Therin’s tail had returned to its typical relaxed state, and the rest of his body was at ease. It might have had more of an impact if Wrell didn’t continue to look so threatening beside him, not that he could help it.“We have traveled far to seek help from the Scarus tribe. We require nothing more than words and knowledge.”
“You dishonor the Scarus by breaking the agreement to give our people freedom to live away from the evil that has permeated the other tribes.”
I glanced at Therin out of the corner of my eye, afraid to look away from the merman’s spears for more than the briefest of moments. Therin neither seemed surprised nor offended by the words.“We mean no dishonor. We do not wish to break any agreements or promises offered by our ancestors. We only seek to help our fellow tribesmen that have been stolen. We had hoped your tribe may have wisdom that may be of assistance.”
For the first time, the merman’s spears drooped to a more relaxed position. Not enough that it made me want to not keep my fire at the ready, but better than nothing.“Your tribes have had mers that have been taken?”
Therin nodded solemnly.“Yes.”
“Stolen by humans?”
“We believe so.”
The same image Wrell had shown me so many weeks ago of Ventait, the redheaded merboy, entangled in nets and being pulled aboard a boat, caused all four of us to pause.
At the expression on the Scarus merman’s face, I nearly asked if the vision looked familiar but caught myself in time. Hearing from the human-looking creature with no tail probably wouldn’t help our cause.
Therin was apparently in the same frame of mind as I.“Have you had Scarus mers that have suffered the same fate?”
The merman looked like he was considering answering when his eyes flitted behind the three of us and his spears returned to their aggressive position.
I knew what I’d see before I turned to follow the merman’s gaze. Sure enough, Lelas had rounded one of the smaller mountains a few hundred feet away. She paused as she took in the scene playing out before her.
I saw her turning and swimming away as fast as she could, darting back behind the safety of the foothill. I wondered if Wrell had let the Scarus merman see the vision or if he’d been able to just communicate his directions for Lelas to the three of us.
She was far enough away the movement was barely discernable. The only betraying factor was her swaying hair as she shook her head at Wrell’s suggestion. She swam slowly toward us, her form growing larger and clearer the closer she got.
It took all my power not to tell her to go back, but I was afraid of how the merman would react.
A large school of bright-yellow fish swam in between us and obscured Lelas’s face for a hearetbeat, and then she was with us. Her expression was neither afraid nor hostile, not that I could imagine Lelas ever looking aggressive.
She paused as she pulled up beside me. She didn’t look over but reached out and lightly touched the side of my arm with her fingers.“Do not answer in words, Brett. I speak only to you. I assume, from the look of things, that no hostility has transpired, only the posturing of males?”
I nodded slightly, despite Lelas’s atypical judgmental tone.
She cocked her head slightly at the Scarus merman.“Very good. He does not seem to follow through on the threats he promises.”
She started to swim past me, and I reached out, clasping her upper arm.
She turned only slightly.“I am in no danger. I will be careful.”
When I still didn’t let go, she arched a brow as if to ask if I really wanted to go there with her. I released her arm grudgingly.
Lelas swam forward a couple more feet before stopping, still much closer to the three of us than the merman. She held out both palms in the same manner that Wrell had visualized secones before.
Both Therin and Wrell had flared their fins once more but remained stationary, ready to act if Lelas needed them but trusting her to not act rashly.
When at last I tore my eyes off Lelas and lifted my gaze to the Scarus, I wasn’t overly surprised that the man’s spears were nearly parallel to his sides. I couldn’t imagine anyone who could hold a weapon on Lelas. There was nothing threatening about her. However, wouldn’t she be the perfect distraction to put the enemy at ease while someone rallied for an attack? It seemed strange that a warrior out on guard duty would be so easily convinced of Lelas’s pure intention and allow himself to be distracted in such a way.
“We mean no harm, warrior.”Lelas’s tone was soft, yet held a firm note of authority.“We come only to ask for wisdom that may help our people.”
The Scarus slowly sank down from his lofty height above us in the kelp. His spears hung loosely in his hands at his sides. He paused once he was level with us before he drifted toward Lelas with a couple of light flicks of his crescent fin. When Therin and Wrell bent simultaneously to retrieve their weapons, the merman paused in his approach and raised his spears back into position.
Lelas looked behind her and smiled.“I am fine. In this instance, your weapons will lead to our undoing, not our safety.”
Both men hesitated but complied. Wrell stayed tense, his quills trembling with adrenaline, ready to rush toward her at the slightest danger.
After a moment, the Scarus returned his attention to Lelas and began to swim toward her once more.
