through the cracks in the wood. “I can’t believe that man,” I muttered.
John’s heavy footsteps trudged up the stairs. “Let’s be gettin’ this over with.”
“Follow me.”
We made it down to the dock and stopped next to Ladarius. “Thank you for your help,” Ladarius told him.
John crossed his arms and answered with a huff.
“Oh, stop that. This man is going to help get father’s bird back and lead you to his treasure, that of which I’m sure you’ll partake in. Would it be too much to ask for you to display some sort of politeness?”
He slowly dropped his arms. “Aye. But I want to be seein’ the pearls first.”
Ladarius brought a hand out of the water and opened it with his palm facing us. We both moved in, peering closely at the two small gems.
“They are beautiful,” I said. “But I must say, they are not as beautiful as my rose pearl.”
He smiled at the compliment.
“Alright, fish. How will we be doin’ this?”
“Well,” he thought for a moment, “I can pull myself onto the dock and you can take it from there.”
“That sounds like a start,” I agreed.
Not wasting any time, he put his palms on the wooden planks and pushed himself up and out of the water. He looked amazing, the strength of his arms and the gloriousness of his tail. For a moment John and I just stared at him, fascinated.
“I know it’s a lot to take in,” Ladarius spoke, “but I don’t have much time to be out of the water.”
“Oh,” I said as John and I snapped out of our trance. “Right.”
We surrounded him, I on his right and John on his left, and picked him up.
Ladarius put an arm around each of our shoulders. “Do you have me?”
“Aye,” John said easily.
“Yes,” I said through gritted teeth. He was very heavy, especially his tail, and I wasn’t sure if I could make it all the way back on the ship.
We carried him through the fog and stopped next to the ships rope ladder. “I can pull myself up,” he told us.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes,” he said with a little laugh behind his voice. He took his hand away from my shoulder first and grabbed the rope. We watched in awe as he pulled himself up with ease, the muscles in his back working along with his arms to pull the weight of his tail behind him.
“That be a strong merman.”
“Yes, I agree.”
Once he was to the top he pulled himself over the edge and landed on the deck with a thud. I quickly made my way up behind him. “Are you alright?” I asked.
“Yes, but I need some water.”
“Right.” I left him where he was and ran to fetch the pail. By the time I was back at his side John was next to him. “Here is your water.” I knelt down and dunked my hands into the coolness, cupping my palms and bringing an ample amount out to pour over his tail. “There you are,” I said as I gently rubbed it over his scales.
John’s eyes shifted back and forth between the two of us, but he stayed quiet.
After a couple more dunks of my hands, Ladarius raised one of his. “That’s perfect. Thank you, Grace.”
“You’re welcome.”
John and I readied ourselves and scooped him back up for the second round of carrying, scurrying along as quickly as we could. Before making it to my father’s cabin my dress caught beneath my foot and we stumbled, almost dropping him.
“Are you alright?” Ladarius asked, his face filled with concern.
“Yes, I’m fine. I’m starting to hate wearing dresses.”
“I told you not to wear one, remember?”
I looked over at his smiling face and my cheeks reddened.
John rolled his eyes. “Can we be gettin’ on with this?”
I moved my hand below him to get a better grip. “Okay, let’s get him to the cabin.”
We quickened our pace and made it to the door. John knocked against it.
“What be it now!”
“Father it’s us. We have Ladarius.”
“Who?”
I scoffed and kicked the door open. “The merman!”
He sat up in his bed, his eyes wide at seeing the creature in front of
John’s heavy footsteps trudged up the stairs. “Let’s be gettin’ this over with.”
“Follow me.”
We made it down to the dock and stopped next to Ladarius. “Thank you for your help,” Ladarius told him.
John crossed his arms and answered with a huff.
“Oh, stop that. This man is going to help get father’s bird back and lead you to his treasure, that of which I’m sure you’ll partake in. Would it be too much to ask for you to display some sort of politeness?”
He slowly dropped his arms. “Aye. But I want to be seein’ the pearls first.”
Ladarius brought a hand out of the water and opened it with his palm facing us. We both moved in, peering closely at the two small gems.
“They are beautiful,” I said. “But I must say, they are not as beautiful as my rose pearl.”
He smiled at the compliment.
“Alright, fish. How will we be doin’ this?”
“Well,” he thought for a moment, “I can pull myself onto the dock and you can take it from there.”
“That sounds like a start,” I agreed.
Not wasting any time, he put his palms on the wooden planks and pushed himself up and out of the water. He looked amazing, the strength of his arms and the gloriousness of his tail. For a moment John and I just stared at him, fascinated.
“I know it’s a lot to take in,” Ladarius spoke, “but I don’t have much time to be out of the water.”
“Oh,” I said as John and I snapped out of our trance. “Right.”
We surrounded him, I on his right and John on his left, and picked him up.
Ladarius put an arm around each of our shoulders. “Do you have me?”
“Aye,” John said easily.
“Yes,” I said through gritted teeth. He was very heavy, especially his tail, and I wasn’t sure if I could make it all the way back on the ship.
We carried him through the fog and stopped next to the ships rope ladder. “I can pull myself up,” he told us.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes,” he said with a little laugh behind his voice. He took his hand away from my shoulder first and grabbed the rope. We watched in awe as he pulled himself up with ease, the muscles in his back working along with his arms to pull the weight of his tail behind him.
“That be a strong merman.”
“Yes, I agree.”
Once he was to the top he pulled himself over the edge and landed on the deck with a thud. I quickly made my way up behind him. “Are you alright?” I asked.
“Yes, but I need some water.”
“Right.” I left him where he was and ran to fetch the pail. By the time I was back at his side John was next to him. “Here is your water.” I knelt down and dunked my hands into the coolness, cupping my palms and bringing an ample amount out to pour over his tail. “There you are,” I said as I gently rubbed it over his scales.
John’s eyes shifted back and forth between the two of us, but he stayed quiet.
After a couple more dunks of my hands, Ladarius raised one of his. “That’s perfect. Thank you, Grace.”
“You’re welcome.”
John and I readied ourselves and scooped him back up for the second round of carrying, scurrying along as quickly as we could. Before making it to my father’s cabin my dress caught beneath my foot and we stumbled, almost dropping him.
“Are you alright?” Ladarius asked, his face filled with concern.
“Yes, I’m fine. I’m starting to hate wearing dresses.”
“I told you not to wear one, remember?”
I looked over at his smiling face and my cheeks reddened.
John rolled his eyes. “Can we be gettin’ on with this?”
I moved my hand below him to get a better grip. “Okay, let’s get him to the cabin.”
We quickened our pace and made it to the door. John knocked against it.
“What be it now!”
“Father it’s us. We have Ladarius.”
“Who?”
I scoffed and kicked the door open. “The merman!”
He sat up in his bed, his eyes wide at seeing the creature in front of
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