Talsy rose and marched down the beach, determined to communicate her need to this creature, who might be able to help Chanter. The ocean welcomed her into its cold embrace, and the waves pulled her in and sucked her out to sea. She swam towards the silver man, trying to keep him in sight while she fought her dread of the black depths below. He turned towards her, probably alerted by her splashing, but, as she opened her mouth to call out to him, he dived. She trod water, waiting for him to surface again.
Several minutes passed, and her legs grew weary. Turning back to the shore, she swam towards it, surprised at how far she was from the beach. It receded despite her swift strokes, and she shivered as she realised that a powerful undertow washed her away from it. She increased her efforts, but, no matter how hard she swam, her futile exertion merely sapped her strength, and despair chilled her.
Gasping with fear and fatigue, she forced her aching legs to kick, coughing as water splashed into her mouth. The pale strip of beach dwindled to a faint line, and the waves grew bigger as she encountered the deep ocean swells. With the last of her strength, she redoubled her efforts, knowing that if she was swept any further away, she would never make it back. She cursed herself for swimming out into the ocean as if it was no more dangerous than a mill pond. Her limbs grew numb with cold and tiredness, and waves washed over her face.
Chill hands gripped her and pulled her back to the surface, allowing her to gasp air. Her unknown rescuer towed her towards the beach with the ease of a fish, unhindered by the strong current that had defeated her. She tried to grab hold of her saviour, her hands encountering fragile wings of soft skin that made her recoil with a snort of shock. The shore approached at an amazing speed, the sea foaming around her with the swiftness of her travel, and soon her rubbery legs touched sand. The sea man dragged her onto the beach, his long webbed fingers gripping her sodden jacket. Talsy sobbed with relief and gratitude, wiping stinging brine from her eyes as she peered at him in the moonlight.
A jagged, knife-thin ridge of bone ran over his skull in a short crest, ending in a pair of tiny nostrils just above a gash of a mouth, and deep-set green eyes glowed on either side of it. His ears were flat areas of skin, designed for hearing underwater, and parallel gill slits, like a shark's, ran along his jawline. The moonlight gleamed on his smooth silver skin and shone through the translucent wings that joined his wrists to his ankles.
The sea man carried her up the beach and dumped her on the dry sand, then turned to leave. Talsy made a grab for him and caught hold of a slippery wing. He paused and tried to pry her fingers free.
"Don't go!" she cried. "Wait, I need your help!"
He cocked his head and stared her, nictitating membranes flicking across his round eyes.
"He's in the sea, somewhere out there! I need you to find him!"
The man cocked his head the other way. He clearly did not understand her, but was merely entranced by her voice.
Talsy strengthened her grip on his fin. "He's Mujar! Out there! In the sea!"
He stiffened at the name, his eyes becoming intent.
Talsy grasped at the straw of hope. "Mujar! Out there!" She pointed at the sea, and the silver man's head turned to follow her finger. She tried to shake him, desperate to get through, but her fingers slipped from the translucent webbing, and she lunged at him to renew her hold. He slipped away, pausing out of reach.
"Mujar! Mujar!" She pointed at the sea, and he studied her. He mimicked her gesture, and she nodded. "Mujar!"
Talsy crawled towards the water, but he returned to pull her back and push her down, adroitly avoiding her clutching hands. His meaning was clear. He did not want her in the sea, but it could have been because her corpse would foul the water, not because he was concerned for her life. She gave up and pointed at the moon-silvered waves, repeating, "Mujar."
The silver-skinned sea man turned away, walked down to the sea and dived in with hardly a ripple. Talsy relaxed, grateful to be alive, but too tired to walk to the cave and dry herself. Fortunately, the night was warm and still, and her exertions had banished the cold. After the ocean's biting chill, the beach seemed comfortable. Resolving to rest until some strength seeped back into her leaden limbs, she closed her eyes.
A crab crawling over her leg woke Talsy in the morning, and she walked to the cave, where she nibbled cold potato and drank water to wash away the sour taste of salt.
Chanter's awareness was little more than a numb sensation. Before, he had rolled around on a sandy seabed, and the currents had played with him, washing him this way and that. Now he had become wedged into a rock shelf. The sea ran past him in gentle currents, and seaweed brushed his skin. He vaguely remembered the soft thud of hooves on sand, muted by the water. Now only the currents whispered to him. The sea's song reached him in warped, muted dirges, mixed with skirls of sound that prickled his dull mind. Fish brushed against him, and he was aware that he was being incorporated into the reef, growing attached to it as it made him a part of it. The gold around his neck blocked the Powers and reduced the world to a blurred, senseless muddle.
Time had no meaning, no way of being measured. He might have been here for a day, a month or a year, he had no idea. Chanter remembered the pain of being thrown into the sea so badly injured. The rush of Shissar's healing, so sudden and strong, had transcended even the gold's muting to lash him into a screaming frenzy of agony. That, too, was gone now, however, like his powers, like the world of air, and Talsy. None of that concerned him anymore. He knew only the gentle tug of water and the soft sea sounds. At least it was probably better than a Pit.
Talsy sat at the cave mouth and stared out across the ocean. Days had passed since the silver sea man had vanished back into the water. She had not seen him roaming the beach or playing in the waves since then. Was he searching for Chanter? Would he find him in the vast expanse of ocean? The Mujar might have been washed far away by now, up or down the coast, depending on the current and how far out he was. Had the sea man understood her? Did he even care?
Tiny fish jumped in the shallows in waves of silver sparkles. The thought of cooked fish made her mouth water, but she had nothing with which to catch them. She threw away the piece of potato she had been nibbling, and a gull swooped down to snatch it and wing away, pursued by others. On the rocks below the cave, she used her knife to pry open shells and scooped out the salty meat. The shells that covered the rocks at low tide were nutritious, and she gathered more to take back to the cave and cook for dinner. She hoped the sea man had understood her, and searched for Chanter.
Chanter became aware that something tugged at him, making the coral that held him creak. The sudden, unknown stimulation made him jerk away, breaking the strange hold. A cold hand grasped his wrist again and pulled, and the coral cracked, but held. The sea, with its endless washing and surging, had wedged him far into the rocks, and coral had grown around him. He opened his eyes, but the gold blurred the images of soft blue light, dark coral and seaweed. Something flashed silver nearby, and the tugging on his arm strengthened. He pulled back in an instinctive, muddled reaction, and flashes of pain came from his torso. More confused now, he retreated from the strangeness of his senseless surroundings and relaxed.
The pulling continued, first on his arms, then his legs. For a while it stopped, allowing him to sink back into the peacefulness of unknowing, the gentle washing of the sea and the brushing of weeds against his skin.
The tugging returned with renewed vigour and strength, other hands joining the task. He opened his eyes. Blurred silver shapes surrounded him, and he reacted to the abuse with savage jerks that banged his head against the rocks and threw off his attackers. The stimulation dragged him slightly from the fog that clouded his mind, and he became aware of his coral prison crumbling. Tiny creatures scuttled for cover as their homes broke. Pain flared in his back, and the blueness around him became tinged with brown.
Buoyancy returned as he drifted partially free of the rocks that had trapped him in their cold embrac
e for so long. A leg held him back, and his attackers concentrated on the limb, twisting and pulling. More pain shot from his ankle, but the silver flashes persisted. They tugged and twisted, turning him over to try to free him. Swinging limply in their grasp, he stared at the blurred world that moved around as it had not done for a long time. In their efforts to free his leg, his attackers paid little attention to the rest of him, and his face hit the seabed. He closed his eyes as his collision kicked up a cloud of sand. Masses of matted blackness covered his face when he opened them again, strands of pink and brown mixed with it.
The silver flashes seemed to have a great deal of difficulty freeing his ankle, and slime engulfed the offending limb. The silver flashes gripped him with many hands and pulled mightily. Some slipped and drifted past, returning to renew their hold. The pain in his ankle made him jerk and kick. The silver flashes hung on, and the water cushioned his mindless reactions to a harmless flopping. With a burning pain, his foot slid free, and he shot from his attackers' grip to drift away on the current. The silver flashes caught up and took hold of him again, pulling him through the water.
Now that the pain and tugging had ceased, the water's soothing flow lulled him back into his deep fog. He closed his eyes to block out the blurred world that the collar denied him.
Talsy sat on the beach and tossed coral pebbles into the sea. The midday sun warmed her back and the sea wind chilled her front. She lay back and gazed at the clouds that drifted past, changing shape as they did. The wind blew over her and the sun warmed her more. Gulls wheeled and mewed high above, riding the wind on narrow wings. She envied their freedom, longing to fly like they did. The breakers' pounding died away to a soft swishing as the tide ebbed, revealing white sand sprinkled with seaweed and shells.
Sitting up, she scanned the beach with idle eyes, and a movement caught her attention. A man rose from the sea and moved towards the beach, pulling something. She wondered who he was. The object he dragged looked like another man, his head swathed in black hair and seaweed. Curious, she rose to her feet. The sun glinted on silver skin, and her heart leapt. Talsy ran along the beach, the soft sand dragging at her feet.
The sea man dragged his burden up the beach and dumped it on the sand. The matted black shape lay still as the sea man looked up and down the beach before he spotted her floundering towards him. Water dripped from his ridge nose and pointed chin. When she reached him, he stepped aside, and she stumbled past to fall to her knees beside his prize.
She cried, "Chanter!"
Talsy hesitated, her hands hovering over the Mujar. A film of green slime covered him, and patches of barnacles crusted his hands and knees, as well as the tattered remnants of his vest and leggings. The sea's action had worn away his clothes until little remained but a few strings. With eager, trembling hands, she parted his matted hair and pushed it back from his face.
Chapter Thirteen
Chanter lay quite still, his eyes closed, seaweed-tangled hair was wrapped around his neck. Barnacles clung to his forehead and crusted his nostrils. She parted his hair to reveal the gleam of gold around his neck and turned the collar until she found the simple clasp that held it together. With trembling hands, she unclipped it and pulled it off.
Chanter's eyes opened, and he drew in a great gasp. His first reaction was violently defensive, as it had been in her father's cabin. He sat up and pushed her away. She caught herself on her hands and waited while he stared at her, recognition dawning in his eyes. Talsy blinked away her tears, her heart bursting with unspeakable joy.
"Chanter…"
Her throat closed and her eyes overflowed. His slight smile was all she needed to release her from the constraints of shyness and uncertainty. Talsy threw her arms around him, a huge lump blocking her throat. His cold skin warmed and his hands rose to stroke her hair. Clasping her shoulders, he held her away and studied her.
"Talsy." He smiled again. "My little clan."
She gulped as he wiped away a tear, rubbing it between his fingers.
"You weep for me?"
She wailed, "I thought I'd never find you!"
Chanter cocked his head just like the sea man, his eyes intent. "And this brought you sorrow?"
Talsy nodded, wiped her nose and averted her eyes. Her massive guilt tempered her joy at seeing him again, and fresh tears coursed down her cheeks. He pulled her into his arms and held her, his action speaking volumes of acceptance and forgiveness that washed away her shame. She knew that no rebuke or accusation would ever pass his lips, and the balm of his unsullied compassion filled her with a warm tide of solace.
Chanter released her and looked around at a world newly brought into focus. He shied away from the golden collar beside him, and Talsy picked it up and hurled it into the sea with a vicious flick of her wrist. Sensing another presence, he turned to face a sherlon. Talsy wiped her eyes and glanced shyly at the silver-skinned being. The sea man bowed and signalled in the silent, complicated speech of his kind.
The Lowman female, he said, had informed him of a Mujar in the sea, and he had called his people to aid in finding and freeing Chanter. He apologised that they had not noticed him before, but the foul metal had disguised his presence.
Chanter signed a reply with graceful gestures that were second nature to a Mujar. He communicated his understanding of the sherlons' inability and informed him of the great joy his release had brought.
The sherlon made a series of slow, ritual gestures of acceptance and gladness at Chanter's recovery and offered gratitude for the Lowman female's aid.
Chanter signalled acceptance and farewell, and the sherlon mirrored the gesture before striding down the beach to dive into the sea.
Chanter gazed around, revelling in his freedom and the wonder of the sunlit beach. The scents, sounds and sensations charged him with happiness, and he longed to leap into the air and frolic amid the fluffy clouds to celebrate his return to the land of Life. The wind made him shiver with delight and the warm sand reassured him with its gritty firmness.
Now was not the time to indulge in wild celebrations, however. He owed his freedom to the young Lowman girl who clung to his hand, sniffing and brushing tears from her cheeks. Cupping her chin, he lifted her face and gazed into her eyes. A tremulous smile curved her lips as he studied her with a puzzled frown.
He bowed his head. "Gratitude."
"Oh, Chanter!" She flung her arms around his neck and hugged him again. "How could I leave you trapped at the bottom of the sea? Thank god the sea man found you and brought you to shore."
"Yet only you could take off the collar," he said. "And you told the sherlon to search for me. It is to you that the debt is owed, and I must pay it."
"Just hold me," she said.
Chanter obliged, marvelling at her loyalty, so unlike any Lowman he had known before. When it seemed that she would never release him, he pried her away, smiling at her forlorn look. She sighed and rubbed her eyes while he inspected the barnacles that crusted him and the matted hair that was tangled around his neck. Plucking the knife from her belt, he hacked it off as short as he could. She watched him with shining eyes, making him a little self-conscious. He wondered how long she had lived alone on this shore next to Rashkar's ruins.
"How long have you been here?" he asked
"Too long."
"Months?"
She nodded. "Five or six, I think."
Chanter looked at the matted hair he had just cut off and realised that he could have worked that out for himself. The coral and seaweed that grew on his skin and clothes gave off a nasty smell as it died. He picked barnacles off his elbows and threw them into the sea, where they might find new homes. The drying salt and slime itched, and he rose to walk down to the sea, where he used wet sand to scrub his skin in the foaming waves. Picking off the barnacles was no easy task. They sprouted in his ears and nose – a painful problem.
Talsy helped, aglow with happiness, and smiled whenever he glanced at her, absorbed in her task. When the barnacl
es and coral had been removed, he washed his hair with sand. He cut off the scraps and strings that dangled from his clothes, ending up with little more than a pair of shorts. Many marine creatures had taken up residence in his clothes, and he was forced to strip to evict them. Talsy turned away, making him smile at her strange Lowman prudery.
Looking a lot less like part of the sea bed, Chanter followed Talsy along the beach to her cave, where she cooked all her supplies in a stew. She could hardly bear to take her eyes off him. The miracle of his return was too amazing for her reeling mind to accept.
"I missed you," she said.
"I noticed."
She stirred the stew, smiling at his gentle mockery. "Who was the silver sea man?"
"A sherlon. A creature of this world."
She pondered that. "Why did he save me when I swam out after him and the current swept me away?"
"Like all the creatures of this world, they revere life, although it is odd that he saved a Lowman. Perhaps he felt sorry for you."
"Probably. Then he found you."
"Yes." Chanter took hold of her hands. "If not for you, I would have stayed there until my life ended. You saved me." He met her eyes, his gaze intense. "Gratitude."
Talsy grinned. "A very big one, I suppose?"
"The biggest any Mujar has ever owed."
"Bigger than releasing you in my father's house?"
He nodded. "The fact that you and your father were the perpetrators reduced the gratitude immensely, but this time you saved me from others, so it's unsullied."
She leant forward and kissed his cheek. "You're welcome."
He looked puzzled. "Make a Wish."
"No."
"Why not?"
"I was to blame for what happened, and I want nothing except for you to be free."
"You rescued me only for my sake?" he asked.
"Yes."
"How would you feel if I chose to break clan bond now and leave?"
She looked away. "Sad."
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