Theanore and Marinus were walking and talking.

“Mari, does the trail go all the way to the top?” Asked Theanore and Marinus looked up. The trail seemed unending, but there was only one way to be sure.

“Tania, does the trail reach the peak?” Asked Marinus, hoping they were still in the range of communication.

It does. And you will find a surprise up there. Just watch your step now, children.

“That is great.” Said Theanore as she followed Marinus up the slope. “Tania, how much longer do we have to walk?”

Three hours and about thirty more minutes at your current speed. When you reach the two-hour mark, you will be out of my communication range.

That made Theanore worried. But then she gave herself some courage. This was her first adventure. She could overcome it. The two fireflies were buzzing close to their feet and so when there was a small bump in the trail Theanore saw it. She sidestepped it and returned to watching the trail.

“Mari, tell me a story. Of an adventure, you have lived through.” Said Theanore. The darkness and the cold worried her. The snow was becoming thicker the further up they went. Soon, they wouldn’t be able to see the trail.

“Ok. Would you like me to tell you about that one time when my mother and I were collecting pearls in shark infested waters?” Asked Marinus. Every memory he had of his mother was precious to him.

“Tell me of a not scary adventure, Mari.” Said Theanore as she reached out and took Marinus’ sleeve in her small hand.

“Ok. How about that one time I helped a mermaid find her way back to her village?” Asked Marinus and Theanore giggled.

“Was she a child that she got lost?” She asked and Marinus snorted.

“No. She was Darita the forgetful. She kept getting lost. But she did pay me a pearl for getting her home. Only to get lost a week later. Easiest two pearls I have ever earned.” Said Marinus with a chuckle. Theanore liked it when Marinus laughed. It eased her nerves and made her warm inside.

“Ok, tell me this story.”

“So, Darita got lost fifteen coral reefs away from the village. I found her tangled in a net. Humans leave them in the water and if a merfolk gets tangled inside, they can suffocate.” Said Marinus. It had always irked him that humans picked this lazy way of fishing.

“But why did they leave the nets in the water, Mari? Didn’t they know that they would be harming the fish?”

“They don’t care that the fish suffocates before they haul it up in their big ships. They only care that they have meat for their families.”

In a way, some mermaids in the villages did something similar. But they didn’t hunt with nets, and they kept their catch in boxes that were deeper and wider than they looked.

“That is horrible, Mari. No one will be allowed to fish with nets in my kingdom. I will write a decree about it when we get home.” Said Theanore, and Marinus smiled. His kindhearted Thea would fix the world, if she could.

“Anyway, I found Darita in the net and I got her out using my teeth. I nearly got tangled too, but I managed to get my tail out in time. Darita had marks on her tail and hands, from trying to get out on her own, but otherwise she was unharmed.”

“Why couldn’t she chew her way out too, Mari?” Asked Theanore. The trail disappeared in front of them and Theanore did her best to step in Marinus’ footsteps.

“The teeth of a mermaid are less sharp than that of a merman, even a growing one. So, when I got her out, she told me she didn’t remember where her village was. I said I’ll take her there. On the way, we saw a giant octopus. It got so spooked by us, it released ink.”

“Ink? Why ink?” Asked Theanore.

“That is the defense mechanism of an octopus. The waters become dark from the ink, and it is really hard to wash out of one’s scale. Darita got covered in it. I managed to swim to the side before the ink was released.” Said Marinus, remembering the shriek and cursing the mermaid had let out because of the mess her hair was in.

“Did you help her?” Asked Theanore. If she got covered in ink, she would have wanted for someone to help her.

“To the best of my ability. We rubbed sand all over her skin and scales. But her hair was a lost cause. Until now, it is still a few shades darker than it used to be.” Said Marinus. He could see the peak now. Just a little while longer.

“And then you got to the village?” Asked Theanore. She took out a napkin and cleaned her face with it. Even though she didn’t feel tired, thanks to the boots, the snow still got in her face, wetting it.

“Well, we made some detours. She is an expert hunter. She caught me a fish and one for herself. Normally, the fish is property of the village, and you need a permit to get it. But Darita was the daughter of the chief, and she allowed me to eat my fill as soon as she learned I was an orphan. I spend two years around that village before I got banished.” Said Marinus with a faraway look.

That had been two years of plenty. When he didn’t have to worry about his next meal or where he could lay down and sleep. When he went to school with the other children and even was allowed to collect pearls from the reefs outside the village.

“Why did you get banished, Mari?” Asked Theanore.

“Because I turned five. No mermaid adopted me. Five is one of the milestones for mermen. Once you reach it, you get treated like an adult merman. That means that you can only stay in a village for about a month.” Said Marinus, sadness sipping into his voice. “But that is ok. If they hadn’t banished me, I wouldn’t have found the grotto and would have never met you.”

“I am happy you came into my life too, Mari. But if that village is in my waters, I will make a decree that no five-year-old people are to be banished.” Said Theanore as they finally reached the peak.