He winced, looking ashamed. “There is more… Just listen to me, and you will understand!” His voice rose, overtaking my volume. 

“What is there to understand, Bear? You were bitten and did not warn the others so we could take action. You failed your duty as the king's son! We could have used the appropriate measures to heal you, had you told us.” 

“There was a Mermaid,” he proceeded despite my rageful rambling.

“You already said that, Bear. This is no new information.” My voice was getting raspy. I would’ve loved to trust his words, but he was making it hard.

“No, this was a different kind. She was beautiful.”

“Beautiful? Are you delusional? I think we need to hit you over the head right now and call it a day. You have obviously lost your mind... They are all the same, Bear. There are no different kinds. Mermaids are Mermaids. They attack, we attack.” I paused for effect before I added, “They killed your mother. What more do you need to see them for what they are?”

“I know they killed my…” he choked on the words, “mother.” Ashamed at the realisation that he had been mistaken into thinking that this one was different, he hung his head.

I looked at him, finally taking pity. “My friend... my brother, I am sorry to be harsh, but you have to know the way it is. You cannot stray from your people. You must know who the real enemy is.” I took the cloth from last night and dipped it into the water a few metres from us, wringing the remaining droplets from it and pressing it on his forehead once again. “I will leave you now to rest.” If I was to be kind to him in his state, I needed to process this new information and iron out my anger on my own.