A Melucine, close relative of the goblins who live beneath the surface of the earth, is filled with joy at the birth of her daughter. Then little Talla is born with legs and lacking gills, reflecting her human father's characteristics.

Talla cannot survive in her mother's watery world. It is unheard of that one of Le'ina's kind would fail to care for her own offspring and she tries to teach Talla to swim and to thrive amongst the Kol'ksu, as the melucine are known amongst themselves and the goblins.

A near disaster leaves Le'ina little choice of what she must do.

This short story forms part of the expanded goblin world from the Goblin Series which is comprised of Dance of the Goblins, Demoniac Dance and Power of the Dance.