Post 2

Honey barked, and Cassie shushed her, holding her closely in the sling against her chest.

“Sh, Honey. It’s okay.” Honey huffed quietly and motioned to a group of cloaked figures with her nose. In the weak dawn light, Cassie could barely tell the difference from one figure to another. As she looked, one of the figures turned toward her and waved to the dog. Little known to Cassie, it was the witch from before, reminding Honey of her warning.

“They’re moving already? It’s not their migration season yet.” Cassie mused, still hiding behind one of the trees. “Though that would explain why we were already in their territory…” Cassie sighed. Who was she, a lone teenager year old, to question when the Witches would meet with the Wizards to mate?

Cassie continued down the path, walking within the forest as opposed to the trail. She didn’t want any surprises. Eventually she felt comfortable enough to put Honey down.

The dog was a gift from her father on her fifteenth birthday. Since Cassia was becoming a woman, it was time for her to learn responsibility, he said. Honey had become her sole confident. Cassie’s eldest brother, Thad, had become a scholar in the city of Keshia, the capital of Arche, where their parents resided. Because of this, he was able to stay close to the family, and was still their father’s favorite.

Soon the sun was high in the sky, and Cassia still could not see the small fisherman village of Millea, her destination for the afternoon, before she reached the crossroads. They had a small inn there for their limited range of visitors, where Cassia had once stayed with her father and mother during Archia’s wedding, and she hoped to get some fresh nourishment there.

Archia, Cassia’s only sister, had married a wealthy sailor in the town, though they mostly spent their time on the sea, free from obligations or parental control. Archia had always been the more adventurous of the two sisters. She was content to merely be with her now husband, as opposed to having a lawful marriage. Mother and Father had raced to Millea to insist that she be married. She consented, and now, at nineteen, she had sent word to them that she was with child. However, due to the stressful situation, no one had been able to visit her yet. Cassia looked forward to someday seeing her niece or nephew, but for now satisfied herself taking care of her younger brother.

Padrig was the light of the family. His small, round face brought joy to anyone who held him. At five, now, he would follow his older brother everywhere, including on whatever mission Mother had sent him on. His nurse, Merle, was about nineteen, and equally as infatuated with Thad, so she was willing to take the younger Graystone anywhere.

Cassia sighed. Thinking of her family made her homesick, even if it had only been a couple of days. Her stomach growled, not for the first time that hour, and began looking for a nice clearing to sit and eat in.

The woods that the girl was hiding in began to thin, and soon a river began to follow the curve of the edge of the trees. Cassia chose a leafy tree to relax under. She took off her pack, which held her sleeping gear, a change of clothes, and enough food to last a couple of days. She also removed honey from the sling and allowed her to stretch on the grass that the river’s water created. Cassia took out dried fruit and meat from her pack, handing Honey her portion, and then leaning against the tree to relax.

She wondered about where her brothers had been sent. No doubt to some of Father’s more esteemed friends, who would back him in a diplomatic setting or on a battlefield. Mother was probably at home, making the beds in the guest rooms and cooking an abundance of food for the visitors, who would help Father. And Father? He was most likely finding allies within the city, people he had done favors for, whether by lending them money, finding them a precious commodity, or saving their house from a thief. Maybe he was even trying to convince the Tempest Council’s Army members not to strike against him, through threats or bribing. Unless he had been hurt in the attempt…

Honey nosed Cassia’s hand, waking her from this morbid thought. A low splashing had begun in the river, the type fish or serpents made before they attacked.

Honey barked gruffly. “What do you think it is?” No sooner had the question left her mouth, before the creature rose from the tide.

A high pitched laugh emitted from the creature’s throat, and it smiled at her. It was a mermaid, a siren, a creature of the rivers and lakes of this land. The top half of her body was a pale human female, covered only by the plant life in found in the sea. The bottom half was a long tail, scaly and slimy like the raw fish they consumed. Her face, beautiful as it may have been, held ruby red eyes that pulsed as she spoke. And her voice was beautiful, almost songlike, only to hide the evil within.

“Hello, young traveler.” She whispered. “What brings you to these waters?” Her skin appeared blue in the reflecting waters.

Cassia looked down at Honey, who seemed to relax when the siren didn’t come any closer to her master. She merely leaned against the side of the river, casually conversing with the human girl.

“I’m just going to the crossroads, and stopped for a break.” Cassia said cautiously, not moving at all. A mermaid could be very dangerous in the wrong circumstances. However, neither Cassia nor Honey was wounded, or bleeding from any source, so it appeared that they would be safe this time.

“I thought I smelled spilt blood. You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?” The red eyes glimmered and the mermaid licked her lips, revealing her sharp teeth. They were a seductive creature by nature, it was their songs and bodies that called sailors to the rocks on the shore, and called them to their deaths.

Cassia debated telling the truth. Finally, she realized it would not hurt her in any way to give the siren a little information.

“A cart past me while the sun was still low. It looked to be carrying a dead passenger.”

“Too long ago. This scent was fresh.” The mermaid had a spark in her eye, and smiled at the girl. “You said you were headed for the crossroads?” Cassia didn’t say anything, she just nodded. “Strange, don’t the Arnet usually pass that way this time of year?” She nodded again. “Ah.” The mermaid began to move backwards, into the deeper waters of the river. “Then perhaps the blood hasn’t been spilled just yet. I’ll find you again, traveler.” With that, she dived forward. Cassia saw her tail flip into the air, then she was gone.

There was a heavy layer of fear still in the air, even on a bright, sunny day. Finally, Honey barked, and walked back over to their pack.

“Well, it looks like we have a story to tell Mother now, don’t we?” Cassia said, breathing slowly to calm her racing heart.