"I cannot," he confirmed. But there was a lingering hesitation at the end of his words and after a moment he added, slowly. "Not for longer than a drylander could hold their breath below water." A limitation he had only recently discovered in his life. Of course, there were others among the merfolk who weren't so constrained...
But they weren't here talking to the pale woman now, and he was.
He nodded in understanding at her explanation. Simple and straightforward, and as good a reason as any. At her comment, however, he paused and realized his discourtesy. "I am Hadama," he rumbled a late introduction. "Have you met other merfolk before?" It seemed the mostly likely inference to make under the circumstances.
But they weren't here talking to the pale woman now, and he was.
He nodded in understanding at her explanation. Simple and straightforward, and as good a reason as any. At her comment, however, he paused and realized his discourtesy. "I am Hadama," he rumbled a late introduction. "Have you met other merfolk before?" It seemed the mostly likely inference to make under the circumstances.
