The Sea's Rough Magic

by Alicia C Graybill

  Henry levered himself onto the rock and seized the body in his embrace, tears springing to his eyes as he looked at the broken human being before him. And then, suddenly, Ike was with them, his reassuring grin and strong hands pulling at them both, pulling them to the sea. The three dropped into the water, the near-twin mermen on either side of the shell of a man with long black hair. Henry and Ike held Aaron--they both remembered his name--between them, kissing him and caressing him as he went through the process they both had experienced years before. When his sapphire eyes opened, after his damaged body had been returned to its glory from years before and the gill-slits had formed so that he could breathe under water, he saw them both for the first time. To Henry's shock, Aaron pulled away, his face a mask of terror and disbelief. He tried to swim away from them, his arms flailing for the surface many fathoms above. Henry released him, as did Ike at his look, and they simply followed him to keep him safe from the predators that always lurked in the sea.

  They surfaced seconds after Aaron did, his mouth open as he gasped to fill lungs that no longer worked the way he was accustomed. His arms waved frantically as he fought to stay afloat, even though his newly formed tail was working perfectly.

  "Who are ye?" He managed to speak, his eyes wild with panic. "What's happenin' here?"

  Henry glanced over at Ike, who had to swallow hard. "I-I am Ike, Aaron. We are here to help you, savvy?"

  Aaron's eyes blinked without comprehension. "Ike? I-Thought I stopped havin' these nightmares years ago. Where's Jamie?"

  Henry gently took Aaron's shoulder and turned him so he could see the lights of Rum Harbor as he pointed to them. Something about the touch finally reached through Aaron's unreasoning fear and he looked into his matelot's golden eyes. "Henry? Is it time?"

  Henry smiled at that point, allowing the gold teeth to gleam at his Captain, then nodded. Aaron turned at that moment to look at Too. "Ike?"

  There was a nod from Ike and Aaron swept them both into his embrace. The three of them sank beneath the surface then so that Henry and Ike could begin to teach Aaron about his new life.

  Had it been left to Henry's or Ike's preferences, they would have gone for warmer waters as winter closed in. Instead, Aaron refused to leave the area for more than a few days. Because he was happiest here, and Henry and Ike wanted him to be happy more than they cared about their own comfort, they stayed.

  The first few weeks, it was simply a matter of teaching Aaron about his new life. Henry showed him what was safe and tastiest for them to eat; Ike showed him the secrets of surviving when the bigger creatures like sharks and toothed whales were about. On his own, Aaron discovered the harmless little creatures that he could play with and, soon, he seemed to have forgotten all about the world above the surface. Their little pod was together and they were content.

  If any human had seen them, he would have sworn them to be women. With no sex organs visible, their hair growing past their waists, and no facial hair, others would definitely agree. When they took their rest times, Aaron was usually cuddled between Henry and Ike, or held by either Henry or Ike while the other kept watch if a predator was nearby. It was during one of those times that Ike began to braid Aaron's black hair into long ropes. With his rum-hued skin and sleek azure scales that sparkled in the moonlight, Aaron was definitely the most beautiful of the three.

  )O(

  A year passed and winter was coming on again. Ike, growing restless, was taking longer and longer hunting trips but he always returned to his pod, knowing that Aaron was there for him. Henry contented himself with spending his days playing with Aaron the games that were needed to develop his skills. Races from here to there which built his speed, tag which built up his agility, hide-and-seek which sharpened his senses and taught him how to hunt for the best spots to take cover, all were important. As Aaron grew stronger, faster and wiser, Henry grew happier. His contentment was such that he nearly forgot about the world above the surface entirely.

  But then the storm came. Something about the charge in the atmosphere agitated Aaron. When Henry tried to cuddle him, he shoved away with a flash of teeth. He headed for the surface and then the rocks at the base of the cliff. Alarmed, Henry tried to pull him away from them as they emerged into a hailstorm but Aaron refused to go. Henry swam repeatedly from Aaron toward the beach where he found Ike all those years ago, trying to tell him something, but Aaron couldn't hear him for the sounds his own heart was making. Henry felt his heart stop when Aaron dove into the water then threw himself as high into the air as he could. A cruel slap of wind nearly dashed him on the unforgiving stones when he fell back into the sea. He did it over and over again, each time narrowly avoiding being smashed on the boulders.

  When the storm ended, Aaron seemed to become himself again, though there was a certain disquiet about him that bothered Henry. When Ike returned from his most recent hunting trip the next day, he realized it also. Henry and Too decided to try to lure Aaron away from this place. Nothing good would come of remaining any longer.

  The next day, Ike joined in their game of hide-and-seek. They decided Aaron should be "it" and both his pod-mates swam south while Aaron hid his eyes against a sea-turtle's back and waited. To Henry's pleased surprise, the trick worked and they were many leagues to the south of the rocky cliff when the time came for them to rest. Before long, the pod seemed to forget all about the island where Aaron had joined them.

  But as big and powerful as the seas are, sometimes there are forces that cannot be denied. As another winter drew close, Henry, Ike and Aaron found themselves once again at the base of that cliff. When the storm came in, as it seemed to do every year at that time, Aaron again grew frantic and began to throw himself into the air, hoping to reach the top of the cliff. He and Ike nearly came to blows, though, when Ike grabbed him about the waist and refused to let him go. Instead, Henry seized Aaron's arm and the three swam, with some difficulty, to the beach a half-mile away. There, they surfaced and Henry spoke for the first time in years.

  "Rocks bad, love. Hurt you. Try here. Legs?"

  Aaron's eyes narrowed and he shook his head in confusion. It was only when Ike beached them both that he looked down with some horror to see his beautiful black-blue tail turn into a pair of strong human legs. Both Ike and Henry came up onto the beach but their tails remained tails.

  "Go see your Jamie," Ike said after a moment. "That's what you want, ain't it?"

  As if the name was a match and his memory was kindling, his mind was filled with images of the kind green-eyed man who had loved him so much. Without any words to Henry or Ike, Aaron rose and, stumbling, made his way up to Rum Harbor.

  Some sense of caution, though, kept him from walking up to the door and knocking. He could come see his Jamie this way but he couldn't stay. If he did, he would die forever and that would cause Henry and Ike much misery. He would not do that to them.

  He peered into one of the windows and saw the older woman whose name he didn't remember. She was preparing food of some sort, food that made his own nostrils twitch and his stomach rumble slightly. Moving to another window, he saw several people seated at a table. One man rose, a drinking vessel in hand, and Aaron gasped in recognition.

  "Jamie," He whispered and placed his hand cautiously against the glass as if he could reach out and touch him.

  "I wish to thank you all for coming on this dreadful evening," Jamie was saying though Aaron had to listen carefully to understand his words. "Though it may seem a cruel irony, I prefer to think that this storm is Erin expressing her approval. I have spoken to Governor Edwards and he and Mrs. Edwards have granted me the hand of their daughter Charlotte in marriage. Lottie, dear?"

  He recognized the young woman who stood and gazed up into his Jamie's eyes. He smiled at the pleased expression on both of their faces. Despite the fact that he felt happy for them, his eyes burned with tears as an ache began in his chest. He had to return to the pod now.

  )O(

  Charlotte Dunbar sat beside he
r husband and watched him sleep. Had it really been twenty three years? It still seemed like yesterday that they had stood in the garden of Rum Harbor and exchanged their wedding vows. In fact, it was nearly three years ago that their oldest daughter Erin had married a dashing young lieutenant. Their first-born son James had just celebrated his second birthday by visiting, his green eyes a clear echo of his Dunbar heritage.

  A crack of lightning and subsequent rumble of thunder caused James' eyes to open, though he could no longer see anything. The cancer that ate at his brain had taken his vision first.

  "Aaron? Aaron, don't be afraid, I'm right here," He said softly, his hand reaching out.

  Charlotte took his hand in hers. "It's Lottie, Jamie. We’re having some nasty weather is all. Please sleep, dear."

  James shook his head, his face growing troubled. "But Aaron--he'll be afraid! I must go to him."

  "Do you mean Erin?" Charlotte asked after a moment.

  "No," A voice from behind her, at once familiar yet strange, replied. "No, he means Aaron. I think we can safely tell you the secret now."

  She turned to see Admiral Chambers smiling sadly at her. One sleeve had been pinned up where he no longer had his sword-arm. Aside from lines of age, he still looked and sounded much as he had when they first met. She rose slowly and moved to embrace him.

  "I'm so happy you could make it, Ellis. I don't think he has much time left," She took a deep breath to steady herself then led him over to the bed to let him occupy the chair where she had been. She moved to James' other side. "What secret?"

  Chambers reached his hand out and wrapped it around James', who responded. "Aaron?"

  "No, James, it's Ellis Chambers. I came to visit you like you asked. It's time to tell Charlotte about Aaron, isn't it?"

  For a moment, James' sightless eyes widened in fear but then the face grew defeated, as if he remembered something that disheartened him. "If you wish."

  "What secret?" Charlotte asked again, feeling for all the world like a child.

  Chambers squeezed James' hand then turned his gaze on her. "Many years ago, when James was a very young lieutenant in the Navy, he was taken captive by a pirate crew. It was there he met and-and fell in love with a young man by the name of Aaron Johnson. Aaron had been the captain of the ship before the pirates mutinied and they tortured him horribly. James vowed to rescue Aaron from those-those villains, which he did."

  "Oh, my God," Charlotte murmured, tears suddenly flooding her eyes.

  "Please, understand, James knew his love for Aaron was unacceptable and would only lead to ruin but he had no choice in the matter. He loved Aaron and Aaron, for whatever reasons he only knew, loved James in return," Chambers hesitated, his eyes resting softly on James' troubled face. "James did rescue Aaron from those villains but Aaron was never well. When the Governor of Port Royal insisted that Aaron be forced to testify at the trial for those blackguards, James arranged for Aaron Johnson to 'die' and for Erin Dunbar to be born. As far as I know, no one ever figured out what had happened."

  "That explains many things," Charlotte said after a few minutes of silence. She was gazing at their clasped hands though her own were gripped tightly in her lap. "I'm not certain you should have told me, Admiral."

  Chambers looked up at her. "He's the same man you loved for over twenty years, Charlotte. What does it matter who he loved before he became your husband? As for Aaron, he was a good soul and deserved to have a bit of happiness in his life before he died. It wasn't a mere prank, you know. It was done to save Aaron's life--and James', too, in some fashion. If he had sacrificed Aaron for his career, he might now be in charge of the entire Royal Navy but he would never have been truly happy."

  "Aaron?" James whispered. "Aaron, I love you. I'm sorry for everything. I wish I'd--."

  "Sh, Jamie," Chambers leaned forward and whispered the words into his former commander's ear, pitching his voice lower than normal. "'Tis all right, love. Take yer rest now. I'll be waitin' fer ye, savvy?"

  Charlotte saw James' face brighten and the confusion rose within her. "I love you, my Raven, now and forever."

  "Forever?" She said after another moment, wanting to shake James to make him wake up but the Admiral had already lowered the eyelids over James Dunbar's sightless eyes. She sat there for several minutes trying to decide what would be the most appropriate response. Finally, she straightened her shoulders. "Admiral, would you be so kind as to arrange for burial at sea for James? It was very much what he wanted."

  Chambers nodded and took one of her hands. "I would be honored, Mrs. Dunbar. The Venture has just been decommissioned and is scheduled to be scuttled in less than a week's time. I can think of no more fitting place for the Commodore to spend eternity than at her helm."

  )O(

  This time, the trio stayed away for several years. As if something Aaron had seen in the world above satisfied him, he felt no need to go greet the first winter storm of the year for Nassau harbor with a tantrum. They played, they hunted, they joined up with other pods for a time then they would go their own way. Always, though, the two golden tails would follow the whim of the blue tail.

  Henry barely remembered his own name by that time. Indeed, the only name that mattered to him was that of Aaron, his beloved. He wasn't sure if Ike remembered any name at all anymore. One too many blows to the head while defending his pod from one of the black and white toothed whales made him behave strangely though he smiled readily enough and he continued to braid the long black hair whenever Aaron would let him. Still, he was ready to defend his pod-mates no matter what the cost.

  They weren't too far from the island where Aaron had joined them when they came upon a gathering of ships. Aaron, always curious about the doings of the wooden whales and the lice that rode upon them, poked his head above the surface as he tried to determine what they were doing. They all were nearly deafened when the cannonade sounded, bombarding the oldest ship there. Henry and Ike, recognizing danger and seeing no reason to remain, took off to find safety. Neither noticed that Aaron was not with them until they were nearly a mile away. By then, they both knew they had no choice but to return.

  Like most wild creatures, the roar of gunfire was frightening but Aaron had recognized the ship--for that's what he knew they were called. It was the Venture, though he no longer remembered that word or its meaning. He broke the surface on the far side of the ship, ducking and shivering when another fusillade rang out and shuddered the old timbers. He was about to flee, suddenly realizing that Henry and Ike had acted sensibly, when the odor came to him, something familiar and compelling. Swimming under the ship, he found a large hole in her starboard side that he was able to slide through and swim into her interior. He found a hatch open and swam toward the topside of the ship. When he finally found a ladder leading to the main deck, he began to climb using just his arms. As he emerged into the fresh air, his tail became legs again--he'd never had the desire to go on land after he'd made that one journey. Following his nose, he emerged into the sunlight in time for another roar of the guns. He fell and slid toward the starboard rail as some of the ship's ribs buckled. It frightened him but the odor was decidedly stronger now and he fought to get to the quarterdeck.

  )O(

  "Cease fire!!!" Chambers had been watching the Venture through his telescope to see when the repeated volleys could be halted and the ship would sink but the sight of the black-haired young man aboard the ship horrified him. If he hadn't known better, hadn't seen the body laid out, he would have sworn it was Aaron Johnson. "Mr. Ketcham, I thought you said all hands were clear?"

  "Aye, sir, they are!" Sergeant-at-arms Ketcham snapped to attention, his voice firm though he had to be questioning himself.

  "Then who the bloody hell is that?!" Chambers snapped and handed the glass over to Ketcham before pointing out the location.

  Ketcham shook his head after peering through the glass. "I don't know, sir. He-Begging the lady's pardon, sir, but he ain't got a stitch on!"

&nb
sp; "So we should be sinking her anyway?" Chambers rounded on Captain Harrison. "All guns are to be silent until we have a party go make absolutely certain the Venture is unoccupied. See to it, Captain."

  "Aye, sir," Harrison answered then went to take care of the matter.

  Charlotte intercepted the spyglass and took a look through it for herself. "I suggest you tell them to hurry, Admiral. It seems he's determined to make off with James' corpse!"

  )O(

  He found what he was looking for where the helm had been located. It was a body wrapped in a white sheet. Aaron opened it and was shocked at what appeared before him. It was his Jamie but he was so different looking, wrinkled like a turtle and his dark hair thin and white. He pulled the rest of the shroud off and saw that James wore clothing, a uniform, he recalled. He shook his head and tugged at the cloth to try to pull it off him. He was shredding the fine white shirt when he heard a thud and scrape. He whirled about to see red-coated men climbing over the rail, tiny little cannons in their hands that they pointed at him.

  One of the men, in a dark blue coat, bellowed something at Aaron but he didn't care to understand what was said. He simply wanted to get his Jamie off this wooden monster and into the sea where he belonged. Deciding to ignore the rest of Jamie's clothing, Aaron lifted the body onto his shoulder. It was heavier than he expected but it would only be for a few feet. He managed to make it to the rail when there was more shouting and the sputter of firing guns behind him. He released James over the side of the ship just as he felt the burning pain lance into his back. The pain and the impact tumbled him over the edge more than any conscious decision on his own part. He crashed into the water inelegantly though his hand clung to the cloth still covering his Jamie's skin.