Chapter 11:

Fishing for Dinner

Ariel

Ariel sank deeper in the clear water, her head still held toward the starry, night sky. Her red hair floated above her and her tail arched in a U-shape with the two tips of her tailfin playing in her floating locks. The stars became a wash of wavy white light that settled on the surface of the water as Ariel landed on the seafloor.

With her belly settling atop the seafloor first, Ariel laid out the rest of her body flat like a sea worm. Her hair fell around her head and settled on the seafloor with her. Her vision was cast in a green hue. Her eyes darted back and forth searching the waters for something to eat.

Nothing of any substance was nearby. Some minnows passed by, but minnows weren’t sustainable to the mermaid or her human friend. They’d be all scales and bones and Elsa deserved something more, something with meat on its bones.

Ariel licked her lips. What I wouldn’t do for a whiskerfish right now. She closed her eyes, picturing its thick, long body with its long whiskers and bulging eyes, not that she’d eat the head of the fish. Just like with any other fish, Ariel would decapitate it first and feast on its meaty midsection. Her tail slithered in the muddy seafloor at the thought of the whiskerfish.

Ariel opened her eyes and rolled over onto her back staring up at the surface again. The sea was cast in a green hue from her dark-sea vision and she took in a deep breath, placing a hand over her belly. Though whiskerfish did sound good, she had to admit that she wasn’t actually hungry. The only reason she was back in the sea was because she couldn’t be honest with Elsa about her feelings.

Her dress is just so—Ariel’s lips tugged into a smile—elegant, just like her. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say she was royalty. Ariel rolled her eyes. Yeah, as if I need another prince in my life. Ariel shifted her eyes realizing her mistake. Princess! Ariel cocked her head from side to side as she further thought about it. Then again… we’d both be princesses. Ariel’s face warmed. We could be the princess and the salmon. Ariel gasped, sitting up. The princess and the mermaid!

Ariel giggled into her hand. She lay back down in the mud. She just likes dressing nice. She’s no princess. Ariel’s eyelids fluttered. But she can be my princess…

Ariel tucked her bottom lip beneath her teeth as she imagined Elsa’s gorgeous face—her smooth, sunburnt cheeks, her small, delicate nose, those icy blue eyes that drove Ariel wild whenever she found herself gazing into them or thinking about them, just as she was doing now, and her knotted, blonde-almost-porcelain-white hair that Ariel was sure was as soft as silk when it wasn’t ravaged by the heat, sea, and sand. Ariel’s nipples stiffened under her bra and her fingers curled into her palms as a wanton heat settled below her hips.

I need to be finding food. Ariel’s right hand ever-so-slowly made its way up her hip and settled at the space where skin met scales. Elsa is waiting on me. Her fingers inched their way to where her scales parted below her hips. Elsa…

Ariel closed her eyes as her fingers found the area they were looking for. Normally, a mermaid’s sex would be hidden beneath a protective layer of scales, but when arousal hit, the scales would part and expose her fleshy lips. It was those soft, warm lips that Ariel’s fingers found as she imagined herself curled up on the beach next to Elsa.

Ariel’s hand glided slowly across Elsa’s cold, icy dress, making its way up her thigh. With her eyes locked onto Elsa’s, her chest heaved, her heart pounding. Elsa’s pupils dilated as her tongue darted out to wet her bottom lip. Ariel wanted—no, needed!—to taste that tongue, those lips. She moaned, sinking her teeth into her own lips.

Eyes closed, Ariel pushed her fingers into the soft nub at the tip of her exposed sex. Her breath hitched and her abs contracted causing her to sit up slightly. “I need you,” Ariel groaned.

“Then take me,” Elsa whispered. “Take me, my sweet salmon. I’m yours.”

Ariel rolled over, her hips landing between Elsa’s legs and her tail extending past her feet. She propped herself up on her elbows, positioned on either side of Elsa’s shoulders. Gazing down at her gorgeous, blonde friend, the swell of Elsa’s breasts pressed against her. Elsa’s fingers traced their way over Ariel’s side and along her back until they reached the seaweed knot of her clamshell bra.

“Can I take it off?” Elsa breathed, her lips trembling.

Ariel only nodded, unable to speak.

Ariel lifted the cups of her bra over her breasts and freed them from their confines. Her left land attacked her left breast, finding her own erect nipple and pinching at it and tugging on it. Ariel groaned and squirmed in the mud. Her right hand continued its assault on her erect clit. Her back arched and her whole body trembled, from her head down to her fin.

The straps of the bra fell away from Ariel’s back and Elsa yanked it free from between their bodies. Ariel’s nipples pushed into Elsa’s icy dress and poked at Elsa’s breasts with Elsa’s nipples poking into Ariel as well. Ariel’s eyelids fluttered as she arched her head back. Elsa curled a leg around Ariel’s tail and ground herself up into Ariel. Elsa trembled beneath Ariel.

“Kiss me,” Elsa pleaded. Elsa’s hand slid further up Ariel’s back and into her red hair. Her fingers dug into Ariel’s scalp and she forced Ariel’s head back down, their eyes locking. “Kiss me, Ariel. Please.”

Ariel’s heart threatened to burst forth from her chest. She lowered her face, her nose brushing past Elsa’s before her lips met Elsa’s in a gentle kiss. A chill filled Ariel’s lips that sent a shiver rocketing down her entire body.

Ariel’s fingers dug hard into her left breast as the fingers on her right hand pushed into her clit. She groaned, her body locking up in almost a V-shape, bending at her waist. Her tailfin twitched and when her orgasm surged through her, her groan became a breathy moan with the upper half of her body trembling and the lower half of her body falling to the seafloor. She turned over onto her belly, her fingers still rubbing at her sensitive clit, coaxing the rest of her orgasm out as she cried out Elsa’s name, gasping to catch her breath.

When her orgasm passed, Ariel slipped her hand out from under her hips and laid in the mud, grinning from ear-to-ear. Her hair surrounded her head and her pulse slowed to a normal, steady rhythm. How had it only been a few days since first meeting Elsa and already she was wanting to spend her life with her?

Ariel shrugged, not worrying about it. Her stomach growled. Her eyes popped open and she remembered why she was here.

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Food!

Ariel pushed herself up off the seafloor and floated in the water. She ran her tongue over her teeth and scouted for fish. Her scales closed up again hiding her sex and she darted off into the water.

It typically wasn’t that hard to find a couple fish just hanging out in the sea, but for some reason the sea seemed to be devoid of life. Ariel looked back at the shore. She wasn’t too far from the beach and maybe that was the problem? Ariel narrowed her eyes and made her way back to the beach.

When Ariel’s head broke through the surface, she inhaled a deep, fresh breath of air. She found Elsa sitting in their spot under the tree on the beach and her cheeks blossomed with heat. Her lips naturally curved into a smile. She slithered her way up into the seafoam.

Elsa was squatted on the beach, striking a rock at another rock over a pile of sticks and dead grass. Ariel cocked her head. “What are you doing?”

Elsa jumped, landing on her rear. She pressed her hand into her heaving chest. “You scared me!” Elsa gasped.

Ariel chuckled. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.”

Elsa grinned, folding her legs beneath her body. “I’m trying to start a fire.” She struck one of the rocks against the other, but nothing happened. “Unfortunately, I’m not very good with fire.” Her eyes met Ariel’s and a warmth in her chest dispersed throughout her body. Gods, she loved the way Elsa made her feel. “Probably because ice is more my thing.” Elsa giggled. Ariel’s stomach fluttered with butterflies.

“Want me to try?” Ariel moved further up the beach, but still lingered in the seafoam. Flower petals danced around her in the foam.

“Aren’t you supposed to be getting dinner?” Elsa cocked an eyebrow at Ariel, a smirk forming at her lips.

Ariel’s face grew hot. “Yeah, about that…” Ariel rubbed the back of her neck. “I’m probably going to have to move further away from the beach to find something. There doesn’t seem to be any fish nearby.”

Elsa struck the rock down at the other rock, only the scraping sound echoing out. Elsa shrugged. “You don’t have to get any fish,” she suggested. “I’m fine with getting more oranges and apples. Besides, it’s dark. I should be going to sleep soon if we plan on leaving at sunrise? Though”—Elsa grunted as she struck the rock against the other rock—“I would like to get a fire going before I turn in for the night.”

Ariel moved up the beach, slithering her way to Elsa. Her hands were coated in sand and she positioned herself so that she was sitting up like a human, her tail outstretched in front of her like legs. She held out her sandy hands.

“Mind if I try?”

Elsa handed Ariel the rocks. “So, what you’re going to do is strike one rock—”

Ariel held one rock in her left hand over the sticks and dead grass and with her right hand, brought the other rock down hard, scraping it against the rock in her left hand. A loud screech echoed from the striking rock and embers flew from the rocks. Ariel’s eyes widened and her mouth dropped open in a smile.

“—against the other and—oh! You did it!” Elsa shouted, thrusting her hands in the air.

“I did it! I made a fire!”

The embers lit up the dead grass and then started to go out. Elsa scrambled forward, blowing on the glowing embers. “Do it again!” Elsa said. Elsa kept blowing at the embers and Ariel struck the rocks together again, more embers emitting from them and landing in the grass and sticks. Elsa kept blowing and then a fire rose from the pile of sticks and grass. Elsa sat back on her haunches and beamed at Ariel.

“You made a fire! My little mermaid made a fire!” Elsa’s eyes sparkled and Ariel’s shoulders rose to her ears in elation, thrilled to hear Elsa call her “my little mermaid.”

“I’m going to go get us some fish!” Ariel was riding a high and nothing could stop her. “Maybe I’ll even try it cooked again?”

Elsa giggled. “Fish is so much better when it’s cooked!”

“Eh?” Ariel shrugged. “I’ll have to see about that. I remember not liking it when I was human, but I’m willing to try it again for you. Are you going to be okay?”

Elsa broke a stick in two and fed both pieces to the fire. “Oh, yeah.” She nodded. “I’ll be fine. Go find us some fish and I’ll be sure and keep this fire going.”

Ariel turned and headed back out into the sea. Before she submerged, she looked back at her beautiful, blonde friend. Elsa was poking a stick into the fire, moving pieces around. The smile plastered across her face warmed Ariel to her core. I did that. I made that smile. Her heart fluttered and she dove into the sea.

# # #

Ariel was still, her body flattened against the seafloor. She was quite a ways away from the beach and ahead of her, hanging out over a barren meadow were five fish. Five mackerel to be exact. They were circling what looked to be a rock in the grass. Ariel studied them. She didn’t want to alert them of her presence because she didn’t want them scurrying away. Though she could catch them if they fled, she wanted to get two of them as quickly as possible so she could return to Elsa before she fell asleep.

Ariel slithered through the mud and stopped when she approached the edge of the grassy meadow. The fish didn’t seem to notice her. Palms pressed to the seafloor, she dug her fingers into the mud, her nails cutting into the roots underneath. She carefully extended her arms, pushing her body off the seafloor. Jaw clenched and eyes focused on the two closest mackerel, Ariel loosened her fingers from the roots hidden in the mud and darted toward the fish.

Alerted of her presence, the mackerel screamed and took off away from the hungry mermaid. Ariel thrust her arms forward and closed her fingers around two of the fish. They pleaded for their lives, but Ariel smashed them together, knocking them out. Pleased with her work, Ariel shifted her eyes from one fish to the other and back and forth, a grin taking shape across her lips. Something below her caught her attention and she noticed the rock that the mackerel had been swarming. As she studied it, she noticed that it was… moving? Almost as if it was breathing?

Rocks don’t breathe.

Ariel hovered over the breathing rock. It squirmed. It shot up from the patch of grass, startling Ariel. She dropped her fish. Tentacles extended from the floating rock and grabbed the fish before Ariel could. Realizing what the rock was, Ariel bared her teeth, her eyes narrowed.

Octopus.

“Give me back my dinner!” snarled Ariel.

“They were mine first,” said the octopus.

Ariel beat her tail hard in the water, racing after the octopus. She extended an arm and as her hand closed in around one of the octopus’s slimy tentacles, a thick, black substance shot out at Ariel, blinding her. She screamed, or at least tried to scream, but found herself choking in the oily, black cloud of ink. She released the tentacle and dived out of the cloud, gasping.

“Better luck next time, you stupid hybrid!”

The octopus’s words grated at Ariel, but she couldn’t do anything but try and get the ink off of her face. She wiped at her eyes and her nose until she was able to see and breathe again. As the ink cloud settled over Ariel, Ariel moved and beat her tail at the cloud, dispersing the ink. Through her green-tinted vision, Ariel searched for the octopus. The water was still.

Ariel moved out of the meadow and wound her way through some nearby seaweed. Had the octopus actually outswum her? Ariel latched onto a stalk of seaweed and climbed up it, jettisoning herself above the seaweed. She looked out across the small underwater forest and then heard a scream. A plume of black ink shot out from between some seaweed and Ariel raced to the spot.

Careful to avoid another attack from the octopus, Ariel dove into the seaweed about a fathom before the ink cloud. When she reached the spot where the octopus had released its ink, she saw three tentacles dangling between several stalks of seaweed.

Something got him…

Ariel became hyper aware of her surroundings. Octopi weren’t necessarily tough creatures to kill, but the fact that Ariel let herself get sprayed with ink was a testament to the creature’s resourcefulness in evading attackers. If something caught it and dismembered it, then whatever that creature was was surely able to attack and kill Ariel, too.

Something crashed into Ariel and she screamed as she plummeted to the forest floor. With her dark-sea vision, Ariel searched above her, but nothing was there. What attacked her? Ariel lifted herself from the ground and grabbed hold of a seaweed stalk. She climbed it, slithering her tail through the water below her. Arms wrapped around Ariel and she shrieked, whipping her tail into her attacker.

“Ariel!”

Ariel’s eyes widened and her thrashing ceased. She recognized the voice and turned around.

Floating before Ariel was a lithe figure, her light brown hair appearing almost black in the greenish hue of Ariel’s dark-sea vision. Strands of hair floated around her neck and jaw, the latter clenched and finely-edged as if it could cut through coral. The figure's eyes, now glowing a pale green, peeked out from under narrowed eyelids and long, dark lashes. Above a small, pointed nose with flared nostrils, her dark orange tail seemed almost a deep, shadowy green, whipping beneath the mermaid. Her clamshell bra and the starfish tiara atop her head were similarly tinted. Ariel recognized the mermaid as her eldest sister.

“Attina?” Ariel’s jaw hung agape.

Attina brought a hand to her mouth, a tentacle dangling from her grip, and took a bite out of the appendage.

“Attina, what are you doing here?” Ariel’s chest tightened, though she had a feeling she already knew the answer.

Attina swallowed hard and growled, “You’re coming home right now.”