Chapter 10 – Changing Seasons

"Neth, wait!" Carver rushed after Nethanel who was already halfway to the water's edge, grabbing a trident and a breather in passing. "I'm coming with you, but you need to tell me what we're up against."

"A type of deep sea fish," Neth explained tersely. "We call them buzzers because they sizzle when they touch you. It hurts, like a sting, but if you're fast, you can get away, like Vaileann. But, if there's more than one and they trap you between them, they can paralyze you."

Carver shuddered at the thought. "They hunt in packs, then?"

Nethanel shrugged. "They shouldn't hunt humans at all. And they shouldn't be this far up either. You'll understand when you see them. They belong in the deep sea."

"You think Andras is in danger?" Carver swallowed.

"Not if we get to him in time." Neth looked grim. "Even if he's stuck somewhere, he should be fine until we reach him, unless…"

"Unless what?" Carver's stomach tightened in apprehension.

"Unless he loses consciousness." Nethanel cleared his throat. "Once he's unconscious, he won't be able to breathe properly. And then-"

Carver didn't need to hear more. Biting down hard on his own breather, he followed Neth into the water.

They began their search at Vaileann's cave, not far from their own. Nethanel seemed to have a good idea where to look, heading for a tunnel that was leading steadily downward. The water was colder down here, and there was little light, except from the fluorescent growths on the rocky walls. Carver tried to imagine being hurt and alone and frightened down here, but he couldn't even bear the thought.

There was a fork in the tunnel ahead, and for a moment Neth hesitated, but then he caught sight of something in the left branch. Two swift kicks brought him to an object stuck in a crevice in the rock. Carver's heart sank when he saw what it was. Andras' trident. Still, whatever else it meant, it was a clear sign that they were on the right track. Nethanel was going even faster now. The anxiety emanating from him was almost tangible.

Finally they turned a corner and there he was: Andras, his long, lean body floating limply in the murky water. Nethanel didn't hesitate for a moment, grabbing him by the scruff of his neck and turning him around to look into his face. Carver saw some of the tension disappear from Neth's shoulders when Andras gazed at them, clearly awake and breathing, albeit laboriously. He couldn't move his legs, though, and his movements were uncoordinated.

The buzzers must have lost interest in attacking him when he stopped moving. But, when Carver followed the tunnel a little further down, he caught a glimpse of them. Just one glimpse, but it made him retreat immediately. Suddenly he couldn't remember why he had ever thought sharks were scary. They seemed positively cuddly in comparison to these. The buzzers looked delicate, almost translucent, but their maws were filled with long, pointy teeth, and their large eyes were bulging and sickly white. A soft, greenish light emanated from their misshapen bodies.

Neth was pulling his arm urgently. Together, they took hold of Andras, and managed to manoeuvre him through the tunnel. It was hard work, dragging his inert body with them along the narrow passage, but the hours they'd spent diving together paid off. Carver understood Nethanel's signs and gestures as clearly as if he had spoken aloud, and they were both strong and fit.

They took him to Vaileann's cave, which was closer. Maeghan seemed to have reasoned along the same lines, or maybe she and Neth just understood each other without talking. Whatever the case, the two women were already waiting for them on the shore. Vaileann cried out when she saw the way Andras' legs were dragging behind him. There were small blisters on his ankles, and the skin on his legs was the same angry red as hers.

Maeghan put a calming hand on her arm. "It looks worse than it is. Buzzer burns are painful, but if you use the salve on him, he should be fine. And the paralysis is temporary. He just needs a little rest, and he'll be able to move properly again."

They arranged Andras on a pallet, lying on his back, and heaped all available blankets on top of him for warmth, then tended to his wounds. By the time Maeghan was tightening the last bandage around his leg, he was already able to wiggle his toes a little. The relief on his face was unmistakable.

When there was nothing more to be done, Maeghan and Vaileann wandered off towards the fire, talking in low voices. They seemed to be arguing, but Carver could only hear snatches of their conversation. "… I'm telling you he might do something stupid again. Neth could…" Maeghan lowered her voice when she noticed him listening. Vaileann's face was tear-streaked, but her expression was stubborn. Finally, Maeghan turned away with an exasperated sigh. "At least let him come over to see Neth once in a while. It would do him good."

Nethanel had been holding Andras' hand the whole time, muttering soothing words and trying to stop him from shaking. When Maeghan called for them to leave, he put his arms around Andras, pulling him close with infinite tenderness. They remained like this for a long moment, their foreheads touching, their eyes closed. When Neth finally pulled back, Andras clung to his arm.

"Neth, please don't leave." His voice was strangled with emotion. "Please, I-"

Nethanel glanced over at Vaileann who shook her head, her lips set in a tight line. With a sigh, he carefully disentangled himself, shaking his head and whispering something Carver couldn't hear.

Andras nodded, squeezing his eyes firmly shut to hide his tears. Nethanel tucked the blanket firmly around him, frowning at the way he was trembling.

Vaileann's face was unreadable, and Maeghan sighed again. "I'll get Gwynned to check on the two of you in the morning."

They left without another word. Neth was quiet on the way back and while they were setting up the cave for the night, but when he noticed Carver's unhappy expression, he put an arm around his shoulder and kissed him briefly on the cheek.

"What's the matter?" His voice was rough, but kind. "You look worried."

"I am." Carver looked down at his feet. "About the buzzers, and about Andras, and-"

"And?" Nethanel nudged him gently. "What else?"

"You. And Andras." Carver blurted out. "You'd have preferred him as your mate, wouldn't you?"

Nethanel sighed. "No."

"What do you mean, no?" Carver was confused.

"No," Nethanel repeated. "I wouldn't. I… care for Andras, very much. But I wouldn't want to live with him, and he wouldn't make Maeghan happy. I want you, Carver, and I'm glad you're here."

Carver swallowed, unsure what to reply but, right at that moment, Maeghan returned from the shelter where she had been puttering about, and Neth turned to smile at her.

"I just remembered… What were you going to tell us, before Vaileann showed up?"

Maeghan blushed furiously. "It hardly seems the appropriate moment now, but-" Taking a deep breath, she fixed them both with her large, green eyes. "We're going to have a baby. I'm pregnant."

Carver was too stunned to reply straight away, and grateful when Nethanel took over, embracing Maeghan firmly, his face shining with joy. As a matter of fact, he felt numb with shock, unsure of how to react to this piece of news on top of everything else that had happened that day. Finally, he managed to join them, to share in their smiles, to kiss Maeghan and reassure her that he was happy.

And he was happy, more than he could say. The prospect of finally having a family again made him rejoice deep inside. Maybe it would be a little girl. Maybe she would resemble Bethany. The thought made him smile. But, at the same time, he felt the panic rise inside him. A child. He wasn't ready for this, he was too young, he couldn't possibly take on that kind of responsibility.

When his gaze fell on Neth, who had placed one hand protectively on Maeghan's stomach, he relaxed a little. Whatever would happen, he wasn't in this alone. He would have his mate at his side, and Nethanel seemed more than eager to take on this new challenge. Still, Carver remained apprehensive. He knew next to nothing about babies, but he knew that having one meant big changes. Nothing would ever be the same again.

"When can we have dinner? I'm starving." Carver had to hide a smile at Maeghan's querulous tone.

"Just a moment." He rose and stretched his aching back.

He had spent the last three or four hours chopping up seaweed and boiling it into a thick green paste. As soon as it had dried into hard lumps, he and Neth would grind it into a powdery flour that they used for griddle cakes and many other dishes.

He kissed Maeghan, humming with pleasure when she moulded her body against his and ran her hands down his back. Contrary to his misgivings, nothing much had really changed so far. True, Maeghan was perpetually hungry nowadays, but despite her prodigious appetite, she remained just as slim and trim as ever. Only her breasts had grown noticeably heavier than before and her face was a little rounder, but apart from that it was easy to forget she was pregnant. She hadn't gotten sick either, which was a relief. Best of all, their nights together were just as exciting as they had been, and Maeghan's enthusiasm for making love seemed undiminished.

Neth joined them for a brief embrace, kissing both of them and smiling at Maeghan. "Hungry?"

Without waiting for her answer, he began to set aside some of the paste for dinner, forming it into little patties and dropping them onto the heated griddle.

The merpeople ate well, all things considered, though there were days when Carver missed his mother's stew. But Neth had taught him how to find and prepare the different types of seaweed: the greenish-brown lawr they used for the paste or ate like cabbage with their fish, and the red dillisk that could be eaten fresh or dried. He'd also learned how to kill and gut the fish Maeghan brought home; cod and salmon and others he'd never heard of. All kinds of shellfish, too. Neth knew different ways to fry and cook them, with herbs and spices they'd traded for with the landfolk, and he'd taught Carver his favourite recipes.

They ate in silence. Nethanel added a few more logs to the fire, and Carver was grateful. The cave was getting chilly lately. Maeghan curled up on his lap, gently tracing the gooseflesh on his arm.

"So, what have the two of you been up to today?"

Carver sighed. "Not much. The usual."

They no longer had much time for sparring and swimming during the day. Neth and Carver were spending long hours building up stores for the winter, salting fish and hanging them up to dry on racks in cold, draughty spaces. The biggest and plumpest ones were smoked over driftwood fires in the tiny, circular side cave Neth had set up as a smoking oven. When Maeghan took Carver out to the beach, he no longer spent the day lying in the sun, but wandered around gathering driftwood instead, both to drive away the chill and to ensure they wouldn't run out of fuel come winter.

Yes, the summer was well and truly over. They'd been fortunate this year, with warm, sunny days well into Harvestmere, but this meant they were in for a short fall season. And it was getting colder with each passing day.

"It's no use." Maeghan looked vexed and tired. She had left only an hour ago, but she was already back, her net empty, her skin blue with cold. "The sea is getting too stormy. Time to hole up."

Nethanel nodded. "Winter is coming. Come on, Carver, there's work to do."

Carver scowled at him from under the heavy blanket he'd wrapped himself in, but then he got to his feet with a resigned sigh. "What do we need to do?"

Just like every year, they made the cave ready for the cold season, closing all the crevices as best they could against the cold sea breezes, and barricading the tunnel to the outer cave which wouldn't be needed in the months to come. The merfolk didn't venture out in winter. Their caves were safe from the wild storms, and those who had stocked their larders well had nothing to fear from the cold season. Nethanel was quite content with their preparations. The three small, dry side caves set aside for provisions were stuffed to bursting. They had plenty of dry wood, and access to their own spring, and Maeghan's cave was warmer and cosier than most. No, they had nothing to worry about.

"I hate winter," Carver muttered under his breath. "I wish it was already over."

Neth made a small, non-committal noise. If he was quite honest, he loved winter. Even as a child, this had been his favourite time of the year, when his mother would be there to listen to him, hold him, cuddle him. Now that he was a grown man, he got to spend long days with Maeghan by the fire, dozing and talking and making love. And it would be even better this year. Her belly had finally begun to grow, and he looked forward to wrapping his arms around its soft curve at night.

Absent-mindedly, he patted Carver's back, mentally shaking his head at the other man's grumpiness. He couldn't fathom why Carver wasn't content. Here, in the safety of his home, with his mates in his arms, dreaming of their child, Neth was the happiest man alive.

Huge hugs and thanks to suilven for all her help.