Call of the Heart
The Pirate Aisha looked blearily at her.
"Wassat? Go away."
Tiané looked shocked and clasped his paw
earnestly.
"I am your one true love, my darling. I knew
we were fated to be together and I have come from the very depths of the ocean,"
and here Tiané's paw gestured dramatically, "to bring you my humble heart
and lay it at your feet." Tiané fell down at his feet and looked up tenderly
into his face.
The Aisha gazed very dimly at her and fell sideways
off the barstool.
"My love!" shrieked Tiané. She bent to
minister to the fallen pirate and patted his cheeks frantically.
When he opened his eyes again, Tiané smiled
coyly and blushed.
"Do not be ashamed, my dear one. It is natural
- after all, I felt the same way when I first laid eyes on you." She kissed
him lightly on the cheek.
The Pirate Aisha hauled himself up to a sitting
position.
"Who are you?" he snapped. Despite the slurring
speech and smell of something strange on his breath, his wits were still sharp,
honed from many years of mistrust and deception.
"Tiané, dearest."
"What the...why are you here?"
"Why, love, my heart led me to you." Tiané
put her paw on his.
The Aisha looked her slowly up and down.
"Nice looker, ain't you? What do you want?"
"Want?"
"I have plenty of Dubloons..."
"Darling, I care not for your wealth. I care
for you."
"Name?"
"Tiané," she said, being careful to accent
the e.
"Too long. Let's try Tia, shall we?"
Tiané looked upset but kept her grievances
to herself. She sniffed delicately.
"What's that smell, sweetheart?" she asked.
The Pirate Aisha opened his mouth to reply and
turned the peculiar shade known as Pawkeet Green. He clapped a paw to his mouth
and staggered hastily outside.
When Tiané emerged a few moments later,
the Pirate Aisha looked more awake and his colouring was back to normal.
"Where did you say you came from?" he questioned.
"The depths of the sea," repeated Tiané.
"Gonna tell me yer story?"
Tiané started her tale, embellishing it
slightly in order to impress him. Soon, he held up a paw.
"Tell me more about 'your people,'" he sniggered.
Tiané began to relate the history of the
MerAishas, that she'd learnt by heart as a young cub. The Pirate Aisha nodded
keenly.
"Well then..." His rough voice sweetened suddenly
in tone. "Will you tell me a little more? What protects them?"
Tiané fluttered her eyelashes coquettishly.
"Of course, sweetling." She caught a grimace
on the face of the pirate. "Are you ill, my love?"
The pirate smiled brightly and told her to carry
on. Half way through her speech, he stopped her.
"A crown? It protects the MerAishas? Tell me
more about it. Is it valuable?"
"The crown contains powerful Water Faerie magic
and the hearts and souls of every MerAisha. It protects our kingdom. But I don't
known if it's..." Tiané struggled with the unfamiliar word. "Valuable.
Do you want it, love? For it was to be mine."
The pirate smiled again and tapped his teeth
with the hilt of his dagger thoughtfully.
"I'd like to see it," he finally said. He held
Tiané tenderly - she was too valuable a commodity to lose.
"I'll have my ship ready for us, for tomorrow.
Why don't you come home with me till then?"
Tiané almost floated down the road, following
the male Aisha. She forgot about her awkward legs and lost herself in her dreams.
The pirate opened the door to a small house and led Tiané to her bedroom.
Tiané lost herself into a world of bliss.
***
Tiané was shaken away roughly at the crack of dawn. Scowling, the Pirate Aisha
drummed his paws while Tiané made herself up. He impatiently pushed her out
of his quarters and back onto the quay. A few Pteri wheeled up high in the pale
cloudless sky, calling out to each other, but otherwise the place was still
and silent. Hurrying to where the ship was docked, Tiané saw the motley crew
assembled by it and watched in pride as her Aisha told them to quit staring
and get to work. Under the Aisha's orders, the crew began to prepare the ship
for casting off.
At first, Tiané sat down in the middle
of the deck, rather confused by all the activity. A passing Pirate Krawk tripped
over her and cursed violently - Tiané beat a hasty retreat to the cabin.
The place was cramped and Tiané compared it unfavourably to the endless
sea. Lying uncomfortably on a narrow bunk, she tried to some more sleep, still
unused to be sailing on top of the water, instead of gliding through it. The
rocking motion eventually lulled her into drowsiness.
Tiané woke up to the unnatural sound of
creaking sails. Sliding uncomfortably out of the bunk, she felt her heavy body
hit the floor. It was so much lighter and more agreeable in the supportive water.
As she emerged into the sunlight, she spotted her Aisha sprawled casually on
the deck. He sprung up when he saw her.
Not bothering to sweeten his voice, he called
out to her. "Get the crown then," he said roughly.
Tiané's eyes widened. "It's not that easy
- I can't!"
The Aisha abandoned all pretence of being agreeable.
He'd buttered up the girl till now and it was time to force her into playing
his game. He spat wearily.
"Fat lot of use you are. Can't you get your Faerie
friend to help us?"
"I..."
The Aisha took a step forward, looking enraged.
She must not have time for doubt, or disobedience.
"Useless idiot!" he cried. Tears slid down Tiané's
cheeks.
"Love?" she quavered.
He turned away from her, pretending to ignore
her. He mock scowled and looked noncommittally up at the sky.
"There's a storm brewing," he remarked.
Tiané nodded and grasped at him, trying
to regain his attention and affections.
"The magic of the crown prevents intruders entering
the MerAisha kingdom. That's a magical storm - it will chase us to the borders
of the kingdom."
The Aisha looked quizzically at her and pretended
she had regained his interest. It spurred him almost to laughter to see her
eyes light up in lieu of his recognition. Pretty little kid, but stupid. He
passed Tiané a heavy helmet and tank - an early version of an invention
for going underwater. They were unwieldy and too big for Tiané but she
struggled into them without complaint or question. The pirate smiled - he had
her. He roughly manhandled her to the edge of the ship.
"There's enough oxygen for a couple of hours
- don't be long..." He paused. "Love." Tiané thought she detected a note
of sarcasm in his voice. The veil began to fall from her eyes.
"I..." she hesitated. Betraying her people?
Would she do that?
The Aisha sensed his hold on her loosen - he
could not afford to lose his control over her now! He suddenly knew what to
do. The Aisha leaned forward and kissed her swiftly as she wavered. Tiané
felt a shiver of elation pass through her body, removing all her doubts.
"Go now," he whispered as she slipped down into
the cold sea's rough embrace.
To be continued... | 
