[Child of the 7th Age]

One of the mer-maids had doubled back in the vicinity of Piosenniel and Birdland, who were still thrusting verbal jabs at each other. This mer-maid was purposely swimming under water, pressing her giant tail against the torsos of whichever unfortunate swimmer happened to be in the way. She had no truly evil intentions, but, like many of her kind, loved to cause serious mischief.

It felt very strange indeed to those like Celeawen who were swimming about. The Elves were annoyed, but not deeply disturbed since they had all seen many strange things in the course of their long journies through Middle-earth. What the mer-maid had not reckoned with, however, was the presence of a young, landbound hobbit who had never dreamed of such a being, let alone actually encountered one.

Daisy's voice rang out, trembling and uncertain. She stared and stared again at the strange sea creature. The mer-maid, however, took this as a challenge turning to face her head on. She swam swiftly towards Daisy, swinging closer and closer. The girl's face which had previously registered apprehension went up several notches to full scale terror. The mer-maid smiled so that her teeth gleemed silver white under the moon's soft rays. She lowered her head and was about to rush forward in hopes of lifting Daisy physically out of the water and redepositing her in a different direction, perhaps some fifty feet distant.

At that instant, Kali came racing up and placed his equally small body between the creature with gleeming teeth and green hair and the cowering figure of Daisy. He had no physical fear of mer-people, since he had dealt with them since childhood. Indeed, he liked mer-people but he knew that they could be brash and intimidating to any who showed fear. And Daisy was definitely radiating fear.

Kali cried out and spoke with the mer-maid in the language of her people, commanding her to back up and leave the two of them alone. The mer-maid grinned, her visage green and wondrous like some picture from a misty dream. She nodded respectfully, and faced around, swimming off into the night.

Daisy, who had stood as if frozen at one spot in the water, immediately began retreating towards the ship. Kali came right behind her. The two of them scrambled up the rope and came onto the deck.

The minute that Daisy's feet hit the wooden boards, she whirled around towards Kali, her face a mask of anger and shame. In a voice that brooked no opposition, she turned on him, "Stay out of my life! I don't need your help. I can take care of myself. I've done it before, and I can do it again. I don't know what kind of creature you are, but stay away from me!"

Below, in the water, there was silence. All eyes had focused on the scene in the Bay. Now, Daisy's loud and hurtful words from the deck of the ship could be heard by everyone. No one knew quite how to respond. Daisy spun around and ran down to the cabin, stumbling through the darkened hallways, seeking a refuge to be alone with her fears.

Kali said absolutely nothing. He went to the stern of the ship and dove into the waters of the night.

The swimming party abruptly broke up. There was silence in the galley as Elves, men, and hobbits sat down to share their dinner. And nowhere could Kali or Daisy be seen.

[ July 18, 2002: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]