Water

Wave Thirty Seven

Leira burst into the main chamber, desperate to escape the dark tunnels and the grip of Anahita’s hand. Her dark hair swept around her pale face as she drew to a halt. Surveying the room, Leira searched for her friends. The cavern was still teeming. The meeting had been so brief that the Scouts had not left yet for that day’s missions.
         
They were sitting with a crowd of other Scouts, all of them laughing up at Tal who appeared to be doing an impression of falling out of a hammock. He landed on Hali, and she pushed him onto a stocky Mer with dark green hair, the colour of sea moss. The Mer, Sol, did not look happy as Tal’s tail scraped across his, yanking out a dark red scale.
         
Leira swam over, ready to help Tal if he needed it. Sol gaped up at her before running his hand through his shoulder-length hair and bolting upright, causing Tal to fall to the tiles below. Sol grinned at Leira and flexed his arm as he stooped to help Tal onto a nearby rock. Leira cast her eyes down, unused to receiving such attention. She sensed she was beginning to blush, but Nerida came to her rescue by pulling gently on her back fin and indicating a rock nearby.
         
Grateful, Leira settled onto it and watched as Sol and Tal proceeded to tussle nearby. Their play fighting turned into mock-displays, as they began to show off moves of courtship. Leira marvelled at how brash and unreserved they were. Guardians would never even allude to such behaviour which was kept strictly between the two Mer involved. Here, Tal and Sol were openly displaying, trying to one-up each other. Leira had never before seen anything like it. It was mesmerising.
         
Mer displays were an old Herd ritual. They were used for a male Mer to win over a female, especially if she had more than one admirer. Now, in more uncertain times, displays were becoming less frequent as the Mer opted to challenge and fight for their mates. Leira watched as Tal rose up through the water, spinning quickly by flicking the tip of his tail to create momentum. He clasped his arms to his chest to create even more speed and the effect was dizzying.
       
Tal sailed higher as he span, coming close to a cluster of orbs dangling from the ceiling. They shone on to him and he sent shadows dancing across the cavern, his scales reflecting wildly creating a scarlet blur.
         
He stopped suddenly and Leira released a breath she hadn’t even known she’d been holding. Sol smiled and rose to meet Tal. He twisted his back, muscles rippling underneath his skin. Arms extended above his head, Sol leaned backward and curled his tail so he could grasp the tip of it. Without warning, he began to fall down toward the group of Mer, who all watched as he rotated around and around in an endless circle. Just as he was about to collide with them, he unfurled and spread his arms out to the side, gliding over them.
         
Tal’s eyes flashed as he nodded acknowledgment to Sol; Sol grinned up at him. Tal slowly allowed himself to drift upside down, his tail almost brushing the roof of the cavern. His upturned face smiled down at his friends and Leira could see him scrunching up to gather momentum.
         
With a great swipe of his tail, Leira watched as Tal prepared to spring down to them. He started toward them, but was jolted violently backwards. He hadn’t bargained on getting his tail caught in the rope from which the orbs were suspended. The more he struggled, the more hopelessly entangled his tail became.
         
Sol’s laughter roared above the rest as amused frustration stretched across Tal’s brow. He gave a mighty yank and his tail broke free, sending an orb skittering through the water. It sailed slowly in a graceful arc across the cavern where it smashed on the wall.
       
The Mer had stopped laughing now. The silence was so profound Leira could hear the shards of orb-glass fall to the ground, tinkling as they landed. Right next to Firth’s unsmiling figure.
         
It took Firth less time to cross the cavern than it did for Tal to descend from the ceiling. By the time Tal reached them, Firth was amongst the others and he gripped Tal’s wrist to drag him to eye level. Tal’s laughter had faded and he looked wide-eyed at Firth. Firth drew himself up so his chest rose above Tal’s, and Tal quaked, spluttering an apology toward Firth.
         
(One day,) Firth spat, his accent thick with anger. (You had to lie low for one day before your next Test.)
Tal did not reply. Firth continued to rant and Leira watched as the other Mer who’d been sitting with her slink away. Sol shot Leira a wistful glance before departing. Within moments, only Leira and her teammates remained to face Firth’s fury.
         
(Go back to your quarters and get some rest,) he continued to project at them. (As soon as the tide begins to turn, your Test will start.) The Mer paused before him, unsure whether or not Firth had finished venting.
(GO!) he bellowed.
         
Needing no further encouragement, Nerida grabbed Tal’s hand and they followed Hali across the chamber. Leira could not resist sneaking a look back at Firth and was surprised to find Kai drifting next to him. The pair of them were rocking with laughter. Firth looked up and caught Leira’s eye before she could look away. He did something unexpected. He winked.
         
Blushing furiously, Leira followed Nerida’s retreating tail into the antechamber. Hali looked at Leira with curiosity and Leira felt her blush deepen under the intensity of her gaze. To avoid speaking, she shot through the tunnel that led to their chambers and threw herself into her hammock.
         
Giggling, and oblivious to Leira’s need to hide, Nerida threw herself into Leira’s hammock as soon as she entered the chamber. She was soon joined by Tal and Hali, who was still deriding Tal for his stupidity.
         
(We can’t believe you did that, Tal! Sol was just showing off, as usual. But he’s a trained Scout, he passed his Test ages ago. We need to try and behave until we pass!) Tal, who’d regained his composure, scoffed at Hali,
(We couldn’t let Sol have all the fun, Hali. Anyway, if you hadn’t pushed me on to him, then -)
(Oh, here we go, blame me as usual…)
         
Leira tuned them out as they bickered, smiling absently. The thought of Firth’s look was still warm in her chest.
(And what’s Leira smiling about?) Nerida interrupted loudly, disturbing the flow of Tal and Hali’s teasing.
(Isn’t it obvious?) replied Tal. (She’s clearly reliving our display!)
         
Nerida rolled her eyes, smiling as Hali projected,
(We don’t think it was your display, Tal, that caught Leira’s eye.) Tal rolled over and clutched at his heart in mock disappointment.
(If not us, then who?)
(Sol’s display was pretty impressive,) Hali thought to them. (And he didn’t wrap his tail in orb-lights, get stuck in the ceiling, or smash an orb on Firth’s tail,) she projected archly as an afterthought.
(Anyway, we need to rest before the Test later,) Hali projected, still chuckling. Leira joined in with their laughter, happy to let them think she’d been impressed by Sol. But she couldn’t stop her mind from wandering to Firth. She smiled again.