23- First Defense
Night fell over the nest. The only sounds were the gentle sway of the waters and Lilay’s calm breathing as he slept curled up among the algae.
But Krahs wasn’t sleeping.
He sat near the entrance of the nest, gripping his obsidian spear, never taking his eyes off the sea wolf-mermaid. She was bound, her hands tied with strong algae, and she trembled every time Krahs moved.
I couldn’t sleep either. There was something about her that made me curious.
The mermaid sighed, breaking the silence:
— You’re not going to kill me, are you?
Krahs growled.
— If I wanted to, you’d already be dead.
— Then why did you capture me?
He didn’t answer. He just tightened his grip on the spear, his eyes filled with distrust.
I moved closer, sitting in front of her.
— What’s your name? — I asked.
She blinked a few times, surprised by the question.
— Nalu.
— Why were you here? Do you have a group?
Her gaze became distant, as if she were reliving a nightmare.
— I was migrating with my group... but they’re not alive anymore.
A heavy silence fell between us. Even Krahs seemed affected, though he tried to hide it.
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— My clan... no, my family — Nalu continued, her voice quieter. — We lived in the south, but one day the fish became scarce, and we had to migrate. Out in the open sea, they found us. To them, we were nothing but prey.
She lowered her head, her dark hair floating around her.
— They killed the adults. The elders. The children were taken. I managed to escape.
I swallowed hard.
— Who are... "they"?
Her purple eyes glowed with deep fear.
— Orcas.
Krahs' eyes widened.
— You're lying.
— I wish I were — Nalu replied, her words bitter. — They hunt anything that moves. They toy with their prey until they give in.
Krahs clenched his fists.
— And why are you still alive?
Nalu smiled, but it wasn’t a happy smile.
— I was out hunting when my group was ambushed. Since I was far from them, it was easier to escape.
My thoughts were racing. What if she was telling the truth? If there was a group of predators so close, who was to say we wouldn’t be next?
I looked at Krahs, waiting for a reaction, but he just kept his eyes fixed on the sand.
Then Nalu whispered:
— They will come here. Sooner or later.
The cold water around us suddenly felt even colder.
That night, I didn’t sleep well. The danger was closer than I had imagined, and I hadn’t prepared for it. Thinking about today's adventure, I realized that any creature could enter or leave our territory without difficulty. There was no protection, no barriers.
I need to fix this.
I shifted on my algae bed, feeling restless. The sea wolf-mermaid and Lilay were sleeping deeply, while Krahs seemed to stay on watch.
— What’s wrong, little one? Can’t sleep? — his voice was low but firm.
— No... I’m scared...
— Of her? — he gestured toward Nalu.
— No... Dad, how are we going to defend ourselves if anything can enter and leave our territory so easily?
Krahs sighed.
— By fighting...
— But... what if that’s not enough?
He looked me in the eyes, serious.
— It will be enough.
As confident as he seemed, I wasn’t.
— Dad... can you help me with something?
Krahs furrowed his brows, confused, but nodded without even asking what it was. I moved closer and started drawing in the sand.
— We’ll plant the eelgrass like this...
I traced a dotted circle in the sand.
— We leave small gaps for tiny fish and water to pass through, but not enough for big creatures. It’s like a natural wall around the nest. Then, we plant another layer further inside, covering the spaces in the first. That way, anything trying to jump the first barrier will get caught on the tips of the second.
Krahs studied my drawing in silence. Then, to my surprise, he smiled.
— Nexha, this is... smart. My little one, I’m proud of you. We’ll follow your plan.
He ran his hand over my head, and a warm feeling grew inside me. Knowing that the old shark had accepted my plan brought me relief.
Finally, I was able to sleep.