The Sound of a Siren's Call

48.) A Witch's Enchantment

When I found Ryan, she was thankfully alone.

She grinned from ear to ear, but my mind was far away.

"We need to talk."

She frowned. She shifted from foot to foot.

"Okay."

I took a deep breath. By the time my hand was by my ear, I was looking at her anxiously. "I'm going home."

"Not what I thought we were talking about. Are you leaving now?"

"There's nothing here for me. I want to go back home. I have a family and a life."

She looked at me. "Nothing here for you? I'm here."

I nodded. "And I barely know you."

"Yeah, and if you leave now, what happens to us?"

"I don't know. You could come with me."

She shook her head.

We stood there for a while.

"Want to take a walk?" She finally asked.

I led her to the wall, and we climbed, my hands finding handholds with the ease of a girl who'd spent a lifetime managing rigging and Ryan moved as a girl with a lifetime of mischief under her belt. We scaled the wall in an instant.

"So, you're really going to go?"

I nodded.

"I don't know what I expected. You never wanted to be here. I just... all the way back to Regno."

"You could come with me."

"You know I couldn't. I have too much left here."

"Yeah, I know."

Neither of us moved, and then she was in front of me.

"Can I kiss you since you're leaving?"

I paused. "Good checking for consent."

"Is that a yes?"

I didn't answer, but it was as good enough as an answer. Her lips were on mine and I was kissing back. My fingers wound into her hair. Her hands slid up my back. It felt like when our lips were apart, we stood with our faces pressed against each other for the larger part of an eternity. When we pulled away, we both moved to climb back down the wall.

I offered my hand to her at the bottom and she reached down, taking it. She pretended to collapse into me and I laughed, her hair against my nose. It smelled the same as always, perfect. The slow walk was a blur, the squat buildings failing to mark any passage of time.

It all got absorbed into her. Her stride, the sliver of a smile on her lips when she looked at me.

"Want me to help you pack?"

"Would you?"

She took my hand and nodded.

Castor and Juniper were next to each other, and he looked less broken than before. If there was anyone who could help him piece himself back together, it would be her.

I nodded and turned away. Ryan tugged my hand and then we both giggled despite ourselves.

ψψψ

I couldn't get over how innocent Ryan looked when she slept. We'd camped out under the moonlight, a few feet between us. A strand of hair fell across her face, fluttering slightly when she took a breath. I reached out and tucked it behind her ear.

I was undeniably in love, and I didn't know how to get out of it. When I'd had my fill of staring at her, I looked up at the stars.

I felt a pang of homesickness. They were the same stars, but just ever so slightly off. I was so far from home. I imagined my father sailing under the same stars, my mother living her impulsive life under those stars.

I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to will myself to sleep. When it didn't come, I sat up, pulling the blanket back up over my knees. I ran my fingers through my hair, trying to make it somewhat manageable.

When I was satisfied, my arm ached dully, but I grabbed a strand of hair and forced it into a braid.

My mother had insisted the thin rows of braids would keep the hair out of my face and were better for swimming. I'd never been willing to spend time forcing my hair to do anything but form a curly clump.

The methodic movements of making the braids were soothing, but even that had to end eventually.

I flopped back a few minutes after I'd finished. I let my eyes close, and sleep found me.

The sun was bright when Ryan woke up, but her face when I kissed her good morning was brighter. She beamed, and then she ran her fingers down my new braids.

"Do you like it?" I asked anxiously. I didn't know why I cared, but somehow it mattered more than anything.

"I love it."

I grinned, and the magic was there again. She was perfect. Her fingers were in mine and it was the touch of a goddess.

I never wanted to moment to end, but it did.

Ryan insisted there was too much to do for us to lay next to each other forever.

I could only agree. I stood up, and watched as she explained what we should do for the day. Mainly stockpiling supplies.

We walked to the lake first. Castor was awake.

"Good morning."

"Good morning."

"Are we really going?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

"It seems to good to be true."

"It's not. We're going home." I signed, feeling energized.

He grinned and it made me smile back. "We're going back home. Really. Actually. No one can stop us."

He smiled into the ground. He looked at Juniper. I saw it in his face he wasn't talking about the north when he talked about going home. I wondered how much my home would ever be his home. Maybe he'd come to know a different South Hellendun.

And that conversation seemed wonderous. I hadn't known when I would want to go home, but all I wanted to run back home. I imagined the sea spray, my father's gruff way of showing affection, our united force against my mother. Adventure hadn't proven to be all the fun it was chalked up to be.