I blew him a kiss, looked to Ha-Lah, Jorie, and Jorie said, “Let’s go swimming, little sister.”

Then he surged up, and down, the entirety of his big, powerful body, including his glorious fin breaking the surface, the powerful caudal striking up on a spray of sea before he disappeared into The Deep.

Ha-Lah grabbed my hand, I turned to her, and she pulled us both up with the strength of her tail.

I tucked my head as she did…

And we were under.

We held hands as we undulated our fins, and I felt it that time, as I was not experiencing my tail forming, thus that taking the whole of my attention.

There was a sensation on either side of my neck, like the scratch of a kitten.

Ha-Lah must have read my thoughts for she said, “Gills. This is why you can breathe.”

That hadn’t even occurred to me, that I could breathe.

But I could.

I could breathe underwater!

I nodded, more than likely smiling like a fool, and I asked a question, the answer being obvious, as we were doing it, “We can talk underwater?”

“We can, and we can understand one another. But when I guided Aramus from Amphite to home, I spoke to him and he said it came out as gibberish. I asked Jorie about this, for I didn’t know of it, and he said this is why we understand the beasts of the sea, something the Mer are as well, for we have the ability to listen and understand underwater.”

This was important to know.

And I wondered, if this hearing underwater had something to do with why I could hear so well out of it.

“Silence,” she called.

“Yes,” I answered, I thought unnecessarily, as I was right there.

“My friend…” she let me go, “swim.”

For a moment, I was suspended. Uncertain.

Then I looked around.

The water was very blue.

The depths below seemed very gray.

And I saw a vast school of tiny, shimmering, silvery fish swimming some distance away.

This was before I felt a whisper of something against my fin, another, and I flipped it automatically as all about me another school of glistening fish swept by me, causing what felt like an all-over tickle.

I laughed and pushed after them, feeling Jorie and Ha-Lah swimming at my sides, but behind me, and I looked over my shoulders in turn to send them grins.

A sentiment they both reciprocated.

The school as one suddenly darted to the left, and I messed the turn, going wide, but I watched as Ha-lah looped her head, dipped a shoulder, and spiraled into her turn in an elegant manner I made mental note to try myself.

We followed the school for some time, striking ever deeper, though it was probably only me doing it in wonder.

I could see fish, floating bits of detached seaweed.

But mostly, I sensed the vastness around me.