Whisper of Suffering

by Samantha Jacobey

  “Always love the sea,” she replied, still toying with her find.

  “Yes, but not today,” he pushed, slightly bothered that she had come to him at midday rather than the early light of morn before returning to it, or the late hour, just before the sunset when they left the salty waters. “Lin, look at me,” he insisted, grasping at the fine material that covered her body. Pulling at it, he encouraged her to pivot, and she looked woeful when his eyes met hers. “What is the trouble, Oldrilin?”

  “Her majesty is pleased you wish to attend,” Lin shrugged.

  “And when is the event?” he asked more calmly, sure he could puzzle it out if he had enough clues.

  “The quarter moon of the waning crescent,” she said with a bright smile. Pulling free, she splashed through the shallows a moment before running out and disappearing into the ocean. Her tail flipped, that of a large black fish as a parting salute before she vanished without a trace.

  Releasing his hand, Ami returned her merdoe to her pocket. “Does it matter when she asked you? At least the invitation is given, and I will not attend the event alone.”

  “Aye,” he nodded, still staring at the spot where she had turned to bid him farewell.

  However, he knew that it mattered a great deal, as Piers had been right on that detail. The mermaids almost never came out of the water during midday and preferred the hours of the night, so much so that they expressed time and date by the phases of their giant, magical moon. Each night’s moon had a specific name, and twelve cycles of the moon constituted their year. From what he could tell, it had always been so for the sirens, for as long as they had existed.

  Looking up at the sun once more, he cackled, “I guess it really doesn’t, and I am invited to the dance. We should find a few more shells so we can put the necklace together tomorrow, as the waning crescent starts tonight, and quarter will be in three days.”

  Arriving at their camp in late afternoon, the pair prepared their pot for the evening’s stew. Using her dagger to clean the crab he pulled from the rocks earlier that afternoon, Rey marveled at the amount of meat the creature held. “I don’t think crabs at home are this large,” he boasted.

  “I’ve never eaten them before,” Ami replied, selecting vegetables from one of their repurposed casks and chopping them into smaller bits.

  They had taken the raft apart and brought all of the materials into their camp, where their water barrel now collected and stored the water they needed throughout the day and night. Located beneath the trees, the Mate had set up the perfect collection system, so even the smallest rain ensured their stores were replenished.

  The other casks held various items. Once Rey had returned from Riran in good health, Bally and Piers had reclaimed salt from the ocean and killed a few small game animals, which they dried and stored in another of the casks, calling it their emergency reserves. Ami had seen little need of it, though, as the land of the sirens was rich with wild game and vegetation, enough to sustain the four of them and then some.

  The stew prepared and bubbling over the fire, Rey and Ami each stretched out on one of their thatched mattresses. Looking up at the canopy of trees above him, he asked quietly, “How long do you suppose we will stay here?”

  “Why forever, of course!” the girl replied in surprise, as if the thought of ever leaving had never occurred to her.

  Rolling onto his side, he stared at her profile, as she still lay on her back. “Does the Mate make you happy?” he asked absently.

  This time, she did not give a response and rolled onto her side as well, so that her back was to him. “Sleep well, Rey,” she called to him quietly.

  Closing his eyes, he dozed until late evening, when Bally and Piers returned from their new forge. They had obviously paid a visit to one of the pools of water that collected in the forest, as their hair was wet, and their skin was clean when they arrived.

  “I found some more roots for you, girl,” the Mate announced when he arrived, dropping them on the ground next to her storage cask.

  “Ah, lovely,” she smiled. “I’ll clean them on the morrow and put them away until we are ready for them.” She appeared quite happy with their arrangement, and if Rey’s questions had given her any pause, it did not show.

  “What time will you return from Riran,” Piers asked, anticipating her nightly trip, as she had scarcely missed a visit in the two moons since Reynard was healed.

  “I shall return early, as I will be going alone for the evening,” she replied, sweetly. “We are preparing for the celebration festival, and the queen will be too busy for our usual conversation,” she informed him, offering him her hand.

  “Then I will await your return, love,” he cooed, pressing her fingers to his lips and bidding her farewell.

  After she had gone, Rey asked in complete surprise, “Surely she does not see this as a normal relationship between a husband and wife.”

  “She thinks I am courting her,” the Mate chuckled. “She is aware that we are not wed, but our date is set, and she is my intended.”

  “Oh really,” the younger man stroked this thin, but progressing beard. “When are the nuptials planned to take place, then?”

  “Olirassa has granted us a wedding on the half waxing moon, three moons from now. About three months,” he sighed. “We have to be gone before then.”

  “Well, you look rather clean for a blacksmith. Any luck with the forge?”

  “Aye,” Bally grinned, joining them from his trek through the forest. Laying a long, curved sword on the table, the black handle of it had been fashioned with leather and gems for the grip.

  “That’s for you,” Piers said, pointing at the magnificent blade and smiling behind his cup.

  “For me,” Rey breathed, lifting the weapon and inspecting the fine edge. “It’s remarkable, Piers, thank you.”

  “It’s a sword,” the other man laughed. “Bally also has an axe, so we are, in the least, no longer defenseless. I will make the blades for spears over the next few weeks, and we will be ready to travel.”

  On the walls hung the ropes that had once held their flat together. Eyeing them, he scowled, “There will not be much that we can carry. We must fashion packs to haul upon our backs. Can you convince Ami we are in need of blankets or cloth?”

  “I can try,” Rey shrugged, relinquishing his sword to Bally, who would hide it for him until they were ready to depart.

  “Good. We will wrap them around our food, and fashion bags similar to hers. That will make our load easier to carry.”

  “Have you decided where we will go? Oldrilin says that there are other creatures to the west and north of here. Elves and nymphs, as well as wild creatures who would eat our flesh if they happened upon us,” he informed him in a low tone. “This is an untamed land, not at all like the villages of the rim.”

  “Aye, this place is filled with savages,” Piers agreed, helping himself to another bowl of the stew. “We will go west and avoid the mountains. We have explored the lower face of the cliffs, and I am certain that place belongs to the elves. Once we clear the peninsula to the west of us, I’m sure the mermaids will let us go, and we will be free of them.”

  “And if they do not wish to let us have Amicia?”

  Gripping his spoon more tightly for a moment, Piers scowled. “We will not ask their permission. One of the nights, she will go for her visit, and on the morrow, we will take her away. They will not know she is gone or to where until there are many miles between us. And, if we stay to the land and avoid the coast, they will not see and certainly not try to follow.”

  “So be it,” Rey grinned wryly. “I have one of them I will miss, though. Oldrilin has become quite dear to me.”

  “She would live as your servant,” the Mate suggested.

  “Perhaps,” Rey agreed, cleaning his bowl with a piece of bread Ami had baked from more of the islands unusual plants. Chewing it thoughtfully, he observed, “In a way, I suppose she has always served me. As my nursemaid, she brought me
the nectar and saw to it that I was healed. I feel that she cares for me. To what ends I cannot say.”

  “You cannot bring her,” Piers stated calmly, shaking his head for effect. “Her loyalty would always be unclear, and she would not last long so far from the sea.”

  “But, they have legs. They can walk upon the land. And even today, she paid me a visit at the top of the day, with the sun straight above our heads,” he insisted.

  “Did she, now,” the Mate appeared pensive, considering the news. “What was her reason for the visit?” he asked, cutting his eyes over to gauge his response.

  “To invite me to the festival, the queen’s birthday party.”

  “And when is that?” Bally spoke up, then hid his face at having spoken out of turn, always silently listening to the proceedings of his elders.

  “In three days, at the quarter moon of the waning crescent,” Reynard supplied without argument.

  “I’ll think on this,” Piers informed him, dropping his spoon in his bowl and resting his arms on the table to lean on. “I’m getting old,” he groaned. “The forge is a great deal of work for a man my age, especially one so out of practice.”

  “Out of practice,” Rey scoffed, recalling the beauty and perfection of his new blade. “Your work is exquisite. I can’t believe you told Amicia you had failed as a blacksmith.”

  “I failed within my heart, and that is all that matters,” the older man replied, getting to his feet and taking his dish to wash. “We should sleep. Ami won’t return for a few hours, and we have done all that we can here for now, but soon sleepless nights will be upon us as we prepare for our departure.”

  Fire and Fury

  Sitting in the cold, damp sand, Rey’s heart raced. Flashbacks of being ill, frightened and alone on that beach a few short months ago filled his head, and his body trembled with dread. Rubbing his arms briskly, he fought for control. Come on, you can do this.

  Out on the beach before him, Ami ran through the edge of the water in her bare feet. She had insisted on taking her boots off for the event, and they were waiting for them at the entrance to the lagoon. Her feet had been toughened from years of summers without shoes, and she hardly noticed the rough sand beneath them as she ran and played with her siren friends.

  Caught in the memory, he recalled the time he had spent with the girl on the ship, locked in the first mate’s quarters as she hid, and he protected her. She had been so different then; focused and confident. Watching her now, she seemed almost childlike in her joy, and he wondered if the sirens had something to do with her altered persona, as all of them seemed to possess those same basic qualities. Free spirits, blowing on a whim and splashing around in the waves without a real care in the world. He could see the beauty in that, even if it weren’t very practical.

  His teeth chattering, Rey hadn’t dared set foot near the cool water. If they had lit a fire, it might have been different, but he had learned since becoming Ami’s companion that the sirens detested fire, which was probably one reason why the others had moved to their camp before he could join them. The sirens had only agreed to lighting one, which had occurred while he had been ill and had probably saved his life. Other than that, flames inside the borders of their lagoon were strictly forbidden.

  Watching the girl as she mingled with the smaller females, he smiled. At least Amicia’s having a good time. Her face glowed, even without the conflagration, and the quarter moon put off an extraordinary amount of light with the ocean there to reflect it. Giving the bottoms of each leg a few rolls, he rose from his spot and dusted the grains off his pants. He made his way over to join her and to brave the liquid up to his ankles.

  “May I?” he asked, offering her his arm and holding a smile, even as the frigid waves lapped at his toes.

  “Of course,” she smiled brightly up at him, accepting it graciously.

  Strolling along the beach, they made their way over to pay their respects to the queen.

  The siren leader sat on a large rock, which reminded him of a throne, or what he imagined one would look like since he was not accustomed to spending time with royalty before coming to Eriden. Red and green moss grew across the top and down the sides, as if it were covered in a fine silk cloth. Softening the harshness of the stone, the vegetation brought color to the subtle greys and browns of the shore and accented the queen’s iridescent gown.

  Her feet dangling, they almost touched the earth below as she kicked them merrily. Her head pivoting from side to side, Olirassa seemed quite spry for a girl of ninety-one. Watching her subjects as they frolicked at the event in her honor, she looked as if the celebration pleased her, and she blissfully received any who wished to bid her a happy birthday.

  Before leaving the camp, Ami had wrapped the necklace in a large green leaf. Giving it to Rey to hold, he carried it in his pocket. Pulling it out, he uncovered it, and they both respectfully knelt before her. Amicia placed her merdoe in her left hand, and Rey grasped it with his right, still holding the broad leaf in his other hand so he could offer it to the guest of honor.

  “Your majesty,” Rey smiled, presenting their gift by pushing it towards her, “we have something special for you. We collected the shells ourselves and barely finished putting it together yesterday.” Holding it out to her, his hand shook slightly, so Amicia added her free appendage underneath to steady him.

  “Sorry,” he mumbled. “I’m a bit cold tonight.” When he first joined Amicia for her nightly visit to the queen, he had not been permitted to even speak to her. It had taken time to build her trust, and even now he felt the trepidation at her power.

  Before him, her tiny fingers caressed the string of shells. Her golden-brown hair stuck out around her head with wild red highlights he could easily detect, even in the dim light of the evening. Her green eyes shone, reminding him of the siren who had become a dear friend. “Olirassa,” he breathed, “do you like it?”

  “It is beautiful,” she replied. “Every day I shall wear it and think of you,” she promised, smiling at him fully in a way she had never done. “How curious about you I am, Rey Daye. You came into our midst, and you have brightness brought upon us. I have enjoyed your tales of the rim and the mortals to the east.” She bowed slightly to him as she spoke, her purple dress shimmering as she moved.

  “Thank you, my lady,” he nodded to her, a sense of relief flooding his trembling body. “I have most enjoyed the telling. May we share many more sweet occasions in the days… err nights, to come.”

  Accepting the gift, Olirassa handed it to another mermaid, who would put it away for safekeeping. Standing and moving to the side, the pair still held the stone between their hands, so the song of the sirens remained clear to him; all the laughter and joy that they shared in their festivities.

  Arriving at the east bank, they waded out a short distance in the shallow water and sat upon the sand. Watching the creatures before him swim, Rey whispered, “How do they change so quickly?” He spoke of the flips and flops of the mermaids, who were so small when they walked on the shore like miniature people, and yet so large when they swam as fish in the sea. “Do you think it is the water that somehow triggers it?”

  “I don’t think so,” Ami replied, also quiet so as not to offend their hosts. “I believe it is part of their magic, that they are able to transform when they desire it. Or perhaps their legs are merely an illusion, that or their fins are,” she laughed, also watching the rainbow of bodies roll and spin in the shallow pool before them.

  Turning in the water, Oldrilin appeared in her black and shiny form; a fish to the best that he could tell. A moment later, she walked out of the lagoon, her hair wet and dripping as she splashed merrily, running towards him.

  “Rey Daye enjoy the dance,” she giggled, twirling before him as if she were a mini ballerina performing for him beneath the bright end-of-summer moon.

  “It’s lovely,” he replied, observing that many of the others swayed and spun along the shore and up in the trees. If the queen had th
ought sharing stories with him had been interesting, it had been doubly so for him, as such unique beings he had never encountered. Their voices filled the air around them with music, and he felt a peace beyond compare. Perhaps I have fallen under their spell as well, he mused.

  As the song faded and the night grew long, the hour approached when all the mermaids would find a spot to curl up for a few hours of sleep. They would rest until the sun woke them in the morn, and then be off into the lagoon for another day in the wide sea, splashing and playing, as if that were all life must ever be.

  “Amazing creatures,” Rey remarked aloud as he tugged on Ami’s hand, ready to guide her back to their bunks in the camp. Stopping to retrieve her footwear, she leaned against a large tree at the beachside entrance to the lagoon. Pulling on her socks, she lost her balance and sat with a heavy thud and a peal of laughter. “You should carry them,” he suggested.

  “I’ll sit to put them on,” she replied, continuing to smile. “While my feet are sturdy enough for the sand, I’m afraid our path to the camp is rougher than I prefer.”

  Leaning against the branches, he waited, and that is where he was when the first firebolt smashed into the branches opposite him before the trunk exploded into flames. Knocked to the ground, Rey felt dazed, shaking his head to clear it as he stared at the massive blaze.

  Remembering the girl and event simultaneously, he screamed, “Ami!” reaching her with a quick roll. She sat on the sand, having regained her upright position from being knocked flat by the blast, and she worked desperately to get her foot in the second boot.

  Shoving it in, she got to her feet as more shoots of fire scorched the waterline and set the entire front line of trees ablaze. Screaming, Oldrilin ran towards them, falling just before she reached them. Without a second thought, Rey scooped her up, intending to place her in the water on the other side so that she might swim away, as many of the others appeared to be doing.

  However, when they reached their own beach, they made two discoveries. The first, Bally and Piers had heard the chaos and gathered their supplies, intending to come after them if they had not shown up when they did. The other, mermaids cannot transform or swim when they are injured.