The Selkie man turned to look at me, "You don't know? Nereids hate Brownies. If one finds you on our ships they are likely to make the ship and all on it sink to the bottom of the ocean."
"Why? What did we ever do to cause them to hate us so much?" The more I leave the Bog the more I realize how hated we are.
"No one knows. They never liked you much before, but about twenty-five years ago things became downright hostile. We lost many ships before we realized what was going on and started refusing Brownies transport." The Selkie finished his preparations and untied the boat from the dock as we started to move out into the bay. "I'm Brehm.”
"Brehm, now that we are on our way, care to tell me how you two know each other?" Ansil interrupted, glaring from me to the Selkie.
Brehm looks at him in confusion, "What do you mean?"
"When we arrived you and Thea both said you as if you had met previously."
"Ansil, we have never met." I put my hand on his shoulder. "He is the Selkie we saw swimming on our way here."
Ansil glared at me, "How do you know that?"
I looked at him in confusion, "I do not know. I just do." Was this another aspect of my talent, or something else?
"Well, I can tell you how I know." Brehm smiled, "She looks the same now as when I saw her an hour ago on the path. Now care to tell me why three Brownies are in the Selkie City looking for a ship to the Fairy Kingdom? Don't they usually bring their own boats to get you?"
Ansil looked to Ortheus, who answered, "We do not know. The Nokee never came to take the message to the Fairy Kingdom that we were waiting."
“Better tie yourselves in, this will be an interesting ride without a Nereid. And it would be nice to know who I am transporting.” Brehm said as he threw us each a rope. He tied his own rope around his waist and then to a ring set into the floor.
I felt my cheeks heat. How embarrassing to forget the pleasantries! “I am Princess Thea,
and these are my guards, Ansil and Ortheus.
“Nice to meet you, now tie down. I do not wish to lose you on this trip. The Netvor Pass is dangerous with the help of the Nereids. Without them, let’s just pray that the Gods favor us.”
“What is the Netvor Pass?” I asked. I could watch the Selkie move for hours, each movement full of grace and in tandem with the rocking of the ship.
“You know nothing of the world, do you little Brownie?” Brehm asked and I felt my cheeks heat. “We cannot travel along the coast and then across the sea because the Brownies have forbidden it and the Nokken will destroy any ship in their sea. So, we must travel through the pass. Living in the past is a sea monster that will attempt to destroy the ship and eat us for lunch.”
I shivered at his words. “But since you are traveling with us, would you be able to travel the Nokken Sea, as others are able to travel the Bog with one of us escorting you?”
He looked at me incredulously. “You really don’t know, do you?”
Ansil stepped between us before I could respond. “The Brownie way is to learn firsthand of the other Kingdoms and races. We do not push our opinions and impressions onto one another, instead letting the actions of the Kingdoms and races speak for themselves.”
He turned and smiled at me wistfully, “Thea is young by Brownie standards, but she is learning who she can and cannot trust.” I looked down at my feet in embarrassment of what I have caused with my lack of knowledge and desire to believe the best in everyone. “I hope that you will honor the Brownie way and not push your opinions on Thea.”
Chapter 12
“Thea, why don’t you stay here with me in the wheelhouse?” Brehm suggested in such a way that it came across as an order as the boat rocked in the rough waves.
I glared at him, debating obeying when another wave crashed against the boat, throwing me into the flimsy side. At least where Brehm was standing there was a small wall that would help keep me in one place. I crawled on my hands and knees until I was to the wall, then climbed to my feet. Brehm grabbed my arm, pulling me into the small wheel house to stand between him and the wheel.
“At least now I won’t worry about you going overboard or having to scream to get your attention.” His breath whispered on my neck, making me shiver. “We wouldn’t want you to fall in. Then I wouldn’t have the chance to get to know you.” he whispered in my ear.
“Hey,” Ansil pulled Brehm away from me, leaving my back missing the warmth of his body. “What do you think you are doing?”
“You Brownies are a little over protective. Is there something I need to know? Is she your girl or something? I thought that having her here would be safer than being tossed around the deck.”
Ansil glared at Brehm. “But it is fine if we get tossed around the deck?”
“Well, you’re just the muscle to make sure she gets to the Fairy Kingdom safely, right? So no real loss.” Brehm turned away from Ansil. Not wanting to see the disappointment in Ansil or Ortheus’ eyes or sympathy or whatever Brehm was feeling, I turned away from the men to look out over the water. It appeared that a few heads were bobbing in the waves.
“Brehm?” I called over my shoulder as I moved closer to the edge, so I could lean over to get a better view. “Who is in the water?”
“THEA!” I heard Brehm scream as a hand reached out of the water and grabbed my hand, pulling me over the edge into the freezing water. I sucked in a deep breath of air seconds before the water covered me. The hand holding me dragged me deeper into the water until a tug around my waist had me stopping. The rope! I am still attached to the boat! Thank God Brehm had told me to tie myself down.
I opened my eyes to see a woman holding my arm with a grip that was surprisingly strong. Her long black hair flowed behind her, her face an angry snarl as she yanked me harder and harder to pull me away from the boat. I was starting to feel like the rope in a tug of war that Jake had shown me a moving picture of.
I could feel my panic eating up the air that I had gulped before going under and as little spots formed in the corner of my vision something happened and the image of the woman merged into the image of the small statue we had found. I don’t know what made me do it, but I reached into my pocket and pulled the small statue out, holding it tightly in my hand, I thrust it at the woman. A look of shock came across her face and she suddenly let go of my arm.
I was quickly pulled away from her, my arm still outstretched, holding onto the statue. Why did I pull the statue out? Why did she look so shocked and stop trying to pull me towards the bottom of the ocean? Was she a Nereid? Da! Why must you make everything so hard with your stupid ideas of how Brownies should learn? Can’t we have schools and lessons like all the other races?
My last thought before losing consciousness was, why did the Nereid wish to pull me towards the bottom of the sea?
I woke to Brehm’s lips on mine as he blew a puff of air into my mouth, I gasped and started sputtering, pushing the Selkie away. My face heated despite the chill I felt from the sodden clothes I still wore. Here I was, a soaking mess, looking like something a oscegryphe dragged in, and he was as close to kissing me as one can get.
“Oy! What are you doing?” Ortheus yelled as he yanked Brehm away from me.
Brehm stood to his full height, which is a good pace above Ortheus’ head. “What do you think I am doing?” He glared at Ortheus, who didn’t back down one bit.
“Well, from here it looks like you are taking liberties with our Princess while she was unconscious.”
“You neejit! I was saving her life. Anyone who lives on the water knows how to breathe for someone if they aren’t breathing. Gives their body and mind a chance to recover.” Brehm turned his back on Ortheus and returned to my side.
“Are you all right?” He asked as he placed an arm around my back and helped me to sit up.
“Yes, but who was that?” I croaked, my throat sore from lack of air.
Ansil passed me a cup of water, “Who? We did not see anyone. One minute you were next to us, the next you we
re over the edge and plummeting into the water.”
I gulped the water down before responding to him. “I did not fall in, I was pulled in. I saw what looked like people in the water. I leaned over to get a better look, when my hand was grabbed, and I was yanked under by a black-haired woman. She pulled me until my rope caught and then tugged on my arm till I thought she would yank it off. For some reason I thought to pull the statue out of my pocket. When she saw the statue, she let go of me so fast, that I raced away from her as you pulled me up.”
“Nereids!” Brehm scowled, his eyes searching the water for any signs of the sea nymphs. “They will tear this boat apart if they feel threatened by us, or I should say you.”
“Me? What did I ever do to them?” I asked.
“That is a discussion for you, them and your father.” He replied as he helped me to stand. “We should be on our way. The pass is ahead, and I do not want angry Nereids to fight as well as the pass monster.”
He looked over his boat and then out into the water, “Ansil, Ortheus? Could each of you take a side and watch for danger? I will keep Thea with me at the wheel. Once we get past through the Netvor Pass, we should have clear sailing to the Fairy Kingdom.”
I expected another outburst from Ansil or Ortheus about the Selkie keeping me safe, but instead they each nodded in agreement, taking their places on either side of the boat.
“Princess, will you come with me? I wish I had dry clothes to give you, but I do have a blanket.” He pulled a blanket out from a little cupboard that was behind the wheel and handed it to me, then he tied my rope very carefully to the rings on either side of the wheelhouse. “I do not want to risk losing you again.”
His eyes held mine for a minute too long, before he straightened and centered himself behind me and whispered, “This would be a nice way to spend an evening on the ocean. Well, without the other two Brownies and the dangers we face. Feels very nice, you in my arms.”
I blushed and didn’t respond, unsure of sure what to say to the very handsome, very smooth talking Selkie.
Chapter 13
“Make sure your ropes are secure and hold on!” Brehm yelled. “We are almost to the pass and the home of the Qalupalik.”
“The what?” I yelled over the crashing waves. The sea had suddenly gotten rough and was tossing me from one side of the boat to the other, the only thing that kept me in was the rope tied securely about my waist.
“The Qalupalik is a frightful sea creature. He resembles the Selkie in our land form, but his skin is green. He has long, pointed teeth and nails and will reach up out of the cave he lives in to pluck you right off the ship pulling you down to his watery grave.”
I shivered at the idea of this creature. “If he can reach that high, he must be huge? Right?”
Brehm’s arms tightened imperceptibly around me. “He is fearsome tall, a giant of the seas. The pass is only fifteen paces at its deepest spot. When he stands there, his eyes come just above the water.”
“How do you get through without getting caught?” I enquired.
“That is where the Nereids come in. They lull him to sleep with fish and song. Then they guide our ships through the pass.”
“So how do we get through?” I found myself biting my lip nervously.
“Be vewy, vewy quiet we are hunting ’palik,” he teased in a forced rasp with a speech impediment that has me holding back a giggle.
“No, seriously. I really do not fancy being dinner for some freak monster.” I replied, looking forward as the pass approached. It was a narrow section of sea bordered on either side by land masses with cliffs thirty paces tall. The water crashed against either cliff wall, the spray falling back into the ocean as a mist that made it hard to see very far into the pass.
“That is why Ansil and Ortheus are on either side of the ship. We will do our damndest between the three of us to keep on a straight pass. That and pray we do not wake the ’palik.”
“Do we have a plan B?” I muttered, my voice wavered as a vision passed over my eyes, as if I was watching things happen minutes before they actually did.
“No, not really. Why do you ask?” Brehm queried, looking down at me curiously.
Ansil must have heard some of our conversation, as he looked over at us, “Thea? Is there something we need to know?”
I bit my lip, remembering what Hades had told me about my visions. Clenching my eyes shut, I shook my head no.
“Scitan! Ortheus, keep a close look out. Brehm, if you have a plan B or any ideas for one, tell us now. Things are going to get bad really fast.” Ansil ordered.
“Princess, what do you know?” Brehm demanded. I shook my head, refusing to speak and a low growl rumbled against my back. “Thea, I don’t know what abilities you have, but unless you can swim and sing under water, you best tell me what you know.”
“I wish I could Brehm, but I can not.” I looked up at him, my eyes filling with tears. “Hades told me to never speak of what I see. I already have let on more than I should.”
His eyes searched mine and I prayed that he could see the truth, he leaned down and kissed me gently. “Then I best make sure that whatever you saw doesn’t happen. I do not want my only taste of your lips to be while saving your life.”
I leaned back against him, searching the seas, hoping for a different future than what I had saw. Slowly we started to move through the pass, the mist preventing us from seeing what was ahead. Ansil and Ortheus took turns calling out directions as we glided through the pass. I felt so safe and secure in Brehm’s arms that I almost forget what we are doing, my mind going into a dream of another pass that we could glide through.
Otheus’s scream ripped me from my daydream, my eyes sprang open to see two large green nails on either side of our boat, pulling the front down into the water. Ortheus and Ansil each grabbed spears that were lashed to the side of the boat, jabbing over the edge of the boat and into the hand the nails were attached to. The boat bobbed back to its correct position in the water as the ’palik let go.
“Right job you did there.” Brehm called, shaking the tension out of his arms. “Let’s hope we can get through the rest of the pass before he tries again.”
“And how much further is that?” Ortheus demanded, not turning around from his survey of the waters.
“Soon. It’s only 400 paces.” As he finished speaking, I could see a change in the mist ahead of us, as if a light was shining through. But we did not move fast enough, and our forward momentum stopped suddenly, flinging us all forward. I was pushed into the wheel, Brehm’s larger and much heavier body crushing me.
“Sorry.” He pushed himself off of me and turned around, his face turning whiter than it’s already pale coloring. “Ansil? Ortheus? Can you come up here?”
I turned to see what had him worried and screamed. A large hand held the boat, crushing the back as he pushed the front into the water.
“Brehm, I think we need to jump and swim for it,” I yelled. “We can not be that far from the exit.”
“I don’t think we can swim that fast, but you’re right. The boat is shot at this point. Keep your ropes around your waist and we can make a chain.” He looked to Ansil and Ortheus, “You got that? I have Thea, you two just get to the end of the pass. He can’t leave here, magic holds him to this one place.”
Ansil and Ortheus nodded their agreement and quickly untied their ropes, falling into the sea. I leaned down, untying mine, only to find there I couldn’t untie it. “Brehm?” My voice quaked, a hint of panic threatened to send me screaming. “It will not come undone. I can not get loose.”
Brehm already had his untied and leaned down to me. “Here tie this around your waist while I try.”
I do as he instructed, then made the mistake of looking behind Brehm and seeing the hand that was crushing the boat had almost reached us. “Brehm! Cut it or jump and leave me.”
“No, not a chance. You owe me a kiss, remember?” He pulled a knife out from his boot and started sawing.
“Princess, you most certainly do. Now hold my hand and on the count of three jump as far out as you can!”
“No chance of a kiss until you get me to land safely.” I said just before we both jumped, hitting the cold water that stole our breathe. I opened my eyes to see Brehm ahead of me. He had half shifted into his Selkie form, the lower half of his body becoming a seal’s hind flipper, pushing us through the water much faster than we would move if he had legs. He pulled me along, his strokes sure and strong. We almost reached the end of the pass, when something yanked my leg.
“Bre-” My scream was cut off as I swallowed a large gulp of water as I was pulled under. I looked up and saw Brehm swimming back towards me, his knife out again. I might need to take a page out of the Selkie’s book and put a knife or two into my boots as well. He held his finger up as he swam past me. I watched as he cut a long line in the ‘palik’s hand that held onto my leg, forcing him to let go with a loud roar. I hadn’t thought that you could hear sound underwater, but you can.
Brehm swam by me and started dragging me through the water, I flailed my arms and kicked my legs, hoping that I was helping to push us further, but the look he sent over his shoulder has me stopping flailing my arms, instead just kicking as hard as I can. Finally, we pushed past the end of the pass into bright sun.
Chapter 14
Ahead of us, Ansil and Ortheus tread water weakly. I could tell that they were tiring, and we need to get to land, but there was nothing but open see and high cliffs anywhere near us. Shivering, I looked around us, “Brehm? We cannot swim like you can. What do we do now?”
He looked around us, then ducked underwater for a few minutes. When he popped up again he was smiling, “Help will be here soon. But I am not so sure they will be happy to see me.”
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