The truth about sirens (Mirravin's story arch)

[Pandora]

Ok, it's another iffy chapter in one of the later books, that proubably has nothing to do with the one I'm working on now. It's been brought to my attention that maybe I shouldn't stress Mirravin's good looks so much, and that my humor is a bit crud. So tell me what you think.

Mirravin sat with her stomach flat against the boat’s deck, as it gently swayed back and forth. Like a swing swaying slowly in the summers breeze. The cool air brushing lightly against her silvery skin.

Her long flowing hair fluttered in the wind, like a piece of silver silk. With two red locks rolling around the sides of her head like steamers. All of it whipped around a pair of red tipped fox ears atop her head.

Her light feathery wings rippled as the air passed over them, and her bushy fox tail lashed at her wing tips. It barely missed it’s target each time with it’s bright red tip. Almost as if it had a mind of it’s own.

“You are amazingly beautiful. You know that right?” A booming masculine voice called out from behind her.

She quickly whipped around with her back to the deck. It’s smooth surface welcomed her sleek muscled back. Her wings folded against her shoulders as she settled down onto it.

“Oh, that’s exactly why I’m off limits to men like you. You couldn’t handle the beauty that is me.” She told the man standing over her. Her blue eyes glittered playfully.

Balin grinned ruefully down at her. He’d give anything just to touch such a woman, but she always seemed to be just out of his reach. The fact that she was married didn’t help any either.

“Mirravin, fair, fair, Mirravin. Why do you tease me so? You know how much it pulls at my heart strings.” He pleaded, his eyes traced every sleek curve of her body while he spoke.

“Ha, the only thing it pulls at is the crotch of your pants. Which amuses me greatly. That’s why.” Mirravin sassed, and started playing with a piece of her lush hair.

Mirravin’s words stung like a slap in the face, but her flirtatious manner drew him to her even more. Not to mention the fact that she was untouchable seemed to give her an irresistible luster. Everything about her made him long for just the feel of her skin.

He sucked in the ocean’s salt air as if her very essence drifted though it. Her soft flowery sent mingled with the rich smell of the sea beneath them. It left him with an airy floating feeling.

“It isn’t fair Mirravin! Even your smell makes me long for you! Please let me just brush my finger tips against your checks at lest. I promise I’ll do no more than that.” He pleaded.

“No, I will not give into your greed. Where you stand is as close as you’ll come to me. Consider yourself lucky to even be in my presence.” Mirravin’s amusement was slowly starting to fade, and was being replaced with disgust.

“Balin, leave her be. Lord Maryin would have your head on a platter if he knew you were looking at his wife in such a way. Mirravin, why do you encourage the poor boy?” A rugged man walked up from behind Balin.

“Oh, but it feels good to know that I’m desirable from time to time.” Mirravin giggled teasingly. She was having too much fun with this to resist.


“You are such a sly woman. Preying on the weak minded in such a way! Surely you of all people need not doubt your own beauty!” The rugged man replied in both shock and outrage.

“Oh, but even a girl like me gets bored from time to time. Can I help it if they fall for my charm every single time?” She tossed her hair over her shoulder as she spoke.

“Oh, Mirravin, when will you ever learn? Men can be broken more easily than you might think, and when they do they don’t care if you don’t want them after you. One of these days you’re going to push some one too far, and it won’t be a pretty sight.” the man warned.

“Look, I know what I’m doing. I know what buttons to push, and not to push. I do understand your concern I really do. You must realize however, that I am very capable of handling myself. Mirravin huffed slightly offended.

“maybe so, but what would Maryin think of you being such a flirt? Would he really approve of the way you let the men on my ship gawk at you?” The man questioned.

“Maryin’s rule is, you can look as much as you want, but as soon as you so much as breath on her your life belongs to him.” Balin recited the phrase. Every man on board the ship knew it by heart. Lord Maryin had made this very clear.

“Ugh, the whole lot of Ya are absolutely impossible!” The man exclaimed, and slapped the side of his face.

“Oh, you just worry too much Rugby.” Mirravin sighed, and flopped back on her tummy.

“Ah, speaking of worrying! We’re about to head into the uncharted territory on the map, I mentioned before. You know, that place in the sea no one who’s ever been to have come back alive from. That blank spot on the map I showed you.” Rugby went on into detail a little more than he really needed to.

“yeah, like I said before. It’s probably not something really worthy of worrying over. It’s more than likely either a siren nest, or a serpent territory. There is nothing out at sea I can’t handle.” Mirravin huffed in annoyance.

“Well, it’s not you I’m worried about. It’s my men. You see if it is a siren’s nest, how do I kept them from luring them all over board?” Rugby complained frantically.

“Well, respectively we do have Mirravin on board with us sir. Her beauty alone is enough to keep me on board.” Balin spouted out.

“Oh, good for you son. What about the other hundred men I need on hand to man the ship?” Rugby was more than just a little annoyed at this point.

“Look, sirens only sing when they’re trying to get rid of you. They don’t care if they kill you or not. They just don’t want you to get too close to their homes. As long as we sail though the place as quickly as possible they won’t even bother with us.” Mirravin tried to calm the frantic captain down.

“Ok, and what if it’s not sirens? What if it’s a serpent? What then?” He asked in frustration.

“Oh, then trying to sail though too fast will catch it’s attention and get us eaten, or well get you eaten.” Mirravin told him while halfheartedly inspecting her nails.

Rugby looked as if he was going to pull out what was left of his fizzled gray hair. Mirravin never seemed to give him the answer he was looking for, ever. He was beginning to think she enjoyed seeing him suffer.
“So, if we sail though too fast we might get eaten, but I we don’t sail though fast enough I might lose half my men to a pile of women with pretty singing voices? Exactly how am I supposed to know which not to do?” He growled at her.

“Oh, you don’t till one or the other happens. Although I suggest you take the slower approach. It will be a bit more complicated for me to try and fend off a serpent, than the sirens.” Mirravin suggested still seeming to be rather unconcerned.

“Plus maybe we can get a glimpse of them eh?” Balin elbowed Rugby in the arm trying to lighten his spirits.

“You idiot! That’s exactly how they get you to sink your ship, or jump to your death! Is there a brain in that head of your’s boy?” Rugby snapped at him.

Just then Mirravin’s ears perked, and twitched slightly. Rugby caught sight of it, and panic crept though his chest. Mirravin’s attention wasn’t attracted by just anything.

“Tell your men to tie themselves down. Our little voyage is about to get rather interesting.” Mirravin told him grinning full of mischief.

“It’s sirens isn’t it? We’re about to mow right into them aren’t we?” Rugby started to panic.

“Oh, just go do it you big baby!” Mirravin commanded sternly, still playing with a strand of her own hair.

“Fine, I’ll go tell them. I better not lose any of my men you hear?” Rugby grumbled as he left to go follow out her instructions.

Slowly Mirravin pulled herself to her feet, and looked out at the open see. Even she couldn’t see any more than open sea for miles, but her ears told her better. She could already hear the whispy lull of the siren’s song. Even though they were far from being in sight.

“What does it sound like?” Balin asked curiously. He’d already suspected what she was hearing.

“Oh, you will hear it all too soon. For some it is the most beautiful thing you could ever hear. For others death seems to be the only way to escape the misery it brings.” Mirravin explained.

“Ah, so, which is it for you?” Balin seemed to be full of questions.

“Sometimes it’s a happy song, and sometimes it’s a sad one. It all depends on what song they sing.” she tried to explain, but she knew it only confused him further.

Just then the singing started, and those who where still on deck went into a trance. It was what Mirravin had expected. They were all lulled by the sound, and were unable to move from their restraints. She’d warned them just in time.

Wordlessly Mirravin made her way to the front of the boat, and attempted to peer thought the mist that seemed to be gathering around the boat. She figured this must be part of the siren’s spell. They often made fog with their songs to keep their nest hidden. Instead it only seemed to make it harder to maneuver away from them. For a moment she just sat and listen to their song.

“Sweet little harpy, stay true to your song. No man can deign your sweet little claws. Have you no heart, have you lost your will to be? Sweet little harpy from your nature you do flee. Come little harpy your voice can still ring true. Sweet little harpy please sing your melody. Oh, sweet little harpy so pure and innocent, where has your wrath gone? Your need for misery? “ The siren’s song rang a challenge in her ears.

To Mirravin it translated into the following.
“Why do you help what should be your prey? Have you forgotten what you are? Why don’t you come and sing with us? Leave those silly men behind. You know being what you are, that over there is not your place.”

At first she wasn’t sure she even wanted to answer. It was a dangerous thing to answer a siren’s song, but it was an insult to a siren not to be answered. So in the end she decided to answer their call.

In short she answered their questions with a song of her own. It wasn’t quite as full of riddles as their line of questions and demands, but she was sure she got her point across. In fact she mostly just sang out a whole lot of no thank you, because I can, and so what?

Had the others known the language they might have even laughed. She knew they would have laughed. Then again they might not have even gotten how informal she really was being regardless.

They replied with another verse that implied that they were slightly insulted, but didn’t want to argue with someone of such high stature. They also agreed to let them though safely, without any more songs.

This was a big relief to Mirravin. For a moment she thought maybe they’d have to take a detour to meet up with the siren queen. She didn’t let Mirravin pass by often without visiting her. She wasn’t quite sure why this was. She just knew it wouldn’t be a good idea to head there with a boat full of men.

Soon after the sirens song faded, and the mist lifted. It was if there had never been anything there to begin with, It was just the calm open sea. At least Sirens always kept a promise.

With that done Mirravin sat down to relax. She’d let the men know later that the danger had past. At that moment she felt it was good to enjoy the brief thought of the bullet she’d just dogged for them all.

[Falconer]

Ah, sirens... one of the more well-known myths from the stories of the Greeks. Never, not even in the legend of Jason and the Argonauts, have I seen anyone attempt to directly counter the call of the siren. This is impressive work, and makes perfect sense.

[Pandora]

Oh thank you!

I wrote it after watching an clip from supernatural, and didn't agree with the way they did the sirens on it. I also wasn't sure how people would take the suggestion of sirens being related to harpies. Since Mirravin is concidered part harpy, but the explination for that is a story all on it's own. That's a whole book on it's own but maybe I'll make a summary of it later.

[Corva]

Intersesting concept, the answering idea.