Marinus looked at the invitation before him. Theanore was going back to the grotto, and he was invited to join her. It would be them, Eliza and Cassius visiting. The duke and the royal couple would remain home. He wrote his answer that he would love to go and then ran off to pack.

The problem with his decision came around noon in the form of a crying Eliza.

“You want to leave me?” Asked the girl as she showed him the letter that Theanore send him. “She is just a baby. Not even a toddler.”

“Liz, it is not like this. I miss my home.” Said Marinus. He tried to hug his wife, but she pushed him away.

“You just want to spend more time with Thea. You didn’t even come to tell me we are leaving.” Said Eliza, and she began to cry harder.

“Eliza, I miss my little nymph. I miss her so much it hurts. She is the first person who gave me a home. My first real friend.” Said Marinus, and a tear ran down his cheek. He wiped it and turned his back to Eliza. “If you want to stand between Thea and me, then a divorce is in order.”

“You’d leave me?” Shrieked Eliza. She didn’t love Marinus, but she had been thought that a marriage was for life. It was a great shame, her father had told her, to be a divorcee.

“In a heartbeat.” Said Marinus. He had tried to love Eliza, but he missed Thea too much. This was all a sham anyway. Marinus knew of lawyers who could get the divorce done for. He didn’t care what he needed to pay to make it happen. As long as he could enchant, he could always get more money.

“Cassius will never let his wife go.” Said Eliza with a mean smirk on her face. Marinus chose this time to turn and see his wife. He had the urge to leave and never come back. And so, he did.

He left his crying wife and went to the stalls. He had a pony, a gift from duke Orlock for the wedding. Furthermore, he saddled it and put many carrots in the saddlebags, and then he was off.

By the time Eliza told a servant why she was crying and said servant raised the alarm and the search for Marinus started, he was already riding his pony on a deer trail in the forest.

The snows were beginning to melt, and the first green graces were poking out from them. Spring was coming, and Marinus was determined to reach Mirstone and the nearest lawyer in three days’ time.

He kept riding and as he did so, he waved a carrot in front of the pony to keep it moving. The pony took small bites of the vegetable and kept trying to eat the whole thing, but Marinus didn’t let it.

At nightfall, Marinus reached a frozen lake. He saw fish swimming beneath the ice, and so he made a hole in the ice and got a spear, with which he speared a fish. He ate it raw and regretted it minutes later.

His stomach was too used to cooked food now. Marinus clutched it and laid down next to the pony, using the saddle as a pillow and the animal as a bed and for warmth.

In the morning, he could hear someone shout his name. He got on the pony and rode off, dipper into the forest. Not carrying that, he had gotten off the trail. He wanted away from whoever was searching for him. He didn’t want to go back to castle Orlock, where he couldn’t be truthful about his feelings.

He was a merman, and thus he should be free. And yet, he had given up a war that Theanore could have won, married a girl he did not love, and left his precious best friend in the arms of another.

Well, he was not going to continue like this. He kept riding until the shouting grew distant, and then he stopped. He looked behind him. There were hoof prints clear as day behind him.

He got all the carrots out of the saddlebags and piled them on the ground. He petted the pony and let it eat in peace. Then, he kept moving forward on foot.

Now that the pony was no longer carrying him, he was getting tired. He yawned but kept walking. He heard a noise in front of him, and he feared it could be someone from the castle, but then he saw bright lights.

He walked to them and found a pixie village. He smiled at the bug sized human-like beings and greeted a few. A pixie landed on his head and in a squeaky voice spoke.

“This is our village, Sugar spike village. Are you lost? Why do you smell of the sea?” Asked the pixie.

“I am a merman, my lady.” Said Marinus and the pixie giggled at being addressed so. “I need to get to Mirstone.”

“Oh, the human town. But, why are you walking in the wrong direction, then?” Asked the pixie. Marinus sighed. This was the price for getting off the trail.

“Do you know the way to Mirstone? And can I rest here? I am tired from travelling.” Said Marinus. The pixie petted his head.

“Good merman can share bread and salt and promise friendship. Tomorrow, we will teleport you to Mirstone.” Said the pixie.

Marinus couldn’t believe his luck. He expected to walk, and yet he was going to be teleported instead. He looked through his pockets for something he could give the pixie as thanks. He found a sugar cane.

“Will this be enough for payment? I can also enchant. And I can heal too.” Said Marinus. The pixie squealed.

“We have a very sick pixie here, young merman. If you heal her, we will be deeply grateful.” Said the pixie. Then she began to tug Marinus’ hair this way and that and to lead him to the sick pixie. Marinus touched the pocket with the two bracelets. He could do this. He could thank the pixies for their kindness.