Serenitatem

Chapter 3

It was hard to act normally when one was planning on breaking the rules. Tal barely said a word to his father or brother when he reached their cave but luckily, they assumed he was still upset about the incident at dinner. Tal claimed he wanted to go to sleep and curled up in his mossy bed, right by the entrance. He hoped the others would be tired, but Menlo and Anyir seemed to talk endlessly about tides and migration patterns. He nearly fell asleep himself listening to it.

Finally, finally, the cave quieted. Tal raised his head a fraction of an inch off his bed and peeked at the others. His father was in the back, snoring softly, his arms crossed on his chest. He looked stern even in sleep. Anyir was curled in an interesting position, with his arms sprawled in two directions and his tail bent, sticking almost straight up.

He watched the steady streams of bubbles exiting their mouths for a couple of minutes, to really make sure they were asleep. Then, he slipped out. The lagoon was eerie at night. Moonlight from above sent ripples of silver light across the rocks, the only source of illumination. The activity of the day was gone. Nothing moved except sea plants, waving gently in the calm water.

Tal swam quietly past the other caves. Soon he was heading towards the seaweed forest, with the caves at his back. A brief moment of panic shot through him as he realized that he wouldn't be able to tell if anyone was still awake. He did a quick glance behind him and saw that it was as silent as a graveyard.

Arriving at the exit point, Denali and Rukiani were waiting for him. "We thought you changed your mind," Denali whispered, when seeing him. They didn't look nervous at all, unlike him. After carefully moving the boulder aside, they slipped through the tunnel. The water in the tunnel felt suddenly cooler and Tal felt himself shiver slightly. The twins were silently waiting for him on the other end. Tal pushed the boulder back into place, their exit concealed.

Not much was said between them as they cut through the dark water. Tal wondered if the twins were having any doubts about this, like him. He didn't think so. They were always going things like this, but this time he was included.

Up ahead, Denali froze in the water. His long hair floated around his face as he peered through the water.

"What is it?" Rukiani whispered. His brother signaled to them to join him behind a large boulder on the ocean floor.

"I see a sentry," Denali said to them. "A few yards ahead. I saw moonlight reflecting off of his scales."

Tal sucked in his breath. "How are we going to sneak past him?" The twins exchanges glances and he felt his heart drop as it dawned on him what they were thinking. "Oh no," he began to protest. "I'm not going to-."

"Its perfect!" Rukiani said, cutting him off. "You're faster than anyone. It won't take long for him to give up the chase. Meet us back here after you lose him."

"And don't let him see your face," his brother added.

Tal shook his head but Denali shoved him out from behind the rock. Tal dropped quickly to the sea floor. Rukiani gave him a thumbs-up. He glared at them.

Tal snaked along the floor like an eel, trying to stay out of the merman's line of sight as long as possible. His heart was pounding so hard, he was probably going to give himself away. Who knew how good the sentry's ears were? He cursed Denali and Rukiani for forcing him into this pathetic plan. It was never going to work. He had half a mind to turn back and go home, but a stronger part of him urged him on. What was there to lose?

The merman on watch was a few feet away now. He was positioned vertically in the water, flicking his tail every so often to remain so. He carried a long spear that he shifted from hand to hand, a sign he was bored.