TGC 06 In which we learn to swim – after a fashion

“I don’t know if this is a wise decision,” mother murmured anxiously, rolling the golden chain between her fingers. It was fair to say that she hadn’t leapt at the idea when I suggested it to her. In fact, it would be more accurate to say that she had thought it an appalling idea and much preferred the alternative of simply living in this eerie cave for the remainders of our lives. “Merpeople are dangerous creatures, darling. They’ve been known to even betray their own flesh. I’d sooner trust an elf than the merpeople. At least the elves are honest.”

“How many merpeople have you ever met?” I snapped crossly.

“That’s not the point, dear,” her voice had the same tone as when she’d refused to believe I’d illuminated the tunnel, and I felt myself getting hotter in spite of the cold air of the cave.

“Well how will we get to Nirvaasan from here?”

“We’ll find a way.”

“Mother,” I said firmly, “there’s no other way out and we both know it. If we don’t trust the mermaid, Father Leiter, Brother Dezent and Sister Gutig will be gone for nothing.”

For a long time, my mother said nothing; she simply sat there breathing deeply. Eventually, she nodded her head awkwardly. “You’re right,” she gulped, “I know you’re right - show me the way.”

I led her, beneath the looming stalactites, trying to keep my balance on the slippery floor of the cave. Peering at the puddles, I moved from one to the next – my eyes darting this way and that – searching for Havfrue.

“Over here.”

Hearing the strange faint-yet-deep murmur, I crouched down.

“Mother, This is Havfrue,” I said.

“Hello Havfrue, I’m Scheren,” Mother spoke breathlessly.

“Hello Sheren,” Havfrue spoke slowly, as though carefully weighing every word she said. “It will be my honour to guide you from this cave.” She turned to me, “Come now child, lift me from this pool, and carry your salvation.”

I placed my hands into the silvery liquid and felt a tingle shoot up my arms and through my body. I felt my arms spasm – sending ripples shooting across the surface of the pool. An expression of simultaneous incredulity, fury and fear flashed across Havfrue’s face, as she dived down into the pool. Circling around the pool as the ripples quickly flattened to leave the pool’s surface as flat as an empty sky once again.

“Be careful, oaf,” snapped the mermaid as she resurfaced, gently drifting through the pool towards my hands.

With my hands cupped around Havfrue, I gently lifted her from the pool. My eyes widened, as I saw her shrink further still as I raised my hands, shrinking from the size of my thumb to the size of one of my toes. But she didn’t stop there. She shrank further still, to the size of an ant. I could barely see her. Indeed, there were several instances as we crossed the cave to the edge of the cliff that I feared she’d disappeared, but on each occasion I brought my hands to my eyes and saw the tiny speck circling around anxiously in the liquid cupped in my hands.

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