The Forbidden Lands (Wattys 2015 Winner)

Chapter Nine-The Merrow

Chapter Nine

________________

My week with the trolls ended swiftly. On my last day, Coten and I were exhausted. But I had to continue.

"The next of the six races is the merrow. They live below the water, in the Merrow Lagoon. To get there, you must walk northwest about three leagues. Then, go below the water, and give someone my note." He handed me a letter.

"But I cannot breath underwater," I pointed out.

He smiled. "I know, Human." He knew my name by then, but he continued to call me that, just to spite me.

"Evelin," I corrected.

"Here." He handed me three dried leaves. "This is Aquweed, an extremely rare herb. With it, you can breath underwater for no more than an hour."

I reached into my satchel.

"No, Human, you do not have time to sketch it. Go!"

I took the herb and placed it in my satchel. "Farwell, Coten. Thank you for your help."

"No," he said, looking up at me with his glistening, obsidian eyes. "Thank you, Evelin. For you may be the one to save us all."

I left with a smile, in the southeastern direction, according to the sun. I made it about one and a half leagues before needing rest.

The day was extremely hot, and the sun was beating down on me. I decided to rest that evening and continue in the night. Coten had told me sleeping in the open was dangerous at night, anyway.

I awoke to the moon, and continued on my way. The stars guided my path. Girec had taught me the different constellations. He always had enjoyed reading, and was full of useless information. I was glad he had taught me this, however.

I tried not to be frightened of the unfamiliar sounds with no luck. I had no idea what lurked in the trees. It could be anything. I picked up my pace.

Soon, the trees thinned, and opened up to a beautiful, small lake. Merrow Lagoon.  The moon shined on the water, the surface reflective, making it like a second sky. Not a single ripple travelled through the pond, and the silence was ominous. A shiver went up my spine. I turned around. Nothing was there.

I tried to stay up the entire night, but I fell asleep a few hours before dawn.

When I awoke, I was relieved to see that I was still alive. I walked over to the lake and studied my reflection. Last time, with the trolls, I hadn't made a good impression. I wanted this time to be different. My hair looked atrocious. My face seemed extra pale, and dark circles lined the bottom of my eyes.

I opened my satchel to try to find something to tame my wild, shoulder-length mane of hair. I didn't have a comb or hairbrush, so I ripped my fingers through it, and attempted to tie it up with a piece of fabric I ripped off my already-tattered tunic. Then, I splashed water on my face, hoping it would bring some color to my face.

I was extremely excited for this. Merrow were like mermaids in fairy tales, I suspected, and I'd always wanted to be able to breath underwater. I pulled a leaf out of my satchel and sucked on it. It tasted like mint. I left the rest of my stuff above the water, knowing it would get wet, and then I dove into the lake. It did not gradually get deeper, instead it was like jumping into pit.

It was also much, much deeper than anyone would ever suspect. I held my breath for as long as I could. What if the Aquweed doesn't work? I wondered. I will die!

When I couldn't hold my breath any longer, I breathed out and prepared to drown. But instead, I gulped in some air. I squealed in excitement, but no sound came out. Maybe the Aquweed affected my vocal cords. After all, people cannot talk underwater anyway.