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Tyrill lends Aerona a fresh loaf of bread for lunch which she gladly accepted. She hadn't had her breakfast properly that morning and she felt quite a weariness.

The heat blazed like fire on her and she felt hard to breathe.

'Where we off to?' asked Aerona.

'To my kingdom' replied Tyrill and continued on the road.

The silence and the clip-clop sounds of the horse's hoofs starting to annoy Aerona. She grumbled  'And how do we get there?'.

'By my horse-' he began when Aerona stomped her foot, frightening both Tyrill and the horses, 'What is the matter with you?' roared Tyrill. She huffed and said 'I want to know exactly how we would be reaching there'.

Tyrill slowed his horses and looked behind him at a fuming Aerona.

'We would be taking a road beside the Lake of Dorkfume' replied Tyrill.

Remembering the stories told by her adoptive mother, she said 'The Lake of Dorkfume? Like the lake where many people committed to cessation...by the trance of mermaids?' asked Aerona and she got a nod in response.

Aerona laid back and thought fervently. And the sudden blowing of the wind startling her from her thoughts.

'This is suicide...' she said and the horses neighed in agreement.

'I ride by the lake quite often and no mermaids harmed me though' Tyrill replied turning a quick left and Aerona held onto the tightened packages for support.

'And I suppose they won't hurt me...?' she doubtfully applied to the latter. 'Supposedly...maybe or not at all. Mermaids are unpredictable truthfully' said Tyrill.

The burning curiosity raised its heads in Aerona. 'What do you know about mermaids Tyrill?' she raised her inquiry.

The momentary silence from Tyrill made her think the question was unnecessary for her to raise so she pumped down her enthusiasm. 'Mermaids...' murmured Tyrill causing Aerona to jump up.

'Mermaids..?' asked Aerona.

'Mermaids are odd folks. They like to keep to themselves except when they get hungry, they pursue to the land' said Tyrill.

'Wouldn't that suffocate them?' asked Aerona. 'Truly it would my lady but they transform themselves to humans and catch themselves some prey. Which humans would call suicide' he replied and continued, 'Truly odd folks'.

Aerona never saw a real mermaid except in children books illustrations. Beautiful, elegant and all a girl's dream come true. But after knowing that few facts made her feel otherwise.

The day was darkening. A drizzle started and continued to a downpour. The inside of the small carriage began to get wet but Tyrill implied that they won't be able to halt here as this territory was infested with dark magic and unsafe.

Aerona pitied the horses as they kept on the muddy road but got encouraged when Tyrill noted to her that the Elvish bred horses are quite adept at walking down extreme terrains.

The water started to leak from the carriage boards, soaking Aerona's frock.

Tyrill apologized fervently to the lady. But she waved it off as she knew Tyrill himself was in a more dire state. His long glossy dark hair dripping wet and sticking to his elven wear and forehead.

'I believe we need to find cover' said Aerona lightly.

'Yes but nowhere is safe' he said pointing at the wide cracks on the barren ground now muddy, which formed green smoke.

'Cursed' Aerona mumbled under her breath. 'Yes. Judging by the poor curses on the ground, rogue witches' Tyrill pointed out. 'Witches?' asked Aerona, 'Like the one in stories?'.

'They are very real to be in mere stories' said Tyrill trying to avoid extremely muddy areas.

Abruptly a lighting so bright, flashed before them, that it clouded both Aerona's and Tyrell's visions.

The startled neighs of the horses made Tyrill speak in a foreign language. Which seemed to calm them and it soothed Aerona's frayed nerves. She gave out a trembling sigh and asked 'Elvish?'.

'Pardon?' Tyrill asked. 'The language you just spoke...is it Elvish?' she repeated.

He nodded 'It certainly is.

He touched the roof of the carriage and scrutinized the leak.

He then looked down at the lady and touched on top of her head and started apologizing 'My lady! You were getting all wet..why didn't you say of this ages before the rain started?'.

She shrugged and replied 'You were drenched and in a state dimmer than me. I could not just complain'.

Tyrill watched her. As if seeing a new her.

He turned his back and said 'We have to get down somewhere. This carriage is no longer of any use' and then mumbled silently 'I should have listened'.

'We are in the middle of a forest Tyrill. Where do we find refuge?' she asked

And then Tyrill spotted a large oak tree admist the whacky crooked trees that gave out an odd eerie atmosphere.

The oak stood proudly amongst the ruins of clusters. It's ancient roots partly visible the fertile soil. It's branches wide and inviting. Tyrill decided, so be it.

He jumped out from carriage to the downpouring heavy rain. Soaked immediately. He removed the reins of the horses and lead them to the shade of the tree. He ran back and handed his coat to Aerona.

She took it and hiding herself underneath it, she ran to the tree. Closely followed by Tyrill.

Aerona was now soaked to the core. Her dress wet inside and outside. Her undergarments now sticking to her like sap, which now felt very uncomfortable. And she felt her wings falling heavily.

Tyrill ran his hand on his hair and pulled the flyaway hairs from his forehead.

Aerona walked to a high stump root and sat down heaving heavily. And Tyrill walked and sat down beside her. Aerona tried to ignore the tantalizing scent of peonies and gooseberries wafting from Tyrill.

She clicked her tongue and was about to utter a question when she noticed a water source underneath a foggy mess.

She slapped her hand on Tyrill's shoulder and said enthusiastically 'I see the Lake! The lake of Dorkfume right there'.

Tyrill ignoring the sharp pain, looked around the direction where Aerona pointed and replied with a grin 'What good eyes has the power gifted you. It certainly is the lake'.

Ignoring the raging rain, Tyrill pulled his horses and walked to lake, followed by Aerona.

As they hurried, the wings that was tied down under her dress started to get heavier and with no warning, the wings popped from her dress. Tearing the petticoat and the dress, the wings pulled itself from the drench of clothing and stood magnificently above her head.

But the weight was quite unnerving and Aerona stumbled down. Tyrill pulled her up and said 'Thy wings has soaked the water and it is crucial it gets dry'.

'Elven lord, I truly think that is impossible seeing that it is raining heavily' replied Aerona trying to pull the weight of her wings.

Tyrill pulled her and said 'Close thy eyes'.

Aerona twisted her face in confusion but agreed to it anyway.

Her eyes grew heavy when she heard this melodic hoarse voice speaking. Tyrill was chanting something in Elvish. Aerona felt her wings get light and less wet.

When instructed to open her eyes she checked her wings and was flabbergasted that it was now dry and the rain was not not soaking it anymore.

'A spell to repel water and to dry the cool off' he said while directing his horses back to the lake.

She smiled to herself and followed Tyrill.

Their footsteps sounding dim and splashing across the muddy land. After a few struggles of wading through the mud and rain they reached the lake and Aerona pulled her face in disappointment and disgust.

The lake water was all murky and grey. Looked unhealthy for any being to live or to consume. Moss groveled by the beds and weeds caught hold of the stones. A school of dead fish floating in abyssal.

'I see that you cannot get sight of the true form' Tyrill called out in a whisper.

'True form?' Aerona imitated.

'This is an illusion cast by the merfolk' Tyrill said in a very inaudible tone.

'So it's not as wickedly as I see it now?', 'No. Usually every beings apart from humans are able to witness the beauty of The Lake of Dorkfume. But I believe you have been residing among humans for a long time'.

Aerona weighed the truth. "For a long time" does cover it. She was born among humans.

'Do take extreme caution not to disturb the waters. The merfolk are very protective of their territory and wouldn't mind taking you with them to your death' said Tyrill quite in a calm tone while this instruction rattled Aerona.

Aerona slowly took her step and walked from the lake.

She sighed in relief and walked further in utmost confidence. And then Tyrill pulled his horses back suddenly and Aerona who was standing right behind a horse, got hit on her face by the horse's arse.

She slammed into it quite forcefully and she blinked in confusion for a moment. This had startled the horse and it gave a kick from its hind legs. Making Aerona fly to the edge and her hand slapped the water, creating illusionary ripples.

'Get away from the water!' Tyrill cried in horror.

Aerona might've been too late.

A slimy webbed hand reached forth and held onto her wings. A couple of other hands emerged and started pulling her in. Ignoring her horrified screams.