All who wander

Hadama was not intimately familiar with Rae's Fingers, which was reason enough to ask the kindly Harper to accompany him. The human's position on the council was another reason, as they were going to investigate a body that had recently washed out from the old lava tubes. And then there was the fact that it had simply been awhile since they'd had a chance to speak and the King missed his friend.

At high tide this particular entrance was half-submerged, allowing both men to safely swim - or wade - into the tunnels as the light decreased. Hadama's trident provided a dim, starlit glow that was augmented by the 'lantern' he had brought: a glass buoy filled not with air but with Arclight water packed with bioluminescent algae. The King was tired but enduring as he swam slowly, starlight glittering in his wake from the air-breathing ring that would protect his human friend if the tunnel dipped below the water line completely.

Have you explored here before? he asked curiously as they went forward.

Harper

I'll keep breaking my own heart with dreams
I know I'm still not what I want to be

In contrast, Harper was relatively familiar with the area given his job kept him apprised of the smuggling that often went down within it. When Hadama had asked, he'd willingly volunteered himself for the opportunity - not without his own private reasons of course, but he was patient enough to wait for the right time for that.

Comfortable enough to swim with only Hadama's ring to aid them knowing he could shift to his elephant form to breathe with his trunk if an emergency occurred, Harper took the opportunity to submit himself to a little physical training with the amount of swimming they'd been doing. Nothing abnormal given his strict exercise regiment, but far more enjoyable with a partner. It's easier to respond through the Attuned link to preserve his steady breathing pattern as they wind through the tunnels. I have. There's a good deal of smuggling through here, especially by those with aquatic Attuned forms. It's almost a shame given how beautiful it is! So few were able to safely explore it without copious precautions, and those could do nothing in the face of ill-timing and bad luck.

But what more do you want from me?

Mm. The smugglers. His mental tone was more thoughtful than disapproving - though it was not entirely devoid of the latter emotion. They are... unwise, sometimes. As the most recent drowning amply proved. But Harper's observation drew Hadama's attention to the rock formations above them and the glints of obsidian and other inclusions in the volcanic stone that threw back their meager light. I have not had the chance to see much of them, he admitted, and there was a subtle weariness in the Bond.

Beauty in this case went hand in hand with danger and it was just as well that Harper was already swimming as the tunnel dipped until only a narrow strip of air was available near the ceiling. It is difficult for Mer to patrol far in it. There are too many sections that are dry. He paused before glancing aside at his human friend as the man swam with clean, confident strokes beside him. And it is dangerous to humans for the same reason. It is best done as a team.

But that was a reminder that not all teams had survived recent seasons. His co-ruler had left to search for her son, but that loss was nothing compared to losing a fiance. Has there been word from Maeve? he asked, his telepathy gentle in the query, and ready to change the topic if it proved to be a point of pain.

Harper

I'll keep breaking my own heart with dreams
I know I'm still not what I want to be

His sigh is more internal given his current activities, but Hadama will easily sense his disappointment, not the type to carefully curate or guard his emotions as some Attuned did. Often. But money, drugs, power...they are enticing, and no level of oversight can really fully eradicate it. All we can do is try to provide safe alternatives to elevating one's station. It's no surprise that Harper had been heavily involved in social work in his old world and had done his best to enact the same here in Torchline; medical clinics, the post-secondary school he runs himself, as many handouts as he can give from his own palms. He hadn't lied to Sohalia when he'd said that he would teach people to steal and slip into shadows unseen, but always with the emphasis that it should only be utilized to escape from hard times, harder fists. He couldn't change everything overnight, but it wouldn't stop him from trying.

As the availability of air became far narrower and slimmer, Harper reserves the air in his lungs and tries to go longer beneath the surface, only utilizing Hadama's ring when the only other option would be smashing his head into the ceiling. Luckily we make a good one! he responds cheerily, undaunted. It dwindles as the quiet, gentle query comes in its wake, and while he doesn't block off the bond he tries to mute and soften the hurt that wells against his will.

...no. Edmund returned and said he'd had a long talk with her, but she did not come back. Edmund had then moved out into his own apartment, and Jude had aged up to sixteen...It has been really hard, honestly. I've been trying not to let it show, but my son - he saw it anyway. Visited Frey's shrine, said it was to stop being a burden. He wonders if Hadama had seen Jude when they'd all convened to call upon Safrin, if he'd even recognized the teenager who had previously been a shy ten-year-old. Then his mother came around, and that was - he cuts himself off, and a sharp flare of embarrassment spikes in the bond. Ah, sorry. Didn't mean to go off on a tangent.

But what more do you want from me?

There is little enough in Torchline that is illegal. Sometimes I wonder if they do it simply for the thrill, the King admitted. The chance to thumb their noses at authority, and the adrenaline of doing what they weren't supposed to do were not without their own allure to certain types. Torchline had its share of poor and downtrodden, as all regions did, but at least the Fountain in the Court of Stars was free and open to all and those like Harper, Ray, and Maeve had sought to help make life easier where they could.

A pulse of pleased approval and agreement traveled back along the bond at Harper's enthusiasm. Indeed, the Tidebreaker rumbled, forging ahead until the ceiling rose once more to give a human head room to surface.

His question brought an answer and more, and Hadama listened attentively, letting Harper speak as much as he needed. A branch in the path brought only a momentary pause before he chose the shallower of the two tunnels and continued to lead them forward until Harper broke off. The embarrassment in the bond was met with a calm acceptance and a gentle wave of reassurance. I am the one who is sorry. I should have asked this sooner. He had seen the young man at Harper's side, but had assumed it was one of the councilman's students. Frey's shrine had an uncanny reputation these days for aging children up, however, and Hadama slowly pieced together what had happened. But there was something he still didn't understand...

Who is your son's mother?

Harper

I'll keep breaking my own heart with dreams
I know I'm still not what I want to be

Adrenaline rush is no joke, he sighs in agreement. Not that Harper wasn't mildly hypocritical considering he'd been a well-established leader of a giant vigilante movement on his homeworld. Oop.

The silence on Hadama's end is strangely soothing, and Harper pulls himself along with a hand against the rock above the water to take a breath in the widening channel of air above to distract himself from how his own gratitude for it crests over him like a wave. You've had so much on your plate Hadama. We've all been busy - I don't blame you for not asking. He could have approached the Tidebreaker on his own accord as well, but too much had held him back.

His mother is Phoebe Steadman, Frey's demigod? I'm not sure if you've met her. We were together for quite a few years before Jude was born, until she vanished. She returned a year later and had apparently been trapped in a garden where no time seemed to pass. She'd disappeared once before, when Frey made her into a demigod - so it has been... his throat closes on habit alone, because there is no need for it to happen with how the words spill out internally like a bleeding wound. It brings back really hard memories is all. Maeve being gone. And Phoebe has expressed wanting to get back together now that the opportunity is here. Which is a whole different basket of emotions and history to contend with.

But what more do you want from me?

Harper's open honesty in the bond was a refreshing change from the common barriers of most Mer. It was a matter of courtesy when all shared the Bond - particularly in public places and among strangers - but even if it was simply Harper's way, the trust it indicated was just as touching as the sharing of the councilman's heart. Harper might not blame him, but Hadama still felt remorse keenly. You are my friend. And also my advisor. You deserve better, the King stated with unadorned certainty. During the past season he had begun to feel the weight of ruling what were, effectively, two nations, but the excuse was only that - an excuse. Not an acceptable reason for neglecting those he depended on.

The name Phoebe was known to him, and he sent a pulse of subdued recognition through the bond as Harper continued. The emotion in the other man's mental voice revealed just how much her previous disappearances had hurt, even before the bond's link.

The mermanta did not speak at first once Harper had gone quiet again. They swam, slowing as the tunnel grew to be half water and half air, angling gradually upwards. Several branches led off deeper into the Fingers, but Hadama remained steadfastly on the path that would most easily lead them back out again.

Mmm. That is what Phoebe wants. But what do you want?

Harper

I'll keep breaking my own heart with dreams
I know I'm still not what I want to be

The blooming of appreciation for Hadama sticking firmly to his sentiment is felt keenly across the bond, and Harper takes a brief second to pause above the water and smile, full to bursting with gratitude. Thank you. That means more than you know. It is an honor to be remembered, put first, checked in on; all things Harper has not experienced much of in his life.

The channels of air grow wider, and Harper switches to a different stroke to more leisurely pull himself along, regaining his energy and filling his lungs more deeply. It doubles as a momentary distraction to his tumultuous thoughts, which tangle themselves around the question Hadama poses. I told her I want to focus more on myself right now. Frankly I will never stop loving her, or anyone I've been with - I don't think I'm capable of it. So it's not the emotions that are the problem. At least, not entirely.

But I have so often been the supportive husband, the councilman, the first guard. None of them roles I have ever resented, he clarifies, aware of how it might sound otherwise, but...I know I am capable of more. And I am also scared, he admits in the equivalent of a murmur.

Scared that if I go back to her, she will disappear again. That I will be dishonoring my relationship with Maeve by doing it too soon - Phoebe implied much the same about me moving on a year after she disappeared. I feel like I'm being ruled by their perceptions of me, sometimes. Shaking his head slightly, droplets spraying around and against the surface of the water inside the tunnel, Harper's lips twist themselves into a wry grin. Plus, she lives in the Greatwood, and I don't want to leave Torchline. That alone is problematic. Torchline is the only place in Caido that has felt like home, and he isn't ready to give it up.

But what more do you want from me?

Perhaps he couldn't truly know, but the emotional tether of the Attuned bond gave him at least some idea of how his words had affected his friend. Hadama said no more on the matter, but the King sent a pulse of simple appreciative warmth to mingle with Harper's gratitude.

The broad, shallow path served several purposes. Not only did it make it easier for them to make their way back out, but it gave Harper a respite and it seemed like the most likely path for a landwalker to take at low tide when the tunnel would be nearly dry. It also gave the other man a chance to gather and explain his thoughts while Hadama focused on their surroundings. Occasionally they passed marks on the walls, almost lost in the dancing shadows of their dim light, but what they meant or who they were for the King did not know.

And it let him listen. What he had not done before, he could at least do now and he considered Harper's predicament, his words, and his admissions with quiet gravitas. Torchline is better for having you, he stated with unshakeable certainty. I would regret your loss for many reasons. As a friend, and as a ruler. He paused in the slow strokes of his tail to look over at the human who swam at his side. I am glad that your heart is here. Neither man could change Maeve's disappearance, but Phoebe's desires...

You have reservations. I do not know enough to say whether they are wise. But I do know that your heart is good. And it is worth listening to. He began to move again, unhurried though he could feel the subtle shift in pressure against his scales as the tide beginning to turn. You have supported Torchline. Maeve. Myself. It is time the favor was returned. He glanced again at Harper, and even in the dimness of the tunnel his eyes were gentle with respect and gratitude. How can I support you?

Harper

I'll keep breaking my own heart with dreams
I know I'm still not what I want to be

It's clear the markings are some sort of secret message system to Harper, but he's at a loss for their meaning. So, clearly, they're working.

Thank you. Torchline is the only place that has ever been home to me since I was brought here, and it is where all my closest friends reside. Hadama, Ray, Melita. Skyboats were swift, but he would miss them every day if he were to leave, and they kept him all the more rooted on these sandy shores.

It's a loaded question, wrapped in sentiments that squeeze around his ribcage ever more. The allowance to feel whatever he is feeling is novel, and disarming. Admittedly I considered applying to be your co-lead, he confesses, though he had been intending to keep that one close to his chest until the day of the meeting, only to be played if nobody else stepped up who he might personally find suitable. An arrogant thought perhaps. But even if I don't, I want to be more involved. Not just with Torchline, but your kingdom as well. Return the favor of your guidance for everyone on land, and incorporate the Mer more into the world with better accommodations.

But what more do you want from me?

The quiet king was warmed by Harper's love of their land and the feeling of friendship in the bond. If he could have promised that Torchline would always be the conscientious peacekeeper's home he would have, but given the legacy of turnover in the region's leadership he held no illusions about the length of his own rule, and he would not cheapen his promise by adding caveats. All he could give his friend was acceptance and welcome, and he could do that in the Bond without the need for clumsy words.

Hadama rarely let his barriers down with others, and of those most could not access the Attuned bond. Harper was one of the few, and though their search today was a solemn one the conversation had relaxed the mermanta enough that his friend's admission was met with a mixture of surprise and pleasure through their shared telepathy that melded into gratitude for the sentiments that followed. You would be more than welcome, he assured warmly. You are honest. Fair. Hard-working. The landfolk could not ask for a better leader. And they deserve one who understands their problems. Who can walk among them. Hence the call for a human leader at the upcoming meeting.

But there was no denying that the Tidebreaker would be happiest working with someone he already knew and respected.

The tunnel dipped abruptly, the ceiling lowering and the floor plunging beneath them. The airspace swiftly ran out above, forcing both men to dive for a short distance before it rose again.

Harper

I'll keep breaking my own heart with dreams
I know I'm still not what I want to be

Hadama is usually reserved and careful with his emotions - not in a way Harper has ever taken offense to, but which he has always admired, the same way he admires those who carefully choose their words and practice daily mindfulness. To feel the wash of emotion now is both a privilege and a surprise, one he tamps down on immediately with the fierce desire to not be misinterpreted across the bond.

His own emotions are - unsurprisingly - hard to reign in as the compliments flow in, ears turning pink with humility. Hadama's forthrightness is always refreshing, but Harper is often too humble, which makes the frankness all the more affecting.

Waiting until they make it past the brief dive they have to take to move under the dip in the ceiling, Harper considers his response past the pounding of his pulse in his ears from the rush of blood and the heavy, cloying feeling of platonic love in his chest. Thank you, Dama. Your esteem means so much to me. You are one of the few but truest friends I have. There is no expectation for the Tidebreaker to feel the same with his entire kingdom of people, all a similar race and with more shared experiences, but it would not change the truth of the situation for Harper. I want to see if anyone else intends to apply for the role, though it feels arrogant to say I feel qualified to examine their intentions and capabilities. But he has been a council man for a long while now, and an important member of Torchline even longer. Admittedly I am also simply curious. With Maeve gone, I feel the balance of Torchline is tenuous, and we are all simply...waiting. I want to see who steps forward at all. Perhaps someone would do so that Harper would feel confident ceding the position to, and none of this would matter.

But what more do you want from me?

In the starlit darkness of the Fingers even Hadama's eyes could not see his friend's blush, but he knew Harper well enough to guess at the other man's reaction to his compliments. The dive gave them both a moment to consider their words and think about what had been said, but the mermanta was pleased to hear his nickname in the Bond. Few enough among the Mer were so casual with their king, and it was refreshing to be reminded that there were still those who saw him as a friend first and a ruler second, and he did not hide his appreciation of that, or the heartfelt assurance that followed.

For the moment he simply accepted his friend's words, finding much in them to think about and holding his peace until he was certain of his own response.

In the meantime he listened to Harper's intention and sent a pulse of acceptance through the Bond at his wisdom. Yes, he agreed more soberly at the seriousness of what lay ahead of them. Waiting... indeed. A good way to put it. Torchline had been unusually quiet that year, like the stillness preceding a storm. Whatever you choose, I will respect it. Even if it meant the teacher and guardian would change his mind at the last minute. Such was his right, and their talk today held no binding promises.

There-- The tunnel had widened into a small cave, and a small shelf of stone extended above the water even at high tide. A pile of clothes and limbs was bundled atop it, still and peaceful. But as Hadama approached and lifted his trident above the water a hint of movement could be seen - the barest rise and fall of the person's chest, though they were otherwise unresponsive.

Harper

I'll keep breaking my own heart with dreams
I know I'm still not what I want to be

All talk of leadership and personal woes fade away into background noise as Harper and Hadama breach the small cave before them and find a body. Harper emerges from the water immediately, pulling himself up on the stone shelf guided by the light of Hadama's trident. He takes charge immediately, training coming to the fore. One hand goes to the man's wrist and then neck to check for a pulse, bending to place his ear against their chest and then fingers beneath the nose to check for breathing too. In that time, the stranger doesn't stir, but he turns to his companion to report. "He's alive and breathing, but unresponsive." Unfortunately that could also mean cardiac issues or other medical trauma.

"I have my water walking ring and you have your oxygen ring too. Together we should be able to get him out of the tunnels, but it's going to be a trip." Which is exactly what they'd prepared for, but facing down the challenge now makes it far more real.

But what more do you want from me?