Streams - Book 1

Chapter 15

Centaur's and Unicorn's and Mermaids Oh My!

"Give me your hand," Jenni heard as she emerged from the river into a shallow pool. Rogan was reaching down to her from the stone floor. "Give me your hand," he repeated. Jenni stretched her hand up and it was enfolded in Rogan's hairy grip. He gently pulled her out of the water and onto the cold stone floor.

"Thank you," she gasped, sinking to her hands and knees, shaking in the cool air of the room. She watched as Tlaloc pulled himself and then Lilly and Aakil up into the room. The twins were off to the side of a huge round table situated in the middle of the room. Jenni couldn't see much else, but she heard movement and then Morathi hurried up to them.

"Lilly, Mia, Ava," he called, "What happened?"

"We ran into a bit of trouble your highness," the twins said, as they poured water from the sheaths of their swords. "And had to alter our plans a bit."

"Just a bit?" Morathi questioned.

"A large bit perhaps," they giggled. "We're just sorry it's so much later than previously planned."

"Not to worry, we have all suffered delays in our arrivals." A male voice said, causing Jenni to turn and find a man with a blanket in his outstretched hands.

"Thank you." Jenni smiled, turning to wrap herself in the warm fabric.

"You are quite welcome," he replied, taking a few steps back; the clopping of hooves catching Jenni's attention and causing her to spin back around. The dark haired man was not a man at all. His well-defined torso ended in a horse's body with four legs and a tail.

"You're a, a," Jenni stammered, her brain too excited to think of the correct name for him.

"A Centaur," he nodded, "but most people just call me Bayard."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, my name is Jenni." She stretched out her hand and the centaur shook it, smiling down at her. The rest of the room chuckled and Jenni looked around in confusion; she didn't think introductions were that funny.

"We do not mean to laugh, it's just that everyone knows who you are my dear." The soft feminine voice came from deep inside Jenni's brain, causing her to look around the room with confusion.

Morathi led Jenni over to the table and gestured to the lovely female with long blond hair. The woman was leaning on the table with her arms crossed and a large fish-like tail floating in a tank behind her.

"Jenni, Lorelei. Lorelei, Jenni." Morathi introduced.

"A Mermaid," Jenni whispered in wonder.

"That I am," her voice came to Jenni once again like a thought rising up from someplace inside her brain, as Lorelei raised her tail a bit higher, giving Jenni a better look.

"Merpeople communicate with their thoughts only." Morathi informed Jenni.

"Yes, and we can select who we wish to receive our thoughts, a group, or a single person." Lorelei said, as she looked at Jenni with curious wonder.

"What's wrong?" Jenni asked, "Why are you staring at me like that?"

"Normally a single thought from a merperson's telepathy puts a human into a deep trance." Morathi commented, "But it seems you are somehow immune."

"Maybe we've somehow adapted over the years." Jenni stated. "After all it's been some time since you've had contact with humans." She looked over at the mermaid and asked, "Are you incapable of speaking verbally? It's just that we have stories about mermaid sirens luring men to their death by singing."