Legainia

Chapter 4 - Tendef

As we kept walking, not one of us said a word. I wanted to break the silence. "So tell me, Tendef, how did you find me?" He hesitated. "When I saw you, I wondered why a girl like you were running so fast, but then you tripped, and I got worried about you. I then began following you, to make sure you stayed out of trouble." "I'm not a helpless little child, I can handle things on my own!" I was angry. "I can tell, considering you were threatened my a ten-foot bear, and almost didn't make it out alive." I sighed. "I guess you're right....."

An hour passed without any conversation. "Hey, can I tell you a secret?" I saw a lake nearby. "What is it?" he said. I placed my bag down, then jumped into the lake. "What are you doing?" he asked. I showed him my tail. "Swimming," I smirked. His eyes were wide open. He seemed very surprised. "You're a halfling, aren't you....?" "What's a halfling?" "It's when a human, and another humanoid species... in your case a mermaid, have children. The chances for the results to take effect is one out of fifty, and it doesn't affect you until sometime in your teenage years." I was shocked.

"But, I don't now anyone in my family who's a mermaid." "It may have happened many generations ago....." It all made sense now. "Now I know.... Is there any way to change back?" "Negative." "So there isn't any hope?" "I'm sorry, Nilinna....." "Alright then. Let's go back to the river," I grabbed my bag. "But you're still a fish. Doesn't it take a long time to change back?" "Yes, but-" he picked me up, and began walking back, casually. "Hey! Let me go!!" I blushed red. I flopped my tail, and struggled. "If you keep doing that, I could drop you. Is that what you want?" "No, but....." I sighed.

When I finally turned back to normal, he let me go. "You know, you didn't need to pick me up like that." "If I didn't we would still be there, waiting for your legs to come back." "True, but-" he interrupted me. "There's a full moon out tonight, and it's getting dark. I don't want you to get attacked by a vampire, or a werewolf. If either of them bites you, you would turn into one every full moon. Would you like that?" "No," I responded sheepishly.

When we got to the lake, I took the bear leg out. It was nicely marinated in blueberries, just like I wanted. Tendef was making the fire to cook it, and in no time, we had a wonderful dinner. I felt I had to share it with him to thank him for saving my life. Had he not killed the bear, we wouldn't even be eating this.

After dinner, he said he needed to watch me overnight to make sure I stayed safe during the full moon. I trusted him by then, so I didn't mind. He sat down, leaning on a nearby tree with his sword ready in his hands. When I woke up that morning, he was sleeping next to me, facing me, with his sword still in his hand, and his arm over me. When I noticed it, my face got red, and my heart started beating really fast. I couldn't move, because his arm was heavy, and he had a sword, so if I woke him up, he could accidently hurt me with it. I shut my eyes tightly, and waited. When would he wake up!!??!