Chapter 11 #2
Before she knew it three of the little devils had launched themselves onto her arms and legs leaving their slime on her clothing and poking holes in the fabric with their sharp claws. She winced when they scraped at her skin like tiny needles.
“You have plenty to share with the rest of us!” Finley exclaimed and grabbed one by its thorny tail and ripped it off then tossed it into the water, along with bits of her sleeve.
The other two glared at her with their huge black eyes and hissed. They dug their claws in even deeper and tried to drag Finley to the ground. To the side Ai was battling her own grindylows and spun and twisted around trying to throw a few off her back.
Finley groaned. She did not have the energy for this.
She closed her eyes and summoned the water magic inside.
Her skin bubbled and crawled but she took in a deep breath to control it.
Then the water in the stream bubbled too and stirred until it became a wave and came crashing onto the grass, washing and grabbing the grindylows off their bodies and flowing with them back into the stream.
Finley collapsed onto the ground and panted.
The world grew dark and fuzzy around the edges and it was so tempting to take a good long nap right then and there.
It wasn’t just being sleepy. But every part of her body ached and groaned, exhausted from the exertion of the magic.
Using enough water to pull the monsters off, she still maintained control.
It would be too easy to flood the whole wood if she wasn’t careful.
The cries and shouts of the grindylows brought Finley back to the present, and she pried her heavy lids open again.
With a sigh she pushed herself onto her hands and knees and crawled over to the edge of the stream.
Ai had gotten herself back together again too and examined the tears in her clothing as she followed and sat at her side.
The grindylows’ wordless shouts became more frantic and their eyes grew even wider.
So wide she could almost see images in their reflections.
They shouted and pointed behind Finley, not angry any longer but afraid.
“Do you see something? What’s wrong?” Ai asked them as kindly as she would a friend and not beings who had just tried to attack them.
Finley twisted to see a large black wolf running then leaping toward them.
She groaned again. “Rafe we’re fine!”
The wolf skidded to a stop until he was nose to nose with Finley. He cocked his head to the side and sat on his hind legs. “You got them all? Grindylows can be vicious.”
She scoffed and gently pushed him to the side. “Yes, I don’t need you coming to rescue us.”
“Well, it looks like that took too much out of you, and you’re about to collapse,” Rafe argued back.
“I can handle it,” she snapped through gritted teeth then turned back to Ai. “Are you all right?”
“A little scratched but fine.” Ai pointed toward the water creatures who still chatted noisily and kept trying to pull themselves out of the water but were unable to. “I don’t think they are, though.”
Finley crossed her legs and rested her heavy chin in her palm.
“Calm down. We’re just taking what we need, you have plenty of herbs.
” She gestured to the expanse of green all around them and failed at stifling a yawn.
The plants tended to be invasive and took over everything.
“I’ll release you from the water hold once we’re gone. ”
One of them pushed forward to the front of the group and yelled and pointed at Finley in what to most would be wordless chatter. A perk of Finley’s magic was being able to understand water creatures. Not many people could do it, but Finley was able to hone the skill.
“Stay away from our waters! We don’t want your kind around here,” he said in a high-pitched scratchy voice that rang her ears.
Finley bristled. It had been a while since someone had spoken to her like that.
Not since being back in the Dravian Islands and a large reason as to why she wanted to leave.
She then curled her lip and smiled. “Now is that the way to talk to someone who can keep you trapped there and not able to swim through the stream as you please?”
He crossed his slimy arms in front of his thin body. “Well you can’t take our herbs.”
Finley’s head was starting to pound, and the world was growing fuzzier and darker.
She could barely keep her eyes open. It would be a miracle if she made it back to the ship at this rate.
Rafe judged her with his wet wolf nose and leaned on her as if to help prop her up. “Fine, what if we make a deal?”
The grindylow waved his arms at the others who finally calmed and quieted, giving Finley some much relief for her head. “What kind of a deal?”
“There’s someone worse than me out here and she’s not going to make life pleasant for you.” She gave them a pointed look. “You say you don’t want my kind around your waters, but you haven’t seen anything.”
The grindylow narrowed his gaze and contemplated her. “I’ve heard of a sorceress queen and her undead army trapping about.”
“She’s not a queen,” Finley interrupted.
“At least not anymore. But she wants to be, and she’s not any good.
She’ll want to take over any body of water in the kingdom.
I can protect you from her. Let us use your supply of herbs whenever we want and we’ll keep you safe from the sorceress.
I can reach anyone who is connected to me and my crew and you reach out to me.
If she bothers you, call to me, and we’ll keep you safe and protected. ”
The grindylow turned to discuss with the others.
“What did he say?” Ai asked.
“And how can you talk to grindylows?” Rafe added. “The only one I’ve seen who can speak to other creatures is Amelia and her mother.”
Finley shrugged. “Family trait, and they’re discussing.”
The wolf cocked his head to the other side and settled in again making a warm furry pillow for Finley to rest against. He was comfortable as much as she hated to admit it.
Finally the creature turned back to the trio sitting on the grass. “Fine. Take our herbs. But we’re not joining your crew.”
“You don’t have to join my crew, but we’ll call in a favor someday.”
The grindylow’s face twisted into a frown that made him look like a grumpy elderly man. “Fine. One favor.” He stuck out his webbed hand and Finley shook it.
She crawled closer to the water and braced herself.
It was going to take the last bit of energy she had to pull this off.
She placed one hand on the water and extended the other toward the group of grindylows.
Her magic bubbled and swam beneath her skin making it prickle.
The water swirled into a small whirlpool around the creatures then rose to wash over Finley and the others back and forth until it formed a circle around them then splashed back into the stream sealing the bond.
The grindylows were freed from being trapped and let Finley and Ai take what they needed of the herbs under watchful eyes. They didn’t splash down beneath the surface again until Finley, Ai, and Rafe were on their way.
“And I thought you didn’t care about humanity,” Ai mused as they walked and put an arm around Finley’s waist to help hold her up. It was getting more difficult to remain upright.
“They’re not humans, they’re water creatures,” Finley answered.
“Right. Okay.”
In only a few minutes, Finley was already stumbling with each step. Every movement felt like rocks were pulling her down and preventing her from doing anything. Her whole body was heavy with exhaustion, and it took every bit of focus to keep her eyes open.
“Okay, that’s enough,” Rafe grumbled and gently pushed his head against her knees until she leaned against him. “Get on my back.”
“I can walk fine,” Finley whined during a long yawn.
“Let him help you,” Ai pleaded. “If you don’t, we’ll never make it back to The Mystic before Amelia if she isn’t already there.”
Finley was too tired to argue and she didn’t want Amelia on the ship without her supervision.
So she climbed onto the giant wolf’s back with the help of Ai pushing her up and leaned forward so her head rested against his neck.
Deities, he was huge. She’d seen Rafe in his wolf form before but hadn’t quite grasped how big he was.
It was wonderful, and within moments sleep took over.