[Complete] Eroh has reached his seventeenth spring and has finally become a man. With manhood comes a gift: marriage to the woman he loves. But when a strange new woman from another world enters his life, he is stuck with the decision to honor his...
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The cave was cold and dark even in summer, but it hid my people from the horror at the surface.
I extended my chin upwards, following the long rays toward the breach in the ceiling. Each beam lit the blue icicle-shaped salt deposits that hung from the roof and the tapering mounds that extend from the floor, causing them to glimmer like sapphires and diamonds.
I hugged my knees and shivered.
When we first arrived, I'd found the caves beautiful. Now it was my people's confinement. I yearned to return to the bright isles where the sun dipped behind the horizon, turning the sky and ocean hues of oranges and reds. It was then that the isles came to life with the chatter of gulls, the swaying of palms, and the turtles who swam in with the tide.
"If only I could go back," I whispered, "If only there was a way."
I plopped my chin upon my knees. Three years and I still hadn't grown accustomed to the cold. I glanced down at my oyster-white palms, then to my oyster-white legs, each pruning from the moisture in the air. My lips twisted. I stood and tugged the spotted seal robe tighter to bring my body warmth.
I looked down upon the pools. It always took an hour for me to find the courage to soak; this day was no different. I took a deep breath, then walked towards the rounded opening in the stone. I fluttered my toes at the edge.
'You can do this,' I whispered, 'you're from the ocean. There is nothing to fear here.'
Hesitant, I twisted my lips, looking upon the still water. It was not the crystal clear blue of the isles, but a cloudy blue that hid whatever lurked below the surface. I blinked and then I fell into a gaze: creatures with twisted bodies and long, suckered appendages moved in my eyes. I gasped, blinked, then shook my head and they were gone.
What did I have to fear? The Sqek were far from here. The only thing lurking was the landwalkers at the surface. But I'd never seen one and often questioned their existence.
I stepped back, took a breath, and then found myself on the edge once again. 'You can do this, Aqule. Don't be afraid. You can do this.'
I unlaced my robe and allowed it to fall to my heels. The cool air brushed over my skin with such fondness it gave me gooseflesh. I stepped around my robe, took another breath, and stared back into the blue abyss. The water was still; nearly frozen. A white cloud danced over the surface, curled over the edge, and numbed my toes.
I reached behind my head and slid out the three-pronged shell from my hair. The bundle on top rolled, unknotting, allowing my golden strands to brush across my shoulders, drape down to my buttocks, and conceal my hardened breasts. It took three strokes from my finger and two shakes of my head to get my hair to sit correctly; nestled on each side of my face with the tips curled like the crest of waves.
Inside, my stomach was whirling up a storm. I closed my eyes, massaged my belly, and breathed in and out until my nerves settled. The Sqek cannot find us here. After three more breaths, and a few more words of endearment, I found my courage.
