Water

Wave Twenty Six

(Come to take her back so soon, Guardian?)
Kai projected it through the water toward Darya. She didn’t respond. Then Leira saw Kai’s face, and knew Darya had projected something to him alone. Kai snorted and bade the others come with him.
(Not you,) he thought, looking at Leira.
(Sorry,) he added gruffly. Kai raced off with Hali, Tal and Nerida close behind him.

          Darya swam forcefully, reaching Leira in seconds. Leira stayed stubbornly silent, refusing to greet her elder. She instantly reverted to guarding her thoughts rather than projecting everything aloud as Scouts did. She felt strangely alone now the others had left.

          Darya towered above her, running her fingers along the old wall. Crumbling fragments of rock fell from it.
(This place is falling apart.) Darya’s thought was awkward, and Leira wondered why she was trying to make small talk.
Darya continued with her train of thought.
(Could it be that we’re running out of Sources? What happens then, Leira?)
Leira kept quiet. She wanted to leave, to flee from Darya, but knew the powerful leader would soon outstrip her. She looked over her shoulder. They were quite alone.

          (Leira.) Darya’s sudden thought gripped her attention. (Doesn’t that scare you?)
Leira smiled wearily and looked into Darya’s eyes. The rejection and hurt of the previous tides had worn her down; she had nothing left to lose.
(You know what used to scare me, Darya?) A look of surprise crept into the leader’s eyes at Leira’s casual use of her name.
(Failing. Not becoming a Guardian. And now that’s happened. So I guess I’m not so scared of anything anymore.)
Instead of snapping back, Darya’s response surprised Leira.
(Well, it scares me.)
Leira hesitated. Darya, scared? She hadn’t thought her capable of such an emotion. Darya began to swim away, following the wall around the perimeter of the Citadel. Leira had no choice but to follow - Darya’s wristpiece was the only light available outside of the Nest. Leira needed her to get back inside. And Darya knew it.

          Although Darya drifted slowly, Leira stayed behind her. She’d no wish to swim alongside or continue the discussion. It had been a long day. She ached for her hammock.

          In a sudden fluid movement, Darya span and placed her arm against the wall, blocking Leira’s path. Leira flew into Darya’s arm and had to grip it with both hands to prevent her from careening over it. Darya took no notice and thought with intensity,
(You failed the Testing, true. But if I told you there’s a way you could still be a Guardian, would you listen?)

          Flustered by Darya’s sudden shift in the conversation, Leira paused to allow the question to sink in. Could it be possible? A few tides ago, she would’ve given anything to pass her Testing. But she hadn’t. She’d been rejected by her clan and put with the Flame-Tails. Even her own father had betrayed her. Then she thought about the Scouts and how they’d laughed at her. They hated her. Sighing, she knew she still longed to see Eli again. Be with her own kind.

(Yes,) she breathed. (I’d listen. You know I would.)
(Good. You want to be a Guardian. I want to find another Source before I hand my leadership away.)

          Darya waved away Leira’s look of surprise. (I know, I know. You thought I’d be leader until I passed on. That’s weakness. Guardians need strength at all times, and when I can no longer give that, I’ll step aside. I won’t be challenged, Leira. But I will give my power away when the time is right. The Herd is dwindling. I can feel it. We need another Source. And I want you to find one.)
(Me?) Leira thought frantically. (How – what – why do you think I’d even begin to know how to…) Her voice trailed off.
(Call it a hunch,) Darya lied smoothly. (I’ve arranged for Anahita to contact you, to train you. You can use your Scouting missions as a cover to locate a Source and bring it to me.)
(Anahita? So you’d have me be a Guardian, a Scout, and a Seer?)

          Leira flicked her tail from side to side in aggravation and released Darya’s arm, realising she’d been gripping it all this time. She just had time to notice the crescent shapes she’d dug into Darya’s flesh before Darya swung her other arm onto the wall, pinning Leira to it.
(You want to be a Guardian? This is your Test. Bring me a Source!) She hissed the thought toward Leira viciously.

          (ENOUGH!) The force of the thought caused both Leira and Darya to recoil. Darya dropped her arms from the wall, freeing Leira. Leira saw Firth, flanked by Kai and a few other Scouts. They poured out of the Nest wall and swam toward them at full speed.

          Firth reached them in moments and stopped so close to Darya that Leira thought they’d collide. He radiated anger. His dark hair coiled down his neck, particles of sand and sea fragments were flecked across his chest, and Leira could see oil glistening on his arms. Kai must’ve reached out to him as soon as he’d left her; Firth had clearly torn from his sandbasin to get to them so soon.

        (First,) Firth began, (you force us to take her.) He nodded toward Leira, although they all knew who he meant. (Then, you try and take her back? You’ve no authority here now, Guardian. Leave.)

          Darya moved forward, cutting through the black waters. She must’ve started to think something privately to Firth because Firth projected loudly,
(Speak to all of us, or none of us, Guardian.)

          Firth drew up his chest and Leira realised the two were evenly matched. Perhaps Firth’s tail was slightly bigger, but because it was less ragged, it didn’t look as dangerous somehow.

Darya began again, projecting to all of them this time.
(Fine. I needed to ask Leira something, that’s all. Last time I checked, we were allowed to talk to Mer outside our own clans?) The two leaders circled one another, getting closer and closer, neither breaking eye contact. Leira noticed the other Scouts behind Firth were slipping into an attack formation. Surely Darya wouldn’t be stupid enough to accept a challenge, here, alone and undefended?

          (And what did you have to say to her, Guardian?) Firth was almost done discussing this; Leira could tell he was gearing for a fight. His fists were balled into two tightly coiled lumps, ready to spring, and his tail was twitching.
(It is of no matter. I was just…checking up on her. That’s all.)

          It was a clear avoidance, but Leira knew it was smart. Firth couldn’t challenge Darya for simply talking to her, and it wasn’t his place to question her further. With a roar, Firth heaved his tail up and brought it crashing down upon the wall narrowly missing Darya. A huge chunk of rock was torn off by the barbs in his tail and Leira gasped at his strength. Darya did not flinch, even when Firth projected so loudly it hurt.
(We said leave!)

          Darya turned smoothly and flicked her tail in Firth’s direction. As she did, she thought quietly and quickly to Leira,
(So we have a deal? You train, you bring me a Source, you get back in.)

          Keeping her eyes lowered, so the other Scouts wouldn’t know she was communicating, Leira projected toward Darya’s retreating figure.
(Deal.)

Darya’s faint chuckle floated across the water back at her, and Leira wondered whether only she had sensed it.