The Trewhella Curse

Chapter Four

It is soon that I have to say goodbye to my mother. In the watery grey of dawn, she escorts me to the Groves of Aleph, where I must remain until her return. As we swim, mother makes pain to reiterate over and over that she would be back from the North before the Crossing of Ingo begins. I promise to be as much use to Saldowr as I can while she is away. I have stayed with Saldowr many times in the past whenever mother must travel; it is a routine I have grown familiar with.

Saldowr awaits us in the silvery sand of the Groves of Aleph. His hair billows around him like a cape, streaked with ashen threads. Saldowr's frosted white seal's tail is curled beneath him. When we arrive, Saldowr raises his hand in a greeting, dipping forwards to meet us.

My mother smiles, wrinkles softening her cool green eyes.

"I am grateful," she utters, clasping Saldowr's hands in her own, "to you for taking care of Mordowrgi while I am gone. I am hesitant to always impose upon your kindness like this, but the North is not the place for Mordowrgi just yet."

"Do not feel that you are burdening me, Mellina. It is always a delight to have Mordowrgi here," Saldowr replies.

"Certainly, after the Crossing, I shall be able to bring Mordowrgi on lengthier journeys, then I shall need not take advantage of your hospitality," mother says, shaking her head so that dark hair swirls around her.

I hover alongside Saldowr and my mother, allowing them to have their conversation over my head. They talk for a while about unimportant adult things. Absentmindedly, I watch mesmerised by the ivory-sun shimmering on the surface above. Through the twisted branches of the groves, opalescent-light scatters, painting weaving patterns across the pale sand. The branches sway, hiding us from prying eyes in the shallows. A boat could sail over our heads and would pass us by, unnoticed.

"Mordowrgi," mother says, brushing my arm to catch my attention. "I must be leaving now."

"Have a safe journey," I tell her. She envelops me into her arms for a hug.

"I will be back soon. Stay safe while I am gone, and do as Saldowr asks," mother instructs. She kisses the top of my head and squeezes me one last time.

I love you, she tells me in her thoughts.

I love you too, I return.

With the faintest wrinkle of concern on her brow, mother turns to leave. She slices through the waves, whisked away by the current. It is just me and Saldowr left in the Groves of Aleph.

There is a tingling of anxiety in the pit of my stomach, like a burrowing worm. With my mother's absence, I feel as if I don't know what to do with myself. I feel small again, as young as when I was a child. Then, when I was younger, if my mother had to go away, I would cry and wail until the very moment she returned. Without her, I feel as if I have lost a soothing net of protection, and without it, I am exposed.

Being in the Groves does something to ease the strange sensation. The silent serenity of this haven calms me; being in the Groves strengthens my spirits, I can notice the effect in my stronger, smoother tail strokes. I absorb the rich oxygen in the water with ease.

I follow Saldowr into his cave, which is nestled in amongst knotted, gnarled roots. The rocks surrounding the entrance have an iridescent sheen, glistening with mother-of-pearl. I push through the swaying curtain of gauzy seaweed concealing the cave.

Inside, the interior glows a soft, deep red. Saldowr has gathered strange artefacts within his cave: pewter mirrors that gleam, brassy dull metal, and shining jewelled amulets. It is not a Mer custom to gather objects, however, I am sure these objects serve specific purposes for Saldowr's work. I hope one day, that Saldowr will show me what all the objects are for.