Siren

VI. faith

The prince of Denmark stared at the casket being lowered into the ground in sorrow. His men could easily be spotted all around him. Those who had worn hats took them off and clenched them in their hands, trying yo hold back the tears as their lips quivered. The others simply stood with their heads hung with nothing to anchor their tears as they streamed down their face freely for their dead crew mate. While some high ranked navy soldiers attended in full uniform to pay their respects, the deadman's rowdy friends and co-sailors were there vulnerable and informal, knowing that was how Mister Hamish would want it.

Eric's heart was a storm of guilt, anger and sorrow - a storm worse than the storm which he and his men had survived. His eyes travelled to the dead man's family standing across from him.

He could see his wife weeping as she held her youngest daughter, who looked about nine years of age, in her arms. A boy stood beside her with the strength of a man, his hand on her shoulder as he cried as silently as no man could.

He easily recognised the boy who had joined them on so many voyages when his father had been ill and his heart went for him. Beside the boy was Mister Hamish's oldest son, Robert, who was trying his hardest to remain strong. Robert had his arm wrapped around a crying pregnant woman's waist. Mister Hamish's daughter-in-law, Eric thought.

He swallowed the bile in his throat as he thought of the fact that her baby would never live to see his grandfather. That his grandfather would never have the joy of seeing his first grandchild and would never get to see his first pride and joy.

Eric clenched his jaw tightly as angry tears of guilt gathered in his eyes. It pained him that he had to lie about the cause of his valiant companion's death - a man who followed him until death embraced his brave soul in his clutches. No one except for our admiral, the real monster and the Siren shall ever know the actual cause. All because of a horrifying truth, forced to never be said.

Eric felt that was false. He didn't feel like he was forced. He thought he owed it to the man that his family would have his corpse and would learn what had happened to him. However, Eric could do neither, for his corpse was swallowed by the sea and no one would ever believe the tale of the murderous monster they had all seen in the waves nor the haunting nymph which had boarded their ship.

Yet, he clung to the hope that one day he would never have to hold back the truth and that the truth would never disappear from people's minds like the casket as it disappeared deep into the ground.

●●●

The crew of rowdy men, their admiral and their commander later busied a common cavern near the east harbour. Eric had gotten rid of his formal wear and was in a loose shirt, his pants and his boots. The cavern was empty, save for them as mourn filled the air around them. They sat gathered by a sorrowful silence, surprising the waiter who was always ready to deal with their noise.

While they were always loud, exchanging cheerful-banter, this time silence engulfed them as they held their untouched drinks in their hands.

"I'll tell you the truth, pals; this stinks!" One of them admitted, slamming down his cup on the bar as he broke the silence.

"I'm sorry." Another muttered, sniffling.

"Not you! This! I remember Hamish! All of us do! We all remember that old bugger and how he hated silence, especially sorrowful silence!" The first man scoffed.

"Yes, he wouldn't have wan'ed us to si' here and do nothin'. He would've wan'ed us to ge' up and do somethin' 'bout his death." Master Harris shrugged, blinking away his tears.