Vahri had seriously begun to consider the idea of waking up every siren in hibernation to lead a search party for Narius. It had been hours and he still had not come down. The night had fallen and it was long past time when he should have returned.
The stillness of the water was interrupted by a sudden black dart. Narius appeared directly in front of her with the biggest grin she'd ever seen on his face.
"You won't believe it!" he began; ready to drag Vahri up to the surface with force
She screamed loudly and Narius jumped
"What is wrong with you?!" she cried "I was going to wake the others up to come and find you. I thought you'd been speared or killed!"
Narius rolled his eyes "None of that matters! The dwarves are back!"
Vahri just squinted "What dwarves? Where are they back from? I didn't know any had left"
He laughed in frustration "That's the point! We've been down here so long that we had no idea there have been no dwarves for over 150 years!"
There was a pause and Narius sighed
"150 years ago, the men suddenly appeared, building this town on our lake. We never knew why but now I do!"
"Tell me!" Vahri begged. The arrival of the men had been one of the great mysteries of her childhood. She had always wanted to know where they came from and why
Narius smiled "150 years ago, there was a city of men called Dale at the base of the lonely mountain. It traded with the dwarves who lived there and then with other parts of the east. But the Dwarves hoarded gold and it attracted a dragon by the name of Smaug. He ransacked Dale and destroyed it on the way to Erebor and the men moved here to be safe"
Vahri nodded "Okay. But where do the dwarves come in?"
"That's where it gets exciting!" Smaug took Erebor and the dwarves fled, leaving their homeland with only their lives. But there was a prince amongst them by the name of Thorin Oakenshield who swore he would reclaim his home for his people and slay the dragon. So he's back, 150 years later to take what's rightfully his. They've arrived in the town before departing for the mountain and the whole of laketown is celebrating"
Narius looked on the point of swooning with excitement and Vahri had to admit she was rather taken up with the new happenings as well. So much so that she hadn't realised that Narius had already guided them towards shallow water. Vahri looked up. All she had to do was reach her hand upwards and she'd break the surface
"You could see everything up there" Narius tempted "C'mon. Take a chance"
And so she did. Vahri took every ounce of courage she had in her body and brought it to mind. She could see the world above where she lived and breathe its air and watch its people. What she had always wanted.
With one flick of her tail, her head broke the surface. She tried to take a breath but began to choke, her throat started burning and her nose ached. She quickly dived back under the water where Narius was waiting with an eyebrow raised in mirth
"I can't breathe up there!" she cried "What is wrong with you? I could have suffocated"
Narius just rolled his eyes and took her shoulders "You need to focus your breathing. You need to take shallower breaths. There's far more oxygen up there than there is down here and your body isn't used to it. Give it a chance"
Vahri couldn't believe she was doing this. This went against basic survival instinct. She could die up there. And for what? A glance at some dwarves?
But, of course, Narius had tempted her. So she kept hold of his arm, took a breath and forced her head upwards.
He was right, the air was oxygen rich and heavy in her lungs and she felt a little dizzy. But taking shallower breaths helped her overcome it quickly.
"It'll pass" Narius dismissed, obviously referring to her spinning head "Just look around you"
Vahri did. She was taken aback instantly. It was brighter here, despite it being night. Things like red and orange tongues flickered in bowls attached to the structures and these appeared to show the way across the huge form of laketown itself. Vahri had only ever seen the bottom of boats and the stilts that held the town fast in the water. She had never seen it from the surface before.
Overwhelmed, Vahri ducked her head back under and shook it to clear the dizziness. Narius swam up next to her
"Want to explore a bit? See the dwarves? I know where they are…"