In the Early Times, mermaids and their folk filled the seas. Clans were numerous, with many different lifestyles, cultures and traditions. Some claimed a territory as their own and defended it, others migrated back and forth between two seasonal food supplies, some foraged on beaches and rock shores almost as much as they did in the ocean, others eked out a living in the deep seas, and still others lived as gypsies, roaming as they please.
In those times most merfolk enjoyed the rich feeding grounds close to shore. Today most merfolk living in large, diverse clans out in the deep sea, known as floating clans. There were a few shoreline clans left. But even the so called shoreline clans didn't risk sending the whole group to inshore areas, where the land dwellers were so often around in their watercraft, swimming or diving, or even in the air in strange machines. Gathering food was a task for only the strongest and the swiftest, who would return to the rest of the group with the food in seaweed nets, or, more commonly now, nets that humans had left in the ocean.
Even before the gatherers would go in, or before the whole clan was planning to move, scouts would look ahead to make sure there was nothing unusual or dangerous in the waters. This was also done in years gone by, scouts would look for feeding sharks or rival merfolk clans. Today the clans no longer warred, they could not afford to with so few merfolk left. But scouting was even more important now, due to the constant danger posed by human beings.
Such a strange feeling, being pressed into the ground. Like a strong current that pins you to a sea wall, there was something that seemed to push you down when you were on land. You had to fight against it just to move up on to the beach. Mori always wondered what caused that odd sensation, when movement was so free in the water.
But, of course, she shouldn't have been on the shore at all. These days the land dwellers were spread all over--on land, in boats, in the sky. You could never be sure you wouldn't be seen by one. Even when Mori was a small child is wasn't really safe to be on land, but her grandfather, a free spirit if there ever was one, used to take her and some of the other kids onto the shore in places that were far from the humans. How her mother screeched at him, and rightly so.
Mori was a mother herself now, and a clan leader, too. She knew it was wrong to put herself in danger, too many people depended on her. But every once and while when she was scouting ahead to check for humans and find good feeding grounds, she would crawl up on a deserted shore. It was an indulgence. It reminded her of her youth, and being with grandfather. So many of the people she had known then were gone now.
In the distance, Mori heard one of those noisy machines in the sky, and that brought her back to the present. It was getting late, anyway, time to head back to the clan.
As Mori headed home, she heard the soundings of another clan in the distance. Mori had enjoyed visits from other clans ever since she was a child. And now that her own, Coral Clan, had become so small, she appreciated them even more. But this sounding was from Oyster Clan. Although the clan was once very close to her own, they were now virtually unwelcome.
After the tragic death of his wife in the nets of human fishermen, the leader of Oyster Clan, Brenwyn, had taken up a campaign of violence against the land dwellers. Aimed at any humans they happened to find in small, vulnerable boats, the attacks were misdirected vengeance. Even worse, they were foolish--risking not only to expose the existence of merfolk to the humans, but ensuring that, if discovered, they'd be enemies. Mori had no doubt that an organized attack by humans against the merfolk would be the death knell of her race, already declining steadily in numbers.
Not that Mori didn't understand Brenwyn's anger. Certainly humans were responsible for the deaths of many merfolk even as it was. They poisoned the ocean, not seeming to notice or care about the consequences of what they were doing. That combined with their over harvesting had brought many species to the point of extinction, and many others nearly so. This greatly reduced the food supply available to merfolk, and also, sadly, wiped out many species they considered allies, even friends.
But Mori knew instinctively that attacking the land dwellers was the worst thing they could do. After all, if the humans could cause so much destruction just by accident, think what they could do if they were actually trying to kill merfolk! And then there was the moral aspect. Mori ventured closer to humans than most merfolk would dare. So she had realized long ago that, just like merfolk, each human had a different personality. It was wrong to lash out indiscriminately, even savage.
By the time Mori arrived, Oyster Clan was already there. Daeni, Mori's sister and second in command, had allowed the clans to mingle as she waited for Mori to return. But the atmosphere was tense. Daeni was even more wary of Oyster Clan than Mori was, but she knew Mori usually wanted to talk to Brenwyn anyway, useless as it was. Daeni gave her sister a look as she swam up, and then moved off to give her and Brenwyn some privacy to talk.
Mori opened the conversation, speaking in the melodious, high pitched, trilling and clicks of merfolk languages. "You know you're not welcome here, if you're still attacking the land dwellers in their boats."
Brenwyn flipped his tail, annoyed with her as always. "They poison our waters and take everything that is ours. How can you not fight back? I wish I could make you see reason."
"And I wish I could make you see reason! You aren't helping in any way. If you succeed in anything, it will be to reveal our existence to the land dwellers. And when they know of us they will surely kill us all--not just by accident, like they do now."
"And so you would just whimper out of existence?" Brenwyn snapped. "I'd rather die fighting, and I can't be the only one who feels that way. If the merfolk would join together in this war, we could make a difference."
"No, Brenwyn, they are too strong," Mori continued, her angry tones now changing to sadness. "Not only on the land, but in the water as well. They wield powers you can't imagine with their strange devises. I think it's ill advised to approach the land dwellers in any way. But if we must do it to survive, we need to make them friends, not foes. Do not continue with this. You will kill us all."
But Brenwyn persisted, "Some of the other clans are coming around. And I've heard that in distant places other merfolk already fight as I do. All you have to do is separate the humans from their devises, and they are still helpless in the water. We can win; we have to try."
"Perhaps you will find some other clans that agree with you," Mori replied, "but the ones I've talked to don't. You make people nervous, and if you keep this up, the other clans will try to stop you any way they can. Yes, even war, clan against clan, like in the Early Times. And then we won't need the humans to kill us, because we'll be killing ourselves."
Brenwyn let his frustration show, swimming a tight circle. Then he said, "I won't attach other merfolk. I'm trying to fight for us. I wish you could see that."
"I know what you're trying to do, but it isn't right." Mori moved away, knowing the argument was over. A stalemate, as always.
Brenwyn circled Mori once. When he faced her again his face was calm, as if he'd come to a decision. "I can see you will not come around to my point of view. I so wanted us to marry, and join our two clans in this battle. But since that is not to be, I won't bother you further. You should consider joining another clan, though, if not mine. You're clan is too small; you can't protect yourselves. I worry about you."
With that Brenwyn slid away into the sea, not even giving Mori a chance to say goodbye. Mori took a moment to herself, then swam towards her sister.
"He always upsets you like this," Daeni said. "Why do you argue with him?"
"I argue with him because his actions endanger us all, and they have to stop. But it's too late now. He will talk to me no more." Mori's tone changed as she turned to a new subject, "We need to move to new waters, sister."
"Then you're finally going to listen to me," Daeni said with new hope in her voice, "and join our clan with Red Clan?"
"No," Mori said after a pause, and shook her head, slowly, sadly. "But if we see Red Clan, I will advise them to move as well. I fear there will be violence here. We need to move to the deep ocean. There are fewer humans on the open seas, so you hardly ever have to dodge them. And the clans are larger, safer."
"The floating clans? No, Mori! What about our traditions? That's not our way of life."
"A way of life we can no longer preserve, it's too dangerous. Our world has changed, but I've been living in the past. Look at us, so few now. It's time to move on. We'll be absorbed into the deep ocean clans of the south. Coral Clan will exist no more."
After a few days preparation for the long voyage, Coral Clan was on the move. But they hadn't gotten very far before Mori, in the lead, saw a boat. At first she turned to avoid it, as always, but then she heard something odd, the trill of merfolk in the distance. Mori got a sick feeling in her stomach, and shot ahead at full speed to see what was going on.
She heard the sound of wood cracking, and then the confused screams of humans. Mori pusher herself to swim faster, until she could see the effects of Oyster Clan's attack on a boat. They hadn't assaulted the humans directly, instead they had ruptured the hull while staying hidden in the water. Now they were just waiting for it to sink, from a safe distance. The humans were scrambling, scarred, hanging on to parts of the sinking boat. The screaming, almost as high pitched as a mermaid's voice, was coming from a small boy. As the boat sank, so did Mori's heart. How could they attack a child?
By now Daeni, also a strong swimmer, had caught up with her sister and stared in horror at what was going on. Mori said to her, "Go back to the rest of the clan, and get them out of here! I can't just watch this, I have to do something. If I do not return, you are leader."
"No, Mori, that's foolish! Either we all help, or we all leave now."
"I don't have time to argue, Daeni. Please, get Coral Clan away from here. Make sure they're safe." In an almost pleading voice Mori added, "You know your duty."
Daeni knew she'd put everyone at risk if she stayed and argued. She was too conscious to do that, in spite of her concern for her sister. So she turned back to gather the clan together and lead them away from the danger.
Mori surged towards the chaos. One of the humans, a male, probably the father, was trying to grab at some bright orange items that were floating away as the boat sank. Most of Oyster Clan was staying out of sight, but Brenwyn surged up for just a second, grabbed the orange objects and flung them away. Brenwyn saw Mori, and for a moment their eyes locked.
Then Mori turned to the humans again. The boy was splashing and flailing in the water now, frightened. His feet could no longer reach the deck, but the two adults were still getting some support from the sinking boat. The woman, apparently his mother, was trying to calm the boy.
Mori thought the orange things must be important, since Brenwyn made such a point of getting rid of them. She swam to retrieve them. At first Brenwyn only watched. But then, as Mori headed back towards the land dwellers with the orange things, Brenwyn caught her by the arm with a vice grip. He was strong, and held her in place by countering her forward motion with strong thrusts of his tail.
"You said you wouldn't attack other merfolk," Mori trilled angrily, "You were adamant about it."
"This is hardly an attack. Just tell me you won't interfere, and I'll let you go."
"I won't let you murder a child. Let go."
Mori was strong and swift as all clans leaders are, she could give Brenwyn a challenge in a serious fight. But by now other members of Oyster Clan saw what was going on and started to gather around, making the point mute.
"It's not murder to kill another species," Brenwyn said. "You do it every day when you eat dinner."
"I didn't know you intended to eat the humans! Or maybe I shouldn't give you ideas."
There was some quarreling among the gathered clan members now. Some obviously felt Brenwyn was weak willed when it came to Mori. Others were loyal to Brenwyn.
Corwyn, Brenwyn's brother, was managing to restore some order in the group. But one merman named Dorat seemed particularly blood thirsty; he managed to break through and grab for Mori's neck, trying to snap it. No one was in the right position to pull Dorat away from Mori, but something had to be done. Corwyn lunged at Dorat, and broke his neck, perhaps by accident.
Everyone stopped, stunned. The lifeless body moved slowly with the current, and all eyes followed it.
Mori realized Brenwyn was no longer holding her arm. She didn't know if it was on purpose or just out of shock, but she didn't wait to find out. She shot up towards the humans.
The man was struggling now. The woman was a more accomplished swimmer, but was also struggling because she was trying to keep the child calm and afloat. Mori swallowed her instinctive fear of humans, and swam right up to them with the orange objects. The woman snatched up one of the objects, and was struggling to put it over the child somehow. But she wasn't making any progress. Mori grabbed the child and held him completely out of the water. The boy finally stopped thrashing around, and the mother wasted no time strapping on the orange vest. Next Mori and the mother helped the male put on an orange vest, and finally the mother herself put one on.
Oyster Clan was gone now, it was only Mori and the land dwellers. As the humans started to catch their breath, Mori started to wonder what they must be thinking. They hadn't seen her tail, and probably hadn't seen the tails of their attackers, either. But surely they had heard the high pitched shrieking as she argued with Brenwyn, they had seen the amazing swimming of the merfolk, and they must be wondering why both their attackers and Mori were miles from a boat, nude in the water. The humans did look at her suspiciously now, and she found herself backing away from them.
But it wasn't enough to put them into the orange vests. They would still probably die here. Even though it sometimes seemed like humans were everywhere, she knew it would be only the wildest stroke of luck for this family to be found.
She dove down to the wrecked boat, still drifting towards the bottom. Searching the boat quickly, she found some twine. When she returned to the surface the humans seemed excited to see her. Mori started tying the twine to the straps on the man's orange vest, but the woman, realizing what Mori had in mind, moved the twine and tied it more securely to the vest itself. Then they tied all three vests together.
Then Mori let out all the rope that was left, and moved as far ahead of the bound humans as she could. For what it was worth, she wanted to keep her tail hidden. So she didn't want it lashing at their legs. She didn't have as much rope as she would have liked. When she started swimming with the awkward arrangement, she had to hold her tail down at an uncomfortable angle that really slowed her down.
It would have been an easy swim to shore unencumbered, for someone as swift as Mori. But the way it was, she tired quickly. Eventually the humans started to look ill, and pink, especially the boy. She didn't want her effort to be in vain.
As darkness came, she realized she was being followed. Using a trill too high pitched for the humans to hear, she called out her stalker. There was no answer, and then the pursuer was gone.
She grew more and more fatigued as she swam. Eventually she heard a quiet trilling, her follower had returned. It was Brenwyn.
Mori was too exhausted to fight. If Brenwyn chose to kill the humans or her, he would have no trouble. But that wasn't what he had in mind. He took a passive posture and kept his distance, waiting until Mori invited him to approach and talk.
He was carrying a length of rope. He explained that he'd gone to get some when he realized what was slowly Mori down. Then he offered not only to lengthen the lead, but to do the towing and allow Mori a break. Mori was wary. It made no sense.
"Where is your clan?" she asked, still keeping her voice down.
"Divided."
Brenwyn offered no more explanation. Still, if he had wanted to harm her there was no need for deception. She was clearly too drained to fight. She arranged the ropes so Brenwyn would pull, then she went back to the humans to check on their condition.
The land dwellers definitely looked unwell now. And they were sluggish, until they realized Mori was no longer the one helping them. The man began to speak at Mori rapidly in the strange, human language. But Mori barely noticed him, consumed with worry for the child. The mother was now clutching the little boy close to her, clearly worried as well.
Because Brenwyn was not tired, and didn't have to hold his tail at an angle with the longer rope, they were moving much faster now. Soon they approached the shore. It was an area inhabited by humans. Dangerous to merfolk, but just what they needed so the family would be found quickly.
Luckily it was very late at night by now, and no one was about to see them bring their burden to shore. Mori watched from the water, until someone finally came by and found the family. She didn't leave until she felt assured they would get help. Still she was sad. She would never really know if the little boy recovered.
If the humans did survive, they would surely have a strange tale to tell. But they had been through a great ordeal, perhaps the others would not quite believe what they said. And they had not seen the tails of the merfolk. Perhaps they would even convince themselves it was a group of viscous divers that attacked them, and another diver that saved them.