Tides

Chapter 4- Praxis

He was still asleep as the sun came up the next day. Blood had seeped through the bandages around his feet but other than that he seemed fine.

“How old do you think he is?” Blair asked me.

I shrugged. “Eighteen maybe.”

“What are we gona do with him?” She asked, sighing. “We’ve got a lot of stuff but god knows how far we’ll have to travel until we find somewhere to sell it.”

“We’ll be fine Blair, we always are.” I said not really thinking about anything but him.

“Go get some fresh air,” She told me. “Breakfast will be ready soon anyway and I’ll keep an eye on him until then.” For my sister she was being rather gentle. I knew she had a soft spot for, shall we say odd people, outsiders and others that needed help. Heck that’s how we ended up with half our crew but she was never this nice to me.

***

“We keeping him then?” Rowen asked me as we all got served breakfast.

“For now at least.” I said smiling at the thought.

“They called him a Siren though,” Tyler pointed out. “And we know he can sing, what if he drowns us all?”

“Give the kid a chance,” Archer cut in before me. “He was in ripped cloth and still has shackles on that look like they’ve been made on him. He’s obviously not had it easy.”

“What do you lot know about the golden dolphins?” I asked randomly.

“Ahh,” Rowen said a glint in his eye. “They say the golden dolphins are the messengers of the sea. The only thing that moves faster is a Mer. They have this way of talking, the both of them, we cant hear it and they can only do it in water but the water hears them and passes the messages along because talking normally as we do doesn’t work.”

“So it’s almost like mind reading?” Archer asked.

“Something like that yes. But they only ever bring sorrow or choices.” He finished. “You will never hear of them bringing good tidings.” I bit my lip, my appetite suddenly forgotten as food was dumped on my plate. “Why do you ask?”

I debated on weather I should keep it a secret but if the kid was to stay then I had to tell the others he’d been speaking to one, at least I thought he had. “The boy was talking to one. After we jumped off the cliff I couldn’t see him. I didn’t realize he could breath under water so I went back thinking he would drown and he was with one.”

“Talk of the devil,” Tyler muttered as Blair helped the kid into the room. They came over and sat down, the boy looked tired, dark purple bruises under his eye’s with the shackles still around his neck where everyone could see it. Blair had given him some of my clothes that were far to big for him but much better than the now tattered silk he’d had wrapped around him before.

It was only then I realized the whole place had gone quiet, everyone watching him to see what he would do. No one spoke and the tension just kept building making him shift a little in his seat that he’d taken opposite me and look around awkwardly.

“Ow for the love of the ocean goddess herself will you all stop gawking like goldfish and actually eat your food before you start complaining it’s gone cold!” Blair yelled glaring at everyone as she shattered the awkward atmosphere. Immediately everyone turned around and started talking about nothing.

“So, er, what’s your name?” Archer said trying to start a conversation.

The boy looked up, startled it seemed by the question. He frowned as if in thought before shaking his head. “The sad thing is I don’t remember what she used to call me.” He said not looking up from his food.