Here we go again! I own nothing, and I hope you enjoy.


Chapter 7

"How could you have kept this from me!," Nermir's body tried to shrink further into the chair as her mother paced back and forth, her fists clenched."If I had known I might have prevented this escalation."

"I'm sorry Naneth," whispered Nemir for the 10th time, "I...I didn't think…"

"That's the problem," interrupted Aeriel her words crisp with frustration, "we have lived a peaceful life here, sheltered from the cruelties of man, but you don't seem to understand the threat they can pose. Perhaps that is my fault for not instilling caution into you sooner."

"Nimmon best avoid me in the future, or I might toss him overboard myself," added Reavor who had stayed quiet during most of the exchange as he stared into the hearth, brow furrowed and hands firmly clasped. "Morfindir is a good lad. He took a big risk opposing his family for you."

"Yes, without him speaking on your behalf… I hate to imagine what could have happened," Aeriel walked over to her daughter and enveloped her in a hug. "If they had harmed you, I would make sure they lived to regret it." The cold rage in her mother's voice caused a shiver to travel through Nemir, knowing that the commanding power her mother possessed made the threat anything but empty.

"It will probably be best if you and Nemir avoid Fish Farm for a while, till things settle down," suggested Reavor. "I will do my best to defuse the situation down at the docks. Most of the men there don't like Nimmon or his mother so it shouldn't be too difficult."

"And what am I supposed to do if we need supplies? Wait till you have a free moment to fetch them for me? I won't give that horrid woman the satisfaction," exclaimed Aeriel as her fist landed heavily on the wooden table causing it to shake. "Sesides, if we avoid the town, people will believe it is because we have something to hide."

"Are you sure that is wise my love," asked Reavor turning from the fire to face his wife, "You said yourself the situation could turn dangerous."

"Certain precautions will have to be made," the determined look in her mother's eyes made Nemir think of the Blue Fire blade stored in the other room. Her mother only played the part of the simple fisherman's wife, but occasionally the persona slipped away revealing the ancient warrior underneath. "These big fish in this small pond best not forget that a shark shares their waters."

Reavor simply nodded in agreement, "I only ask that you both avoid attention for a while. If reports of tall maidens sparing on the beach become known, won't be long before fingers get pointed in your direction."

"You speak truth husband. Nemir, all training will be a fully nocturnal event for the time being," she said and then placed a gentle kiss upon her daughter's brow. " I love you Nemir, and I hope this lesson will instill in you the importance of caution."

Reavor embraced his daughter in a comforting hug, "You have my permission to use your new skills on Nimmon if needed. Good night my Limelle (little fish)." The couple exited the kitchen to retired, leaving Nemir alone with the flames.

She gazed into the ever shifting flickers of red, orange, and white for an unknown amount of time. The day's events played out in her mind, and she found herself imagining different scenarios. Sometimes she defeated Nimmon and with a quick tongue and witt, winning over the crowd as they laughed at the embarrassed couple. Other times, Morfindir failed to appear and the crowd angrily closed in around her as Mrs. Bruiwen clawed at her face and chest leaving streaks of red. Either way, Nemir knew that sleep would be avoiding her tonight, and she didn't feel the typical pull to travel down to the ocean shore. By the flames, she stayed until her mother found her slumped asleep in the chair early the next morning before dawn. "Come dear, let's get you into a proper bed," said Aeriel as she guided her half conscious daughter up into the loft.


The shift in the training schedule wasn't a huge adjustment for Nemir, since she preferred working into the night and waking late the next day. The largest issue she now faced was fighting Mithiel with limited light. While Nemir's vision wasn't hindered by darkness, the fierce Foam Maiden still found a way to use it to her advantage. This resulted in Nemir receiving a rather mean bruise on her thigh due to her failing to block an attack from the shadows.

"Curse that silver haired harpy," thought Nemir as she rubbed her tender leg, the wound still fresh from the night before. The downward walk toward the beach was causing her muscle to object to the movement, and she used her quarterstaff to help support her weight. She should be resting, but she had promised to meet Morfindir at noon for his first swim lesson, and hoped the salt water would help sooth her bruise. Since she usually swam in the nude, Nemir was unsure of what attire would be appropriate for this occasion, but settled on some knee length leggings and sleeveless undershirt. She spotted the dark haired, young man standing by the dunes far from the waves and called out a greeting, "Morfindir!" and waved to get his attention.

He looked up at the sound of his name and spotted Nemir walking toward him carrying a large, white staff. "Where are your clothes?" he gasped as a blush formed on his cheeks, and he quickly turned his back to her.

"Well on my body of course!" replied Nemir- looking down at her attire.

"You seem to have forgotten a few important pieces," replied Morfindir still refusing to look at her.

"Did you expect me to teach you in a full dress and petticoats?" mocked Nemir. "I may not be able to drown, but I have no intention of dealing with wet, heavy, and cumbersome skirts. It's impractical. Now turn around and stop pretending you've never seen legs before."

Morfindir slowly turned around. His head kept stiffly upward and his eyes stuck firmly to her face. Nemir just rolled her eyes and motioned for him to follow her as she walked up the shore. His long legs soon caught up with her and she couldn't' help but smile at the red tinge that still stained his cheeks.

"Where are we going," he asked still avoiding her direction, but choosing to look straight ahead instead.

"There is a small lagoon down a ways that is protected from the waves by a sandbar. The water is calm there and better for swimming," exclaimed Nemir.

"What about the staff?" he asked gazing up at weapon, "I hope you don't plan on use it as a teaching tool."

"Oh, no. I leave the beatings to Mithiel. Naneth insists that I carry it everywhere for protection every since the nasty business with your cousin," she divulged.

Morfindir considered this for a moment, "Are you proficient?" he finally ask curiously.

"Depends on who you ask," replied Nemir with a grin while giving the staff a twirl above her head.

He just shook his head in wonder as he stared at the female before him, wondering how he managed to become acquainted with such an interesting creature. The lagoon was edged by rocks on either side, but the middle homed a small patch of sand that led down into the clear, calm water. The couple easily waded through the shallows to reach the small beach.

"The water only reaches my shoulders at its deepest point, so if you feel overwhelmed you can easily stand," lectured Nemir motioning to the water with a wave of her hand. "You can place your shirt on that rock over there."

"My shirt?" Morfindir clutched the cloth to his body as his eyes grew wide.

"Yes, your shirt," emphasized Nemir with a cross of her arms, "It will only hinder you, and I won't save you if you get tangled in it."

"If you insist," he reluctantly agreed as he unlaced the collar and pulled the fabric over this head. His skin was golden kissed from working in the sun and his muscular chest looked as if it had been carved. Nemir couldn't help but admire his toned body as he turned to place his top on the rocks, and heat flood her face. She quickly relocated her gaze to avoid embarrassment and tried to focus on the task at hand. She jammed one end of her staff securely into the sand for safekeeping before walking toward the water.

"Follow me," she said stepping into the water without turning back to look at the shirtless man behind her. She heard the splashing of his steps as she continued further into the lagoon, finally stopping when the height of the water reached a little above her waist. "This seems like a suitable spot," she turned to face Morfindir and was slightly startled by his closeness as his wide shoulders dominated her vision. "Uh…" she stuttered and took a small step back to better see his face, "...this should be deep enough."

"Great," he smiled, "how should we proceed?"

Nemir gathered herself, "I'm going to start with a basic float. I'll demonstrate." She lowered her body down into the water, took a deep breath, and lifted her feet while leaning backward. Her body stayed suspended at the surface and bobbed gently with the rocking of the water, "See, it's simple enough."

Morfindir still seemed uncertain as his lips tightened and brows furrowed. "I'll help support you, till you find your balance," encouraged Nemir with a smile. He nodded and followed her example till his body lay upon the water, but he struggled to stay surfaced so she placed her palms under his body to help stabilize him. His muscles tightened at her touch, but he slowly relaxed as the water rocked his body, "This is surprisingly pleasant."

"I'm going to remove my hands now," Nemir slowly slipped away and his body remained surfaced and she smiled, "You're a fast learner."

"I know," he responded with a cocky grin and she responded with a roll of her eyes.

"Well perhaps you need more of a challenge," said Nemir matching his grin, "kick your legs".

"That sounds easy enough," he forcefully moved his legs, but the sudden force caused him to lose balance and sink into the water. He quickly gained his feet, coughing out the water that flooded through his nose and mouth. Nemir couldn't restrain the laugh that escaped her, and Morfindir answered with only a glare since his lungs were still trying to function. "Never underestimate the water or you'll end up inhaling it more often," informed Nemir.

"Can I request a new teacher?" he asked after the coughing subsided.

"Nope!" stated Nemir, "now let's try that again."

The lesson continued smoothly and Morfindir eventually managed to move his body slowly through the water with small, gentle movements of his legs. Nemir decided this was a good place to stop for the day and led the way toward the shore. The couple lay reclined on the sand. letting the warm rays dry their clothing. "Well, you survived your first lesson, congratulations." complemented Nemir.

"I still think you were trying to drown me a certain points," teased Morfindir.

"Old habits and all that," answered Nemir with a grin. A comfortable silence fell upon them as they watched small birds scurry across the sand and listened to the sound water lap the shore. Nemir spotted a stick not far from her and an idea sprouted into her mind. Stretching out, she retrieved it and began drawing lines in the sand. Morfindir watched curiously as she completed her work, "What are you doing?"

"Come take a look," she motioned for him to move closer and he obliged. Nemir then started pointing at the different symbols in the sand, "M. O. R. F. I. N D. I. R. Morfindir." she stated as she moved from one letter to the next.

"This is my name? He asked in amazement.

""You said you wanted to know what it looked like," explained Nemir as she handed the stick to Morfindir, " Here, try to copy the letters,".

He grabbed the stick and hesitantly placed it under the first letter, "M," he stated as he attempted to copy Nemir's work. He drew two parallel lines and connected them with a V shape before turning to her for approval.

"Correct!" she congratulated with a large smile, "now O."

Morfindir continued to copy his name while voicing each letter as he went along until he had a several lines written under Nemir's original. As he progressed the lettering became more uniformed and his movements smooth and natural.

"I think you've got it down perfectly," praised Nemir with a clap of her hands.

Morfindir's chest slightly puffed with pride and a large grin split his face at her words, "Maybe all those nobles aren't so smart after all. That wasn't too hard."

Nemir just rolled her eyes, "Well, if you mastered that so quickly, let's move to something more advanced." She then proceeded to clear the sand with her foot and began to transcribe the entire alphabet, speaking each letter out loud as she wrote it. Once finished she handed the stick back to Morfinder who was looking less confident, but proceeded to copy her strokes anyway. His efforts were efficient if not perfect, and eventually managed several lines of letters that took up most of the beach.

"I think that is enough for the day," said Nemir looking at the position of the sun.

"I didn't realize how much time had gone by," replied Morfindir as he gathered his shirt and shoes from the rock, "I should have been back before now."

"They say time flies when you're having fun," added Nemir.

"I hope this isn't what you consider fun," he challenged goodnaturedly, "I personally blame the company."

"I don't know if you are complimenting me or yourself," she teased.

"Can't it be both?" he replied sending a smile over his shoulder as he made his way back to the main shore. Nemir just shook her head and chuckled before claiming her staff and following suit. It didn't take long for them to reach the beach and he turned to face her before leaving, "Thank you for offering this lesson to me."

"It's the least I could do after the risk you took for me at the market," insisted Nemir, "Will you be able to meet me again a week from now? Same time?"

"That shouldn't be an issue. We will just have to keep a better eye on the time," he said as he laced the cords of his boots.

"Agreed," said Nemir before giving an small wave goodbye to Morfindir as he rushed to the path leading back to the village. He turned once he reached the crest of the hill and answered with a salute before disappearing from her vision.


Morfindir sat at his favorite table in the only tavern in town, The Dancing Fish, while enjoying a pint after a long day of fishing and lessons with Nemir. He had finished his fifth week with her today, and she had him practice using his arms and legs in conjunction to pull his body through the water. This was rather straightforward, but the largest challenge was keeping his head down in the water until he needed a breath. He didn't quite understand the purpose of this, but Nemir insisted it was necessary so he tried even though he got a nose full of water most of the time. Afterward, they had continued his reading lessons, but the progress was slower then he would have liked.

The whole situation still seemed unbelievable whenever he thought about it, but Nemir never mocked him or his lack of knowledge. He found himself genuinely enjoying her company, and looking forward to their weekly lessons. She was unlike any person he had ever met and wished the people in the village could appreciate her otherness even if they didn't understand it. Even he didn't understand it completely, but he didn't let that scare him. He was startled from his thoughts when the main door was forcefully opened causing it to collide with the wall with a loud 'crash'.

"Damn," cursed Morfindir as his unpleasant cousin sauntered into the tavern and up to the owner behind the bar. He had managed to avoid Nimmon since their confrontation, but knew his luck would run out eventually since Fish Farm was such a small community.

"You're a hard man to find Morfindir," greeted Nimmon his voice containing a false sweetness as he and approached.

"I've been busy," grunted Morfindir before downing his ale.

"So I've heard," Nimmon took the seat across from him and placed two pints on the table.

"What do you want?" he grumbled, glaring at the drink before him as if it was poisoned.

"Want?" the blond man gasped in exageraged shock, "Can't I enjoy a fine ale with my cousin? We are practically brothers after all."

Morfindir snorted, "Nem, cut the crap. You've resented me since the moment your father brought me home."

"Tis true I was jealous of you at first, but I was young and foolish," he replied before taking a large drink.

"Not much has changed then," snapped Morfindir causing the friendly personal to immediately fall from Nimmon's face.

"You always did think you were better than me," he sneered, "You made a fool of me at the market to support your own ego."

"That had nothing to do with ego. I had to stop you from inciting a riot against an innocent girl," challenged Morfindir his fist tightening.

"Innocent!" Nimmon erupted into laughter. "If you think that creature is innocent, you're a larger fool then I thought. She must be slowly warping your mind during your weekly meetings"

Morfindir sat stunned for a moment, he had told no one about his arrangement with Nemir. How could he have found out? "How did you...?"

"Please," he scoffed, "nothing is secret in this muddle puddle of a village, and you two aren't exactly inconspicuous meeting in broad daylight. She must reward you well for betraying your family. Tell me, how does she feel? I bet that luminous skin is soft like the finest silk." He was suddenly silenced by a fist colliding with his face.

"You bastard!" Morfindir lifted Nimmon's body from the chair by grabbing his shirt into his fists. "Don't you dare talk about her that way. If you as much as look at her, I'll make you regret it." He released the shirt, letting him collapse into the ground.

"That's the difference between you and I cousin. I don't need muscles to get what I want," even with a nasty bruise forming around his eye and a split lip, Nimmon still managed to have a triumphant grin upon his face. Morfindir stormed out of the tavern before his temper made him do something he would regret. He was surprised to find 3 tall, muscular men standing outside of the tavern entrance, but when he tried to move past they formed a wall of flesh to block his way.

"My quarrel is not with you," stated Morfindir as he tried again to maneuver around the men.

"That's where you're wrong boy," challenged one of the men. He was large and imposing with scatterings of battle scars and graying hair. He lunged for Morfindir, firmly grasping his shoulders and pulling him forward into a lifted knee. Morfindir gasped as all the air was forced from his lungs, crouching down he gasped for air but no would enter. Another of the men lifted their fists and brought them down upon his back forcing him to fall flat upon the ground, face in the dirt.

"Well look how the mighty have fallen," he heard his cousin's voice above him, but as he tried to lift his body a mighty kick sent him back down. He would be lucky if a rib wasn't broken.

"Tie him up, and take him to the boat," ordered Nimmon.

Though his face was still forced downward, he could hear the smile on the bastard's face. "I'm going to make sure you regret this, you worthless, miserable" another kick cut his promise short.

"I don't think you're in a position to be making threats, dear cousin," spat Nimmon, "Move him, Now!"

Morfindir's arms were wrenched back and secured with a rough rope, before being forced to his feet. "This," sneered a thug as he unsheathed a knife blade, "is to ensure you cooperate. If not, we have orders to finish you. Understand?" The young man reluctantly nodded and was lead forcefully to the docs, each step causing his left rib to scream in pain.

The sun was gone, but they refused to light torches causing Morfindir to stumble several times as they walked in the darkness. Nimmon would take pleasure in this and pushed him forward, his bound hands unable to catch his body as it tumbled along the ground. It wasn't until they reached the boats that they risked using light to safely untie and board the boat. Nimmon had chosen one of the larger ships used for deeper waters, and the nets that were usually stored away at the end of each day sat in the hule.

"What are you planning Nim?" asked Morfindir as they secured his wrists to the bow.

"Well, I have some bait, so I figured it was a good time to go fishing," he responded with a wild gleam in his eye that was only intensified by the flickering flame.


Du Du Duuuun! Bit of a cliffy. Thank you! Please review and let me know if you enjoy this story.