Elna didn't know what to make of it, the sounds, the smells, the large number of people. Walking between small stands, most not longer than four steps.

All filled to the brim with stuff to sell. Strange objects she has never seen before, living animals, meat, fish, large bowls with some kind of sand in strange colors. Flowers and plants, stuff that looks related to the plants. Stuff that was related to the animals.

The people behind the stalls shouting numbers at each other, or to the people on the other side.

The animals adding to the wall of sound with their own voices.

Especially a large animal with large horns, made it known that she didn´t agree with this at all.

Elna was not entirely sure what it was, there was nothing like that where she came from. And she briefly wondered if there would have being something like this.

Before her father took over, and ruined everything.

She briefly wondered how it would look like in her world.

Oline was walking between the stalls, with a basket on her arm. It was as if she belonged there. Which was something that warmed Elna´s heart. Oline stopped at a few stalls trying to haggle down some of the prices they threw at her.

"Eigil, is this normal? They just her their price, but still she is trying to let them lower it."

Eigil nodded, but he didn't look into her direction. His eyes were glued at Oline, and there was something inside that gaze of his. A longing of some sorts, she couldn't place it.

"In some cases she has to, and some others may find her rude if she doesn't. It depends on the salesmen. She is a strong woman, even without her voice, she has found a way to still make herself heard. I didn´t see it until now."

He crossed his arms, and then looked at her. It was clear that he was going to change the subject.

"What did you mean, when you said that you didn't have a choice?"
She sighed and hung her head.

"I come from a world where it is you either kill, or you watch someone you care about being killed. My father rules the seas with an iron fist and I have seen his handywork up close."

Eigil looked confused, he clearly didn´t understand what she was saying. How could he?

"He has killed my mother, all because she didn't want to sing for him. In other words she didn't want to kill for him. He took away Oline's home, and voice. For the same reason, and don't be mistaken he knew that humans do not use sign language to communicate. It is wonderfuol that she found a way to survive, but he knew that it would be a long stretch for her to do so."

"But he only banished her, he didn't kill her. I do not understand, why do you not have the same option as her?"

She looked at the ground and kicked away a lose piece of stone. Not sure if she was willing to share that piece of information with him.

He made it sound so easy, that was because he didn't understand that it never has being so straightforward.

"I do not want to talk about it. But belief me, my life hasn't being simple, since my mother's death. And Oline's banishment. Down there I have no one on my side, no friends, no allies. No one."

She walked away from him towards Oline, who was still busy with negotiating at a stall which was selling rope, knives and other weapons and tools. Stuff she didn't need to survive, but she might need for making jewelry.

Eigil will ask more questions, which was his right to do so. But she wasn't sure if she would be able to answer them all, which was her right of course.

"How old where you?"

She could see his shadow moving, he was standing next to her. Which was strangely comforting. Never before has felt so at ease when someone was this close to her. No one except her sister.

"I was eleven when he killed her, and Oline was fifteen. I am now eighteen, which makes her twenty one. And I haven't seen her once after she was forced to leave."

The pain she felt was still over powering, but it felt good to share it with someone. Even though he might not understand it all. It still felt good.

"I am sorry, about your mother and what your father did afterwards."

It was sweet of him to say so.

She then touched his shoulder, and then pointed at herself.

"I am a woman."

She then showed him the sign, and she showed him more signs with everything that went on at the market place. The meat, the fish, and even the tools.

And Eigil tried to copying her.

There where of course stuff she didn't know like the strange colored sand.

And Flounder never told her about it either. Which was a great failure on his end, and she will tell him so when she got back.

She walked towards it, praying that the salesman wouldn't mind, or if he called her stupid for even asking. Something that has happened to her before.

"What in the Underworld is this? It looks a lot like sand."

The salesman, Eigil and Oline, who was done by the other stand were now laughing at her. It was not a mean laugh, like she was used to. But a warm laugh, which warmed her heart.

"Those are spices, they are used to enrich our food. Salt, black pepper, white pepper, paprika, and sugar. We all get them from over seas, that is why the price is so high."

This is was something she was able to understand. Her father's demand for souls have risen through out the years, which makes it much more difficult for sailors to get the products from Kingdom to Kingdom. She gave the salesman a warm smile.

"Thank you, for teaching me about this."

The salesman nodded warmly, and he waved at her.

"It was not a problem miss, but I think I can teach you even more."

He picked up some pieces of what looked like bread. Dipped in some kind off oil.

"What about I let you know how they taste."

********

Elna was shocked when they left the stall with spices behind, never in her life has she met someone so patienced.

The man never asked her where she came from, probably because he didn't care.

What was not strange was the warfare that was currently happening inside her mouth. All those spices where so different in taste and flavor.

She knew the taste of salt, which came from the sea. Which was something she didn't know until now, and she loved every second of the interaction.

The man didn't only let her taste the various spices, he even told her about their land of orign, what it was used for. Clearly the man had heart for his profession, and was more then happy to share his knowledge. The man didn't even except the gold that Eigil wanted to give him.

"What a delightful man."

Elna said once they left the stall, her mouth was still tinteling from the clove.

The man had ended with sugar, which took away the burning sensation of the innocent looking clove.

She glanced towards Eigil, who was still a bit stunned about the fact that the man didn't take any payments.

"It was a strange interaction for sure, the man didn't ask where you came from. Even after you told him that you have seen nothing like it. I would have because that means that there was an open market, and then the fact that he didn't accept my money. Even though he let you two taste some expencive spices."

Elna could see that he was thinking out loud so she didn't interupt him.

He then frowned, and looked at them questioningly.

"Do the two of you feel alright?"

She nodded, and she could see from the corner of her eye that Oline did the same thing. However she was curiose why he was asking that to them.

"My mouth is still tingeling from the clove, but that is all. The sugar is helping though."

Eigil doesn't seems to be reliefed by that answer.

"I do not trust this, but I am not going to dwell upon this. Please tell me when the two of you feel off."

She wanted to counter that, but then she realized that he didn't taste any of the spices. At first she thought that this was because he already knew what they are and what they tasted like. But now when she thought about it, the salesman didn't even offer anything to him. He only offered something to Oline and her.

"I can promise you that I will,"

Oline signed the same thing next to her.

"And she will as well."

He nodded, but his eyes went from Oline, to her, and then at the salesman behind them.

"Nothing on land is free, Elna, even the air you breate has a cost. And if someone gives you something for free then there is always a hidden motive behind it. Always."

This is something Flounder has told her as well, and she curses herself for only thinking of it right now.

"Do you think he wanted to poison us? Or you?"

It was not outside the realm of possibility, a pit started to form inside her stomach. Something she hadn't felt since she arrived.

There was something going on here, and she was not sure if she was comfortable with it at all.

She glanced once again over the market place, her gaze once again landed upon the spice salesman.
He was in a heated conversation with another costumer.

No that man, wasn't a costumer, that was Osharus , the siren who was charged to keep an eye on Oline.

Or that was something she had believed he did. She was never allowed inside the throne room, when he entered.

Her father had given the order that Osharus wasn't allowed to speak to her at all. Which was the main reason why she knew her suspision to be true.

Which was not to say that she hadn't tried to get some information out of him, but the man wouldn't crack. In the end she just decided that so lond he was coming to her father to make his report, that it meant that Oline was still alive. Which was at least a good thing.

But now the man was here, and he had seen her. Which was something she was sure off, and another thing she was sure off, was that he was going to report it to her father.

Elna quickly grabbed Oline by the arm, she too looked at Osharus .

It was clear that she was trying to place him. Which was strange, because they where once betrothed. Which was one of the reasons why her father had chosen him to spy on her.

"That is Osharus ."

Elna hissed, and Oline's face drained of color.

"But the dolphin..."

What was she talking about?

Wait, Elna has seen a dolphin near Osharus at one point. And there were rumors of him having a fondness of the creatures.

He could be using them to spy on her as well, but that was neither here or their.

What where they going to do about him?

"I have an idea."

Oline signed.

She walked towards Osharus , and tabbed him on the shoulder.

Elna saw the annoyed look on Osharus 's face and the communitcation between the two. Which was pretty heated.
Eigil has noticed it as well, he glanced towards Oline his brow was lower then she has ever seen it. It was even lower then when he was deep thought.

"It seems that the two know each other. But I never seen him before..."

The sentence died when he saw that Osharus was using sign language.

She had told him that humans didn't use sign language.

"He is a Siren, just like you. But why is he here?"

Was she going to tell him, well he might be usefull.

"He is here to spy on her, and she is now trying to convince him, to not share the news that I am here, with our father. Something he is refusing to do by the way. Which doesn't surprise me."

Eigil glanced at her.

"What will your father do once he knows that you are here as well."

She bit her lip, she knew how far her father could go.

He once sent the Kraken after her mother, which endangered a lot of humans and Sirens alike. But she already knew what he would do this time, and she was scared. And she really didn't want to share this with him.

"Only the Gods know, and even they fear my father. I know Poseidon does."

This apparently shocked Eigil, and this was something she wanted to happen. Now he at least full grasped that this was not a joke.

"The only two options are to silence Osharus , for at least three days. Or for me to go back with him, and praying to the Gods that my father would me mercyfull. But that also means that you are going to die. Because you can't fight against the power of my song."

He slowly nodded, as he took in the information she just shared with him.

It felt somehow good, the way she manipulated the situation towards her advantace. She wasn't used to this much power, and it was almost intoxinating. She reminded herself that she was nothing like her father. She didn't thrive on hurting others, she simply wanted to do something she wanted to do. And if she needed to manipulate others to achieve that she would. Which didn't made her a bad person, or did it.

Well there was nothing she could do about it now, as Eigil started to walk over towards Oline and Osharus .

Elna wasn't able to hear a thing of what was said, but it didn't take long before a whole bounce of armed men surrounded Osharus , and took him away.

He was gagged, which was a smart move.

She quickly joined Eigil and Oline.

"What happened?"
She tried to sound innocent.

"He tried to hurt Oline, so I ordered the royal guard to take him. He probably would be released right after you are going home."

Elna nodded, and knew that she made the right choice by stringing him along. And not only for opening doors it seems.