Daughter of Poseidon, the Girl Who Lived

28. We listen to the world's deadliest lullaby

The first hours back on our sailing boat was filled with laughter. Our green clad companion decided it would be a good idea to play Jester for us to make time pass by.

I will admit, I actually had a good time with Green Clad messing around and juggling his knives while telling us silly jokes and funny stories. Looking back, I even think he himself considered that to be the happiest moment he's had in a while.

He told stories about men being seduced by the hulder and then having to trick her to get away, or in other cases, forever having lost their souls to her. A farmer who wanted to see the nisse that helped him on the farm and never returned after it was given new fancy clothes (kinda like a house elf). Three goats that had to cross a bridge where a troll lived. And people getting lost in the woods by following vittra-ways that would turn invisible.

Severus was actively ignoring him in order to keep whatever he had for lunch down. Well, that was his loss. Harri and I swallowed every word that the god was saying, of course we did when he was repeatedly throwing daggers in the air to catch them with the other hand.

And that look of absolute joy he gave us. There was no doubt he first and foremost enjoyed the fact that we enjoyed his show. Because he was an entertainer.

But of course all good things had to come to an end.

At first we didn't notice them. Their song mixed slowly with me and Harriet's laugh and giggles and Green Clad's own singing.

To make it simple. We didn't notice we were approaching the Sirens.

When you hear the sirens it would already be to late. You're stuck under their spell. I heard them. But I'm not going to tell you exactly what I heard, only that I wanted it. I just knew that if I could get to the source of that beautiful song, their island, then everything would be fine.

I had to get off this boat. I had to get to the island, I had to swim!

I grabbed the railing and tried to swing my leg over to jump but someone held me back. I fought and kicked to be let free so I could get to the island. But this stupid person really didn't want me to have what the female singers promised and sang to me about.

The boat kept it's course, albeit a bit unsteady, soon it would be too late for me to reach the island and I would loose my only chance.

I turned around to yell at my restrainer to let go of me. It was Severus. He had earplugs in his ears. Maybe he hadn't heard what it would mean for me if I could just get to that island where the voices came from, why I had to get there.

But it didn't matter how much I clawed and spat in his face, he still wouldn't let me go. I had expected him to at least let go by pure disgust.

But of course even then he wouldn't let me slip away. He instead pointed his wand at me and cast a full body-bind curse on me.

Severus forced another pair of earplugs into my own ears and everything got quiet.

My thoughts cleared, I hadn't even noticed they had ever gotten dulled. It was like waking up from a trance-like state or a dream that started to fade while you try to orientate yourself.

When Severus lifted the curse I looked towards that island I was so desperate to reach. It didn't look that inviting anymore. The beach was covered in black volcanic rocks and sand, and the cove was filled with spikes and broken wood from shredded ships. I saw the creatures that was singing to me. Gigantic birds with human heads whose mouths was covered in blood and meat sludge from past meals.

I was glad that Severus had managed to stop me from jumping over the edge. I had a feeling there would be my remains mashed over their faces by now if he hadn't. But as our boat left the island behind I noticed two people was missing.

I carefully removed one of my earplugs when I was certain the sirens were far enough behind us and turned to Severus.

"Where's Harriet and Green Clad?"

Severus sent a worried look towards the island behind us.

"Harri managed to jump over the edge before we could stop her. She swam towards the sirens while I was wrestling you."

"And... Green Clad?"

He frowned a little at the nickname I had given the mysterious god before he answered.

"He used one of his tricks to disappear," he said. "I don't know where. The song didn't seem to have any effect on him."

That hit me hard, that the guy had just left us to our doom. If he wasn't affected by the sirens then at least he could have stayed to help!

And Harri... if the sirens had taken her, then she was probably gone for good this time.

But I didn't get to grieve for long.

A huge air bubble broke the surface on the left side of the boat. Green Clad grabbed the railing and lifted himself up over the edge. With his right arm he held a shaking Harriet.

I ran over to them.

"Harri, are you okay?"

She looked down on her shaky hands and broke.

Green Clad managed to catch her again as her legs truckled under her. I was at a loss. Harriet had been down now and then during our quest, I had never actually seen her crying before. She sulked as she sat there in Green Clad's lap, holding on to his garment like a lifeline while Green gently stroked her back. He hummed a quiet melody to her in a language I didn't understand.

"I stormsvarta berg,
Jag vandrar allena.
Över isbergen tar jag mig fram.
I äppelträdgården står jungfrun den sköna, och sjunger;
När kommer du hem?"

Harriet calmed down a little and her sulking slowly died down to a quiet sniffing.

Green Clad held her tightly while gazing at the ocean ahead of us. I followed his gaze. Dark clouds were building up a dooming wall before us, I could hear the thunder in a distance.

My suspicion grew as the entire wall of clouds lit up by lightning, closely followed by the thunder.

"We're getting close," Green Clad whispered but we all could hear him.