"You've already lost your homes. You've already been driven from your fields and nearly degraded to slaves, and livestock. Now we're asking you to give up the very thing that keeps you warm."
I let that sit for a second and then continued.
"You might think we're being too much, but this," I said, lifting my chin, "...isn't about comfort."
The wind moved through the valley, brushing past us and carrying my hair. Even nature was on my side, coming in with its dramatic effect.
"The mer folks have been poisoned, and the poison keeps sinking. It's drifting down into the deep where the merfolk live, and it has already put them all to sleep. They are in danger."
A murmur rippled through the flock, fear and panic spreading over their faces.
I tightened my hands slightly on Fenric's shoulder to steady myself.
"You said it yourself. You've been in a symbiotic relationship with the mer folks."
Okay, so maybe symbiotic was a big word for them.
