Sigyn's Song

by Meg Trotter

  Maera waited a few heartbeats, listening to be sure her father was truly gone, before she turned to Luka. I won’t ever be able to swim on my own? Truly? Maera asked.

  Princess, that shark destroyed bone and muscle and I don’t even know what else. It’s a miracle you’re alive. I thought you were dead when I spotted you floating in a haze of your own blood.

  Maera clinched her fists and glared up at the cavern ceiling, watching bubbles trickle up and away through the crevices. You should have left me there to die, she whispered.

  Yeah, well, I’m fairly well-known for making bad decisions. I’d hate to break that record now.

  Maera stared, unseeing, up at the ceiling of the cavern. I was at the boundary between this world and the next. There were millions of lights, and a floating monster, and- she hesitated, only just now fully recalling the memory. I saw one of the gods.

  Luka snorted, but remained silent.

  Maera ignored the witch’s interruption and continued, thinking aloud. I wasn’t dead, but I saw one of the gods. What if …what if there was a way … if I could convince one of the gods to choose me for a mate? There are ancient stories of it happening, of our kind mixing with theirs.

  Oh my gods, are we still talking about you finding boys? Luka snapped.

  Maera pulled her gaze down from the ceiling to the witch’s face. You think it impossible that a god would ever want me?

  Luka rolled her eyes. You have gills, fangs, webbed fingers, freakishly big eyes, and tentacles on your head. I have a rather hard time imagining you capturing the attention of a ‘god.’ In fact, with your charming personality, I doubt you could catch one even if you looked like one of them. Though it would be hysterical to watch you try.

  Maera thumped the rock beneath her with her fist. There’s not a male anywhere that I can’t catch if I so choose. She was talking nonsense now, she knew, but she was too far into this argument to back out now.

  The witch looked ready to snap something back, but paused. After a moment, she gave a small, sinister smile. Are you willing to bet your life on that? she clicked softly. When Maera didn’t immediately respond, Luka gave a flick of her own tail so she floated over top of Maera. What? Not so confident now that you have to back up your silly words with proof? What if I could take you up there, to that world, and make you look like them? What if I had that power? Would you go?

  Maera hesitated. Could you do that?

  Luka cocked her head, letting her hair float in a lazy halo around her. Let’s make this interesting, she said. I give you the form of a ‘god’ and set you loose on them. If you can capture the heart of a ‘god,’ within one month, you can keep your new form forever. Or, if you prefer and your new love doesn’t object, I’ll turn him into a merman and you can bring him down here with you. However, Here Luka paused with a grin, If you fail, you’ll get your wish to die. You’ll turn into sea foam and float away on the breeze.

  Maera frowned. Her vision was going slightly blurry, but she kept her glower focused on the other mermaid as best she could. If you have the power to make me look like a god, why can’t you fix my fin?

  Luka shrugged. I have more experience with legs.

  Maera lifted a hand to her head, which was beginning to ache. She didn’t know what the witch was talking about, and she wasn’t sure she wasn’t just dreaming this whole exchange. So, if I make one of the gods fall in love with me, I get to keep my new form, but if I don’t, then I die. But what’s in it for you?

  Nothing, Luka said, and she lowered herself enough to grip either side of the rock Maera lay on. The witch smirked. I just want to watch.

  Maera glared up at the witch’s smug face. She had a brief urge to punch her straight in the nose like she’d done with the shark, however she had a feeling that wouldn’t turn out nearly as well.

  Fine, she muttered as her vision clouded over again and she drifted back into familiar unconsciousness. It’s a deal.

  Chapter 4

  The departure took longer than Maera had hoped. Even when she could reliably stay awake without slipping in and out of consciousness, Luka insisted she wasn’t strong enough yet, and made her continue to eat and rest. Maera had regular visits from her father, sister, and grandmother, all trying their best not to look as if they knew she was damaged beyond repair.

  Jersti was always weepy. Her arm was tied with the same braided seaweed that the sea witch had used on Maera’s tail, but her damage was healing well and she nearly had the use of her arm again. Every time she came in to see Maera, she would eventually dissolve into sobs, thanking her and apologizing all in one breath until Luka got annoyed and chased her out.

  Finally, after the fifth time, Luka bared her teeth in a snarl and turned on Maera after Jersti left sobbing again. That’s it. We are leaving now. I can’t take that banshee’s wail anymore.

  Maera pushed herself into a sitting position. She’d improved enough to do that much on her own, but her hips and tail remained tethered to the rock below. Don’t be so hard on her. She blames herself.

  Well, we all blame ourselves for things, but we have to get on with our lives, don’t we? Luka snapped.

  Maera shrugged as she picked at the meal that the witch had handed her moments before Jersti had left. She chewed thoughtfully for a moment before speaking again. So, are we just going to disappear from the Rift? I don’t get to tell anyone goodbye or what I’m doing?

  The light from Luka’s teardrop bobble glinted off something in her hand, and the witch approached with the sharpened tool again. I’ve told your grandmother where I’m taking you. She’ll tell your family. I don’t think your overbearing father will let you out of his sight if you tell him about our deal. And if I have to listen to your sister cry one more time...

  Slipping the spine under the bonds, Luka got to work cutting away the ones that tied Maera to her sickbed. For the first time, she got a real look at her fin. The damaged areas had healed over, but the flesh there was warped and ugly. Her luminescent spots only glowed with the faintest light now when she attempted to flash them. Several areas were permanently dark. She adverted her eyes from it as her body drifted slowly upwards now that it was free from the bindings.

  You told my grandmother what we were going to do? Maera asked. And she was fine with it? She attempted to flick her tail, but nothing much happened, other than a twinge of pain. She bent at the waist and threw her whole body into a gyration in hopes that it might move her forward. However, not only did she look ridiculous, but the maneuver also somehow started her in a slow spin. Luka glided up to her and watched with a raised eyebrow as Maera’s body drifted tail-up and Maera glowered at her from upside down.

  Are you done? Luka asked. At Maera’s answering pout, Luka grabbed her arm and pulled her right side up. I told your grandmother I was taking you, but not exactly why or where. She doesn’t know about our bet.

  Maera flicked her drifting tentacles out of her face. Grandma knows about the world of the gods above?

  The witch busied herself with untwisting a strand of seaweed from her spine-like utensil. She knows a lot of things the rest of you don’t. She flicked the discarded piece of seaweed away and turned toward the passage that would lead them out of the little cavern. Let’s go, she clicked as she disappeared down the passage.

  Maera glowered at the witch’s retreating form. She waited until she floated high enough so she could catch onto the rock overhead, then dug her fingertips into the pitted surface and pulled herself forward. After she got some momentum going, it wasn’t hard to maneuver without use of her tail.

  Once she reached the cave opening, Maera hesitated. She hadn’t realized how comforting it had been to hide away in the little cavern, safe from anything large that might come hunting. Anything could be lurking out there in the dark. What if that shark was still patrolling the area, just waiting to finish her off?

  Luka turned when she noticed Maera not following and tilted her head to the side with an impatient look. Change your mind, Shar
k-puncher?

  Maera gritted her teeth and pushed herself out from the cave. She glided forward without problem, however when she tried to stop, she flailed ineffectively. Luka sighed and caught her at the bend of the elbow to stop her trajectory as Maera floated past her. She released Maera as soon as she came to a stop. Well, clearly it’s not going to be an easy thing to get you to the surface. The witch looked her over, then sighed, resigned. She turned and gestured to her back. Hold on to me.

  Maera hesitantly slipped her arms around the witch’s neck. Luka seemed just as uneasy about the close contact. Once Maera was secure, Luka shot upward so fast that she almost lost her grip. She let out a soft squeak and tightened her arms around Luka’s neck, burring her head between the witch’s shoulder blades as they went, leaving the Rift far below. As they ascended, Maera peeked out a few times to check their progress. However each time she only saw looming darkness.

  Fear started to creep up her throat again as her eyes kept telling her they saw large shadows in the distance. She finally squeezed her eyes shut and kept her forehead pressed against Luka’s back. Up and up they continued, and just as Maera wondered if they would ever arrive, Lukas’ momentum slowed. Maera looked up in time to see the glimmering boundary between this world and the next loom into view. Luka swam toward it. When their heads popped through, Maera was once again met with the sight of a freckled expanse overhead. Now that she was coherent enough to take it all in, it was even more amazing than before.

  Maera felt lightheaded. The familiar pressure of the sea was gone. She pulled away from Luka enough so she could peer up at the surrounding expanse. The boundary was dark, but glimmered in patches from light reflected above. It seemed to extend forever in all directions, undulating gently. Something like a faint current brushed at Maera’s cheeks, chilling them. There was no sign of the gods or the creature they rode on.

  Luka huffed. We’re a bit further out than I realized, the witch said, squinting up at the speckles. We’ve got a way to go. Come on.

  Maera slipped her arms back around Luka’s neck and stayed silent as the witch dipped back under the boundary with her in tow. They swam along the border for a long while. After a time, the light started brightening around them, illuminating their surroundings. Strange fish that Maera had never seen before darted out of their way as they went, and long seaweed drifted in the current. Without even trying, she could smell countless different creatures swarming in these waters that practically hummed with life. If her family ever left their cavern homes for open water, they’d never go hungry again with all this bounty.

  Twice Maera spotted a shark, but it was not even half the size of the one that had attacked her. It eyed them with little interest before disappearing back into the murky water. After a while, the gentle rocking motion of Luka’s swimming nearly made Maera doze. Her energy was still not up to what it should be. When she was very nearly asleep, she was jarred awake by a sudden stop.

  Maera opened her eyes and had to squint in the brightness. No matter how she tried, she just could not open her eyes fully. What is this? she asked.

  This, Princess, is daylight. Something your big fishy eyes have never seen. Luka said. The witch unhooked Maera’s arms from around her neck and pushed her away, but Maera grasped at Luka’s hand to keep her near. She didn’t want to be left alone in this unfamiliar territory.

  Maera’s tail bumped against something below, and she reached down with her free hand. Her fingertips bumped up against a rocky sea floor. She frowned. Were they at the bottom of the sea again?

  Now, Luka said. Are you absolutely sure you want to make this bet? You can’t back out once we officially make the deal. I’ll give you legs and a month to get a ‘god’ to fall in love with you. If you win, you keep your legs. If you lose, you die, fading into sea mist. Is it a deal?

  What’s a month?

  Luka hesitated, seeming to calculate something in her head. Er ... about ... 60 tides?

  She frowned in the direction of the witch’s voice. And what exactly are we defining as ‘falling in love’? How will I know I’ve accomplished it? Does he have to ask me to be his mate?

  The witch snorted. Tell you what, I won’t even ask for that much. Let’s say ... you will have satisfied the conditions of the bet when your beloved kisses you like he can’t bear the thought of not having you in his life.

  Maera considered this. She nodded. Okay. I agree to the terms.

  Alright, the witch said, and Maera felt Luka slide her other hand into hers. Then by Odin’s arm rings and the magic within, we both swear. Welcome to the surface world. Luka paused, and through squinted eyes, Maera could see that the witch seemed to be looking her up and down, appraising. Hmmm. You look like a blond.

  A what?

  With a great yank, Luka pulled Maera through the boundary. A fierce pain started at the tip of Maera’s tail, then shot up her spine, arcing down her arms and up through her neck and over her face. She gasped and her eyes flew open. All at once she could see.

  The world opened up around her in shades of blue and green that she never knew existed. Overhead stretched a soft, pale blue expanse, flecked with white. Below, the boundary between her world and this one reflected back the color overhead, but shimmered and twisted with a gentle movement. In the distance rose a ridge of darker blue-grey that looked like it might be rock similar to what made up the Rift back at home.

  Underneath her rose a long patch of rocky terrain that stretched out as far as she could see. However a few paces away, fine green strands stuck up between the rocks like motionless seaweed. Further away, tall brown spines pierced up from the ground, with little clusters of green dispersed over them. Most of these structures were small, but in the distance, Maera could see one that was at least triple the size of the others.

  A screech overhead made Maera look up. A small, white creature soared as easily as a manta ray overhead — the movement of its body even looked similar — but this creature looked nothing like the sea-dwelling version that she knew so well. It opened its mouth and let out another loud call. A bird, her mind told her, though she didn’t understand where the word came from. She’d never heard it before. Other strange words started bubbling up in her mind with every new thing her eyes landed on: shore, clouds, trees, grass.

  Maera looked down, trying to limit her vision and the accompanying swirl of new words in her mind. However, her attention caught on her lower half. She was supporting her weight on the jointed appendages — legs and feet — just like the god she had seen. She shifted, inspecting the feel of every muscle. Her whole body felt heavy. An ugly, pitted scar marked the upper half of both thighs and a mild ache throbbed in the muscles there. Her bioluminescent spots were small dark spots now, trailing down her sides.

  “Whoops, forgot to get rid of those,” Luka said. “Wait, no, actually, those look rather nice. I think I’ll leave them. We’ll just say they’re weird freckles.”

  When Maera raised her eyes to Luka, the witch was watching her with mild amusement as she held her hand to steady her. Luka’s tail was gone too, as well as the stalk of luminescence on her forehead. Her eyes were half the size they had been, and a pretty shade of green. The hair beside her face on the right was twisted in an alternating pattern of three locks that reached just below her chin, while the rest hung damply around her shoulders.

  Maera’s gaze drifted down Luka’s body where she discovered a difference between the two of them. The witch had some sort of material wrapped around her body, concealing most of it from view. Maera had no such covering. Why don’t I have that? she asked, motioning to it.

  Luka tilted her head. “Oh, I don’t know. Could be an advantage for you. Could be a disadvantage. I guess we’ll see.” She released Maera’s hand and stepped back. Maera attempted to move toward her, but couldn’t figure out how to make her legs work. She squeaked and toppled over. When she glowered up at the witch with a face dusted with a fine layer of sand and grit, the witch smirked down at her. What’s wro
ng, Little Fish? Not so confident now?

  Something yellowish caught Maera’s eye. It trailed over her own shoulder and ended in a damp half-curl in the dirt. She plucked it up, noticing the webbing between her fingers was also gone, but when she tried to toss the yellow strand away, she found with dismay that it was attached to her head. She felt around her scalp in increasing alarm, realizing that her tentacles were all replaced with this limp mass.

  Ugh, what is this? she clicked, her voice going high-pitched in distress.

  “Hair. I told you that I would give you a fighting chance,” Luka said. The witch’s words were coming from her mouth now instead of her throat, Maera suddenly realized, and while she could understand the meaning, she didn’t understand how the witch produced them. “I made you look like the ‘gods.’ Plus, you can understand their language, which I thought was pretty generous of me.”

  Luka turned and focused on a figure in the distance that Maera hadn’t noticed before. A god walked along the boundary, looking absently out to sea. Luka bent at the waist toward Maera and whispered, “Let’s get things started, shall we?”

  The witch straightened and turned toward the god. Luka waved, her face turning into something frantic when she caught the god’s attention. “Help! I’ve found a girl!” she yelped in high-pitched tones. The god heard the call, and after a moment’s hesitation, hurried forward. It was female, Maera realized, as the deity drew closer. She looked about Maera’s age — if gods aged the same way as merfolk. Her hair was yellow, like Maera’s, but about half as long, with much of it tied back away from her face in twists of hair much more intricate than the witch’s. She kept looking back over at Luka, as if trying to decide if she knew the witch or not.

  Luka motioned toward Maera. “Do you think she’s from a shipwreck? I can’t imagine what happened to get her in this state. Here, give her your cloak before the poor thing freezes.”