As he swam toward Nilvar alone, Coyrifan struggled to contain the rage that constantly threatened to flood his being. Without Zeriva’s presence to distract him from his thoughts, his mind was awash in every terrible thing that had just happened, and everything that was about to come. There was little chance that the young pair would live out the day, unless…
There, the sandy stripe of the designated meeting place was just in sight. There were several manlings already gathered there, perhaps ten or so. Three wagons were parked in the grass beyond the beach, resting in a row near the single tree that grew in the otherwise unmarked sea of green. He couldn’t quite make out what their loads were, but they appeared to be made of wood. There were only two griffins with the gathering, a black and a white. Coy went cautiously closer, using the cover of cresting waves to catch glimpses of the people until he was certain Prince Koben was among them. After that, he made all haste toward them, no longer bothering to hide himself from their eyes.
That direct approach allowed him to spot Erin as well, perched on the back of the black griffin. The sight of her allayed some of the unpleasant roilings in his gut. She was safe.
As he neared the beach, he sensed another presence, and his heart leapt. Imyra was on one of those wagons, in a large wooden tub. Like the breeze of a warm current flowing over cold skin, her thoughts washed over him, the heartbeast’s joy intensifying tenfold when she realized how close he was.
We’ll be together again very soon, he promised her.
By now, the manlings had caught sight of him. Craning her head, Erin had straightened up in the griffin’s saddle and was waving. He waved back, making sure to use the hand which held her necklace. Whether she could see it or not, he couldn’t be sure. He hurried on, eager to return two special moonstones to their owners.
Koben waded out to meet Coyrifan, the surf frothing about his thighs when they reached each other. The merling reached up to shake hands, and the prince bent to accept. Looking beyond the prince to the shore, Coy saw the redheaded Queen Katharesa and her wereling companion Teryn, along with a tired-looking man with tanned skin and auburn hair, a stern-looking man with black hair and olive skin, a pale man with black hair, and a tanned, black-haired woman who held herself with authoritative confidence. And, of course, Erin upon her griffin steed.
“You brought so many with you—and Imyra as well,” he noted over the loud rushing of the shore-bound waves. “How did you know to bring her?”
“The Queen sensed something coming nearer,” Koben said. “A certain very valuable item to be traded, perhaps?”
His particular choice of words prompted Coyrifan to look to Erin again, though she could not have heard their words. “Yes. Very valuable.” The prince held out his hand for the Medelapura, but the merling smiled and shook his head. “I’ll return the stone to whom it belongs.” With that, he swam into the shallowest waters and took a mighty leap.
The four manlings that he was not familiar with backed away as he beached himself on the sandy shore, staring at his moonstone-encrusted tail. Lacking their caution, the Queen instantly went to him, and Erin climbed down from the griffin so fast that he heard her pained grunt as her flimsy ankles and spindly legs took the brunt of the landing. She hurried over and knelt to hug him, not minding that her clothes were being wet by the seawater that ran from his hair and down his body.
“I’m so glad you’re all right,” she said, her voice wavering in such a way that Coyrifan suspected she was on the verge of tears.
“I’m glad you’re all right,” he replied, returning the hug as best he could with one arm while shifting to recline upon his hip with the other. “I can only imagine the turbulent ride Vasadax and Fydiro must have given you when my father ordered your return to the shore.”
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“It was awful. I had no idea where they were taking me, or why.” She released him from the hug to cross her arms, tilt her head, and sneer a little as she audibly scoffed over the memory. “They brought me here, but they left me in deep water and I had to swim the rest of the way, then walk all the way back to town. Do you know how far that is?”
“Quite far, I imagine.” He smiled at her, his golden eyes tracing the features of her face. A face which he might never see again after that day. “Listen, Erin, I have to get back to my father right away. Before I collect Imyra and go, I wanted to give you something.” He placed the oddly-shaped moonstone and its chain in her hand. “Your personal Howlith, safe and sound.”
Erin did cry, then. She clutched the thing to her chest, her pale skin turning rosy with joy and tears. “My mom’s necklace. I thought I would never see it again,” she said. She hugged him again, then he turned to the red-headed Katharesa, who was standing next to Erin.
“Queen Katharesa, I regret that your own stone is a little less sound than it was when it came into my hands.” He held it out to her, displaying it on his palm so that she could clearly see it was lacking its chain.
“It’s perfectly fine,” she said as she accepted it, her smile toward the stone as bright and soft as though she were gazing at a new lover. “The stone is whole, and that’s all that matters. Thank you, Coyrifan. I know it was trial to recover this for me.”
With his most flippant grin, he put a palm against his chest and briefly bowed his head. “It was nothing, milady.”
“What say you, Tannoran?” Koben crowed at the stern man with olive skin. “Here it is, well within a fortnight.”
“I still say you’re a feathered fool,” the man said, loudly enough for all to hear. Most of the manlings laughed, including Erin.
As Coyrifan returned to the water, Koben went to fetch the wagon that carried Imyra’s tub, turning it so that the horses backed the vehicle a short ways into the surf. That was all he needed to do. Requiring no further assistance from any of the manlings, Imyra snaked over the edge of the tub. With a full-body burst of joyous yellow light, she belly-flopped into the water, slithering out until it was deep enough to dive. A few moments later, she and Coyrifan burst to the surface, whistling and clicking aloud like frenetic dolphins as they swam in circles about each other. When their exuberance had calmed, they came to rest face to face, their heads poking out of the water.
Coy was amazed at Imyra’s size, her pearlescent body now longer than his and her frilled fins grown long and lovely, delicately draping over her back and along her sides to flow in the current. The last time he had seen her, she appeared very similar to a little eel, just long enough to wrap herself about his forearm. She even held herself differently in the water, taking on a less eel-like and more gracefully upright stance, like a seadragon.
He gazed at her, sadness suddenly tainting his euphoria as he realized that her newfound beauty would not last much longer.
Cupping the heartbeast’s face in his hands with wonder at how it had grown to fit so perfectly in his palms, Coyrifan tried to explain to Imyra what was about to happen. He showed her images of his father and Ferrifan's own heartbeast Meeoa, hoping to convey what they were, and what a terrible thing they had set out to do in moving to attack the Ghaleri tribe.
Imyra did not understand. All she saw in those images were her mother-friend and her other good friend, Chief Ferrifan, playing with their own friends. So many friends that she was jealous. The game looked so very fun—would she and Coyrifan be joining them?
“Yes.” Soberly, he looked into her beautiful sea green eyes as she treaded the water just in front of him, her white body flickering with elated yellows and greens. “We will join them soon.”
He raised his heavy gaze to the nearby shoreline, where the manlings were still watching with happiness, or at least strong interest, in the case of those few he didn’t know. His eyes found Erin, and he projected his thoughts toward her, bidding her a silent, final goodbye.
She shouldn’t have been able to hear him, but she tilted her head, then looked down at the purple crystal that hung from her neck.
Coy had forgotten that Imyra could…
Erin suddenly ran into the surf, her hands reaching toward him.
“NO! COYRIFAN, DON’T!”
As he pulled Imyra’s head close to hold her tucked underneath his chin, Coyrifan called up every fearful memory of the past day. The familiar rage boiled up from within, rising faster than it ever had before, for he made no effort to control it. His grip tightened on Imyra as she sensed it, her body tensing and blinking shades of orange, then red.
Breath coming faster and faster, Coyrifan’s teeth began to tingle, then sting. He clenched them together, bracing himself for what was to come.
Erin's voice rang out again and again, but there was no longer a choice for the young merling and his innocent heartbeast. Ferrifan's actions that day had made certain of that.
“I’m sorry,” Coy whispered, then gave himself over, at long last, to the Turning.