Mermaids are Menacing (Book 2) Complete

11.) Bait

I second guess most of my decisions but not this time. Only because it wasn't my decision. I was standing on a beach with a bunch of Orcs, my arms raised above my head.

Ortha ran a couple circles around me, wrapping a thick cord of rope around my waist as she went. When she determined the rope was wrapped around enough times she tied it with a strong knot against my mid back. My breath hitched when she tightened the binding. A long tail of rope extended from the knot in a semi straight line.

"Gorza" I called with a squeezed breath. "explain the plan to me just one more time." My anxiety leaking into my voice.

Ortha gave me a look of pity. "Bait is slow. Bad at remembering."

Gortha cut in with an serious tone. "Some babes dont have good memory. Muscle is best memory. Not forget."

She stood infront of me and bent down to eye level. Pointing at me she began her explanation.
"Bait goes in water."

"I go in the water." I repeated, nodding my head.

"Bait cuts arm." She said pointing to the back of her own arm, between the shoulder and elbow with a knife. She gave me the knife and I inspect it. It's the length of my hand but with a  blade that's slightly curved at the tip.

"I cut my arm." I said with a grim face holding the curved wicked thing.

"Fish come to blood." Gorza said pointing at the water. Then she patted the rope belt around my waist "Pull Bait back."

"That's the part I'm concerned about, I dont know about that part." I began to say.

She gave me a pat on the back that nearly threw me to the ground.

"Bait not worry! Gorza will pull to safety! Not get eaten." She said standing up straight and beating her fist to her chest twice.

"Are you sure I can't just cut my hand and splash it around standing on the shore?" I squeaked.

"Take to long to catch scent." She argued with her palm facing me "Orc best at harvesting."

I sighed out the tension in my body. "Alright, I'm ready." I said shaking my body and jumping up and down briskly. Despite the movement my nerves didn't settle.

The beach had a somewhat steep incline between the tree line and the water. Walking over the rocky beach, I decended into the water with bare feet. Every couple steps I looked behind to make sure Gorza was still carrying the rope. Ortha stood at a high vantage point in the tree line my boots sat safetyly next to her with my sons hair inside. She seemed to be taking her job as lookout very seriously.

The water splashed cold on my feet, my body tensed at the cool temperature. The skin on my arms prickled. The sea smelled strongly of fish. Flakes of dead skin floated off my legs and swirled around the waters surface. I hadn't been able to bath in a month but there was no way I was going to be able to enjoy this dip.

My mind replayed scenes of the last time I was here. Thrashing in clawed hands beneath the waves. Struggling for air. The only way through it, is to do it. The water was now chest deep. I felt my tether swaying with the waves behind me, each time I breathed I felt the rope tight against my rib cage. Rather than stifling it felt secure.  I took another deep breath and pressed the knife to the back of my arm under the water. But nothing happened. I tried to slice my arm again with the curved blade but It failed to cut a second time. Gorza wouldn't have given me a dull blade would she? I rubbed my thumb over the sharp looking edge of the blade to inspect its ability but not even a drop of blood appeared.

What do I do now. I don't want to walk back to shore and be seen as a coward but then my eyes fell on my claws. The idea didn't even have time to form before I scratched the back of my arm with a sharp pointed index finger. Whisps of blood swept over the white scaled pattern like red smoke from a blown out candle.