The Sound of a Siren's Call

24.) Accidental Flirtations in Camp Beta

The camp had a high stone fence around its perimeter with torches casting a dancing light. All our faces looked darker, the shadows clinging to us in some moments and scampering away in the next.

The captain grabbed my arm, and he waved his guard over to Castor. Soon everyone was either shoving someone or getting shoved. They herded us to a wooden door set into the stone and the Captain knocked. The door swung in and I looked for the back of the camp in vain. Soldiers stretched as far as I could see and people cowered between them.

The Captain jerked me forwards and we filed through the door. He pushed me towards one of the armed soldiers who caught me, the metal of their armor cutting into my side.

They held me firm and I watched the original crew leave, laughing among each other. Castor was kicking at the soldier that held him, but it had no effect. Two soldiers grabbed Juniper's tub and then we moved further back in the camp.

I struggled against the soldier's arms, but I still ended up at the squat little building they deposited us into. The windows were too small to try to crawl out of. I tried the door as soon as it'd closed behind me and found it was locked.

The darkness gave way to a blinding light in an instant. I squinted into the light and a girl's face came into sharp focus. A fire was burning on her hand. A fire was burning on her hand.

I blinked again. I was probably just tired.

Who are you? She said, her lips forming each letter as though with great care. It occurred to me English probably wasn't her first language.

Juniper translated for me.

Castor's back was to me, but we all turned to him as he talked.

"We're from the Regnese navy. They're," Castor's finger pointed to me and Juniper, "sirens that... rescued us."

The girl glanced between me and Juniper. "You sign?"

I nodded, looking at her in shock. "My brother's mute," she explained quickly.

"I'm Deaf."

"What's your name? I'm Ryanione. Ryan for short. My brother calls me," she signed an R and tapped her fingers together twice.

I slid my finger down my hair. Then I spelled out my given name. "Arriana."

"You're a witch. I didn't think you existed."

She smiled. "You're a siren."

"Half siren."

"Half-human?"

I nodded. She turned towards the bulk of our group. "You have to be hungry," she signed as she talked. "We don't have much food, but what's ours is yours."

The orb on her hand floated away and stayed in the middle of the room. I took a deep breath. No, that was definitely real. No tiredness could explain that away.

Maybe it's a bit hypocritical for a siren to be freaked out by a witch, but my heart raced. I stared after it until Juniper caught my attention. 

"The famous witch hospitality," Juniper commented, only signing when the girl's back was turned. The comment was just for us. Juniper started to fingerspell the same sentence, and I realized she'd also said it for Castor's benefit.

"The legends didn't say anything about them knowing English or sign," I pointed out.

"Well, it doesn't matter what the legends say. I'm starving."

"We just ate this morning," I chided.

Juniper pouted and I sat down next to her tub. I leaned against the metal. Ryan sat across from me and put a plate of meat next to me. I held it up to Castor and Juniper.