Greetings! This chapter has been reworked to remove the clunky exposition.

Many, many thanks to ehcorns who left a helpful, constructive, and encouraging review. It helped me see my story in a different light and make some needed improvements.

I own nothing!


Chapter 3

"The Sea Song is within me!" as the words left her lips Nemir was instantly engulfed in infinite darkness. How long she remained there was unknown to her, but as consciousness slowly returned she could feel gritty sand embedded into her skin and waves lapping against her body. Blinking the salt water from her eyes, she looked up to see Naneth kneeling above her, attempting to support her body that had fallen into the shallows.

Gently, Aeriel stroked her daughter's head trying to sooth her, "Be calm Nemir, everything will be alright. The first transformation is always a little traumatic".

Transformation? Confused Nemir tried to stand on her feet but her legs were not responding to her commands. Stumbling she looked down and a sharp shriek escaped her. Gone were her legs and in their place was large, scaly fish tail. Panicking, she looked up at her mother as tears formed in her eyes.

.

"What…. How?...I…. don't understand!" Nemir exclaimed as tears ran down her cheeks and breaths became shallow and quick.

Aeriel pulled the girl closer into her arms in an attempt to calm her daughter's hysteria. The other woman standing in the waves weren't horrified at the sight of a half fish girl, but instead smiled at the couple in congradulations.

"Nemir," softly spoke Aeriel, "do you remember the legends I told you of the Foam Maidens and how they lived under the waves". Nemir nodded slowly snorting some of the snot back into her nose. "Your blood has been awakened, now you can live as I did."

"Is...Is it permanent?" hiccuped Nemir, " Am I stuck like this forever?"

"No sweetie. You will eventually learn to control it and will be able to shift between forms as I do. It will be challenging at first, but I will teach you" consoled Aeriel.

The confidence in her voice was comforting and Nemir took a deep but shuttering breath. She gingerly reached down to become better acquainted with the new fin and lightly touched the scales. They were surprisingly smooth to the touch and seemed more durable than regular fish scales, but just as flexible and reflective. The main body of the tail was a soft, silvery blue that reminded her of the morning sky on a foggy day. As the color traveled down toward the main fin, it gradually darkened till the color resembling her midnight blue hair. Even Nemir, in her current state of shock, had to admit that it was beautiful.

"The scales are extra thick and provide us with a natural armor," explained her mother, "the smaller, more delicate side fins will help give you balance when swimming".

"Will I learn...well relearn how to swim tonight?" Nemir asked curiously unsure if the idea should excite or terrify her.

"Not tonight. It will take some time for you to learn how to control this form, but I will be able to assist you. Tonight, while the full moon rises, we will celebrate your awakening with song and dance," said Aeriel.

"How do I return my legs?" she asked hoping that the process remained painless.

"First we must remove you from the water. Without training you won't be able to contact water without transforming," explained Aeriel as she motioned to a fellow foam maiden to assist her with the relocation. Nemir was afraid that the added weight of her large, muscular tail would make it a difficult task, but they moved her without strain. "I guess constantly swimming in the ocean is a good way to gain muscle," she thought as they gently placed her on the sand far from the touch on the incoming waves. The rest of the women sat in a clustered circle around the girl and began to hum in union.

"Their song will help make the transformation easier for you," said Aeriel as she lowered herself down beside her daughter, "Close your eyes and concentrate on thoughts of earth. Trees. Dirt. Fruit. Anything that connects you to the above world".

Letting the soft hum of their voices fade into the background, Nemir closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on thoughts of earth. Unfortunately this was a more difficult than expected since the ocean was such a significant element in her daily life having spent almost every day on or near the beach. Ada and Naneth were heavily connected to the ocean as well. Ada always smelling of fish and salt and Naneth contained the sea in her very blood. Nemir dug down deeper searching for the memories needed to remind her body it had legs. Her hands grasped at the dry shifting sand beneath her attempting to anchor herself to the ground. Her mind wandered to the way the sun made it too hot to touch on summer days. She imagined how the heat dried the ground sometimes causing the plants to wither when rain refused to fall. She thought of her loft and how warm and cozy it was when she was wrapped in a blanket warmed by the fire. Nemir reminisced about a time she spent the afternoon with Ada running through the field picking wild flower to give to Naneth for her birthday.

Slowly the bottom half of her body began to tingle, starting at the base of the fin and gradually growing up the tail. Nemir tried to recreate the experience of wiggling her toes and as the sensation became more intense she could feel the feet separating and reforming. The process was odd but surprisingly painless. When she opened her eyes, her legs had returned and the only evidence that the transformation had occurred came from the webbing that now resided between her toes. The surrounding group cheered and congratulated the completion of the transformation, and Nemir couldn't help but smile about the accomplishment.

Aeriel smiled and embraced her daughter placing a kiss upon her cheek, " I'm so proud of you". She then motioned to a beautiful lady with hair pale as moonstone and turquoise eyes, "Nengelil is a lore keeper and she has a gift for you".

Nengelil motioned for everyone settle as she moved to the center of the circle with Aeriel and Nemir.

Once it became quiet, Nengelil stood before Nemir holding a small object cupped in her hand, "Nemir, tonight signals your entrance into womanhood and the awakening of your birthright. Before all these witnesses, and on the behalf of Ossë and Uinen, I formally welcome you. Please kneel Oaritsi."

Nemir slowly lowered her body into the sand and sat upon her knees looking up up at Nengelil, anticipation forming a knot in her abdomen. The moon pale mermaid followed suit, but sat at Nemir's back. Reaching out, Nengelil released the leather thong at the base of Nemir's hair, freeing it from the braid, and using her fingers combed the through the strands to remove any major tangles. Once satisfied, she reached for a small section of hair and formed a tiny twist.

At the end of the twist, she presented a perfect white pearl, "The white pearls represent the tears of Uinen and how the purity of her love saved Osse from the darkness of Morgoth giving birth to the Oaritsi." She slid a few of the white spears upon the twist before presenting a pearl black in color,"The addition of the black pearl serves as a reminder to our people to resist the temptation of the dark for we are our father's daughters, and the love of the storm lives in us all. Finally we end with another white pearl to signalize a return to grace and to remind us it is never too late to return to the light." The strand finished, Nengelil stood and offered her hand to Nemir to help raise her from the sand. Nemir accepted as congratulations rose from the group.

Nemir was approached by another Foam Maiden with green hair and a necklace made from starfish, "My name is Celenil," she said with a smile and embrace."We have created a gift for you Nemir," Celenil presented her with a thin silver circlet with an aquamarine gem embedded in the center and on either side of the stone sat clusters of pearls that flowed across the front of the circle. It was beautiful and Nemir felt unworthy of such a marvelous gift. When she tried to voice objections, the maid would hear none and gently placed it upon my head.

"It is beautiful. Thank you," said Nemir trying to voice her gratitude.

"Come," she responded grabbing Nemir's hand with enthusiasm, "Let us dance in the moonbeams and let our song serenade the stars." Nemir felt hesitant at first but her relative's energy was infectious and others had already began frolicking on the beach. Nemir allowed herself to be dragged into a rapidly moving circle and joined them in joyous song. After some time, a thought came to Nemir and she turned to the mermaid closest her her, "Are we not concerned about being discovered? Our song carries far over the water and the village is not so far away?"

The mermaid responded with laughter which was not the response Nemir expected, "Oh, I am certain they can hear us in that miserable village, and in the morning they will all wake from strange dreams of song and the sea".

The celebration continued long into the night and at some point Nemir found herself lying upon the soft sand in order to rest for but a moment. When she opened her eyes, however, the moon was gone and the sun was beginning to peak above the horizon. The light of the sun reflecting off the water blinded Nemir's sensitive eyes and she tried to shield them with a hand. She made an effort to lift her body up with her remaining arm to better scan the beach searching for any remaining visitors from the night before, but her body greatly protested. Seems the combination of little sleep and a missing bed was causing her muscles to rebel as they shook under her own weight. Her body crashed back onto the sand and she used her arm to protect her eyes from the oncoming light in hope that the needed energy to move would eventually arrive. Her brain had yet to process the night's events and she didn't have the gumption at this hour to try and sort through the memories. After a few moments, the sound of feet crunching and shifting sand caused a panic as her body lacked any form of clothing. The fear gave Nemir the energy needed to quickly sit up and search for the source of the noise, but the rush of blood to her head made her dizzy. Luckily it was only her mother retrieving her long forsaken dress from the rock where she had left it the night before. Nemir clumsily made an attempt to stand but this doesn't go well and she is quickly returned to the soft sand.

"I know you must be tired Nemir, but you can't lay nude on the beach all day," said Aeriel as she approached, "the faster you dress, the faster I can help you into your bed".

The thought of returning to sleep in her comfortable loft was the motivation needed to push her limbs into functioning. With her mother's assistance, Nemir's second attempt to stand was a success and she wrapped her dress around her, securing it in the middle with tied belt. The walk back to the house was not a memorable one and Nemir was sure she slept through most of it. Reavor attempted to converse with them when they entered, but Nemir only managed some grumbles in return as she focused on climbing the ladder to access her bed. Reaching the top, she quickly returned to blissful oblivion as her head hit the pillow.

Nemir awoke several hours later to the sound of movement coming from downstairs so she assumed mother must be awake as well. The events of last night rushed back to her, and she wasn't entirely certain it wasn't all a dream until she tried to untangle the circlet from her large mass of tangled hair. Knowing that she wouldn't make much progress without a comb and mirror, Nemir made her way to her parents' room.

The reflection that met her was a little shocking to say the least. It looked like a seagull had made a nest in her hair as it was covered in sand and a few small protruding twigs. The circlet could barely be seen through the thick tangle of hair surrounding it and the pearls were completely lost. With a long sigh, Nemir tried to ready herself for the long task ahead of her and hoped that a blade wouldn't be needed. Unthinkingly she walked to her mother's washbasin used some water to wash the residual sand from her face. Within moments a tingling sensation swarmed her legs and she was suddenly falling face first into the floor.

"Damn it," grumbled Nemir as she rolled onto her back seeing the large fin sprawled behind her. She wasn't sure if she should scream or laugh about the entire situation and decided that a "Damn it to Mordor" would have to do before calling for her Naneth.

Aeriel walked into the room but seemed generally surprised to see her daughter stranded on the floor, "Oh darling, I should have reminded you. I am so sorry. I forgot that I left water in my wash bowl".

"It's fine Naneth," responded Nemir with a frustrated sigh, "I should have remembered, but honestly last night didn't really seem real until now".

"I know it is a big transition, but with some training this won't be an issue for much longer," encouraged Aeriel, "just remember how you transformed last night. The process is the same and will become easier the more you do it".

Nemir closed her eyes and tried channelling the same memories and emotions that worked for her the night before. The feeling felt right, but without the supporting magic of the other Foam Maidens the process took much longer. With her legs newly returned, Aeriel helped her daughter to her feet. "Now to focus on that rat's nest living on top of your head" said her mother jokingly as she led Nemir over to a chair.

"Just do your best Naneth, but I am afraid it's beyond hope," sighed Nemir.

"Don't be so dramatic Nemir," chided Aeriel as she collected her tools from a drawer, "I have seen worse than this. Your Aunt Luinel once got her hair so tangled in a forest of seaweed that she was stranded for hours until someone came to cut her out". Aeriel carefully began to unwind the long locks from around the silver circlet, "This is why we wear our hair in braids whenever we are in the water," continued her mother, "it is almost impossible to swim with large amounts of hair swirling around your head and catching on every stick or weed. Success!" The circle lifted from Nemir's head and was gently placed on a table for safekeeping. Grabbing the comb, Aeriel's focus moved to the ends of Nemir's hair where she gently began to brush out the tangles. "Luinel insisted on leaving her beautiful turquoise hair loose at all times because she liked the way it flowed behind her," chuckled Aeriel as she relived the memory.

"Do you miss living with your family," asked Nemir. This was the first time her mother had ever spoken openly about one of her sisters.

"Sometimes," she replied, "but I know I will return to them someday and they are still close to me here by the sea so I am able to visit if needed". The tangles at the bottom cleared, she worked her way up the hair.

They sat in a comfortable silence for a time and Nemir tried to relax as the comb traveling through her hair felt good to her scalp. Once the knots were removed, her mother returned the pearls to her hair and began to section it in preparation for braiding. The sides of her head contained a smaller, tight braid with a large looser braid going down the middle. Aeriel secured the ends by tying them with small pieces of leather before proclaiming, "Finished!" and handing her daughter the small looking glass.

Nemir reached for the mirror and examined her mother's handywork. The effect was certainly striking as the braids allowed for her angled cheekbones and large eyes to become more prominent. "Wow, no other girls in the village will be wearing this that's for sure".

"Do you not like it?" asked Aeriel worriedly.

"No, I love it," assured Nemir, "It just has a fierceness that most girls would avoid that is all".

"Good," Aeriel nodded her head in approval, "As you enter womanhood you must remember that you are more than a fisherman's daughter. Your father wanted to give you a normal mortal childhood, but now it is time for you to take on the mantle of the Oaritsi. We are a proud and powerful people with a fierceness that makes us dangerous enemies. Always remember Nemir we are not bound by the rules of Men.".

"It is hard for me picture myself as all those things you described," said Nemir feeling discouraged and insecure, " I can't even control my tail".

Aeriel wrapped her arms around her daughter, "All of that will come in time and with training. It won't be easy, but I will be here to help you. Even great sharks are born as small helpless minnows. Let me show you something." Her mother walked to a large truck used to store blankets at the foot of the bed and after searching through the layers of fabric freed a bundle wrapped in linen and placed it on the bed.

"What is it?" ask Nemir curiously as she approached the bed leaning over the mysterious object.

"This is Blue Fire," said Aeriel as she removed the covering revealing the most exquisite weapon Nemir had ever seen. The handle was made from forged black steel, but not the foot long blade. The blade was formed from a large blue gem encasing an iridescent display of colored flakes in various shades of blue and green but amongst them shone an unexpected vibrant red. As Aeriel lifted the weapon from the bed, it caught the sun and seemed to radiate with an inner fire.

"It's beautiful!" explained Nemir gingerly extending a hand toward the blade, " How is this possible?"

"Blue Fire is only found in rock covered by ocean water which makes it difficult to mine for most, but not for us. We typically use the smaller gems for decoration, but occasionally a large enough piece is found to be formed into more useful things. " Aeriel explained.

"But why a weapon? Is it only decorative?" asked Nemir.

Aeriel chuckled, "Don't let its beauty fool you, it has a ferocious bite. The strength of the stone matches that of steel without the possibility of erosion". She handed the weapon to her daughter who awkwardly held it on her flat palms. "I carried this blade during the Numenor invasion of the Enchanted Isles."

It was hard for Nemir to imagine her mother, the current wife of a simple fisherman, charging up a beach at a dark enemy. She new her mother had lived hundreds of lives, but the age seldom showed except in moments like this. It made her question her own future for imagining a life outside of this house was so hard to picture at the moment. The feeling made her uncomfortable and she quickly pushed it aside for another time and returned the knife to her mother.

"Now let's get you a fresh dress, we have much to do before training starts this evening," said Aeriel as she returned the weapon to its hiding spot.

"This evening!" exclaimed Nemir.

"Well yes. I can't have you flopping about the floor every time you wash a dish," said Aeriel laughing.

The day went by quickly and soon Reavor was home from a long day in the boat. Like usual, he brought home some of the bounty for dinner and kissed both women soon after entering the house. The normality of the evening seemed almost surreal to Nemir when compared to the events that took place earlier that day. Dinner was pleasant and they even managed to have a quick family sing along before Aeriel rushed Nemir down to the beach to have her first night of training.

The moon offered light to help guide them and it didn't take long for the couple to reach the shore. The only supplies Aeriel brought was a drying cloth and a wooden bucket, which Nemir thought to be slightly odd but she decided not to vocalize her question. Aeriel motioned for her daughter to lay down on the sand high up on the beach away from the waves. Nemir obliged and watched as her mother filled the bucket with seawater before returning to her on the sand.

"How am I learning to swimming up here on the sand?" asked Nemir.

"Swimming? Nemir, you must learn to crawl before you can run. It is crucial you gain control over the transformation quickly or you could find yourself stranded in the middle of Fish Farm because of a puddle. We are very vulnerable in this state when outside of the water."

"May I assume that the bucket of water is for me then?" the night lost most of its enchantment as Nemir pictured her mother repeatedly emptying buckets of seawater over her head.

"Yes," replied Aeriel, "I'm going to splash small amounts of water upon your body and you are going to delay the transformation as long as possible. Your ability will increase overtime until you can resist it completely."

Nemir tried to mentally prepare for the challenge ahead. Yes, this morning had been a failure, but she wasn't expecting it and therefore couldn't counter her body's urge to grow scales. "I'm ready… I think,".

Her mother reached her hand into the bucket and used it to drizzle the residuary water onto Nemir's legs. It took about three seconds of contact before the change took place. After using the drying cloth to remove the water, Nemir's legs returned once again. They continued this exercise for over an hour with Nemir making limited progress. When they decided to stop for the night, the longest time had been around thirty seconds. Nemir was not feeling very impressed with her performance but her mother seemed pleased with her improvement.

"You did well Nemir" encourage Aeriel as they walked up the beach to their simple home.

"So I'm not the worst mermaid?" asked Nemir.

Aeriel laughed, "No daughter of mine would ever be the worst at anything!" she declared as she embraced her daughter. "Let's retire quickly for you have the pleasure of doing this every night for the foreseeable future."

"I'm ecstatic," replied Nemir with a sarcastic grin. The two quietly entered the house hoping to avoid waking Reavor and quickly went to their beds. Nemir was soon asleep and her dreams were full of evil wooden buckets trying to throw her into the ocean where her father waited in a boat with a fishing net to catch her.