Billy's Bones

Iphigenia

There ain't no docks at Leyawin. It's built across the narrowest part of the river. Apparently, that was cos Leyawin was supposed to span both banks. A bridge was meant to join both sides across the water. But it never got done. Leyawin is only on one side. There ain't much use stopping for trade in Leyawin. But we anchored the skiff just up the bay, out of the wind. Thought we'd rest a day before going on to Bravil.

So anyways, I takes the rowboat down. The lads reckon I should row over to the shore. Go fetch some of that Cyrodiilic wine. Maybe some fresh meat and bread, if I can get it. I go on my own. Dicky is busy lounging about in the southern sun. The two old boys would be no use no how. And Alb is just deadweight. So aye, I goes alone.

Lucky I did. Cos as I approach shore, I sees her. This lass. Alone. She's sitting down by where the waves lap.

She's naked.

Bollock naked. I mean, not that I could see her bollocks. She didn't have any. But you catch my meaning. She was as naked as the day she was birthed. She's pale and white. Not a freckle on her - save the freckles of sand. Her hair was /ash blonde/. I would've just called it blonde. But I've heard there's a difference. Like, her hair was silvery. Darker at the roots, but then pale at the ends.

She's sees me back. As I come rowing in. She's not even fazed. In fact, as I get nearer, I pass her a glance, and she's smiling at me. Smiling full. Showing all of her white teeth. I'm in shallow waters, so I hop out, and drag the rowboat up the bank after me. Until it hits soft sand. I pull it further. Until I know it's far enough that it's not liable to drift away while I'm in town.

I spare her a peek again. She's about 30 paces down from me. When I look again, she's waving. She's waving to me. And she's still smiling. I don't know what it is. But I feel foolish. I flash one of my palms back to her, and dip my chin in greeting. I turn to continue on up the bank, and make my way into town. Like I said I was going to. But then, I swear, she beckons to me.

She's probably a Siren. That's what I'm honestly thinking. She looks like one. A Siren or a water nymph or some likes. I know I said before that I didn't believe in fairies. When I spoke of Alb. But there she is, sitting and beckoning. Real. Fucking fairy. Maybe Alb is a Gnome or brownie? Fuck knows anymore.

I start toward her. My legs are thick and stupid. The shifting sand beneath my heels just makes the feeling worse.

"Errr... Alrigh?" I ask when I get near enough. I think that's what I said. I couldn't see her breasts proper. Cos she was hugging onto her knees. I was grateful for that. I was already dazzled. No need to kill me off.

And there she sat, bobbing her head. Nodding. She was still smiling. She speaks up, and asks me what my name is. I don't even think she realises that she's nude. She seems plenty oblivious to it.

I tells her my name is Bill.

"Billy! Billeeeee!" she croons out. She's bastardised my name. I ain't no Billy. Just Bill. But the Siren could eat me now and I wouldn't fight her any. I liked the way my name sounded on her mouth too much. Like a thousand silver bells ringing, all at once.

But anyways, the Siren has a name. And it's Iphigenia. I hope I've spelt it right. Cos I couldn't say it any. She laughed when I couldn't. She had a tittering laugh. Even more pleasant than her voice. She says I can call her Genia. She says it just like that. Like she's not a goddess. I can just call her something so familiar like. It's funny the way she speaks. Like there's a 'newness' to her. Innocent. Like she'd just hatched, as silly as it sounds.

Genia says she seen our 'big boat' come in, and then watched me row out. She stands up suddenly. I see a flash of her rosy nipples before I have the good sense to drop my gaze back down to the sands. I can't look at her now. She's bigger than me. And there's too much of her to see. It'd break me to pieces to look now.