From the entrance, Reed could not see who occupied the other rooms, forcing him to announce himself.
“Mother, Father,” he called in his sing-song voice as he slipped into their home. “I have a surprise!”
A half dozen faces turned toward him, confused. Large smoothed rocks in a variety of shapes were the merfolk equivalent of chairs, and he found many of the pod reclining on them. At the back of the communal cave, his father and grandfather sat together, separating the flesh of abalones from the shells.
This usually meant that the mermaids had successfully located a popular spot for the snail-like creatures. Abalone were an easier catch than most types of fish or crustacean, though not quite asflavorful. They were no one’s favorite meal but certainly better than starving when fish were harder to come by.
“Where have you been?”
“Don’t worry about that right now, Father. Look what I’ve brought you,” Reed displayed his catch proudly.
“I haven’t seen such a feast in many moons,” his grandfather said slowly. “Where did you find such a variety?”
“What should we have first? I know that Lady Serena is partial to snapper, but we haven’t had tuna in moons,” he hurried to change the subject.
His father’s face softened. “I’ll let her know you have returned. She and the other mermaids are resting after their successful hunt.”
“Great idea!” Reed nodded encouragingly. “Should I prepare enough for the entire pod?”
“Yes, young one,” Jupiter replied.
At that, Reed hurried off to the room where they kept all their food and supplies. Seaweed, kelp, sea lettuce, and other edible plants were stored in large shells and coral bowls. Oysters, shrimp, and other small creatures could last a couple of days, so those had to be collected regularly.
River’s strong back and turquoise tail disappeared beyond the kelp curtain as he exited the communal space. Soon, voices followed, and the distinct waves of many powerful tails in an enclosed space.
“What is it, dearest starfish?” asked his mother in her sweet, soothing voice.
“Has there been a human sighting? Are we in danger?” another voice interrupted.
“Oh, stars above!” said his aunt, nearly hysterical. “Are we finally being forced to leave the home of our ancestors because of those accursed land-dwellers?”
“Settle, settle,” Jupiter spoke in a slow, steady tone. “It is onlyyour merling, returned to us with a great deal of fish.”
His father spoke up then. “Lady Serena, mermaids of the Cascadian pod. The stars have seen fit to bless us this tide.”
“Come, let us celebrate this bounty. A feast!” said grandfather cheerfully.
“Please, have as much as you like,” Reed added, swimming out with the first tray of food. “There’s plenty more. Eat your fill.”
The mermaids descended upon the tray of seaweed and shrimp with glee. A protein-focused diet kept their powerful bodies working at peak performance, and they hadn’t been well-fed like this in ages. Pride swelled in his chest as Reed watched them devour their first course.
He hurried to bring out the second tray with the more uncommon fish and grinned at the pure joy on his mother’s face at the sight of the trout. All his life, his mother had led their pod with intelligence and patience. Despite this, things continued to grow more and more difficult for them.
It felt incredible to be able to help her care for their family in a meaningful way.
“This is delicious,” his mother said between bites.
“Wherever did you manage to find such a wonderful catch?” asked Lumina.
Reed glanced at the blonde-haired mermaid, nearly his mother’s age, but only distantly related. Her father had come from another pod and married Jupiter’s sister, Lady Atlantica. She had been the pod leader in those days, though her daughters Lumina and Celeste had had no interest in taking her place when she passed.
The two mermaids preferred to spend their days hunting for shellfish and gossiping about the rest of the pod amongst themselves. Technically, they were family to Reed, though not close enough by blood to rule out a match.
Especially as their numbers continued to dwindle and the otherpods became harder to reach, the choices for marriage prospects grew slimmer. They were isolated compared to previous generations, where mer could marry for love over necessity.
“Yes, do tell us, Reed,” cooed Celeste, Lumina’s twin sister. “How good of you to provide for us, sweet merman.”
He steeled his expression as he turned to the two blondehaired mermaids. “Well, you see, I’ve discovered something incredible.”
