astonishment.
“I don’t know any mermaids; I only know Kreewhite. He’s a merboy,” Marco replied.
“I think you’re about to meet a mermaid,” Glaze answered, pointing out into the water. Two figures were swimming towards them through the strengthening rainfall. One appeared to be Kreewhite, while the other was clearly a female. As Marco made identification of Kreewhite, a curtain of heavy rain moved over the surface of the water and the visibility decreased dramatically.
Marco and the others edged backwards, seeking protection under the trees before the heavy rainfall reached them.
“Marco!” Kreewhite’s voice called, as the merboy reached the watery edge of the beach just as the heavy rain did. “Marco, come meet my mother!” he called.
“Come on,” Marco urged his companions, and they all ran down into the shallow water, holding their arms protectively over their heads, and achieving no real success.
“Marco, this is my mother; Mother, this is Marco, the boy with legs who helped save my life! He’s the one who fought against the sorcerer,” Kreewhite introduced.
“Kreewhite!” Marco blurted out, suddenly remembering his later battle. “I fought the sorcerer again, in a different city, and I killed him!”
“You ended his life? You are a hero!” Kreewhite said joyfully. He splashed water high into the sky in a spontaneous celebration of the end of the man who had threatened and frightened the merboy so badly. The splashed water disappeared among the drops that were falling wantonly upon all those at the meeting.
Kreewhite’s mother noticed the discomfort on the faces of Glaze and Porenn. “Perhaps we can invite your legged friends into our home, Kreewhite,” she suggested. “I do not know that they are as used to the waters of the world as we are.”
“Marco, that is our house over there,” Kreewhite pointed out into the cove. “Would you like to come inside?”
“Yes please,” Glaze spoke up quickly.
“Here,” the mother said as she and her son rolled over in the water, “Grab hold of our shoulders and we’ll take you to shelter.”
Just minutes later the whole group floated in through the doorway and finally found relief from the falling rain, as they settled into the main room of the home. There was furniture, a number of platforms that were shallowly located just a foot below the surface of the water. Kreewhite and his mother each floated upon such platforms, and Marco and his friends sat upon another, the water covering their legs and rising up to their waists.
“Thank you,” Porenn spoke first when the humans were settled.
“May we offer you something to eat or drink?” the mother asked.
“Yes please, both,” Glaze spoke up immediately.
“We have fresh water from the stream on the island, right behind you,” she pointed. The three visi tors turned to see several coconuts with fibrous rope handles hanging on the wall they were resting against.
“Take them down and drink,” Kreewhite urged. “We can refill them after the storm finishes.
“We have some snacks as well,” the mother slithered off her platform and disappeared through a doorway in the small structure, then returned by the time Marco had unhooked and distributed three of the coconuts. She had several compressed green ovals in her hands, and she distributed one to each of the guests.
Each of the humans looked at them curiously. “Go on, try them,” Kreewhite urged. “They’re elchids.”
“What are they?” Marco asked.
“They are a traditional food among our people. We make them mostly from seaweeds,” the mermaid explained. “I cooked them just a couple of days ago.”
Marco cocked his head in surprise. “You cook?” he asked. “Over a fire?”
“Yes, we use fire to cook,” she answered with a playful smile. “Is that so surprising?”
All three humans nodded their heads, then Glaze began to nibble on the leafy oval.
“I don’t know any mermaids; I only know Kreewhite. He’s a merboy,” Marco replied.
“I think you’re about to meet a mermaid,” Glaze answered, pointing out into the water. Two figures were swimming towards them through the strengthening rainfall. One appeared to be Kreewhite, while the other was clearly a female. As Marco made identification of Kreewhite, a curtain of heavy rain moved over the surface of the water and the visibility decreased dramatically.
Marco and the others edged backwards, seeking protection under the trees before the heavy rainfall reached them.
“Marco!” Kreewhite’s voice called, as the merboy reached the watery edge of the beach just as the heavy rain did. “Marco, come meet my mother!” he called.
“Come on,” Marco urged his companions, and they all ran down into the shallow water, holding their arms protectively over their heads, and achieving no real success.
“Marco, this is my mother; Mother, this is Marco, the boy with legs who helped save my life! He’s the one who fought against the sorcerer,” Kreewhite introduced.
“Kreewhite!” Marco blurted out, suddenly remembering his later battle. “I fought the sorcerer again, in a different city, and I killed him!”
“You ended his life? You are a hero!” Kreewhite said joyfully. He splashed water high into the sky in a spontaneous celebration of the end of the man who had threatened and frightened the merboy so badly. The splashed water disappeared among the drops that were falling wantonly upon all those at the meeting.
Kreewhite’s mother noticed the discomfort on the faces of Glaze and Porenn. “Perhaps we can invite your legged friends into our home, Kreewhite,” she suggested. “I do not know that they are as used to the waters of the world as we are.”
“Marco, that is our house over there,” Kreewhite pointed out into the cove. “Would you like to come inside?”
“Yes please,” Glaze spoke up quickly.
“Here,” the mother said as she and her son rolled over in the water, “Grab hold of our shoulders and we’ll take you to shelter.”
Just minutes later the whole group floated in through the doorway and finally found relief from the falling rain, as they settled into the main room of the home. There was furniture, a number of platforms that were shallowly located just a foot below the surface of the water. Kreewhite and his mother each floated upon such platforms, and Marco and his friends sat upon another, the water covering their legs and rising up to their waists.
“Thank you,” Porenn spoke first when the humans were settled.
“May we offer you something to eat or drink?” the mother asked.
“Yes please, both,” Glaze spoke up immediately.
“We have fresh water from the stream on the island, right behind you,” she pointed. The three visi tors turned to see several coconuts with fibrous rope handles hanging on the wall they were resting against.
“Take them down and drink,” Kreewhite urged. “We can refill them after the storm finishes.
“We have some snacks as well,” the mother slithered off her platform and disappeared through a doorway in the small structure, then returned by the time Marco had unhooked and distributed three of the coconuts. She had several compressed green ovals in her hands, and she distributed one to each of the guests.
Each of the humans looked at them curiously. “Go on, try them,” Kreewhite urged. “They’re elchids.”
“What are they?” Marco asked.
“They are a traditional food among our people. We make them mostly from seaweeds,” the mermaid explained. “I cooked them just a couple of days ago.”
Marco cocked his head in surprise. “You cook?” he asked. “Over a fire?”
“Yes, we use fire to cook,” she answered with a playful smile. “Is that so surprising?”
All three humans nodded their heads, then Glaze began to nibble on the leafy oval.
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