The Sound of a Siren's Call

9.) Castor's Conscience

"What do you mean your ship wasn't the first?" I pressed Castor.

"They're going to be sending more ships down here. We need to have bases of operations closer than Carnma."

I was starting to realize a war might have more effect than I initially thought. "Who are you at war with?"

"Kiser," Juniper spelled out, filtering out a good portion of Castor's response. Part of me wanted to know what he had said and part of me felt too full of new worries and concerns to care.

"Why?" I demanded, ignoring the fact his mouth was still moving.

He shrugged indignantly. I snorted. He didn't know.

I supposed he just knew he was on the right side of it all and nothing else mattered.

I slumped against the back of my boat. I took a deep breath. "Why are you going to war, Castor?"

He looked at me with dark eyes.

"Do you want to die? Is that what it is? Do you want honor? Why?"

He seemed to catch on. "You're one to judge."

I was suddenly annoyed I had to talk to him through Juniper. I wanted him to tell me to my face. I wanted to rebut him one on one.

I had to make due. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You kidnapped me. You murdered-" Juniper's translation cut off.

She turned and I have left in the dark again. I looked at the sky, letting the boat rock me gently. I turned my head to watch as Castor backed away from the water.  I almost laughed. He seemed terrified of Juniper.

It occurred to me that I hadn't eaten since breakfast. I'd been human too long to think digesting raw fish would go well. Some mistakes are the kind you only make once.

I smelled something. Juniper would have provisions. I stood up, letting the boat sway and steady before I jumped out onto the thin beach.

Castor looked over at me, backing away from me. Juniper's eyes met mine.

"Is there any food?" I asked.

Yeah, her lips parted before she looked embarrassed and signed. "Yes. I got seaweed."

My lip curled up involuntarily. Her face turned beat red.

"Is seaweed bad?"

"No," I signed quickly. "It's good."

"Oh," she said, itching the back of her neck.

"I'll go get it," I tried to reassure her. She just nodded.

I don't know why I'd made a face. It wasn't like seaweed was the worst. I'd had it before. I picked up my meal and grabbed a few spices. I had no idea how Juniper had managed to get them there.

I seasoned strips the way my mother had taught me to. Castor looked at me and the food with disgust, so I grinned as I handed it to him. I climbed back in my boat with a smile on my face.

I smiled at Juniper and took a bite. She wasn't looking at me. Castor evidently was having trouble stomaching the greenness. I took another bite and watched with amusement.

He never ended up eating anything, and his rejection of it was nowhere near as entertaining as I'd hoped.

ψψψ

The moon shone down on us as I laid back in the rowboat. The oars laid between me and Castor, useless as Juniper pulled us along. Castor looked like he was trying to make a point of silence, but seemed to be catching on that Juniper and I didn't care.

He looked at me, and whatever fear he must've been feeling showed through.

Where-going? He asked, his lips moving.

"We're meeting up with your crew," I signed.

He looked confused. I had put effort into understanding him, was it really to much work for him to understand my signs?

"We're meeting," I pulled my fingers together again, "your crew."

What-you- He was talking again.

"I can't understand you," I flicked my finger.

Why-talk-wrong-you-

I liked him better when he wasn't trying to talk to me.

His mouth kept flapping and I looked away. I hoped we were getting wherever we were going quickly. I avoided looking at him until I had to.

Juniper pulled us to a little rocky island surrounded by siren's, men clinging to their necks. Our Castor couldn't get out of the boat fast enough, almost tipping me out when he got out to wade to the congregating group. I stayed in my boat.

"Aren't you going to swim?" A siren floated by my boat.

"Not today," I explained.

She frowned. "Why not?"

"I don't feel like it."

She made a face. "Why would you feel like legs?"

"What's wrong with them?"

"They make you look," then her face broke into a sneer, "human."

She looked like she expected me to come charging over the side to make her pay for a ghastly insult. I wouldn't give her the satisfaction.

"So?" My hands flopped out.

"You look weak," her fingers collapsed onto her palm.

"You think humans look weak?" I peered down at her flawless features.

"That's why we're saving them, isn't it?"

"Is that what you think?"

"Well, it is." Another girl floated beside the first.

We were drawing attention. The sirens bobbed around me and the men's eyes stared at me.

"Why would they be weak?"

I couldn't hear the shrill laughter, but I saw it on their faces. "We could kill them right now."

"Some savior you are," I huffed.

Some of the siren's turned to look at the rocky beach. A few swam over, their arms reaching up.  Some of the men took their hands, blissfully unaware of their intent.

Castor stared distrustfully out from as far back as he could. A few people scrambled back with him.

Juniper was next to me in a heartbeat. "They wouldn't really kill them, would they?"

"We're sirens. I think it's more likely they'd die than not."

She looked up at me in horror.

"I thought you were sympathetic. You are half-human."

I leaned forward. "That doesn't change the facts."

"So what? Your family's safe and you don't care anymore."

"I never said I didn't care."

"Then do something." She signed quickly.

"Do what?"

I saw her eyes flick to Castor before she swam away.

"Do what?" I signed to her back.