They swam side by side, rushing past waving underwater plants and a few lazy fish. Sarah tried to keep her arms down to her sides, the way Vand had shown her, but it was difficult to break so many years of swimming habits. Every now and then she felt a current tug against her, and Vand would reach out and take her by the arm, steering them both into safer waters. I thought I would never swim again after the Harbor was attacked, and yet here I am…

It was difficult to measure time here. Had they been swimming for ten minutes? Twenty? Sarah tried not to think about it, instead letting Vand guide her through the unfamiliar landscape. The little glowing rock shone weakly from the pouch about Vand’s neck, giving enough light to see without blinding them.

Eventually Vand swam ahead slightly, then slowed to a stop and beckoned for her to join him. Stopping awkwardly, Sarah floated in the water and followed the direction that Vand was pointing.

Below them, the sand stopped, revealing a rocky shelf. The edge dropped away into a deep trench sliced into the ocean floor. Sarah gazed down at it in amazement. Even at this distance, she could see signs of homes: doors, windows, even what looked like cultivated gardens of seaweed growing in little patches along the rock. Occasional flashes of light broke the darkness, but they were quickly hidden again.

“Even we must take care to hide with these invaders in our waters.” Vand frowned. “Your people are wise to darken their homes. Not all humans who live along the sea are so cautious.”

“They don’t understand the danger like we do. Our leaders keep them from knowing.”

Vand shook his head. “It is not right to hide dangerous things from people. They have no time to prepare, to act in their own defense.” He glanced at Sarah. “I am sorry. I do not mean to speak ill of your people.” He drew closer to her and took her hand. “Let us go--,” he stopped mid-sentence, head whipping up to look beyond the trench. Sarah felt his grip tighten around her hand. “Down!” he commanded, diving forward and dragging her with him.

They zipped over the edge of the rocky shelf, huddling underneath it. A moment later, the water began to churn around them, buffeting them back against the rock. Sarah pressed her palms back, trying to keep from slamming into the hard stone, and looked upward. A massive, dark shape was moving overhead, back in the direction they had just come from. A German U-boat. Her stomach seemed to drop at the sight.

“How close are we to the shipping lanes?” she called out; the submarine made a surprising amount of noise this deep underwater.

“Too close,” Vand called back. He held up a hand, eyes on the patterns swirling through the wake of the large machine. Eventually the waters quieted around them. Sarah glanced down at the trench and saw a few heads poking out from doors and windows, looking up with worried expressions.

She looked back at Vand. “There is a ship expected tonight. A cargo ship, like the one they destroyed three months ago.”

Vand took her hand, a look of pity in his eyes. “Even with all the folk in our gathering, we do not have the power to stop them.”

The sick feeling was still strong in her stomach. Images flashed through her mind… ships burning on the water, men jumping from the decks, or being blown into the air… fire blazing hot and bright against the blue sky as shadows passed overhead… “There must be some way we can help.”

After a long moment, Vand nodded. “Wait here.” Turning, he swam quickly away and down into the trench. Sarah turned, wrapping her arms around herself, suddenly grateful for the feel of her familiar cotton dress against her fingers. A bit of herself in this strange, new world. It’s out there somewhere, lurking underneath the surface, and those above have no idea. She shivered despite her necklace.

From out of the dark, Vand appeared again. Behind him swam perhaps fifteen others, tails whipping darkly through the water. “We must go quickly, or we will be too late,” he said. “Take my hand.”

Sarah took his hand, holding tight. With a nod to the rest of the menfolk, Vand darted forward, tugging her along beside him.