“Hello, great warrior,” an old man called out from behind the fruit stand in the market. “Are you looking for your spellsinger?”

I stopped at the stand, pulled out two coins from my pouch, and handed them to him. "I am," I said, smiling.

He dropped two ripe peaches into my hands and then pointed down the lane to the lake. “She went that way. She’s with the children.”

I made my way toward lago de jade, eager to see Celeste’s beautiful face. I’d been on bed rest for the past few days. As I knew it would, my blood loss and weakened state raised concerns with my mother who ordered me to stay in the village. No fishing. No scouting. No hunting. No going after my brother. ‘Why attack the Zaqwar in your weakened state? You’ll fail,’ she had said. It was the truth.

So many warriors had offered me to devise a plan, journey to Rockming, and free my brother. I almost took them up on their offers, but I had only one shot, so I stuck to my gut instincts. This was something I had to do. So I healed and got stronger.

Celeste had been by my side since day one, telling me stories and singing to me. She seemed to be ecstatic that the people of Volming were so fascinated with her. And likewise, she asked them many questions about our way of life. Some were even still skeptical that she was part Mer and part Siren. I guess that was for the best and for her safety. She hadn’t changed since that day under the waterfall.

Our leader, Braum, only had one request. Celeste was my family’s responsibility. If she caused any problems or his hospitality ended in her betrayal, we’d suffer the consequences along with her. Even my dear mother argued with Braum when they suggested that Celeste should leave because she wasn't one of us. We'd had Sirens visit us in the past, and they either left quickly on their own accord or caused too many issues within the village. And then there was the thing about what they were capable of doing to full grown men. But I knew Celeste wasn't going to betray my people or me. It wasn't in her heart to bring harm to anyone.

My torso was wrapped in a bandage of thick leaves, but I felt well enough to move around as if the injury had never happened.

One of my fellow warriors clapped me on my back as I moved through an alley. “Ready to hunt again, Kradr?” he asked.

“That, I am. When’s the next pack going out?” Like wolves, barbarians hunted in packs.

“Three days,” he commented.

"Come to see me before you leave. I'll be back with my brother by then."

He nodded, but I saw the look of skepticism in his eyes. Everyone thought my brother was lost to the Zaqwar. I would prove them wrong.

The walk to the lake didn't take long, and of course, I spotted Celeste almost immediately. Who could mistake her fiery red wavy hair blowing in the gentle breeze? A handful of gleeful children surrounded her. She looked up from the little girl she was speaking to and spotted me coming toward her. It took all of six seconds for the children to lose interest in my beautiful spellsinger to run over and admire my spear and the daggers hooked to my belt. In the village, a warrior never left his weaponry behind.

“Hi,” she said once she reached me, her gaze moving up and down the length of me.

“Hi.” I grinned.

“All better now?” she asked.

“I think so.” I handed her the peach.

She accepted it and admired the soft fuzzy layer with her fingers. “Pear?” she asked.

I shook my head. “Peach. It’s a fruit just like pear though.”

I watched as she bit into the succulent, juicy fruit and moaned at the taste. Some of the juices dripped down her chin. Many inappropriate thoughts ran through my mind as I eyed her mouth, but we were still standing out in broad daylight and the last thing I needed was for my cock to make a tent with my loincloth.

“Mmmm, so good,” she said. “Better than sea food. Last night, your mother baked bread. It was so warm and moist. But, she told me to be careful because it goes straight to the hips.”

I wrapped my arm around her waist and said, “That won’t be a problem for me, spellsinger. I’ll always love your hips.”

“And the fish stew was sooo good,” she exclaimed.

“Fish and potato stew with bread. She doesn’t even make that meal for me anymore,” I joked. “I heard you two talking in the kitchen at supper. She hasn’t told you any embarrassing stories about me now, has she?”

She giggled. “That’s our secret.”

“I want to show you my cottage," I said.

“I thought you were living there with your mother.”

“A warrior does not live with his mother.”

“In the Volatile, extended families live together in pods. It’s very common,” she said.

I handed my peach to a little girl who was gushing at us throughout the whole exchange. She blushed and ran off with the fruit.

As we walked through the village, my people stared at us openly, curious about the little siren who had caught my attention.

“What have you been up to today?” I asked.

"I went to school with your mother this morning," she said. "Now don't laugh, but I was in the same class as the eight and nine-year-olds. They were doing a project on marine life.”

I pressed my lips together and held back a chuckle. “I bet it was the best day so far for them this school cycle learning about your kind.”

“They were interested in the great Sea King more than anything else.”

“They think he has great magical powers that can turn anyone into a mermaid.”

“I’m not sure about the mermaid part, but he is mortal,” Celeste replied.

"Really? Didn't know that. Well, see? I learn something new every day. I thought all men died.”

“The Sea King is not a man. Like you and I, I don’t think he was even born on this planet.”

“Do you think you’ll ever see the Siren again? The one that helped you?” I asked her as we turned a corner.

“I didn’t think you’d remember that,” she said. “I’ll see her again, I’m sure. But first, I want to spend some time with my barbarian warrior.”

I brought her to my cottage and sat back and watched as she looked around the one-room living space. She wasn't shy at all about looking at all the gadgets I found while hunting, digging, and walking the shoreline. She even looked through my clothes chest, holding up my very large garments to her small frame.

“I’ll have some more clothing made for you,” I told her.

“Skirt,” she said, illustrating with her hands. “Longer. For winter.”

I smiled. "Of course." I would miss seeing her in the sleek, stretchy fabric that she came out of the sea wearing, but I also couldn’t wait to acclimate her to my culture.

She held up an old rusty lantern and looked at me questioningly. "From pirate ship?"

She must have seen one before while in the sea.

“Yes. It’s a lantern. For warmth and light. I found it on the beach a long time ago. I don't know if it was from wreckage or just lost at sea."

“I love your home,” she said.

“It’s your home, too, if you stay with me,” I told her.

Her face lit up and she smiled. “I’ll stay with you.” Then she said, “Your mother made a bed for me at her cottage. I promised her I wouldn’t leave the village. It’s too dangerous in the Quag alone.”

“She’s right.” I joined her by the wooden table where I ate at. “But a warrior needs his woman by his side.”

She blushed. “Is spellsinger worthy enough for warrior?”

I lifted her chin gently with my fingers. “Spellsinger is everything this warrior needs.”

She parted from me and stepped back. My cock was already raging with desire when she stripped off her top and untied the cloth from her waist.

“Then warrior should take what he needs.”