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The Evenstar8 Serial

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The Sea King's Daughter - Part 3


The Land was, perhaps, a little disappointing.

At first it had been exciting, just because it was new and different. No, at first it had been frightening, Neria decided, thinking back to those first few days which were now some months behind her. She would not for the world have let Skyro and Varten guardianssee that she was frightened, but she had been; scared, and uncomfortable too. The clothing her Guardians put on made them look forbidding, and the dress and jacket they gave her to wear had felt unfamiliar, as well as dry and scratchy. And although it was sensible to protect one's feet from the hard ground, shoes felt heavy and pinched her delicate skin. Land-food made her sick - particularly when she found that the funny-looking animals cattle(which at first she took for another kind of people) were there to be killed and eaten. Things were better when she discovered that goats' milk was not so different from sea-milk, so at least there was something she could swallow - and cow's milk turned out to be even better.

They had gone inland, away from the sea, almost at once carand stayed at something called an Inn in a village. On the day after that they had gone inland still further, to another collection of houses which was large enough to be called a Town. town It was here that Neria had her first bout of fear and homesickness, feeling suddenly as if she could not breathe for the terrible dryness of the air. If it had not been for Skyro saying, "Would you like to go back now, Princess?" she might have given up there and then. However, she could not possibly go back so soon and defeated after all she had said, so she had shaken her head and tried to look as if she was enjoying herself.

There had been other times when Skyro had said, Skyro "Would you like to go back, Princess?" but she always drew a deep breath and said no.

She had learned gradually to accustom herself to the heaviness of everything, and to roughness and sharpness. She had learned to cope with the noises of the land-world too - for it was not quiet at all, she discovered, in a human Town, and even worse in a City. With her ears attuned to the soft music of the sea-world, at first she found it quite painful to hear bangs and crashes, the grinding of machinery, and the scream of engines. There were harsh notes in everything. Even what the humans called music sounded peculiar to her, and, mostly, more like a noise than a tune. She supposed wistfully that the fish-tunes she was used to singfish might sound just as odd to humans, or perhaps they would find them too soft to hear at all.

But whenever Skyro asked (hopefully, she thought) if she wished to go back, she said no, she wanted to go on, and explore everything. So they travelled further and further inland and into places full of people, with houses built so close together that there scarcely seemed room to move, let alone enough air to breathe. By now Neria had learned to use the paper money into which Skyro had changed her father's gold, and she bought clothes for herself which were gentler on her skin - once she had got used to the idea of shops. She marvelled at the way humans occupied themselves. They seemed to be busy all the time but not, somehow, busy caring for each other. They were forever making things. The things were not necessarily beautiful, and only useful for selling to other people. They always seemed to think there ought to be more of everything, even when that meant they were constantly throwing things away. It seemed an odd way to live.

Looking back on it all, Neria felt she had learned a great deal. And yet, somehow, she had not found what she had hoped to find on the Land. She had certainly not found freedom; nor company either. Her Seal Men guardians were always there, of course, but they were naturally uncommunicative. She had hoped Varten at least might become a friend Varten, since she judged he was not much older than she was; but he was so formal with her and so shy that nothing came of that idea.

She was really as lonely on Land as she had been under the sea; perhaps even more so. In human towns and cities people seemed wary of strangers. And if anyone did talk to her Skyro would suddenly be beside her touching her arm and urging her away. There was something about the Seal Men which made others unwilling to argue with them. guardians Neria knew ruefully that they were undoubtedly following her father's orders. She even found herself acknowledging that her father had, in a way, outwitted her, however ungrateful it might be to think so.

Now, some months after her arrival on Land, they had come to a small country town. It was such a pretty place that Neria fell in love with it at first sight. Although it was a long way inland it had a water-feel about it from the river which wound through it, and the houses were built of soft grey stone, or else painted white or gentle colours. It was small as towns go and quiet compared with a city, though it had a thriving life of its own. Neria took one look and decided this was a good place to stay for a while to think about all the things she had learned about the Land so far.

She had discovered what she could eat of human food - vegetables and milk and eggs; not meat, and certainly not fish; but she liked the sweet taste of fruit. fruit She had learned that humans liked to do everything much faster than they were done in the Sea World, particularly in their cities; and although she had been intrigued by the bright lights and entertainments to be found there, when she had seen everything once or twice it became less entertaining, and she found human noisiness tiring. She had learned how important they found money, in fact to seemed to rule all their thinking, and having it was somehow even more important than using it. What was strangest of all was that there were so many humans, and all so like each other. Nobody, however, seemed to notice that she was different, except that she had been asked once or twice if she was a "foreigner", which seemed to mean something particular.

Here in this small town even the Guardians seemed to relax a little, and not watch over her so closely. They seemed happier and more prepared to let her walk about on her own. Perhaps, in spite of their magical powers, even they were tired if they stayed away from the sea for too long.

It was on the third day, after Neria had wandered round the town and sat for a while on the river bank (feeling happy even if half homesick there) that she heard someone singing.

When she heard the song, she was wandering along the riverbank looking for a place where the path might lead her back to the streets. The man's voice singing sounded sweet and clear, with a softness in the tune which was more like home, and a rhythm in it which moved gently to and fro like water. The sound seemed to come from behind a wall at a right-angle to the river just ahead of her. Curiosity hurried her steps. She came round the corner to find herself looking into a yard with barrels stacked around it. Sitting on the ground leaning against one of the barrels was a young man. youngman

He had dark red hair which flopped over his forehead and a dreamy expression on his face as he looked away across the yard. Then, as if suddenly aware of Neria's presence, he turned his head. For a second they stared at each other, then his face creased up in a smile.

"Hallo. I thought for a moment you were a vision!"

"Was that you singing?" When he nodded, she went on shyly, "It was beautiful."

"Ah, that makes you my friend for life! Not everyone likes my songs. But they will one day." He came to his feet, looking cheerfully at her. His eyes were a soft brown, not dark like the Seal Men's, but a lighter, warmer colour. "If you're trying to get back to the road, you'll find the river path stops here: they fenced it off when it fell in last Spring. You can come through the yard if you like, though."

"Thank - thank you."

"Let me help you over the wall." It was waist high and he came to give her a hand so that she could climb over it. His fingers felt strong and warm. She glanced at him shyly. He said,

"I haven't seen you before. Have you come to live here?"

"No, I'm - I'm visiting. Staying at the hotel for a little while. Do you - work here?"

"At the moment. Right here where we're standing - it's my job to shift the barrels." He pulled a face at her, his eyes amused. innyard "My aunt says it's no career for a young man with any brains at all, but it's a way of making enough to live on until I can do what I want. Which is to write songs, and sing them. Meantime I work here at the Bell, and live in the little house my grandmother left me, and sing at the Folk Club on Friday nights. And in other places if I get offered the work. There, now you know all about me. What about you?"

"I'm just - just travelling. I'd better go now," Neria said quickly.

"If you were going to have lunch at the hotel, you'll have missed it. Stay here instead and have one of my sandwiches. It's only got lettuce and tomato in it, I'm afraid. I don't like things being killed just so that I can eat them, you see: do you find that silly?"

"I feel the same way!"

"Do you? That's good!"

They smiled at each other. A moment later they were both sitting on top of the barrels and sharing his sandwiches, and an apple each. Although Neria felt shy, he seemed not to be worried by her silences. When she finally said she really must go (for she had begun to worry that the Guardians might start looking for her) he helped her down off her barrel, and said with a crinkling grin,

Michael "You know, when you appeared like that, I almost thought you'd come up out of the river. Your eyes are as green as water-weed. I'm sorry - have I said something to upset you?"

"No! Thank you for the lunch - and for the song."

"Will you come to the Folk Club on Friday? It's only quite small, here at the Bell, in one of the cellars."

"I'd like to. If I can. I really must go now."

She walked quickly to the passageway which led through from the yard to the road. He called after her, "I don't know your name! Mine's Michael."

"Neria."

"Really? Then you are a river-sprite!"

"No I'm not, it's just my name!"

She walked away quickly, more than half angry with herself for letting his laughing words upset her. Sitting with him in the sunshine, she had allowed herself to forget that she was different, from another world which he would not believe in, if she had tried to tell him about it. She decided she wouldn't go to the Folk Club to hear him sing: after all, even if she went the Guardians wouldn't let him talk to her. Perhaps she would tell them she wanted to move on again after all. And yet...she had come to the Land partly because she wanted to know what Humans were like. Now she had met one properly, if only for an hour, and she felt strange and confused.

There was nothing to be afraid of. king Yet she felt as if the roots of her life had been shaken, and everything she knew best was about to shift and change. And that night she dreamed of her father, so clearly and vividly that she awoke with his face in her mind and it seemed as if his voice were in her head, calling her.

But somehow she did stay in the little town, and on Friday she told the Seal Men she had seen a Folk Club advertised and would like to go to it. Varten escorted her there. The cellar in the Bell was quite small, and dimly lit, and crowded - though Varten made sure they sat at a small table alone. But even Varten's gloom could not spoil Neria's pleasure, for she found that what humans called Folk Songs were often not at all unlike the soft cadences of Sea Music. There was even a song about a seal man (calling him by the old northern name of "the silkie") and she didn't dare look at Varten while it was being sung.

She liked Michael's own songs, which had written himself, most of all. Michael She thought him the best performer too. He came over to say hallo to her, and got a frown from Varten for his pains; but then he had to go back and sing again because he was being called for, so it was only for a moment. And Neria found her steps leading her back to the riverbank a couple of days later at a time when it might be Michael's lunch hour: she managed to be there alone, too. So she met Michael again, and tried to explain Varten's rudeness by telling him that she was watched over by "people of her father's". He gave her a thoughtful look at that, but didn't press her for further explanation. After that they met quite often, but he took care not to speak to her if the Guardians were anywhere by; or if she shook her head at him because she could feel them near at hand. She began going to the river often at lunchtime and taking sandwiches of her own to share with Michael.

He teased her sometimes and called her "a mystery girl" but he never asked more questions than she seemed willing to answer. He said once that he guessed her father was somebody rich and important - and then laughed and said he wouldn't hold it against her, even though he himself was poor and unimportant, for he meant to be famous some day. Both his parents were dead so he had to make his own way in the world. But his grandmother, when she died, had left him a small house in this town to be his home, cottage and he lived there by himself, and made it his base to come back to when he got the chance to go off and sing somewhere else. He pointed the house out to her, saying she should know where it was in case she ever needed him. It was the middle one of a row of cottages and was easy to pick out because the door was painted bright blue.

Time was passing, and Skyro had already begun to look at Neria anxiously as if wondering why she liked this town so much. For several days he sent Varten out with her even if she said she was only going to sit by the river. When she passed Michael she had to shake her head at him warningly. Then one day, when Skyro had come out with her himself, Michael Michael came up to her openly in the street. Skyro was only a yard behind, but Michael met her eyes stubbornly.

"I've been offered an engagement in the city, so I have to go away for a little while. It's a good chance for me. Will you still be here, when I come back?"

"I don't know. Perhaps..."

Skyro had come up swiftly beside her, and was touching her arm Skyro and glaring at Michael. Michael, however, looked back at him quite steadily before turning again to Neria with formal courtesy.

"I hope you will. Goodbye for the moment." He held out his hand to shake hers - and when she put her own into it, she felt a small package pass from his palm to her own. He walked away then, and scarcely paused even when she called, "Good luck!" after him. She turned quickly to Skyro before he could say anything, brushing his hand away from her arm.

"There really is no need to scowl at people," she told him sharply. "You will be thought very rude - and so will I! What's the matter?"

He looked disconcerted, but muttered, "I'm only here to protect you, Princess - "

"I don't think you should call me that in a public place, do you? And you are making people stare at us. Let's go back to the hotel." She walked away, the package hidden in her palm. As Skyro caught up with her she was a little afraid he might question her, so she added coolly, "That was one of the singers from the Folk Club. Varten would remember which one he was, I expect."

"Are you ready to move on from here yet, Pri-" Skyro broke off with a mutter, then went on with gloomy anxiety, "Isn't there somewhere else you would like to see? Or - "

He was about to suggest that they went back to the sea, Neria knew, though the Sea King's year-and-a-day was only half through still. "I think we'll go inland again," she said firmly. If Michael were not to be here, she might as well travel - though she would try to arrange it so that they came back this way in a few weeks' time. "Perhaps we'll try, oh, that way!" she said airily, waving an arm at one of the roads leading out of town. And then they were back at the hotel and she went up to her room, to look at the package Michael had slipped to her.

She found when she undid it that it was an antique silver belt-buckle, buckle made in two parts to clip together, and decorated around its edges with engraved leaves and flowers. It was very pretty, and plainly very old. He had written her a note slipped in with the buckle. Neria had never learned to spell out written words under the sea because they were not used there, but since she had been on land she had learned to read the Land People's language, if she did it slowly; and Michael's writing was clear. It said,

"I wanted to give you a present, and found this on an antique stall. I hope you like it. Please be here when I get back!" That was all. But, looking at the buckle, Neria thought it was the best present she had ever had. She had forgotten all about her father for the moment, and promises; she only knew that she would see that they came back to this little town, after a short time travelling to allay any suspicions her Guardians might have.

She didn't really care where they went. So it was that a couple of days later she said abruptly that she had travelled enough for today and would like to stay here, even though it was only a village they were passing through, with nothing much to recommend it. The main street looked dirty, but there was a hotel in it. Skyro looked doubtful but Neria insisted. The hotel, when she went into it, was really no more prepossessing than the village - but it would do. tea She sat down to drink a cup of the hot tasteless liquid which humans called tea (she would rather have drunk milk, but tea was all she was offered) and realized that the landlord's wife was looking curiously at her. After a moment the woman said,

"There now, that's who you remind me of! I knew there was something about you. I suppose you must be a relative of hers, come to see her. Is she expecting you?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"The lady in the manor house on the edge of the village. You're the spitting image of her, now I come to look at you. Except for the colouring, of course. But you'll be her sister, or cousin, I suppose, with that face on you. Well, good luck to you: she's never very friendly!"

Neria was bewildered, and rather disliked the woman's tone. "Where is the manor house?" she asked. She listened to the directions the woman gave, and was told she would know the place by the high wall all round it. There were big iron gates which were kept locked, but a smaller gate round the side which the tradespeople used. As much to get away from the woman's chatter as anything else, Neria got abruptly to her feet. She might as well walk that way...

As soon as she was out in the open air she found Skyro and Varten at once beside her, guardianswhich annoyed her.

"I'm going for a walk," she snapped. "I've been sitting in that noisy car thing all day and I could do with some exercise!"

"Where do you wish to go?" Skyro asked, gruffly but politely.

"Oh...There's a woman who looks just like me, apparently, only her hair's a different colour. She lives on the edge of this village, the landlord's wife says so. I thought I might walk along there - "

She paused, looking round in surprise. Both the Seal Men had stopped dead. They seemed to be shivering, and had never looked more seal-ish, so much so that Neria was afraid somebody would comment on their strangeness. She walked quickly on, feeling impatient with them, and calling over her shoulder, "I'm going there, anyway. Come if you choose, or not!"

"No, Princess. Come back with me. Let Skyro go." Varten was beside her; so was Skyro on her other side. "Tell us where this place is. There's no need for you to go there."

"Oh, don't talk nonsense! I only mean to look at the outside of the house. I don't suppose I'll see this lady looking out of the window, but if I do...Oh, this must be it. It looks like the place."

She had been walking fast, with the Seal Men hurrying to keep up with her, and by now they were outside a high wall wall such as the landlord's wife had described. It was blank on the outside, built of strong stone, but seemed to have lush green creeper growing on its inner side, since bright leaves overflowed over the top. A little further on Neria came to the iron gates, but only trees and the curve of a drive could be seen beyond them.gate Neria was disappointed that even if she peered, she could see no more than a stone here and there of the house. It looked as if it must be quite large. "There's another gate round the side," she said determinedly - as much to annoy the Seal Men as anything: they were being so stupid! She walked round the wall, and sure enough there was a smaller iron gate set into it. A path the other side seemed to lead through to a garden, with more trees, and grass, and many bushes.

"Come away now, Princess," Varten said urgently. If he had not said it, Neria might have hesitated to do what she did next. However, the sudden exceptionally strange and over-excited mood of both the Seal Men had by now annoyed her thoroughly. She put her hand on the gate and felt it push inwards. It was open.

"I shall go and call on this lady, I think," she said coolly, and stepped into the garden. "You need not come!"

They were close behind her, however. At least, they were close behind her for one moment. Then there was a growl, and a sudden cacophany of barking. Two huge black and white dogs dog came leaping out of the bushes, snarling, their ears back and their teeth bared. And the Seal Men were all at once on the other side of the gate, with their terror in the air behind them. They would have pulled Neria with them if she hadn't twisted out of their grasp. She heard the gate clang shut dog as one of the dogs jumped against it with a snarl, while the other stayed menacingly in front of Neria. His jaws were open and he made snapping motions towards Neria's feet.

She was not in the least afraid. She had never known fear of any creature under the sea because they were all her friends, and it had never occurred to her, therefore, to be afraid of any of the land creatures. She stood still, holding out her hand towards the dog and speaking to him gently. In a moment he was lying at her feet, dog quiet and amiable; and although the other dog stayed watchfully by the gate he turned his head towards her with his ears pricked up and his expression friendly.

"Who's there?"

A woman's voice broke the sudden quiet. "Who's out there in the garden?" it called again. "Lassa? Rona? Where are you, dogs?"

The two dogs whined a little, but did not move. And a lady stepped out where the path came through the bushes. Her eyes widened as she saw Neria. And Neria's eyes widened too, at the sight of her. Why, she was...Stella And she had Neria's own face, too, not more than a few years older, stirring memories which Neria reached for, but could not understand...

"Who are you?" the lady whispered, staring at her.

"My name is Neria. But you..."

"Neria!" She gasped it as if it were something familiar to her. She came a step closer. "Yes - yes, it could be. It's that many years!"

"But who are you?"

"You don't recognize me?"

The Seal Men beyond the gate gave a sudden grunt, making her look sharply beyond Neria. The dog at the gate snarled again - and when Neria looked round, the Seal Men were no longer to be seen. "They won't dare come in," the lady said with an unpleasant sound in her voice. "Seal Men have always feared dogs, and with reason. I don't like them much myself, but they obey me! Well, Neria. So he has sent you."

"No-one has sent me," Neria answered, feeling dazed. It was all so strange. "I - I -"

"No-one has sent you, with a Seal Man guard? Don't be silly, my dear. It has taken him a long time to find me. So your father wants his Stone back, and he has sent you. Don't look at me like that, child! For you are my child, you know, as well as his!"

"My mother? But my mother is dead - and you - "

"Is that what they told you? No, I am very much alive. I was the Sea Queen once. And you were a baby. A pretty baby. The only thing," she said, her head held high, "that I was sad to leave. Well, Neria, so you have come to see me, now that you are grown up. Come into the house, my dear. No, don't worry about the Seal Men; they won't bother us here." She called out something in seal-speech, though it was too fast for Neria to follow. "There, I've told them you're quite safe and they can go away. Come in, my dear. You shall stay with me. It's time we got to know each other, mother and daughter."


TO BE CONTINUED...


© Barbara-Serene Perkins 2000
Drawings by Caroline Jeffrey and Shareen Pearse

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