Water (10 page)

“T…Talita?” I stammered inelegantly.

“Yes, my dear, the very same one Josh has been telling you about over the last few days.”

“How did you know about that?” I asked her incredulously.

“You don’t think we would leave the greatest hope of the Oceanids unprotected?” she replied, smiling.

The murmured tinkling laughter from the other creatures, who I’d now worked out must be Oceanids, filled the cave.

“Merrick has done a wonderful job of keeping you safe, although not the best job of informing you of what’s going on, I gather,” she chided him gently, placing a perfectly manicured hand on his shoulder.

He ducked his head, smiling sheepishly. “I thought she might believe me a little more if she saw you, and… well, us,” he replied.

Talita smiled and nodded. “You’re probably right. I’m sure all of this must seem quite overwhelming, my dear.” She smiled, taking in my shivering bedraggled form. “Come,” she said, lifting her head and moving towards the back of the sparkling cavern. “Let us welcome our young guests properly.”

Josh and Luke joined the Oceanids filing out of the hall-like cave, each of them escorted by two beautiful girls with whom they seemed mesmerised. Merrick took my hand to lead me after the small procession. Behind us came the rest of the Oceanids, their whispered excited conversation echoing around the cave.

As we walked I took in my surroundings, the most interesting of which was the scent, a delicate slightly spicy perfume and then strangely the flavour of the cave, which lingered on the back of my tongue, not unpleasant but nothing I’d ever been exposed to before.

As we filed into another narrow passageway in the opposite direction from where Merrick and I had entered the cave, he let go of my hand and the scent and flavour dissipated immediately.

The passageway was ribbed with the same strange white crystal formations as the cave. The floor was smooth and black as onyx. I couldn’t work out the source of light as it bounced in rainbow shards off the crystals.

As we walked I kept thinking that I saw movement beyond the tunnel walls, as if I was looking into rooms beyond the passage, but then I would take another step and the illusion would shatter as I saw only fragments of our procession reflected in the glass-like crystal.

After a few minutes the passageway opened out, and we found ourselves walking along a ledge so narrow that the procession spread out into single file. Sheer rock face raced upward on our left while echoey depth threatened from the right. I craned my neck backwards, trying to see the top of the cliff, but the rock disappeared into darkness above us.

A shiver rolled over me making my teeth chatter and my wet clothes cling to my skin as an icy breeze that didn’t belong so deep underground whistled through the mountain.

We rounded a sharp corner and arrived at a dead end. Sheets of pale honey-coloured rock protruded from the cliff face, looking like enormous replicas of the tree mushrooms I’d seen clinging to ancient trunks in the shaded valley a few days before.

Talita paused a few paces from the lowest rock protrusion before leaping gracefully onto it. She bounded from ledge to ledge making her way up the cliff, her long dark hair swirling around her like silk. The male creatures that seemed to serve as her protectors followed her lead, as agile and beautiful as she had been.

Josh, Luke and I stood staring up at them from the base of the cliff, mouths hanging open in triplicate awe.

Talita’s laughter drifted down to us out of the darkness followed by some low chatter from the rest of our company as they stepped past us and bounded expertly up the cliff face.

Josh was the first to begin the scramble, his progress choppy and uncertain compared to the flowing movement of the Oceanids that had gone before him.

Luke watched for a minute or so and then began his ascent. His was smoother than Josh’s had been as he imitated the Oceanids’ confident leaps between ledges.

Bile fought its way up my throat as I inched forward to begin the journey. I looked up at Josh and Luke’s progress and then back to Merrick, who was standing behind me.

I only realised the reason for Talita’s original pause at the beginning of her trip up the cliff face when I got to within a few paces of the first ledge.

The ground dropped away into blackness leaving a yawning gap which I would have to leap across.

Gathering my courage around me, I leapt onto the first ledge. My momentum sent me scudding across its width and I only just managed to stop myself from falling into the black nothingness by catching onto the next ledge with my fingertips.

“I can’t do this,” I squeaked as I stared into the darkness.

“I won’t let you fall, Alexandra, just trust your instincts.”

“What instincts?” I hissed, fear making me angry.

He looked surprised.

“The ones you were born with,” he replied, as if I should know exactly what he was talking about.

I was leaning at an impossible angle over a whole lot of nothingness, my weight resting uncomfortably against my desperately clutching fingers. I tried to push myself backwards with my fingertips so that I could regain my balance and attempt to relaunch myself across the space. Although I pushed with all of my strength – which wasn’t particularly impressive as doing push-ups with my fingertips was not a pastime I’d ever actively pursued – I didn’t move more than a few miserable centimetres and couldn’t, no matter how hard I tried, regain my balance. My palms began to itch with nerves.

“Er, Merrick?” I called breathlessly.

Chuckling quietly he gave me a shove upwards, helping me to heave myself onto the next ledge.

Standing on shaky legs I looked for the next ledge. It was further than my legs could stretch and meant I would have to leap to reach it. It was also fairly small and narrow with black nothingness beyond it.

I froze, terrified.

Merrick hopped up beside me, crowding the already small space.

“What’s the matter?” he asked.

“I’m going to fall!” I stated, pointing at the next ledge. “I’ll never make that jump without going too far.”

He followed my shaking finger and placed his hands firmly on my shoulders.

“Look at the ledge ahead of it, Alexandra. If you leap onto the first one and then immediately leap onto the next and then onto the next and so on until you reach the top, it won’t be a problem.”

He was probably right but there was no second chance to test his theory. If I got it wrong, I would fall between the steps into the deep darkness below.

I looked up at Luke and Josh, who were leaping confidently, and quickly approaching the top of the cliff.

Taking a deep breath I focused on the first step and leapt, moving my body while trying not to think of what would happen if I got it wrong.

After a while, the methodical movement was almost comfortable, and I began to enjoy the experience a little more.

I made the last leap, looked up, and staggered backwards, almost off the edge of the cliff, as my mouth dropped open in eye-popping awe.

The scene in front of me was so bizarre, so utterly breathtaking I felt as though I must be losing my mind.

I was in a large perfectly round semi-circle cave. Pale turquoise light danced in dappled patterns similar to the way the sun reflected off my swimming pool at home.

In the centre was a beautiful green-skinned fever tree, its branches reaching searchingly for the sunlight that skipped and frolicked through what seemed to be a skylight above it.

Beneath the tree, spongy emerald-green moss clung to the rock floor, interspersed with tiny white flowers, making it look like the tree had a bad case of dandruff. Where the moss ended the floor of the cave was a patchwork of pale pink, green and bluish grey lichen spreading out as far as I could see.

On one side of the tree, and on the opposite side to where I was standing open-mouthed in awe, water ran in a sheet hugging the walls of the cave and then bubbling and gurgling into a small stream that eventually fell off the edge of the cliff face I was standing on, echoing as it fell into the depths.

My eyes drifted in wonder to the other side of the cave where the roof formed a natural overhang. The walls on that side were pocked with dark man-sized perfectly round enclaves, each one at a different level.

My eyes travelled in wonder to the roof of the cave above the tree which looked as though it were made of glass, and I realised that the blue light was a result of sunlight filtering through water above us.

Merrick spoke up when he saw me looking at the roof.

“It’s a type of rock crystal,” he said. “All of the pools in these mountains have this sort of clear bottom. We think it must have something to do with ancient volcanic activity, but we’re not sure.”

“But won’t somebody swim to the bottom of the pool and see through into your cave?” I asked.

“Nope.” He grinned. “The pools are too deep for a normal human to reach the bottom with only one breath. From the top this pool is emerald green in the centre fading to turquoise on the edges. The shape of the pool and the nature of the rock reflects whatever is below it.”

I began to shiver again, my damp clothes pulling the cool air to my skin in an unwanted embrace. Merrick watched me rubbing my arms, my teeth chattering involuntarily.

“Talita would like you appropriately clothed and briefed before introducing you to the Oceanids this evening,” he told me. “We have a few hours before then to fill you in on the most critical twenty years of our existence as a species, so I hope you’re up for it?”

“Er…sure,” I replied, “that would be helpful.”

He grinned again, seeming to find my confusion hugely amusing, before walking away from me, across the clearing where the tree grew, to one of the pock marks in the wall.

An exquisite young woman with snowy skin and wild black hair came out of what I realised was a mini-cave. She gave Merrick a friendly hug and seemed to float rather than walk as they made their way back to me, chattering animatedly. Her warm laugh filled the space around her, making her seem larger than she was.

“Hi,” she said, her voice rich and musical, a female version of Merrick’s. “I’m Sabrina.”

“H-h-h-hi,” I stuttered through my shivering. “A-a-a-l-l-lexan-n-ndra,” I managed.

Her smile lit up dainty features and she bobbed quickly, inclining her head in greeting. Awkwardly, I reciprocated the greeting.

“I am delighted to finally meet you,” she bubbled, before taking my hand and pulling me enthusiastically across the cave.

She led the way into her mini-cave, sweeping her hands across the ceiling as she walked. The room began to glow with a pale bluish, green light. I stared in fascination at the trail of illumination her fingers left on the ceiling. Gingerly, I stretched out a finger and gently ran it along the rock the way she had. I was surprised at the texture of what I had assumed would be solid rock. The cave wall was covered in what felt like – I struggled to find an associating word – hair? Fur? Whatever it was, was silky, smooth and light as air.

“Hmm, what colour would look good on you?” she mused.

Her question pulled me from my examination of the cave wall and forced me to take stock of my surroundings.

Her room, if you could call it that, was surprisingly spacious, due more to the lack of furnishings than actual size. A chair whittled out of the roots of an old tree stood gnarled and twisted beside a ledge in the wall, on which lay a very ordinary and out-of-place paperback novel, a romance by the look of the cover. Apart from the chair, there was no other furnishing in the room.

A large square of lacy grey fabric hung against one of the walls and a stack of cloth was packed into an enclave beside it. Sabrina was rummaging through the cloth occasionally pulling one out of the pile to examine the colour more closely before muttering and shaking her unruly mop of hair before beginning the search again.

She whirled around catching me by surprise, a grin on her face as she shook out a piece of fabric unlike any I had seen before. It looked at first to be a patchwork of lace, but it swirled like satin and floated like chiffon. The fabric shimmered with tiny pin-pricks of light, as she shook it, as if it had a life of its own.

Sabrina giggled at my expression. “OK, take your wet clothes off and then I can help you put this on.”

I took the cloth from her, draping it over my shoulders as I wriggled out of my wet things and feeling awkward in my bikini. Clutching the cloth to my chest, I shuffled over to where she was standing.

“Now what?” I asked, sounding grumpy and ungrateful.

She frowned and shook her head slightly at my embarrassment before brusquely lifting both of my arms out to the side.

She worked quickly in winding and weaving the fabric around me. It felt amazing on my icy skin, a combination of the comfort of wool and the luxury of satin.

A few minutes later she stepped back from me and smiled.

“Lovely,” she declared, clapping her hands together and tucking them under her chin in girlish delight.

I looked down at myself, struggling to make sense of the drapes and folds of the deep-blue fabric from my vantage point.

“Does it look anything like yours?” I asked, as I slipped on a pair of soft moccasin-like shoes she’d given me.

She nodded and twirled for me, her pale dress floating around her letting off little sparks of violet light as she did so.

I very much doubted that I looked like her, but I was at least warmer and had stopped shivering.

“Come on, let’s get you settled,” she suggested, taking my hand and pulling me back into the public space.

My initial impression of the cave had been dimmed by near hypothermia. Warm and comfortable, I could really take in the jaw-dropping beauty of the place. Dappled light danced across the mottled cave floor and sparkled off the entrances to dozens of caves similar to Sabrina’s. Our first stop was a wall studded and indented with an array of rocks and tiny enclaves. She explained that this was an entrance and exit point to the outside world. I studied the sheer rock face doubtfully.

“Er, how do people get in and out of here?” I asked, looking for some kind of lift contraption.

“We climb of course,” she replied.

As she was speaking four faces were suddenly illuminated far above us. A piercing whistle had Sabrina pulling me hastily into the doorway of a cave, before ten sacks fell heavily in exactly the spot we had been standing.

I watched, fascinated, as the owners of the faces slipped easily from handhold to foothold down the sheer rock face, landing lightly on the ground.

The group was made up of two women and two men, and they were absolutely tiny. They were about the height of ten-year-olds but perfectly proportioned, the women dressed in similar iridescent robes to Sabrina and me, except that theirs swirled provocatively around their bodies almost as if the clothing were a part of them. In contrast, the men wore nothing but a pair of flared trousers that accentuated the strength of their upper bodies, the fabric glowing faintly in shades of blue. They were lithe and clearly incredibly strong as they lifted three bags in each hand, chattering happily amongst themselves.

The women were laughing as they turned towards us, their smiles dying on their lips as Sabrina and I stepped out of the shadows.

The men pulled the women behind them protectively, shifting into an aggressive crouch in a sinuous movement, the sacks hastily dropped and seemingly forgotten.

I glanced fearfully behind me, trying to work out what had them so instantly alert. There happened to be no one else in the clearing at that particular moment although I thought I saw a face peer out of a cave across the opening, but when I looked again, there was only darkness.

“Tirta, Aysel, Kendall, Shannon.” Sabrina greeted each of them with a relaxed smile and a slight bob as she said each name. “I’d like you to meet Alexandra.” She pulled me roughly to her side, her iron grip a dead giveaway that her tone had nothing to do with how she felt.

They remained frozen for a few more seconds, and then slowly the men straightened. They still shielded the women with their bodies as their eyes ran over me from head to toe while I fiddled uncomfortably beneath their scrutiny.

“What is she?” a lilting, childlike voice piped from behind the man I thought was called Kendall.

I looked quickly at Sabrina, trying to understand the question.

“Her spiritus feels wrong,” came another lilting, musical voice from behind the other man. “Confused and sometimes so faint, it’s as if it isn’t there at all.”

“She’s a Halfling, Shannon,” replied Sabrina as she extended her hand and beckoned the tiny, exquisite creatures forward. The men hissed as Shannon and Tirta skipped nimbly around their attempts at protection and settled just out of Sabrina’s reach. They gazed past me intently and then muttered and whispered to each other, before glancing nervously back at the men and then at me again. I eventually whispered to Sabrina, “What is going on and what are they looking at?”

“Oh sorry, Alexandra, let me formally introduce you to the Merrow.” She curtsied as she held out her hand towards them, ignoring the savage hiss that erupted from Kendall’s throat.

“You endanger us so, Sabrina!” he accused through clenched teeth.

“Oh calm down, Kendall,” Sabrina replied. “Alexandra needs to learn as much as she can about Oceanids, and telling her the specific name of your clan isn’t going to single you out. Besides she isn’t going to hurt anyone, are you, dear?” she asked turning towards me.

“N… no,” I managed to stutter, confused by the absurd concept that I’d want to hurt them.

“Surely even with such a weak spiritus you should be able to see that she is not at all aggressive, and even if she’s confused, you of all of us should be able to see whether there are any sinister motives we should be aware of.”

“She’s right you know,” declared Shannon, “from what I can see Alexandra” – she pronounced my name Aleeeksaaandra – “is perfectly harmless.”

This provoked a heated discussion in a language I didn’t recognise between them, and I watched in amusement as their argument became more and more passionate, the men shaking their fists, and the women tossing their hair in defiance, as all four of them hopped around each other in a strange and aggressive little dance.

“Er… Sabrina?” I whispered during a particularly loud interchange between Shannon and Kendall. “Why are they so upset?”

“Kendall doesn’t trust your spiritus and Shannon is telling him that he is being a paranoid…” She rattled off a strange word I didn’t recognise.

“Sorry… a what?”

“It’s a sea creature which is known for its absolute stupidity,” she replied giggling as the Merrows’ argument became more heated. Shannon skipped to my side and stretched out a finger, almost touching my skin, before rushing back at Kendall, clearly arguing the whole time.

“What is a spiritus?” I asked.

“A person’s spiritus is a type of…” She paused, seeming to search for the right word. “There isn’t a direct English translation, but it’s like a… breath that we can see. Every living creature lets off a type of energy, a breath if you want. All creatures are able to see this breath that surrounds other creatures.”

“Every creature except humans,” hissed Aysel, as he turned from the argument.

My eyebrows shot up in surprise.

“Humans don’t have a spiritus?” I asked.

Sabrina shook her head. “No they do, but they can’t see it any more, and it is often hidden from all but the most perceptive of us.” She indicated the Merrow with a slight bob again.

“Every creature has a specific colour,” chimed in Tirta smiling at me shyly, stepping away from Shannon and Kendall who were still arguing.

“Mmmhmm,” continued Shannon, turning abruptly from Kendall. “We can also see a person’s emotions in the nuances of the spiritus. Merrow are particularly good at reading
spiritus
. We can even pick up nuances which tell us about a person’s motives!”

Kendall muttered something.

“Sabrina is right, Kendall,” Shannon said, soothingly stroking his forearm. “Alexandra has no reason, or desire, to hurt us.”

Kendall pulled his arm away from her, staring at it in a sort of fixed horror, before abruptly brushing away a thin layer of moisture that had appeared on it. Shannon gasped as he did so, staring at the palms of her hands in fascination.

“What is it?” Sabrina asked, stepping forward.

Shannon lifted her palms to show Sabrina, her expression a combination of fascination and fear. Water dribbled down her wrists, dripping off her elbows.

Sabrina froze, and stared, turning abruptly to look at me.”It’s not her motives I’m worried about, Shannon.” Kendall spoke into the silence, despair colouring the lilt of his voice. “Can you see strength in any of her colours?” He waved his hand at me.

“I can see her colours,” Sabrina whispered, “and you’re right, Kendall, there is no strength there. Not yet.”

Shannon studied her toes and Tirta moved quietly back to Aysel who was scowling at me.

Whatever had happened with Shannon and then Sabrina had cast a pall of wariness over the group. Sabrina moved back to my side, but kept her distance a little, a smile that didn’t reach her eyes pasted on her face.