She's never alive long enough to think clearly—her body's stubborn magic pushes the water out of her lungs, but there's only water there to breathe back in—so it's a great surprise to her when she claws her way out of the blackness, coughs and heaves, and finds her head above the waves and sweet air filling her aching lungs. Her arms are slung over the strong shoulders of two... women? They have the heads of women, but their hair is like seaweed, their necks are gilled, and beneath the water she feels the powerful movement of their tails.
They stare at her, puzzled, concerned. She croaks out her name. They frown and shake their heads. Human language seems unknown to them.
But they saved her, somehow. They saw her and saved her. They understood that like them, she is something different.
She turns her face to the sun, which she thought she'd never see again. Strength comes back into her legs and she kicks slowly, doing her part to keep herself afloat, though the mermaids still hold her up effortlessly as they bob in the ocean currents. There's no land anywhere in sight, but perhaps her rescuers will guide her to shore. It doesn't matter where, as long as there's a boat she can take to England and Andromache.
As though they've read her mind, one mermaid guides her onto the back of the other. She grips with her knees as she would on horseback and her... mount? makes an amused sound. They begin to move through the water at a surprisingly fast clip.
Her chemise is in tatters and the sun beats down on her bare back. She's desperately hungry, and thirsty for fresh water. She might die again before they get where they're going. That's fine. Worse things have happened.
This will do nothing to convince them I'm not a witch, she thinks, smiling, as she rides the mermaid toward an unexpected future.
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Re: Quynh, rescued by mermaids
Date: 2020-07-24 10:40 am (UTC)They stare at her, puzzled, concerned. She croaks out her name. They frown and shake their heads. Human language seems unknown to them.
But they saved her, somehow. They saw her and saved her. They understood that like them, she is something different.
She turns her face to the sun, which she thought she'd never see again. Strength comes back into her legs and she kicks slowly, doing her part to keep herself afloat, though the mermaids still hold her up effortlessly as they bob in the ocean currents. There's no land anywhere in sight, but perhaps her rescuers will guide her to shore. It doesn't matter where, as long as there's a boat she can take to England and Andromache.
As though they've read her mind, one mermaid guides her onto the back of the other. She grips with her knees as she would on horseback and her... mount? makes an amused sound. They begin to move through the water at a surprisingly fast clip.
Her chemise is in tatters and the sun beats down on her bare back. She's desperately hungry, and thirsty for fresh water. She might die again before they get where they're going. That's fine. Worse things have happened.
This will do nothing to convince them I'm not a witch, she thinks, smiling, as she rides the mermaid toward an unexpected future.