The mer in question had struggled with his own offering, and finished it later than he'd anticipated. The dark waters were no barrier, but the rocks closer to shore were another matter even under the brilliant moon and stars and the deepsmith had to traverse the cross currents carefully to avoid being flung into them until he reached the calmer waters closer to shore beneath the light house.
He breached the surface, shifting his human half as he did, and nodded to Maeve and the stranger. Steely hair gleamed wetly in the starlight, as did the gold tattoos that traced the scars across his dark skin and scales. "Apologies," he rumbled succinctly. Swimming as close as he could he pulled his own offering from the pouch attached to his harness: a bracelet of seaweed and pearl, set with small diamonds and emeralds that glinted from beneath the wet leaves. The seaweed was cunningly wrought and looked almost alive at first, but in truth was verdigrised copper.
He placed the item high on a stone that rose out of the water near the women's other offerings, and bowed his head in silent prayer.
He breached the surface, shifting his human half as he did, and nodded to Maeve and the stranger. Steely hair gleamed wetly in the starlight, as did the gold tattoos that traced the scars across his dark skin and scales. "Apologies," he rumbled succinctly. Swimming as close as he could he pulled his own offering from the pouch attached to his harness: a bracelet of seaweed and pearl, set with small diamonds and emeralds that glinted from beneath the wet leaves. The seaweed was cunningly wrought and looked almost alive at first, but in truth was verdigrised copper.
He placed the item high on a stone that rose out of the water near the women's other offerings, and bowed his head in silent prayer.
