A Fisherman's Tale: Dorian Drake Chapter 5 - Samheen 3

[Shaeliana]

Bundled in a blanket, the shivering blonde watched as her husband got the fire going and soon was crouched in front of the yellow warmth. After the icey feeling had thawed from her fingers, she placed the kettle of water on the fire to heat and took out the teapot, readying it with tea leaves.

"Flooding?" she replied to his comments about the weather. "It floods way up here?" Glancing about the room, she wondered what they would do with the feather bed. She'd never considered the danger of flooding before. Outside, the storm roared and crackled, maintaining its intensity. Ceramic teapot filled with hot water to steep, she set it on a nearby chest and turned to Dorian.

"Do you want some tea?" Reaching behind her, she pulled out a cup for tea pausing to see if the fisherman would want some too. "And where do you go? I mean if the tide comes up and it floods... where do you go?"

Finished with her cleaning routine, the cat paced around the couple, meowing occasionally, then finally rubbed herself up against the fisherman.

OOC: And I applied your birthday stars to your sheet. Be sure and put a post in the Character Sheet Request Forum.. the stars thread there, on how you wish them to be applied for your 2nd character.

[Guest]

Dorian, cheap to the core, let her have the tea. "You can have the tea," he said. "The cold doesn't bother me. It never did, unless it was really cold. Doesn't flood this high too often - I remember two times, and I've lived here most of my life. We take the money and the gear we can carry, nothing too heavy, the nets if there's time. We go into town, and get as high as we can, tie up and hold onto the nets. And wait."

He was not bothered by ill fortune - though if it was directed at him, as in the Drowned being bothersome, then he was going to get shirty about it. Floods happened. He settled in, letting her bask in the fire, and petted the cat. "We take the teapot, the nets, the cat, the bucket, the money and the hooks, the gaff and the knife." he said. "A blanket if we can, but the mattress stays. If it's a slow flood I might fetch the boat, but there's a risk of Drowned coming along in the storm like this." He considered something, which took a while. "Hope the family by the beach knows the tide may be big," he said. "Maybe I should go warn them."

OOC: thanks

[Shaeliana]

Grinning at her husband's willingness to let her have the tea, though there was enough for both and then some, she nodded and thanked him for thinking of her comfort. It did feel good going down, sending goosebumps all over her as it began to warm her from the inside as the fire continued to melt the ouside.

"Mmmmm," she hummed in pleasure as the warmth trickled down into her midrift, looking up in alarm as Dorian rattled on about the possible flood. Suddenly the cat lept away from the fisherman to the door, pacing in front of the door meowing.

"Drowned?" she asked, a hint of fear in her voice. "Why would drowned come outta the lake just 'cause it's up? Do they really... eat people? Like the townspeople say? I always thought they were just made up stories!" Her gaze went to the gray cat, now pawing at the door.

"And why is cat actin' so strange?" The blonde patted her lap trying to coax cat to her. "Here kitty. You don't want out there dear. It's wet!"

But the cat ignored the girl, continuing to paw at the door as if she wanted out while the storm outside raged on, the wind blowing against the shack violent enough to the make the walls shudder slightly.

"What d'ya think she wants, Dorian?" a small frown creased her forehead.

[Guest]

"Aye, drowned eat you, or take you down with them to make you their kind," said Dorian. "Storms make 'em active."

At the cat's pawing, and Maranda's question, his response was, "Dunno.....but I reckon to take a look," he said, and pulled on his wet breeches, tying them with the rope belt and tying on his rope sandals. He left the knife, for Maranda, but took the gaff. "I'll go find out - you stay here. And don't open the door for naught but me."

With that he opened the door and headed out with the cat, shutting the door behind him. The storm was a rough one, and the waves were full of shadows and foam. It might flood; it just might. He set off to see what the Cat felt was so important.

[Shaeliana]

Tying the blanket around her slender form, leaving her arms and shoulders free, she took the knife and moved against the back wall, all thoughts of the warm tea replaced with visions of creatures rising from the waters to drag her down with them. Not anxious for her husband to go out into the storm and possibly face them, she held her tongue and nodded at his instructions. Clearly he'd dealt with the drowned before and knew what he was doing.

As the door opened the fierce wind blew a cold spray of water through the opening as the cat streaked outside hugging the side of the building. It didn't take the fisherman long to discover what was up. He'd no sooner stepped outside than a hand clamped down on his arm and he heard the voice of the merman he'd seen in the lake previously.

"There is little time. You have the rings? Gather the female and come, but quickly. You must hurry before it comes," the thoughts came in a flurry of anxious emotions before the merman turned loose of Dorian and looked behind him into the cabin for the blonde.

Out on the lake, a large dark water spout had formed and seemed headed for the shore. Cat had disappeared. Wind blown rain pelted at the fisherman's skin feeling more like small pebbles than droplets of water. The merman touched his arm again.

"We must away now!" he said forcefully, then turned and headed towards the water, stopped at the edge and turned as if he expected Dorian to be following him.

[Guest]

Dorian nearly whipped the gaff around to strike the mer, but restrained himself upon realising it wasn't a Drowned going to kill him. He shouted in to Maranda, "We have to go - make sure you're wearing that mer-gifted ring ! Come on - just take the knife and your dress, you can put it on in a moment !"

He went inside to dash the fire out with water from the bucket, not yet thinking longingly of the crabs he'd meant for dinner, and snatched up the plank as Maranda scrambled about, to grab the rings from the dead man and as much coin as he could - a handful - before slamming the plank back down and running out toward the water. You simply could not part Dorian from his hoard entirely, he had been raised to be exceedingly tight-fisted. Rings he could wear; coin was more difficult, but he was not above swallowing it for safekeeping if he had to. He set the plank back and hoped what was left would be left when he returned. "COME ON MARANDA !" he yelled, above the wind and storm. He'd carry her out naked if he had to.

[Shaeliana]

The sight of the merman in the doorway brought the blonde away from the wall, shielding her eyes from the blowing rain as she checked out his feet. At her husband's insistence, she ran over to her chest and threw it open, searching for her ring. As beautiful as she thought it was, she didn't don it for common daily wear, afraid she might lose it. Finding the small wooden box that held what few pieces of jewelry she had, she took the ring out and slipped it on her finger.

Inside the box was the necklace Dorian had given her of lovely sea shells woven together. Having come from the sea, she didn't think the sea could hurt it and so she slipped it over her head. The gift was more precious than the gold in the ring to her. As Dorian finished fetching his treasures from the floorboard and moved to the doorway, she began to gather up her clothes, grabbing her chemise and skirt and bodice. She clutched them to herself with one hand while the other grabbed up the knife. Still wrapped in the blanket, she stepped outside into the driving rain.

The spout had moved much closer to shore by now, the trees on the shore bending over precariously to almost touch the ground with the gale force winds. The water was choppy and rough, large waves pounding further up on the shore. Out in the waves nearly chest high, the merman stood waiting for the pair, occasionally eyeing the advancing water spout.

Blonde hair dripping down into her face, Maranda stopped at the edge of the water and stared at it, still clutching her clothes and the knife to her chest. A wave crashed in and swirled around her legs, tugging on the blanket as the current went back out. The girl took a few steps backwards from the violent waves. Dorian had said his ring allowed him to breath underwater and so she knew there was nothing to fear, but still the idea of being covered in the raging storm waters sent a shiver up her spine and settled like a rock in her stomach. Right now, all she wanted was to run back into the shack where it was dry.

A small note of hysteria in her voice, she looked at her husband, shaking her head. "I can't! I can't swim in that! It's too rough and I'm scared!"

[Guest]

"Trust me !" shouted Dorian, above the wind and surf, as he jammed the dead man's rings on his other fingers for safekeeping. "The current will be strong so don't swim against it, swim acrost it !" He made an executive decision and grabbed her arm, pulling her bodily toward the water, reclaiming the knife and putting it in his rope belt, as she fumbled with clothes. Why women wore so many clothes was beyond him, but he only wore clothes at all because pockets were handy and people made comments if you went around nude.

And jumped in with her, holding the gaff straight up and down for safety. Making ready to divest her of her bulky garments should they bog her down too much. Being naked was better than being dead.

[Shaeliana]

Mesmerized by the waves, the blonde didn't resist her husband's pull on her arm as he led her out into the raging waters. About knee deep, the wet blanket kept wrapping around her ankles, causing her to stumble, nearly loosing her footing with the force of the waves. Attention diverted by her struggles with hiking the blanket up to keep her feet free, they were out to where the merman waited before she fully realized it. In the water, the mer had reverted to his marine form and only his head and shoulders bobbed up out of the water. One bluish hand slipped out of the water, landing on Dorian.

"There is a shelf here that drops off sharply. The current will be strong at first but soon we will be below them into the quiet of the under waters," he instructed, waiting to be sure the fisherman understood, then dove out into the deep, his tail sliding beneath the waters last. A large wave crashed in and hit the couple, covering them and knocking them off their feet.

Caught in the rolling current, Maranda managed to fight her way to the surface long enough to gulp a breath before the waves yanked her back under, pulling her out to the deeps. Panic caught the girl as she held her breath and fought with the blanket which seemed determine to keep her from moving, dropping her armful of clothes in the process.

She wanted to scream, wanted to find Dorian, desperately wanted to find the surface and sate her oxygen starved lungs as her hands tore at the tie that held the blanket around her. The current did roll her into the fisherman, a fact she wouldn't have realized except when they made contact, she could sense his thoughts and feelings.

Dorian felt the fear and panic as his wife fought to free herself and kick her way to the top, felt the growing resignation that she was not going to succeed, her surprise when she touched him and felt his thoughts, the joy and hope that followed.

[Guest]

Dorian lacked the imagination that brought fear to many; he was a simple soul, and when he trusted someone, it was with his whole heart. He felt a pang of loss at her losing her clothes - women set great store by such things - but losing some fabric was better than losing one's life. He kicked hard, holding Maranda's hand and diving. When she was more sure of herself, he'd set her hand on the long gaff and start swimming down into the deeps. The cold did not bother him, and he felt oddly at home. Very at home. Away from the storm.

Everything would be all right; it was safer down here than it was on the surface, right now. He was away from the storm, which had been starting to give him the heebie-jeebies. Bad storms sometimes struck a powerful memory, or the reminder that he had lost something, been hurt and alone. He had trusted the Mer because he knew to trust the Mer; they were of the water.

He followed the Mer, swimming beside Maranda, his thoughts milling and scattered with half-remembered images of rocks, sun, the fur of seals, and the water. But he was not afraid, and even pleased to break down below the current into the dark, still waters. And immediately started thinking about what there was to eat down here. Never did get dinner. And they would have been tasty crabs. But he kept following the Mer, checking to be sure Maranda was keeping up. They weren't out of the woods yet, so to speak; there could be Drowned, stirred up by the storm. Annoying, troublesome, but - also familiar to Dorian.

[Shaeliana]

Though breathing underwater took some getting used to, the panic left the girl and she kicked her feet as Dorian had taught her in an attempt to help propel them along. While the water seemed cold, she wasn't cold, almost as if something surrounded her, protecting her from the cold depths. Holding to the gaff tightly, she tried to see where they were going, but the lack of sunlight above left the waters dark and she couldn't really even see the Mer ahead of them until he stopped, waiting for them to catch up.

They had gone far enough out and down to be out of the worst of the turbulence the storm had caused. Ahead of them, lurked a very large shadow, vaguely visible in the murky waters. As they approached, the mer touched them both.

"An angmuir waits to take us to the mer city. It is too far to swim. Angmuir are large, but peaceful creatures. Have no fear of him," the blue man explained before leading them towards the large dark shape hovering in the water. As they drew closer, a mer was with the the black creature, holding onto some sort of harness strapped around the mount's chest. It had half a dozen hand holds that the merman led them to and touching them, urged them to hold on.

Supressing a giggle, only barely, the blonde grinned and held onto one of the leathery like hand holds as the mermaid smiled at the two visitors and showed them how to strap themselved to the harness. Once they were all aboard, the creature started to move. Surprisingly smooth, it picked up speed and Maranda found herself holding on tightly as she was swept out away from the beast by the current. Sliding down the harness to her, the merman pulled her close the the angmuir, tightened the belt around her middle and showed her how to tuck her foot into another of the holds to stablilize herself.

In her mind, she heard the mer's voice or thoughts, though it sounded like a man speaking. Dorian heard him as well, "The rings allows you to hear me without touch if we are near each other. The rings will also allow you to speak to one another and keep your bodies from becoming too cold. It is ancient magic that is rarely used in these times. It will be a while before we arrive. Try to relax and enjoy the ride," he smiled and worked his way back up the harness, belting himself in beside the mermaid who appeared to be driving the beast.

Around them, a large school of fish swam with them, surrounding the angmuir and it's passengers. Giggling again, Maranda looked over at Dorian wondering what he was thinking.

"Do ya think they're takin' us to the Mer city? Now? And why now?"

[Guest]

Dorian vaguely remembered these big things, remembered....swimming with them. He had settled in to ride quite readily. "I'm sorry you lost your frock," he said to Maranda. He knew not to touch the fish nearby, they were pets, but immediately thought of his belly again. A nice fish would fill in handily. "I think we're going to the city. I don't know why, now. I have some questions I want to ask....." he trailed off, his own thoughts a miasma of scanty memories and remembered fear and pain, of the storm that had brought him to Old Drake.

"I hope our shack don't get washed away. That shack's been standing a long time." Old Drake had gotten it from his father......and Dorian had gotten it from his father. "Or my boat," he added. He didn't have many worldly possessions, but the ones he had, he truly needed. But then, Dorian took losses with more aplomb than most. "Nothing much I can do about it if they are," he added, and promptly left it lay there.

[Shaeliana]

Bubbling excitement barely contained, the blonde smiled at Dorian and shook her head.

"Don't worry bout my clothes. I'd probably had ta have shed them down here anyway. Dresses have an annoyin' habit of floatin' up. This way, I don't have ta fuss with em and the mer don't seem ta notice," she shrugged and grinned. "And I know you don't mind me like this!"

Fascinated by the underwater spectacle, the schools of fish and the mer with them, Maranda's eyes took it all in, occasionally commenting to her husband about one thing or another. But the dark water kept them from seeing too much and eventually the initial euphoric excitement died down to a comfortable anticipation as the angmuir sped them through depths of the lake. Finally, a bit bored the girl wrapped herself securely in the harness and drifted off to sleep. They'd awakened early to go beach combing and there wasn't much to keep her awake right now, she reasoned figuring Dorian would likely do the same.

A full mark later, a soft glow became visible before them, growing quickly in intensity as the beast sped through the water towards it. Warm and reminiscent of the glow of bright coals after the flames of a fire were gone, the light wasn't glaring and it almost seemed to dance and waver before them. Slipping back down to the couple, the merman smiled at the sleeping blonde and looked at Dorian.

"We approach the city," his thoughts traveled to the fisherman. "Our home for ages past; the queen lady your arrival awaits and welcomed as our guests we make you. First, however will be teaching. Things you must not touch or handle will be shown. Forbidden or poisonous to your kind they would be. Coverings easier to navigate in water we will provide and nourishment you surely have need of by now. Your female you will tell when she wakes?" he motioned his head at Maranda.

As the mer made his way back to the neck of the angmuir, ahead the light continued to increase and now the fisherman could begin to see what looked like spires reaching up from the ocean depths, beautifully elaborate towers of soft pastel pinks, blues, greens, peaches and creams. The closer they got, the more of the elaborate details of the coral grown city became evident.

[Guest]

"I and she will respect thy ways," said Dorian, slipping into the language he only half remembered. There was more to that litany.......but he'd forgotten it. He was too curious to sleep, but also woke Maranda so she could see the full beauty of the city as they drew near to it. At last, he was thinking, at last, I may have some answers........

[Shaeliana]

Coming awake with a start, not fully realizing where she was, the blonde underwent a moment of panic until she remembered that she could breath down here. It didn't take long for the glow of the city to catch her eyes and she scooted closer to Dorian, all full of ooooo's and ahhhh's as they began to enter the edge of the city. Here, they began to see life of all sorts, sealife of amazing colors and shapes, tall treelike fronds that waved gently in the water looking very much like trees blown by the wind.

And mer... the mer were everywhere, large ones and small ones. Mermen and merwomen and bashful merchildren peeking out from behind family or fronds or towers of lavish coral. Here the beast began to slow and they approached a smaller tower with a large opening in the side. Pulling up to the tower, the angmuir stopped and the two mer motioned for Dorian and Maranda to follow them. Still not at home in the water, the blonde had some difficulty propelling herself along with the ease of even Dorian, much less the mer, but they were patient as they led the two humans through a maze of intricate towers to a large open space.

Surrounded by the columns of artfully grown coral, the center of the space was dominated by a huge half shell that looked very much like an oyster's though the blonde had never dreamed of an oyster that size.

"Would ya look at that Dorian!" she grabbed his arm in amazement. "Have ya ever seen anything so.... so...." she ran out of words and just stared at the phenomina, easily as far across as two of her with her arms stretched over her head. Around the shell were smaller shells that almost appeared to be seats.

On one side of the shell, an adult mermaid reclined, long strands of soft seagreen hair drifting around her lazily. The merman escorting the humans, sang out something which drew the merwoman's attention and a singing reply back. Closer, her beautiful face had a more mature, a more serious look perhaps. Smiling gently, she took both Dorian and Maranda's hands and held them to her chest.

"Welcomed be to Merluina'thor," came the soft silky sound of her voice, a voice filled with the sound of music though she wasn't singing. "Do'nai is that I am called. To show you how it must be is my duty," she smiled and bowed her head slightly. "And pleasure. Our thanks to your escorts," and with a nod of her head, the merman made a peculiar swinging circular sign with his left arm and swam off the way he'd come.

"Questions you must have, of a surety. Ask them you will first, then onto what is and what is not go we will next." Turning loose of their hands, she smiled. Her blue skin seemed darker and grayer than they had seen thus far, not a pale ghostly sky blue at all but more like grayish blue storm clouds. Golden yellow eyes danced against the blue color almost with a light of there own, eyes that seemed ageless and yet ancient at the same time.

Maranda couldn't stop staring at everything, the merlady, the stage of sorts, the pastel towers that surrounded them a soft glow. Though she knew it rude, she could not tear her eyes away. This was beyond her wildest dreams and she drank it all in, a silly grin plastered on her face. All the millions of questions she'd had before seemed to have run away leaving her.. speechless.

[Guest]

Dorian, raised by the cheapest and most sensible man anyone knew, got down to brass tacks in a heartbeat. His first thought was, big clams, mighty tough, might be pearls but who can eat pearls and -I am hungry-. But he remembered....vaguely....that there were words he had to say to respond to her offer. She looked a lot smaller than he thought she would....or maybe he had last seen her when he himself was a lot smaller. "Thee art kind beyond reckoning, thy majesty is the soul of grace, and thy wishes are as....as....my....." he faltered, his memories scattering like mice with the lantern lit. "As.....my commands."


"Who am I ? What am I ?" he asked instantly. "I know I was found as a young boy by the fisherman Nate Drake; he raised me as his son, and he was the father I knew and respect. But I have dreams of seals and sealskins, rocks and waves, and I don't act like other Men. And I speak a language that I only half remember." Unconsciously he was speaking it now, and the calm blue eyes sought out the merlady's without fear.

"There was a storm," he added, "A terrible storm, and I was lost, and found by Old Drake. There was more, but I have forgotten, and I want to remember."

[Shaeliana]

What sounded very much like a soft chuckle rumbled from the merwoman as she smiled and nodded to the fisherman.

"Full of many questions, indeed and answers will come. First things first for poor hostess I have been. Introductions and feeding yearning stomaches will come first," she bowed her head to the two.

"Liag'clagh I am called," she raised her head and held out her hands palms up. "You are called by what now, ennoil?" she looked at Dorian. "And your female? What name is given to her?" she asked as she let her fingers slip through the blonde's flowing hair. Blushing, Maranda wasn't sure what to do and looked at Dorian, whispering.

"What am I supposed to do?" she thought to him.

"What you wish," the merwoman voiced back to her, again accompanied by a soft chuckling sound. "Rules you will learn, but with me yourself is permitted to be." Her attention was diverted by several mermen who approached from behind them, carrying nets attached to a ring. Pausing to wait for a nod from the merwoman, once she gave it, the attached the ring to a coral stand and withdrew.

"Filling noisy middles now," Liag'clagh smiled and gestured to the nets. "Nourishment this is. Food of humans tastes. Cloitheag," she pointed to a large back of shrimp tails.

"Mealg," she gestured to something that looked like small balls of fish and greens shaped together.

"Carrickeen," which was a net full of lakeweed. "Also we bring water tubers and squid small ones." Reaching her hand into one net, she drew out a long pale tuber and began to munch on it.

"Fill emptiness, pleased we will be," she smiled and waved them to the nets of food. Maranda looked at Dorian hesitating a little, then reached in for a tuber, tasting it gingerly.

[Guest]

Dorian Drake replied, "I am called Dorian Drake, and this is my wife, Maranda Drake."

He was completely not shy about getting some food, but wondered where the little herrings were. There ought to be herring or minnow, he liked them, and it was not unknown for him to slurp them down whole out on the boat. He peeled a few shrimp for Maranda, as well, and settled down to the balls of seaweed and fish, with a few tubers in for good measure. The seaweed and fish combination wasn't unknown to Maranda, it was just that Dorian didn't bother much beyond putting the ingredients into the pot to cook. Shaping them attractively was too much like work. Once he had filled his belly - which he did without any sort of thought that he might be thought greedy, it was a Drakist thing not to turn down food - he returned his full attention to the Merlady. She was someone high up, mickle important, he knew that much, but there the thoughts drifted and tangled.

Dorian did not worry about his shack, or boat; they either survived, or they didn't, and he was here now. He was very centered on the here-and-now, because of his natural simpleness and his upbringing by Old Drake. What was now was now, what happened later, you dealt with then.

But he did want to know what was going on. "And, why did you ask us here ?" he asked, immediately taking up where he left off.

[Shaeliana]

Hesitancy gave way to relish as the blonde tasted the shrimp, smiling broadly at her husband.

"Oooo, good!" she thought to him as she reached into the net for more. "Talking and eating at that same time too!" she winked. "This is great!" As they ate, the merwoman nibbled along and began to address Dorian's questions.

"The Rein'voir wished that you be brought. Her purpose in this, I do not know, was not told. Why now is likely because of the evil that moves above. Again darkness stirs the land and the waters. Fear there is, that darkness will become free once more." Looking over at Maranda, she smiled as the blonde took some squid but after a few chews began to look a bit ill and definately not happy.

"Hard to choose new food but if you find what is not pleasant, rid yourself of it. Scavenger fish clean up what you wish not," she explained as she reached out her hand to stroke the blonde's hair again. Smiling weakly, Maranda spit the chewy flesh into her hand as inconspicuously as she could and pushed it behind her. Like a trained puppy, a long dark fish swooped forward and snatched the half chewed morsel and without pause swam back out away from the shell area.

"Many questions you have I am not able to answer, ennoil! That you are more than you seem I believe to be true or never would you be brought here. Reasons why you here are or why Queen Mother wishes your audience have not been told me. My place is teacher and questions you have of our people and their ways I can answer," she smiled and finished off the tuber she'd been munching on.

"Things you must know in the presence of our Rein'voir and those I will teach. Things you must not handle in Cathair, poison they are to your kind and those I will teach first once stomaches are quiet." She waved a hand and from somewhere behind her a pair of mer emerged from behind a column of pink coral and settled down near Liag, opened their mouths and began to sing. Last bit of tuber held to her lips, Maranda froze as the sound started and her hand dropped as she looked at the two in surprise.

Never had she heard anything like the almost magical sound that came from the mer, filling her with a sense of longing but also a sense of peace and repose. The total effect was very enticing and mesmerizing.

"It's what I feel when I lay in Dorian's arms," she thought to herself before realizing her thoughts had carried to the others and she glanced at the merlady with a blush and a gaze of wonder at her husband.

"Were you.. I mean are you a mer, Dorian?" she cocked her head slightly to one side. "You are so good in the water, such a swimmer and all even without a tail."

[Guest]

"Don't know what I am," said Dorian, glancing down to his webbed toes, visible inside the rope and tar sandals. "I know I'm not like other men, that I didn't start out like any landbound son of man. I lost those memories....in the bad storm I told you about. They come back a little at a time - mostly seals, rocks. Once a little girl, that I knew, in a sealskin. Seals are rare in these parts. I'm clumsy on land, the further inland, the worse it is; I don't feel cold like others and I don't mind being wet. And I know of Mer, more so than even Old Drake, who spent more time on the water than most men did."

He was less entranced by the singing; he'd heard it before. But at Maranda's admission of the pleasure they shared together, he reflexively reached out to her and settled a gentle hand on her arm. "I love you." he said, and it was admitted freely.

[Shaeliana]

Moving over to snuggle against her husband, the blonde kissed his cheek, "I love you too, Dorian." Laying her head on his shoulder, it was all she could do to not kiss him passionately on the lips. Figuring it must be the singing and blushing at her reaction in front of the merwoman, she fought the urges and felt sadness mixed with relief when they stopped.

"Very.... lovely," she remarked, her body trembling after the experience. She could see where the myths about sailor's lured to their death when they heard the song of the mer. Liag pulled herself up from a more or less seated position and smiled.

"I can see you enjoyed it," she motioned for them to follow her. "Come ennoil, tour the city we must. Much to see there will be. With patience I will go knowing your kind is less at home in water and swim slowly." Off she headed keeping careful track of her students, showing them the city, warning them of possible dangers such as getting too close to the newer coral which still had razor sharp edges and could even be poisonous. Close to what must have been the center of the city was a huge structure, a large dome formed of interlocking arches of coral.

"Center of who we are, this is Cabar'ceilidh, place of meetings and home of our Queen Mother. Father last summer was slain. Tradgedy it was and people still mourn his death. Now evil wakes. Death and waking are tied. Future the people fear," she said, almost in a voice that was distant as if she were not really talking to them, but voicing her own heart. Pausing, she looked at them and smiled.

"But for that is time later. Later inside will be shown as well. Grand it is and proud we are of Cabar'ceilidh. Now, we learn what actions around Rein'voir are proper. First meeting, eyes down must be until your name the Mother speaks. After, you will greet her thus: "Wise thinking, Wise actions your rein follow oh god chosen one, fair leader of the Mer. Health and wholeness enrich your years, Queen Lady of the lake." Touching both on the shoulder, she began to usher them away from the large dome.

"Formal speaking done, you may address her as Caghter and ask what you will. Ancient she is and wise. Answer she will have but not answers for all things. Ways of the land dwellers are strange to us and though darkness stirs there and here, we do not know much of the darkness that spreads on the land."

Swimming along as she talked, she had ushered them to a chamber of sorts, made of a light colored rock shot through with streaks of color and bits of gold. A warm comforting glow filled the cavarn and there was a large shell on the ground filled with sand. Off to one side was one of the ring-table devices with nets hanging from it.

"Resting place for waiting on the Queen Mother. Told you are here, she will call for you when time is right. Food is here if hungry you grow, even small herring still swimming for our friend, Dorian if he chooses," she grinned at the fisherman. "None were earlier as tales say land folk eat food dead."

"Rest, cover on shell will keep Dorian and Maranda from drifting away. Close to keep you in and block out light. Come someone will, when ready we are to take you to the Mother," and with a parting nod and smile, she swam out of the cavarn leaving the blonde and the fisherman alone. Hardly waiting for her to get out the entrance, Maranda swam to Dorian, wrapped her arms around him and kissed him hungrily.

OOC: Sorry these have been sooo long! I am trying to cover the basics without dragging them out too badly with shorter posts where you don't have much to do. They shouldn't be such volumes once we get you to the queen.

[Guest]

Dorian responded with equal fervour, since he was fed and not worried about life above the waves at the moment. There was only so much worrying he planned on doing in one day, and he'd done it - for all of a moment. Worrying didn't change anything, and he didn't need to bother with it.
Especially since Maranda seemed mighty pleased to be here.

But this time, Maranda knew what was going on in his head, which was largely a series of joyful comments and pleasant observations of his wife. And this time, he could tell what she wanted ! Without having to guess ! Twined together as lovers, he was absolutely oblivious to anything else.


OOC: Sorry these have been sooo long! I am trying to cover the basics without dragging them out too badly with shorter posts where you don't have much to do. They shouldn't be such volumes once we get you to the queen.

OOC: NP. Glad to be getting such big posts !

[Shaeliana]

Caught up in the thrall of the mer's singing, the bouyancy of the water and her ability to read Dorian's thoughts all added blissfully to the pleasure that flowed between the blonde and her husband. Dorian's thoughts about her brought a soft blush to her cheeks while making her heart throb excitedly in response as she opened herself to him, her only thoughts of making him happy. It was a wild circle as each tasted the pleasure of the other which served to increase the passion in the other.

Without the changing light to guage the passage of time, neither had any idea how long they kept up the exhilerating dance. When it ended, sated and content, they settled into the sand filled shell, exhaustedly happy and fell asleep in one another's arms. As they drifted off, Maranda's thoughts were full of her love for Dorian and the wonder of this time they had together.

Much later, a small mermaid with chestnut brown hair flowing down to her tiny waist, hesitantly swam into the area looking for the pair. Seeing them asleep, she smiled and attached a bag with things to wear near the shell and quietly swam back out. Some time later, she returned and seeing the couple still asleep, left again and yet a third time arrived, frowned and left to get Liag. Within moments, the merlady entered the cavarn and swam over to the couple entwined as they slept. Smiling, she thought out to the couple.

"Time to wake, ennoils," she said softly. "Meeting time with the Rein'voir. Awake, cover bodies with clothes Sinya brought and come talk to her worthiness." Still smiling, she coaxed the two to wakefulness as she reached for the bag of clothing and pulled out something small and pink for Maranda and something a medium blue for Dorian. The blonde stretched, taking a moment to admire her handsome husband and lover with a soft sigh before rising to take the pink garment from the teacher with a questioning look.

"Designed to cling to the body it is. So floating up in water it will not," she explained as she helped the blonde step into it and wriggle it up over her hips stopping once it was covered her boyant breasts. It reached from breast to the tops of her legs, leaving them free to kick and swim. Athough it was snug against her body, it didn't restrict her movements at all. Dorian's was similarly fashioned but much shorter, obviously only designed to cover his hip area.

While they dressed, Liag retrieved the bag of food and offered some to them before they would head off. Ravenous for some reason, Maranda reached in and grabbed some fish and lakeweed along with a small tuber.

"How long did we sleep?" she asked, receiving a knowing smile from the merlady.

"Sleep? Hard to know how much time you spent sleeping, but left here alone for nearly a full tide you were," she winked at Dorian and the blonde.

"Now, eating so we can be going! Remember the greeting you must give?" she questioned them both. "Once greeting is completed, the rest flows easily. Both well will do. Feel it I can," she nodded as she started to usher them out of the cave.

[Guest]

Dorian wasn't bothered by being naked; in fact, he merely shrugged and put on the clothing, so as not to upset anyone. But the sandals he left off; it was easier to swim, what with his webbed toes, without them.

He knew the tides, though, and automatically figured that it must be night time, above the waves. "It's nighttime, Maranda." he said, or rather, thought. And ate heartily, until shooed off by the mergirl. Time to talk to the one who could tell him everything...or nothing, as it pleased Her.

He remembered that Mer did what they willed, and though he felt that there was some sort of agreement he should know about, he could not quantify it in any way with his jagged memories. He could remember Old Drake muttered about Mer taking this or that, but he could also remember many days when their nets were full and others went empty. He himself had made many grumblings about Mer stealing lobsters but had never made it plain, and considered it a sort of fee for fishing their waters, when you got right down to it. (but to Not Grumble....would not be Drakish.)

It was a give and take, and no one won the better deal with the Mer, not when you were there on their sufferance. Manners, he was thinking, there are a whole set of manners I should know.....I almost know....I almost remember.........

[Shaeliana]

This trip to the Cabar'ceilidh was not leisurely in fact, the merlady seemed a bit rushed merely nodding at the mermen that were out front as she led the two humans inside. The inside was as magnificent as the outside, tall arching pillars of various shades woven together into a wonderously intricate design that both enticed and confused the eye.

However, there was no pause to examine anything, not even when they passed through what must have been the throne room with a gem studdied dias that was dazzling producing a soft gasp from the blonde as they were ushered on through and taken to a small side room. Inside, while the area had plenty of space to not feel cramped, it also had a cozy feel, a sharp contrast to the vast room they had just come through.

Against one wall of the room, a large highly polished shell sat, its rainbow colors vivid from the polishing. Perched atop a pedastal of some sort, it had been formed into a large chair of sorts. The room was decorated with long silky looking fronds of soft green vegetation looking ever so much like curtains the blonde thought. On the chair, draped in a relaxed looking pose sat a very lovely merwoman, golden yellow hair billowed behind her in cascades of curly tendrils even here in the water. Large bright blue eyes looked up at their arrival and plump rose colored lips smiled.

"Welcome," she said, her voice soft like a summer's breeze but full of music and mystery. Grabbing her husband's hand and pulling near him, Maranda swallowed hard trying to force her heart down out of her throat as she searched for the greeting they had been taught.