The Sound of a Siren's Call

42.) Our Choices and Our People

Linked video a signed version of the joke included in the following chapter. (It's not word for word, just the same joke.)

Castor found me in a ball. I didn't see him until he was sitting next to me. A wolf followed closely behind him.

I lifted my head out of my arms. "Don't you dare ask if I'm okay."

He nodded.

"What's wrong?"

"Don't ask that either."

He nodded. "What can I ask?"

"Hey, Arriana, do you want me to leave?"

He didn't look hurt.

"Hey, Arriana," he looked into my eyes, "do you want me to leave?"

I shook my head and put my face against his dirty sleeve.

"No, stay. And don't say anything."

He wrapped his arm around me. I leaned against him,

ψψψ

Me and Castor walked down to the riverbank without a word. His earlier gloom fell back over him.

"Juniper was okay with you leaving her?"

"To find you, yeah."

I raised my eyebrows. "You're not going to B-E-L-E-I-V-E me, but we both C-A-R-E about you. A lot."

I looked back at him, signing the missing words out of habit. "You're right. I don't believe you."

He looked less despairing just then.

"You won't tell anyone about... you know?"

"No. Your S-E-C-R-E-T is safe with me."

I smiled.

"Thank you."

He didn't smile, but I knew that it wasn't my fault.

"I don't know if you want to be sad and mopey, but I have a funny F-U-N-N-Y joke J-O-K-E for you."

He glanced over at me.

"Okay, so once there was a tree. A lumberjack L-U-M-B-E-R-J-A-C-K went to cut it down. He yelled 'timber' but nothing happened. He yelled 'timber' again. Nothing happened. So he fingerspelled 'timber' and the tree fell. The tree was deaf."

I grinned at him. He had a glimmer of a smile on his face, it fell away quickly. It didn't matter. I'd done my job.

"Where'd you hear that one?"

"I don't remember."

"It's funny."

I nodded. I glanced behind us to the wolf that was trailing behind us. Its eyes danced with amused mirth and there was no doubt that it had understood.

Castor didn't seem to notice or care about his guard.

When we came to the lake, I saw him gulp. Twilight was falling and that meant the men were in a line like Castor had been last night.

"You don't have to watch this."

He looked at me, his eyes sad. "You don't understand. I do."

"I do understand. They feel like your people."

We stopped. "They are my people."

"Not really. They're not even from the same country as you. They're not the same as you."

He scowled, and I realized for the first time that he'd been hiding more emotion than I'd realized.

"I know that. I just can't shake this feeling is all."

"Castor, do you think the sirens S-I-R-E-N-S were my people?"

He shook his head. "I don't really want to think about it."

Then he was walking again, and I kept pace. "You decide who is your people. My mother doesn't get to decide for me. Your blood doesn't get to decide for you."

"Okay. Fine then. What happens if I decide they are my people?"

"Then that's your choice."

His eyes widened.

"That's all you have to say?"

I shrugged and sped up.

"Have you decided you're one of them?"

He shook his head. "You're right, but it still feels wrong not to be there."

He looked almost apologetic. I wasn't. The emotions had stopped rolling over me, wave after wave, but I still felt the remnants of the cry clinging on.

I was mad. At myself for leaving the only home I had ever known. At him for finding me so vulnerable. At the witch.

"Whatever, Castor." I walked away, deciding internally that I wasn't going to bother him or Juniper anymore.

It only occurred to me later that Juniper was the only way I'd have access to the announcement.

After that realization, there was no reason to stay. I stood to go. The witch sat down next to me.

"Where are you going, child?"

"Anywhere but here. I can't understand what they're going to say anyway."

"How do you normally understand?"

"My friend interprets—you know what? It's none of your business."

"Peace child. Be at peace."

I started to leave, but her hand slid into my hand. Suddenly, there was a huge gust of wind, and I could barely stay on my feet. No one else around me seemed to notice.

"Oh, you're going to use your magic against me?"

She didn't answer me. "Do you want me to try my hand at interpreting, child?"

"Not really."

"Peace, child. Sit still. Let the breeze wrap around you. Comfort you."

I stared at her. I couldn't retort because my attention was consumed by the centaur taking his makeshift stage.

I was forced to rely on the witch's signs.

The result was much expected the only thing of interest was the sentencing. Basically, the centaurs presented each option—most of them ending in a grizzly death—and whichever option got people to scream the loudest won.

The witch didn't scream for any of the options. We both sat still.

I was surprised she didn't compliment me for being peaceful, but then again, she seemed like the type that offered critiques quicker than praise.

I didn't wait around for the announcement. I caught Castor breaking away from the crowd out of the corner of my eye. The man, no longer a wolf, followed him. I made my way after them.

I tapped the man on the shoulder. "I can watch him so you can head on back."

"You don't want to watch the trial?"

"I'm not in the mood."

He disappeared without anymore protest. Castor looked at me and then kept walking. I kept several feet behind him until he ran into a wall and then he had to face me.

He leaned against the wall, staring blankly up at the first few emerging stars.

I stood next to him until the sky was full of pulsing points of light. Then I told him he should go to bed. I followed him to a house, looking at the hard floor with no hammocks to provide comfort.

I left for my own building without a word.