There was no time to think or comprehend her terror as those jaws began to close around her, so Marlow curled up and pulled her spear above her head so that the tooth on the end was driven up into the roof of the mouth. This was the second time she had attempted such a wound, but this time, she pressed up as hard as she could as soon as the apex screamed again. The creature’s hesitation was all the motivation the hunting party needed. Four of them surged up on either side of its head to drive spears into the nose and eyes. Another managed to impale it between two neck scales and the spear sank deep. There were hands seizing Marlow’s arms from either side as someone hauled her out from the gaping jaws of the creature.

The hunter had become the hunted and the apex’s fins scrambled through the water in an attempt to back away from the crowd of mer, but the damage was already done. One more good thrust of a spear into its already impaled eye and the massive body shuddered. A gurgling growl echoed from its throat as the apex sank through the water and crashed to the ground with a heavy thud.

Marlow felt in a daze as she glanced around. She did not know too many of the mer in the hunting party, but she recognized Asther, the mer who had held her still and breathed for her during her change. She had a slash across her chest, likely from one of the apex’s front flippers, and several of the other mer sported bruises and injuries of their own. But nothing seemed fatal, just painful and in need of attention. Mostly, she was still worried about Nix.

She glanced around desperately, frantically scanning the sandy seafloor to see if her friend had collapsed there. The mer who had pulled her free of the apex’s mouth – Marlow would probably have a heart attack about that later when the adrenaline wore off – prodded her arm. She turned to face him. He was stocky, with dark brown skin and white spots around his eyes. His hair was even darker as was his fluke. He cleared his throat and pointed, and when Marlow followed where he was indicating, her gaze landed on Delthor. Thankfully, he seemed unhurt. But he did have Nix.

Marlow launched herself forward in her haste to get to them. Nix was cradled in Delthor’s arms with her head against his chest and her tail looped over his arm. Another mer was with them, frantically trying to tighten one of the hunting belts around Nix’s tail, just above the injury. A ring of puncture wounds bit deep into Nix’s flesh and were spilling blood through the water at a rapid pace. Jagged, torn flaps of skin and sinew hung from Nix’s mangled tail and she looked dead already. Her eyes were closed and she was completely limp.

But Delthor held her tight and Marlow could see the shaky rise and fall of Nix’s chest. Her breathing was shallow and weak, but she was alive. For now.

“Will she be okay?” Her voice came out in a choked whisper. She was afraid to ask the question.

Delthor’s eyes were glossy with agony and he pressed his lips together but did not reply.

The other mer who was tightening the belt finally straightened up. “That will have to hold for now. We have to get her back. There is nothing we can do for her here and the blood will attract other predators.”

Delthor said nothing as he began swimming back towards the trench. Marlow stayed right beside him. The belt was looped in a way that was helping to slow some of the bleeding, but slowing it was not stopping it, and it already looked like Nix had lost too much. Delthor had another of the belts wrapped around his waist, so Marlow yanked it free as best she could without hindering his swimming.

He nodded at her as she began to wrap it around and around directly over the wounds. “Good idea.”

Marlow did not respond as she pulled it as tight as she realistically could. Then she grabbed ahold of it to apply further pressure. She had never seen an injury quite this bad, but she had been with her father when he had sliced his arm open on a wire hunting trap. He had talked her through wrapping and applying pressure to a wound like this, and she was grateful now for the knowledge.

Despite how much it had to hurt, Nix did not so much as stir through the process. For a few moments, they swam like that before Delthor gently nudged her away with his tail. “Let go now,” he murmured. There was no anger in his tone, but his instructions were firm. Marlow watched as he pulled Nix tighter to his chest and took off at a speed Marlow could not hope to match.

Further guilt rose like bile in her throat as she watched them go. She was too slow. How much time had been wasted getting to the hunting party? They had not blown past her because she had needed to lead them, so how much longer had it taken them to get to Nix because she did not know how to swim properly? For days, Nix had been urging Marlow to leave the cave, to practice swimming and grow more comfortable with her new body, but Marlow had been reluctant. Could they have gotten to Nix in time today if she had just consented to learn properly as she should have? It made her ill to consider.

But there was nothing she could do about it now. Instead, all she could do was get back to the cave to see how her friend was doing. She only hoped that Nix would have enough strength to pull through. But she also knew that the mer had limited resources for healing and Nix’s history lesson earlier still rang in her head that even if a wound did not kill a mer, infection and blood loss still could.

There were other members of the hunting party around her now. Some of them were swimming slowly due to cuts and gouges in their tails. Marlow could not help Nix, but she had gotten out relatively unscathed, so she fell in beside another mer, one with smooth gray skin and a dorsal not unlike Delthor’s, but her’s was a paler gray, like ash in a burned-out firepit, and she was covered in little darker gray freckles from head to fin. Her fluke was torn and bleeding and she was favouring one arm. So Marlow flanked her good side wordlessly and offered her shoulder while wrapping her arm around the mer, just beneath her dorsal.

“Thank you,” the other mer sighed as she leaned against Marlow and allowed Marlow to take on most of the work swimming. Her voice was wrought with exhaustion but had a light, airy quality to it that was pleasant to hear. “You were very brave today.”

Marlow shook her head. “This is my fault. Nix was only out there because of me, you all only had to come to her rescue because I was too incompetent.”

The other mer clucked her tongue. “No one can force Nix to do anything she does not wish to do, Marlow. You did your best and Nix knew the potential dangers better than you could have.”

“You know my name?”

“Of course. I was there when you turned, you know.”

Marlow sighed. “You know me, you…what did Nix call it? Shared teeth? Whatever, you were there when I turned, you risked your life today…and I do not even know your name.”

The other mer’s cobalt eyes twinkled and her lips pulled up into a smile. “Do not fret, Marlow. You are feeling guilty and burdensome, and yet despite your harrowing day and likely desire to rush ahead and check on Nix, you hang back to help an injured stranger. But let us be strange no more. My name is Ellouee.”

“Ellouee,” Marlow murmured. “Were you…”

“I am mer-born,” Ellouee elaborated. “I was born three breeding cycles ago. Grongo is my father. You should not fret; my father is a seasoned healer. If there is anything that can be done for Nix, he and the others will see to it.”

“Who is your mother?” Marlow asked. She was still learning the names and faces of everyone in the pod, and was eager to keep her mind off Nix until they reached the cave. There were many that she had not even interacted with yet.

Ellouee shook her head. “You would not know her. She lives with another pod. Most of the time, mer pods remain separate, but we travel and merge into a mass society come the renewal of our cycle, so that mates may be found or reunited. It is a spectacle. I lived with my mother for the first two decades of my life before deciding that I was better suited to this pod, so I have remained.”

“But why do they not live together?”

“It is not so simple as choosing where to make your home, Marlow. My parents care for each other deeply, but they each have responsibilities that keep them apart. I suppose one or the other could choose to abandon their family pod, but they do not. And many mer are like that. It is difficult to unravel from those you know and love, and perilous to journey alone to another home. I only did so by leaving with this pod during the renewal. Besides, it makes their reunion all the sweeter when the time comes.”

“Oh.” Marlow pursed her lips as she continued forward. She was not anywhere near ready to consider settling down with a husband or having any kids – although from the sounds of things that would not be an option for several years anyway – and especially not now when she still had so much to figure out about this new body and culture. But if the time ever did come, she certainly did not like the idea of being split apart from a lover for a decade at a time. “Are…can mer have a umm…a mate that lives in the same pod?” she ventured hesitantly. She was fairly certain she did not want a partner if it meant being apart that long or raising a child on her own.

“Of course,” Ellouee agreed. “Love is love, Marlow. So long as it is not with shared blood or a child, there are no questions in our culture. And you are a new bloodline, there are no kin of shared blood to you in our pod.”

“I am not really looking for a relationship right now or anything,” Marlow clarified. Her cheeks burned and she looked away. It was a strange line of questioning and while she was relieved that mer partners were not condemned to separation like that, she was now eager for something different to discuss. “How is your tail?”

Ellouee clucked her tongue. “It will heal. It is going to be an uncomfortable night though. I will be relieved to curl up when we get back. I do appreciate your assistance, Marlow.”

“It is the least I can do.”

Ellouee fixed her with a knowing look, but did not comment further on the matter. They were approaching the entrance to the cave, so despite the exhaustion in her tail now that the adrenaline was wearing off, Marlow put on a burst of speed and helped Ellouee inside.

The ashen mer dropped down onto a rock and slumped before waving Marlow away. “I will be fine. Other injuries will need to be seen before mine. I will wait here for now. Go, find Nix.”

Marlow glanced around. The uninjured members of the hunting party were helping those who had been hurt and a few had clearly stopped to collect at least part of their catch, because the cave was buzzing with activity between getting food sorted and seeing to those in need. It was pretty inspiring how quickly and diligently the pod got to work despite how late it was getting.

There was no sign of Delthor and while a few of the mer with healing knowledge were tending to injuries, Marlow did not see Grongo either. She suspected she would find them all in the same place.

Marlow took a breath and double-checked that Ellouee was alright before taking off towards the upper caves. Following her first instinct, she returned to the cave where Delthor had brought Nix earlier when her shoulder was injured. As she rose into the air pocket, she found Grongo. He was alone, rinsing down the rocky ledge that was coated in a fresh layer of blood. Marlow grimaced.

Grongo turned to stare at her silently with one brow raised. His expression was like a rock, emotionless and unyielding, and Marlow found herself wilting under his gaze. After an agonizing stretch of silence, Grongo jerked his chin behind her. “Second nest on the upper ridge. Now go, there are other injuries that I need to see to.”

Marlow was not eager to linger in the presence of the grumpy older mer, so she thanked him quietly and then turned and fled the small cavern.

She swam up higher to the third ring of nooks and caves in the cavern walls, and found Delthor rather quickly. He was sitting with his tail curled under him, motionlessly guarding over Nix, though he turned to glance at her as she approached, only to return his gaze to their fallen friend immediately afterwards.

Nix was lying in the moss, her tail propped on a smooth rock to elevate it. It had been wrapped in thick dressing and more leathery bindings, and her body was limp. “Is she…” Marlow choked on the word ‘alive’ before she noticed the faint rise and fall of Nix’s chest. For now, at least, she was. “Okay?” she finished lamely, fumbling for something else to ask.

Delthor shook his head. “She is alive,” he muttered. “But far from okay. She has bled out a lot and has not woken.”

Marlow swallowed the lump rising in her throat as she swam forward and settled in beside him with her hands in her lap. She watched her friend for a moment and noticed how Nix shivered after every breath that she took. She had never seen Nix shiver before. The black and white mer had a higher tolerance for the cold by her own admission. “Is she cold?” she checked anyway. It could be the blood loss making it harder for Nix to keep warm.

“No. It is not a chill, it is the start of a fever from the apex venom.”

“They are venomous?!”

Delthor inclined his head. “It is not normally potent to us. We are not their primary prey, just a snack they will pursue eagerly if given the chance. At most, exposure to it can make you weak and sickly and give you disturbing dreams for a night or two. But Nix…most mer do not receive that prolonged a bite and live to suffer the effects.”

Marlow glanced at Nix again. Her face was pinched and her lip quivered as she shook. Even the bubbles leaving her gills looked shaky and frail. “Is there anything we can do?”

“For now, all we can do is watch her. I am sure you are aware what nightmares can do to us,” he reminded.

A shiver ran down Marlow’s spine as she remembered her first day as a mer. Her bad dream and her first experience with going numb. “As if she was not in bad enough condition…Delthor…can she survive this?”

“Nix is one of the strongest mer I know, and she has a higher tolerance to the numb than most, but…I honestly do not know. She has a battle ahead of her.”

Marlow examined Delthor carefully. His face was pinched and his gaze stared unwaveringly at Nix. Marlow knew they were close. She was not sure how long Delthor had been a mer or how long he and Nix had been friends, but it had to have been a while. It also made her gut squeeze to see how worried he looked. If he really knew her all that well, he did not seem confident about her chances. “This is my fault,” Marlow muttered.

Delthor shook his head. “As much as I would love to blame you, Marlow, this is not your doing. You had every right to be upset earlier and to leave as you did. It was Nix’s choice to accompany you and her choice to stay behind with the apex. You did your best, and I have rarely seen such selfless acts of bravery. But do not make a habit of it. It was an incredibly foolish thing to do.”

Laughter was inappropriate given their current situation, but Marlow could not help chuckling. “When Nix told me she had a plan, she mentioned that you would call her a fool for even considering it.”

Her comment earned a snort and Delthor shook his head. “She is a fool,” he grumbled. “And she never learns. I am worried she is rubbing off on you; do not be like that, Marlow. It is bad for your health and those of us around you.”

“I will keep that in mind,” Marlow agreed. “It is going to hit me eventually, I imagine…how close I came today to…to being swallowed.” She gulped and shuddered even just saying it. That gaping, toothy maw was going to haunt her when she went to sleep for a while.

“It gave us the upper hand though, and Nix is alive to fight off her injuries because of what you did. I would not recommend doing something like that again, but good came of it this time.”

“Maybe,” Marlow agreed. She just hoped that Nix would be able to pull through. Otherwise, it would not have really done much good. “How long do you think she is going to sleep for?”

Delthor shrugged. “Right now, I am simply glad she is resting. She will need it. If she rouses, we will get her to eat.”

Marlow clenched her jaw and tried not to wilt at Delthor’s choice of words. If, not when.

Please be okay, Nix.

***

She and Delthor sat for a long time. At one point, Delthor had tried to urge her to get something to eat, but Marlow had refused. She still felt partially responsible for what happened and needed to know that her friend was going to be okay. So far, aside from a few whimpers and some twitching in her sleep, Nix had not stirred.

Now, Marlow was fighting to keep her eyes open and her head up. A yawn split her lips and she slumped sideways against Delthor. He chuckled and wrapped an arm around her. “You should get some rest,” he urged.

Marlow shook her head. “Not yet.”

“She may sleep all night, Marlow. I am going to rest soon too. There is nothing more we can do at the moment.”

“You can go,” Marlow agreed. “But someone needs to stay with her just in case.”

“How do you expect to watch over her if you can barely keep your eyes open?”

Marlow forced herself upright once more. “I am fine.”

Delthor fixed her with a stern glare, but before she could be subjected to a scolding, Nix stole the attention away with a groan. The raspy sound quickly morphed into a whine and Nix began to stir. Her fin lashed and she twisted her head to one side. Delthor was up immediately and swam overtop of Nix to be in her line of sight. He reached out and cupped one of her cheeks. “Nix, be still. You are seriously injured.”

“Is that…what that…pain is?” Nix wheezed. “I thought I…was lying…on a pointy pebble.”

“You have a sense of humour. That is good. How do you feel?”

Nix smacked her lips. “Bad. I was having a truly unpleasant dream.”

“Apex venom,” Delthor reminded.

“Right…where is Marlow? Is she alright?”

“I am right here, Nix,” Marlow called.

For a moment, Nix was silent, and then she began to wheeze as she started trying to move.

“Woah, what are you doing?” Delthor demanded. He placed a hand on Nix’s shoulder.

“Trying to sit up.”

“You need to rest.”

“I want up, Delthor. Now either… help me or shut up I will… do it myself.”

Delthor shook his head. “You stubborn fool,” he scolded. But he slid his arms under her and carefully helped Nix sit up. Nix’s expression was a mask of pain, with her lips pursed and her jaw tense, and her nose crinkled up.

When Delthor got her situated, Nix was mostly leaned against him rather than actually sitting up, but her glazed eyes and slack muscles spoke volumes. She did not have the strength to sit up all the way even if she desired to.

But then her bright blue gaze found Marlow and she forced a weak smile and beckoned with a flick of her wrist. Marlow swam a little closer at the request and Nix grasped her by the hand. “I am…glad you are not…hurt.”

“She gave it her best effort though.”

“What?”

Marlow hunched in on herself as Delthor indicated at her. “She was very brave and very stupid at the same time, you may have been proud. We were not quite sure how to handle the apex when it had you by the tail the way it did, but then this one swims right up and jabs a spear up its nose. Then, nearly gets herself eaten, rams the same spear into the roof of its mouth to keep it from swallowing. Jarin had to haul her out of its mouth by the arms. But, she did get it to let go of you and we were able to bring it down.”

“Marlow…” Nix’s eyes were wide with horror.

“Delthor is making more out of it than it is,” Marlow protested. “I did not go seeking glory or a fight, I was terrified. But it was hurting you, I had to do something. The second part was completely unintentional and I am well aware that I got really lucky and probably would not again. I just…did what you taught me about holding a spear and let it bite itself.”

“You did more than that,” Delthor argued.

“Okay, so I followed through on the momentum, but I was trying to help. Quit ratting on me!”

Delthor grinned.

“See if I come to your rescue ever,” Marlow grumped.

“You will not need to. Unlike the two of you, I am not foolish and reckless.” As he spoke, he patted Nix pointedly on her good shoulder.

She frowned and waved a hand shakily. “Lecture me later…please. I am…too tired now.”

Marlow gave Nix’s fingers a squeeze and Nix’s squeezed back, though her grip was weaker. She offered Marlow a small smile though.

Meanwhile, Delthor patted Nix again. “Oh, do not fret, I am saving your lecture. You are going to get it this time.”

A bark of laughter wheezed from Nix’s lips like a laboured seal pup and she shook her head. “At least that gives me something…to look forward to.” The rise and fall of Nix’s chest was shaky and when she tried to shift, her lips warped into a grimace, but she did not protest the pain she was in. Marlow could not help thinking how brave Nix was. She did not think she would be quite as calm after such a near-death experience. It was admirable.

“For now, you need to eat something,” Delthor suggested.

Nix shook her head. “Not hungry,” she mumbled.

Delthor growled at her. “You want to be sitting up and trying to move and talk, you need to eat. Marlow, come over here and help keep her propped up while I go scrounge some leftovers for all of us. You need to eat too.”

Nix looked like she wanted to protest, but she said nothing as Marlow swam around. Together, she and Delthor carefully readjusted Nix so that she was leaned against Marlow and Delthor could swim free. Through the jostling, Nix did not protest more than one small whine that slipped past gritted teeth.

As soon as Delthor departed, Nix sagged against Marlow. “He is relentless.”

Marlow hummed. “But he is right. You should eat something.”

“Rulair,” Nix grumbled. “Stop, I cannot handle it from you too at the moment. I will be fine.”

“Will you?” Marlow pressed. “Because I am really afraid for you. You are not allowed to die on me, not after all of this. I forbid it.” She tried to sound commanding, but her voice cracked and it seemed to make Nix laugh.

“I will keep that in mind.”

“I hated feeling so useless today,” Marlow admitted.

“Useless? Marlow, it sounds like you were very brave. I do not like that you…put yourself in so much danger but…you helped a lot.”

Marlow shook her head. “I was not able to stay and help you fight because I do not know how. You put yourself in harm’s way when we were only out there because of me. And I was not able to swim fast enough to get help back in time. I was trying to keep pace when Delthor brought you back and he outpaced me…it was like he was twice as fast.”

“You just have not had any training yet.”

“That is my point. You have been trying to get me to learn for days, but I was being stupid. I was so convinced that I was going home that I refused to consider that I would still need to know these skills even if I could interact with my family immediately. If I had listened, I would have been able to help you instead of having to leave you on your own like that.”

“Even if you had started training, I still would have sent you, Marlow. An ulurrugnaq cannot be taken down by two mer alone. It takes a team and even then, injuries are anticipated. The plan would not have changed. And you would not have built enough speed to make much of a difference in this short amount of time. Our situation was unavoidable.”

“Nix, are you going to be okay? Be honest with me.”

Nix pursed her lips and leaned her head back against Marlow’s shoulder. “I am very tired, Marlow, and a little shaky. I imagine the venom is going to get worse, but so long as my injuries do not become rissiq, infected, I should recover. It will just take some time. I do not imagine I am swimming for a bit.”

“The venom gives you bad dreams, right?”

Nix smacked her lips. “Among other things, but that tends to be the most unpleasant.”

“Then so long as you are comfortable with it, I think I will stick close tonight?”

“I would appreciate that, thank you.”

Marlow gave Nix’s fingers another squeeze. “And when you are better…will you teach me? I am ready now, I do not ever want to feel helpless to assist those I care about ever again. Teach me how to be a proper mer.”

Nix smiled and nodded. “I would like that,” she agreed as she patted Marlow’s hand a few times. Her head was starting to droop and her eyes looked rather glazed.

“Would you like to lie down?” Marlow suggested.

“Uh-huh,” Nix agreed. “That sounds good. Front, please.”

“You want to lie on your belly?” Marlow checked.

When Nix nodded, Marlow carefully set about adjusting her friend, trying her best to ensure Nix was not jostled too badly in the process. It took a bit of effort, but she managed to get Nix reclined on her front and as comfortable as possible with her tail still elevated.

“Marlow?”

“Hmm?”

“Will you tell me about something?”

“What?”

Nix folded one arm under her head and fixed her gaze on Marlow. “A story, anything you can think of, does not matter. Just talk to me.”

“Are you just hoping to have something to fall asleep to?” Marlow checked.

Nix grimaced as she reached out and poked Marlow’s tail. “Talk,” she grumbled.

It made Marlow laugh and she shook her head, but reached out and tangled her fingers in Nix’s hair to rub at her scalp like she used to soothe her siblings after a bad dream or if they were having trouble falling asleep. Nix hummed.

“Alright…let me see…once upon a time, there was an incredibly brave but crazy mer who tried to take on a sea monster by herself to help her idiot friend…” Marlow half expected Nix to protest a playful recount of their day, but when she glanced at her prone friend, she found Nix’s eyes closed and her breathing already deep. It would not have mattered what Marlow had said. “Well that was easy,” she chuckled. She normally had to work much harder with her siblings.

A yawn split Marlow’s lips and she twisted to curl up next to Nix so that their sides were touching. It felt a little odd to sleep this close to someone, but she wanted to make sure that if any bad dreams threatened to numb Nix that she would be better able to fend it off. And she was tired enough that it only felt strange for a moment before Marlow nodded off too.