Spearing the Siren

TWENTY

      Lillevenn released the landing gear, opening the back hatch before unstrapping himself. He grabbed his pack and went to the open hatch and ramp, surprised to see his father already stood on the ground, having crawled from his hiding place and gotten down the ramp without making a sound. He sealed the ship after he strode down the ramp, slipping the remote into his pack, following his father toward the forest.
      Krampus' lumbering strides matched his even saunter, though with effort. After an hour, they were under the canopy. His father leapt up like an oversized monkey, pulling some berries from between the branches of a tree, dropping to the ground again. He inspected the berries as Lillevenn watched him pick through the ones he didn't like.
      "Is it strange, not having a home now?"
      "Forest is the Krampen's home," he said distractedly as he handed his hairy palm out for him to take some of his bounty. He chewed on a berry before dropping the entire palmful in his hand. Lillevenn warmed when he realized he'd inspected them so carefully to give to him.
      "I didn't think berries did it for you."
      He grunted as he went on, Lillevenn smiling as he followed.

      They traipsed through the forest, Lillevenn inhaling the scents and voices of Nature, realizing how long it had been since he'd had his feet on solid earth. He stopped periodically to touch a tree trunk or leaves, and his sire found something to draw his attention as he waited for him. When Lillevenn was finished smelling or touching, they continued to walk on together.
      His sire lifted branches for him and Lillevenn recognized an older section of the forest, hearing it in the creaking of branches, felt it in the air that touched his face. It seemed to say Tread carefully, son of Loki. He followed his father until they came to two trees which had grown together. Krampus brought back a thickened piece of dark green leather and hitched it behind a piece of bark that grew away from the trunk. Lillevenn realized they were hollow trees and formed a sleeping area inside.
      His father turned to give him an apologetic look that seemed so foreign on his animalistic features.
      "The Krampen is not good at cleaning."
      Lillevenn understood. "I will return shortly."
      He slipped into the trees to find a good place to empty his bladder. He found a cluster of old trees and did his business, the scent of moss and sap stronger than urine when a light rain began to fall. He turned his face up, catching a few droplets on his lips. He found a nearby river and washed his hands when another scent filled his nostrils. He twisted around without moving his feet, the doe dipping its head to munch on some flowers several feet away. It was young, only a few years old. He wondered where its mother was.
      Lillevenn rose quietly, the doe uncaring. He stared at the creature through the light rain until it raised its soft head, blinking its innocent eyes at him. He knelt, never taking his eyes from the young deer. She padded over moss toward him, stopping a few feet from him. They looked into each other's eyes for a few moments before she lay on the ground, onto her side.
      He walked over and knelt beside her, laying a gentle hand on her diaphragm, feeling her breathing in and out.
      "I appreciate your sacrifice, my friend."
      He rested a hand over her eyes, closing them, and she went still. He severed the nerve endings in her brain so that she felt no pain. He rose, bringing the doe over his shoulder. He looked at the forest, standing still for a moment. When only rain fell, he walked back to his father's tree.
      Krampus came from his hideaway, stopping when he saw him lay the doe on the ground a few feet from him, between an opening in the trees. By the time he stood and turned, his sire stood behind him, and he had to look up into his autumn eyes, which gave him a soft expression.
      "Beautiful son is good hunter," he said in broken English and Lillevenn shook his head with a smile.
      "Enjoy yourself," he said quietly, walking past him toward his sleeping area. He ducked and bent over to walk inside, the flap falling back down after him. He went to his knees on a few blankets covering the ground. A candle burned on a holder in the corner. He noticed two beds had been made, one on each side. He was amazed his father could curl up in such a small space. He chose the bed to the right, looking up to see the inside of the tree had been hollowed out to accommodate horns.
      He looked beside him and pulled back the flap covering a box and saw bread inside. He smiled and took out a piece, chewing on it as he leaned his head against the inside of the tree, listening to the rain. He'd almost fallen asleep when his sire moved inside. Rather than taking his bed, Krampus settled beside him, giving him warm autumn eyes. Lillevenn noticed he'd cleaned himself up, seeing no sign he'd just gorged himself.
      "You chose a young one," his sire said quietly as Lillevenn reclined on his side, giving him a calm look.
      "You prefer them, don't you?"
      Those autumn eyes just looked back at him warmly.
      "Is Lillevenn hungry? I brought bread."
      Lillevenn gave him a fond look.
      "Those berries filled me up. I took some bread, though," he said with an impish look, his sire just looking at him with an expression close to awe, almost embarrassing him.
      "My satyr is beautiful and slender. I require more. She made me big and ugly."
      The words cut him, and he shook his head.
"Those are her words. You are a representation of the forest. There is nothing ugly in Nature."
      Those autumn eyes gave him a look close to adoration.
      "Does my satyr think I'm beautiful?"
      Lillevenn warmed at the question.
      "Yes," he replied quietly, cut deeper when he saw those autumn eyes glistening. He scooted closer to him, taking his tattered sleeve. "She doesn't have power over you anymore, Father."
      His sire gave him a bittersweet look.
      "She still remains," he said, tapping his temple. Lillevenn brought his hand down, his father giving a fond look.
      "She made you to instill fear. But you don't have to follow her footsteps. You can be whoever you want to be."
      Krampus looked down. "She made me take the bad ones, she said I needed to bring back some to serve in her halls. So I disciplined them so they would not be bad. I tried to teach them so she wouldn't want them." Lillevenn's gaze softened at the heart of this father of his. "I didn't like taking them, didn't like them screaming and crying...they were so sad. They cried for their parents, their sisters and brothers..."
      Lillevenn smoothed his shaggy hair from his craggy face, his sire giving him a warm look.
      "That's over now. You haven't done that for a long time."
      He looked down. "When I was trapped on the moon, I didn't have to bring children to my queen. But I was lonely. So lonely. In Hel's domain, at least I would see some of my children every once in a while. The caves were so cold and those creatures..."
      "Did you eat them?" His sire wrinkled his nose and Lilleven smiled. "No meat. Only good for killing. They kept trying to take me. I killed three of their queens before they stopped. They gave me my space. The hunger was the worst."
      "Didn't they have forests?" Lillevenn asked gently.
      "There were people in them." Lillevenn chuckled, hearing more of himself in the words than he expected. His sire gave him a fond look. "People don't taste that good," he added in a quieter tone and Lillevenn smiled at him.
      "Not even the young ones?"
      His sire gave him a strange look before it became haunted, looking down, and he sensed he'd roused another memory of the queen of death.
      "Don't go back there," he said softly, his sire nodding.
      "When those Midgardians broke into my cave, I couldn't control myself. I consumed one of them, and hated myself after. It wasn't good meat, he stank of lung disease and substances, but I was so hungry, I couldn't..."
      Lillevenn laid a hand on his arm.
      "It's all right, Father."
      "I vomited it all up, anyway. Krampus was not in a good mood after. I killed some of the creatures out of spite."
      Lillevenn smiled. "Too bad there weren't some delicious nymphs around."
      His father gave him a chiding, fond look.
      "Beautiful son likes to feast on nymphs, not Krampus."
      Lillevenn tossed his head back and laughed before smiling at him, his sire's autumn eyes shining.
      "That I do. Haven't had one of those in awhile."
      "There used to be some in this forest, but they went away," he said in a sad voice that tugged on his heartstrings. "There might be some hidden away, in trees like this. They were always naughty."
      Lillevenn smiled at his father in true delight. He tilted his head.
      "You weren't ever naughty with them?"
      His sire looked down at his calloused hands, once more his heartstrings tugged on at his obvious insecurity.
      "Nymphs like pretty things."
      "They would have found you delightful."
      Krampus looked up at him with a gently chiding look.
      "They were scared of me."
      Lillevenn's gaze softened. "They were always rather blockheaded. You shouldn't take offense. What about the satyrs?"
      The chiding look returned, laced with fondness.
      "You're trying to matchmake me."
      Lillevenn smiled. "I just don't want you to be alone. I'll leave eventually and..."
      "Why?" his sire asked with wounded autumn eyes that pierced his heart. "That metal Lady isn't good for you, little satyr. You need forests and growing things..."
      "I know, but I've never been one to stay in one place. You should have a companion."
      His sire looked away from him.
      "No one wants Krampus," he said softly, hurting him more than he imagined. He pushed his hair behind a broad shoulder, his sire's look softening. "Only little satyr thinks I'm beautiful."
      "Maybe if you didn't hide so much, someone else might too."
      Krampus looked down. "It's better if I hide. If not, there's screaming and..." Lillevenn chuckled, earning his impish look. "The looks are the worst. Then they run away." Lillevenn gave him a gentle look. Krampus patted his hand. "It's better if Krampus is alone."
      "Is it? Where are the others?" His sire blinked at him. "The other Krampensons."
      A shadow fell over his father's earthy face.
"They died in the fire."
      Lillevenn stared at him. "Your other offspring were trapped inside?"
      "It's likely your chancellor didn't know. He was...upset."
      Lillevenn's gaze gentled. "My chancellor?"
      His father gave him an impish look.
      "Krampus is smarter than he is good looking."
      Lillevenn gave him a scolding look before he smiled. Then he sobered.
      "I'm sorry." His father nodded sadly. "That just means you need to make more."
      His father gave him a look.
      "Krampus is too old for younglings." His autumn eyes warmed. "Little satyr is my only child."
      Lillevenn gave him a similar look.