The water moved gently beneath the surface, spiraling on unseen currents and flowing under the sun. Beneath the waves, a school of fish darted apart, startled by the sound of sudden laughter. Between them suddenly was a mermaid, breaking through the surface with a brilliant splash that caught the sunshine. A moment later two dolphins broke the surface, and Ariel laughed again.

"Too slow!" she called to them as they leapt in circles about her, before slipping back beneath the surface. She laughed in the sunshine, breathing deeply, ignoring the voice in the back of her mind saying her father would not be happy if he knew she was up here. But the sun felt glorious and the air was so warm and the birds looked so free so high above. She wished she could spend all her days above the surface.

Farther away the dolphins reappeared, flipping and dancing through the air, and Ariel turned a curious gaze in their directions. She spotted then the ship moving up the horizon, and rolled her eyes.

"Show offs," she muttered, about to disappear beneath the surface, but something stopped her. She knew her father learning she was up here to begin with was nothing to what he would do if he learned she had stayed near a ship, but something pulled her forwards. She stayed low in the water, moving back and forth with the waves. Anyone watching the sea had been distracted by the dolphins and she drew quite close without being detected.

It was a large ship, with bright banners flying that Ariel had come to learn were the signs of kingdoms, yet two flew on this ship. She slipped nearer. She had never seen royalty of the surface land before and curiosity propelled her closer and closer. At the back of the ship a man stood, not staring at the dolphins, not staring at anything, and for a second she almost panicked and dropped below. But he did not look her way and she took a moment to get a closer look.

He was tall and lean and his hair shone in the sunlight, a bright, golden color. His face was beautiful and looked kind and she was drawn in to the expression of his eyes. He was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen and she long to be nearer so that she could guess the color of his eye. Would it be golden like his hair, or perhaps blue like the sea? As she watched an expression fell over his face, one of such intense sorrow that she almost cried out from seeing it. He looked so broken and alone that, timidly at first, Ariel began to sing.

She let the beat of the waves flow through her and the melody of the wind skimming across the water twist her song into one of bright hope and joy, hoping it would touch this man. He did not seem to hear and she strengthened her song, pulsing it towards him. He stirred, she thought in response, but it was only to turn to a man who came up beside him. It was larger man, with dark, wild hair, and skin the color of shadow, he looked almost menacing next to the fair-haired man and Ariel felt a jolt of concern. Her song continued, in earnest now, when a call came suddenly from deck.

'Hey, best get away from the edge!'

Both men turned in surprise at the voice, the larger, darker one stepping back instantly while the fair one looked on in confusion.

"Something wrong?" he asked. And the voice came again.

'Siren song from below. There's a mermaid about." It was said in warning and the blond stepped quickly from the edge. Ariel gasped and plunged below in a panic. She stayed in the safety of the ships shadow, out of sight, but not so far below that she could not hear.

Marcus's brow rose in surprise and he found himself stepping closer to the edge despite Eric's warning. He had always been curious about the mermaids but had never seen them. For a second he was tempted to tap into his magic to look below. He had heard that much like his own kingdom, the sea was full of pulsing tides of magic that rose and fell in different currents of life. The mermaids lived in the pockets of these currents, living with the magic but never using it on their own. He had heard from river nymphs back home that merfolk viewed casting spells as one of the most degrading things a mermaid could do, for it pulled from their life energy for selfish gain. It so mirrored his own view that he longed to one day meet and speak with a merfolk, to share views and beliefs. But apart from Eric and Philip, no one here knew of his magic, and he did not want to risk a sailor catching sight. So with a sigh he stepped back from the edge as he heard Philip ask,

"Are they really as dangerous as the stories say?"

Eric answered almost off hand, "Let's not find out for ourselves."

Under the cresting waves, Ariel frowning in anger. She had not seen the owner of the third voice, but his words were unfair and not true! She knew the stories that circulated her kind, but they had been misunderstood or blown wildly out of proportion. It wasn't right that he would speak so, and to say those things to the beautiful fair-haired man, he shouldn't be turned against her kind because of that!

Without really knowing why, and perhaps foolishly, Ariel followed the shadow of the ship above, curious if she would hear more.

She chased the ship past sunset, when sudden swells built on the horizon. She flipped and rolled through them, playing in the building of a storm, never considering the state of the ship above until sudden shouts caught her attention. The waves had built higher than they were anticipating, and had begun to rock their ship. She was sure that this ship had weathered worse, but she crested on a rise in time to see a great wave sweep across deck. Most of the sailors were anchored down, but one stood at the end, distracted by piece of loose rigging, his blonde hair darkened with rain.

He did not look up in time to see the wave before it swept him over board.

In a panic Ariel dove beneath the surface, spiraling a path straight for the sinking man. His breath had been knocked from him in the waves and he sank as if a stone.

On deck Eric shouted to his men for a rope, rushing to the place Philip was last seen, knowing already the chances of finding him were too slim. Beside him Marcus had gone still, and he recognized the shift that had come over him. He was no doubt connecting to his magic to find the man over board.

Marcus watched as the waves came alive, tinged with the slightest brush of iridescence. His eyes searched the depths for any sign of Philip. He caught suddenly a flash of glowing color, a figure, not Philip to be sure, charging towards the surface, a shadow in its arms.

She broke the surface, and Marcus stared in quiet surprise. Her face was young but beautiful, framed with hair the color of the red sunset, her skin was pale but covered in iridescent scale like a suit of armour in a pulsing shade of emerald. She came forward on rising wave, and Marcus shook himself free of his shock and hurried to the edge of the ship she neared.

"He's here!' Marcus called, and Eric rushed to follow. Without magic all the captain saw were shadows on a wave.

Ariel saw the large man spot her, felt a chill race over her as his eyes held the flash of a scale against the sun, she surged forward on a wave, the blonde man too still in her arms, and met the large man there against the sides of the ship. With one hand she clung to the side, struggling to pull the rescued man upward, but the tall man was reaching and pulling him over the rail. She saw the other man come forward, watched him start in awful surprise and a curse sounded in the dark. Knowing the blonde was safe and fearful of what they would do if they caught her, Ariel released the railing and plunged back into the sea.

She barreled deep underwater, heart racing so hard it ached. She had been exposed. What would her father say? She dashed about in chaotic fear, all the while her thoughts repeatedly turning to the man, the beautiful blonde man she had held for a moment in her arms.

Scared of going home, and realizing then that she would never see this man again, Ariel turned and followed the ship's path through the storm.


Philip sat below deck, wrapped in a blanket and feeling quite foolish. He heard Marcus and Eric discussing something a few feet away.

"Did you see it? Did you see the thing that had him?" Eric was asking.

Marcus's voice was low but calm in response.

'We're lucky it gave him back,' Eric muttered, and Marcus clapped him on the shoulder before crossing to Philip.

"We should be home in two days, barring any more surprises," Marcus said, forcing lightness into his tone, and Philip looked at him at the mention of home.

"I will have to tell my people their king is dead. And Aurora," he looked at Marcus in sudden panic, "She will have to be told. And I can't do it, not if she's still hidden Marcus, I," Marcus laid a heavy hand on his shoulder.

"I will do it, my friend." He did not mention that since Philip had been cursed, he could perhaps enter the place Aurora was kept. Philip may not have realized it himself yet. But since they had removed his covenant, Marcus was not certain if Philip could no longer go in. If Philip came to ask, they would have to explain what they had done, but until then Marcus assured his friend in any way he could, and sent Eric a knowing look across the room.


Ariel swam for two days, following the vessel further and further from home. Every time she was tempted to turn back, she remembered him, his fair hair, the sad expression filling his face, his eyes. She dreamed about them as she swam on, spinning ideas and conversations in her head that they would have. It passed the long cold hours as she swam into darker sea.

At last they reached a harbor, and Ariel shrank from the noise above of ships docked along a shore full of life and people. It was wild and hectic yet so thrilling that she darted about under the docks, unable to contain her excitement.

After a time though, the reality or her situation began to sink in. She was legions from home, surrounded by land dwellers who might all believe those nasty things she had heard about mermaids. She swam low to the bottom of the harbor, suddenly frightened. She stayed there, watching dark shadows above until the ruckus died down late into the night.

Then, as she began to search for a place to rest, a sudden voice floated through the waves, calling to her.

She did not recognize it, but it spoke her name and she spun about searching for the source. There was no magic in this harbor, no color of light brushing the sea life here, and this was why the sudden glow caught her full attention. A woman floated to her, beautiful and serene with hair that shone like the moonbeam.

"Ariel, don't be frightened my child, I sensed you from above, and have come to help."

She looked so kind and so warm that in a moment Ariel was pouring out her whole story to this kind sea woman.

"My my, little one, that is quite the tale. Tell me, do you wish to see your prince again?"

Ariel nodded eagerly.

"Well, I can make that happen, my child," the woman held out her hand, and light pulsed from her palms.

"You mean, a spell?' she squeaked, suddenly wary, and the woman waved her hands,

"Oh, there's no need to be frightened. Magic is different above than below. We don't pull from sea magic, No, it's perfectly safe."

Ariel pulsed forward, intrigued.

"It is?'

"Oh yes! and it would be a simple spell, really. What you need most really, are, well, legs!"

Ariel looked down at her long tail, blushing furiously, "You could do that?"

'Yes, and I will, but, you see, there would need to be an exchange. I could give you legs, but I would need to take something in return."

"What?" Ariel asked, drawing back again.

"Something simple. Like say, your voice?"

Ariel gawked at her.

"Well not right away, of course. I could give you say, three days? But my dear I must warn you that if you do not win his heart in three days, your voice will fade away and never return until a heart has been given to you. Do you understand?"

Ariel floated a moment, considering. It did not sound half so bad, and three days was plenty of time! Her own father had married her mother after only six hours! And really, what else was she to do, go home and tell her father she may have exposed them all? No. No this was her only chance.

"I, I understand."

"And do you agree?" the woman spun closer, and Ariel nodded,

"Yes, yes I do."

The woman laughed, and Ariel missed the way the sea life around her scattered at the sound.

"Then swim, child, swim to the surface and find your prince!"

Light spun about Ariel and turning she swum desperately to the surface, hardly believing what was happening. She reached the shore gasping, pulling herself from the waves. The water splashed hard against and as she pulled herself up she felt the roughness of sand beneath, scraping against skin suddenly sensitive to its touch. She looked down and saw beneath the lapping waves her tail was gone, and its place two legs lay pale in the moonlight.

With wide eyes Ariel stared at them in amazement, a sudden excitement gripped her, she was on land! On the surface! She surged to her feet.

She fell.

Carefully, she stood again.

Wobbling and shaking, Ariel hobbled to the shore.