Thump, thump, thump.
"Your cousins know all about your adventures. You two are legends at court --"
"ACK!" Serena and Buffy chorused.
Thump-thump-thump-thump --
Mom threw open the door. Water and a single fish washed in on them. Mom grabbed the startled fish and held it in front of her face. "What the hell do you think you are doing, Thomas?"
"Warning?" the fish squeaked and gasped. "Down, down, down!"
Mom let go.
Splash.
A young man rose where the fish had been. He wore a tunic and pants but no boots. He was, of course, as soaked as the rest of them and giving little fishy gasps. When Selena started to say something, he held up his hand to stop her. Fish scales fell off his fingers.
"This is your cousin Thomas, Serena. He's from the shape-shifting side of the family."
"A poor relation," Thomas added and stood up straight. Thin, dark curly hair, dimples. How close of a relative, she wondered. "I can only shape-shift to a fish. Not helpful usually."
He also had a nice smile.
Buffy bit her on the ear. Mom turned away and coughed. Serena felt her face go red, and Buffy snickered. Serena dropped her in the water. It didn't make her any wetter, but she sputtered in surprise.
"Thomas?" Mom said.
"Oh, sorry, Aunt Lidana. I heard Princess Risha say she was sending a storm at you, but that was not the worst. She almost caught me, so I didn't dare stay and try to learn more. And the king is unsettled about something, so I couldn't go to him."
"Unhappy about us coming to the palace?" Mom asked.
"I don't think so," he answered and sounded sincere. "His worry has been building since last year. And there have been more messengers from the West than usual. I think something is going on."
Mom nodded in agreement just as Captain Vane -- Dad -- arrived. He gave Thomas a startled look.
"I should have expected you, Thomas. It is that bad, is it?"
"Serious enough," Mom replied. "We are not wanted at court."
Serena looked in surprise as Dad laughed. Mom gave him a stare that would have sent Serena to her room as quietly as she could have moved.
Dad stared her down. It was interesting to watch, although it made Serena and Buffy nervous. Thomas, though, didn't seem to know any better.
"The storm was the first attack," Thomas pointed out again. Mom and Dad both looked at him, startled. "I don't know what the next problem will be, but maybe the two of you could --
"Whales ho!" voices shouted from somewhere on deck.
"Damn," Dad mumbled.
And then all of them headed for the deck. Just as Serena arrived, she saw something huge heading straight at them. It hit with a wood-shattering crunch that sent everyone flying. Instinct alone made her grab Buffy as they tumbled into the water amidst all the dangerous debris. Serena couldn't get her barrings, and even up and down looked the same.
If it hadn't been for a familiar-looking fish nudging her in one direction, she and Buffy might not have made it to the surface. The fish, who must have been Thomas, splashed his way back into the water.
The last vestiges of the storm were still strong, the wind kicking up waves, foam, and debris. A plank hit her shoulder, and Serena grabbed it. Buffy dug the claws of her right paw into the wood, but she did not let go of Serena with the other.
Serena tried to find sight of any of the others, all the while dreading that she would find someone dead. Instead, she heard something peculiar.
A loud, cackling laughter filled the wind. Serena had thought it was a gull at first, but then she saw a circle of light moving back and forth over the water as if looking for someone. Was that someone looking for her? She tried to turn the plank in that direction --
And Thomas popped up in human form to stop her.
"Not that way. They sent the storm and the whales. I think they took everyone else, too. I don't know where, but it might be better if you two don't go with them."
"How?" Serena gasped.
Thomas looked around and then nodded behind her. "There's a rowboat upside down. There should be some air trapped under it. I'll get you close and wait until the circle of light gets close before you go under it. Stay there until I come back -- or until you don't have enough air."
"Thomas --"
"No time."
He caught hold of the plank and dragged them as fast as he could toward that small spot of safety -- if it was enough cover. Where were the others? Who was after them?
They reached the boat and waited. Then they ducked under cover just as the light reached their area. The glow filled the water around them but not under the boat. Serena pulled her legs up as best she could, and Buffy dug claws into the wood. Neither spoke.
Fish darted in and around her, odd faces looking up as though wondering what kind of fish she might be. The light still swept around and gave her a mesmerizing view of shapes and colors she would never have imagined.
Thomas slid under the overturned row boat as well. Buffy hissed and grumbled as she dug claws into a piece of the wooden shell and pulled herself out of the water. Then she clung to the wood like a demented, long-furred, wet bat.
The surrounding water glowed. Serena held her breath as it lingered too long. Then, it finally moved on, but not too far.
"Can't stay," Thomas whispered. "Use too much air in this form."
"Be careful," Serena whispered and wished she didn't feel so panicked.
"I won't go far." He smiled. "Just another fish in the sea."Thump, thump, thump.
"Your cousins know all about your adventures. You two are legends at court --"
"ACK!" Serena and Buffy chorused.
Thump-thump-thump-thump --
Mom threw open the door. Water and a single fish washed in on them. Mom grabbed the startled fish and held it in front of her face. "What the hell do you think you are doing, Thomas?"
"Warning?" the fish squeaked and gasped. "Down, down, down!"
Mom let go.
Splash.
A young man rose where the fish had been. He wore a tunic and pants but no boots. He was, of course, as soaked as the rest of them and giving little fishy gasps. When Selena started to say something, he held up his hand to stop her. Fish scales fell off his fingers.
"This is your cousin Thomas, Serena. He's from the shape-shifting side of the family."
"A poor relation," Thomas added and stood up straight. Thin, dark curly hair, dimples. How close of a relative, she wondered. "I can only shape-shift to a fish. Not helpful usually."
He also had a nice smile.
Buffy bit her on the ear. Mom turned away and coughed. Serena felt her face go red, and Buffy snickered. Serena dropped her in the water. It didn't make her any wetter, but she sputtered in surprise.
"Thomas?" Mom said.
"Oh, sorry, Aunt Lidana. I heard Princess Risha say she was sending a storm at you, but that was not the worst. She almost caught me, so I didn't dare stay and try to learn more. And the king is unsettled about something, so I couldn't go to him."
"Unhappy about us coming to the palace?" Mom asked.
"I don't think so," he answered and sounded sincere. "His worry has been building since last year. And there have been more messengers from the West than usual. I think something is going on."
Mom nodded in agreement just as Captain Vane -- Dad -- arrived. He gave Thomas a startled look.
"I should have expected you, Thomas. It is that bad, is it?"
"Serious enough," Mom replied. "We are not wanted at court."
Serena looked in surprise as Dad laughed. Mom gave him a stare that would have sent Serena to her room as quietly as she could have moved.
Dad stared her down. It was interesting to watch, although it made Serena and Buffy nervous. Thomas, though, didn't seem to know any better.
"The storm was the first attack," Thomas pointed out again. Mom and Dad both looked at him, startled. "I don't know what the next problem will be, but maybe the two of you could --
"Whales ho!" voices shouted from somewhere on deck.
"Damn," Dad mumbled.
And then all of them headed for the deck. Just as Serena arrived, she saw something huge heading straight at them. It hit with a wood-shattering crunch that sent everyone flying. Instinct alone made her grab Buffy as they tumbled into the water amidst all the dangerous debris. Serena couldn't get her barrings, and even up and down looked the same.
If it hadn't been for a familiar-looking fish nudging her in one direction, she and Buffy might not have made it to the surface. The fish, who must have been Thomas, splashed his way back into the water.
The last vestiges of the storm were still strong, the wind kicking up waves, foam, and debris. A plank hit her shoulder, and Serena grabbed it. Buffy dug the claws of her right paw into the wood, but she did not let go of Serena with the other.
Serena tried to find sight of any of the others, all the while dreading that she would find someone dead. Instead, she heard something peculiar.
A loud, cackling laughter filled the wind. Serena had thought it was a gull at first, but then she saw a circle of light moving back and forth over the water as if looking for someone. Was that someone looking for her? She tried to turn the plank in that direction --
And Thomas popped up in human form to stop her.
"Not that way. They sent the storm and the whales. I think they took everyone else, too. I don't know where, but it might be better if you two don't go with them."
"How?" Serena gasped.
Thomas looked around and then nodded behind her. "There's a rowboat upside down. There should be some air trapped under it. I'll get you close and wait until the circle of light gets close before you go under it. Stay there until I come back -- or until you don't have enough air."
"Thomas --"
"No time."
He caught hold of the plank and dragged them as fast as he could toward that small spot of safety -- if it was enough cover. Where were the others? Who was after them?
They reached the boat and waited. Then they ducked under cover just as the light reached their area. The glow filled the water around them but not under the boat. Serena pulled her legs up as best she could, and Buffy dug claws into the wood. Neither spoke.
Fish darted in and around her, odd faces looking up as though wondering what kind of fish she might be.
The light still swept around and gave her a mesmerizing view of shapes and colors she would never have imagined.
Thomas slid under the overturned row boat as well. Buffy hissed and grumbled as she dug claws into a piece of the wooden shell and pulled herself out of the water. Then she clung to the wood like a demented, long-furred, wet bat.
The surrounding water glowed. Serena held her breath as it lingered too long. Then, it finally moved on, but not too far.
"Can't stay," Thomas whispered. "Use too much air in this form."
"Be careful," Serena whispered and wished she didn't feel so panicked.
"I won't go far." He smiled. "Just another fish in the sea."
No comments:
Post a Comment