1 comments/ 11559 views/ 2 favorites Healer's Song Ch. 00 By: beneaththeveil Sister Mara was a contrary soul. Sister Mara was always up to something. Her skin had turned deep, dark golden from the time she spent confined to Tower Rock, always for some petty violation of the laws. Some said she liked it there, enjoyed the havoc she could wreak on any unsuspecting ships that passed. Some said she just couldn't stay out of trouble. It had been a source of constant worry to Jordana, since the girl's antics were showing no sign of stopping or even lessening, and they were growing less cute as she grew older. In fact, just yesterday she had spent much of the evening trying to think of a solution to the problem, something to keep Mara too busy for mischief. She had no way of knowing the problem would solve itself so quickly. This morning, three sisters rowed their way across the treacherous waters to the rock as usual, to bring Mara breakfast, and ask if she was ready to apologize to the elder who's hair she'd turned blue. They found her body, a small twisted heap close to the water's edge, damp with salt spray and dark, sticky blood. The entire island was in an uproar. The Society for Change and Improvement had of course attempted to start a riot. As most of the citizens of Insula were too afraid of the possible killer lurking among them to even leave their rooms, only about one half of the courtyard was filled with screaming protesters. The din could be heard, although faintly, even in Council Hall where Jordana and the other elders discussed what form of action to take. Nothing of this magnitude had ever happened on their small island. In fact, it was hard to imagine any of the peaceable sisters of Insula even dreaming of doing anything so horrible. Mara was dead, and a cloud had descended over the island, the likes of which hadn't been seen since the end of the rule of Men. A knock on the door brought the discussions to a halt. At Jordana's nod, the servant opened the door a few inches and peered outside. "Your daughter wishes to address the council, my lady," announced the servant. Jordana risked a casual glance at the faces around the room, which had turned stone cold at this audacious interruption. She ignored them. She knew her own daughter better than they did. "Bid her come in." The doors opened and a young woman strode in, dropping to the floor with quick grace in the traditional cross-legged position of respect. "Speak, child." She rose just as gracefully. "I apologize for the intrusion, but last night I saw something which may be of interest." "Go on," Jordana urged her. She herself was growing concerned at the fear and urgency in her daughter's voice. "It was about midnight, and I was having trouble sleeping in the storm. When I peered out my window I saw a light on the water. It appeared to be traveling toward the tower on rock. At that time I thought it could be nothing more than a lured ship which would break up anyway before it reached the rock or poor Mara, and I went back to bed. But this morning I went down to the shore to look for shells and I found no sign of a wreck. "A terrible feeling, you might say a premonition, took hold of me, and I went to the healer's wing to find Lisanne. In her room there are signs of a struggle - the table is overturned and the flower vase is on the floor in pieces. I - I think whoever killed Mara came ashore and took her..." The room stood in silence as everyone took in what she'd said. Jordana sighed and spoke first. "Thank you, Kali," she said, then addressed the room at large. "Since the death of our old healer, Lisanne is all we have. We need her. We shall form a rescue party. We will bring her back, and make the men who did this pay. Please let it be known that we are accepting volunteers." Her words were brave, but her voice sounded hollow to her own ears. Even with their powers, to send women after the ship of men who took Lisanne would be like sending lambs to the slaughter. "I'll go," came Kali's high clear voice. Jordana turned to her daughter with a mixture of pain and dismay. "Please, Mother, she's my best friend." Jordana knew she couldn't refuse; that was the worst of it. Bad enough that they'd already lost Mara, and probably Lisanne. Must she also run this great risk of also losing her daughter? She understood why Kali must go, those two were practically glued to each other's side when duty didn't require they be elsewhere. She resigned herself to the nights of sleepless worry she would likely endure in the months to come. There was nothing she could do about it. No, there was one thing she could do, she thought, later that night in her rooms. She retrieved her ivory-tipped pen from her desk, and scrawled a hurried letter on a piece of parchment. She folded and sealed the letter, the distinctive poisonflower seal. One ring of the bell and a few minutes later found the letter on it's way to the port in the hands of a servant, a servant who knew nothing of the secrets to which the letter's destination pointed. A servant who knew better than to ask questions or spread rumors. Her instructions were clear, go to the harbor and search out the merchant ship Silverwind. Speed was required, since this ship would only be here until midnight tonight when they finished unloading their latest shipment. Deliver the letter into the hands of its captain. Return to the palace, and tell no one of her late night rendezvous. Jordana slipped between the silken sheets of her bed that night and slept, at ease for two reasons. The first, that her daughter was safe for now, asleep in the palace. The second, knowing the letter had undoubtedly by now reached its recipient, who would do all he could to follow its request. Healer's Song Ch. 01 Men are the root of all things evil. They are by nature, aggressive and warlike, and they try to dominate each other. The peaceful, idyllic existence they enjoyed on the island was only made possible by the near extinction of the male part of their population. Once the women were in charge, working together instead of fighting each other, of course there was plenty to go around. Women are by nature, caring, nurturing, and peaceful, governed by their mother's instinct and their desire for harmony. At least, that's what Lisanne had been taught all her life. Now, she was really starting to wonder. She'd been on this boat for nearly a month, and during that time, was abused both verbally and physically, at every chance. She'd given up on asking any questions, since they always got her either slapped or kicked. Every crew member seemed to hate her with a fervor she'd never before seen. And every single one of them was female. She was at least allowed free reign of the ship, she supposed since she wasn't any threat to any of them, and it gave them reason to give her a share of the work. Since she wasn't very strong, and her cooking skills were for the most part limited to infusions, tinctures, and medicinal teas, that meant swabbing the deck and cleaning everyone's quarters. She didn't really mind the work that much; oft-times, in fact, she had to stop herself from humming. She'd discovered that really made them mad. Or scared. Both mad and scared seemed to elicit the same actions from any of them, so she was never sure which it was. Today, though, everyone had left her completely alone. It was making her wonder. She even tested one of them, humming loudly as the woman approached her. She almost forgot to keep humming when the woman just stared nervously at her and walked around her, giving her a wide berth. She decided to try pushing her luck just a bit further. "What's going on?" she asked. "Everyone seems too preoccupied to kick me around." The woman stopped walking and stood there for a second, seemingly trying to decide whether their captive really had a sense of humor. She apparently decided not. "Shut up, witch, I won't have you spelling me!" She took off down a ladder and vanished from Lisanne's sight quickly. Suddenly, Lisanne figured it out. They didn't particularly hate her, at least not most of them. They were scared of her. They didn't realize that her powers were completely ineffective on women. She started to laugh. Someone coming up the ladder saw her laughing and headed right back down, which made her laugh more. She realized every bit of abuse she'd suffered over the past three weeks was an attempt to shut her up. Well, that settled it. From now on, she certainly would not shut up, at least not until one of these crazy women decided to answer her questions. She didn't waste any time. She picked up her sponge and bucket and set off down the ladder herself. She paused at the captains door, intrigued at the sounds coming from within. A racking cough. A concerned question. An attempt to answer, between coughs. She leaned her ear toward the door to listen. It opened and she almost fell into the room. "Casting spells on our captain, witch?" Before she could think or say anything, she was pinned to the wall by her throat. "I'm a healer," she croaked. The expression on the face of her current captor didn't change, but the captain, voice raspy from coughing, said "Let her speak." "I'm a healer," she said again, massaging her throat. "I can help you if you'd let me." The other woman looked ready to shout something obsene, but the captain held up a hand for silence. "Why should I trust you?" "Judging from your color and your cough I'd say you were stung by the thorn of a poisonflower. Red flower, orange center with sprawling deep green vines and sharp thorns." A stricken look confirmed that she had, indeed noticed a plant of that description. "But how do I know you are telling me the truth? How do I know you will not poison me?" "The tip of that thorn is still imbedded in your skin. Unless I get it out, it will continue to imbed itself deeper and deeper. You will die." "I don't have much choice, do I. No, Daina." She again stopped the other woman from speaking. "I believe her. Please help her. Do whatever she feels necessary." With a huff and a look that Lisanne had no desire to interpret, Daina followed her down to the bowels of the ship. Lisanne thought, not for the first time, of how thankful she was that they had let her take her healers bag. Or, to put it more accurately, didn't bother to stop her from taking her healers bag. Besides the obvious fact that the herbs inside could save lives, she felt more reassured of her own identity, her own worth with the bag at her side. She may be torn from her home, but she was still a healer, and she could help people in the land where she was headed as easily as back on Insula. She grabbed the bag and instructed Daina to get a pot of water boiling. Back in the captain's quarters, she sorted through leather pouches of miscellaneous size and color until she found the one she was looking for. Bark of the black willow was one of many substances that was poison if too much was used, so she carefully chose a few pieces and added them to the steaming water Daina brought in. A few more herbs and five minutes to steep and the tea was ready. "These herbs will temporarily disable the thorn so I can dig it out. They are extremely bitter and foul tasting, but I can't add honey or syrup for fear of dampening their effect." The captain nodded and drank the noxious brew. Within a couple of minutes she broke out in a cold sweat and her skin turned sickly yellow. "I am going to dig out the thorn now. Daina, I need you to hold her." Daina, still eyeing her distrustfully, did as she bid. Lisanne took a long thin knife she had sterilized earlier and plunged it into the red and purple sore on the captain's arm. The woman jerked wildly, but Daina managed to hold her still. Working quickly as she had been taught, Lisanne tilted the knife to see down the incision she had created and used a second knife to trap the thorn in between. She pulled both knives out and deposited the now struggling thorn in a jar. The injured arm she wrapped, adding a poultice to quickly heal the wound she'd created. Then she picked up the jar and held it before Daina and the captain. "Here's the culprit," she announced. The thorn wiggled its way around the bottom of the jar, seemingly searching for more skin to bury itself in. Lisanne let them look on in amazement for a moment then tipped the contents of the jar into the fire. "Sorry about the hole in your arm, Captain. It wouldn't have been quite that deep if I'd gotten to it earlier." "That's nothing. Unless I'm mistaken, you've just saved my life. Call me Alex." And Lisanne received her first smile in nearly a month. She smiled back. "Here drink this. It will put you to sleep. You need it, and those herbs I gave you earlier will give you one hell of a headache." Healer's Song Ch. 02 It was all so familiar. The sand grating at her back. The water washing over her body. Her pillow of impossibly tangled and sand speckled hair. And most importantly, obviously, irrevocably, him. His well sculpted body gleaming golden in the setting sun. His touch, trailing over the sensitive underside of her arms, around her wet, cold, hard nipples, down her stomach and thighs. She wanted to beg him to enter her, but caught in his spell, all she could do was moan. Each movement of his lips on her throat sent a small tingle down her spine. And just when she decided she couldn't possibly want him any more, his lips touched her right nipple. It seemed there was some kind of direct connection between her nipples and the burning desire between her legs, because at that instant the desire flared up quite nearly past her ability to reason. She arched her back and somehow managed to get out the word "please" on one heaving breath. His hand found her slick entrance, one finger stroking the folds of flesh. She stilled, enjoying this new sensation, knowing it wouldn't be long now, until--yes!--just a finger, not quite what she wanted, but it felt so good pumping in and out of her. Still she wanted more, and she moaned in mixed pleasure and frustration. Oh gods yes - there it was, poised at her opening--please, now, yes--and suddenly she was filled with him. She felt the usual momentary marvel at how incredibly good it was to have her insides stretched to their absolute limit, then sensation took over. Each thrust brought her closer to - something - she wasn't really sure what to call it, but she could feel it coming. She realized that this now was less familiar than a few moments earlier, in fact, she couldn't say she'd ever experienced what was coming, and the thought made her suddenly impatient. She wanted to say something--faster, harder please--but she couldn't think how to make her mouth form the words, and he read her mind anyway. She readied herself for the explosion she was sure was about to come... "Lisanne." No! She didn't want to wake up; she was sure she was about to finally discover something, finally manage to reach the end of this recurring dream... "Lisanne, wake up! I have a headache, and I need some of your tea." Lisanne cracked her eyes to let in a little of the light of the lantern and a hint of Daina's outline as she stood by her bunk. "I have the perfect cure for you," she mumbled in reply. "Lay off the rum." "Come on Lisanne, I have the watch this morning, and I feel like shit." "Scullcap. Red leather, black thong with two knots at each end." Lisanne put both hands under her pillow and turned so it was over instead of under her head. She tried to recreate the scene, to remember the beach and the man between her legs in sufficient detail to reenter her dream. "You were moaning in your sleep. Is there maybe something I can help you with?" That cheeky question jarred her irrevocably from any chance she'd had at again gaining sleep. "Thanks...But no thanks," she answered, stumbling out of bed and grabbing the bag before leaving the other occupants of the room to finish their sleep in peace. Daina followed. It was kind of funny. The same woman who'd seemingly hated her the most before she'd helped the captain was now her closest friend among them. Though Daina was a lover of women, they had an agreement between them - Daina could joke all she liked but Lisanne knew she would never actually try to put the moves on her. She was always coming to Lisanne for a cure to some minor ailment, and always paid close attention to which herbs the healer selected. Lisanne thought she might have more than an inkling of the profession in her. Damn her for interrupting the dream, though. She'd been having that dream every once in a while for the past couple of years, and had not yet managed to reach the end of it. It almost seemed to be coming more often lately. It disturbed her. Everything about it was... forbidden. No, it wasn't forbidden to lay with a man. Young girls were actually encouraged to voyage to the mainland as often as they liked to get it out of their system, though their partners were usually given something to fog the memory afterward. It wouldn't do to have stories floating around of young men getting seduced by mysterious women, just in case someone from the mainland managed to put two and two together. No, what disturbed her about this dream were her own feelings while under its spell. The feeling of utter delicious helplessness that was, if not forbidden, definitely impossible in a real life situation. No man would be able to hold back if she begged him, even to draw out the pleasure. One moan would be enough to rob him of any ability to reason, leaving only a mindless desire to please her. But what disturbed her the most was that in these dreams she was... in love with the man. Though the act of love was condoned heartily for the propagation of the species, falling in love was expressly forbidden. Not that it was much of a problem. It isn't easy to fall in love with someone who can never truly love you in return, only be bewitched by the sound of your voice. She almost wished she could stop dreaming, then at least she wouldn't be starting to wish she was just a normal human. Far away Kali and her two companions were feeling just the opposite. They had brought one of their small ships to the mainland and were staying in an inn, trying to get word of who had invaded the island and why. Their powers really made their work easy; all they had to do is ask nicely and upon hearing their voices, any man would be incapable of saying anything besides the whole truth. They were trying to downplay their presence and not attract too much attention, but Kali was glad when one of their spies managed to deliver some useful information. Even if they hadn't any powers, the presence of three beautiful women at the small village inn was something to gossip about. Stay safe, Lisanne, we're coming for you, she thought. It wouldn't seem that three women had much chance against a palace full of men, and Kali remembered her mother's worried face. Kali wasn't worried though. It had been a long time for Jordana, but Kali and her friends had more recently taken a pleasure trip to the mainland. They remembered quite well just how much effect the song of a Siren can have on a man. Healer's Song Ch. 03 "Lisanne, wake up!" The voice alone didn't quite wake her, but the combination of the voice and the sliver of bright light allowed to escape from the lantern directly on her face did the trick. "Whaunh?" she mumbled. "Get up and come on deck with me. We'll talk there." She had opened her mouth to recite the hangover herbs, but closed it again. Maybe Daina for once wasn't in need of her medical skills. But as they left the room, the other woman grabbed her medicine bag. Lisanne rubbed her eyes sleepily as they climbed the ladder into the night. "Daina, why is it every time you need my healing skills it's about 3 am in the morning--" "Ssssh!" Lisanne stared at Daina in confusion. "I don't think they heard us... quietly now!" "What are we doing?" Lisanne whispered in a tone that matched Daina's. "We're escaping. I'm not letting that pig add you to his collection. If we grab one of the rowboats we can make it to shore by now no problem and we'll go north to Galandria and from there hire a ship back to--" "Daina." "Sssh--keep your voice down! Do you want to get caught?" "Thank you." Lisanne didn't lower her voice at all, and it was now Daina's turn to stare. "I really do appreciate this. But I can't let you do it. You'll be giving up your place on this ship, which I know you love, and betraying all your friends here." "But--" "I'll be fine. I'm a Siren, remember? I don't know exactly how I'll manage to get out of this one, but I seriously doubt any man will be able to take advantage of me or keep me prisoner." Daina abandoned the plan, albeit reluctantly. She kept casting glances in Lisanne's direction throughout the day as they drew nearer to land, as if to say "are you sure? We could still try to sneak off!" Each time Lisanne just smiled and shook her head. "Lisanne, may I speak to you for a moment?" The voice was easily recognized, soft and pleasant, with an edge of steel. Captain Alexandria. They had almost reached shore by now, and despite her outer calmness, Lisanne was beginning to get a bit nervous about her future. Maybe the captain was going to tell her something about why she had been captured. "Yes of course." "First, I wanted to let you know that I was blackmailed into this assignment. I would have never chosen it, never even agreed to do it for any amount of money... I probably wouldn't even have given in to blackmail would I have known what I know now about... your kind." Alex turned red at Lisanne's confusion, then quickly added, "Surely you must know - ships avoid your island because they are afraid to be drawn in and dashed upon the rocks. Not much is known about Sirens but the stories that circulate aren't good... but that's not what I came to talk to you about. There are several things. A girl was killed when we came to the island to capture you. It was an accident, but I know that doesn't change the fact that we're responsible." "What...How?" A million questions were circling through Lisanne's mind, and her first impulse was to ask them all at once. She managed to stay quiet, however, and waited for Alex to find the words. "Outside the main island there is a large cluster of rocks. We steered the ship to the leeward side of these. The girl was on the rock, we didn't even realize it until she started attacking us." "Mara!--" it was half sigh, half exclamation. "I'm sorry, go on," "In trying to subdue her, one of us accidently knocked her down. She cracked her head on a rock. We checked for a pulse, there was none. I'm sorry." Lisanne took a deep breath. "The girl will be missed, but it is a tragedy not entirely of your doing. I will convey your apologies when I return to Insula. If you ask me, the real culprit is the person who ordered you to capture me. Can I ask why this person wanted me?" "His name is Malivar. He calls himself the "sultan" but he is not really royalty by birth. He is a merchant who managed to take control of all the trade in the midlands and purchase a title from an impoverished noble in far lands. He is not completely evil, just a complete fool. He is constantly collecting exotic women for his... harem. I'm sorry, I know it's demeaning." "It's nothing," Lisanne muttered. "I won't be there for long, believe me." "That reminds me. Take this," and Alex retrieved a sheathed dagger from her boot. "I made a promise to deliver you, and I don't go back on my word, but I made no promise about not helping you escape. My ship will be in port for 5 days. Come find me and you have a ride back to your Island." "Thanks, and if you want to know the truth about my power, keep an eye on the palace. That fool of a 'sultan' is about to show the whole world just how much of a fool he is. I thank you for the dagger, though I hope I won't need it." "Good luck to you, Lisanne." They hugged in parting. They were a strange pair of friends, the captain in her tight fitting laced leather, and the Siren in her long flowing silk robes. They each saw an inkling of themselves in the other, the same steely determination that allowed them to get things done, the same positive outlook that allowed them to enjoy getting them done. And a life saved of course forges a permanent bond between anyone. The party of eunuchs, cotton stuffed in their ears, had arrived to take Lisanne to the palace. She went without fight or any attempt at speaking. If she'd come this far, she may as well at least see the inside of the palace and ascertain for herself just what kind of a man this "sultan" was. As she and her escorts walked away, she looked back for a final glimpse of her companions this past month. Daina started to wave, then glanced quickly at the captain and put both hands behind her back. Lisanne almost laughed, but then remembered that would probably make the suggestible eunuchs around her start laughing also (the cotton in their ears might muffle the effect but they would still be able to hear her), and she wasn't in the mood to reveal her powers just yet. So she contented herself with flashing a big smile over her shoulder at the lot of them. Healer's Song Ch. 04 The power of a Siren wasn't exactly mystical, nor was it completely innate. Sirens were born with some ability, but much of it was learned with time and practice. Put most simply, it was an ability to draw out emotions. Just as a sad song sung by a skilled singer can bring a tear to the eye, the voice of a Siren could find the tiniest bit of emotion and increase it hundredfold, until the listener was overcome by the sheer intensity of it. There had to be a bit of emotion there to begin with, however. If ever there existed a man who truly had no emotions - not just one who was skilled at hiding them - then the Siren's powers would be ineffectual. The song of a Siren could take the tiniest bit of curiosity from sailors on a passing ship and multiply it so that the sailors could think of nothing but reaching the source of the voice. The song of a Siren could find the smallest speck of fear - for who but fools are not afraid of something - and enlarge it so that the listener is overcome by it, unable to move, barely able to breathe. The song of a Siren could take a fleeting desire to end it all, and cause the victim to hurl themselves off of a cliff. Lisanne wasn't about to reveal the full extent of her powers, but she had to do a few things to put her plan into fruition. The first time they took her in to meet the "sultan" she managed to deliver a few very quiet carefully-toned remarks that were perfectly normal greetings in word but caused the fat, balding man to drop to his knees in tears and beg her forgiveness for doing this horrible thing to her. Word had gotten out all over the city of how their ruler had disgraced himself. Lisanne also made sure word got out through her handmaids that she was just staying in the palace for a couple of days to take advantage of the wonderful perfumed mineral baths. She really did want to take advantage of the spa treatments they were giving her (if she was going, to be dragged all that way, she may as well get something out of it) and her escape would be both easier for her and more defacing for Malivar if she laid low for a bit and gave them a false sense of security. She hoped the gossip would find its way to Alex and Daina and they would not worry about her. "My Lady. The Sultan wishes to see you tonight. He has ordered that you be made ready for him." "Very well. He shall get his wish." Her words and her smile were completely innocent. Her tone, to the women present, actually sounded somewhat apprehensive, but the eunuch backed out of the room uneasily and hurried away. She had been using that same tone with the eunuchs each time she spoke with them. She wanted to make them afraid, but not too afraid to function for now. Kali had arrived at the city below the palace and so had the man who was shadowing her. Though he hadn't been able to follow her over the land, a few greased pockets gave him the destination of three women who had left the inn, and he managed to arrive a few hours before the carriage. His ship wasn't called the Silverwind for nothing. He watched as the three companions made their way through the city, quietly gathering information. It wasn't difficult. Everyone enjoyed talking about the wannabe "sultan's" possible coming humiliation. He froze when a woman in leather approached them on the street and started talking. He wasn't supposed to make himself known unless absolutely necessary, but he couldn't hear a word of what she was saying. "You three are Sirens right?" said the approaching woman. Kali and her companions froze and involuntarily stepped closer to each other, all thinking the same thing. Their powers wouldn't work on women. And this one was pretty tough looking, hair cropped short, in an all leather outfit that clung to her lean, fit body and testified just how strong she likely was. What would they do if she turned out to be a threat? "I thought you might be because you dress just like Lisanne. Have you come here to rescue her?" The look on the strange woman's face was definitely hopeful, so Kali ventured to speak. "Why do you ask?" "If so, I want to help. She is my friend, or at least, she became my friend on the voyage and she's taking way too long to break free." "You're from the ship?" Mara. Kali grabbed the arms of the two women on either side of her and fled back the opposite direction. Daina tried to follow, but was stopped by a large male hand. She glared up at it's owner. "And who the fuck are you?" "Someone who needs to have a long talk with Alexandria. Do you know why she is taking low assignments like this last one?" He had heard enough of the conversation to gather that this woman was a crew member of the Mermaid's Revenge. "You'll have to talk to her about that," said the woman, who then brushed past them in pursuit of the Sirens. He let her go. Though the current incident placed some doubt on the character of Captain Alexandria of the Mermaid's Revenge, he was sure no crew member of hers would attempt to harm the three. In fact, they'd probably be just as safe with her tagging along as with him trailing him. Maybe he'd go catch a bite to eat. He would need it. He had a strong feeling the four of them were going to come up with some plan to break into the palace and rescue that Siren tonight, whatever her name was. The Siren named Lisanne was at that moment, getting elaborate preparations for her audience with the "sultan" that evening. Most of it was pretty innocuous, the tints they applied to her eyes, lips, and cheeks, the jewelry with which they adorned her neck and arms, but some of it was annoying or just plain embarrassing. They nearly pulled out the hair on her head to put it in some kind of silly complicated style, and did remove the hair in other places, using a sharp shell to shave it right off. The gown they had made for her, though very similar in design to the silk ones she wore back home, was made of a fabric, that besides the gold embroidery, was completely see through. She endured it for now. All this finery would make her victory more pronounced. The preparations were complete, and she stood before a full length mirror to view the effect. Her hair was done up and crusted with jewels. Her eye lids were covered with a sparkling pistachio colored powder that brought out the sea green color of her eyes. Her full lips were shining with an odd sort of lotion made with some pink sparkling powder. The gown was jade green, with trailing golden vines embroidered all over, designed to bare her shoulders and most of her arms, which had been rubbed with another lotion containing sparkling gold powder. Her full breasts and rosy pink nipples could just barely be seen beneath the fabric, but her nether regions were obscured by a wide golden belt worn low on the hips. Her legs were long and shapely, with gold bracelets around her ankles and rings on some of her toes. It was perfect. "My Lady. The Sultan summons you." She followed without a comment, but she couldn't keep the wicked smile from spreading across her face as the guard led her out of the harem to the sultan's chambers. Over the wall and down the hill, 4 companions and one shadower were hurrying toward the palace. Daina had managed to explain to the Sirens what had happened with Mara and they trusted her, for now. Time would tell, especially if this strange leather clad woman did indeed help them rescue Lisanne. They were within sight of the wall when an eerie sound reached their ears. They all paused, and even Daina was somewhat affected, she felt a controllable but definitely present urge to just stand in one spot and not move till the song stopped. The three Sirens listened almost respectfully. They could hear it best, fully appreciate the nuances in the tones of the melody, and recognize which emotions the singer was expounding upon. She was talented, no doubt. The three were certain, as the volume of the song grew, that the entire city would be able to hear and be affected by the song of this Siren. Healer's Song Ch. 05 When Lisanne first entered Malivar's chambers, she scanned his face, searching for an emotion she could work with. Excitement wouldn't help her. Neither would Lust. There it was. Nervousness. "My Lord," she said softly, and the man nearly started shaking beneath his layers of satin and jewels. He was nervous because of what had happened the last time he had seen her, and thinking about it made him to afraid. A transition from nervous to afraid was an easy one to make. "You summoned me," She fed his Fear with her tone, just enough to make him pliable, but not enough to debilitate him. "Yes--" Malivar was shaking now, and his chins were jiggling. It was disgusting or funny, she wasn't sure which. "Please forgive me..." "It's alright. I forgive you." So easy to combine Love with Fear - the two nearly seemed to be one. At hearing her Kind tone still just slightly laced with Fear all the man could think of was his overwhelming desire to please her. "What can I do?" "Follow me." She hummed softly under her breath - in tones of Fear, Love, and Curiosity - as the man followed her down the hall and into a large room. It was the throne room of the palace. It was a large room, able to house all of the palace guards and attendants, all of the court. It was not empty. She had counted on it. Since that room was central to the rest of the palace, all the people who were hanging about the palace, curious for word of what would happen to their ruler tonight, were either in or near the throne room. She wanted lots of witnesses. She let the Curiosity fade from her song, but intensified the Fear and Love until Malivar fell to his knees before her. Then she stopped singing abruptly. "I am leaving now, and I'm not wearing this outside. Give me your cloak." Malivar complied quickly. The cloak was made of hammered gold and lined in ermine. It was not only costly, it was the symbol of his leadership. Giving it to her was the surest way of debasing himself before his entire court. Another part of her plan. With the heavy cloak wrapped around her shoulders, she started to sing, louder this time so everyone in the room would be affected. She began with the similar emotions Fear and Love. As she sang it occurred to her to wonder why the two were so similar and to wonder if maybe the love she'd heard humans speak of so happily was somehow something different, something more pure than the tainted emotion she was now drawing out of the palace court. Her tone faltered, thinking of this Love, wishing it were possible to one day know what it meant. More importantly, what it felt like. Malivar's eyes changed under her now flawed song, a look of greed and desperation replaced the hopeless devotion he'd worn earlier, and he lunged at the woman wearing his beautiful cloak. Lisanne didn't see the dagger until too late. She jumped aside quickly, but the knife found her shoulder, slashing right through the heavy cloak. She corrected the tones and the knife clattered to the floor, as Malivar looked at his hands with horror. She didn't bother to dampen the Fear, or the Love, and for good measure, she added a touch of Insignificance. There it was. The reason Malivar collected so much wealth, the reason he bought the title, the reason he spent so much time and money to collect the best and most exotic women as his slaves. He was the slave, a slave to his own feeling of insignificance. She intensified the Insignificance, watching the contorted face of the toad who was now on the floor at her feet. She saw the line as it approached. She ignored it, increasing the Insignificance until the lump at her feet let out a terrible scream. She left the palace still singing in tones of Fear, Love, and Insignificance, and no one made any move to detain her. It was an awesome sight, the woman covered in jewels and finery, continuing to sing loud and clear in that unreal voice even as the blood soaked its way down her left arm. Back at the palace, Malivar had risen to his knees, rocking back and forth. On his pudgy face was a meaningless grin, and his eyes were wild. He would never be sane again. The scream could be heard clearly from where the four females stood, and Daina shuddered. She was pretty sure that sound had come from Malivar, and whatever it meant, she was very glad not to be in his shoes right now. When the song died out several minutes later, the group paused in their trip around the wall toward the front gates. Now that they could no longer hear her it would be much more difficult to find her. They had reached the main road by now, but they stepped aside, creeping into the shadows, as guards poured out of the palace. Malivar may have been driven insane, but he wasn't incapable of speaking or issuing orders, and what was left of his mind was now filled with a desire to find - and kill - the woman who had made him thus. The man watched them from behind the wall of guards that separated them. He wouldn't have chosen to wind up on a different side of the road, but like them, had to scramble for the nearest place of shelter. And he couldn't cross the road now for fear of the guards who were now posted at the gate detaining him. He watched as the four disappeared into their side of the forest. There was nothing for it but to go to the city and wait for them to emerge. He thought of the letter and almost felt guilty, then told himself that there was no way to protect Kali from inside a dungeon and started to make his way through the forest. He had been walking for a time when he thought he heard someone. He stopped to listen. A single person, by the sound of it, but they certainly weren't taking pains to be quiet. After listening for another moment, he altered his course a bit so that their paths would intersect. The other person was moving slower than him, however, and he arrived at his projected point of intersection in time to lean against a tree and wait while the trampling sounds drew nearer. Lisanne was too out of it by this point to pay attention to the racket she was creating. She was so strung out on nerves from the time she'd left the palace that she couldn't even feel any pain. She didn't know that her energy was draining out the gash in her arm, instead she thought that maybe she'd taxed herself too hard with all that complicated singing. She was getting more and more drowsy as she trudged through the forest, but she kept going with the thought that her friends were on the other side, she just had to make it out of the forest and they would help her. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the outline of a man leaning against one of the trees in her path. "Hello?" It was more a feeler than anything. Since she couldn't see his face, she needed to hear his voice to find his emotions and prey upon them. Although if he had an inkling of fear in him, that one word should have some effect, with how afraid she was at the moment. "Hello yourself." Confidence. She couldn't use that. Curiosity. Also completely useless to her. She realized she was swaying on her feet and she would have to find something to lean on as long as it took to get rid of this obstacle. "Are you alright?" There! Concern! That one she could use. She didn't bother to damper her tone. She needed to waste no energy on getting past him as quickly as possible. "I'm fine," she said. There should be sufficient Concern in that tone to cripple him for a moment. So why was he still standing there? "No you're not fine. You look like you're about to pass out. That song must have really tired you." It didn't even occur to her to wonder how he'd known she was the one that sung. She didn't even hear past the first sentence. He had disagreed with her. It was impossible. But he'd done it. She felt a darkness that was more than just the night closing in, and she started to fall. He grabbed her shoulders to keep her from falling. Her left shoulder was slick with blood. He lowered her to the ground carefully, tearing a piece of his shirt to tie around her arm and hopefully staunch the blood flow. She had lost so much already, he really wasn't sure if it would help. Apparently the song wasn't what had tired her out. The green eyes opened, and she stared at him in confusion for a moment. "You... disagreed with me." "And I was right. That arm needs to be cleaned, but I think I've managed to stop the bleeding. Can you stand? "Yes." He helped her to her feet and they both started off through the forest. As he entered a moonlit clearing she slowed, deep in thought. When he turned to face her, all the blood drained from her face. He was the man from her dreams. Healer's Song Ch. 06 "Are you coming?" She wouldn't pass out again. She already felt such a ninny for passing out the first time, and for letting herself lose so much blood. Some healer she was! But a combination of that and shock was making her dizzy again. She grabbed a branch and waited for her head to clear. "Come, it's not much farther. There are city lights through those trees ahead!" She decided it wouldn't be too wimpish for her to take the arm he offered. They made it out of the forest and through the outskirts of the city, sticking to the shadows and avoiding the sound of rhythmic footsteps when they heard it. The palace guards were currently searching the city. When they reached a part of town where the lights were brighter and the goings on much seedier, he relaxed somewhat. It would be much easier to blend in with the crowds here. An innkeeper with shifty little eyes called out to them, asking if they needed a room for the night. It occurred to him to glance down at the woman. Her cloak had apparently fallen off back in the woods somewhere, and under the lights of this part of town, even costly jewels looked cheap and fake. And she was decidedly naked underneath that joke of a gown; he could plainly see two perky little nipples staring up at him. And two slightly narrowed green eyes. Oops. Lift the gaze... They had neared the edge of that part of town when approaching footsteps made them pause. They looked back to see a bevy of guards marching straight towards them. All he could think of was, he must hide her from their view. Lisanne saw the guards and readied herself to sing. She was exhausted, but her voice would still have effect. A simple song of sleep should suffice. She opened her mouth but her voice died in her throat when her own lips were covered with a pair of warm and surprisingly soft male ones. He had intended it just be a kiss for the benefit of any guard that happened to glance their way. The easiest way to hide her from view was with his own body. In this part of town, they would just appear to be another prostitute with a customer. But he hadn't counted on her response. Nearly the instant his lips touched hers her arms went around his neck to pull him closer and her tongue started exploring... Lisanne felt as though she had entered one of her dreams. Part of her fully expected him to pull her into an alley and make passionate love to her right there in the street; another part of her just kept mindlessly thinking, Oh gods! This is real! She couldn't help her response. She'd responded to his touch so many times already that it was an automatic reaction. And in real life he was capable of wreaking so much more havoc on her body. She didn't remember breathing quite this heavily in any of her dreams, didn't remember her heart rate increasing like this, most certainly didn't remember getting quite this wet so quickly. When he pulled away she actually whimpered. "They've gone," he said. No, he didn't miss the whimper or the look of longing in her eyes. He was definitely curious about this woman, and would fully satisfy his curiosity at a later date. Now, however, was neither the time nor the place. Even if she weren't injured, he needed to get her back to the Mermaid's Revenge so he could ensure the safety of the other Siren he'd promised to protect. "Derek? ... Lisanne!" They had reached the waterside, and Alex was standing on the dock. It was she who had called out to the two of them. Lisanne, upon finally seeing a familiar face and the outline of the ship that would take her away from this place, felt the blackness closing in again, welcome this time. She slumped against the man, then a moment later dimly registered that she was being carried somewhere. She felt something soft beneath her and knew no more. "How on earth did you get involved in all of this?" Alex asked Derek. They had left Lisanne sleeping peacefully in Alex's own bed, and now were on the deck of the ship. "It's a very long story, but I should be the one asking that question." "Another long story. And we're out of time." She motioned to the dock where Daina and the three sirens could be seen approaching the vessel. "Shall we agree to meet at a later date and discuss it over a bottle of rum?" He grinned. Nope. Alex hadn't changed a bit. "Sounds like a plan." He was glad the Sirens were finally safe, and his duties were finished. He would prefer to get off the ship without any extended meeting with Kali and the others, however. "So long then," he said, leaving the vessel and passing by the four on his way to his own ship. Alex watched him go, trying to define the emotion she was feeling. Deja vu? Definitely. Unrequited love? No, nothing quite that dramatic. She could have quite easily fallen in love with that man, nearly had on several occasions, but he was closed to her. She didn't know why, or whether it would ever be different with any woman, but she hoped, for his sake, that he found someone that could get underneath his shell. "Captain!" Daina called out. "We couldn't find her." "She is here." "What?!" Daina had never before climbed over the side quite that quickly. "Oh no, we've got to get her off of here! The guards are coming to search the ship!" Lisanne awoke in a strange room. Her first thought was to be nervous, but there was nothing unsettling about her surroundings. Barebones definitely - the bed was sheeted with simple unbleached muslin, the walls were baked clay, the ceiling wooden. Her eyes searched the room for a second, then she saw her. Kali! "Lisanne, you're awake!" "Where am I?" "At an inn. The guards were searching the ship and we had to sneak you off! It was so exciting. But we paid the innkeeper a hefty sum to keep his mouth and eyes shut and you're safe here for the time being. This place was already searched earlier." "I'm so happy to see you again." "Me too! Oh, we cleaned your shoulder and wrapped it in new bandages, but we weren't sure what else to do." "Thank you, Kali." "Well, of course! You are my best friend, what do you expect?" "Kali?" "Oh, and you're wearing some of my robes, so they're probably too short, but I imagine they're better than that thing you had on..." "I broke his mind. I didn't mean to originally, but when he tried to kill me, I lost it." Silence for a moment. "We noticed. I - wouldn't think on it too much if I were you. He wasn't a nice man. It's hard to say if he deserved it, it's hard to say if anyone deserves it, but at least we're safe now. No one will try to mess with us again now that they know what we can do. Just... try to forget if you can. Oh can I get anything for you, are you hungry? You do need to get your strength back." Actually, yes, she was starving. Kali left to go warm up some of the soup that she was sure was left over from dinner. While waiting for her to return, Lisanne thought over the events of the previous evening. Everything was so blurred, but she was certain a man had helped her through the forest and the city. Was he really the man from her dreams? Was he really impervious to her powers? Would she ever even get to see him again to have these questions answered? "Soup!" announced Kali on entering the room. "It's simple, but it should do the trick." Simple, but perfectly adequate given the situation. There were a couple small rolls of crusty bread too. Lisanne made short work of all of it. "Lisanne, will you be okay here for a few minutes by yourself? I know Captain Alex wants to leave before dawn's first light if possible. I want to tell her you are awake and feeling better, and see if we can figure out how to sneak you back on." "I'll be fine." She really was feeling nearly completely back to normal. Kali had been gone for probably about 5 minutes when there was a knock on the door. "Yes?" she said. "The lady who was with you has requested that you meet her downstairs." "Yes, of course. Tell her I'll be right down." Lisanne should have thought to scan the voice for telltale emotions, especially with all she'd been through the past few days. But she was so excited to finally be leaving this accursed place and on her way home that she only heard the words. She jumped out of bed and looked around the room. The jewels the others had apparently removed were all on a small table by the bed. The dress, torn and bloody, was draped over the foot of the bed. It was ruined, but it seemed foolish to leave behind the jewels. She tore a square of somewhat clean fabric from the sheer dress and piled the jewels in the center. With the corners tied, it made a nice little carrying bag. She left the room, noting the robes swishing about her calves instead of her ankles. Yes, they were about 6 inches too short... Her musings were interrupted by a sharp sting in her neck, and almost immediately the room started spinning. She looked up, noticing the inn keeper standing in the hall for the first time. Dishonesty, Greed, Deviousness. It was written all over his face. Why hadn't she heard it in his voice? She gripped the door jam and tried to stay on her feet. Healer's Song Ch. 07 "What the fuck? One was supposed to knock that bitch out... What is she, some kind of monster?" She felt another sting, this time in her arm. She reached up and pulled it out. A dart. Tipped with something, most likely. It was making her brain work slowly. She removed the one in her neck also, knowing that it wouldn't stop the poison from spreading through her body. There were men. She had to do something about the men with the darts. The only song she could remember in her condition was a song of sleep. Sleepiness isn't exactly an emotion, but humans need it, and it was probably the easiest task a Siren could attempt, to increase that need. She sang, hoping her voice wasn't too messed up by the drug. She sounded funny even to her own ears. But her voice remembered the tones without much help from her brain, and soon, the men who had attacked her were on the floor, soundly asleep. She stumbled down the stairs and out of the inn, still clutching the bag of jewels more by reflex than anything. She tried to remember where she was going. She had to reach a ship. There was a ship somewhere, and she had to reach it. She walked down the street in the downhill direction, towards the ocean, towards that ship. There was the ocean. In the faint morning light she could see a ship also, that must be her ship. She stumbled down the beach right into the edge of the water, not even bothering with the dock. The ship was leaving. She had to reach it. The cold water on her feet sobered her for a bit. The ship wasn't that far out, but she would never be able to climb the side in her robes. She removed them and tied them to her back, then jumped into the water. Anyone born and raised on a small island is sure to be a strong swimmer. Lisanne was no exception. The cold water shocked her body into awareness, allowing her to reach the ship. She made it over the side, close to the rear of the vessel. She was going to fall asleep now, but she didn't want to do so here. It was too open here. There was a room with a bed. She remembered a room with a bed. She stumbled down the deck, keeping in the shadows, close to the wall for support. She could hear the voices, commands being shouted, low pitched voices, or so they sounded in her stupor. There was a door ahead. She opened it and went inside, and a rolling motion of the ship pushed her back against it, closing it for her. Here it was. Her room with a bed. Something was wrong though. It was a different room. She needed to find the other room. She was so tired though. Maybe she should take a nap on this bed first. She pulled off the bundle of clothing she had tied to her back and started to reach for her robe, but just then, another motion knocked her right onto the bed. It was so soft. Felt so nice. She was getting something, she needed to reach for it, but she was so sleepy... Derek always enjoyed being out at sea, the wind, the salt spray, the gentle rolling motions of the ship, and today was no exception. They were making good time to Lede, should be there by midday tomorrow at the latest, where he would pick up his next load of supplies to bring to Insula. He was glad to be back on schedule. Considering he was the only ship that could dock at Insula to bring back the fabled silk of the Sirens, and he had been out of commission for at least a month while chasing after Kali and her friends, he had merchant customers that were screaming at him. And it was good to know the Sirens were safe. Life was good. Taking one last look at the moon, reflected in wavering patches on the calm sea water, he crossed the deck toward his room, planning to turn in for the night. He opened the door, stopping dead as a patch of moonlight fell on his bed. There was a naked woman laying there. Now Derek was a handsome man. Many a woman in many a port had been bewitched by his crystal blue eyes and, and he knew exactly what it was like to have a woman throw herself at him. This, however, was a first. He hurried inside and shut the door, lighting an oil lamp so he could study her better. She lay curled up on her side, one arm underneath her head and the other crossed over her breasts, dangling off the bed as if she were reaching for him. A mass of dark golden ringlets spilled onto the blankets around her. Her face was serene and her skin was pale pink, tinted gold by the flickering lamp light. Her face. That was the first clue that the truth of the situation might not be quite as flattering as he had thought. It was the same Siren from last night. Then he saw the bundle of clothing on the floor underneath her outstretched hand. He stepped forward and touched her face lightly. Her skin was ice cold. A moment of panic, quelled when he saw her sides moving rhythmically and heard her soft, steady breathing. To the eye, she appeared to be nothing more than fast asleep. He shook her shoulder. She kept right on sleeping. She made no sound as he kept shaking her, trying to get her to wake. When he slapped her cheek gently, she made a soft sigh and grabbed his hand with her tiny cold fingers. A moment later, he had managed to get her underneath the blankets, and had wrapped his warm body around her. Not that it was helping much. Her skin still felt as ice cold as ever. He wondered, not for the first time, how on earth she wound up here, on his ship, and why she appeared to be simply sleeping, yet wouldn't wake up. Her ice cold flesh he could imagine was due to probably being wet in the slightly chilly room and laying atop the covers all day. But that didn't quite answer his other questions. Nor did wondering about all this help him warm her cold body. Her hands were starting to feel a bit less cold as he clasped them in his own. The rest of her he didn't seem to be able to help much. He wondered if the fabric of his night shirt was blocking the heat from entering her. Ah well, it was worth a try. He removed the night shirt, curling around her again, trying to shake the distinct feeling that when morning came tomorrow he'd get clobbered for this. Healer's Song Ch. 08 She was moaning in her sleep. It woke him up nearly as soon as she started. He rose himself up on one elbow to watch her. Her face, illuminated by the early morning light, was flushed, and her skin was no longer cold. In fact, she had grown decidedly hot. Another moan, and she lifted her chin, drawing attention to the graceful white neck, and he couldn't resist touching it lightly. As his touch trailed down her neck to her collarbone, she arched against his hand, as if begging for more. He drew his fingers in patterns over the patch of sensitive skin above her breasts, drawing a gasp and another moan out of her when he dipped them into the hollow between her breasts, before traveling slowly, languidly up to her face. Her eyes were still closed, but her breathing seemed a bit more irregular. He traced the outline of her chin with his fingers, and drew one finger across her lips before bending down to kiss her. As his mouth closed over hers, her eyes flew open, a shock of green underneath dark lashes. He didn't stop kissing her immediately, waiting till her lips softened and her tongue came out, as if to tentatively taste him. He drew back slowly and gazed down at her. Her eyes were wide with shock, and her mouth was still open from the kiss. She let out a breath, a whisper of sound that seemed to form the words "you're real" and two small white hands came up, tangling themselves in his hair and pulling him down for another kiss. Her hands started exploring his body, tentative, curious touches that seemed an attempt to drive him insane. He returned the favor, trailing his fingers over her silky skin, enjoying the way she arched against his hand. His fingers found a cold, stiff little nipple and she gasped, eyes going huge. Her hands forgot their motions and fisted at his back as he continued the flicking, pinching, and twisting. She moaned, a plaintive sound, and ground against his leg where it rested between her own. That motion made it glaringly clear to him just how wet she was. His leg was slick with her juices where she continued to grind against him. As much as he enjoyed watching her slack eyed look of happiness as she pleasured herself, he wanted her on his own terms. She stared at him in dazed annoyance as he shifted to place both knees between her own, and carefully lowered his weight down on top of her. She couldn't quite grind against him like this - though not for lack of trying. Her writhing managed to place her further down so that the tip of him touched wetness, and she smiled at his sharp intake of breath. She let out a moan that was almost a whine. He had an amazing amount of self control, was quite adept at drawing out the moment until a woman became putty in his hands, but he wasn't a god. He couldn't wait any longer to enter her. Her voice came in between her panting breaths, "Be careful - I haven't - I've never - Oh, gods! Don't stop--" and her hands digging into his ass made sure he wouldn't try to pull away--"Just be gentle please--" It took every ounce of his self control to follow her request, once he pushed inside her incredibly tight, hot, wet depths. He heard her small cry - it could have been a cry of passion rather than pain - but he waited till her body relaxed underneath him before pulling out and sliding back in slowly. He continued the slow rhythm, savoring her ragged breaths, her tiny, impatient whines each time he paused before pushing inside her again. Then she lifted her hips once to meet him and he lost it. Thrusting into her with ruthless abandon, he barely registered her gasping moans, her fingernails raking his back. It wasn't long before she tensed, entire body shuddering, clenching around him--and he'd thought she couldn't possibly get tighter--then she went limp, panting as he continued to pound her. She began to moan once more, and he could feel it coming. He thrust hard, and deep, exploding inside her just as her body clamped down on him for the second time. He collapsed on top of her, both of them breathing heavily for a few minutes, then he rolled off, thinking it might be easier for her to catch her breath without a man on top of her. "Wow. Should have done that a lot sooner," she let out a light laugh and he glanced at her. She sent him a smile of sated, amazed happiness. "Although I have the feeling it would have been a bit different with someone else..." Her eyes clouded over with a million questions, and she seemed to be having some trouble thinking which one to ask first. "How did I end up here?" she finally asked. "I was hoping you could answer that question." She sat up, delicate brows drawing together as she pondered. "I remember being at an inn. I was supposed to meet Kali downstairs, and - what was that?!" The ship had lurched a bit. Her eyes flew to the porthole. "We're moving?" We can't be! I have to get back to the Revenge!" "Calm down. We will, don't worry. Can you try to remember anything else? Why were you at the inn?" "Guards were searching the ship. They were hiding me there so they wouldn't find me. I went downstairs to meet Kali, and... Oh! That despicable man!" "I take it you've remembered." "The inn keeper and a couple of other men shot me with something. Darts with something on them that made me sleepy. I sang them to sleep, or at least, I started to. I can't remember anything else." "And I'm guessing you somehow managed to stumble onto my ship as it was taking off, though I still don't exactly know how you wound up naked on my bed last night." She mumbled something, he could have sworn the words were "apparently my subconscious knows exactly what I want," but when he turned to stare at the strange little ex-virgin she was grinning at him, still naked, without a shred of self-conciousness, sitting cross-legged in his bed. He forgot whatever he had been pondering earlier. "So where are you headed exactly?" she asked. He glanced at the light streaming in where the sun was just beginning to rise. "Lede. We should be there within the hour actually. We can go back to Dal from there and try to catch up with Alex." "No - I think I'll get off there and make my way back to Dal on land. I don't want to inconvenience you any further." It was true he was already late, and it was true he would get yelled at even worse for altering his course, but he couldn't possibly abandon her to make her way back alone. "Not an option. I--" She interrupted him with a hand on his arm. "I'll be fine. I'm not exactly helpless you know. I've got a sack of costly jewels to sell and it isn't far. You've got cargo to pick up or deliver, don't you?" He ignored the question. "You won't be fine. You weren't fine last night, otherwise you'd be on the revenge instead of my ship. Think what might have happened had you stumbled onto another of the ships here-" "I was careless last night. I won't be again. Don't even try to convince me, I won't listen. I'm getting off at Lede and that's that!" And she narrowed stubborn brows over stubborn green eyes and slid out of the bed to search for her clothes. He kept silent. She seemed to expect that all she need do is smile at him reassuringly to convince him it was ok to fuck her and abandon her, but he wasn't buying it. He wasn't sure how to sway her from her chosen path just yet, but he was certain of one thing, she wasn't leaving, even if he had to tie her to the bed. "Crap. My clothes are soaked." Her words tore his mind from certain images provoked by the thought of her tied to the bed. She was wrinkling her nose at the dripping, transparent mess. "Could I maybe borrow something of yours for now? I don't suppose there is a woman on board?" He almost felt relief at telling her no. "Now you can't expect to leave the ship, with no clothes. Here." He tossed one of his white shirts in her direction and turned to pull on his own clothes. When he turned back around, she had managed - just barely as it appeared - to put on the shirt without losing herself in it. It hung nearly to her knees. Combined with the obstinate look on her face, it was quite hilarious. "I'll be fine. Silk dries quickly. I'm not letting you turn this big ship and all these people around just for me. And I have to get back to Kali and the others! They must be so worried about me--Wait a minute." her eyes widened in understanding. "I get it. I forget you're human. I know human women want to be married and taken care of and all that. I'm a Siren, it's different with us. It's okay, it was just sex. I wanted it, and you gave it to me, that's all. You have no responsibility toward me." Okay, so maybe it seems like it would be every guys dream - sex with absolutely no responsibility, no strings attached, but to have the woman who has just given herself to you - her first time no less - calmly tell you that it was nothing beyond fleeting pleasure, was infuriating. Pretty fucking infuriating, actually. "You're not going anywhere," he said, moving to stand in front of the door as if to block her. Her eyes narrowed and she stood there, seeming to contemplate for a moment, before she shot forward. She tried to dart under his arm, but he was too quick for her, grabbing her squirming body and forcing her back to the bed. She stared up at him, eyes full of anger and wild desire. She licked her lips and he stood and turned abruptly, narrowly stopping himself from doing to her exactly what her eyes seem to request, actions which would use up half the time to Lede and get them both nowhere. Nowhere closer to coming to an agreement that didn't involve her tied to the bed, anyway. When he pushed away the thoughts that had again risen enough to turn around and look at her, she was still sitting on the bed. She had drawn her knees up to her chest, hugging them. Her eyes were still defiant, but her small size in the way-too-large shirt awakened every tender, protective instinct in him. "Wait," he said as inspiration came. "The load I'm picking up in Lede is bound for Insula. We can send a messenger to Alex, telling her to continue to Insula, and she can meet us there. Will that work?" He could see the wheels turning in her head. Anger was slowly replaced with acceptance, and maybe a spark of something...else. "Ok," she said simply. "I am getting off at Lede though, to buy clothes and things I need. All I have with me is the jewels and those robes." He agreed gladly, happy to have won so easily. He watched as she untied her robes, extracting the bundle of jewels from inside. He left her to begin his responsibilities as captain, hoping she would remain entertained sorting her jewels and see fit to follow his instructions not to leave the room, at least not in his shirt. Though his crew members were all trustworthy, decent men, they were still sailors, and he didn't like to think of the havoc a half clothed siren could wreak on his ship.