Deciding to let her be, I paused and allowed other mers to swim past. It was enough to be at the back of the small group. So many of the mers had been nothing but background figures, but suddenly each stood out like key members of the cast of my life. These few people, mers, were going to be my family. Were my family. I guessed it was high time for me to start acting as such.
Two of them toward the rear of the group caught my eye. Both had long brown hair, the mermaid with a little more reddish tint than the merman. Both with green tails—hers a bright emerald, his a mossy hue. Their clasped hands drew my attention. I hadn’t seen many physical displays from the mers, so this seemed akin to making out in public. I didn’t think I’d ever noticed either of them before. What was their story? How long had they been together—a few weeks or centuries? Were they planning on having a baby? Hell, what were their names? A whole tribe of mers that I’d not bothered to meet, much less get to know. Uncomfortably, I realized that truth didn’t go both ways. While I may not know anything about them, they undoubtedly knew everything about me, factual or not. How many of them would welcome me like Lelas if I gave them a chance? Or would they be more like Syleen? Even if most of them took Zef’s stance, not exactly open arms but willing to live and let live… I could work with that.
As much as I suddenly felt like I was home, I guess that really wasn’t entirely up to me. I might feel like I belonged, but the majority of the tribe may have other thoughts on that subject.
I felt better when I saw the mermaid turn to her left and look at the mermaid who’d just swum up beside her. I was sure they were conversing, but of course, I couldn’t be certain. I knew who she was talking to! One of the twins who had been on the hunt. Her long dark hair was twisted in a braid that flowed halfway down the length of her deep-blue tail. I almost shot forward to say hello, ready to start becoming a more active member of the tribe, when I realized I wasn’t even sure which twin it was. Worse, I realized that even if I could tell the twins apart, I didn’t know their names. So much for that! I’d gone on a life or death hunt with the sisters and hadn’t bothered to learn their names.
She must have felt my stare, because she turned, and her green eyes scanned behind her. She found me, a brief look of confusion, and then she smiled a tentative smile and gave a little raise of her chin. I smiled and waved back. Waved. Did mers wave? Had I seen one of them do that before? I needed to start paying more active attention. Still, a smile. It was a start.
I fell behind everyone again. It was nice, actually. After all the countless hours I’d spent in the ocean growing up and in my adult years, it was unfathomable to realize that the other side of my family had been near me in some form or other the entire time. I knew there would be a time when I would need to leave, at least for a few days here and there, to go out on my own. There was nothing like being in the open seas by yourself, nothing around you but the ocean and the sea life. I laughed inside. I guess that was part of it, wasn’t it? Mers were part of the sea life, and in essence, so was I. A humbling and freeing thought.
Most of the time, we traveled fairly close to shore. Only once did we make a loop farther out to sea before returning to our shallower journey. I lost track as we swam, simply allowing the ocean to overwhelm my senses, taking my brain and body where it would.
More pondering about my new outlook on my place in this world. Thoughts of Grandma, Finn, and Sonia. Thoughts of Grandfather and my vanished mother. Thoughts of all I’d lost, of all I’d gained.
Mostly, though, I lost myself to the Zen of the sea. The flash of the scales of the mers in front of me and, later, beside and around me. To the pod of dolphins that accompanied us for a while, darting in and out of our midst. I noticed Lelas and a couple of others joining them in their game. I lost myself to the rhythm of the current, at times sweeping us along at a greater speed, other times flowing above or below us. To the pleasantly numbing sensation that only the sea could impart.
Thetribe stopped a few hours before sunset. At Syleen’s instruction, we split up into groups of two or three and spread out to gather things for our daily meal. Lelas and I found each other, knowing at this point without needing to ask that we would pair together for any task. She smiled her lovely smile and inquired about my day. I gave her a pleasantly generic answer but wasn’t ready to delve into my thoughts. It was enough for the moment for me to know I’d found my way. I didn’t need to make a big deal out of it. As normal, we fell into our comfortable silence as we searched out different plants and roots that were edible. As much as I loved and missed Sonia, I had to admit that Lelas’s ability to be in a relationship without constant verbiage and need to discuss every aspect of life was a welcome benefit of our friendship.
Before much time had passed, everyone gathered around the pile of scavenged food. Arriving about halfway into the meal, Wrell, Greylin, and Therin delivered scores of fish skewered on their spears and then joined the group. Another benefit of the hunt, or at least having the hunt completed, was the addition of fish to the meals. The three of them looked over at me as they took their places close to Syleen and Zef. Each of them smiled in a friendly manner but didn’t make any other motion to call me over. The way they looked at me, I was certain I had been a topic of discussion during their hunt. Judging from their demeanors, it didn’t seem to be negative in any way.
After a bit, I noticed the couple who had been holding hands earlier over to my left. Again, they were with one of the twins. Actually, they were with both sisters, who were prying apart a slew of clamshells with their blades, often passing them over to the couple, as they were obviously quicker at the process.
I almost swam over to them. It was time I at least introduced myself formally, especially after all we’d already been through together. I made a motion to head that direction, then glanced around at the crowd around the food and realized every eye would be on me if I did so. I settled back down. It could wait. After all, if I really was home with a bunch of immortal mermaids, I guess time wasn’t that much of an issue. Yeah, that way of thinking was going to be really helpful.
“Are you okay?”
I looked over to find Lelas inspecting me.“Yeah, I’m fine.”
She took a bite out of the belly of a redfish she was devouring.“You seemed to be more filled with thoughts than typical this day.”One of the perks of speaking with your mind was you never had to worry about your mouth being full or needing to stop eating so you could talk.
Instead of answering her question directly, I motioned toward the sisters.“I was actually just wondering their names.”
She craned her neck in order to see them behind my head.“Who? Flain and Rulus?”
“The sisters. The twins, right?”
Lelas nodded.“Yes. Flain and Rulus are twins.”She stopped chewing, her hand holding the remains of the fish falling onto her lap.“Do you mean you spent those weeks of the hunt with them and never learned their names?”There was more incredulity than judgment in her voice, but still…
I shrugged, trying not to look guilty.“It never came up.”
She continued to gaze at me.
“Well, it didn’t. They didn’t come over and introduce themselves to me either, you know.”
“I am certain they know who you are, Brett.”
“Well, that’s not my fault.”
She gave me a look. She motioned to the sister to the far right of the small group.“That is Rulus, the one that has a little bit longer tail. Flain is beside her, obviously.”
Trying to be inconspicuous, I turned and looked at the twins. If Rulus had a longer tail, it was only by an inch or less. I couldn’t detect any difference from here.
“What about the other two?”
She craned her head around once more to see who the sisters were sitting with.“Oh, that is Delphine and Kar.”She looked back to me.“Why? How do you know them?”
“I don’t. I just noticed them on the journey today. They were holding hands as they were swimming. I was curious about their story.”
