Of course, his luck could only last so long. Apparently Duchess Sable had pulled some strings and convinced the paranoid Captain Harris that Jim would be just as safe from fraternizing if he were escorting her than if he were shadowing the captain. Captain Harris agreed. Jim would escort the duchess and learn the "gentlemanly side to sailing" after helping to set the course and doing his duties as first mate. Jim groaned as the captain relayed his official orders.
He couldn't understand why the captain would go along with this obvious plot. Why couldn't he be his usual jumpy self when it counted?
Jim felt the heat build in his cheeks, and he took a deep breath, counting to ten. He was going to need those three months of anger management right now.
"Sir," he croaked, grunted, then began again. "Sir, can I ask you something, as a fellow sailor, not as your inferior?" Captain Harris nodded, his relaxed stance and folded hands signaling Jim to continue. "I don't know if it's come to your attention, Mr. Harris, but the duchess has insulted me in a manner I cannot soon forgive, and yet she still insists on... well... stalking me. I feel that if you send me to her I will be put in situations that will reflect badly on me and our trade."
Harris released one hand to stroke his grey beard.
"Good argument, Mr. Hawkins. Using pity and danger to our pride to work toward your ends."
Jim grinned sheepishly, though he mentally cursed himself for underestimating the captain. "Am I that transparent?"
The captain returned the grin. "Just to me, boyo." He turned away to look out the window of the captain's cabin and over the sea. "About your request, I cannot acquiesce."
Jim's jaw dropped in surprise. Nevermind anything nice he had just thought about this stupid, dense...
"I wasn't born yesterday, Jim. When Duchess Sable came into my office and asked my permission for you to be her escort, I knew what she was up to. But I also know you, Jim."
Jim's creased brow softened at the sound of his name. This was the first time the captain had called him by his first name.
"Do I have permission to talk to you man-to-man, Jim?"
Jim could only nod.
"Jim, you are a special boy-- man. You are the first man that the duchess has ever chased with such ferocity, but that is not why I am allowing this. I am human, too. I have my downfalls, and I regret to say I have not been as alert in the past as I am now."
Jim held in a chuckle, but Harris saw him smile, a wry grin on his face as well.
"Go ahead and laugh, boyo. I know that everyone who knows me and the way I run my ships thinks I'm a bit... eccentric, but this is one of the reasons why." Jim sobered, and the older man continued. "When Sable came here two years ago she was a very grown up fourteen. Naturally, my uneducated sailors all swooned over her like old women in the summer. The worst of them was Tony Higgins, a cabin boy about your age. He could have been a great sailor, so much promise." Harris paused a second, and Jim realized he was trying not to cry. "Their courtship surprised us all, but it only lasted three days. Tony was distraught. He did everything he could to get her back, but in the end, it only angered her. She told him what she thought of him, and--and--" Harris's voice cracked, but he looked Jim straight in the face as he said, "The next morning, he was floating face down off the starboard side."
Jim's eyes widened in horror as the grieving captain continued. "Since Tony's death, I've asked the Prince to prohibit Sable from entering the docks or going anywhere near my sailors. In exchange, I would not spread the real reason for Tony's suicide. But since she's been a fixture on the ships since you arrived here--" Harris shrugged to disguise his shaking. "I guess our contract is null and void."
"What does anything about Tony have to do with me?" Jim asked quietly.
Captain Harris wiped his eyes and sniffed hard. "I--I want revenge, Jim. Tony was one of my boys. Mah mates. I know of Sable's current 'undefeated' record, and I want you to set the record straight. Will you avenge me, Jim?" Jim looked at the captain warily, his back tensing and hands balling up into fists.
"I'll do as you order, Captain." Harris sighed, then chuckled.
"Smart lad. I won't order such a thing, and you know that. But are you wise?"
Jim frowned, not quite understanding. That wasn't a threat, was it?
"My orders you asked about stand, Hawkins." Captain Harris reiterated. "But I'm glad we had this talk. You are dismissed." Jim made it to the door, then paused. He didn't turn as he mumbled, "I am too."
Ariel broke the surface once again, and was instantly entranced by the explosions of light in the sky. It was like the reef was aglow in the night sky. She wondered if the shiny remnants that fell from this brilliant display had landed on the ocean floor and made a mental note to check for them after this newest adventure. Sebastian was impressed as well.
"Jumping jellyfish!" He exclaimed, as more columns of light burst in the sky. Ariel giggled at the prospect that even her crab of a guardian couldn't refuse the human's never-ending wonder. She thought too soon. Sebastian was almost immediately himself again as he noticed his ward's longing gaze at the human vessel.
"Bahd idea, Ariyal!" He insisted. "If we git sin, yo fadda will neva--"
"We?" Ariel arched an eyebrow. "Who said you were coming?" Before Sebastian could protest, the princess was so far away she couldn't hear him.
The mermaid heard the music first, then the laughter, as she warily approached. Even though humans were her greatest love, being raised to fear them still took its toll. She almost turned back about a million times, but their music was infectious, and their laughter floating down on her didn't sound evil. It strengthened her resolve more than any spell. Climbing up the side of the boat was an effort (though her upper body strength was stronger than that of a normal human girl, the scales of her tail were a bit heavier out of water), but she managed to find an opening by a ledge that she could sit on so she did not have to support herself solely on her arms. From her front row seat, she watched humans for the first time, her heart in her throat. Her body jittered with nerves and exhilaration, so much that she wanted to dance to the strange music with the men on deck. Their music was not mild at all, she noticed. It was a bit primitive, granted, but it was lively and bright; it filled everything with light from the inside out, including the mermaid sitting on a stair just over the railing.
Her tail bobbing to the beat, Ariel had no qualms with scouring every visible part of the ship; the sailors dancing on crates, the sailors playing alien instruments-- she would have to ask Scuttle about those later-- the food, the nets, the masts, the shrouds, the boy in the corner... Ariel paused, then turned her gaze back to that corner, the only corner that was not reached by light.
It was the boy! The boy from the beach a few days ago! Small world, Ariel mused, squinting to make out his features. He was staring into a tankard of something, his scowl covering his eyes and his long bangs concealing his cheekbones. And-- was that-- an earring? Did human males wear earrings? Queer, Ariel shook her head amusedly, but her eyes never left the curious boy. He looked so sad, like an abandoned guppy. She didn't know how much she was leaning forward until a huge, furry creature was in her face.
Jim was bored out of his mind. Though escorting Sable wasn't as bad as he thought it would be, she constantly clung to him and had a personality change every five minutes-- flirty then allusive, hyper then mellow, nice then mean, innocent then creepy... ugh. Thankfully, she couldn't do much to him with all the people around. They avoided the two, but they were still witnesses. He had a nagging feeling that he had already been claimed as hers, but he knew he wasn't. Since he was leaving soon being a social outcast didn't bother him much-- except that he had to be an outcast with her. At least there was no false modesty between them. He was free to make her feel as uncomfortable as he pleased, and she couldn't really do anything about it unless she left him. Jim chuckled wryly. Why would he be so cruel otherwise?
After a private supper with the prince and the captain at seven, Jim was given a welcome break from his captor when she went to go change for the celebration, though he was ordered to sit outside the door until she was ready. It was Eric that brought him the tankard of ale.
"Here," he gestured, the slight movement making the liquid slosh over the sides. "You'll probably need this." Jim shook his head.
"My father was a drunk. I'll never touch that stuff."
"Your dad smoked, too."
Jim rolled his eyes, but took the container. "I won't drink any of it." He said to the prince's grin.
"I'll just hold it like I did." He sported a grin of his own. "Sable hates men who drink."
Eric's grin faded, and he sighed. "Be careful who you wage war on, Jim."
"I wouldn't call it a war," Jim protested, waving the large mug in the air in a convincingly drunken manner. "It's more of a--" He showed a few more molars in a way that made Eric shudder "--social disagreement." Eric rolled his eyes but didn't protest further. His cousin needed to be taught a lesson or two, even if it was by this confusing first mate. He slapped his knee and rose.
"Well, enjoy yourself--" The prince stopped and winced. "Should I really tell you that?"
Jim shrugged, staring into the frothing mug. "You can tell me that all you want, but I'm not going to."
Eric nodded uncomfortably, almost relieved to be distracted by the ruckus his dog, Max, was causing. Jim was a nice enough boy, but he was a bit too intense for Eric.
Then he realized what Max was doing so close to the bulwark. He was peeking out an opening big enough for him to wriggle through!
"Max! Max, here boy!" Eric called, trying to keep the worry out of his voice.
Jim jerked his head from the mug to Eric, following the prince's line of vision to the dog that was leaning out of one of the flood holes. Jim was about to write it off as a dog just being a dog when he noticed it was... looking at something. Jim squinted and just caught the gaze of two wide eyes in the darkness beyond. They disappeared almost instantly, but there was no mistaking it. As Max ran excitedly to his owner Jim was sliding to a stop against the bulwark, looking deep into the indigo abyss below. Nothing. How could that be? He was sure--
"Oh James!" Came a sing-song voice from behind him. Jim groaned, gripping the wood till his knuckles went white. "What are you doing over there and not here, where I left you?"
"The lad can walk, miss," Captain Harris began, but Jim cut him off with a wave of his hand, turning to face the bane of his existence on this torturous planet.
"Sorry Sable," he excused himself. "I was feeling a bit sick, is all."
She raised an eyebrow at him, and he realized what she was wearing. Her dark crimson dress was bejeweled to the point of being blinding due to the glare, and the dress clung to every curve. Jim avoided looking at her bodice altogether.
"I-I'm serious." He insisted, taking a step back. "M-maybe I should go down to the galley to rest for a while." Now both of Sable's groomed eyebrows plummeted in a frown.
"Right when the party's about to start? I don't think so."
"I agree with the duchess." Captain Harris said, folding his arms over his chest to look more menacing. Jim's draw dropped in indignation and disbelief. Really? He knew that the captain was looking for revenge that he thought only Jim could give, but was he really going to force him to spend the whole night with this slutty--
"Mr. Masterson has realized that he can't hold his liquor, so I need you in the nest to keep watch, Mr. Hawkins." Jim couldn't hold back his desperate relief.
"Really?" This was a surprise.
"No, not really!" Sable growled, getting menacingly close to the towering captain. It was almost comical, he practically dwarfed her, his crossed arms keeping her at bay.
"He's my escort!" Sable said. "Mine. Or would you rather I choose another of your sailors while Jim is in the-- the-- high thingy?"
Captain Harris's eyes widened with fear. This was what he had been afraid of.
Jim read the distress on the captain's face and slowly interpreted what was going on.
"Jim's one of my boys." Harris said hesitantly. "Mah mates."
Captain Harris was trying to protect him. The captain genuinely did not want Jim put in a situation where the temptation might be too much.
Jim knew temptation wasn't the problem. He would be extremely uncomfortable, yes, but he felt absolutely no attraction toward this woman. There was no need for the captain to suffer.
"Sir, I can--"
"No, Jim." Harris said, putting out a hand to stop his student's advance. His eyes had hardened and did not leave Sable's face, who was looking surprised at the captain's use of Jim's first name. "This is my ship, and you are my pupil. She will remember the breached contract and obey my orders while aboard my vessel." Sable's brown orbs were brimming with horror now. She stumbled away from the man she saw now was her superior. This angered her, but what could she do?
"Fine." She hissed, beckoning for her servant, who put a fur shawl over her mistress's shoulders. "But Jim will have to make up this time on another date."
"Agreed, if I approve of your attire." The captain replied calmly. With an irritated huff, Sable stomped off to find her cousin.
"Thank you so much, captain!" Jim gushed. "That would have been so--"
"I was serious about the crow's nest, Jim." Captain Harris interrupted with a chuckle. "Masterson is in the infirmary, and I need someone to keep watch." Captain Harris raised his face into the sea wind and breathed in deeply. "A storm's coming. I can smell it."
Ariel clung to the hull of the ship by its barnacles, heaving in salt water to calm herself and steady her heart. That hairy creature-- a dog, she recalled from her research-- was harmless, but the boy from the beach was too observant for his own good. He was dangerous. Maybe her father was right about something after all. But, as had been the case so many times before, her curiosity got the best of her and she slowly and cautiously swam to the surface again. Seeing that the nosy human was no longer watching for her, she climbed back up to her hiding place.
Luckily, the humans had overlooked the dog incident and were back to their fascinating dance rituals. As Ariel was watching the dark haired human with rapture, a certain seagull spotted his friend from the sky while on his regular rounds (he had this theory that aliens were going to invade, silly bird).
"Hey, there, sweety!" He cawed in pleasure. "Quite a show, eh?"
Ariel froze, afraid that she was discovered yet again, then recognized the voice and rolled her eyes. She loved her learned winged friend, but he knew very little when it came to stealth.
"Quiet, Scuttle! They'll hear you!" She scolded in a whisper. She tried to wave him off.
If he was there, she'd have to babysit him and would not be able to study the humans.
"Oh, I gotcha, I gotcha," He whispered back, dropping down beside her. "We're being intrepidatious! WE'RE OUT TO DISCOVER--!"
See? He has no perception of when to be quiet, Ariel sighed. She grabbed Scuttle's beak and pulled him back where no one would see him. She was surprised no one had heard him. Then again, the human music was pretty loud. A light, tinkly sound caught her ear, distracting her from her seagull friend. It was the dark man with his--oh yeah, dog, playing another instrument.
"I've never seen a human this close before." She explained. (This is true. When Jim made it to the side of the boat, Ariel was already underwater from the ruckus that was made over the dog. She saw Jim looking for her from below the water's surface, which was a good twenty yards away.)
"Oh," She laid her head on her arms and gazed at him contentedly. "He's very handsome, isn't he?" Scuttle looked at her, following her line of vision.
"I dunno," he said, "He looks kind of hairy and slobbery to me."
"Hee, not that one!" Ariel chuckled dreamily, "The one playing the snarfblat."
As Ariel went on watching the celebration-- or rather, the dark-haired human, Scuttle shrugged and rolled his eyes. He hadn't been talking about the dog. He was human expert, for Pete's sake! He knew humans and their behaviors, and he could tell with one look that-- though he may have a good heart-- that hippie human was a few shots short of a pint.
Jim watched the celebration from the crow's nest, having the best time he'd had the whole night. Though he'd hated the nest in space-- it was the place farthest away from the action-- it was the closest place to space there was on Earth. It was a sanctuary from the drama of this hectic world.
He couldn't hear what was being said on the deck, but he was still at a distance where he could read the crew's body language. Grimsby was speaking.. at least Jim assumed so, he only flaunted like that when he spoke. The crew leaned forward with anticipation at something the "Grim Reaper", as the crew called him, said. Jim focused his gaze on Eric. Though the youth could only see the prince's back, he looked far less impressed. Sable was standing back and to the prince's left, just bored. After a few more flourishes and a half-hearted slap on the back from Eric, Grim unveiled Eric's extremely heavy birthday present (and Jim knew. He'd had to carry it aboard, with the help of a mule and some well-placed logs).
It was a huge, stone sculpture of the prince. Jim rolled his eyes. If he knew anything, it was that the prince was not an egotist. He could care less if the thing sank to the bottom of the ocean, Jim could tell from the way Eric was leaning away from the "present", his legs set apart in defense.
And then the Grim Reaper started on marriage again, because Eric immediately turned his back to his advisor and pretended to be otherwise occupied with a telescope.
Speaking of telescopes-- Jim looked back to the skies as a roll of thunder shook the air, lightning right on top on it. The captain had been right. Jim turned in the direction of the thunder and watched the clouds broil. Jim bit back a swear. This was bad.
"Hurricane a'comin'!" Jim yelled, his voice cracking in horror as the water suddenly reared against them. "Stand fast! Secure the rigging!" He added, feeling his training kick in. He jumped fluidly from the nest, screaming orders as he went. He was unable to reach a post himself before Sable had attached herself to him, shaking in fear.
"What the h*** is happening?" She yelled into his shirt. She clung tighter as another wave threatened to topple them. "There wasn't any hint of a storm earlier!"
"I don't know!" Jim yelled over the din of thunder and crashing waves. "But the captain needs every spare hand he can, so I can't stay here!"
"WHAT?!" Sable screeched. "You are MY escort! And especially at this time--"
"I am the CAPTAIN'S apprentice!" Jim yelled back. He tied a snapped rope once around Sable and once around the main mast. "There!" He said. "You'll be safe here until I come and get you!" and he ran off to find the captain.
How did he find out? Ariel thought in a panic as she clung to one of the shrouds, but to no avail. The wind was so strong it tore her off of the ship and threw her into the water. Scuttle was swept into the clouds, calling for her all the while. The whole storm seemed to be attacking the ship. Ariel was horrified. It was obviously her father's doing, but why? If it was because she was there like she had originally assumed, one of her father's royal guards would have been there to get her. She flailed her arms helplessly, trying to balance herself above the water's surface. Then Ariel remembered what she had thought when she first heard of the ship's scheduled route.
"They usually try to stay away from the coast," she repeated in a weighted whisper. Her voice got louder and louder as she realized the full extent of the situation. "Don't come near Atlantica-- probably Daddy's doing..." Ariel remembered all the ship wrecks so near Atlantica's borders. It was like a defense mechanism, and the hapless humans had sailed right into it. Ariel had never seen a storm of such ferocity. The humans must have not come by here for decades, so there had been no need--
An angry arrow of lightning cut the sky and hit one of the sails. The cloth burst into flame. This storm wasn't a warning; it was shoot to kill.
"Everyone is going to die!" Ariel whispered in realization. Remembering Eric's handsome face, she set her lips to a grim line. No. Not this time. Not if she could help it.
The lightning threw the people aboard the ship into a frenzy. Jim watched the main sail burn with growing anxiety. The captain was directing the guests to the longboats while the crew tried in vain to save the ship. He wanted to tell them not to bother, to get off before the fire caught the deck, but he knew from experience that in times of trouble you followed the captain's orders no matter what, to prevent confusion among the crew.
"Eric!" Grim yelled as the captain pushed him to the starboard side. Jim looked about the ship briefly, seeing the prince struggling with the wheel. Jim sprinted up the steps of the quarterdeck, dodging buckets and loose cargo all the way. He slammed into the prince, pushing him off the wheel and into a very unprincely heap on the ground.
"Eric!" Jim barked, handling the wheel with obvious expertise. "Get off the ship!" Eric looked as if he'd been gut punched.
"What? No," he gasped. "I want to help!"
"You can help by not being a burden to the crew!" Jim yelled impatiently. "They can't save the ship and babysit you! GET OFF THE SHIP!" The prince looked hurt, but he obeyed. Jim turned his full attention to steering, cursing under his breath.
They should never have stuck so close to shore. The rocks--
"Look out!" Eric yelled. He hadn't made it to the bottom of the steps before the ship crashed against the rocks, the force snapping the main mast and throwing the longboat into the water. The fire from the sails spread to the rest of the ship as the severed mast smashed through the spar deck to the gun deck below. Jim heard something explode. There was no saving anything now. Except maybe--
"Oh, crap." Jim groaned, remembered a certain someone that he had tied to the mast. He jumped the stairs and skirted the burning cannons to where the duchess lay huddled on the deck, clutching what was left of the main mast like a lifeline. Jim felt his heart drop with guilt. He should have at least left her some means of escape. She could've -- could've... Jim ripped the fraying rope from the splintered wood and picked up a quivering Sable as gently as he could manage.
"You know," he told her as he sprinted for the bulwark, "You could have just pulled the rope over the top of the mast's stump and we wouldn't be in this mess." She looked up at him piteously, and he gave her a wan smile.
"Harris!" He yelled to the longboat below. "Catch!" And he threw her into the captain's outstretched arms. He was about to jump out himself when Grim pushed to the front of the dingy, screeching "Mr. Hawkins, thank goodness! Eric! Eric's gone back to the ship! To retrieve his thrice cursed animal! Eric! Eric!!"
Jim cursed again. What was it with this royal family and putting themselves in mortal peril? Much more of this and they would make a real cursing sailor out of him. Prince or not, if they made it out of this, he and Eric were going to have a serious--
he saw the prince throw Max overboard (the very thing he'd tried to prevent earlier) and with a sigh, Jim went to join him. Suddenly, he heard a sharp crack behind him. The crack of burning gunpowder. They had gunpowder in the hold? Jim noticed where the mast penetrated the deck and instantly knew the result.
"Eric! Eric!" He yelled, panicked, skidding to a stop at the prince's side.
"Jim, thank God," Eric coughed. "The deck is deteriorating by the second. My leg fell through, help me pull it out!"
"Forget pulling!" Jim gasped, picking up an axe. With a slightly labored swing, the boards around Eric's legs fell away. Jim linked arms with Eric to keep him from falling through as well.
Eric patted Jim on the back appreciatively.
"On the count of three?" He suggested. He looked into the youth's face. Through the soot and blood, he saw fear there for the first time. His eyes, however, were serene as he simply said,
"Three," and tossed the prince overboard. When Eric hit the water, the boat exploded with a flurry of fireworks.
"NOOOO!" Ariel screamed as the ship lit up before her, fire consuming where her prince had just been. He can't be dead, she thought desperately as she dove through the waves, fighting the crazy currents. She broke the surface again when the fire had decayed to smolders from the saltwater. Waving her arms about for balance, she scoured the debris and found her prince just before he slipped unconsciously into the sea. Ariel immediately went after him. She wasn't sure, but from what she'd read she was pretty certain that humans couldn't swim in their sleep. It took a moment once she'd caught hold of him, but she was able to adjust to his weight and drag him to the surface. When she was once again in the open air the storm had already scattered itself, the sun piercing random holes in the overcast sky.
She drug the prince ashore, her aquatic friends washed up beside her. She paid them no mind. She was on the land with her prince beside her. If would be a dream come true, if... she shook him gently and called his name, trying to wake him up. She tried singing to him. This roused him a bit, but he still wouldn't open his eyes.
During her vain efforts, Scuttle had found her again and landed on a rock a couple feet above them.
"Whoa!" The seagull whooped, cocking his head to beat some water out of his ear. "That was some storm, huh, sweety? And I thought I molted enough on my own..." He noticed the prince that Ariel was anxiously hovering over. "Oh," he breathed. Even he knew what this meant. "Decided to take a souvenir, eh?"
"He's not breathing!" The mermaid told him desperately. "What do I do?"
"You leave 'im!" Sebastian insisted. "Hoomans are-- uh-- resilient crechas. I'm sure he'll be fine. But we need tah go, Ariyal." He tugged on her tail impatiently, but she waved him off.
"I'm not leaving him until I know he's safe. Scuttle. What do I have to do?" The seagull shuffled uncomfortably.
"Well," he stammered, "You're going to have to, uh-- breathe into his mouth."
Ariel blushed. Like, a kiss?"How...? Well, I... do I...?"
Scuttle, being the bumbling bird he is, did not know how to explain except by demonstrating, so he ended up doing it himself. Opening Eric's mouth rather awkwardly, Scuttle took a deep breath, opened his beak over the prince's mouth, and blew hard. Almost instantly, the human was doubled over, spitting up brine. (Scuttle was as far away from the prince as he could be in two hops, spitting disgustedly.) Ariel held the prince's shuddering form as he convulsed.
When he was finished he looked up at her in a daze, his eyes half closed. She smiled at her prince, smoothing the hair away from his face. He was so handsome.
"... Where's Jim..." he murmured before collapsing back on the sand.
Jim? Ariel wondered, a bit surprised that this would be the first thing he said. She thought hard about the people on the ship.
"Who is he?" She asked him finally. "Who is Jim?" He looked at her in surprise for a minute, his eyes beginning to realize where he was. Flounder heard barking in the distance.
"Ariel," He fidgeted uneasily in the water. "Someone's coming--" Ariel jerked her head in the direction of the barking. Now there were voices. She wanted to help him find this Jim person, but she could not risk being seen by any other humans. With a last reluctant glance at the prince's straining face, she scooted back into the tide and swam away.
As soon as she was at a safe distance, however, she clung to the side of a outcropping of rocks and watched as the tall, skinny man hugged Eric and helped him to his feet.
"How many-- made it?" Eric asked in gasps. The man shook his head.
"All of the guests made it," he informed him hesitantly. "But a couple crew members, including young Jim Hawkins, still haven't been recovered."
Eric stared in horror, then down at his feet. Ariel's heart wrenched as the prince tried to contain his sorrow. "He was only seventeen." He told the older man. "A troubled, mature seventeen, but he still had so much life to live. He-- saved me, Grim. And now I'll never be able to--" His face disappeared behind his hand for a moment as he composed himself. "There's no way he could have survived?" He asked after a minute. Grim hung his head in regret.
"Sire, it would take a miracle."
Ariel clenched her fist. A miracle? She could try her hand at miracles.
"Scuttle?" She asked, her voice low and determined. "Have you heard anything about this 'Jim Hawkins'?" Scuttle scratched below his beak thoughtfully.
"Yea, I think so, hon," He replied. "The captain's apprentice, word is. Came in from outta town, so he's pretty much a mystery. I have seen him once, though. Strange looking kid. He was kinda rugged, with baggy clothes. He had a pointed chin, overcast eyes... and a really weird hairdo. It was long until the back of his neck, where it was shaved an' had kind of a rat tail goin' on back there..."
"The boy on the beach." Ariel's eyes widened. "The one who almost discovered me... he saved my prince?" Sebastian, who'd been sulking just beneath the water, came up when he heard this. "What?" He demanded in a rage. "Dat boy almos' discovud you, and you're considerin' goin' tah save 'im?" Ariel twisted a strand of bight red hair through her fingers.
"Chances are he won't even-- be alive." She told her mentor hesitantly. "It can't hurt to look. And if I do find him, and if he is alive..." She bit her lip. "I'll dump him on the beach and leave."
Sebastian heaved in an exasperated sigh, but made no more protest.
"Where should we start?" Flounder asked, pushing himself under Ariel's free hand.
"At the crash site." Ariel groaned, allowing herself to fall into the sea. "Where else?"
"When I don't want to be noticed, he sees me, but when I need to find him, I can't!" Ariel complained a few hours later. She hit the choppy water with her fists in frustration. "Why does he have to be so difficult? Scuttle?" She turned her gaze to the air where the seagull was supposed to be keeping watch.
"No peeping hewmans, sweetheart, but I-- think I got something you'd better see." Ariel perked up, failing to hear the worry in her friend's voice.
"Is it a human artifact Scuttle?" She asked excitedly. Maybe some use would come out of this nerve-wracking situation.
"Uhh," he stammered, hovering over a cluster of rocks, "I guess you could say that." Although Ariel was the faster swimmer, Sebastian was closer. He crawled dexterously up the lichen-covered rock to see what Scuttle had found.
"What ah you blath--oooh..."
"What is it?" Ariel and Flounder asked in unison.
"Bloomin' shame ittis, bloomin' shame." Scuttle cooed, settling on the rock's peak. Sebastian looked down at Ariel with regret.
"Is the hooman, princess."
Ariel felt her heart squeeze. "What about him?" She ventured. "Is he... dead?"
"No, Ariyal." The crab winced. "But he nids attenshun immediately."
Even though she'd promised to beach him and leave, Ariel insisted on examining him herself. Though Jim had been wedged between the rocks, he was positioned so that one could push, more than lift, him into the water. With a final labored shove from Scuttle, the human slid rather bumpily down the rock face. Ariel had to half-catch him to pad his fall. As she eased him into the ocean beside her he stirred, wincing as salt water flooded his wounds. She felt her heart pull forward in her chest. She put a cool hand to his cheek to still him, but muttered "Oh, don't be a baby," under her breath to make herself feel better. She didn't understand how she could be so bitter toward this human, yet so in awe at the same time. Realizing the heat beneath her hand, she moved her hand to his forehead.
"He's feverish." She told Flounder worriedly. "This isn't good." Finally they were on the beach again, though this time they were a good stretch away from the palace. The overhanging cliffs provided shade and shelter from prying eyes. Here, Ariel took a good look at her patient for the first time.
He was a wreck, comparable to the ship. His face and chest were a mangled mess of burns and cuts from where the debris hit him. His calves were broken from the force of the blast beneath his feet. His feet were badly burned.
"Go home Flounder, Sebastian." Ariel whispered, her eyes never leaving the human's marred face. "This will take a while, and someone needs to report to Father. Tell him I'm out for seashells or something--" She finally turned to Sebastian to give him a death stare. "But DO NOT mention this jaunt to him, got it?" Sebastian gulped, but nodded.
"Cumm ohn," he motioned to Flounder with a claw. "Ariyal cahn handel dis."
When they were gone, Ariel began her work in earnest. Sitting back in the sand, she interlocked her fingers and concentrated. She'd never been good at this. Attina had always been best at connecting with the Deep Magic that everyone in the royal family inherited. The magic that would allow them to activate the trident if need be. The magic that healed them and maintained their pressure levels in the deep sea. The mermaid didn't know how much she would need for a human; the damage was extensive. She would only be able to heal his exterior injuries, but that had to be enough.
Finally, she felt the cold tingle of her consciousness dipping into a pool of magic in her soul. She'd never done this so purposefully, desperately, before; her resolve shook. In her fear and anticipation, her concentration shattered and she dropped her hands.
"I can't do it." She muttered, looking back to the human. He groaned in his sleep, reminding her of Eric. Her sweet Eric, mourning his lost friend. She couldn't even imagine his tears.
"Right," she whispered, "I may not be able to do it, but I can't give up." Once again, Ariel linked her fingers. This time, she dove into the magic, scooping it up before she could loose her nerve. When her fingers buzzed with magic, she came out of the trance.
More hesitantly than she could understand-- he was unconscious, wasn't he?-- Ariel traced his wounds, barely at first, then more confidently as burns disappeared and scabs faded into healthy skin. She followed a particularly bad cut down the length of his nose, wondering at the fast repair. She traced, rather bashfully, the lines of his lips and pushed the magic down his throat to aid any burns inside. Then she moved down his limp form, repairing torn muscles and burns. The mermaid had to pause upon seeing his newly healed chest. It wasn't the muscles that stunned her (she was used to shirtless men), but the scars there. Short and long, jagged and circular, the mementos of battles and hardships she could not comprehend.
Then, right in the shadow of his collarbone, an injury she'd missed. Her hand hovered there for a second; then she noticed something about this particular blemish. It was in the approximate shape of a jumping fish. Ariel smiled.
"Well, since he seems to collect them, I'll leave him a souvenir." She moved on.
She couldn't do anything about his broken legs (they were inside the skin), but she took extreme care with his beautiful feet. Finally, she turned back to his face and concentrated on his eyes. She hadn't treated them yet because she hadn't wanted to take the chance of him regaining consciousness, but there was no helping it now. The magic jumped eagerly. It had taken surprisingly little to heal him, and the build-up of magic was getting anxious. She placed a hand over his eyes, and her magic exploded. Later, when she tried to explain it to Flounder, Ariel couldn't figure out why it had gone so crazy. It was as if every drop of magic in her wanted to get out. She knew she couldn't let that happen, it could kill her, but her hand wouldn't come away. Ariel felt herself drain, getting hollower and hollower, bursting into a sweat as she fought the strong internal current.
Then, Jim heaved beneath her palm and she fell back, her magic startled to a stop.
Jim woke up, and wished he hadn't.
Everything hurt. Not as much as it should have, he realized later, but it felt as if something was chewing on his legs, his chest hurt from water inhalation, and he had the mother of all migraines. The only comfort he had was a cool, if a bit clammy, hand that suddenly clamped over his sand-crusted eyes.
"Who's there?" He croaked, coughing and swallowing to wet his throat. No answer.
"Come on, I know you're there." He tried to chuckle. "Your hand is on my face."
He moved to bat the hand away, but another hand restrained him.
"Please, don't move," came a young voice. A girl. Jim's head twitched toward the sound. "You're injured," the voice continued, "And I don't know to what extent. Scuttle," The voice addressed someone else now. "Go find Er-- the prince. I don't care how you get him here, but get him here, fast."
"O' course, sweety," A voice drawled above them. He must be up on the bluffs, Jim reasoned. He felt the girl shift her attention back to him.
"Now, I need you to go to sleep." She said gently. The tone didn't suit her.
"What's your name?" Jim asked, all but ignoring her. Her hand jerked mildly.
"Why would you need it?" She asked. "You'll never find me again."
Now Jim jumped, but he covered it with a shrug. That was a mistake. Every movement hurt. "I just thought that the prince would like to know who to thank for saving me. He's really a stickler about that kind of thing."
The girl was quiet for a long time before saying slowly, sadly, "The prince will never find me either." The cawing of a seagull pierced the awkward silence, and the girl was distracted again.
"They're coming. Please, go to sleep!"
"Just like that? Are you crazy? And why do you want to keep your identity a secret so badly? I won't tell anyone--" He had that annoying feeling that she wasn't listening to a word.
"Do you have a headache?" She asked suddenly.
"Yes," Jim grumbled, begrudged that she had reminded him.
"Then maybe," she said lowly, "you won't notice much of a difference when you wake up."
Before Jim could protest, he felt a sharp pain at his left temple, and everything went black.