The Mermaid and the Fairy

The Mermaid and the Fairy Chapter One
"That's why we have to go Glory." said Alexia sighing as she felt the salted wind blow across her face."I can feel it. Something is not right across the sea. There has been a red sun every morning this month."

"But Alexia! Our Grand-Parents died because of Sauron and the Ring!" Glory shivered at the thought of her Grand-Parents grim fate.

"But Gandalf is all we have left. His path has changed and it is heading into something darker. We need to help he is all we have left! You saw what the book revealed!"

Glory pulled out a book from her bag and ran her finger along the spine, she thought hard about Gandalf and his path. Once she was satisfied she opened the book. She watched as the ink spread accross the page and made many lines with many stops. She watched as the line disappeared into a mountain and there it went black.

"It's a long trip we better get home and get some sleep." sighed Glory.

"Only because you will have to fly! I'm going to swim it will be much quicker!"

"Alexia, I always beat you and you know it."

"Well how about we see about that and race back to the house!"

Glory answered her by shrinking down and flying off towards the house leaving a small golden trail behind her.

"Not fair!" Alexia shouted, "I can't swim on land!"

Both girls had just celebrated their 21st birthdays. Even though they were cousins they were more like twins. They were born within hours of each other. Glory had been first born and she always boasted about being the oldest. Alexia always replied that she must have been premature being so small now.

Really Glory was so small because she was half fairy. She stood around 4'4 feet at her full height. If she was a fairy though she stood a mere 4 inches tall with dainty pink wings. She had long blonde hair that fell in curls around her face. She normally tied it back in a messy bun with a small peice of hemp. It kept it out of her eyes when she flew. Her eyes were bright green and if you looked in them there was a faint sparkle behind her eyes that gave away what she was. If you knew how to look.

Alexia was around 6 feet tall and very lean. She had long blonde hair, but unlike Glory her hair was in tiny ringlettes that if you looked close enough you could see they were tiny braids. Alexia was a mermaid and when she was in the ocean it kept her hair from knotting. Because she was only half mermaid when she wasn't in the water she could walk with legs. She also looked more human than real mermaids. Real mermaids couldn't speak unless you were underwater. They were sirens that sat on dangerous rocks and sang to sailors making them change there paths and crash onto the rocks. That is why most elves that were drawn to the sea never returned. Alexia's mother had fallen in love with her father who was an elf from Lothlorian and saved him. Alexia's mother had passed giving birth to her and her father not long after.

Glorys father, on the other hand been a human. He had found her mother one day sleeping in a shoe in the winter. She had not left in time for the first frost and had post the other fairies she was living with. He had let her stay in his house and eventually she had fallen in love with him. Because she was a fairy and could not get bigger than her 4 inches he never noticed her in that way. She left and made a deal with a witch to become a mortal. Glory came so late in her parents lives they had passed when she was only 12.

Both Alexia and Glory had lived with their Aunt. Her brothers had been Glory and Alexia's fathers. They had not known that they were even related until they had brought their wives to their sister to give birth. She was the best midwife, though she still blaimed herself for Alexia's mother. She had taken Alexia in after her parents had passed and Glory after her parents. Though they didn't stay together until recently they had always grown up together. Always arguing about who was fastest or if a fairy was better flying above the clouds, or if a mermaid was better swiming into the depths and singing beautiful sings with the dolphines.

Alexia had been the first to awake. She stretched out in her bed and began to stare at the ceiling. She didn't want to wake Glory up just yet. She was lost in her thoughts as she stared up at the ceiling she knew so well. There were twenty-seven and a half tiles on the ceiling. Alexia sighed. This was pretty much all she knew. This place. She would miss it more than anything. Her and Glory had been across the sea once before. She remembered so much even though it seemed so far away. She knew that Glory had loved it across the sea. Alexia was worried Glory would not want to go back with her. Glory was awake and looking at her know. She looked so excited.

"It's way to early to be traveling!" moaned Alexia.

Glory stuck out her tounge. "We have to go this early or we won't have enough time to travel to the shire. That is where Gandalf is going to be. His path will be there just as we will. If we leave any later we won't make it!"

Glory had packed all of their belongings the night before. They had plenty of food for their long journey. They packed light with clothing not wanting to be burdoned on their journey across. All of their things were packed in a sack Alexia had made from animal hide. They inside was lined in mirthril. Alexia had found the material on the bottom of the ocean when she had been swiming around. It was so protective that it prevented their things from getting wet even when Alexia had the bag underwater. She would have to take it because Glory would be in her fairy state for the journey and far to small to carry their large bag.

Alexia stood on the shore and looked out. She could feel the crisp salty air blow agains her skin. She itched to jump in, to feel the oceans currents and to smell where they had been. She looked to Glory already buzzing around with excitment urging her on. She took one last look at her home for her whole life and started to carefully remove her clothing. She folded everything up and placed it into the bag. Making sure it was secure she placed it on her back. With one last look back to Glory she smiled and ran jumping in. Alexia could feel her tail expand out and her legs fuze together. It didn't hurt more like a strong tingle. Once in the water her eyes immediatly adjusted. She closed her eyes and tasted the different currents. She would have to lead the way to land until Glory could see it. She finally tasted what she was looking for and darted off following it.

Glory flew above watching Alexia swim about. She couldn't help but think she was hesitating on purpose. She knew though if Alexia made one wrong move they would be lost in the sea forever. Next thing she saw was Alexia darting off. Glory rolled her eyes and flew off. She could have at least given her some warning!

Glory sat on Alexia's shoulder as she bobbed in the water. Glory couldn't help but laugh at her friend. Her eyes were darting all around hearing the sounds of the ocean Glory could never hear. Earlier Alexia had found a pod of mermaids. They had swam all around Alexia trying to knock them off their course. True mermaids were vile creatures that want nothing more than for everyone to join them in the sea forever. If Alexia had gotten lost she would be stuck in their world forever. The more time she spend in the sea the more like a mermaid she became. Once Alexia had gotten stuck in a current and not remembered the way home. If Glory hadn't have found her she would still be wandering around.

Glory was worried about Alexia being away from the water for so long. Some half breeds lost their ability to go back and forth. She would need to keep track of how long she was out of water.

Alexia was sitting on the shore of Halindon waiting for Glory to come back. She was trying to clear her head after being in the sea for so long. She could still hear the voiced travel with each wave calling to her. She heard something behind her and was instantly standing up her bo drawn. A black horse came bounding out of the bush. Glory buzzed out a moment later leaving a gold dust trail behind her.

"You stole a hourse!"

"No...he's wild...I think...think of it as borrowing if he's not. We aren't going to keep him. Besides he's lonely!"

Alexia rolled her eyes. Because Glory was a fairy she was able to talk to most animals. She had set off in search of something to help them get across the Blue Moutnains to the Shire. Alexia watched the horse and then noticed something odd.

"Glory..is that Bellsulion?"

Alexia's question was answered when she saw his wings flap back and forth sending a gust of wind at her. Bellsulion was a horse from legondary takes. A winged horse.

"No...this is Randiriel. She is one of the last of her kind. She is called Wanderer by the people here. She said she would help us find Gandalf. He has helped her many times and she owes him a debt."

Wanderer rubbed Alexia's shoulder as if to say, "Please!"

She rolled her eyes and nodded to Alexia. With Wanderer they would be able to get there earlier than expected.

"Alexia we will be much faster now. Let's stop at Bree and stay there before we move onto the Shire."

"Fine but we must leave before day break the path isn't clear after that. Something important must be happening."

Alexia got up onto Wanderer she neighed. Glory took off up into the sky and suddenly the horse did the same. Alexia clung to it's main as she had nothing else to hold onto. She squeezed her eye's shut, she didn't want to look down. She would much rather be down in the depths than in the sky. The two girls disappear into the night not knowing that the events of that night would change everyone's paths including there own.

TBC

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