treading water | halbrand & isildur [on hold]

3 | a guild crest

I HAVE SEAWEED EYES?

Nimriel was overloaded with new information and experiences. She and Galadriel had been whisked off to a bathing house where they could finally get cleaned up. It was the first time the Sea Elf was using a bathtub and also experiencing fresh water as opposed to salt water.

It left an odd aftertaste in her mouth and her gills weren't used to it, so it wasn't the most enjoyable time she'd ever had in water. But the Númenorean handmaidens helped wash her hair with soap that smelled sweet — Galadriel informed her it smelled like something called apples. When Nim got out of the water, her skin was tinted an odd light teal color rather than the bluer camouflage that came when she was in the ocean.

After getting cleaned up, she and Galadriel were given dresses. Nim found the material a little too heavy and itchy against her skin, but she did think it looked flattering on her figure. It fell off her shoulders, showing her scales off, and the dark blue material brought out the blue in her eyes. But the handmaidens weren't finished dressing her after tying up the gown.

"Shoes?" Nim questioned, looking at the dark brown sandals that Galadriel was trying to convince her to wear. "I don't need shoes."

"You have feet. Therefore, you need shoes," Galadriel stated. The handmaidens stepped to the side when it was clear that Nim was going to cause problems over this.

"Well, I don't want shoes," she grumbled, crossing her arms.

"It's to protect them," she told her. "There could be glass or any number of things you won't want to step on. Take the shoes."

Nimriel looked away with her nose turned up, and no doubt, Halbrand would've called her a brat again if he were there to see it. "You can't make me."

Galadriel simply raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow, taking that as a challenge.

Thirty minutes later, Nimriel's sandal-covered feet were slapping against the stone streets as she walked from the palace. The nice guard escorting her from the palace was listening to her complain about how she couldn't wiggle her toes as well as if that was some important bodily function.

While Galadriel was confined to palace ground — though Nim knew she was going to escape and try to find a way to steal a boat before the three days ended — Nimriel was allowed to go wherever in the city she wanted. In fact, it was encouraged by Queen Míriel. She was the ruler that brought a Sea Elf to her people and wanted to flaunt that.

So, while the odd tint was still on her skin and the sun reflected against her patches of scales, Nim went on a walk. She was given a guard to show her around so that she wouldn't get lost on the winding streets.

Nim asked him to take her to the establishment where Halbrand was staying. Though he wasn't given a room at the palace, Nimriel negotiated for him to be put in one of the nicest inns free of charge. Now that a few hours had passed, she wanted to check on him.