At the Far Waters of Forever

by Stephanie Schaffer

  “No. Somehow, I doubt that Jack mistook your behavior incorrectly,” Marley remarked with dry humor.

  Eddike grinned unrepentantly. “You are right, but this Yuri, you want him? His eyes follow you.”

  “No, I don’t want him,” Marley said with firm denial. “He’s attractive. I admit to mild curiosity, but I do not desire him to pursue me or vice versa.”

  “You are wise. He is self-centered somewhat. If I did not have Jack, I would like Xoc just the same. The Spell Singer is appealing.”

  “You’re attracted to power,” Marley said, stung a little and surprised to find her voice sullen.

  “No. Strength and caring,” retorted Eddike, “are attractive qualities in a mate. I know this.”

  “I am going back to land once I finish my task, as soon as I figure out what it is,” Marley replied, ignoring Eddike’s sally. “I don’t think it’s particularly wise to be pursuing anyone or admiring anyone.”

  “I agree,” Raci chimed in as she exploded from the water to sit on the communal rocks and shook water out of her hair. “Leave our eligible males alone for the rest of us.” Raci handed Eddike some cooked meat. “Here, eat this water snake, it’s good for growing mothers.”

  “Bleh.” Marley made a face, sticking out her tongue and wrinkling her nose.

  “More for me,” Raci said with a shrug. She chewed with obvious enjoyment. Raci swallowed her food. “So are we discussing Yuri or Xoc or Merrvyn?”

  “Merrvyn?” Marley looked at Raci. “Who is that?”

  “Only the best potential mate candidate this side of the world’s waters,” sighed Raci. Her tail did a languid swish from side to side, gravitating and twining in the waves. She propped her chin on Marley’s knee joint. “Dreamy.”

  “You’re drooling on my knee, Raci, yuck.” Marley shoved the mermaid off her knee and the rocks.

  Raci disappeared briefly below the water and then popped back to the surface with a grin on her robust lips.

  Marley asked, “If he’s so hunky, why aren’t you with him?”

  “Hunky?” Raci tasted the word, new to her vocabulary.

  “Very attractive to you,” clarified Marley, who scowled. “I would have thought telepathy would have facilitated communication by making it quicker, easier or just better in general.”

  “Hardly.” Raci’s mouth twisted downward as she said sourly, “Differences in perspective remain. And it’s crushing emotionally to share thoughts with a sexual partner during mating only to hear his thoughts centered on another lady or worse.”

  “Ouch.” Marley winced. “Did that happen to you?”

  Raci nodded.

  Marley cooed sympathetically in response.

  “Your brother croons almost like that,” Eddike observed out loud.

  “You emulate birds well,” Xoc’s voice broke over the small grouping of women. “I commend you on your talent, Marley,” Xoc said with a straight face.

  Confused, Marley said, “What?”

  Xoc’s face remained expressionless.

  Raci let out a giggle.

  “Did you just giggle?” Marley demanded as she twisted her finger in her own ear, as if cleaning the ear canal so she could hear better.

  “Your brother does that, too,” Eddike offered another observation.

  Marley viewed Xoc with suspicion. “Are you teasing me?”

  “Never,” he assured her, eyes gleaming and mouth quirked to one side. He turned to Raci. “Merrvyn wishes to know if you’d like to go with his hunting pod today. He thinks your talents are well suited and offered high praise for your previous hunts.”

  Raci’s movements stilled for the moment. “Yes!” she blurted out, then blushed. Raci swam away toward wherever the hunt was gathering.

  “He couldn’t have asked her using telepathy?” Marley asked, confused again.

  “Spell Singer, you are matchmaking,” Eddike said with a chuckle. She rubbed her round belly.

  “Hmm.” Xoc eyed Eddike’s ripened figure. “Perhaps you should have your child here. I do not like the thought of you swimming back. You are heavy and slow and the child has dropped.”

  “I promised Jack,” Eddike said stubbornly.

  “I will fetch him for you,” Xoc offered.

  “Well, I don’t know.” Eddike paused. “It’s so far.”

  “Jack would walk over live volcano vents to reach you, Eddike,” Marley declared.

  “What if he doesn’t come?” Eddike asked uncertainly.

  “Jack?” Marley asked in disbelief.

  “You’re right. I am being stupid. Please don’t tell your brother I doubted him,” Eddie begged. “I fear this pregnancy has made me emotional. I would be honored, Spell Singer, if you would fetch the father of my child to me.”

  Xoc bowed his head in acknowledgement and swam away.

  Marley watched Xoc leave the group. The injury on his back was healed, but now his back, which rippled with muscled grace and a slight dorsal ridge, was covered somewhat by scars.

  Marley attended Eddike while Xoc was gone. When Eddike rested, Marley foraged for food. Raci often accompanied her and took the time to explain nuances of mer culture as well as shared practical knowledge.

  Marley took to braiding her hair to keep it somewhat in order. Nudity was something that was not offensive or suggestive to this culture and she discovered when she stopped thinking about her own body, she ceased to notice or worry about her own nudity as well. Certainly, she would have been uncomfortable if in speaking to others, they had stared at her breasts, but the only person she ever caught looking at her body was Yuri, whom she had started to avoid. In fact, the merfolk culture seemed to find the tail more erotically appealing and was the source of many of their fetishes. Even Yuri, who eyed her chest, seemed to eye her tail more longingly than her torso.

  “He bothers you?” questioned Eddike, as they broke their nightly fast on the eighth morning since Xoc had left.

  “Who?”

  “Yuri,” Eddike answered with a nod across the Conclave.

  “A little.” Marley refused to say any more. She chewed on some fish. “Shouldn’t Xoc and Jack be back by now?”

  “I had hoped so.” Eddike sighed. “We should not worry. If any have the ability to cross waters safely it is Xoc, with the blessing of Leviathan inherent in his blood.”

  It was late that evening when the residents of the Conclave started gathering with murmurs of excitement. Some of the sentries from outside the Conclave came hurrying in. A strong looking merman with a sculpted physique and broad shoulders swam from the depths. His torso was hugged by a torn black material that Marley recognized as a wet suit with shortened sleeves though the tight material’s zipper stopped at the merman’s waist. His tail was dark green with black markings and powerful flukes. His form, compared to the Conclave’s normal residents, was longer and heavily muscled, resembling Eddike’s build more than anything. He towed an unresisting, limp merman with him. When the newcomer lifted his head, his fierce gaze swept the crowd.

  “Jack!” exclaimed Eddike in tandem with Marley’s scream. They swam forward like a matched pair, pell-mell and without grace. Eddike’s arms were outstretched. Marley recoiled in shock as she reached Jack’s side.

  “What’s wrong with Xoc?”

  Where can Xoc rest? demanded a grim voice blaring telepathically.

  Marley reeled from another onset of surprise.

  “Here, set him here,” said a deep voice. It was Merrvyn, the male Raci liked. They cleared a path to some of the smoother, lower rocks used for reclining. With some help from Yuri and Merrvyn, they gently placed Xoc’s limp form on the rocks.

  Marley and Eddike hurried after the mermen. Eddike flung herself into Jack’s arms, twining herself about her mate.

  A dull flush appeared over Jack’s face and his mouth dropped open in shock. He swung Eddike’s form away from his body, glancing down beneath the water toward his tail.

  Marley started to follow Jack’s glance dow
n when he said, “Marley, eyes up please. I know you’re more used to their casual attitude toward nudity, but some things a sister isn’t meant to see.”

  Marley felt her own mouth drop open in shock and then she snapped it shut as realization set in. “Oh.” Her glance flickered to Xoc, always so careful to have a neutral expression or inscrutable miens and she remembered the first day she had met him and he had set her away from his lower body just as Jack had done now with his mate. She forced contemplation away from those thoughts for now and asked, “How did this happen?”

  “You’re so round, you look like a large pumpkin bomb about to explode, love,” Jack said in a muffled voice as Eddike’s neck had covered his mouth.

  Unwilling to let so little a thing as modesty stop her, the Danish mermaid had enthusiastically welcomed her mate with fierce hugs, only easing back as Jack’s strangled voice begged with strain in his tone, “Eddike, please.”

  “Jack! What happened to Xoc?” Marley demanded forcefully.

  “All I know is that Xoc came back to the mainland for me and offered to guide me out to the Conclave. I rented a boat, one of those houseboat type deals, and Xoc was guiding it. We traveled nonstop along the coast for days, only stopping so I could refuel. We hit just north of the equator and headed east. I had stocked up on extra fuel for the return trip. Xoc actively guided the boat and rode on it when he needed rest in the open water. This storm blew in out of nowhere. I remember the boat lurching on the waves and then sinking. I conked my noggin on something. I remember drowning and hearing Xoc’s voice rise in song. The singing was in my head. Xoc’s eyes turned silver and he started to glow. Then this deep voice, not Xoc’s, rang through my head, and started talking about boons…like that crazy dream I had almost a year ago about someone named Leviathan. I asked if it meant I could still see Eddike and be with her again and our child and, when it said yes, I agreed with whatever it said. Then I felt a wrenching burning pain in my legs, the lower half of my wetsuit shredded and suddenly I had a tail.” He paused. “Now, here I am, as you see me. I’m pretty sure the change is permanent. Been towing Xoc ever since and that voice in my head guided me here during two days of swimming.” Jack gently squeezed Eddike and blew out a harsh breath. “I’m so glad to hold you in my arms again.”

  The fierce love in her brother’s charcoal gray eyes was something Marley found that made her envious. She wanted that for her own. “You spoke to Leviathan.” Marley pondered that event.

  “I did. Yes. How have you been, Sis?”

  Jack held out an arm for his sister and she swam over to feel her own sharp hug. She also shrewdly noticed Jack had kept an eye on his lower body and then seemed to relax when nothing happened as Marley’s tail brushed his fins.

  “How come you have telepathy and I don’t?” Marley complained.

  “From what Xoc said, it sounds like you’re an intermediary, kind of like at my old job where a lawyer works between the criminal and between the cops and court system.” Jack shrugged. “I can kind of hear the babble in the background of all these minds, like the quiet roar of the ocean. Imagine if you had that experience while on land where the population is worse.”

  “I suppose,” Marley said uncertainly.

  “Hey, I had a weird dream last month. You’re on the deed to my house with power of attorney. The selkie, Dante and his wife, Beatrice, are watching the house for me, uh, us.”

  Marley nodded. She went back to Xoc. He lay on the rocks still unmoving. She could see his chest did not rise, but he seemed to breathe. She laid a hand on his hip, feeling his smooth skin. She stroked his tail once, noting his fins were a little ragged and torn. With some irritation, she realized she was the only one hovering over Xoc. Absolute faith in the Spell Singer was one thing, but it didn’t mean that Xoc shouldn’t be cared for, Marley thought, hardly realizing she was swishing her tail with anger.

  It feels…nice to have someone worry about me. Don’t be angry, please.

  Marley looked at Xoc’s face. His eyes, their customary dark green, were open to mere slits and focused on her.

  Your brother and you think much alike.

  “What’s wrong with you?” Marley asked softly.

  Very tired. Drained. The Seafather always demands much for granting a boon and the cost is born by the requestor though it was somewhat less than I had feared, something about payment for Jack Tanner’s actions earlier in life.

  “What did you give up?” Marley asked.

  Not much beyond energy for Jack’s transformation and one other thing. I did successfully negotiate that it was to Leviathan’s Children’s benefit to have Jack number among us. He’s a clear thinker and strong. He brings Eddike, who is also strong. Both possess qualities of a leader and are likely to stay to lead the Conclave. We needed a leader. Also, Jack brings an alliance with another merfolk territory through his mating of Eddike. Leviathan wants a united nation of merfolk.

  “So, Spell Singers are lawyers in addition to all their other qualities.”

  I don’t know that term. I’m going to rest now. Don’t let the silence alarm you. Then Xoc was still again.

  Marley let out a sigh of relief.

  “So what did he say?” Raci’s voice came from Marley’s left.

  “Just tired.” Marley impulsively hugged Raci tightly, who hugged her back.

  Xoc slept for three days. Marley had him moved to a cave where he was sheltered from the elements of the weather and made sure he had food. She also had him cast the spell on her that allowed her to use her saliva to seal the wounds on his fins.

  The Conclave gave Jack his own cave, which he shared with Eddike. After a day of coddling, ever an active person, Jack took an interest in the Conclave. He also thrashed Yuri soundly, which Marley heard from Raci.

  “It was a sight to see. My, but your brother is easy on the eyes and quite the intelligent fighter, too. Eddike glared a few of the bold cooing females away,” said Raci with a laugh. “Yuri was nice to look at, too, but he was clearly bested. Yuri’s slunk off to sulk.”

  “Jack has started to take an interest in overseeing the Conclave. He was challenged once or twice halfheartedly, but he proved his dominance in some physical challenges as well as solved some puzzles.”

  Raci continued chatting to Marley as they both worked on preparing some of the prey Raci had hunted down and killed for food supplies.

  “Oh, no one was hurt, but your brother knows how to grapple, like he’s been trained to take down physically aggressive people with a minimal of hurt to himself and others. He’s started to set up a chain of command and amazingly enough, people are listening. And…Jack is listening to us.”

  “I thought the Conclave needed a leader and that it wasn’t normal for the Spell Singer to lead,” Marley said.

  “Yes, that’s right. Many of the people, after hearing Jack’s story, consider him as affirmed by the Seafather and there aren’t many disagreements. Our elders, such as they are, support him loud and clear. The young upstarts are the challenging ones. Merrvyn is sticking by Jack’s side like a second tail,” Raci confided. She beamed with pride. “And I’ve been assigned as a lead huntress! Me! Apparently Merrvyn recommended my talents and so did the elders. Of course, the accolades of the Spell Singer were lovely as well, but it is so nice to have someone trust me to assist in shouldering the brunt of responsibility.”

  “Why couldn’t you before?”

  “Because the last leader’s tenets still hold until the new leader makes changes. No one wanted the responsibility of being a leader, but they still have to put the new leader through the normal challenges before accepting his dictates.” Raci heaved a gusty sigh and continued her rambling.

  “Do the majority really feel the same?” Marley wanted to know.

  “I believe so.” Raci hummed happily. “Merrvyn is happier—at least his thoughts are satisfied.”

  “Could that be for other reasons?” Marley insinuated with a sly glance toward Raci.

  “Not yet, b
ut soon,” purred Raci.

  On the fourth day, Xoc sat up to partake of the food Marley brought him. He touched her fingertips briefly.

  “I have another journey to make Marley.”

  “So soon?”

  “Yes. I need you to come with me as well. I am aware of Leviathan’s designs. It’s time to start implementing those wishes. The Seafather was clear in his desires. I am to see your world with my own eyes that when I sing, I may convey to the community what I experienced. I suspect that we will need to make a decision as a whole, a unified decision as to whether to interact with the remainder of the world or not. Technology is not something my people are familiar with, but the Seafather thinks an awareness of what is out there is important. I will learn more of his wishes as we journey.”

  “I agree with your deity’s reasoning.” She sat beside Xoc. “The humans on land do not always make allowances for other species or races they perceive as different from their own. I’m afraid the race I come from rarely sees itself as equal to or less than superior to others. I remember reading in the news when our military was doing experiments on sonar and explosions. Later, there were numerous whales found dead on beaches with injuries and fractures to their skulls and these were animals that used sonar. This is one example of how we treat creatures of the sea—without care or concern.”

  “That is horrid. Are there none different?” Xoc said with concern.

  “Well, yes, there are those like Greenpeace and other organizations of similar bent who value the ocean and the races that humans are callous about. There are also nations that managed to exist as sovereign states in their own right within my country who also hold many views that are kinder and more in harmony with nature. And there are others who practice that lifestyle. The problem is, mainstream community is not that way. It may be to your people’s benefit to make contact first with these particular people and then with backing behind your folk, approach the head of the nation of the United States of America, though I don’t know how to do that,” Marley confessed.

  “I have the concern that people will want to study my race and the accord and respect of humanity will not be granted to us,” Xoc confided. “We are alike in many respects and genetically close enough to breed, as Jack and Eddike prove something that now cannot be proven to others because of Jack’s transformation. Unlike yours, his is permanent. The sea is vast in nature, but against what has been built already in terms of technology, that vastness will not count for much.”