Tossing the last of the net out onto the boat, I watched as the two men went to untying the boat from the dock.
"Thank you Vim. I'll get you some fish in exchange for all the help!" the father said as he picked up the oar.
"At least a few, we will!" the man's son agreed as I reached my leg out off the dock and put my foot onto the side of the boat's hull.
With a small kick, I pushed their boat away from the dock. It rocked a little too harshly, which told me I had used too much force... but the two men just laughed as they waved.
Nodding to them, I turned as to leave the dock.
This inlet opened to the ocean, but they weren't headed that way. Instead they planned to go down one of the smaller rivers that fed this inlet. I knew they'd be gone for a whole day or more. Odds were they really would bring back a few fish just for me... but by then I'd be gone.
Leaving the dock, I wondered how long this village would last. They were down to only a few families... and most were elders. That son just now was one of the youngest. He and a Caleb were the youngest of the men. There were a few daughters, but then the rest of the people here were older. Most too old to have children anymore. The lack of children, and the fact that people kept dying or leaving... and no one was moving here...
It'd probably only be a few more visits before I'd find Kaley alone.
Stepping off the wooden dock and onto grass, my assumption only became more viable. The dirt road that used to run all around this town in a large circle was now covered in weeds and grass. They neither took care of it nor had the manpower to do so even if they wanted to. There weren't even enough footfalls, or carts, to keep the road free of weeds and grass.
Another town doomed to die. Even though this place wasn't one of ours, since only Kaley was a member of our Society... it still was depressing. Especially since I knew once this town died, it'd not be long until she followed soon after.
Although the road was mostly gone, I still followed it.
Before I could get very far though, I found Renn.
She was standing still, watching me from the side of the road. I glanced at the dock I had just left... and realized she had most likely been watching me from afar. While standing near one of the few remaining lampposts in town.
Why hadn't I noticed her? The work I had been doing had been simple and monotonous. I had even glanced around often, as I always did thanks to habit...
A part of me worried that meant her presence was becoming too... normal for me. As if I was growing accustomed to her presence. But at the same time, wouldn't that also mean I should have noticed her right away too? If I was comfortable with her, wouldn't I then be glad to see her?
"Do you like to work or are you just really bad with being bored?" Renn asked as I approached her.
So she had been watching me. Surprising. Maybe I was exhausted and didn't realize it.
"Both. How was the cove?" I asked her.
Renn smiled as she stepped towards me, as to join me in walking. She got close, a little too close... "Fun. Kaley is a little... odd, but I can tell she means well. I like her," she said.
I smiled at her words and nodded. Odd. Kaley was, to a point. But that was only because she didn't know her past.
Though maybe she did. I had left Renn and Kaley alone the whole night, out of kindness. They had pretty much talked the whole night through. Honestly after hearing some of the first conversations I had chosen to ignore the rest. I wasn't the type to snoop, but it wasn't like I could just ignore them completely. It was my duty to protect them after all.
At first sign of light, in the early morning, Kaley had taken Renn to the nearby cove. The one somewhat hidden away on the other side of the inlet this village was founded upon.
To where I had found her years ago. To where she used to live.
Renn probably didn't realize how precious such a gesture was. But how could she? Kaley would never tell her.
"Kaley... she uhh... Said we had the house to ourselves tonight," Renn said, a little awkwardly.
"I'm sure. I wonder which poor human she's got wrapped around her fingers now," I said.
"Uhm... the chief's son, I guess...?" Renn sounded embarrassed, as if she was talking about herself.
"Don't hate her for it. She's just... that way. You can't teach a fish to swim as they say," I said.
"You can't?" Renn asked.
I smiled at her odd tone. Her question had sounded serious.
Instead of heading around the village, as I had originally intended, I instead headed for Kaley's house. If she was intentionally going to stay away then there was no point in me doing the same.
"Well... we can either leave now or in the morning. I'll let you choose," I said.
"Huh? Oh..." Renn went into thought for a moment, and I wondered if she had misunderstood my joke.
Should I tell her? Would she glare at me or laugh?
Then her hat twitched, and she looked at me with wide eyes. "Wait..."
I chuckled and looked away from her, so I didn't see that weird happiness so clearly. "Sorry. Was just trying to play off her horrible attempt at a joke," I said.
Renn made an odd sound as she grumbled and rubbed her chin. "So she meant it that way? Really?" she asked herself more than me.
"Not likely. Haley is... special. She had probably said it as a joke, but she isn't letting us have the night alone just over a joke," I explained to her.
"Oh..."
Honestly... her joke was probably more-so self-depreciation. If I knew Kaley as well as I thought I did, she probably didn't like seeing Renn and I together. Such a thing probably only made her remember her past, which undoubtedly only hurt.
Kaley's house came into sight, and I found myself a little upset at it. It looked... decrepit from a distance.
I didn't like that. It made me want to tear it down as to rebuild it.
But I couldn't do that. Not without permission least of all.
"It's a miracle it hasn't gotten her killed yet, honestly," I said as I thought of Kaley and her... certain traits.
"You... you uh, mean because of her gills right?" Renn asked as I went to open the door for her.
Pausing as I grabbed the door's handle, I glanced at her. Renn went red-faced at my look... and I suddenly wished more people were like Kaley.
Seemed Renn had thought of it long and hard already. Not a surprise, yet...
"Hm... I mean... Men are distracted but you'd still think they'd notice. I would," I said.
"Distracted," she scoffed as I opened the door and let her go in first.
Entering after her, I slowly closed the door. Slow enough that I could stare at the road we had just walked along.
No one was on it. No one had been watching us, or following us.
Not a surprise, honestly. This village was... too old. Already dead. They didn't need to care if some stranger came in, in a certain way.
After all it wasn't like they had anything to steal after all.
"Can I light the fire?" Renn asked.
"Hm," I nodded as I shut the door, and noticed the wobble as it did so.
Running my hand down the wooden frame, I felt the large gap... that grew, and then shrunk again. It had warped... most likely thanks to the salty sea air.
Renn struck the fire alit, and shadows danced along the door I studied.
Looking away from it, I looked around and quickly noticed other things that needed fixing. The bed's frame was cracked, the wood was old and... most likely long broken thanks to her activities upon it. The largest shelf was missing half its boards, making most of it useless. The window nearby had crooked shutters. They only blocked the outside world thanks to the shutters on the outside.
The roof was drafty, the blankets and pillows looked a little rough, and the floor although clean of dirt and grime was also rough. The wooden floorboards were starting to creak more than not, and not just because I was heavier than I should be.
"Why uh... why does she stay here? She said she'd love to travel again," Renn asked as she tended the fire. She only put a single new log upon it, which told me she had done it not to warm herself but to keep the house warm in general.
"Because she values this place. Loves it," I said.
"She seems like she'd get along with anyone. She's... a happy person," Renn stated.
"She means well," I agreed. Kaley was indeed a good natured person. She didn't even fear predators, even though her bloodline should have guaranteed that.
Staring at Renn, and her sad look as she studied the fire before her... I realized it would be okay to tell her. After all, most did know already. And she hadn't revealed any other secrets about anyone either. Kaley and her had talked long and hard all night about me, the Sleepy Artist... everything. Renn had not only told the truth, but the only things she had omitted were things and information about the other members of our Society. People like Rapti and Lomi, she didn't tell Kaley where they were... mostly because Renn didn't know that Kaley knew where and who most those people were.
"Kaley's husband and children are buried in the cove nearby. She can't bring herself to leave them," I told her.
Renn looked away from the fire and to me. Her hat nearly slid off thanks to the quick movement. "Buried...?"
I watched as she ran through her memories, and sure enough... she flinched and lowered her head.
"Did she show you?" I asked her. It'd shock me if she had.
"No. But there was a spot she kept staring at. Near the waterfall," she whispered.
"Near there, yes. She had lived in that small pool originally," I said.
"Lived?" Renn frowned, and I noticed the watery eyes. I had expected it, but in actuality I praised her for not full blown crying already.
I walked over to the table, and went to the leftmost leg. I had sat at it last night and noticed... Yes. A wobble.
Bending down to look at the legs of the table, I studied it as I made it wobble. It seemed two of the legs were worn down.
"You mean she actually lived in the water, don't you?" Renn asked.
Glancing at her, I found her staring at me with an odd look.
I nodded. "She had been. Those gills aren't just for show," I said.
"So... she's actually a mermaid?" Renn asked.
"Well no. She's some kind of tuna I think... don't think too heavily on it. She abandoned the cove when she met her husband. He had been a cow," I said.
"A cow?" Renn perked up at that for some reason.
I nodded as I pushed upward on the table and lifted the two closest legs off the ground. Yes, the leg was just a little worn. Easy to fix. "A large man. They fell in love quickly and had children," I said.
"What happened?" she asked softly.
"Disaster. Nothing new. Afterwards she uh... broke. Up here," I pointed at my head as I put the table back down and wondered if I should use a nail to fix the wobble, or simply sand down the other legs a tad to offset it.
Either way it was just a temporary fix. But it was better than nothing.
"She is a little odd, but is she really broken? I know broken. She's not broken," Renn's voice drew my thoughts away from the table as I looked at her. She had stood away from the fire and was nearly glaring at me.
There were no tears rolling down her face, but those watery eyes held a lot of emotion. Not just sadness either.
"The reason she likes to sleep with men is because she can't handle being alone at night," I said simply.
Renn's eyes narrowed and her face contorted, as if suddenly angry at me. But I knew she wasn't.
"So..." she looked around, but didn't seem to find what she was looking for. "So... what's wrong with that? If it keeps her happy? Or strong?" Renn asked.
I shrugged. "Nothing? You know how I feel about free will," I said.
She blinked a few times, and then looked away from me. I see... she hadn't thought I had seen it as wrong, but she herself had.
Renn had judged Kaley for it... at least internally, and now was upset to find she no longer could do so... and didn't know why. Or maybe she did know.
"Does it bother you?" I asked her, wondering if maybe she'd tell me.
"What she does...? I had found it odd but... rather I was more so worried for her. That it'd get her hurt. But she seems quite obviously very happy," Renn said, yet I could tell she was still pondering something else. Something personal, deep down.
"It not only keeps her happy, it keeps her alive. She's tried to kill herself before, I'd not be shocked if she did something similar again," I said as I headed for the corner of the house that Kaley kept random tools.
Bending down to study a section of a shelf, I found a hammer and a saw... but no nails.
Maybe I'd have to figure something else out.
"Once again Vim you say things so nonchalantly, and I find my heart break because of it," Renn whispered.
Glancing over at her, I found the first set of tears fall.
"Sorry," I said gently.
"No... I just... need to get used to it, I guess? Is it possible to?"
"Time will tell," I said honestly. Some could get used to it, others couldn't. And many who could simply ended up becoming worse themselves than not, because of it.
"I had praised her for her free spirited personality. Now I pity her," Renn said as she slowly sat down on the pillow near the fire pit she had been sitting in last night.
"Just look at is a coping mechanism. Some need it, especially after severe trauma. You can pity her if you want but don't let your pity ignore the fact she is still alive... and is happy in her own way," I said as I found a small box of nails, but they were far too big. They'd only crack and damage the table's legs even more.
"How long ago did it happen?" Renn asked.
"A few decades ago," I said.
"That long...?"
I nodded as I rummaged through a small crate. Pulling up an old cloth I found a large iron... Turning it a little, I realized it was a bracket. For something large. Maybe a barn door. Why did she have something like this? Putting the old cloth back over it, I realized that there was little chance I'd find the right items.
After a few moments I decided to just saw the other legs down enough to even it out. It'd lower the table a little, but not so much that it'd cause any problems. Kaley wasn't much taller than Renn, so she didn't need a whole lot of room.
Grabbing the small saw I returned to the table.
"You're fixing the table, aren't you? Since it wobbles?" Renn asked as she watched me.
I nodded. "I am."
"Will you fix the bed too? It's a little..." Renn looked at it, and I tried to remember if she had actually lain upon it or not last night. I didn't think she had... which meant she had simply seen it. Hard not to, it was obvious.
"I'll try to, yes," I said.
What I'd really like to do is build her a new house entirely. But I knew if I did she'd just yell at me.
Bending down to watch the table leg as I made it shake up and down, I calculated how much of the two legs I needed to cut off. After I did, I glanced at Renn and found her frowning at me. As if upset.
"Does... does it bother you? That I'm doing this?" I asked, wondering what was wrong with her.
"Huh...? No... I uh... Maybe. Does it?" she asked me and herself at the same time.
Hesitating for a moment, I tried to think of what it could be.
"No. It doesn't. But for some reason I feel like it should... yet there's nothing wrong with it. In fact I should be asking if you need any help," Renn stood from her seat, and brushed off her hands.
"You can help me hold it steady if you'd like," I said. I really didn't need help, but... considering her previous outbursts over wanting to help, I figure there was no harm in letting her.
She beamed a smile as she hurried over, and I suddenly realized that was it.
She hadn't been upset that I was helping... but that instead what had bothered her was I hadn't asked if she wanted to help me help Kaley.
Maybe...
"Other than this and the bed, was there anything else you noticed that might need attention?" I asked as she walked over to the table. She kneeled down a little to see what I was focusing on and then grabbed the top of the table as to steady it.
"Some of her pots and pans are bad. One has a hole in it, near the rim. It doesn't stop her from being able to use it but..." Renn said.
"Hm," I nodded and went to saw the tip of the table's leg off, about half a thumb's worth.
"Also if you can, a new blanket? That thing has holes all over it," Renn added.
I nodded again. I had noticed they were worn.
Sawing the table's leg was swift and easy. Once done I right away went to the other opposing it, the one that was worn, and cut a small part of it off too so it'd be even and leveled.
Once done I went to the other side and repeated the process.
Renn watched me as I finished up the last leg, and then the table went flush with wooden floor.
She tried to make it wobble, and found it didn't.
"Nice," she smiled, happy at the result.
"By the way, you don't need to get jealous. Kaley isn't my type, for more reasons than one," I said to her as I went to put the saw back and get something to clean up the sawdust and mess I had made.
The table made a loud sound as she pushed a little too hard, forcing it to skid along the floor.
Smiling at her crazy look, and the red in her face, I went to fixing the few things I could for Kaley.
It was the only thing I could do for her... since I couldn't fix her mind or soul.