The rocking of the ship was a comfort for me as I mourned the loss of my mother and sisters. The belly of the ship where my cabin was located was dark and small. A small window let in only enough light to read by for a few hours a day. The King had provided barely enough money for the passage and mother had bartered her jewels in order to get me a clean bed and a window. The King had not even permitted me an escort on the ship, and so I was left to my own devices. My cabin was shared with three other women, who kindly watched over me. As the ship pitched back and forth, the sound of the waves against the side provided me some comfort and lulled me into a dreamless sleep night after night.
One evening, through the blackness of sleep, I awoke to the sound of voices calling to me. I could hear voices singing, the melody so haunting my breath caught in my throat. Sitting up, I looked around the cabin listening intently for the voices, hearing only the slight snoring and breathing of the women asleep. Climbing from the bunk I peeked my head out the door, into the blackness of the ship’s hallway. Faintly, so faintly it was almost like a sigh I heard it again. The voices pulled at me, making my heart beat faster. My legs moved of their own accord, taking me up the stairs and onto the deck. Their voices floated in the air, swirling around me. Looking up into the night sky, the stars were so clear, and the moon was so close I reached up my hands to touch it. The singing was getting louder, more beautiful. Raising my arms up I twirled across the deck of the ship. The wind caught my nightgown blowing the thin white fabric around my ankles, and lifting my hair. I danced across the deck, using the wind as my partner, letting it lift and twirl me and run its fingers through my hair. Reaching the bow of the ship I leaned over the side and looked into the water. I could hear the singing rising up from the depths of the water, I could feel its beat. Slowly a head rose from the water. Looking up at me with clear green eyes, a woman appeared. Her voice was smooth as silk, running over me like warm water. Pulling herself further out of the water, I saw she was naked. Her pale skin almost translucent in the moonlight, and her long hair spread around her in the water like a halo. Reaching her arms towards me, she beckoned me into the water. I could see the stars reflected in the water beside her, and with her holding her arms up to me, I jumped.
The darkness and silence of the water surrounded me. I began to struggle as I sank deeper into the water, my lungs burning with my last breath. Looking up I saw the ship move farther away as the depths of the water tugged me down. Suddenly she was there, pulling my body to her, she brushed my hair back and pressed her lips to mine. Struggling I suddenly felt the air push into my lungs. I stared into her eyes, my hands on her shoulders as she lifted me through the darkness and back up to the surface. Looking down I saw her translucent skin change into green scales where her legs should have been. Her tail swept through the water, pushing us quickly to the surface. As we broke the surface of the water, I breathed in the cool night air. Smiling, she placed my hands on her shoulders and swung me around onto her back. Lazily she swam in a circle, pulling me along. As we swam, she began singing again, and this time more voices joined hers from the deep waters. They bubbled to the surface, and suddenly I was surrounded by them. Passing me gently from one to the other, the women held onto me, keeping my head above the water. I could feel their sorrow as they hugged me close and stroked my hair from my forehead. Their song had become so sad, a tale of loss and longing. It broke my heart and I could feel tears running down my cheeks. As we drifted in the water, me cradled in their arms, I slipped into a deep sleep.
The sound of women laughing woke me up. Opening my eyes I was greeted with the familiar surroundings of my room in the ship. The three women that shared my room were packing up their belongings.
“Ahhh, the young miss awakes,” smiled one of them. “Ya know, we’re arriving at port in about an hour or two miss, you’d best get up and pack up yer belongings”.
YOU ARE READING
Sorceress
FantasyThe story of Morgana Le Fay, Arthur's hated sorceress half-sister is finally told. Forced into a nunnery at a young age, and to live under the tyrant rule of the man who killed her father, Morgana's tale rivals the stories of the great King Arthur...
