He nodded, almost sighing in relief as the girl confirmed that they were empty. He was a bit startled when she kissed him softly on the cheek and then left to go her own way.

"Well that was...interesting. At least we got some information. shall we head back to the caves lady Willow? Or perhaps find some food for dinner?" with the girl gone, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, certain that she would need a bit of comfort after the sudden meeting.

Gale himself wanted a bit of reassurance. Who knew what intrigues and games went around theses waters. The mer people tended to be playful, and it usually wasn't the nice kind.

"Whatever you wish." Willow said, her voice nonchalant as she rested her head against Gale's neck. Willow tried to shove aside all thoughts of the mergirl as she traced designs against Gale's skin almost sadly. Now that they'd met one mermaid, surely there would be others and it wouldn't be long before Gale left her for one of them. Willow felt defeated as her insecurities attacked her from all angles and was suddenly glad they were underwater so that her tears wouldn't show.

he took the girl's face cupped within his hands. "Willow, do not fear. I shall not leave your side." he kissed her forehead lightly then while holding her he swum back toward the caves they had found before.

he wasn't sure how to reassure her. Were all human ladies this delicate. Mer woman were ver forward and daring. Yet he loved that about Willow, he was unlike the others he had known.

Prehaps trying the surface lands for a hwile would belittle her fears.

Willow forced a smile on her lips as she made her way back onto the sand and stretched out across the smooth beach. "Its warmer up here." Willow said shyly as she sat up and wrapped her arms around her knees, resting her chin on them. Willow pulled her long red hair over her shoulder and wrung the water out of it as she began to braid the damp strands before running her fingers through her hair to ruin her braid and starting again.

He lay beside her watching her. wondering in part, another just enjoying the time of now.

He watched her play and redo her hair. It was such a lovely color. It seemed to shimmer in the faint light.


((i'm a little stumped.... :( ))

Willow smiled shyly as she looked over at Gale and pushed her hair over her shoulder as she leaned next to him, propped on her elbows. "Do you want to go to the city?" She asked curiously. "It must have been so long since you've seen someone like you." Willow pondered with a little bit of fear in her voice as she realized that Gale could very well leave her when he met other mermaids.

"the mer city? Hmm I don't think that would be a good idea. First off, they wouldn't let you in and I DON'T want to go anywhere you can't go. And second, there are some of my people i just don't want to meet up with. Family problems..." he sighed and trailed his finger in the sand making weird shapes, almost like letters.

Willow felt some guilty relief spread through her when Gale mentioned not wanting to go anywhere she couldn't. "Family problems?" She pondered, taking his hand that had been drawing in the sand in her own. "Do you want to talk?" She asked softly as she linked their fingers.

At first he opened his mouth to tell her a polite no...then he paused and reconsidered. It wouldn't hurt to tell her a few things about his past and his family, and perhaps it would be good to tell kind ears.


"Well, It's not that there, bad people or anything it's just. My Father is very strict and my mother is quite stuck upon blood lines and well.... They knew what they wanted of me, and expected of me, but I had no say in the matter. They were matching me up with every high clans daughter they could find trying to force an engagement. My Father was the chief in my home city. I didn't really want any of that. When I left home secretly, that was when i got into trouble. That was when I got caught. i was trying to avoid guards and others of another city, and got too far into a harbor...." he shrugged not caring to go on. he wasn't quite ready to tell her more than the bare facts of it all.

"I'm sorry." Willow apologized softly, unsure exactly why she was doing so. "It must've been horrible to have to leave your family like that." She sighed. "Humans can be pretty stupid some times." She laughed softly, trying to make Gale smile in any way she could as she pressed a kiss against the back of his hand.