All Washed Up

Aeronwen wasn't sure how it had happened. It had been days since he'd washed up on the beach shore and he wasn't sure how much longer he'd stay conscious.

He couldn't swim.

He couldn't move. He had gotten trapped, caught up in a net but he'd gotten free...only to end up in unfamiliar waters. He tried to find his way back, but his injuries only got worse.

And now he was going to die.

He laid on the beach, in a small, secluded grotto. He wouldn't last long. He was so hungry and on the verge of bleeding out or starving to death, he couldn't tell which.

Søren visited this grotto more often than he liked to admit. Whenever his parents' comments grew to pointed, or he simply grew weary of overhearing the servants' constant gossip, he'd sneak down here, where the waves drowned out the voices of everyone in the castle.

He walked carefully to avoid getting his clothes wet; so concentrated was he one his task, that he almost didn't hear the ragged breathing coming from a few feet away.

When he noticed the body, he almost slipped and landed on his face.

"Who are you?!" he shouted. "This land belongs to Hertug Rosenvinge--what are you doing here?!"

When Aeronwen saw the boy, his bright yellow eyes widened. He reached for him with his very freckled hand, with his sharp nails, but could not reach. He closed his eyes, his red eyelashes resting on his face. He could afford to give up now, right? He had been saved, right?

His tail splashed in the shallow water, glinting a bright silvery white color with accents of a deep orange which matched his tangled and blood matted mane of hair. It went down to his waist usually, but in its tangled condition it was barely to his shoulders.

His fingers twitched once before he stopped moving at all.

Søren shrieked, taking a step back from the body.

"...Hello?" he called again; the strange creature in front of him didn't move. He looked around; he wasn't sure he could carry such a large creature home.

Taking a deep breath, he ran away as quickly as he could.

-x-

"Wake up," he called, splashing the man's face with water. "Please, wake up. Are you alive?"

He was abruptly awoken by the splash of water but he didn't mind. He gasped for air and tried to open his eyes. He blinked, trying to clear his dizzy vision.

"Ble ... ydw i? Pwy wyt ti?" His throat was sore, but he managed to choke out those words.

He stared at the man with mild horror in his eyes; couldn't he speak Danish?

"Hello," he said, waving exaggeratedly. "Can you speak Danish? Are you from Sweden, or something?"

He held out one of the loaves of bread he had brought.

"Are you hungry?" He gestured to his stomach.

Dimly, Aeronwen realized that the man in front of him did not speak Welsh. Horrified, he asked, "Chi'n siarad Cymraeg, dde?"

He tried to prop himself up but his arms were sore and tired. He couldn't focus well yet.

"Don't--" he muttered, glancing at the bandages he had hastily applied to the creature's human torso. His sister was better at it than he was, and he didn't know how well his ties would hold.

"...Look, so you're not Danish," he said, sighing. "I don't know if I can carry you home--and I don't even know what my parents would think of...whatever you are. So I'll have to help you here."

"...Nid wyf yn gwybod beth i'w ddweud," he spoke quietly, looking at the bandages on his body. He looked up at the man. "Yr ydych wedi fy helpu i, ond..."

He splashed the water with his tail, weakly laying back down. He didn't know what to do from here.

He frowned.

"Is it not good enough? Look, I don't know what to do for you--I bandaged your wounds, but...I don't know if you need air, or water, or what. Are you sure you can't speak any Danish?"

He looked at the man and willed himself to understand him. Of course, it didn't work.

He reached out to touch the man, a faint smile on his lips.

"Diolch yn fawr."

He flinched instinctively, nervously playing with one of his long red locks of hair.

"Sorry...I don't understand you." After a few minutes of silence, he sighed, and pointed to himself. "I am Søren. Søren."

He tilted his head and attempted to repeat the phrase as he pointed at Søren.

"Sii...ren," he found it didn't sound very similar to the way the other man had said it. Moreover, it meant nothing to him. He wondered what it meant.

"What is your name?" he asked, pointing to the man.

Confused, he pointed to himself. What did he want from him? Was he asking what sort of creature he was. He wasn't really sure how to explain it, anyway.

"Nid wyf yn deall..."

He sighed.

"Do you not have a name? Do you even have parents?" Frowning, he thought for a moment.

"I will call you...Sven. Søren and Sven," he said, pointing to each of them in turn. "Do you like it?"

"Sven?" He said. He didn't know what it meant. But he shrugged. "Iawn."

He smiled a little, and brushed some of Sven's hair out of his face.  "I'll take that as a yes.

"Now Sven, is it water you need to live?" He pointed at the water, and then at the merman, making exaggerated gestures.

"Sven" nodded slowly. If the man was asking what he thought he was, then the answer was yes.

He frowned.

"Then I don't think I can bring you home...would you like help getting back into the water?" He pointed at the water, and mimed pushing with his arms.

He shook his head furiously, "Dim dim dim!" he exclaimed, grasping onto nearby rocks. If he went back to sea now, he'd just be lost again.

"Ah, okay," he said, grimacing.

"Well...would you like me to try to carry you home?" He pointed in the direction of the castle. "Would you like me to try?"

He looked to the castle. It was strange, and he wasn't sure what significance it had. Maybe it was a hospital.

He nodded.

Sighing deeply, he rolled up his sleeves.

"Fine. Are you ready?" He slipped his hands underneath Sven's body, readying himself.

He tried to find a comfortable position as he held onto the man helping him. He didn't want to dig his sharp nails into him, but he needed a good grip. He tried to hold onto the other man's clothes.