The Shark And The Mermaid

Chapter 4

When Grace returned with some food, she saw three great whites swimming around with gold bands around their back fins. She quickly ducked into the hole in the ship, and found Surge waiting for her. 

"There are three great whites with gold bands around their back fins outside," she told him.

Surge looked over at her with a blank look. "those would be the royal guards" he told her. "They must be looking for me since I didn't return home last night."

"should I get their attention?" Grace asked.

Surge answered her, "go out and just say these words, 'the tide flows south when the wind blows north,' it is a passphrase to get their attention without them attacking you for being a mermaid."

With a slight nod of her head, Grace gave surge the food she found, before venturing back outside. She called out the passphrase, and the closest guard came swimming up to her. She backed away a little until her back bumped the side of the vessel.

"And what business have you to use the royal passphrase?" the guard asked her in a gruff voice.

Having now lost her voice from her fear, Grace simply pointed to the hole in the ship.

The guard seeing the hole, went to look inside. As soon as he saw the prince inside, he looked back at Grace, with a nod of approval. he quickly took off to get the other two guards, wile Grace slipped back into the hole to see that Surge has taken his medicine, and ate his food.

They sat together waiting for only a minute before all three guards returned.

One of the other two guards spoke up asking, "what's with the mermaid"

"Watch your tone." Surge growled, "if not for her, I would be dead right now. I owe her a life debt."

When Surge said that, all three guards then bowed their heads to Grace. 

Grace, and the three guards then worked together to get Surge out of the ship, and rigged something up to help get him home. The guards then asked Grace to come  with them. She agreed. Surge just smiled at her.

It took about three hours to get Surge to his home. once there, the biggest guard turned to Grace and told her, "the king will want to have a word with you." She just nodded her head.

When they got inside, Grace saw the king sitting in the front hall. His eyes landed on her as soon as she saw him. Grace could not help but to tremble a little under his glare.

the king was very large, Grace would guess about thirty foot long.