The Deep

Chapter 10

Arya

*Five hours earlier*

"Very good, Arya." Merida taps my shoulder reassuringly. "You are learning quickly. Before you know it, you'll be able to walk the streets without me."

Merida has taken the time that I have been on land very seriously. She has taught me how to speak. Communicate in a way that humans would be able to understand without causing any misunderstandings. She has also taught me about what humans call 'technology'. That was also easy to understand. I still believe those 'cars' to be some land beasts by those terrible sounds that they constantly make.

And that's something else that I have had to get acclimated to the noise. There's so much noise above water. Anything is able to make a ruckus. A step, a door, a simple crash of a wave. Altogether, it is a tough way to live.

We just finished a history lesson about land. It has been most enlightening to hear about how destructive humans have been and will continue to be. Afterwards, she tested my knowledge of this history of which I seemingly passed. She says that my brain is like a sponge-much like their younglings. It was insulting but I appreciate her efforts to make me better. And although I love learning and being here, I have a bigger problem on my shoulders at the moment.

"Merida." I use my human voice a lot better now because of her lessons. It takes great effort to sound human, but I do it just the same. "I must go back to water," I tell her. "My body needs water." I show her my arm-which has burst out in a harsh rash, revealing the iridescent color of my natural form. "Your body needs ocean water," she touches the skin gingerly. I observe the way her lips shape the words as she speaks. "Yes, my body needs ocean water." I did my best to repeat her.

My first days as human I found out that I could only go so long on land before my skin begs for home. To stretch within the currents and swim past the limits of this world. There are times when I feel couped up in this form. Restrained. Trapped. Now, it is happening again. "Okay, same thing as last time," Merida pushes her chair back. "We'll go at sundown on foot. Quickly and quietly, yes?"

"Yes."

Satisfied, Merida goes to her room. She owns another den for people who move from one place to stay at another. It is a weird custom to think that humans move as much as my kind does. But Merida explained that it is for pleasure not for survival, so it was not the same. Sometimes she stays over there at night and other times she would stay here with me.

During the day, I don't do much. I explore the house and learn as much as I can on my own. I did break a few of her things by accident but she never scolded me too harshly for it. Mother was the same. It was unusual to have Mother angry at me. She was stern, protective, and domineering but never angry. We never had much competition for us to act aggressively with one another.

I guess that is why Merida and I are close. She must be around Mother's age. Possibly older, I cannot tell. Merida's hair has a speckle of grey here and there, but her youth glows from the inside out. Sometimes I suspect that my connection with Merida runs deeper than simple motherly sympathy. But I have yet to prove it.

*****

The human village is quiet. Merida told me that it is because of the fishing issue. I don't entirely understand the issue, but it seems to be a big problem for them. I would like to one day understand them, even if it is for a limited amount of time.

Merida leads the way-as always-to Corran Bay. That is what the humans call it. I tend to slip my own words on accidents. Merida taught me to practice in my mind and then it'll get easier when I speak. But it's hard to keep track of them all. Merida speaks so fast at times that the words come and go.

"We're almost there, Arya," Merida announces. "Prepare yourself."

I nod at her command and begin to unclasp the thin clothing that she gives me for occasions like these. She calls them undergarments. I'm not sure I like them all that well. Merida is dressed in layers to protect herself from the weather. For her the weather is too cold, for me it is lukewarm. She tried to explain to me what cold and hot feels like, but it only made me more confused. Merida doubts I'll ever be able to

The shadows cover me well while Merida scours the shore for any onlookers. I know that there's no one, but I let her take charge of this. She's the one who knows land better than I do. "Okay," she sighs, turning around to face me, "be safe out there. Hunt, if you need to. Swim a marathon if you must. Or rest. But please, be careful. We both know that these waters aren't completely empty." She runs a hand over her face, patting down any unruly hair gently.

"Okay, yes."

She smiles at me, and I try to smile back-which only makes her laugh. Another thing I hope to be able to do right one day. "Time to go," I tell her. The sky has turned completely dark. It is time for me to go into the water. I walk away from her embrace and head towards the shore. The waves break against the sand as I step through. The contact burns my skin with every step I take. I wince in pain once it reaches my waist.

I submerge my body completely. The scream comes out on its own. It bubbles the seawater around me. My bones break and fuse back together. My scales tear through the soft tissues of my human body to grow my fins. Everything must break apart to morph into something new. It is what we all must do to become human or selkie. It hurts but once it's over, it is the best feeling in the world. It is like being whole all over again.

I tear through the water with great speed. No matter how much I adored being on land, nothing will ever come close to being in the sea. But there's something wrong. I didn't understand what Merida meant when she said that the fisherpeople had no catches in the last few weeks. The water has gone quiet.