Healer's Song Ch. 03

"Lisanne, wake up!"

The voice alone didn't quite wake her, but the combination of the voice and the sliver of bright light allowed to escape from the lantern directly on her face did the trick.

"Whaunh?" she mumbled.

"Get up and come on deck with me. We'll talk there."

She had opened her mouth to recite the hangover herbs, but closed it again. Maybe Daina for once wasn't in need of her medical skills. But as they left the room, the other woman grabbed her medicine bag.

Lisanne rubbed her eyes sleepily as they climbed the ladder into the night. "Daina, why is it every time you need my healing skills it's about 3 am in the morning--"

"Ssssh!"

Lisanne stared at Daina in confusion.

"I don't think they heard us... quietly now!"

"What are we doing?" Lisanne whispered in a tone that matched Daina's.

"We're escaping. I'm not letting that pig add you to his collection. If we grab one of the rowboats we can make it to shore by now no problem and we'll go north to Galandria and from there hire a ship back to--"

"Daina."

"Sssh--keep your voice down! Do you want to get caught?"

"Thank you." Lisanne didn't lower her voice at all, and it was now Daina's turn to stare. "I really do appreciate this. But I can't let you do it. You'll be giving up your place on this ship, which I know you love, and betraying all your friends here."

"But--"

"I'll be fine. I'm a Siren, remember? I don't know exactly how I'll manage to get out of this one, but I seriously doubt any man will be able to take advantage of me or keep me prisoner."

Daina abandoned the plan, albeit reluctantly. She kept casting glances in Lisanne's direction throughout the day as they drew nearer to land, as if to say "are you sure? We could still try to sneak off!" Each time Lisanne just smiled and shook her head.

"Lisanne, may I speak to you for a moment?"

The voice was easily recognized, soft and pleasant, with an edge of steel. Captain Alexandria. They had almost reached shore by now, and despite her outer calmness, Lisanne was beginning to get a bit nervous about her future. Maybe the captain was going to tell her something about why she had been captured.

"Yes of course."

"First, I wanted to let you know that I was blackmailed into this assignment. I would have never chosen it, never even agreed to do it for any amount of money... I probably wouldn't even have given in to blackmail would I have known what I know now about... your kind."

Alex turned red at Lisanne's confusion, then quickly added, "Surely you must know - ships avoid your island because they are afraid to be drawn in and dashed upon the rocks. Not much is known about Sirens but the stories that circulate aren't good... but that's not what I came to talk to you about. There are several things. A girl was killed when we came to the island to capture you. It was an accident, but I know that doesn't change the fact that we're responsible."

"What...How?" A million questions were circling through Lisanne's mind, and her first impulse was to ask them all at once. She managed to stay quiet, however, and waited for Alex to find the words.

"Outside the main island there is a large cluster of rocks. We steered the ship to the leeward side of these. The girl was on the rock, we didn't even realize it until she started attacking us."

"Mara!--" it was half sigh, half exclamation. "I'm sorry, go on,"

"In trying to subdue her, one of us accidently knocked her down. She cracked her head on a rock. We checked for a pulse, there was none. I'm sorry."

Lisanne took a deep breath. "The girl will be missed, but it is a tragedy not entirely of your doing. I will convey your apologies when I return to Insula. If you ask me, the real culprit is the person who ordered you to capture me. Can I ask why this person wanted me?"

"His name is Malivar. He calls himself the "sultan" but he is not really royalty by birth. He is a merchant who managed to take control of all the trade in the midlands and purchase a title from an impoverished noble in far lands. He is not completely evil, just a complete fool. He is constantly collecting exotic women for his... harem. I'm sorry, I know it's demeaning."

"It's nothing," Lisanne muttered. "I won't be there for long, believe me."

"That reminds me. Take this," and Alex retrieved a sheathed dagger from her boot. "I made a promise to deliver you, and I don't go back on my word, but I made no promise about not helping you escape. My ship will be in port for 5 days. Come find me and you have a ride back to your Island."

"Thanks, and if you want to know the truth about my power, keep an eye on the palace. That fool of a 'sultan' is about to show the whole world just how much of a fool he is. I thank you for the dagger, though I hope I won't need it."

"Good luck to you, Lisanne."

They hugged in parting. They were a strange pair of friends, the captain in her tight fitting laced leather, and the Siren in her long flowing silk robes. They each saw an inkling of themselves in the other, the same steely determination that allowed them to get things done, the same positive outlook that allowed them to enjoy getting them done. And a life saved of course forges a permanent bond between anyone.

The party of eunuchs, cotton stuffed in their ears, had arrived to take Lisanne to the palace. She went without fight or any attempt at speaking. If she'd come this far, she may as well at least see the inside of the palace and ascertain for herself just what kind of a man this "sultan" was.

As she and her escorts walked away, she looked back for a final glimpse of her companions this past month. Daina started to wave, then glanced quickly at the captain and put both hands behind her back. Lisanne almost laughed, but then remembered that would probably make the suggestible eunuchs around her start laughing also (the cotton in their ears might muffle the effect but they would still be able to hear her), and she wasn't in the mood to reveal her powers just yet. So she contented herself with flashing a big smile over her shoulder at the lot of them.