Daughter of the Waves

Jealousy and Scandal

Things settled down for a while after the visit from the priest, although both he and many of the townsfolk continued to be suspicious and a little hostile towards Aalith. Others respected her medical skills and gratefully bought their various ailments and injuries to her for treatment, and did not grumble at her strange ways. The children especially were fond of her, and she of them.

Brendan continued his slightly awkward, one sided courtship of Aalith, and something approaching friendship blossmed between them. It was a testimony to how much Brendan cared for her that it was he who first noticed that something was wrong. Not even Eilish, who was her constant companion, had noticed, so adept was she at concealing it. The great healer was ailing herself.

Brendan first began to notice it about a month after they met, one night while playing for her and Eilish. Even the flickering, uncertain light of the fire could not conceal from Brendan's sharp green eyes that her normally warm brown skin was pale, and her long black hair had lost some of its lustre. He also notices that she did not partake as usual of Eilish's excellent cooking, and that her once curvaceous figure was becoming slightly thinner. He asked after her, only to be shrugged off. He remained worried about her, however, doing his best to help, bringing her the best of his day's catch to try and pique her appetite, and staying even closer and being even more considerate than usual. It was five days later that events came to a head and the issue could no longer be ignored. One evening, just after Brendan had arrived, Aalith was clearing the medicines away for the day, when she staggered and dropped the beaker she was holding.

"Aalith, what's wrong!?" Shouted both Brendan and Eilish at once.

She did not reply immediately and only shook her head. Brendan took her gently by the arm and guided her to the nearest chair.

"I'll be fine, just let me breathe a little!" Aalith said as they both fussed around her.

"What is it, girl? Come on now, there's something you're not telling us." The old woman observed her closely.

Aalith spoke after a few seconds hesitation.

"I'm not sick, truly I'm not, do not worry, it is only that my people do not do well when they stay on dry land for too long." She finally admitted.

Again Brendan felt a stab of guilt go through his belly at her words.

"It's simple really. I am a creature of the sea. I need to feel the salt spray and the rythm of the waves. I need to swim at least a little bit every day."

"Why didn't you tell us this before, silly girl!" Chided Eilish. "It's true, you've hardly been out of this house since you came here. If that is what you needed, why did you not just do it!?" Eilish was clearly torn between concern and exasperation.

The guilty feeling twisting Brendan's gut quickly turned to fear at Aalith's words. Although he now knew she could not leave until the next solstice at the earliest, he still worried that if she returned to the sea, even for a short while, she would simply swim off and he would never see her again.

"I have been reluctant to go back to the sea. I feared my heart would break if I went for a swim and had to return to land after a short time, in this form." The sadness of Aalith's tone underscored her words.

Brendan was too ashamed to speak, but Eilish was business like as usual.

"Well, it looks as if you have no choice. I prescribe a daily swim for you, my friend!"

Smiling wanly, but already looking a little recovered, Aalith agreed.

It was almost a week before a consquence of Aalith's daily swims that Brendan had not foreseen turned into a major local scandal. Despite keeping well out of the way and walking miles around the cove to be out of view, Aalith was spotted swimming.