"Oh she's a beautiful thing, isn't she? But I expect I don't have to tell you that."
Maz's sun-worn hand prods at Rey's face, turning her chin this way and that. Kylo sighs, sensing his mermaid's growing irritation.
Then Maz pulls down on Rey's lip as if to inspect her teeth and she snaps literally,gnashing at the old woman's surprisingly nimble fingers. Maz chuckles as she shrinks back, settling down into her armchair to regard them both. Around them were several of the other Knights, most watching the display with shades of open amusement or, in the case of Taleisin, poignantly ignoring them as he thumbs through Maz's impressive collection of leather-bound tomes.
"So-" Kylo clears his throat as Rey flops next to him, practically body-slamming herself against his chest. "Now that you've had a look at her… what is she?"
Maz purses her lips and tips her head from side to side. Rey crinkles her nose then mirrors the movements and Kylo can feel the start of a fresh headache begin to bloom.
"Oh I'd reckon she's a halfling. That's my best bet. But she doesn't turn back you say? Not even when she gets into the water?"
Kylo frowns at the old woman. Halfling? He looks at Rey who scoots even closer to him, trying to take his arm under her palm but he dodges. The weight of his men's gazes falls as heavily as the silence before Kylo clears his throat and answers.
"You mean to say that… that she's not a regular mermaid? That she can come and go between the ocean and land as her home? How in the gods is such a thing possible?"
"And what's a halfling?" Taleisin adds, not taking his eyes up from the exceptionally old looking and unmarked book in his hands.
Maz raises an eyebrow. Kylo can't help but feel very appraised at this moment. Next to him Rey reaches for his hand but he pushes her back again. Propriety.
"A halfling is exactly what it sounds like," Maz answers. "Half-human, half-mermaid. Very rare. More than that. I don't think I've ever actually heard of a real one in all my days, and I've had a good number of those."
Rey kicks at Kylo's shin and he shifts, edging to the furthest corner of Maz's couch.
"Half-human and half-mermaid? How in the bloody well does that happen?"
She hadn't been half of anything. When Kylo had first seen her all tangled up in that netting, she'd been all mermaid. All teeth and claws and wild eyes. Now she's all human. Very human, in nearly every possible way.
Maz chuckles and shakes her head at him. She sets down the cup of tea she'd been nursing and raises both her hands in the air, palms facing each other.
"I shouldn't have thought I'd have to explain this to you, My Lord, but sometimes something magical can happen. A man and a woman, or a merman and mermaid if you prefer, meet and come together."
She presses her palms flat against each other and Kylo feels vaguely chagrined but he doesn't know why.
"I-" he begins to say, but Maz interrupts him with a sudden and abrupt linking of her fingers together.
"They come together like this, in fact." She slams her palms together a second time to illustrate her point. "And sometimes even like this." Her palms open and close rapidly, crating a highly rude sounding clapping noise.
Oh gods, enough of that."
Kylo angrily swipes his hand through the air, silencing the vulgar old woman with a wave of the Force that rattles the teacups on the table. Next to him Rey reaches for his knee as if to soothe him.
"Oh, do you get the idea now?" Maz chortles. She wisely settles back down though, now resting her hands primly on her lap, her palms again pressing together as if in prayer.
Kylo mentally counts to ten before drawing Rey's hand away from him and forcing himself to settle back down against the cushions.
"Fine, yes," it takes an effort to keep his voice even, "I understand the mechanics of what you're implying. But, do you truly mean to say that such a- a union could create an offspring? We are not of the same species, the merfolk and us, it would be an impossibility."
Maz's smile grows and she shakes her head, raising a single finger in the air and swiping it down.
"Nothing's impossible, Lord Ren. Improbably yes. Highly improbably as well. And yet the proof of the odds is sitting right here in my parlor, desperately tugging at your cloak to get your attention. Funny how things works out, isn't it?"
Kylo frowns at Rey. She's wadded up his cloak between her hands and picks it up, bringing her head down to it to sniff it. Then she yanks hard, trying to force Kylo to come closer.
"If-" it takes him a few moments of struggling with his girl to get his thoughts in order. "If a human and a mermaid were to lay with another, theoretically speaking, then a halfling as you call it could result? But it would be very, very unlikely? How unlikely? Just if you happen to be able to guess?"
Rey's starting to get annoyed with him. Her upper lip curls back, bearing her softly rounded human teeth. Kylo swallows, fighting now not only to keep the girl under control but also dodge the curious probes on his mind by his Knights.
"My Lord Ren," Maz almost coos his formal title, "you seem quite pale all of a sudden? Are you feeling alright? Another cup of tea, dear?"
Taleisin snaps the book he was reading shut, his something appalled expression only briefly hidden by the ensuing cloud of dust. Predictably it's Ria that beats him to the moral condemnation first.
"Gods Kylo. The girl doesn't even speak. What could you have possibly been thinking?"
Kylo groans, dropping his head. The cat's out of the bag then, eh?
Rey flops onto her back and kicks at him, nudging him insistently in the ribs. He's never been an optimist, but at least there's one silver lining: the twins aren't here to witness his embarrassment at this revelation being aired. Taleisin and Ria will lecture him plenty. Of that he's sure. But dealing with the twins undoubtedly crude remarks on top of that would be hard to bear right now.
There's only one thing to do for it, though. Change the subject as quickly as possible.
"She first transformed when I grazed her with my sword," he says. "She still has the mark on her arm, it's not healing like a regular wound. Here. Look."
He reaches around Rey to pick up her arm on the other side. She misreads the gesture and snuggles in close, but she allows him to present her wound to a now profoundly smiling Maz.
"My goodness." The old woman's scant eyebrows shoot up high. "This looks like it's barely stopped bleeding! And it's an older wound, you say? At least a week or more?"
"Yes."
Ria leans closer, earning her a warning growl from Rey. Taleisin stays where he is, but Kylo can see his neck craning over his fellow Knight's shoulder to inspect it.
"Why is it still like that?" Kylo asks. "Why hasn't it healed properly? It was only a tiny knick of my blade, barely a scratch at that, but that was when her tail turned into legs and they haven't turned back yet."
Maz presses her lips together and shakes hr head. Rey begins to fidget, clearly not liking being the center of all their attentions.
"Well for that I don't have an answer for you, Lord Ren. Such beautiful beings as a mermaid halfling were only folktales into my mind until today. You'll need to speak to someone who knows better."
Kylo lets Rey go and she falls back against the couch, now poking at her wound curiously until Kylo steadies her hand.
"You mean the Island of the Sages then? That's all my research has lead me to, but if there's a closer place then-"
"None," Maz shakes her head. "But this time of year? That journey across the sea?"
She clicks her tongue and Kylo nods. He's already well aware of the dangers, but it seems like there's to be no other choice.
"Taleisin, how soon can we set sail?"
Their second youngest Knight picks up the book he had been reading again and moves to put it in his satchel, but Maz bounds up with surprising speed to take it back from him.
"By tomorrow," he says quickly, straightening his stance. "Aemon has already secured us a ship, and if we press the villagers to hasten they should have no trouble filling the hold with all the stocks we'll need by morning."
Morning. Just one more day. Kylo knew he and his men would be ready, but now they had someone far more unpredictable to consider as well.
"We shall all go into town and see to the preparations. Split up but stay in contact throughout. Tonight we will meet in the great hall and decide who stays and goes."
Kylo turns his focus back to Maz who had been pretending to sip politely at her tea and not listen in to every word they'd been saying.
"Maz, I believe we have a business proposition for you, if you're so inclined to hear it."
Maz's sly smile returns in a heartbeat.
"Oh I'm always inclined for business, surely you know that by now?"
Kylo grunts. He never did like the old woman by any particulars.
"It will require discretion. Your absolute discretion, do you understand?"
The smile grows, showing a crescent moon line of teeth.
"Well now I truly am interested," she chirps. "More tea anyone? I find that discrete business is best settled with a full mug in out hands."
Kylo grunts but nods. Rey eyes him for a moment before mimicking with her own grunt-nod as well.
Then he and the Knights settle down to iron out the details of using Maz's young minions while they're away.
author's note:
Sorry for the short chapter but I'll have the 2nd part up very very soon! Today I'm...looks around house in state of chaos… er, yeah, I've got my hands full over here so 1 shorty chapter it is!
Comment replies:
White Demon Feathers– I'm so glad you like this! Kylo's a big dork here, but they're making progress in their relationship slowly but surely. Thanks for commenting!
Coesa Rudo – Thank you! I'll try to update soon I promise! Next chapter should be up soon : )
thanks for commenting!