I didn't see any of the creatures for a long time afterwards, and began to think that must have been merely my own imagination. Before I knew it, we were arriving in Augusta. I helped to dock and unload the ship, then prepared to take my leave. Brennan stopped me.

"Darya, where will you go now?" he asked me.

I shrugged. "Nowhere in particular."

He looked rather awkward. "I—uh—don't go, Darya, please."

I smiled. "I was hoping you would say that. Do you think Captain will want me on again for wherever he plans on going?"

"He told me the other day he would."

"Good. How long are we staying here?"

"However long Captain wants. Probably a week or so."

I nodded.

We turned out staying in Augusta for two weeks. Captain Morris seemed to take his time selling the goods. Brennan and I spent the time exploring the city. During the day we'd go to all of the markets and curiosity shops we could find. Then in the evening we'd go to the beach and watch the stars come out.

On one such occasion, I decided I wanted to wade into the water. Brennan didn't feel like it, and stayed sitting on shore. I didn't realize where the drop off was and suddenly found myself up to my chin in water. That's when I saw her.

She rose out of the water, with an awed expression. She stared at me, with piercingly blue eyes. Her wet, dark hair clung to her body and her skin was pale and slippery looking, almost like that of a fish. She looked to be trying to speak to me, but like she could not find the words. She looked at Brennan then and waved her hand in his direction. I got the idea that she could not stay above water any longer, for she gasped for breath and disappeared beneath the surface.

I stood in the spot for a moment, before I came out of the water. I went to stand by Brennan. When I went, though, my legs felt—odd. As if, for some reason, they weren't as built for walking as they had been. I lifted up the leg of my trouser, and saw that my it was different. Lighter colored, and slippery. Like the girl's skin had been. I was about to say something to Brennan when my leg miraculously returned to the way it had been.

"Brennan, did you—did you see her?" I asked, feeling very confused.

"See who?" He looked confused.

I just shook my head. "I'm tired," I said. "I want to go to bed."

Brennan immediately stood up and we went back to the inn where we were staying. In truth, I could not sleep, though. After about an hour, I went back to the beach, hoping to see some sign of the girl and ask her what was going on.

Dawn was coming when I saw that I was not alone. It was not the girl that I had wished to see, though, it was a woman. She didn't look much older than me, but in her eyes was a wisdom beyond her outer appearance of youth. She had blue, sad-looking eyes. Her hair was jet black. She reminded me of the girls in the water, water-nymphs, as I had dubbed them.

The woman looked at me. I almost detected a hint of recognition in her eyes, but I could not be sure, as I certainly did not know her. "Darya," she said.

I jumped. I certainly did not know, the woman and yet she was calling me by name! "What! How do you know me!"

She shook her head. "I do not, other than by what you are."

"What I am? What are you talking about?"

She bit her lip. "I cannot say much but that all my hope rests in you and in my son."

"Your son?"

"The man you've been friends with, Brennan."

I looked at her with decided disbelief. Why, she could be not much older than I! "But you're—you certainly don't look old enough to be his mother."

"That's why I gave him up," she said quietly. "It wouldn't look right for me to be raising him...but that is unimportant now." She suddenly looked like she thought she had done something wrong. "I should not have spoken to you," she said. "I should have let time take do its work, but that is the problem. There is not much time left."

"Time...for what?"

"For you. And Brennan." I could see the unfallen tears in her eyes, but I did not understand her. What had suddenly made her so upset? And even if she was Brennan's mother, how did she know my name?

"I—I don't know what it is you speak of."

She seemed to recollect herself then. "No, you don't, and I cannot tell you. But my hope, yours, and that of all our sisters rest on you?"

"Our sisters? I'm not related to you."

"Never mind what I said. Just go back. To Brennan."

I frowned and slowly started to walk away.