Mother of Pearl

[ 1 ]

"Captain Shadowfoot, we caught her!"

The net cut into her skin harshly, taught with the motion of being dragged upward. Through the waves, Calandra could make out the vague shape of a head peeking over the railing. Someone shouted and the tugging of the net became rhythmic, each one lifting her further out of the sea. While the water poured around her, her dark skin and gleaming tail caught the dim light. She wiggled in an attempt to return to the water that was her natural home, but the net proved to be well made. Above the water, she could hear the call of the sea birds and see the nearby island around which she had been hunting for dinner. The island was nice and isolated: the perfect place to get away from responsibility. Or—as it turned out—perfect for catching unsuspecting mermaids.

"Looks like we caught ourselves a mighty big fish, lads." The human's blue eyes danced with triumph as he took hold of the ropes and helped pull her up. With each pull of the rope Calandra thudded against the side of the ship, silently cursing every hit. By the time they were done hauling her onto the deck, she could feel the bruises beginning to blossom on her skin.

Agitation made her snarl, flashing her sharp teeth at the humans surrounding her, but they didn't seem bothered by her show of aggression. Their leader stepped even closer to her, leaning over to get a better look. "You're a feisty one, I'll give you that. But you're wasting your time and energy, mermaid." He reached out and trailed a finger over the edge of the net closest to her tail. She hissed at him. "Yes, yes. I know. You're not happy."

It was the smallest of understatements, and Calandra glared in response.

He laughed. "We've been hunting for mermaids a very long while now, so we're not amateurs any more. You're going to find that we are more than prepared to handle you. And if you help us get what we're really after, there's no reason we can't part on friendly terms. After all, I'm a reasonable man."

Calandra snorted at the human. Then she felt her body making the shift from breathing with her gills to using her lung in the open air. She bowed over and vomited seawater and fish bits all over his shoes. The crew started to laugh, but quit abruptly when the captain glanced at them. They shuffled their feet nervously and looked anywhere but at their captain.

The captain turned his attention back onto his prey. "Lovely," he muttered. Calandra's dark curls were plastered against her skin. Even though the rough net dug into her flesh painfully, and her heart was thumping wildly in her chest, she gave no outward sign of panic. She looked up at him and grinned.

Shadowfoot's instincts kicked in and he stepped back from her, his hand going to the hilt of his cutlass, as she opened her mouth.

All that came out of her was a strangled squeak. Calandra paled and lifted a hand to her throat, her fingers resting in the groove between her collarbones. She tried again, lifting her chin further and squaring her shoulders. The only reward for her efforts was another pitiful squeak.

Shadowfoot threw back his head and laughed so loudly that the rest of his crew was caught up in it involuntarily. He wiped the tears from his eyes and exhaled deeply. "You won't be able to sing your siren song, mermaid." He nudged the netting with his leather boot. "This stuff's woven with magic to stop you from enchanting us."

Calandra's shoulders slumped. She lifted her hands against the netting once more, but the tightly woven fishing line was more secure than iron chains. She looked up at the captain and wondered what in the ocean he could want with a mermaid who couldn't sing.

Shadowfoot nodded, looking pleased with himself. "Alright then. Let's get down to business, shall we?" He dropped to one knee beside her. At the mention of business, his first mate yelled at the men to get back to their stations.

"I know you have a stash of jewels far more precious than any old ruby or sapphire." Shadowfoot maintained eye contact with Calandra, his eyes intense in their stare. "I need to get my hands on them."

She lifted her shoulders and shrugged. Shadowfoot watched her innocent display of confusion with apparent frustration. He leaned forward, close enough to whisper to her and still be heard over the sounds of his men.

"In case there is some misguided hope in your mind that you can get out of this by trickery, I know you can survive indefinitely out of the water. And I know such survival would be uncomfortable for you." His eyes narrowed. "I also want you to know that if I don't get my hands on those vitae jewels, I have no problem with selling you to the highest bidder at the nearest port."

Calandra only stared back at him. She smiled despite the fear bubbling up inside of her. It was startling for her to hear the words 'vitae jewel' come from the mouth of a human. Her people did indeed have 'vitae gems', but they were sacred and not something for humans. She would die before she let him know that they were anything more than a myth whispered between drunken sailors in dark pubs.

"You'll change your attitude soon enough, fish." Shadowfoot snarled. He stood up and grabbed the edges of her net. The captain dragged her roughly over the deck towards the main mast. He turned her around and propped her up into a sitting position. Within a few minutes, he had tied her tightly against the mast, netting and all.

"You're not going anywhere until I get those jewels." Shadowfoot growled. "And the sooner you give in, the sooner your suffering will end." With that, he stomped away to his cabin, barking orders at his men to keep a watch on the fish.