and she can return.
Though I fear…’ her eyes flicked to Riley and then to the fish
people behind. ‘I fear what has happened to the owner of this
body.’
‘Gone.’ Riley grated. ‘When I… was forced…
here. He is gone.’
And Vann heard grief in her voice.
Adila closed her eyes again. Then she opened
them. ‘I should get back to work. Please, be patient. I will make
sure you are returned to your body.’
‘Wait.’ Vann called. ‘She keeps… we have to
keep talking to her, otherwise she just… it’s hard to make her
respond. I don’t think she can stay here much longer. She hasn’t
slept in days.’
‘That’s not surprising.’ Adila replied,
turning back to them, ‘to go into another body is traumatic enough.
But a body so different from hers, and against her will? She is
losing her hold on it.’ She looked at Riley. ‘You may sleep. I will
bring you back if I feel you drifting away.’
And she turned away again.
Vann and
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