31Ever curious, I returned four tides later to our meeting spot. This time he was there waiting for me, his dark body dappled by the moonlight shining through the water. "Seasheen," he greeted me.
I smiled at him. "Bladeridge. I'm glad you decided to stop calling me 'princess.'" On a sudden impulse, I said, "Come with me. I want to show you something." I turned quickly and begin to swim away. When I glanced back, he was right beside me. I grinned at him and increased my pace, all the while searching for a particular current that would carry us to our destination.
"Where are we going?" he asked curiously.
"A special place," I answered. "A free place."
He fell silent, and I quickly found the current. Its strong flow swept us up, and we sped along, our wings powering us through the water. The current brought us to the surface, and I spontaneously leapt out of the water, gliding with wings outstretched before I came back down in a neat dive. I heard Bladeridge's laughter behind me as he playfully copied my trick. I grinned at him and did a backflip out of the water. He tried the same, adding a twist in the air. I could not help but laugh as I saw his dark body flying through air and water with equal ease.
Off we flew, trying to outdo each other with fancy tricks and dangerous stunts, using the current for speed. We were so caught up in our play that I almost missed the crosscurrent that meant the beach was near. But just in time I felt the tug on my wings, and I called to Bladeridge to follow me.
We surfaced in the shallow water of the cove, and I pulled my body up onto the glistening white sands. My companion's eyes were wide with wonder as he crawled up beside me. "What a beautiful place," he said softly.
"It's better in the sunlight," I answered.
"I can imagine." He looked around the beach, taking in the sheer cliffs that surrounded the sand, and the green vegetation that grew against their rocky sides. He sniffed carefully at the air, and seemed a little surprised at what he smelled, but said nothing. "Perhaps there is hope for you after all," he muttered, so softly I almost didn't hear him.
"What?" I asked.
"Nothing. Nothing at all." He rolled over in the sand. "Look, now I'm the same color as you."
"Sure, until you get wet again," I laughed. Suddenly it occurred to me to check what time it was. I looked for the tide markings on the cliffs that met the sea, and snorted unhappily. "I must go back. It will be morning soon, and it takes time to get to the palace."
Bladeridge agreed reluctantly, and we rolled back into the water. A cloud of white enveloped us as the sand washed from his hide, but we soon left it behind. It seemed to take much longer getting back than it did to get to the beach. Finally we arrived, and Bladeridge bid me farewell, and asked me to meet him at the same time the next day, before swimming off into the dark water. I swam back to the palace, quickly finding my quarters so I could collapse, exhausted from the night's exercise.
I met Bladeridge again the next night, and for many nights after that. Each time, he would tell me more of how he lived, and of the freedom that he experienced. I remained skeptical for a time, but soon began to be entranced by his stories. I could not help but wonder if the life I lived was good after all.