Chapter 15:

Footprints in the Sand

Ariel

“Ariel.”

Ariel scrunched her eyes shut as the morning sun streamed its rays onto the beach below. Even with her eyes closed tight, a warm orange glow penetrated her lids. She lifted her left arm and draped it over her face, burying her eyes in the crook of her elbow. The gentle sound of waves washing up the beach reminded her that she was on land. When the cool water lapped over her tail, leaving behind a trace of seafoam, a crooked grin tugged at the right corner of her lips. She exhaled a slow, deep breath, allowing sleep to overtake her once more.

“Oh, Ariel...” The voice was raspy and animated, with a quirky, high-pitched tone. Ariel recognized it.

“I love you Scuttle,” Ariel groaned, “but please just let me sleep.”

Scuttle’s webbed feet landed on Ariel’s belly and as he hopped around on top of her, Ariel giggled as his claws tickled her. She used her right arm to brush away the bird but he only moved further down her body, out of reach of her hand. “Scuttle, please. I just want to sleep.”

“Did you turn your human friend into a mermaid? What kind of magic turns humans into mermaids? I once heard a human say that a mermaid’s kiss could turn a human into a mermaid.” Scuttle gasped with a squawk. “Sweetie, did you kiss your human friend and turn her into a mermaid?”

Actually, Ariel had kissed Elsa. As she recalled the kiss from the previous night, a smirk crept across her face. It may have been spontaneous, but it was a moment Ariel had longed for, and judging by Elsa’s reaction—pulling Ariel back for a second kiss—Elsa had yearned for it too. Despite the chill of Elsa’s lips, the heat that surged through Ariel when they touched had her craving another taste. She licked her lips slowly, feeling the lingering tingle, and they buzzed with the desire to feel Elsa’s lips again. But had her kiss turned Elsa into a mermaid?

If only, Ariel pined.

“No, Scuttle,” Ariel breathed, her arm still covering her eyes. She pointed to her left with her right hand, “That’s my sister, Attina.” She dropped her hand to her side and into the warm sand and reached out beside her so she could touch—

Elsa!

Ariel’s eyes shot open. She sat up immediately, dropping her arm from her face. Scuttle squawked and flew to the end of Ariel’s tail. Ariel flinched at the sudden sunlight in her eyes and rubbed them until she was able to adjust to the brightness. When she looked to her right, Elsa was missing.

“Where is she? Scuttle, where’s Elsa?”

Scuttle squawked. “I thought you were supposed to leave the island at dawn? Maybe she left without you?”

Ariel’s heart plummeted into her stomach. We were supposed to leave at dawn! Ariel buried her face in her hands. How could she forget? Of course, that’s what happened! Elsa left.

“Then again, unless she’s a really great swimmer or can suddenly fly—hmm, can humans fly? I’ve never seen one fly. How would they fly? Oh, maybe they stretch out their—”

“Scuttle!” Ariel shouted, popping her head up from her hands.

Attina groaned next to Ariel. Ariel immediately pursed her lips and stared down at her sister, her shoulders tense, waiting for her to wake up. However, Attina went right back to snoring.

Ariel’s shoulders relaxed and she exhaled a deep breath. Ariel turned back to Scuttle. Eyebrows raised and with a shake of the head, she mouthed, “Elsa?”

“Oh, right!” he squawked. Ariel rolled her eyes at him for not being quieter. He stretched out her right wing, pointing it down the beach. “It’s kinda hard for a human to travel to travel across the sea without a boat.”

Ariel peered down the beach, just past the firepit where Elsa’s boat sat in the sand. If the boat was still on the island, then Elsa must be on the island. Right? As Ariel looked out across the beach, though, Elsa wasn’t there.

Ariel looked down at Attina again. She, just like Ariel, had her left arm draped over her eyes and her chest rose and fell with each soft snore. She seemed to be in a much better condition than she had been last night when Ariel and Elsa had brought her to the island to heal her. Ariel was relieved to see that the redweed had worked.

Ariel looked across her own tail and Scuttle looked back at her with his head cocked. “Where’s Elsa?” Ariel mouthed.

Scuttle lifted his wings as if to shrug. Ariel rolled her eyes and sighed. He thought I turned her into a mermaid, of course he wouldn’t know. “Well, I have to find her,” she mouthed.

Scuttle hopped up Ariel’s tail, stretching his neck out and cocking his head as he peered at Attina’s tail. “What’s with the frozen fish stick look?” he squawked, examining the ice-covered spot with keen interest. “Did your human decide to give her a makeover or something?”

Ariel put her finger to her lips shushing Scuttle. “She was attacked,” Ariel mouthed.

Scuttle squawked!

Attina groaned!

Ariel shushed!

“It’s okay,” Ariel yelled in a whisper. “Elsa scared off the creature that attacked us last night. Now help me find her and let’s let Attina sleep.”

“Andrina,” Attina moaned in her sleep. She reached out with her right hand and grabbed Ariel, pulling her in. “Kiss me,” she murmured.

Ariel squealed as Attina pulled her down on top of her. Ariel wriggled in Attina’s grasp and waved for Scuttle to come closer. With Attina holding Ariel down on top of her, Scuttle landed next to Ariel in the sand. She grabbed Scuttle, and with a squawk from the bird, she pushed his beak into Attina’s puckered lips. Attina curled her upper lip, loosening her grip around Ariel. “Ugh. I’m getting you some Barnacle Balm,” Attina muttered. She snored again and Ariel climbed off of her sister and slithered away.

“Thank you for doing that for me,” Ariel huffed.

Scuttle spit, wiping her beak with his wings. “I didn’t exactly have much of a choice,” he grumbled.

When Ariel was further away from Attina, she stopped in the sand and glanced back at her sister. She should be okay, right?

“Were you hurt, too?” Scuttle was examining Ariel’s right arm.

Ariel had forgotten about her arm entirely. It hadn’t bothered her since last night. She glanced down and noticed that the ice had melted and the redweed leaf was gone. In its place was a faint scar, barely visible. If not for that, Ariel wouldn’t have known she had been injured at all. She checked the scar above her belly button and found it completely healed. As she moved, she realized she felt no pain anywhere.

She flexed her arm and twisted her torso, searching for any lingering discomfort. Nothing. It was as if the injuries had never happened.

“Thank the gods for the redweed plants,” Ariel murmured, more to herself than to Scuttle. “Yeah,” she answered Scuttle’s question. She ran her left hand over the scar on her right arm. “Elsa took care of me and Attina.”

Scuttle squawked. “Your human friend seems like quite the keeper.”

Ariel’s cheeks warmed and a goofy smile spread across her lips. “Yeah, she is.” From taking care of her and Attina to fighting off Scyllari to having late-night conversations with her mother, Elsa was proof that not all humans were bad. In fact, Elsa was proof that not all magic was bad either. She makes such beautiful things with her magic. An ice dress. A sled. A castle!

Scuttle squawked, bringing Ariel out of her thoughts. When she looked at him, he wasn’t there. Scuttle had moved further down the beach and was waving Ariel over. Ariel made her way to him.

“She’s been with a mermaid for so long she forgot how to be a human!” Scuttle examined Elsa’s purple dress that lay in the sand. “Remember what I told you when you became a human? The first thing you gotta do is dress like one.” Scuttle pointed at Ariel’s bra. “Did you convince her to walk around in just a chestcradle?”

Ariel furrowed her brow and looked down at her chest. “I’ve told you before, Scuttle, it’s called a bra. And no, she’s not walking around in only a bra.” Though, I bet she’d pull off the mermaid look with such finesse. Ariel’s face flushed at the thought. “Actually, she made herself a dress using her magic. She’s walking around in ice!”

“She’s wearing ice?” squawked Scuttle. “Remind me to fly south to warmer weather when we find her.”

Ariel rolled her eyes, but followed it with a giggle. “Oh, Scuttle…” She did still have to find Elsa, though. Ariel looked to the forest beyond the beach. “Maybe she went to get more food? Can you fly through the forest and see if you can spot her in there, please?”

Scuttle lifted his wing to his forehead in a salute. “I’m on it, Sweetie! I’ll have her spotted faster than me at a fish market.” Scuttle extended his wing about to take flight, but then turned back to Ariel. “In case you were wondering, humans aren’t very nice when they see me at their fish markets.” Scuttle flew off and headed for the forest.

A gentle wave washed up the beach. Ariel turned her attention toward the sea. Please tell me you didn’t walk home. There would be signs, right? Ice on the surface…? When the tide receded from the beach Ariel noticed something, an imprint in the wet sand. She slithered her way to what caught her attention and gasped, her mouth falling open in a smile.

Footprint!

The tide had nearly washed it away, but what was left of it, Ariel could still identify. Beside the faded footprint was another, and then in front of them were more. Of course! If she’s walking in the sand, I follow her footprints!

It had been a long time since Ariel was human. She had forgotten that one of the things she and Eric used to love doing was walking the beach at night and then on their way back, try to match their feet with their prints in the sand. Ariel’s cheeks warmed at the memory. With her hands planted firmly in the sand, she dug her nails in. That was a long time ago, though, back before Eric left Flowerhaven for diplomatic reasons and returned as a changed man… Her shoulders sank and her smile faded. The tide washed up the beach leaving Ariel’s hands covered in seafoam and washing away what little was left of the footprints.

Ariel’s heart skipped a beat. If she was going to find Elsa, she needed to stop dwelling on the past and focus on the present—focus on finding Elsa! Ariel slithered through the wet sand in the direction Elsa’s footprints traveled for quite a while. The further she moved, the rockier the shore became. Elsa’s footprints traveled around some rocks and a bed of broken shells into the dry sand, so Ariel followed them. There was a line of rocks that came out of the sea and disappeared into the grass. Ariel moved over the rocks and kept following Elsa’s footprints. The beach stretched around a corner and so Ariel followed the footprints until they disappeared into the grass which led into the forest. Ariel had traveled a long way down the beach. When Ariel looked back down the beach, she couldn’t see Attina anymore. Both the firepit and Elsa’s boat were completely out of sight.

Elsa must have gone into the forest, but why travel so far down the beach to do it? Maybe she’s upset at me for not remembering to wake up at dawn and help her get home? Ariel managed to swallow the lump that was beginning to form in her throat.

“Elsa!” she shouted. “Elsa, I’m sorry!”

The sound of fluttering wings made Ariel look up. “I wondered where you went,” squawked Scuttle. He landed in the sand beside Ariel. “She wasn’t in the forest. I mean, it was really hard to see into the forest because of the trees, but you can trust me, Ariel. I’m almost kinda certain she wasn’t in there.”

“I followed her.” Ariel pointed out Elsa’s footprints. “They stop right here. Elsa went into the forest. She’s in there, Scuttle.” Ariel’s heart raced in her throat. “Elsa!”

“Want me to look again?”

“Oh please, Scuttle! Would you?”

“I will!” Scuttle saluted Ariel again and then took off toward the forest.

“And fly beneath the trees this time!” shouted Ariel. Scuttle looked back at her and dove beneath the trees, disappearing into the forest.

Ariel sat back on her tail. She traced a footprint with her index finger. As she traced the big toe, she remembered what it was like to have feet for the first time. She had just traded her voice to her Aunt Ursula for legs and Flounder and Sebastian had helped her swim to the surface. The first time she got to see her own feet was one of the most surreal moments in her life and when she wiggled her toes for the first time? Pure, child-like elation. Standing on her feet had taken some getting used to, but it had been worth it to finally be able to explore the surface world, unlike now, when she could barely make her way beyond the beach for fear of drying out.

Ariel traced Elsa’s entire footprint several times as she waited for Scuttle to return. She touched each imprint of Elsa’s toes with her finger and admired how dainty her footprint was. “You have such beautiful little feet, Elsa,” Ariel murmured. She huffed through her nose in amusement. “Who am I kidding? Every part of you is beautiful, both inside and out.” She laid her hand across the footprint imagining what the bottom of Elsa’s foot would feel like in her hands. Her wide smile faltered. Oh, please, don’t be upset with me, Elsa. I promise I didn’t mean to forget about this morning.

“Ariel?” a voice shouted.

Ariel perked up. She flipped over, holding herself up in a crescent moon shape with her hands and arms, beaming. “Elsa?” she shouted back.

“Ariel?”

The foliage beyond the forest rustled and from beyond the trees came Scuttle. “I found her!” He landed beside Ariel. “I told you she was in there! I just knew it. I never doubted it for a second.”

Ariel rolled her eyes and grinned, waiting for Elsa to emerge beyond the thick foliage of the forest. When she finally did, Ariel's eyes widened in astonishment. Instead of the ice dress she had been wearing the night before, Elsa was now adorned in a breathtaking new outfit crafted entirely from ice. Remnants of her previous dress were evident, with the bodice fitting Elsa’s torso perfectly, accentuating every curve and sparkling like diamonds in the warm morning sunlight. Flowing from her waist was a knee-length, layered skirt, shifting from pale blue to almost transparent with her movements. Underneath, frosted light blue leggings hugged her legs and extended down to her feet, which were adorned in icy boots that ran up past her ankles. Elsa’s hair was still a frizzy mess, cascading down her back and over her shoulders, but Ariel couldn’t blame her when her own hair was equally disheveled. As Ariel kept gazing at Elsa, Elsa blushed and grinned. “What?”

Without a second thought, Ariel slithered through the grass toward Elsa. Roots, stems, and broken twigs rubbed and poked at her from the grass, but it was worth it. When she reached her friend, she launched herself at Elsa, wrapping her in her arms, and knocking Elsa to the ground, her bodice crunching beneath the weight of Ariel. Elsa groaned when they hit the ground, but immediately followed it with giggling. Ariel nuzzled her right cheek against Elsa’s new, icy outfit, the soft swell of Elsa’s breasts against her cheek sending tingles and all sorts of other warm, pleasant feelings through Ariel.

“I missed you, too,” Elsa snorted, her arms wrapped tight around Ariel. “But what are you doing way over here?”

“You changed your dress!” Ariel turned her head, nuzzling her left cheek into Elsa’s chest.

“When I woke up this morning, I stepped out into the water and washed myself. I thought about crafting the same dress, but it kept getting caught on stuff in the forest when I went for food while you napped yesterday. I thought this might be a bit more practical? The skirt doesn’t go clear to my feet, instead only going to my knees and it helps having boots. Seeing your reaction, I think I made the right decision.”

Ariel turned her head so that her chin was resting between Elsa’s breasts, the curve of her breasts pushing into Ariel’s neck, though not in a way as to choke her. She met Elsa’s icy blue eyes as Elsa was already looking down at her with a smirk spread across her lips. “I love it,” Ariel breathed.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

As they lay there in the grass gazing upon one another in silence, Elsa finally spoke up. “You didn’t answer my question.”

Ariel raised her eyebrows and cocked her head ever-so-slightly.

“What brought you way over here?”

“I woke up and you were gone,” Ariel whined, still not letting go of Elsa. “We were supposed to leave at dawn to get you home and I overslept; I forgot.” She tightened her arms around Elsa, her breath hitching in her throat. “I’m so sorry!”

“Oh, Ariel. It’s okay. Though I do really need to get home to Anna, I can wait one or two more nights until you and Attina are healed.” Elsa ran her hand up and down Ariel’s back in a slow, comforting motion, her lips spreading across her face in a delightful grin. “Besides, you looked so comfy when I woke up, I couldn’t bring myself to wake you.”

Ariel’s heart fluttered knowing that Elsa prioritized her and her sister’s well-being over getting home. That wasn’t to say that Ariel wasn’t going to keep her promise of getting Elsa home—because she definitely was!—but it was nice knowing that Elsa thought about her enough to stay on the island to further take care of her. Ariel found herself biting down on her lower lip at Elsa’s mesmerizing gaze.

This is what Ariel wanted: the chance to wrap Elsa up in her arms whenever she wanted; to gaze into those beautiful icy blue eyes whenever she wanted; to kiss her wonderful peasant whenever she wanted. Ariel’s eyes fell on those cool, soft pink lips and the more she lingered on them, the more she wanted to crawl up Elsa’s body, slide her fingers through Elsa’s disheveled hair until her fingertips were resting against her scalp, and gently press her lips to Elsa’s. When she blinked and refocused on Elsa’s entire face, Elsa’s apple-red cheeks and rosy pink neck hinted to Ariel that maybe she was thinking the same thing?

“While I do like this,” Elsa said softly, while tracing shapes along Ariel’s back with a single fingernail eliciting a shiver from Ariel, “we should probably get back to your sister.” Elsa nodded to her left at the basket made of ice laying in the grass without breaking eye contact. “I found us more fruit.”

Elsa wasn’t wrong. They should be returning to Attina. She might even be awake and if she was there’s no doubt that she’d be freaking out. However, Ariel wanted to embrace this moment if only for a few more seconds.

“I’m glad you’re okay,” Ariel breathed.

Elsa’s stomach growled and both she and Ariel laughed. “I’ll be even more okay when I eat some breakfast.”

“Can I have an apple?”

“You can have two or even three.” Elsa winked at Ariel. “I found a bunch of apples, just for you.”

Ariel sighed with content. She lifted herself off of Elsa. Elsa picked up the ice basket and all of the fruit inside it and they made their way back to the sand.

Scuttle was pecking at a broken clamshell.

“I saw him fly over while I was picking fruit. He kept squawking at me. I figured if he was in the forest, then you probably sent him.”

Ariel watched Scuttle peck away at another clamshell that actually turned out to be a rock. “I panicked. I saw your footprints in the tide and followed them to the edge of the grass. I called out for you.”

“I was pretty deep in the forest. Beyond those trees is a small pond with a stream running to it. Along the pond I found strawberry plants. Since you never had an orange or an apple until yesterday, can I assume that you’ve never had strawberries, too?”

Elsa reached into the basket and pulled out a fat strawberry. Ariel’s eyes lit up. “Oh, I have had strawberries! Eric used to keep a bowl of strawberries on the table because he knew I loved them so much! Can I have some? Please, Elsa? Please?”

Elsa chuckled. “Take some.”

Elsa gave the fat strawberry in her hand to Ariel and then tilted the basket toward her. Ariel picked out two strawberries and popped them in her mouth, the leafy bits at the tops of the strawberries included. They burst open when she bit down and their sweet, flavorful juices coated her tongue. She moaned at the taste. “Mmf, deh show good,” Ariel mumbled through a mouthful of strawberries.

Elsa laughed. “They really are. I love strawberries.” Elsa picked a strawberry from the basket and bit into it, avoiding the leafy bit. As Ariel slithered through the sand beside Elsa, Elsa swallowed. “Do you ever get tired of not swimming?”

Ariel cocked her head, looking up at Elsa. “What do you mean?”

“Is it exhausting to pull yourself along in the sand by your arms and hands with your tail wiggling behind you?”

Ariel shook her head. “Not really. It is a lot different compared to swimming, but I’m not really pulling myself as much as I’m pushing myself with my tail. It’s just that if I don’t keep myself positioned up on my hands, I won’t really move. Watch.” Ariel collapsed to the sand, flattening herself out. She lifted her head back as far as she could and tried to move. Her tail wriggled in the sand and while she did move forward, it wasn’t by much. She planted her hands in the sand and lifted her chest, her back arching into her tail. “My tail does a majority of the pushing, but I use my hands sort of as feet to keep me going. Plus, I can see better from up here than I can when I’m flat on the ground.”

When Elsa didn’t respond, Ariel gazed up at her. Her lips were tugged to the side of her face as if she was lost in thought. “What are you thinking about?”

Elsa’s focus returned to Ariel. “I don’t think I’d make a very good mermaid.”

Ariel chortled. “I would disagree.” Elsa lifted her eyebrows, waiting for Ariel to elaborate. “I mean, you definitely have the beauty to be a mermaid.” Ariel eyed Elsa up and down.

Elsa’s neck and face flushed. “I don’t think being pretty would help me with the rest of it,” she deadpanned. She then grinned. “But, thank you,” Elsa added, her voice soft. “For what it’s worth, I think you’re much prettier than me.”

Ariel’s mouth fell open. “Do you even own a mirror?” Elsa burst out laughing. “I’m not joking, I hope you know.” She smirked as Elsa kept laughing. “Can you swim?”

As her laughing faded, Elsa replied, “Yes, I can swim. Though, I’m sure I’m nowhere near as good of a swimmer as you are.”

“Having a tail helps with that.”

“Oh sure, it’s the tail, and definitely not the fact that you grew up living in water and having swum your whole life,” Elsa jested.

Ariel grinned. “Okay, maybe, maybe that has something to do with it?” Seeing Elsa’s eyes sparkle and her wide-mouthed smile spread across her face warmed Ariel like no other. “You should try it.”

“Try being a mermaid?” gasped Elsa. “How?”

“I can’t actually make you a mermaid without some sort of spell, but you can try moving through the sand like how I’m doing?”

Elsa’s eyes followed Ariel’s form from her head to her tail and back. “You want me to lie in the sand with my legs behind me and lift myself up using my hands and arms and move like you do?”

Ariel nodded enthusiastically. “Come on! If I had feet I would walk for you. Show me how a human would move like a mermaid on land.”

Elsa stared at Ariel, a stern expression showing in her face and stance and then she shrugged her shoulders. “Eh, why not?” Elsa sat the ice basket in the sand next to her and then twirled her hands at her feet. Her ice boots dissolved into water, the sand around her feet darkening from the melted ice, and Elsa was once again barefoot as her leggings ended at her ankles. She lay down on her belly in the sand, crossing her legs at her ankles. She then pushed herself up as if she was performing a push-up. Her arms wobbled beneath her. Her voice shaky, she said, “I am definitely not cut out for this!”

Ariel laughed, collapsing in the warm sand. She rolled over onto her side and propped herself up on one arm. She couldn’t help but admire Elsa’s crescent shape. Her blonde hair fell over her shoulders and down her wobbly arms. Her breasts were pushed out in front of her arms and Ariel couldn’t help but notice her nipples poking through the bodice of her outfit. She followed Elsa’s perfectly curved back down over her rear, over her legs, and to her feet, with an undeniable blush creeping up Ariel’s neck.

“Well?”

Elsa strained. “Well, what?”

Ariel planted her index finger and her middle finger in the sand before her and walked them forward. “You have to try moving.”

Elsa looked down at her wobbly arms, back to Ariel, and then straight ahead. She managed to pull herself forward, doing her best to use her legs in the same way that Ariel used her tail. However, after two steps using her hands, Elsa collapsed in the sand, giggling while trying to catch her breath.

Ariel rolled over on her back and laughed up at the sky.

“You make it look so easy!”

Ariel rolled over on her belly and lifted herself up again. “It is easy.” Ariel slithered forward and then turned around and slithered back to Elsa. “Mermaids are just stronger than humans.”

Elsa rolled over on her back and sat up. “Yeah, well, I bet I can run faster than you can push yourself.” Elsa arched an eyebrow ever-so-slightly at Ariel.

“Is that a challenge?” Ariel grinned.

Elsa hopped up on her feet. “What if I was to say yes?”

“Then I would say challenge accepted.”

Elsa rubbed her chin staring ahead of them. “Okay, how about whoever makes it to those rocks first, wins?” Elsa pointed forward to the line of rocks that emerged from the sea and disappeared into the grass.

“Deal!” Ariel prepared herself.

“Ready?”

Ariel nodded, squinting her eyes as she focused on the finish line which looked to be about twenty fathoms away.

“Go!” shouted Elsa.

Ariel's tail slithered through the sand, her arms working with incredible strength. Yet Elsa, clutching the ice basket in her right hand and running through the sand barefoot, proved much faster with her swift sprint past Ariel. Despite mustering all her tail and arm strength to push faster, Ariel couldn’t keep pace with Elsa, who finished several seconds ahead. As Elsa cheered, Ariel couldn't help but grin upon reaching the rocks, witnessing Elsa's joy.

“Yeah, yeah, you won.” Ariel rolled her eyes in jest. “But you know I’d definitely beat you if we had a swimming race.”

“Oh, no doubt!” agreed Elsa. “But, we didn’t, did we?” She stuck her tongue out at Ariel. Ariel grinned, flicking sand at Elsa. When some of the sand hit Elsa in the face and coated a bit of her tongue, Ariel gasped. “I’m so sorry!”

Elsa wiped the sand from her face and spit it from her mouth. “You’re just lucky I like you.” Ariel’s heart fluttered. “Otherwise, I’d have to freeze you!” Elsa pointed her index finger at Ariel with a stern expression across her face, but it quickly dissolved when she started laughing.

“You would never freeze me,” Ariel teased.

Elsa knelt down in front of Ariel, her laugh turning to a toothy smile. In a soft, warm voice, Elsa responded, “I would, but only if it’s to help you.” She looked down at Ariel’s arms, her left hand resting gently over Ariel’s right hand. “I noticed your arm healed while we slept.” She lifted her head, her eyes finding Ariel’s.

“It did,” Ariel said with the same softness found in Elsa’s voice. “I told you that redweed works like a charm on merfolk.”

The lines at the edge of Elsa’s eyes only deepened as her smile widened. “You did. And I’m happy that it did.” Elsa slid her hand up Ariel’s arm to the scar that remained, caressing her thumb over it. Maybe it was the sun beating down on her or the fact that she’d been away from the tide for too long, but Ariel found herself needing water—and not just to hydrate.

The tide washed up the beach near the rocks, and Ariel found it increasingly difficult to move away from Elsa. Moving toward her, however, was much more appealing—especially if it meant laying Elsa out on the warm sand and resting on top of her, perhaps even pressing her lips to Elsa’s. Ariel’s breasts tingled at the thought, her nipples hardening beneath her bra. She tried to resist the shiver threatening to ripple from her shoulder blades down her spine, but it was futile. Ariel wanted Elsa and she wanted her right now, but right now wasn’t the time for that. She needed to get back to Attina, but the longer Elsa caressed her thumb against Ariel’s arm, the drier her mouth became and the faster her heart raced. She needed water and she needed it right now.

Ariel faced the sea, her face burning and not from the sun. “I need water,” she croaked. Ariel forced herself to move to the shore, letting the tide wash over her completely. The cold sea water felt refreshing and when Ariel slithered back to Elsa, sand clung to her.

Elsa picked up the basket and pulled out another strawberry. She handed it to Ariel and then picked out another and ate it. Covering her mouth with her hand, Elsa mumbled, “Hey, I haff an idea.” After swallowing, she continued, “Want me to turn the sand to ice and you can slide across it?”

Ariel’s eyes danced with excitement and she clapped her tailfin against the sand. “Oh, please, Elsa! Do it. Do it!”

Elsa brought her hand to her face again, giggling behind it. “I love your enthusiasm for my magic. You remind me of Anna when we were children. She always loved it whenever I would use my magic.”

“I love it because you use it in such creative ways!” Ariel became serious, but her eyes still sparkled with excitement, “You, my peasant, have an intelligent sister and I hope I get to meet her one day.”

Elsa beamed. “She would love you.”

“Do you think she’ll scream the first time she sees me like you did?”

Elsa’s face flushed. “Oh, she’s going to scream, but it won’t be in fear. Anna’s infectious energy mixed with her loving heart, bravery, and playfulness makes me guarantee that she’s going to love you. You being a mermaid? That’s just chocolate icing on the chocolate cake.”

Ariel blushed. “I can’t wait to meet her!”

Elsa shot a beam of ice from her left hand, freezing the sand ahead of Ariel. “Go ahead. I’ll walk beside you.”

“Or,” suggested Ariel, “I could sit up with my tail out in front of me and you can sit in my lap while I push us along the ice?” She lifted her eyebrows in anticipation of Elsa’s response.

“You want me… in your lap?” Ariel delighted in Elsa’s flustered reaction.

“Why not? With you in my lap, you can cast your magic ahead of us, continuing the icy trail. It’ll be no different than when I was between your legs in the boat, making our way here to the island, except this time you’ll be the one between my legs.” Ariel wiggled her tail. “Well, if I had legs.”

“I—o-okay,” Elsa squeaked. Ariel giggled, thrilled to be the cause of Elsa’s crimson face.

Ariel stretched her tail out in front of her and scooted onto the ice. She patted a spot on her tail, indicating where she wanted Elsa to sit. Elsa placed the ice basket next to Ariel. Despite knowing it was unnecessary since Elsa was clearly used to walking on ice, Ariel offered her hand to Elsa, grinning ear-to-ear when Elsa took it. With her hand in Ariel’s, Elsa steadied herself and stepped a leg across Ariel’s tail. Elsa’s rear was perfectly positioned in front of Ariel’s face and maybe it was because merfolk didn’t have—what do humans call ‘em? Oh, asses—like humans do, Ariel found herself enchanted by Elsa’s beautiful ass.

Elsa sat down on Ariel’s lap, her back against Ariel’s chest, and her hair tickling Ariel’s nose. The distinctive beach fragrance of seawater and sand wafted off of Elsa’s hair, eliciting a deep, low moan from Ariel. Ariel handed the basket to Elsa, who placed it in her own lap.

Ariel searched up and down the beach until she found Scuttle standing in some seafoam pecking away at a clamshell. She called for him and he flew over, landing at the end of her tail, just past Elsa’s feet which she had crossed at her ankles. “Can you fly ahead and check on Attina for me, please? We’ll be there soon.”

“I’m on it, Sweetie.”

A strawberry went flying at Scuttle and bounced off of his beak. Elsa’s hands darted to her face, covering her mouth. Embarrassed by her action, Elsa shrieked, “Oh my God, Scuttle, I’m so sorry!”

Scuttle shook his head, brushing his beak with his wing. Meanwhile, Ariel laughed. “Elsa said she was sorry. I think she wanted to give you a strawberry?” Under her breath, she leaned her head forward. “You were trying to offer Scuttle a strawberry, right? You weren’t trying to actually hit him?”

“No, no!” Elsa sounded like she was on the verge of crying. “I want him to have one as a way of me showing my thanks to him.”

Ariel looked back at Scuttle. “Yeah, it was meant for you to eat, not to shoo you away.”

“Tell her next time to warn a seagull first.” Under his breath, he grumbled, “First I’m forced to kiss a mermaid and now I’m having food thrown at me. What’s next?” He straightened up. “Here, I’m ready this time.” Scuttle opened his beak wide.

“Go ahead,” Ariel said. “Toss him a strawberry.”

Elsa grabbed a smaller strawberry and tossed it at Scuttle. Scuttle caught it. His annoyed expression quickly changed. “Hey, that’s tasty!” He swallowed and then hopped off of Ariel’s tail and plucked up the strawberry from the sand that hit him in the beak. “I gotta get me more of those. Tell your human friend I said thank you and that I forgive her.”

“Her name is—” Ariel trailed off as Scuttle flew down the beach and out of sight. “…Elsa,” she finished under her breath.

“I really didn’t mean to upset him.”

Ariel waved her hand. “Oh, don’t worry about it. Once he ate the strawberry, all was forgiven.” She leaned in close to Elsa, wrapping her right arm tightly around her torso, just under her breasts. “Now, are you ready?” she whispered, her lips brushing Elsa’s ear. Ariel grinned as Elsa shivered and nodded.

Ariel used her left hand to push them along the ice, though it didn’t take much exertion for Ariel to really start sliding. Elsa extended her left arm and shot a beam of ice ahead, freezing more of the sand. When they began careening to the right, Ariel wrapped her left arm around Elsa’s torso and used her right hand to straighten their path.

Elsa had to raise her voice to be heard over the wind. ‘Did you happen to check on Attina’s wound this morning?’ she shouted.

Elsa’s hair blew in Ariel’s face. That was the one thing she hadn’t accounted for when she came up with this plan of having Elsa sit in her lap. Ariel turned her head from side-to-side, trying to avoid Elsa’s hair.

“I didn’t,” shouted Ariel. “It was still frozen so I figured it was fine.”

“It’s healing quite nicely. Before I left to find food this morning, I checked on it. The leaves pressed against her wound had darkened to a greenish color, so I flipped them over and sealed them under ice again. There’s still a noticeable puncture mark in her tail, but it looked better than it did last night.”

“The green on the leaves is them absorbing an infection.” Ariel shrugged. “At least, that’s what I was always told growing up.”

“Is redweed fairly common under the sea? Does it grow on land?”

“I don’t know if it grows on land,” shouted Ariel. “I never saw it anywhere when I was human. As for if it’s common under the sea, I know it’s common around Atlantica, but I’m not sure if it’s common around here. I wasn’t even looking for it when I found it the other day, but I haven’t noticed it anywhere else.”

Scuttle made his way back to Ariel, his eyes wide with panic. He landed at the end of her tail, facing Ariel and Elsa. He stumbled forward with the wind hitting his back and managed to catch himself by stretching out his wings. He was gasping, trying to catch his breath. “Awa—awake!” His eyes were nearly bulging from her white-feathered head. “And she’s—angry!”

“Did you talk to her?”

Scuttle finally managed to catch his breath. “No, I didn’t talk to her! She threw a rock at me and called me Fish Thief! I only stole a fish from a mermaid one time—” he squawked “—and I’m pretty sure it wasn’t her!”

“Great,” Ariel groaned.

“What’s he saying?” asked Elsa, shouting over the wind.

“He said that Attina is awake and she’s angry. I’m sure waking up on land alone wasn’t how she envisioned her morning going last night when she came to take me back home last night.”

“You need me to do anything?”

“No,” shouted Ariel, turning her head away from Elsa’s whipping hair. “Let me deal with her. I can calm her down.” Under her breath, she added, “I hope.”

“If you need me, just holler for me,” shouted Scuttle. “That is, unless you need help with that sister of yours. In which, don’t holler for me. I can handle being hit with food by a human or kissing a mermaid, but being struck by a rock thrown by a mermaid? I’d like to live to see tomorrow, thank you!” Elsa reached out toward Scuttle with a strawberry between her finger and thumb. Scuttle plucked at it and ate it. “She’s a real keeper, Sweetie. Don’t let that sister of yours scare her off!”

Ariel’s cheeks prickled with heat. “Thank you, Scuttle!” she shouted, as he flew off. “Well, I guess it’s time to face Attina. Are you ready?”

Elsa hesitated. “Uhm, no… But let’s do it anyway.”

They sped down the icy trail and as they approached their resting spot on the beach, Elsa created a couple picks using her magic and handed them to Ariel. “Dig them into the ice and it should slow us down!”

“With both hands?”

Elsa nodded. “Don’t worry, I won’t fall off!” She clutched the basket in her lap with her right hand and wrapped her left arm behind Ariel keeping herself secure on Ariel’s tail.

Ariel took the ice picks and though she didn’t want to let go of Elsa, she did as she was told. She dug the picks into the ice behind her and they slowed atop the ice until they came to a stop. Elsa flicked her hand and the ice melted beneath them, darkening the sand around them.

Attina was sitting up in the sand under the shade of the tree, her arms crossed over her chest. Even from a distance, Ariel noticed the tightness in her sister's posture, the rigid set of her shoulders. Attina’s eyes were narrowed into slits, and the tension in her jaw was palpable.

Elsa climbed off Ariel, and despite the burning intensity of Attina’s glare, Ariel found herself wanting to pull Elsa back down on top of her. The constant need to be close to Elsa was becoming a familiar, comforting sensation. When Elsa glanced down with a playful glint in her eyes, she hid a laugh behind her hand. Ariel arched an eyebrow and grinned up at her, momentarily forgetting the Attina-storm that was brewing under their tree.

“What?”

“Ariel, your hair is a mess.”

Ariel reached into her hair to find that it was poofy and tangled. Nothing another quick wash in the sea couldn’t fix. “You should see your hair!” retorted Ariel, with a playful tone in her voice. “It blew in my face the whole way here.”

Elsa’s eyebrows shot up her forehead. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Ariel chuckled. “It’s okay. I really didn’t mind.” When Ariel pulled a strand of blonde hair from her mouth, Elsa knelt beside her and offered her an apple.

“Can I make it up to you?”

Ariel eyed the apple, then glanced at Elsa. She admired how bright Elsa’s eyes were in the sunlight, how her small, cute nose fit perfectly on her round face—those lips… Ariel trembled, remembering those lips pressed against her own. Would you want to make it up to me with another kiss?

“I told you to stay away from my sister!” Attina’s sharp voice sliced through Ariel’s and Elsa’s moment.

Elsa glanced quickly in Attina’s direction. “Do you think she would like an apple?”

Ariel rolled her eyes at her sister, releasing a deep, guttural sigh. Before another kiss could happen, Ariel would first have to deal with her sister…