When they found him, Hali had his feet in the river. Zale approached him carefully, licking his lips as he did so and still not sure how he had pulled off this move. The person with him hung back respectively, but that didn’t make Zale feel any better. He reached out a hand and put it on his twin’s shoulder.
Hali turned to look at him, the cold water running over his feet, then saw who he had come with. Hali scrambled up and give his great great grandfather a small bow. Poseidon nodded his mighty head before continuing to look around. Hali felt his brother pat his shoulder and they walked over to stand before the God.
‘Nice place,’ Poseidon spoke in a deep voice.
‘Yes, it is,’ Zale responded, ‘are you sure you don’t want to go to the cabin?’
‘No. here is good enough. I see that river has been enjoying your company.’
The twins glanced over and nodded as one.
‘It is a fine river,’ Poseidon rumbled and he stroked his beard.
‘That it is, but not as might as some you have known, grandfather,’ Zale put in.
Poseidon nodded thoughtfully and curled his fingers around his trident. His light blue robe flowed around him, covering from neck to flow and seeming to have a life of its own. Leather saddles adored his huge feet with his big toes sticking out almost into the grass. A small orange crab appeared in his beard and scuttled across his hand.
‘What are you doing here, granddad?’ Hali finally asked.
‘Zale talked me into it,’ Poseidon boomed as he neatly tucked the crab back into his beard.
‘I told him, we wanted to talk about things…the sea and rivers and such,’ Zale chipped in, ‘and how sorry you were about your last visit…’
Hali half-raised his fist to punch him then thought better of it and let all the tension go.
‘Of course, you already know my position boys. There’s not much I can do,’ Poseidon picked up, having straightened out his beard.
‘We know that. But even if you can only do a little, it would make us more happy. Come lets’ go up to the cabin, I got some beer,’ Zale added.
‘Okay fine, you twisted my leg. Go on, go on.’
Nodding and patting his brother on the chest, Zale turned and began walking. Hali and Poseidon followed him, trying to make pleasant but awkward small talk. The sunny afternoon was well under way with light giving everything a sparkle and the birds happily singing. They followed a human footpath then a deer path, though it was a much short route then Hali had first taken. When they arrived the cabin looked just out of a fairy tale. Zale led the way in and whilst he hurried to get the beer, Hali gave their grandfather a chair at the table and wedged the door open to let out some of the sea salt air that clung heavily to Poseidon.
‘I don’t want to get your hopes up.’
Hali, having just sat down, looked up at him and waited for him to go on.
‘My magic wasn’t as strong as it once was,’ Poseidon explained, ‘and we always agreed not to get involved in man’s problems. I’m tired of trying to clean up the oceans after them.’
‘I know that grandfather, but there are better ways we can help them,’ Hali said, ‘some of the humans do want to put things right and they are trying. We just need to convince more of them and show them what to do.’
‘I can’t appear before them,’ Poseidon sighed, ‘no one really believes in us these days. Even back then it took a lot and that person had to be special.’
‘I know the old stories…’
‘Here we go!’ Zale called from a hidden cubby as he brought three large pints of beer over to them. He placed them on the table and foam slid down the glasses. He took a chair and settled in, ‘cheers.’
They raised they raised their glasses together before taking big drinks.
Zale banged his beer down on the table first and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He let a big ahh sound and lent back in the chair. He looked across at Hali and watched him placing his glass more lightly on to the table.
‘We need to find the others too and get them to help,’ Hali came back in.
Poseidon swallowed and placed his glass down, ‘good beer that. I couldn’t tell you where everyone was right now. My children are scattered to the seven seas.’
‘But you know where some of them are and they’ll know the locations of others,’ Zale suggested.
‘Suppose so. What are you going to do about the others though?’
‘Huh?’
‘Well, what’s the point in just saving all the water? What you going to do about the land and the plants and everything else?’
‘I hadn’t thought about it,’ Hali shrugged, ‘the water is my concern. Maybe, the ones in control of those should be doing something about it. It’s not mine- our- domain.’
‘Of course not, but we should all work together to make it better,’ Poseidon explained.
‘Point taken, but first the water. Here’s too it!’ Zale cried out and raised his pint glass.
The others did the same and clinked the glasses together before taking another big drink.
To Be Continued…
The Story Files 