Sela and Kael left her chukka early the next morning before the sun's slow rise settled itself into the sky. Issi and Nita chose not to work on the chukka that day, seeing as how there was only the top of it left now, and let Kael have the day to himself. Which worked well for Sela, because Pokni had requested them to go over to see her.

Sela found herself quieter than usual on their walk over. After the previous revelation that she should create a barrier between the two of them while Luksi made her pursuit and she waited for Tushka, she did not know what to say or how to act. Kael did not push her to speak, but he did look at her often with a question in his gaze. He wanted to ask, but he respected her silence. The air between them grew thick with unspoken questions and even more confusing emotions.

As they approached Pokni's chukka, Kael finally broke the silence with something safe.

"Thank you for teaching me your traditions at the gathering," he said, his deep voice gentle and full of gratitude. "I have never been a part of a ceremony like that before and I just want you to know that I admire what you are doing for me."

Sela glanced at him, her eyes softening. She took an unsteady breath and tried to search for the right words to express the turmoil inside her. But she could never tell him the truth. Especially if she didn't understand it fully herself.

Instead, she said, "You don't have to thank me, Kael. I only wish I could do more to help."

Kael looked back at her gently. "What you are doing for me is helpful enough, Sela. Do not think any differently."

Warmth spread across her chest. She bit the area behind her lip to keep from smiling hard, like she wanted to. The flutter from the ceremony in the pit of her stomach returned and for just a moment, she allowed herself to swim in it. Her body hummed with something bright and unexplainable.

The rest of the walk to Pokni's chukka was spent in a more comfortable silence. When they finally got to the other side of the door, her grandmother was already there, opening it and tugging them both inside, her impatience telling them she had been waiting for too long. She all but shoved Kael towards the slab he laid on the first day Sela brought him to Mikasi and peeled back his bandage before he could so much as blink.

Sela would have apologized for her Pokni's behavior had she been able to. But her grandmother was already turning towards her after only glimpsing the scabbing scar, beaming with pride. And a rush of air breathed itself back into Sela's lungs.

"You are doing well with your practices, Sela," Pokni admitted, admiring her work. She leaned over Kael to grab a small basket of grounded herbs, gathered enough on her nimble fingers to use, and smeared it over the scar. It should help to get rid of the scabbing in a quicker but healthier way so the scar could heal sooner. "He still has a long way to go, but it is healing wonderfully."

Sela could have slumped to the ground with relief. She shared a fond look with Kael. Even if she struggled with her own feelings about what was to happen in her life, she still found happiness at hearing Kael's progress with healing.

Pokni started wrapping his chest back up, careful of the herbs. "And how is your memory?"

Kael's face crumpled, his lips quick to turn to a frown as his eyebrows furrowed. "I still cannot remember anything. I have tried, but nothing happens. My head just hurts."

She hummed. "From hitting it on your journey to us. Perhaps you need to visit the place of your injury."

Sela stepped forward now. Curious. "But mother does not want us to go to the sea."

Not that it had ever stopped her before, but what if whatever harmed him was still out there in the sea? Her mother would never allow her to leave her sight ever again. She would even send her off to Tushka's village if it meant she was safe and suns away from the water's clutches. A life she would never be happy with.

"You do not have to go to the sea for answers, Sela," Pokni muttered, cutting her eyes at her granddaughter. "Take him to the river, Bok. It should do."

"To Bok? You believe that will help?" Sela questioned.

She nodded. "Yes, take him there and see if his memory returns."

Sela's eyes met Kael's. "Does this sound like something you want?"

Though there was a hesitation in his eyes, Kael nodded his head slowly. "I will try anything. Even shifting," he admitted.

"So it's decided then," Pokni said, moving away from Kael. She grabbed a newly sewn pair of bottoms for Kael to wear after his shifting and gave them to Sela.

"I will see you later, granddaughter. You are doing wonderfully in your practice," Pokni said, pleased. "If only my other granddaughter did the same. Now leave me and gather those memories."

Sela laughed at the small jab towards Luksi and nodded. "Yes, Pokni."

Kael slid off the slab, eager now to get back into the water. Sela moved ahead of him and led the way out of Pokni's chukka and over to the river, Bok, some ways behind Mikasi. His fingers brushed hers as they moved through the trees and used the trunks for their support over bulging roots. She glanced behind her when their fingers touched again, capturing his bold gaze that was not at all apologetic for the slip. Her cheeks burned, and she turned back around, paying attention to the ground in front of her instead.

The path to the river, Bok, was lined with tall grasses that swayed in the breeze, their tips brushing against Sela's legs like whispers of the earth. Birds echoing their song mingled with the rapid waves of the river, made everything sound louder. Sunlight filtered through the canopy of trees, casting shadows on the ground and creating a mixture of light and dark.

Sela inhaled the rich scent of damp soil and blooming wildflowers that enveloped them. She pushed through the last bit of trees and broke out into the rocky side of the river where their canoes sat unused along the Bok's edge. The beautiful tips of the waves in the water shimmered beneath the bright gleam of the sun and stretched wide to the other side of the land.

She looked around them to make sure they were completely alone and then led them down to the Bok. She eyed his covered scar in concern, but believed the bandage would be enough to protect the herbs beneath it.

"Are you ready?" Sela asked, her eyes flashing up to his.

Kael's dark gaze went to the river, eyeing it wearily. "I do not know if this will work," he confessed.

"It might not," she offered, her voice gentle. "And if it does not work, then we will find something else that will. I will not let you give up on your memories, Kael. You have your people to get back to."

He was the crowned chief of the ocean. As a royal, he needed to be with his people. And the longer he stayed on land, the more dangerous the waters could be without his guidance.

Kael breathed out a harsh breath of air. Sela stepped closer to him and the water after lightly throwing down the unused bottoms they'd gotten from Pokni's.

"If you need to come out of the water at any moment, Kael, tell me, and I will help get you out," she promised. "I am with you."

He turned his pretty eyes back on hers. He swallowed hard. "I know," he confessed. "Thank you for doing this with me, Sela. It means more to me than you know."

Sela smiled gently. Kael turned his head back to the river and stepped closer to the edge, the mist coating his bare skin in a pretty shimmer. He walked deeper into the river's embrace until his muscled legs merged seamlessly into the tail Sela had witnessed before. Scales of deep blue, moss green, and plum purple gleamed from his waist in place of his now ripped bottoms and Sela gasped as they glinted like hidden treasure.

Kael turned his head at her gasp. His eyes, once a soft brown, deepened into the most enchanting blue that still reminded Sela of the dark depths of the sea. No longer was he just a man. He was the guardian of the sea, a crowned chief. Someone who radiated authority. Strength. Intensity.

Sela stood rooted to the spot, her breath catching in her throat after watching his transformation unfold. The surrounding air shimmered with an energy she could not explain. Something far beyond her. She could almost hear the whispers of their ancient ancestors mingle in the water's kissing against the protruding rocks. It was everything.

And then Kael held his hand out towards her.