#ontamo

Soon he’d be departing for the Sea Guard expedition. In the years of training, the chosen cadets go on days long journeys across the sea. They took place annually in the spring when the sea was calmest. Of course the training ships that were used for the calm waters around Númenor were swapped for sturdier, larger vessels. Which inevitably meant more work for the students.

He lowered his face into his hands, whispering a quiet prayer. He’d been nothing short of a good cadet. But mistakes were bound to happen to any youngling in the Sea Guard. And so his anxiety rose as the days stretched on ever closer to departure.

He continued his breathy whispers to the Valar, to Ulme or anyone who would be willing to listen. Which turned out to be the reason why he couldn’t hear the quiet footsteps until they were right beside him.

“Turned to the faith have we now?” The voice chuckled, amused by the boy’s saintly pose, hands bound together tightly with eyebrows furrowed deep above his eyelids.

He didn’t turn to her, he barely even opened an eye. He already knew the girl making fun of his misery to be his dearest friend.

“Come to make fun of saints have you?” His voice was heavy with insecurity yet he managed to slip a hint of amusement into the last strings of his sentence.

“Isildur”, she voiced his name like he so loved to hear it falling from her lips. None other could speak it so dearly as she did. “You need to stop worrying so much boy, lest your fathers’ heart fails him. Every time I see him around he’s askin’ me about you. He has enough worry for the both of ya. Hey? You listenin’ you?”

“Yes.” His answer was prolonged, almost bored. “I can’t help it. I just.. What if i..”

“What you so worried about? Hm? We’ve been on these seas since we were a bunch of wee fishes. We’ve all made so many mistakes it’s a wonder we ain’t all dead yet! But we've learned.”

He admired her so, with her hair wild barely contained in the loose braid she wore. When finally he looked up at her he saw the sea itself encompassed in her very eyes. She had been blessed with the fiery courage of the storm and the beauty of the fairest sunrise. He envied her bravery albeit sometimes reaching on recklessness.

His eyes trailed on downwards the length of her body down to her leather sandals. The dress she wore was an artisan wonder. He wondered how it’s even possible to take it off with all those complicated laces.

“So? You gonna keep cryin’ and waillin’? Or you gonna join us at the Stealin’ Seahorse?” She blessed him with a smile of pearly teeth and blushed lips.

He shook himself out of his thoughts and quipped back: “I don’t have much of a choice do I?” He rolled his eyes looking across the glowing horizon. The invitation to the old quarter tavern did sound rather delicious.

“Not in slightest.”

The sound of his laugh made her heart beat like it wished to tear through her ribcage. His head lolled back as he stared at the sky. His adam’s apple now revealed a gorgeous line she thought to trace with her finger.

Isildur leaned back suddenly and stood with his back straight, pondering on his choises. He was a good half a head taller than her. She wondered what it’d feel like for their bodies to mould together in an embrace. His strong arms wrapping themselves around her midriff. Somehow in all these years it didn’t occur to her how much he’d grown. He used to be a fish bone, losing every spar against her. Now he was…

“Vali and Ontamo are already waitin’. Them beasts are gonna be yellin’ how we made ‘em wait. I doubt they’ll wait for us with drinks though.” She gave him another toothy grin. Then unexpectedly she wrapped her slim fingers around his wrist and began to slowly guide him back deeper into the city.

“Come now Isil, you can’t keep me waiting for that drink you promised me.”

“I wager I could, maybe it’d do you good to remain at least one evenin’ with a clear head.” He mused with a smirk.

“You’re makin’ me sound like a drunk you nipper!”

“I’m not makin’ anythin’, it’s all true.” The clear mocking of her voice was evident in his voice. And the laughter of the young woman on the breeze even clearer.

And so after weeks of dreadfull and painfull preparation of the ship that included wiping and mopping and scrubbing - which the cadets of course had to do themselves - the ship dubbed ‘Lover’s Quarrel’ was ready to set sail.

“Why’d you think they name the ship that?” (Name) asked the three lads standing beside her with their belongings in stuffed travel packs. As they stared up at that damned ship that took them five days to scrub from mast to hull. Though it was hard not to stare in awe at it now. Glistening and shining as though it was new. All the embelishments had been wiped and polished three times over, when they caught light the four friends had to squint at the shine.

Valandil ever the tease was of course the one to answer. “Probably because by the end we’ll all smell so bad it could ruin entire courtships.” The sound of his laughter rang loudly on the wind with Ontamo joining.

“What do you know maybe it’ll encourage some courtships to bloom instead.” Said the blonde with a provocative raise of his eyebrows.

The morning air was crisp in the harbour and somewhere along the bustling streets a sweet smell of freshly baked goods flowed in. (Name) laughed at the silly antics of her friends and added.

“We all know you’d need a bit of help with that Ontamo eh? How’s that raven haired girl comin’ along?” Only by a smidge did the blonde manage to escape the elbow jab from the joking woman.

“Ey, ey let’s calm down now shall we? You ain’t on a much better path than me.”

“I’m doin’ perfectly fine I’ll have you know!” The girl took off after the blonde chasing him onto the deck.

Meanwhile Valandil and Isildur watched them, though with differing reasons. Suddenly the darker skinned boy clasped a heavy hand onto Isildur’s shoulder and proclaimed.

“You’re awfully quiet. You ain’t still worried about the journey are you? We’ve got your back.. you know that yeah?”

Isildur flashed the taller boy a guilty smile and then looked back unto his feet, clad in light boots. “I don’t know, i guess… maybe it’s something else or.. whatever. I must have just eaten something bad.” His eyes refused to meet his friends’ pair.

“Listen mate as phenomenal as your actin’ is, I don’t believe ya one bit. Come on. Spill it. What’s weighin’ down on your heart.” He used his strenght to turn the boy fully torwards him. Now that they were facing each other Isildur found it hard to lie to his oldest friend.

“It’s.. do you think (Name) is… y’know, like, interested in someone? Or like is she courting anyone? Not that I care, but i mean y’know as her friend I feel like it’s something she should tell me.. us i mean we’re all her friends yea?”

Unfortunately the deapan look Valandil gave him could rival a statue. Oof. Wrong choice of words Isildur, the shorter boy cringed.

“Alright, for your sake I’ll pretend that sounded completely sane, but you owe me an ale. To answer that.. I’ve no idea. You know her she does as she pleases, half the time I don’t even know if she’s alive still. ‘Till I hear about her from the Chief of Armenelos Guard, she causes trouble every step she takes.. actually that might just be all of us.” He recounted the numerous times the four of them were messing around and got themselves landed in house arrest or under city watch for an afternoon.

“Anyway, point is. You’ll never know if you never ask. And even then she may just think up some shitty excuse like that one time on the Queens’ celebrations.”

It was then that Isildur snorted a quick laugh. “Oh I remember, we were playing that game huh? I nearly pissed myself laughing when she started goin’ on about the Sails’ Master.” He rolled his eyes and looked up at Valandil.

“You’re right, I don’t know what I’m doin’, blubbering like I’m asking a girl from kindergarden if she wants to hold hands..”

“That’s right my boy. Hey.. maybe by the end of this journey.. who knows, maybe she likes them smelly.” He roared a laugh as Isildur pushed him shaking his head.

“It’ll be goood~ Mmmm sniffy sniiff.”

“Alright you animal that’s enough. Disgusting...”

The first day was behind them and they were now officially on the high seas. The bright star eyed cadets stared out across the long streches of water as far as the eye could see. Their home was now nowhere in sight, and they were on their own.

The four were sitting on barrels tied to the railing staring out, tired after a days’ long work tying knots and listening to the Sails’ Master hollering out commands straight into their ears.

“Soo guys what’dya think?” the girl spoke up looking out over the calm waters.

“I think I’m deaf.”

“She meant the waves dumbass.” The long haired boy smiled at his friend.

“The waves are the same everywhere. It’s water what’dya want me to think?”

“I think they are different. No, no! Don’t laugh, they are… a different color. A different feeling, like the water by our reefs are all calm and kind, but the open waters.. those can sweep you under real quick. Almost like they’ve got a different soul, ya know?” She put her hand as a great philosopher would and plastered an important look on her fair face.

“Well now I have to laugh idiot, different soul my arse.”

“You just can’t see it ‘cause you’re a damn brute, all you’re good for is haulin’ barrels.” She stuck her tongue out at said brute.

“Now that’s hurtful that is. Watch your mouth woman.”

“Oh now don’t go feelin’ sorry for yerself Valandil.” Ontamo laughed and bumped fists with the still laughing woman.

“Don’t go takin’ her side now Ontamo. Or I’m not helping you with your chores.” He glowered at his friend with a hint of mirth.

“Be nice boys, you never know what ya might encounter on these here scary waters. What if a sea serpent takes you tomorrow?”

“You tellin’ me to be nice? You just done called me demented, woman.” He cracked another nut and handed it to her.

“That’s ‘cause I only speak the truth.” She stuck out her tongue as she accepted the peeled nuts. A silent agreement all was good.

Isildur who had been silently watching his friends with a warmth in his chest had decided, that this was good. It was the best actually, and he couldn’t be gladder he decided to come along. Well, not like he had much choice unless he feigned some great disease.

They spent their days on the high sea pulling ropes and sharing stories at night. The sea was calm and quiet, nearly too quiet. On the third day the Sails’ Master ordered them to line up for a sparring match since the sea was truly giving them no cause for concern.

“Sir yes, sir!” Forty two cadets shouted in unison. Then half took seats along the edges of the ship and the rest picked up mock swords and split into pairs. The swords were no different from real ones, the only difference being that they were dulled around the edges. When superiors were asked why, they only gave a short answer, “Because some idiot nearly got gutted when the ship hit a great whale some ten years ago.”

The whining stopped shortly after that. Now Valandil and (Name) stood across from each other. Their eyes set firmly on their oponent, the swords in their hands raised and ready for striking.

The young woman acted first with a provocative jab of her blade. He of course reacted just as quickly if not a little clumsily with a swivel of his torso. And then the dance began.

Swords clashed and sung with vibration on the cold wind. Feet moved in an undeniable rhythm, eyes stayed unmoving on their oposers.

Valandil as strong and powerfull as he was, was no match for the woman whose very own mother was the Chief of City Guard in Armenelos. Her moves were precise and practised, with ease she controlled and dominated the exchange.

After not long Valandil felt the direness of the situation and pushed twice as hard into his next lunges. That was unfortunately the beginning of the end as the woman felt his unease and masterfully guided him to his own demise.

When his sword finally clanked on the ground and (Name) stood before Valandil with her blade tapping against his throat, the first commander shouted,

“Next pair!”

Valandil heaved a heavy breath when her sword lowered to the ground and laughed when she smiled a bright smirk his way. He retrieved his sword from the ground and passed it onto the next cadet. Then Valandil wrapped his arm around his friends’ shoulder and whispered.

“I’ll get you someday you know that?” A laugh was heard from the shorter woman then.

“The day you win against me is the day you may place me in my grave, my pride may as well suffer in the ground.” She looked around then noticing one cadet, one very important cadet, is missing.

“Where’s Isil? Ontamo have you seen Isil?” She raised her head to the blonde who was now standing on the higher deck looking at the fighting cadets.

“I think he’s down by ship stores! Heard him muttering about being hungry, maybe he’s gone to get some apples.” He shrugged, more interested in the havoc caused by the two strongest cadets throwing jabs at each other.

“Well.. he could brings us some too..” her stomach growled in agreement. The tall dark skinned boy then nudged her. “Go on, find him. The Valar know he could get lost on one ship.” His grin was bright and almost too good willing.

“Alright then, maybe I’ll find you some nuts.” She rolled her eyes and made her way under deck.

“Isildur? We’re sorta missin’ you up there? I wanted to kick your ass just now!” She called on him, walking though the ship to the storage. She then noticed him sitting by the hammocks of their sleeping quarters, staring out in front of him into nothing.

“You alright?” At the sound of her voice he startled and wiped his eyes quickly then spoke in a hushed voice, “Yeah, I’m just fine.. great uhm-“ His voice thinned out into a whisper.

She walked slowly to him and crouched before him. Her thighs burned with fatigue after sparring with Valandil, but she paid it no mind. Then she quietly whispered to the boy.

“Isildur, you don’t need to hide. If.. I mean, we could help somehow? What’s the matter?” She spoke as if to a child, her voice light in sound but heavy with emotion.

She reached for his face and wiped his almost dry tears. “So? What is it?”

He raised his wet eyes to meet hers, and spoke with ragged breaths. He spoke of his mother, of his father and how he wished to make him proud, of his sister and how he feared the ravine between his family was widening and stretching. He whispered of his pains all the while grasping the sleeves of his friend’s tunic.

“I’m sorry, I’m blubbering about my problems out of nowhere again. I just.. got reminded of.. Nevermind.” He wiped his nose and when he raised his head to look Y/N in the eyes, she thought she must’ve gone insane. Here he was talking about his poor dead mother, and all she could think about was those pretty eyes. Wide and brown, lined with tears. How she’d wished to drown in nothing else more.

“You.. are you okay? Y/N? Uh- hello?” How could she be when he looked at her like she was his salvation. How was she meant to pretend she’d forever be satisfied with his friendship and nothing more. A comrade? Was that all she could be?

Then she realised, that was all she had to be. This boy she had loved for years she dared not count needed a friend. And she would be that and nothing more if he so desired. Tired was she of the constant games, wondering whether Isildur would make a step. She had always been confident, defiant and strong. To any other boy she’d have already confessed even if it meant risking rejection.

But with him, she couldn’t. She wouldn’t.

And so she comforted him with an embrace. And in the space between them was the heavy longing they’d wished to express. And neither of them did.

Days passed, and the sea was getting restless. A storm was on the wind, each and every person on the ship could smell it. Even the mighty mice killer — the sweet ratty cat they kept around — was hiding somewhere in a corner between the cargo.

“Well, it only could’ve lasted so long.” Isildur grumbled in defeat. Damn this weather, all he wanted to do was curl up in bed but instead he had to be on deck enforcing the masts.

“Calm before the storm.. Ulme is laughing at us. Let’s hope we can pass around it.” Valandil preached with a dramatic look on his handsome face.

(Name) immeadiately protested, “Oh please Ulme doesn’t even care we exist, we’re just bugs in his aquarium. I’m tellin’ you now that storm’s gonna hit us. Hard.” her face was painted with a disgruntled expression.

Time passed quickly with the cadets scrambling around the deck like ants. Tightening and loosening ropes, stowing away the uppermost masts to lose weight aloft.

The wind was now harsh and cold with water spraying from all around the ship, the last sails were tucked away and the cadets mostly just ran around looking for any loose ends on the vessel. Meanwhile the Sail Master and his men were debating.

“We’ve already lost time we can’t spend any more on the sea our supplies are thinning, it’s best we return to harbour as fast as possible!” The tall man shouted above the loud winds.

“If we try to sail through this storm she may take serious damage, we can’t afford to come back with broken masts, much less coming back with less cadets than we sailed off with!”

(Name) watched as the two commanding officers shouted on the upper deck looking out across the violent waves.

“It’s not worth trying to go through that Captain! I’ve seen storms like this one tear entire ships in half! The winds are much stronger than they seem!”

“Are you doubting what I know of storms? Last i recalled I’ve been on these waters longer than you Botswain!”

The scarred face of a woman hardened by the sea looked at the Botswain. Then turned heel and shouted to the crew.

“We’re going to take this beauty for a ride! Everybody better hold onto something or I’m tying you to the damn mast! Upside down!”

It was then that (Name) decided to find her friends. She ran across deck and bumped into Valandil who was tightening the sail knots. “Captain means to send us straight through. Around the eye.”

He looked back at the captain and dissmisively shook his head. “Then we better hold on tight, I doubt she’ll be wanting to make stops for those who want to take a dip.” He scoffed ironically.

Her heart was beating to the rhythm of the waves. Her hair was slapping her across the face, her hands flew to the back of her head to redo her braids.

“You seen Isil? Or Ontamo? Don’t tell me they’re sleepin’ somewhere again and lettin’ us work our backs off.” Her eyes flitted across deck stopping at every face.

In the next moment a light shone on the vessel and dissapeared just as quickly, then a great boom could be heard traveling through the cloudy sky. Her eyes flew to those of Valandil’s in silent understanding. “Well shit.” As rain suddenly poured from the sky as if conjured from nothing.

“Isildur?! Ontamo?!”

A brown skinned girl stopped in the middle of the deck, “I saw them on quarter-deck! I think the mizzen’s got some problem with it!” Y/N nodded her head eagerly and wailed, “Thanks!”.

She scaled the huge ship to the back. Three boys were standing around holding several ropes, it was now clear to see that they had somehow gotten entangled with each other.

“How’d this happen?!” Y/N ran up and grabbed a rope to begin untangling it from the rest, their hands worked quickly but the lack of light and rain falling into their eyes made it nearly impossible. They looked more like kittens playing with yarn.

”I’ve no damn idea! One moment- ugh-.. it was fine! And then they got all caught up when the lightning came!” A boy whose skin was as pale as ice yelled, she could see his hands were raw as the thick rope broke skin his blood smeared on the brassy twine.

Finally she got her rope free of the mess and began tying it to one of the wooden cleats. But before she could use all her strenght to pull it she was dragged off her feet. Unfortunately too late she realised the rope she’d untangled was one that held the mizzen sail in place, by untangling it she’d released nearly the whole sail which was now flapping in the strong winds.

“Shit. Shit!”

“Y/N!” Isildur sprung to her grabbing her by the torso. One of his arms using the rest of the tangled ropes as an achor. “Hold on!”

The sail was now at risk of entirely unfurling. Had Y/N released the rope she was holding there’d be no getting it back.

“Shit! Damn it!” Her arms ached, muscles stretched and pulled. Don’t you dare let go, she thought to herself.

Meanwhile Ontamo and the other boy were preoccupied holding down the rest of the ropes while simultaneously tying knots, Isildur attempted to lower (Name) to the ground. Her body was being pulled in whichever direction the wind blew at the moment. Her strenght couldn’t last much longer.

“Can you tie it to the railing?!” His feet carried them torwards the edge slowly and with great struggle.

“I don’t know!.. I’ll try! Get me closer!”

The rope was splipping through her wet palms. Her eyes flashed back and forth between the railing and those brown eyes staring up at her with devastation and exhaustion.

"Just a bit longer- Hold it!" His voice was clear and sharp, yet getting lost on the wind.

Finally she shot out one hand and grasped the railing pillar, wound the rope round and round and secured tightly with a knot. Her hands bled and her lungs heaved, pumping the salty air in her lungs.

"You've got it! Yes!" Slowly she let the rope go testing it's strength with a few tugs. And surely enough it held. She beamed a smile at her cooperator as his laughter reached her ears. The sound was as beautiful as the ringing of bells in Númenor.

He loosened his iron grip on her midriff and let her body slide through his arms, until her feet finally reached the ground with triumph. They stared at each other as the wind wipped their hair back and forth. The heat of another body pressing against their own so comforting neither wished to let go.

Their eyes were wide like four shiny plates. It was as if they'd been two prepubescents holding hands for the first time in the kid's school garden.

"Hey lovebirds! We still got a situation over here!" Valandil who'd joined the struggling men along with a few other cadets shouted with mirth in his voice. "Would you like to join us or would ya rather go snuggle below deck?"

Isildur's face gained a red color barely visible underneath the dark clouds as the their fellow sailors laughed loudly. (Name) laughed and exclaimed, "Don't get jealous now Vali!", with a sickly sweet smirk plastered on her face.

"Yeah.. right." Isildur's eyes dropped back to the ropes as they approached the mess again.

That night they managed to sail through the worst of it, and the cadets were given consent to go crash on their cots and in their hammocks. The storm had drained all the energy from the young numenoreans, thankfully most of the ship made it out just fine. There was no damages to the masts and suprisingly the sails survived perfectly well too with only a few scuffs.

The few cadets who had been by the mizzen untangling the ropes swore to secrecy with each other, lest the captain decided to just throw them off the ship for lenience. Then they spent the evening whispering jokes and throwing apple seeds at each others heads.

"I think it's Ontamo's fault, this fool was surely thinkin' of his beloved with the black tresses when he was tyin' them knots." Valandil wailed with a snort.

"Alright- buddy! As if you're any better! Don't go blamin' me!"

"I ain't blaming nobody, I'm simply statin' facts. The harsh truths that you won't." He rolled his eyes and smirked at his friend.

"As if you big oaf! Ain't no way I'd have messed them up. I wasn't even by the mizzen the whole day!"

"Boys. Boys! Boys!.. Simmer down will ya? It's nobody's fault or it's everybody's fault. Got it? For all we know it could've been one o' those flyin' fish captain keeps mutterin' about. Yes- the ones that jump twenty metres up! No I'm not joking!"

The laughs that started as giggles now carried through the whole room at her claim. Valandil was clutching his ribs and poor Ontamo was barely breathing. The other cadets were wheezing in various pitches, while Isildur was smilling at Y/N with an apple in his mouth.

"You're a nutface Y/N L/N!" Valandil was now rolling next to Ontamo who was wheezing about pissing himself.

"You ocean rats don't believe me? Alright then fine, don't come cryin' to me when a flying fish knocks yer teeth out!" Her laughter rang loudly like a bell. Isildur stared smiling at the girl. He hair was now loose, unbraided and hung around her face. He longed to touch it, feel it between his fingers, maybe even braid it himself.

"Hey Y/N, if you believe in flying fish... do you believe in them siren stories too?" One of the cadets who Y/N has become friends with inquired with genuinity in her voice.

"Without a dang doubt I do! Them little sea ghosts will eat you alive if you let 'em! Why'd you think all the ships that go past the reef have a songbird?"

"I thought.. it was more like a tradition thing y'know? Like it's been around so long ain't nobody wanna get rid of it, I mean.. you're a songbird right? Have you ever seen one? Like.. when you were singin' to the sea?"

Y/N face dropped, turned cold and bleak. The tradition of songbirds in Numenor was one that stood for generations, it was said that the only way to evade sirens was to have a 'songbird' usually a woman, nonetheless a seasoned sailor. Who'd sing to the waves in hopes to trick the sirens into leaving the ship alone.

"Oh I've seen 'em. Beautiful things.. chill blooded maidens of the deep. Daughters of Ulmo, fierce and dangeous." Her voice quieted, "But also serene.. and free. There is nothing to bind tem, no rope strong enough to cage them or enslave them. The only thing that calms them is music, that's why we sing. It's not just about tradition.. it's about respecting the sea and what it brings us. It is our home from the cradle to the passing, it welcomes us all into it's arms, it claims without regret or shame. You should fear it most of the time and love it always."

Heavy silence now hung over their heads with the realisation that their lives were truly at stake today. They only came out victorios because of each other, they trusted their brothers and sisters with their lives and were rewarded for it.

Sleep was not finding Isildur easily this night. He tossed and turned in his cot, but ultimately could not find the sweet darkness behind his closed eyelids. He decided to walk above deck for fresh air.

He heard her before he saw her. She was humming a melancholy melody at the front of the ship. She leaned on the wooden railing staring out into the now calm waters intently. Her voice was unlike he'd ever heard it, deep and silken, resonating over the water. Its vibrations made his chestbone thrum. The hum reached deep into him.

It was nothing like he remembered it from those times she sung in taverns on nights of celebration. Back then her voice was filled with mirth and was carried far on the wind through the city of Armenelos. She was breathless from dancing but continued her song nonetheless. He thought her very beautiful in her gowns, she wore light fabric sandals, with so many scuffmarks from dancing on the cobblestones you could barely make out a pattern anymore, and so many bracelets that jingled and sang with her movements.

Silently he walked up the steps and thanked the Valar none squeaked under his weight. He wished to hear more of her voice. His eyes flitted to the movement in the water suddenly. His lungs pulled an involuntary breath of chill air.

What at first looked like floating rocks, he now after squinting recognised as heads. Bobbing in the water they looked like they'd been cut off and thrown into the water. His first thought was corsairs - in which case it'd be very strange that his friend was singing to decapitated heads. After some consideration and more squinting he realised what exactly he was looking at.

“You shouldn't have shown yourself to them.. they're gonna try to eat ya now." Y/N turned her head slowly at him with an unsettling look.

His breath stilled as he stared, terrified at his friend.

When she saw his face she laughed. It was light and airy with no hint of danger. "I'm jokin', don't soil your pants Isil! You look downright mortified." Her smile reached her crescent eyes that shone in the moonlight.

"Wha.. oh my Valar.. Y/N! Don't joke about that." He whisper-yelled at his friend coming closer to her, tugging her by the tunic to get her farther from the ship's edge. "This ain't no laughing matter, we gotta tell... someone.. no?"

"Who? The captain? What you think she's gonna do? Throw a barrel?” She snorted a laugh. "And anyway.. there's nothing else to be done." Looking back at the bobbing heads in the water who have resorted to swimming in circles around each other in some strange unknown dance.

"They're just enjoyin' the night."

Isildur stared at it all, bewildered at what he thought were child's tales come alive. Right there in front of him, they were beautiful almost strangely so. Their skin was a scaled sheer gray that shone iridescent in the pale moonlight. Their hair was bound with thin ropes and pinned with seashells and crab remains. Some wore teeth of sharks or whales around their necks. And their eyes shone with huge pupils.

Then his eyes slipped back unto Y/N and he thought, what if she'd been one of them all along, with her beautiful face and soft silky hair, her confidence and passion, her love for the ocean and all things in it. The singing. He'd believe it now as she hummed, he was sure he'd believe anything she'd tell him.

Several voices mingled in the air now, ethereal and captivating in a dangerous way.

"Do you sing to them often?" His voice quivered as he found himself asking. Wanting to know more about this not-so-secret-secret part of her life.

"Not really, I could count all of our encounters on my hands. They come out to the surface after storms, because a lot of cargo goes overboard the ships." As she spoke he noticed that most of their jewellery was indeed of numenorean make, the ropes, the leather straps or even some of the metal-work.

He chuckled and quipped, "What a bunch of little thieves huh?"

"They'd steal your eyeballs if you'd let 'em." She laughed bumping her shoulder against his.

"Oh no.. please that's." Isildur made a disgruntled noise and pulled a disgusted face. He hated gross eyeball talk, that she'd always found so funny to poke at.

“Yummyy~” she sung. “But don’t worry, I won’t let them.” Her smile widened as she focused on him.

“Oh.. why thank you my most honorable knight.” He rolled his eyes to the stars and continued staring at the pretty waves dispersed by the strange creatures.

“Mmm... Look.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out a shiny broach. He rembembered faintly she’d bought it by the docks. For a few coins, it was rather old and nothing special then. But it seemed as though she’d polished it since, what was once an old trinket now reflected the waves’ shimmering light.

What sent a shiver up his back though, was the simultaneous turning of heads. They all stared now, with enlarged pupils, like cats seeing a mouse scuttering around the corner.

Next thing he knew she sprung her arm with great strength and sent the broach flying more than 60 meters far into the waves.

The water made a ‘glunck’ noice as it swallowed the silver piece and for a moment all was silent before the creatures bellow splashed and disappeared into the depths.

“The hunt begins,” she whispered with a smile.

“Not creepy at all Y/N,” he deadpanned.

She wheezes at his reaction slapping her thigh whilst bowing over from laughter.

"Oh Isil..." she gathered her breath through the giggles and gazed at him. He stopped for a moment and considered her. Was this.. longing he saw in her eyes?

There was that moment during the storm, his thoughts returned to that night and he held his breath subconsciously. Where he'd gathered the confidence to do what he did next he did not know.

"(Name), are you interested in anyone?" He pushed the sentence out of his lungs before he could overthink it. Almost immediately he regretted it.

Then her hand reached out for his face. As if on its own, he almost flinched in the silence. And then her warm hand was resting on his cold wind flushed cheek.

He could not speak, nor breathe even. Transfixed, bolted to the ground by her eyes.

"Isil..." she breathed tenderly.

The warmth of her voice drew an involuntary yet necessary breath from him, an embarrassingly desperate noise made its way from his throat.

A devilish smile stretched across her face. And somewhere deep inside he realized this tender hearted creature was no different from those that splashed among the waves. Bold, dangerous and beautiful all the same.

He barely registered his body moving forward head leaning down and his lips crashing onto hers like two rives meeting in a floodplain. Hands wrapped around him and trailed into his tousled hair. He hugged as tightly as he had that night when she`d nearly slipped from his arms.

She pulled her mouth from his barely enough to whisper.