The Bird and The Fish

TBTF, Part 13: Surprise Visit

(Zahra pov. Slight warning for angst and violence.)

I perk up at the sound of footsteps approaching, my hand instinctively reaching for my dagger. I gesture for Tangaroa to stay put, getting up to investigate who could possibly be outside.

I listen carefully to the footsteps, pressing myself against the wall to stay hidden. It's two people, and they're being cautious, I think, the grip on my dagger tightening slightly. It's possible they have weapons, and I'm at a complete disadvantage if they do.

They draw closer, stopping just as I see the tips of their blades. That's when I strike, disarming the one closest to me. They grunt as they're thrown to the ground, and the second one goes after me. I slip on the damp floor, giving them the opportunity to pin me against the wall.

The first person stands, the light from the nearby fire revealing his features. "Casper?" I whisper, a mixture of surprise and confusion in my gaze as I stare at him. "Let go of her!" Tangaroa interjects, hissing like a snake as he pulls the man who was pinning we against the wall off of me.

The man grunts in surprise as he falls, his sword slashing through the air to try and get him off. "Tangaroa!" I cry, my eyes widening with worry when I see blood. I try to get to him, but Casper holds me back. "Are you insane?!" he demands, a mixture of concern and relief in his gaze. "That thing could kill you and Arvid! You're crazy!"

"Get off!" I grunt, struggling against his grip. I watch in horror as the man named Arvid rises and raises his sword to finish Tangaroa off.

"No!" I exclaim, managing to slip away from Casper just in time to tackle Arvid to the ground. "Neither of you are touching him," I growl, my wings flared protectively as I stand infront of the injured merman.

"Why the hell are you protecting that monster?" Casper demands, a mix of surprise and frustration in his voice. "Do you know how dangerous it it?! You're lucky you're even alive!" "I'm only alive because of him!" I snap back, catching Arvid, Casper, and now Alouette by surprise. "You have no idea what he did for me."

"Zahra..." Casper starts, his tone softer now. "No," I interrupt, my eyes narrowing. "I'm not going to hear you out. And I'm certainly not going to abandon the very man who helped me when I was on deaths door. You have no right to decide who's worthy of my trust based on whatever story you heard about someone."

All three of them stay silent, glancing between me and the figure of a scared merfolk behind me. Casper knows not to question me when I've put my trust into someone. "Look, we aren't here to hurt him, alright? We came for you," he says finally, taking a step closer.

"I've gathered," I reply coldly, my body language tense as he walks closer. "We want you back, Zahra. We need you back," he pleads, his gaze soft. "We've spent this last week planning to get you back. I'm not letting all that work go to waste because you're too stubborn to leave."

"I'm only not leaving because you did hurt him," I retort. "You jumped to conclusions and decided that I was in danger when I clearly wasn't. And you hurt my friend. What kind of impression do you think that gives me? Because it certainly doesn't scream " I was trying to save you and bring you back.""

"What if we brought the merman back with us?" Alouette speaks up suddenly, catching everyone in the room by surprise. "I haven't told anyone, but I'm a relatively powerful mage. I know how to give him legs."

The four of us stare at her, the sound of gears turning in our heads the only thing breaking the silence. "You can give him legs?" I ask after a moment, my tone skeptical. "Yes," she confirms, her voice timid. "How, exactly?"

"I-I just need a few ingredients," she says, sounding slightly relieved that I'm willing to hear her out. "I brought the majority of them, but I don't have any mana berries or fireflies." My eyes light up when she mentions what she needs. "Tangaroa has a some mana berries," I say, now less defensive.

But before they can say anything, I crouch down to check on his wound. "It hurts," he pouts, holding out his arm for me to see. "It looks like it does," I reply, wincing at the sight of it. I grad a the nearby roll of bandages he has and the pouch of salve he used on me.

I quickly patch him up before standing again. "There should be fireflies outside," I say, my tone hardening again. "Casper and Arvid will get them. I'll get you the berries." She nods and walks toward me, already rummaging through her bag to find what she needs. I give the two boys a glare over her shoulder, clearly still pissed about the situation.

Casper averts his gaze and walks outside with Arvid in tow.

"How many to you need?" I ask her, turning my attention to her setup. "Four," she replies, focused on what she's doing. I nod and grab four plump berries from where Tangaroa keeps them in the basket I made. "Are these alright?" I ask, handing them to her. "Perfect," she says, dropping them into the small mortar she has.

I watch as she crushes them into a paste like consistency, only glancing up from her work when the boys return with the fireflies she requested. "We didn't know how many you wanted, so we just got handfuls of them," Casper says sheepishly, avoiding my gaze as he passes the insects to Alouette. "I only need seven," she mutters to herself, dropping them bugs into the paste.

She stirs the mixture, pausing to add a scoop of water to thin it out. "That should do it," she says, looking pleased with her work. "Now you just have to drink it and wait," she adds, passing the mortar to Tangaroa. He give her a slightly skeptical look, sniffing the mixture cautiously.

He takes a breath before downing it, looking surprised by the taste. He lets out a sigh as he sets the bowl down, wiping his lips. "That was surprisingly good," he remarks, licking his lips. "How long does it take to work?" I ask, looking over Tangaroa for any noticeable changes. "Give it a minute," she replies, her gaze glued onto him as we wait.

"Hey, I feel funny," Tangaroa says, looking confused. The rest of us watch in amazement as the water surrounding him glows, causing us to shield our eyes. After a moment, I blink to let my eyes adjust to the dark again.

My eyes widen when I see a now human Tangaroa sitting at the edge of the pool, staring at his new legs in wonder. But my surprise is quickly replaced by embarrassment when I realize he doesn't have any clothes, my cheeks turning red as I avert my gaze. "Does anyone have something he can wear?" I ask, trying to keep my voice steady.

"I packed an extra set of clothes," Arvid speaks up, rifling through his bag before pulling out a set of clothes. "They might be a bit small, but they should do until we can get back." "Put these on," I say, passing Tangaroa the clothes.

"Okay," he chirps, slipping into the tunic and leggings with surprising ease. "You can look now," he chimes, smiling cheekily when he notices my embarrassment. "Thank you," I sigh, glad he isn't naked anymore.

I look him up and down, my gaze lingering in certain spots for a moment too long. "How are we going to get him all the way back?" I ask, pulling gaze away from his toned body. "I can't exactly carry him. I haven't gotten the chance to get off the ground for a while."

"I'm sure I can do it," Arvid says cockily, earning him a smack on the back of the head from Casper. He shoots him a glare, rubbing the back of his head. "If we wrap him in a bedroll and use the ropes we brought, Arvid and I could probably carry him like a package," Casper suggests, looking at me for approval.

"That's not a bad idea," I say, considering the options. "Plus, it's the only option beside walking all that way."

"Let's do it," I say after a moment, my tone determined.