Finally, she was able to relax in her little cave.

Her father has being on her case the whole day. Asking if she did her chores, if she made any connections, if she is seeing someone.

And when he wasn´t able to do it, he had sent one of his minions to do it for him.

But not now, and not here.

This was her own space, her own little spot to relax.

Her father, didn´t like it in here. It reminded him of his late wife, her mother, and the woman he killed, all because she didn´t want to sing for him.

In other words she didn´t want to kill for him.

Her little sister, Oline didn´t want to have blood on her hands either. So he took her voice and banished her.

So now, she was all alone, with her mother´s killer, her father and slaver.

She placed herself on the strange combination, between wood and dark red fabric. And looked down, at her massive collection. Everything she had gathered from sunken ships at the bottom of the sea. From little trinkets, to large pieces of furniture. Her little treasure trove sparkled with various shiny stones, and strange looking metal.

It was so different from all the seaweed, coral, and seashells that were littered over her father´s home.

Maybe that is why she loved it so much. Because it was something her father would disapprove of.

She slowly grabbed a oyster shell from the arm rest, it was a strange looking thing inside this place. But that was because no one suspected what was inside the shell. Slowly she cracked it open, and a little blue figure appeared.

The soul of the man looked worse for wear, and a bit thin. The man sighed, annoyed, when he saw her.

"What do you want now?"

She wanted to close the shell, after he dared to talk to her in that way. She was his master, and she could disturbed his peace whenever she wants. But she needed to talk to someone, who doesn't tattle tail to her father. And this soul was the only thing that fitted the recrement.

"I had a rough day, my father was not letting me do my own thing."

The soul in the shell rolled with his tiny eyes. Of course he had heard this all before, her ranting about her father, or about someone else in the pod that was getting on her nerves. And about the fact that she feels powerless to do something about it. But she never had shared the reason why she felt powerless. And she never will, not with him at least.

"But I also found something new, and I want you to tell me what it is."

She showed him a thing made out of gold, and rubies.

At least she hoped that was the right names for it, otherwise he had lied to her.

"That is an earing, or what the ladies us when they don't have holes inside their earlobes. A clip on."
"Why do human punch holes in their ears?"

He groaned, loudly.

"Flounder, I am warning you."
This seemed to work, and he snapped out his defiance stance.

"Very well, sailors often punch holes in their ears to wear simple golden ring. This is for when they fall overboard, drown and have the chance to wash up on shore, they are able to pay for their funeral. Clip on's are a bit different though, this can be warn by both men and women as an accessory to their outfit. It is something the well to do can afford though."

He had explained that part to her before.

Humans wore clothes to cover their bodies, unlike Sirens who didn't wear anything to cover up.

Something Flounder had stated when they first met.

Flounder wasn't his real name, but she couldn't be bothered by learning it. And he stopped correcting her as well.

"The earing, this one then, normally comes as a pair. One for each ear."
Which somehow made sense, but why did he said that this was something that was only for the ones who can afford it. He already explained to her that precious gems and metal wasn't cheap.

Maybe she would have understand it if her father hadn't banished out of the sea tradition.

Once a Siren turned sixteen, they were allowed to go on land. To experience a world that was not their own.

But of course he had taken that away from everyone. Together with the push for them to sing and lure sailors to their watery grave. Which was something they didn't do that often.

They did it from time to time, when there people needed to eat. And human flesh was a real delight. But now her father was more after the souls, then the meat.

Some strange competition he has with the Queen of the Underworld, keeping the souls away from her realm, fueling his trident that once belonged to Poseidon, God and ruler of the seven sea's.

Flounder should have being one of these souls, but she kept his.

Something her father doesn't know, for which she was grateful.

She rose up from the piece of furniture, her fire red hair started to dance all around her. As she swam to the little part of the cave where she kept accessories, as Flounder called them.

She should thank him for his explanation, but then again he didn't had any other choice.

"Elna!"

Her father's voice echoed through the cave.

She quickly turned around and closed Flounder's shell.

"Elna!"

He screamed again.

"What!"

She swam out of the cave.

"What where you doing in there?"

Was he for real? He was holding his trident, the thing he used to kill her mother. His black hair, danced around his head. The dark blue eyes that could turn even darker made him even more scary. He might be her father, but she didn't feel any affection for the man.

She needed to thank Flounder for that piece of insight.

"I was resting, I have done all that you asked of me."

Her father's eyes narrowed, never a good sign. He even tightened his grip on the trident, another not so good sign.

She needed to think of something and quick.

"Daddy, is something the matter?"

He calmed down, which he usually does when she called him 'daddy'. Which was strange because he didn't care about her at all. But it worked, so she wasn't complaining.

"There are two ships rolling in. I need you to bring both of them down."

Of course another task for her to do. Which was of course taking not one but two ships to sink, gather up the souls and make sure that the dead bodies end up by the butchers. Which is not an easy task, currently the sailors are wearing something in their ears to block out their songs. What made sinking ship bloody difficult. Something her father knew, but he still tasked her to do the impossible.

"I will see what I am able to do."

This was not something, he liked to hear, but she wanted to set expectations. Which wasn't all to high.

"Maybe, Marete should join you."

Which was not a suggestion, it was an order. She hated, Marete with a passion. Again something her father knew.

All Marete wanted is to be her father's next mistress, so she is simping after him, which meant that she one her case all the time. One of the many tattle tails.It was then no surprise that the golden haired water snake appear and wrapped her arms around her father's arm.

"Are you sure that I am up to the task, Min Herre. Elna is such a strong Siren, my voice will fall upon deaf man's ears, next to hers."

Which was nothing but whale waist, Marete had a powerful voice as well.

"Just let us be off, we don't want to miss this chance."

She started to swim away, not looking back to see if Marete is following her.

***********

The men on the first ship where loud as a group of seagulls. Angry words where being said, nice some discord. That might be in their favor, she didn't share this with Marete. She just started singing, hoping that they had forgotten to put in their cotton protection.

It didn't take long for one of them to fall into the sea. The dreamy, smug expression on their faces before they hit the cold unforgiving water, never gets old.

But it was not the expression that caught her eye, it was what he had in his hand.

A cotton earplug.

She turned around to face Marete, who was singing as well. And started to wave with her hands.

Sirens have used sign language for ages, only to be used for hunting.

"It doesn't work, the rest of them have ear plugs."

She signed with her hands.

Marete stopped with singing, and narrowed her eyes.

"What are you going to do about it, your father expects two ships of souls to be delivered. Not just one."

Of course, now it is her problem. Not theirs, hers.

Lord Torben, her father, had said two ships. Maybe if the other one was a pirate ship, then there might be hope for them.

"I might have an idea."

Elna started to swim in the direction of the other ship, not waiting for a reply.

Marete had made it clear that it was her problem to fix, so she was going to fix it.

It didn't take long for her to find the ship. The Jolly Roger waved violently in the wind.

A pirate ship, nice.

But that was only part one resolved, now she needed to make sure if this was going to be

easy.

She hoped on to the small opening that was behind the ship, and to her horror all of the men where wearing ear plugs.

This was not easy at all.

But her voice is not the only weapon she got, their whole species where Touched. Or that is how Flounder named it.

She didn't fully understand it, but he explained that it meant that is how they call the humans who can preform magic. She smiled as she jumped back into the water, it wouldn't take her much at all. Simply changing the current of the water, to change this ships course. Getting the pirates to sink that other ship, might be the best way to go about this. One ship filled with souls will please her father somewhat. One ship is better then none.

Better yet, they hadn't noticed the change at all.

She followed the ship as it made its way to the other ship.
Marete looked puzzled at first when she saw the other ship heading her way.

"Their ears are plugged as well. But pirates."

Slowly the water-snake nodded, as the pirates started to shout.

Preparing themselves for boarding that other ship.

"But your father wanted two ships not one."

She dared to question her, she dared to say that they already failed. She should be happy that they have at least one ship.

"One is better then none."

And they shouldn't forget there was already one soul inside the water.

"Did you already have the soul that is in the water?"

Marete nodded, and rolled with her eyes.

Really, maybe she should have a Great White or a Tiger shark take a bite out of her. Lord Torben wouldn't care. She was just one of his many subjects who want his attention.
Which made Elna's skin crawl, this was not something she wanted to think about her fathers girlfriends, and their activities.

"Let me go."

A man's voice reached her ears, she caught another man with her song. But that one was probably held back by the rest of the crew.

But now their where pirates rolling in, and keeping this other soul away from them and fighting them off is next to impossible.

This was good news, very good news.

The man leaped over the railing towards the water. There was no smugness on his face. Only pure bliss, and relief.

She was not able to understand why this man looked relieved, he was about to die.

It didn't matter, she was going to take his soul either way. She dove under to prepare herself.

But seconds later she was up in the air, circling wildly above the waters, above both the ships as well.

Men on both looked shocked, at first but kept on fighting.

How in the Underworld...

Marete... Marete that little witch. She probably wanted all the credit for this and making sure that she wasn't their made sure that shine was not going to be taken away from her.

Elna tried to stop the typhon, but then her head was smashed into something hard. And her world turned to black.