A cool current woke Liriope before her electric eel alarm. Since she began apprentice training, she followed a very strict schedule; the same time to bed, same time to wake, same time to eat. Spending no time away from Aoide, she was constantly learning, or more like, being told what to do. Most of the time it felt like she was expected to obey without question, the Wren could be intimidating, to say the least.
Her quarters were bare. Apprentices weren't to be subjected to flights of fancy or anything else to distract from their training. Though she did have her own slumber pod, which was very different from the anemone bed she was accustomed to. She enjoyed its snug fit and its warmth, enough so that a cool current tickling her fins woke her up early, though she didn't dare leave her pod until Aoide came to fetch her. She had done so the day before. Aoide walked in on her combing her curls with her fingers and she was given 1000 laps around the colony as punishment. Liriope had barely made it around the colony for half the laps before her tail gave out on her and Aoide had to help her back to her quarters. She supposed the Wren would still make her complete the rest of her laps today, even though it still felt like she'd wrestled a whale.
She cursed under her breath when she heard Aoide approach.
"Time to complete your punishment, small fry."
"Yes, Mistress," Liriope muttered.
With her tail fin puttering behind her and swimming at a crab's pace, the maidens of the colony were enjoying a game of tag as passed them for the four hundred and ninety-sixth time. She self-consciously evaded their stares, wondered if they feared her now like they had the Wrens. They certainly didn't envy her, keeping her tail moving was a constant struggle and she couldn't hide it any more than she could help to breathe. She sucked in a big gulp of water and hurried past them, her uneasiness giving her a push to finish quickly.
"Wrens also do not care what others think of them, especially the maidens. Their minds are weak and filled with daydreams. Pathetic."
"Yes, Mistress," she said and for the first time that day, it felt like she meant it. She was stronger than the other maidens and she would be the strongest Wren yet. She would travel all over the world and bring back too many hosts to count. Almost finished her laps, she felt extremely empowered. Perhaps it was Aoide's constant 'encouragement', but she definitely felt different, like she could do anything she put her mind to.
When her laps were done, Liriope let herself sink to the bottom of the ocean. She lay flat in the sand and clay, took in a big breath and bubbles floated up out of her nose and mouth as she relaxed. Aoide moaned in annoyance, disapproving of the break. Liriope gasped and swam up quickly to face her, trying not to smile. "Thank you, Mistress, I never thought I could swim for so long, I--"
"Because you are still weak, small fry. You've done nothing but swim around the colony for sixteen years, your tail is as strong as a jellyfish. I'm surprised you even finished that quickly or at all."
"Yes, Mistress."
"Don't be so complacent, do you really think a jellyfish could do what you have done? Have a little tailbone for Poseidon's sake."
"Ye..." Liriope stopped herself, was she supposed to respond? She was confused. How could Aoide make her feel so strong yet so weak at the same time? Was she doing something wrong? Why was she so scared of her Mistress? She had so many feelings running through her, she couldn't discern where they came from.
"Let's go, before you think yourself to death." Aoide began to swim up and away from the colony. Liriope froze, only for a moment. She'd never swam away from the colony before. She watched Aoide glide into the vast open ocean, the darkness enveloped her golden curls, making Liriope smile again.
Overcome with joy, she jetted towards Aoide and the open sea without a single glance back at the colony.