The Sound of a Siren's Call

6.) Back Aboard the Red Revenge

The Red Revenge had a smug air about it. I'd decided to wave it down from the land. I let my hair drip down my back as I trudged down the beach.

A rope was tossed down to me. It wasn't even worth taking a break from the celebration to lower a gangplank. I took a deep breath and walked out the few feet to the ship. I had to walk so my waist was submerged before I could reach the rope.

My body's lower half didn't decide it wanted to become a fish until I took a breath of saltwater. I kept my head above the water, leaving me human, wet, and miserable. I pulled myself on board to be wrapped in my father's arms. 

"You had a big night." He pointed out.

I nodded.

"Get some sleep, child!" His hand motions were big and excited as he led me to his cabin.

I didn't object as I flopped, wetness and all onto the little hammock he'd hung for me ever since I was little. Sleep came easily for me.

ψψψ

I liked breakfast at the Red Revenge. Anyone that was worth talking to had already gone deaf from the cannon blasts years ago. They signed quickly, with ease that drew me to them.

They narrated their exploits with a vitality that made me smile and forget how horrible it had been. Their stories had cannons running down an immoral enemy and sirens bestowing justice in the waters below. The story had the sea wiping everything away, not drowning someone who could've been them.

Eventually, the attention turned to me.

"And you sirens! We can't thank you enough."

"Yeah. You had them taken care of for us," my father interjected. "Give your mother our appreciation."

I nodded, not sure how to articulate my disgust at the whole thing.

"Dad," I signed carefully. "Do you really mean that?"

"Yeah. Thank you, baby." He signed "baby" with his arms like he was swaddling an infant. I looked at him incredulously.

"You know the other ship drowned," I prompted, leaving out the fact that a good amount of them hadn't actually done that very thing.

"That's a sailor's lot," he beamed.

"Wouldn't you do anything to help them?"

"It was them or us." He went to his go-to defense. He gestured away from him, banged his fists together and then gestured to loop in a small group made of the people closest to him. 

"What would you do if it wasn't them against us?"

He shrugged, picking up his fork to shove food in his mouth.

Juniper had offered before I left to include me in the voyage she'd decided was necessary. She decided we had an obligation to the survivors.

The horrible thing was that she was right.

"Dad," I signed again. "What would you say if I went away for a little while?"

He furrowed his eyebrows. "Go away?"

"Yeah. Me and some of the other sirens want to go up the coast."