Water

Wave Thirty

Her hammock tipped as Tal breezed past and she felt it rock in his wake. He and Nerida had both been in the sandbasin when she’d arrived back. Neither of them had acknowledged Leira when she’d entered the chamber and headed to her bed. Leira had glimpsed Hali in the main chamber as she’d passed through it. Her teammate had been surrounded by bigger Mer and sitting particularly close to Abe as they’d shared thoughts and laughter. Leira felt Nerida follow Tal from the room and was glad of the solitude.
         
She held up her hands watching the water moss turn red as her blood seeped through it. She continued her inspection and found fresh wounds interlacing with the old scars from her last Testing. Her tail was a mess. Blood trickled between her scales and there were several gaps on her tail from scales which had been torn loose. Leira leaned back into the seaweed and focused on her connection to the Herd. For the past few tides, she’d been constantly attuned to them. She was finding it easier to stay connected whilst keeping them in the back of her mind. She allowed the rush of Herd thoughts to flow to the front of her mind, listening out for any Guardian or Scout news of interest.
       
  (I wouldn’t do that if I were you.) The thought pierced through, interrupting the flow of Herd thoughts. Leira sat up. She knew that tone.
(Seer?)
(Child.)
Anahita’s thought was vibrant and sounded so close, Leira caught herself looking around the chamber. Satisfied that Anahita was projecting from elsewhere in the Nest, Leira picked up on her initial remark.
(You wouldn’t do what?)
Anahita chuckled and replied knowingly.
(Search the Herd for snippets of information about myself. I find when I go seeking news about myself, that it is rarely pleasant. I can only assume the words spoken behind my back, the words I don’t hear, are the agreeable ones.)
         
Leira smiled and blushed. Anahita was right – she’d been listening out for news about herself, and her fight earlier that day. She wondered if Anahita had heard about the fight and was met with another chuckle. Full of indignation, Leira cut the connection. Was there no one on her side? Glowering, Leira closed her eyes, rolled over in her hammock, and waited for sleep to catch up to her.