A Merfolk's Tale

Chapter Four

"He might be an orphan, or someone washed up from a shipwreck?" Momo asked as she served tea to Shoto while he, Eiji, and Tenya sat on the garden as they talked about the green-haired boy they found earlier.

"He couldn't have been," Shoto said, "I saw him just a few nights before, he is a resident of Yuei,"

"But none of the villagers know who he is, nor do the elders do," Tenya said. "If he really is a resident of Yuei as you say he is, then why doesn't he seem to recognize who you are?"

Shoto didn't answer as he continued to glare at his tea. He did have a point-- everyone in Yuei knew who Shoto was since no one sported a unique hair as he and when that boy met eyes with him he displayed every different kind of emotion except recognition towards the next heir to the Yuei throne.

"He could've belonged somewhere..." Shoto mumbled.

"Well we can always ask him, you know," Eiji said.

"We can't," Tenya said.

"Eh? Why?"

"He's mute," Shoto answered and remembered how the greenhead had flinched when Tenya tried to reach for him and Shoto saw that he wasn't wearing any clothes and a huge cut damaged one of his legs, causing him to stumble back when he tried to stand and back away from them.

"Stop! You're injured!" Tenya had said.

But the greenhead was too busy cowering back and trying to get away from them, only to get cornered at a dead-end-- where he started pounding on a huge boulder that blocked his way and cried.

Feeling their presence, the greenhead turned towards them-- fear in his eyes-- and Shoto knew they won't be able to get him out of the cave unless he felt safe to come with them. Slowly, he unclipped his belt where his sword was attached and slowly knelt to put it down.

"What are you doing?"  Tenya had asked him.

The greenhead, expecting that Shoto would attack him when the latter knelt, scrambled back in fear-- stumbling on the water because of his injured legs and whimpered when he twisted his wrist, spraining it.

"It's alright, we won't hurt you," Shoto had assured him as he tried to keep his voice calm and low. "What's your name?"

No answer.

"I-I'm Shoto, what's your name?" Shoto said.

No answer and Shoto gulped as he glanced at Tenya who was as equally relaxed as him but tensed enough to grasp the hilt of his sword should the greenhead decide to make a run for it.

"C-can you... can you understand us?" Shoto asked.

Cradling his injured hand, the greenhead nodded, though he still kept his guard up in case Shoto decides to make a sudden move.

"Can you... speak?"

The greenhead shook his head no and let out a whimper when Tenya took a step forward, making Shoto hold his arm out-- signaling his guards to back up.

"It's okay, nobody here would hurt you,"  Shoto said, "Those injuries... we can heal them for you,"

Shoto felt that the boy had been unconsciously lowering his guard towards Shoto and felt safe to extend his arm to him. "It's okay... we'll get you out of here. You're safe now..."

Though Shoto could tell that the boy was still cautious of them, he was relieved when the latter slowly reached for Shoto's hand where he firmly grasped it before slowly approaching the frightened greenhead.