Whisper of Suffering

by Samantha Jacobey

  Sitting to lower her into the water, Rey forgot all about staying dry, as tears trickled over his cheeks and beard. Her small arms and legs pocked by burns, she simply lay in the water and cried. “What’s wrong with her?” he sniveled, wiping at his nose. “Why doesn’t she swim away?”

  Fishing the shell out of her pocket, Ami only needed a moment to discover the truth. “She can’t,” she wailed, her green eyes full of tears of their own. “They are being slaughtered. They cannot escape into the ocean if they have been burned.” No wonder they detested fire.

  “We have to help them,” Bally determined firmly with a smack of his fist into an open palm, confident the others would agree.

  “Not a chance,” Piers replied. “We barely escaped the dragon last time, and this time I count three flying around. We need to get into the tree line and head west, now!”

  Pulling off her sweater, Ami prepared to wrap it around the tiny creature. “Rey, carry her!” she commanded. “We cannot leave her here.”

  “Of course not,” he agreed, having already made that determination for himself, and he scooped Lin out of the water without needing to be told twice. Accepting the garment to protect her, he wrapped her gently and held her against his chest.

  Throwing their gear over their shoulders, Piers and Bally took the lion’s share, while Ami managed her bag, which had been stuffed once again with whatever food they had on hand. Stomping along the edge of the forest, they kept to the shadows just inside the tree line. Following the beach, they made it all the way to the peninsula before they turned inland, hoping to leave the water and the dragons behind.

  “We have to stop,” Ami whined, catching the Mate’s arm from behind and pulling firmly upon it.

  “We keep moving,” he growled. “The farther away we get, the safer we will be.”

  “But we’re exhausted,” Rey seconded her opinion. “Please, Piers. Let us rest and tend to the injured.”

  Glancing down at the siren Reynard carried in his arms, the first mate felt little pity for the creature. However, he had a great deal of respect for the man before him, and he could tell he was in pain, torn by her injury. “All right, we rest, but everyone stays close. I’ll find the best place.”

  Tromping ahead, he located a small clearing that would suffice and directed the others to it. Taking up spots on the bare earth, each of the men dropped their loads and inspected their bundles. Bally had the sword and axe that had been forged, along with the one that the Mate had made off with from the ship the night of its sinking.

  “You have weapons,” Ami observed, and her features brightened as she realized she carried the food that would preserve them, at least for a few days. She figured at some point they would double back to the lagoon and return to Riran. The smile faded when she made the larger connection. “You intended to leave all along.”

  Not looking at her, Rey saw to Lin, who appeared to be sleeping in her sweater-nest. Adjusting it so she would be more comfortable, he observed, “We’ll need some dressings for these wounds soon enough, or she’ll get an infection.”

  He had ignored her observation, but Ami knew it was true. He had asked her only a few days before how long she thought they would stay, and now she knew why. Standing, she towered over Piers as he slumped against a tree. “You never meant to make a home with the sirens,” she accused, her hands planted on her hips in the form of fists.

  Looking up at her, she was a beauty to behold, even with strands of hair escaping her braid and floating wildly about her head. The light shining through them from the setting moon accented them, and he felt his heart ache with the wish he could have been the man she wanted him to be. “No,” he stated flatly, waiting for the rain of fury.

  “Ami,” Rey cut in, satisfied his charge had all he could do for her at the moment. Leaving her bundle, he stood also, “Amicia, listen to me. The sirens are a magical and wonderful people, but they are not us. We might have stayed a while longer, but eventually we had to leave.”

  “So, you were in on it too!” she replied, a tear streaking her dirty cheek to drip from her quivering chin.

  “Of course I was,” he sighed, stepping closer and seizing her arms, holding them firmly. “We have worked together to ensure our survival. Don’t you see?” He indicated their packs of preparations.

  Staring down at their meager belongings, she wiped at her drops of angry sadness. She had been under a magical enchantment for weeks and could feel it slipping away. “Why did the dragons come?” she asked, her voice quieter as her thoughts cleared.

  “I don’t know,” the Mate replied, digging into the ground with the heel of his boot. “But whatever the reason, I’m sure it’s a bad omen for us.”

  A silence settled over the group as each considered that sentiment. Finally, Rey breathed in loudly and announced, “Well, what’s done is done. But I think we can all agree on one thing… the dragons know we’re here, and that means our safest route is to watch for our chance. At some point, we have to get off this land and try to make it home if we ever hope to escape them.”

  Looking up at him with doleful green eyes, Amicia heard the words and on some level understood the truth behind them. But, they did not change the fact that she was home. She felt it in her gut, and if the group of men ever did flee, they would do it without her.

  Jerranyth

  Wind whistled in the trees above her head, distracting her thoughts as Amicia tromped along behind Piers. The other two men close behind her, they carried packs made from the blankets she had acquired for them, which gave her an angry pout that she had unwittingly aided in their plan.

  A bird, singing noisily, brought a small smile to her lips before it faded, and her dark scowl retook its place on her delicate features. They had been hiking through the wilderness for two days. If she had been weary of the raft, she was even more so of this.

  However, there would be little point in complaining. It wasn’t as if they had seen anything or anyone worthy of commentary since they left Riran the night of the fiery dragon attack. They simply marched along, resting now and then and keeping their own company along the way.

  At least last night they had come upon a clear pool of water fed by a small spring, she recalled, tracing the memory of the evening in full. They had been climbing, as the trees grew up the side of a mountain, so their progress had been slow. From the sweet taste of it, she suspected that this bit of fresh water was fed by the same source as the waterfall and sacred pond in the siren lands, and she pondered what had become of her miniature friends.

  Stopping beside it, they had made actual camp, and Rey had bathed his tiny mermaid in the cool water. Her wounds had festered into small pustules, and she drifted in and out of consciousness while he tended to her. He cleaned the wounds the best that he could and bandaged them with strips torn from his own shirt.

  If they had the witch hazel, things would have been better. As they were, Ami feared she wouldn’t last more than a few days, at best. But Lin had opened her eyes and fed upon a bit of water and nectar that he had gathered for her. That gave him hope, and she dared not take it away from him by voicing her concerns.

  During their respite, she had also found a few of her personal things, such as her mother’s dagger and father’s mirror, in the bottom of their food bag, meaning they had been shoved into the pack first. Waving her hairbrush at Piers, she had accused, “It seems odd that your first thought was to bring this for me.”

  “I picked up your belongings, thinking you might like to have them,” he replied with a shrug. “Your hair requires tending. A bit more than most, I might add. Did you not want your brush to keep it under control? Perhaps we should shave your head and be done with it,” he taunted.

  Her green eyes narrowed as she glared at him. “You claim you’re not in love with me, but you care for me as if you are. I find it hard to believe we would not have wed if we had been able to remain with the sirens.”

  “Can’t a man simply do something nice for a wom
an he is fond of without having some deeper meaning cast upon it?” the Mate grumbled, turning his back on her and putting an end to the conversation.

  His attempts to make less of his feelings for her made her smile again, and she stared at the back of him as he moved ahead of her, choosing their path with his stubby collection of hair scrunched at the base of his skull. A moment later, the woods fell silent as the bird’s song ended abruptly. A loud shout froze the group of wayward humans in their tracks.

  Bally still carried the bundle of armaments, as they had seen no sign of danger since exiting the beach, leaving them defenseless to the unknown parties now in their path. Gathering in a small circle, the group exchanged tense glances with one another as they considered their options.

  From out of the trees, tall, slender creatures surrounded them, brandishing weapons all pointed at them. One with a bow set the nock and pulled the string, keeping Bally under guard. A second held a long sword over his head, ready to strike at anyone who dared to move.

  With the distinctive cat-like slant of their eyes and point of their pierced and decorated ears, Rey recognized them from the descriptions the mermaids had given and appeared happy with their arrival. “You’re the elves!”

  A male with long dark hair made a surly sounding reply, and Ami slipped her hand into her pocket, fishing out her merdoe so that she could at least understand his rude remarks.

  Stepping forward to inspect what appeared to be an infant Reynard kept wrapped in her sweater, he pulled back the material from the small face and gasped, “Why have you stolen this creature?”

  Amicia frowned, then translated, “He wants to know why you have stolen ‘this creature,’ Rey.”

  “I haven’t stolen anything,” the man in question denied, instantly angry at the use of the word “creature” to describe the mermaid. “This is Oldrilin and she’s injured. We were at the queen’s festival two nights ago when Riran was attacked by dragons.”

  “We barely escaped with our lives,” Piers interceded, hoping to calm his companion by waving an upturned hand at him in a stopping motion. “This siren was burned and couldn’t swim away with the others. She is Rey’s friend, and we brought her to care for. We didn’t mean her any harm.”

  Studying him for a long moment, the elf glanced around at each one, then faced the girl. “Queen Olirassa invited you to her celebration?”

  “Why wouldn’t she invite us?” Amicia demanded, standing taller. “We’re her friends and have been since we landed here over two moons ago,” she announced confidently.

  Extending a long slender finger, the elven leader grazed her cheek as he stared into her clear green orbs. “I see.” Glancing down at her hand that clasped the magical shell, he lifted it and nudged the fingers to spread them, inspecting the trinket but allowing her to keep it.

  Spinning, his long robe flowed around him. “Come, then. I will present you to my queen and discern what is to be done with you.”

  “He wants us to go with them,” Amicia interpreted once more, looking around anxiously at the others.

  “My friend needs help,” Rey interjected, stepping towards him. “Please,” he said more quietly when the elf turned, glaring at him. “She said elf medicine was the best in all the land,” he practically whispered.

  “The water creature spoke well of us,” the leader grinned, directing his comment to Amicia. The gesture added a twisted appearance to his features, not altering her confidence in him. “Bring her, and we will see if her life can be spared.”

  “They’re going to help her,” Ami informed Rey, urging him to follow.

  Instantly eager, he fell into step behind the elf, cradling Lin all the more tightly in his excitement. Help lay before them and hope beyond any they could have held had they not been found.

  Piers appeared less enthusiastic, giving each of his captors a cold stare in turn before moving to follow his comrade and the head elf. Amicia marched after him, and Baldwin brought up the rear, with their guards behind to ensure no one tried to escape.

  The company arrived a short time later on the edge of a vast city snuggled within the trees and rocks. Tall spires peeked from the tops of the branches, and Amicia gasped in wonder as she lifted her chin, laying her head back to admire them.

  “This place is incredible,” Bally declared, putting the girl on edge with how easily he had been drawn to them.

  “We don’t know anything about them,” she warned in a hushed voice. They had already visited one enchanted kingdom only to have it destroyed by the dragons that seemed to be hunting them. What would become of the elves if they were to take them in?

  Hearing her comment, the elf in charge plied her with another eerie grin. “I am Anerion, lead huntsman to our queen, Lady Cilithrand. Welcome to Jerranyth,” he announced coolly. The introduction made, he waited.

  Pursing her lips, she repeated, pointing at him with an open palm, “Anerion, this is Rey, Bally, and Piers,” she stated calmly, presenting the men and then herself. “I’m Amicia, but most call me Ami.”

  “Well, that was not so difficult,” her host stated with a firm nod, turning once more to lead them into the elf kingdom.

  Approaching a wide gate, large stone pillars stood to either side, each topped with a statue of an elf maid with open arms. The iron covering for it split in the middle and lay swung open, creating a transparent tunnel about ten feet long. Passing through it, they could still see the wooded area that grew right up to the stone walls that surrounded the city of Jerranyth and marked its boundary.

  Upon entering, they came into a courtyard that occupied the middle of the path. Cobbled stones formed the floor of the plaza, which appeared square at near a hundred feet side to side and front to back. In the center, an ornate fountain spouted water into a shallow pool surrounded by a bench for sitting to enjoy the view.

  From this central gathering place, the walkway broke up and wound back into the dwellings that lined the cliffs and slopes of the mountain via steep paths and magnificent sets of steps and stairs. Stopping them, Anerion parceled out the group to various elves, who would see to their needs while they were there in the city.

  “This is Rey,” he announced to a young maid who joined them. “His siren needs attention as quickly as you can manage it.”

  “His siren,” she replied, her surprise evident. Peeking inside his make-shift blanket, she shook her head at Lin’s condition. Taking Rey’s arm, she guided him towards a set of stairs to the right of the great fountain, where a tall hedge hid what lay beyond.

  Ami watched him climb up and out of sight when they met a turn and asked, “Where does she take him?”

  “The siren will be mended,” the leader of the hunting party assured. “You will follow me to the queen’s chamber, and the other two of your friends will visit with a few of my kinsman while they await your return.”

  As Anerion led her to a more exquisite staircase directly across from the gate, Piers attempted to follow but was stopped by a pair of stout elves who guarded the palace entrance. They each held long spears and crossed them before him, denying him access. “Ami, wait!” he called after her, alerting her that he had not been permitted to join her.

  “Wait for us here,” she commanded, squeezing the merdoe anxiously.

  “I don’t like this,” he growled. They were being separated from each other, and he would not be able to protect her.

  “There is no cause for alarm,” Anerion replied to his concern.

  Glancing between them, Ami smiled anxiously. “I’ll be ok, Piers. Go and wait by the fountain, and I’ll be back once I’ve been presented to the queen.”

  His jaw dropped at that development, as her being presented to anyone only troubled him more, not less, especially since he was in charge of their company and not her. However, he had no grounds to argue. Outmanned and unarmed, he knew the elves could do whatever they liked, and they would be powerless to stop them.

  Returning to Bally as she had requested, he stomped back t
o the fountain, glaring at it as it spewed water into the shallow pond that surrounded the half-naked statues of more elven maids. Standing beside it, he looked down into the clear water that made it difficult to assess how deep it actually was. The bottom decorated with softly tinted green and yellow tile, a bright gold grout held them in place, which caught the overhead light of the sun and brightened the water to a warm glow.

  Swimming in the depths, large orange and blue fish the size of his arm moved in slow, oscillating motion. He counted seven of them, each moving in random, elegant curves around the small tank. Feeling calmed by the peaceful creatures, he glanced around to see what the remaining elves were up to.

  Next to him, one of those they had first encountered in the woods had opened Baldwin’s pack and had taken to inspecting his craftsmanship. When he held up the sword he had presented to Rey, the question formed in the air, and he bit, “I made it from salvaged metal from the sunken ship next to the mermaid’s lagoon.”

  Satisfied, the elf continued to go through the contents while Bally laughed, “You don’t think he could understand you, do you?”

  “Aye, he understands,” the Mate grimaced. “This place is quite a mystery, but I’ve gotten that much figured out.” When the young man didn’t reply, he sighed, “The beings here are magical. They can all talk to each other, and they all understand our words, even if we can’t understand theirs.”

  “How fortunate for them,” the younger man laughed as a new elf, perhaps his age, joined them. Lifting Bally’s axe, his slender fingers gripped the handle, and he tested the weight of it with a few swings. “That’s mine,” Baldwin beamed. “The Mate made it for me.” He pointed to Piers as he explained, then back to himself, adding, “I’m Bally.”

  Nodding, the elf indicated his understanding, patting himself across his chest and announcing, “Animir.”