Beyond The Blue

n oceans, and sometimes, the wild

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cobbled streets, and the sea, ever dissatisfied, bellowed with ancient memory. Merbel Tidebane paced at

pest and brine filled her lungs. Something moved beneath her skin. The moon, plump an

y something old. She didn't care. Not much. Not until the dreams started-of a boy wi

pounding the

glass windows and driftwood beams. It was isolated. She preferred it that way. But as s

gr

, nearer this time. It was

logic,

lightning splitting the air to reveal the tangled skeleton of a splintered wre

eth

me

e was a boy half-buried in water-drenched sand. No-a man, straight and narrow-hipped, moon-p

d on his cheek and a spasm ran up her arm-a

yes w

Silver, as if mercury live

croaked. "

ed away. "Y

aintly. "I d

ning, but recognition. Somethi

pered. "We have to

ightning strobed across the water, and the storm keened like it was in grief. It didn'

-pulling off soggy clothes, wrapping blankets around him, placing a warm cloth to his foreh

gles of his face were sharp, good-looking. F

even know

her was whispering: Th

rage, but inside the cottage,

for once, kep

-

ke to s

un, and the air was heavy with the scent of wet earth and salt. Merbel stretched from her chair by the

reflected the sheen of moonlight. Even asleep, he possessed something primal, ancient. It d

slowly as he sat

said cautiously. "

relle. So it was true

ked. "Wh

at her, and the weight of centuries see

through her like a pebble

uman, are you

head. "Half

oding her face. "What

, doesn't it? You hear the call. The wolf is

her heart pounding.

moon-armor, standing at my side on a bur

he visions. The dream

side, gulls screeched over choppy surf. "Becaus

weight of his wo

asn't

t wait for preparat

-

liffsides, whispering of bad luck and sea-witches. Old Enna, the herbwif

gain, Anacobal standing over her, a

u really?" s

h the waves. We call it Namereth. Once, it stretched fro

hy

e we lost something that cannot b

ed. "My mother d

hey told you.

by, a voice as gentle as foam singing it, ech

o the land to save you. But the sea

the tid

eart broke and hea

something long dorma

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