Ariel was swimming as she had every day. Her tailfin gliding through the water cleaner than a sharp knife cutting through butter. It was raining up above; this was why she was swimming so close to the surface now, to listen as the rain pounded on top of the ocean... one of her favorite things to listen to.

Just looking up at the disturbance made her quiver with excitement. She slowly surfaced and let the cold rain drizzle on top of her head, but only for a second, she could not revel in the feeling for long, but she enjoyed it while she could.

As she submerged, a gleam caught the corner of her eye. She turned to look, and saw a school of fish swimming surprisingly close together. She approached them, slow and steady.

"Hello, my name is Ariel, are you alright?"

She approached slowly as she spoke, not stopping to wait for an answer, although one did come.

"No princess, stay away!"

But by then it was already too late. As Ariel reached out her hand to touch the fish, a large fishing net engulfed them along with Ariel herself. She now could feel herself being slowly lifted upward, toward the surface. She struggled trying to find someway out, but it was no use... she was trapped.

Slowly, she was pulled up out of the water, covered in fish and soon feeling the air on her face as the water dripped off her. She rose higher and higher in the air, until she onto the top of a ship, were two strong sailors lugged her, along with the rest of the fish on board. Once the men saw what they had caught, they released their hold on the net, freeing the fish and Ariel. She stayed still for a moment longer as the men on this ship stared at her in marvel.

She had her chance, and she took it. She quickly waddled herself along the ship on her hands, dragging her tailfin behind her, heading for the side of the ship. This seemed to be a wake-up call for the sailors, for as soon as she started to move for the escape they pounced upon her.

"No! Let me go!"

Her voice came as a surprise to many sailors. It was wondrous enough that they had a mermaid on board, but a creature as such being able to speak shocked them just as well. However, if they would have thought a little harder it might not have been so amazing.

"She can talk"

Came mutters from everybody, but then the captain came on deck, a short stout man with casual attire for that time period.

"Stop pilling around and grab the bitch!"

The crew responded accordingly, now with three men controlling her, they hoisted her up and lugged her away. However, Ariel wasn't without a good amount of fight, as it was shown when her tailfin decked one of the men right on the side of the face, knocking him unconscious. However, actions have their consequences. Which is why the gun butt that was planted atop her head left her unconscious.