I mounted my horse, and she carried me towards the source of the noises. Upon arrival, I saw a man partially submerged in the water. I instructed my horse to land, and she complied. I dismounted, retrieved the first aid kit from my bag, and started walking towards the man.

As I drew closer, I noticed a large, bloody wound on his back. I started to clean the wound, removing all the blood, until it was clear. With my horse's assistance, I turned him over and then saw his bloodied face. I cleaned that as well and brushed his beautiful curly hair away from his face. Once the hair was moved aside, I realized how handsome he was, and my heart skipped a beat.

After bandaging him, I instructed my horse to pull him gently ashore so I could attend to any wounds I might have overlooked. Once I was certain there were no additional injuries, I checked his overall condition. However, during my examination, I discovered he had a fish tail that had previously gone unnoticed while I was tending to his wounds. At that moment, I recoiled in shock, half-convinced I had lost my sanity.

As I leapt back, I heard the man groan in pain. Instantly, my fear dissipated, replaced by concern. I hurried over to him, and as he opened his eyes, I was struck by their beauty. They held three shades of blue, merging into a deep hue reminiscent of uncharted ocean waters.

When he looked up at me, his eyes lit up, and he was about to say something, but at that exact moment, I heard Papa calling me.

"HIJA  WHERE ARE  YOU  HIJJJAAAA"

I'm not sure what happened, but I attribute it to nerves; when I yelled back, it wasn't in English—I responded in Spanish. I didn't realize I could speak Spanish, despite being half Latina; I had never heard it, nor had I ever spoken it before.

"Por aquí papá, estoy por aquí con mi caballo de tres cabezas cerca del agua(This way dad, I'm over here with my three-headed horse near the water"

I pulled away from the man who had grasped my hand in a final effort to detain me, yanking my hand back forcefully. I leapt onto my horse, glancing back only once at the handsome merman before urging Snow, Sparkle, and Icicle forward with a spirited "giddy up."

I looked down at my hand, which felt tingly where he had grasped it, and to my surprise, I saw a beautiful pattern on my wrist where his fingers had traced when he seized me.

The mark appeared regal; the color surrounding it matched the hue of his eyes, while the remainder shone gold like his tail and the armor adorning his chest, which is why I never observed any wounds there.

As I approached the clearing where my horses and I had slept, I saw Papa waiting. He embraced me, kissed my forehead, and examined my skin for injuries. Upon noticing the bloodstains, he became worried and frantic, then he inquired about what had happened.

I recounted to him how my inability to sleep led my horse and me to doze off in the clearing. However, we were awakened by noises. Despite my attempts to dismiss them, they grew louder, prompting my horse and me to investigate their source.

Papa listened attentively to my story, and when I mentioned helping a merman with his bloody wounds, he relaxed and continued to listen. After I finished, Papa hugged me, expressing his relief that I was safe and his pride in my bravery and kindness. I blushed and returned the hug, but then Uncle Dan interrupted, inquiring about the color of the merman's armor. Confused by his question, I nonetheless responded that it was gold on the chest and there was no armor on the back.

Uncle Dan's eyes widened as he explained that mermen and mermaids from the same pod wore similar colors, but gold armor was reserved for royalty. They often donned gold chestplates, as their backs would transform into hard, metallic scales that were impenetrable when sensing danger.

As Uncle Dan spoke, I realized that if these mermen wore armor made of their own scales on their backs, then the merman I had tended to must have been caught off guard, which explained his severe injuries. I gasped, and Papa squeezed my shoulder comfortingly. I leaned into his neck, letting tears fall. Then Uncle Dan mentioned that aiding a royal merman would be rewarded by their kind. So, Papa and Uncle Dan followed me back along the path my horse and I had taken. When we reached the pile of bloodied cleaning wipes, something sparkly caught my eye.

I nudged Papa on his shoulder to follow me, and when we reached the water's edge, I spotted a small chest brimming with gold coins and jewels. Turning to Papa and Uncle Dan, I inquired if they could retrieve it for me, as I was unable to swim. However, when they attempted to, the water gave them a shock. Upon questioning what occurred, they explained that they could not claim the coins, as they were not meant for them.