boat would fit through but the oars wouldn’t. So she gave one strong pull to propel the boat as far as possible, then hauled the oars in, letting the boat float slowly through.
The boat drifted to a halt in a large cave, with a pool of water at the entrance and dry land at the back, rising up and flattening out to a stone floor, where tables were set for a feast.
Half a dozen selkies dived in to push the boat to a rusty mooring ring, and help the friends out. As Helen lifted Lavender, whose wings were still too wet to fly, onto her shoulder, she saw three other arched entrances round the cave and a large fireplace at the back. She also caught a glimpse of Rona, in a silver dress, sitting at the top table surrounded by selkie elders, adult mermaids and blue men.
Strathy strode up. “Welcome to our feast, honoured guests. You have arrived as we conduct tribal business, so we must ask you to wait with the other contestantsand their supporters in a side cave. Roxburgh, would you show the way?”
Roxburgh led them to an archway at the right of the feasting hall. He stood back and frowned at Yann, Helen, Lavender and Catesby as they walked and flew past him, then left them to follow a long sloping tunnel down to a smaller cave, with a deeper pool and a wetter raised floor. The selkies’ other guests were already there, sitting on rock stools and benches.
Helen gasped at the sight of the nearest guests, dressed in floaty fabric like the selkies wore, but much less of it. Slimmer and taller than the plump cold-water selkies. Perfectly groomed, with long curly blonde or red hair and beautiful faces.
And fishtails.
The fishtails shouldn’t really be a surprise. Helen had read mermaid books as a wee girl. She’d even had a mermaid costume, with a tight shiny blue fishtail which made it impossible to walk properly.
These mermaids weren’t walking about either. They were perched prettily on the edge of the pool, giggling and nibbling snacks.
Then Helen saw something more surprising than the fishtails. Almost a third of the posing beauties at the water’s edge had shoulder-length rather than waist-length hair, and the fins on their tails were less lacy.
They were boys, with fine thin faces, but strong swimmers’ arms. Mermen as well as mermaids.
Helen was used to standing open-mouthed in surprise at the sights of her friends’ world. But Yann was standing beside her, also gazing at the mermaids. “I didn’t … I never …”
The slimmest mermaid, with long red hair, called in a voice as bright as morning and as clear as ice, “Oh LOOK! Our land-based saviours. We are SO grateful for your BRAVE defence of us this afternoon. Please DO join us. We’d LOVE to hear ALL about your adventures.”
Catesby snorted through his beak.
Helen nodded. “Absolutely. I completely agree.”
Yann recovered from his trance. “Did you understand what Catesby said?”
“No,” said Helen, “but we’re the only ones not gazing at the mermaids like they’re made of chocolate, so I guessed.”
Because Lavender was gazing too. “The cut of those dresses. How clever …”
Helen sighed, and turned to put her rucksack on a rock chair. She noticed the other young guests waiting in the small cave while the elders had their meeting: the blue loons, sitting at a round table. After seeing the mermen, it wasn’t a surprise to see that almost half of the blue teenagers were girls. They did have blue skin, blue jeans, grey vests and slicked-back black hair, but they were definitely girls.
Yann noticed them too, and stamped over. Helen followed more quietly.
The blue loons all stood up, and formed a dark line facing the angry centaur.
“How dare you attack the selkies’ guests like that?” Yann demanded.
Before the blue loons answered, Helen heard some delighted “ooohs” from the mermaids behind her.
Then the boy who’d rescued her oar stepped forward and held out his hand to Yann. “I am Tangaroa. I’mthe blue men’s
The boat drifted to a halt in a large cave, with a pool of water at the entrance and dry land at the back, rising up and flattening out to a stone floor, where tables were set for a feast.
Half a dozen selkies dived in to push the boat to a rusty mooring ring, and help the friends out. As Helen lifted Lavender, whose wings were still too wet to fly, onto her shoulder, she saw three other arched entrances round the cave and a large fireplace at the back. She also caught a glimpse of Rona, in a silver dress, sitting at the top table surrounded by selkie elders, adult mermaids and blue men.
Strathy strode up. “Welcome to our feast, honoured guests. You have arrived as we conduct tribal business, so we must ask you to wait with the other contestantsand their supporters in a side cave. Roxburgh, would you show the way?”
Roxburgh led them to an archway at the right of the feasting hall. He stood back and frowned at Yann, Helen, Lavender and Catesby as they walked and flew past him, then left them to follow a long sloping tunnel down to a smaller cave, with a deeper pool and a wetter raised floor. The selkies’ other guests were already there, sitting on rock stools and benches.
Helen gasped at the sight of the nearest guests, dressed in floaty fabric like the selkies wore, but much less of it. Slimmer and taller than the plump cold-water selkies. Perfectly groomed, with long curly blonde or red hair and beautiful faces.
And fishtails.
The fishtails shouldn’t really be a surprise. Helen had read mermaid books as a wee girl. She’d even had a mermaid costume, with a tight shiny blue fishtail which made it impossible to walk properly.
These mermaids weren’t walking about either. They were perched prettily on the edge of the pool, giggling and nibbling snacks.
Then Helen saw something more surprising than the fishtails. Almost a third of the posing beauties at the water’s edge had shoulder-length rather than waist-length hair, and the fins on their tails were less lacy.
They were boys, with fine thin faces, but strong swimmers’ arms. Mermen as well as mermaids.
Helen was used to standing open-mouthed in surprise at the sights of her friends’ world. But Yann was standing beside her, also gazing at the mermaids. “I didn’t … I never …”
The slimmest mermaid, with long red hair, called in a voice as bright as morning and as clear as ice, “Oh LOOK! Our land-based saviours. We are SO grateful for your BRAVE defence of us this afternoon. Please DO join us. We’d LOVE to hear ALL about your adventures.”
Catesby snorted through his beak.
Helen nodded. “Absolutely. I completely agree.”
Yann recovered from his trance. “Did you understand what Catesby said?”
“No,” said Helen, “but we’re the only ones not gazing at the mermaids like they’re made of chocolate, so I guessed.”
Because Lavender was gazing too. “The cut of those dresses. How clever …”
Helen sighed, and turned to put her rucksack on a rock chair. She noticed the other young guests waiting in the small cave while the elders had their meeting: the blue loons, sitting at a round table. After seeing the mermen, it wasn’t a surprise to see that almost half of the blue teenagers were girls. They did have blue skin, blue jeans, grey vests and slicked-back black hair, but they were definitely girls.
Yann noticed them too, and stamped over. Helen followed more quietly.
The blue loons all stood up, and formed a dark line facing the angry centaur.
“How dare you attack the selkies’ guests like that?” Yann demanded.
Before the blue loons answered, Helen heard some delighted “ooohs” from the mermaids behind her.
Then the boy who’d rescued her oar stepped forward and held out his hand to Yann. “I am Tangaroa. I’mthe blue men’s
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