Water

Wave Sixty Seven

The nest was a flurry of black. With no real leader, chaos reigned in the Warrior herd. Arla, recovered from the stun, demanded to go back to the sphere. A few Mer wanted to go with him. Others refused to believe their tale. Some wanted to flee, abandon the crater and move on. Leira got the impression from the resigned faces that the herd was a nomadic one. Frustrated, Naeco projected calmly.
(Listen.) The authority in his thought stilled them. (Whatever they were, they know we’re here. And they’re dangerous.) He paused, letting his words sink in. (We need to gather our Sources.) His gaze flickered to Leira. (We should wait for the next tide. Sneak in. Then attack!) He roared the last word and shook his fist at the listening Mer. They responded by brandishing their tails and slapping each other’s backs, working themselves into a frenzy. Naeco reached his hand to Leira. Amidst the uncertainty, she began to reach for him.
         
Leira heard a bloodcurdling yell within the confusion. Numbly, she watched as Mira launched himself through the darkness. He thumped into Naeco, screaming his challenge to him. Naeco was thrown backwards. He thrashed his tail, hard. It smacked into Mira and sent him soaring past. He smashed into a boulder and settled at the bottom of it. Leira could see his chest had buckled – Naeco’s tail had snapped his ribs. She waited for him to rise. He did not. Used to violence, none of the others even glanced at the fallen Mer.
(I win,) she heard Naeco think quietly.
                   
Without warning, Naeco scooped Leira into his arms. No one noticed as they slipped through the crowd. She let him carry her into a passage cut into the crater. It opened into a small cavern. Pushing all thoughts of her herd, of her friends, of the events of the day from her mind, Leira let Naeco take her into his arms.  For the first time in many tides, she felt safe.