Mystic Waters: Out of the blue

Chapter 13

           

With Roselyn safely escorted to her living quarters, Meranda stopped by her own room to freshen up first and catch her breath. When she approached Roselyn's room she found a very upset young lady.  Roselyn felt that if she was old enough to attend an important meeting, she was old enough for all of it.

Meranda explained that they were just being cautious and that if anything happened to her, when her mom returned, everyone would have to answer to her. Roselyn smiled at the vision of her mother in all her raging glory.

"Okay, but can't I go to the lab instead of helping Eira in the kitchen?" Roselyn tried to persuade Meranda with those big brown eyes tucking her chin for an added effect.

"I'm sorry Rosie, Pete gave you specific instructions. Part of being older is to listen and respect your elders, even if it seems unfair; sorry kiddo." Meranda kissed her head and gave her a wink.

"I need to get back to the gathering and listen to some of the conversations; maybe it will be useful information." Meranda reassured Roselyn that she would resume their investigation tomorrow.

"Okay, bye." Roselyn headed toward the kitchen to see what she could help with knowing that it would make her mother happy.   

Meranda made her way back to the hall and wished, at times like these, she too had a tail; using the pool ports would be so much faster. When she got there Pete immediately motioned for her to sit with him. She was introduced to the different pod members. Meranda was fascinated in that some pods were as evolved as Pete's pod and some had spiny knobs from their heads to the tips of their tails like a sturgeon. It seemed that the Devils Island pod were the least evolved and the scariest. They radiated evil. Meranda couldn't put her finger on it, but they even smelled fishy.

The food was served on platters heaped with raw or smoked salmon, Coho, and whitefish garnished with crawfish. There were ample amounts of bread and flasks of wine available to the guests. When the dinner bell rang many rushed to get their fill as the elders stayed back more interested in solutions than hospitalities.               

Meranda turned to Pete when they had a moment alone, "Why are there different levels of evolution among the pods?" 

"Age mostly, but like all communities you also have all walks of life. Why do you ask—did you pick up on something?" Pete's chest puffed out slightly as he asked. 

"No, nothing like that Pete, it is just that there is dramatic differences." Meranda tried to hide her real concern. 

"Hmm, are you referring to the Devil's Island pod by any chance?" Pete was getting good at reading her.

"Well I did notice them to be more...shall we say primitive." Meranda felt she said that with political correctness.

Pete couldn't help but chuckle at her. It was the first smile she had seen on his handsome face in a long time. It was true enough that the Devil's Island pod wasn't as evolved as many of the other clans, but it was more than that, they acted like preditors. They were whispering and pointing amongst themselves, snickering behind webbed hands. The leader slapped one of his pod members alongside the head and the mer immediately put some distance between himself and his leader.

Meranda also noticed that they didn't socialize with the other pods kicking in her instincts that something with this pod was making her nervous. All the other pods were very sociable.  

Meranda kept an ear open as each of the leaders came to tell Pete of their encounters with the lamprey or the serpent. Not many had seen the serpent and Meranda thought that was strange considering they have had three devastating encounters with it; one leading to the disappearance of Salmonia.