He jerked his head up in surprise at her statement. "Your father was human?" he asked, unsure if he'd understood her right, wondering if mermaids needed human men to mate with in order to create children or if they mated with males of their own kind. The question was quickly forgotten as he watched her legs transform into a tail, eyes wide with wonder, finding her just as beautiful in this form, but much less approachable, not even of the same species.

She nodded in answer to his question, though her attention was fixed upon his face, enchanted in her own way by the awe that painted his expression at the sight of her. "Would you like to swim with me?" she asked suddenly, laying her hands on the rocks to ease herself down into the lapping water, her hair spreading around her in the golden halo that had haunted his unconsciousness during the storm.

Her question took him by surprise, unexpected as it was, eyes narrowing as he tried to recall what had happened a day or so ago, remembering only bits and pieces of it. A halo of golden hair, a flash of tail, soft lips that seemed to offer him breath with every caress. "I..." He stammered, at a sudden loss for words, as his gaze moved over her, taking in her true form admiringly if a little apprehensive.

She swept back from the rocks, offering him another flicker of that sweet smile before arching her back, diving backwards in a display that showed off the sleek lines of this form of hers, spiralling downward through the clear blue water only to reverse herself and burst to the surface in a wide spray and a giggle to match the energy she displayed to him. "I won't let you drown," she promised him with bright, sparkling eyes, moving back to the rocks to reach out with one hand, offering him her palm in invitation.

There was a moment of hesitation while he tried to decide, but if she'd wanted him dead, he'd be dead by now. In point of fact, she'd gone out of her way to keep him alive, and he had no reason not to trust her. He peeled off his socks and stuffed them into his boots, moving to stand unsteadily, bare-footed on the rocks. He reached to take her hand and wade into the water, not nearly as graceful as her.

Delight curved the smile on her face into something infinitely brighter as he joined her in the water, her other hand reaching out to snag his as she gently swam backward, drawing him with her. "I want to show you something," she confessed with a playful hint to her emerald gaze, releasing his hands to let him take control of his own treading water, the soft sweep of her fins stroking inadvertantly against the soles of his feet. "But Maleia says I should ask you first. She says humans don't like us to breathe for them. Do you?"

Though he'd removed his boots, he had, for reasons of his own, remained clothed, trousers wet up to his thighs, the hem of his tunic floating in the sea water. He slowly waded deeper, until he was immersed to his neck, letting her tug him farther from shore until he could no longer feel the sand beneath his feet. She let go of him and he had to tread water to keep afloat. He was a good swimmer, but was nowhere near as at ease in water as she was. He was startled a moment as he felt her fins touch his feet, relaxing when he realized it was her. "Is that how you saved me?" he asked curiously.

Leilani didn't seem to be able to resist the urge to swim around him, the soft fins that were teasing his feet almost wrapped about his legs as she circled him, expert eyes testing his strengths and weaknesses in the water even as she admired him openly. "Humans can't breathe through the water," she shrugged lightly. "And I couldn't take you to the surface, not with my sisters all around us. You didn't struggle, but I think that was because you weren't awake."

"I remember a little, but not much," he admitted, the water up to his neck as he kept his arms and legs in motion to keep himself afloat. He felt weak and hungry and wasn't sure how long he could keep treading water before he wore himself out, but for the moment, he was remaining afloat. "What did you want to show me?" he asked, just a little apprehensive about being tugged under water where he would be unable to breathe on his own.

"A cave," she told him simply. "It's a special place. Mother says only I can reach it, but if I helped you, you could get there, too." His weakness was showing in his movements; she wouldn't be bringing him to her special place today, that much was certain. "When you are stronger."

"A cave," he repeated, that seeming to strike a chord in his head, for some reason, but he'd have to think on it later. His head was still aching a little, and his mind was a bit murky. He seemed to recall something about a cave on the map, but there had to be dozens of caves scattered about. It was unlikely to be that cave. Still, there had to be a reason she'd said it was special. "Why is it special?" he asked, chin dipping into the water briefly as he doubled his efforts to stay afloat.

"Because of what?s in it." She didn't elaborate, curling closer to him in the shifting water. "Stop struggling," the mermaid told him firmly. "I told you, I won't let you drown. Just take a breath and ....let go." She held his gaze as she slipped backward from him, slowly lowering completely under the water without once taking her eyes from his. And of course she couldn't resist tickling her fingertips against his abdomen, bared by the float of his shirt.

"I-I can't..." he told her, feeling a mix of excitement and fear. His instincts told him it was impossible, that once he slipped beneath the water, he'd have to hold his breath, resurfacing for air before long. It seemed unnatural, and while she may have saved his life by lending him air when he was nearly unconscious, it was quite a different matter while conscious.

Looking up at him through the water, Leilani didn't really give Cian much of a chance to be uncertain. He was at a distinct disadvantage in the water, after all, and she wasn't used to not getting what she wanted. She reached out, grasping hold of his hips, and pulled hard, dropping herself down through the clear blue water to drag him deep enough that he wouldn't just bob right back up again. Her grin was obvious through the crystal clear water as she rose to his eye level, the swirl of the water wrapping them both in the cloud of her hair.

He had only a moment to gasp for air before she dragged him beneath the water, gulping only enough air to last him a short amount of time. His expression looked panicked, eyes wide, arms flailing even as she dragged him down deeper into the water, heart racing, afraid she meant to drown him, though somehow he knew she wouldn't. It was more an inate reaction to being tugged beneath the water than mistrust really, turning to face her, his hair floating about his head, not unlike hers.

His lungs full again, he swam after her, and seeing her struggle, he took it upon himself to help her, though he wasn't quite sure what it was she wanted to show him. The effort required to heave the heavy lid off the chest, however, cost him more oxygen than he had anticipated, and that look of fear once again crossed his face as he realized how very dependent he was on her down here.

Seeing the panic rising in him again, Leilani abandoned the struggle to open the chest, a flick of her tail bringing her close to Cian once again, her hands curling to his cheeks. This time she did not draw away after giving him a single breath. Instead, she lingered, bubbles erupting steadily from the gills hidden beneath her hair as she breathed with him, green eyes open and watching his face until she was sure that he was no longer breathless, no longer in the grip of that fear. Only then did she release him with a reassuring smile and gentle stroke of her hand to his cheek, returning to the chest to heave it open.

Leaning inside, she sorted through the sand covered treasures that were hidden there, pulling forth a cutlass that seemed to shine in the dim light, its hilt set with a single blood-red diamond. It was clearly touched with some kind of magic, for the leather harness and belt that came with it were unmarred by long years under the salt sea, the metal buckle untarnished. She offered it to him with a hopeful smile, clearly intending to make the priceless piece a gift for her new friend.

The fear subsided once again as she shared her breath with him, this time lingering a moment, as if to reassure him that she wouldn't abandon him or let him come to any harm. Touched by her concern, his eyes met hers, brown meeting green, his so utterly human, hers exotic and lovely as emeralds. He watched as she drew away from him once again, eyes widening as she withdrew a blade from the chest. His gaze flickered from the blade to her, eyes questioning wordlessly, as he reached for the hilt. It seemed she wanted him to have it, or at the very least, to show it to him. He wrapped a hand around the hilt, testing the feel of it in his grasp, though there was no way of telling how it felt until he had the blade on land. He rubbed a finger against the gemstone, as crimson as a drop of blood, wondering at it and at the blade's history.

The pleasure she felt at the way he confidently took her offering into his hand was reflected as much in the sweet delight on her face as it was by the exuberant flick and somersault she performed, clasping her hands together beneath a happy smile. For a moment, she forgot that he wasn't like her, her mouth opening to speak to him in that strange series of dolphin-like clicks and squeaks that cut through the deafening muffle of the seawater that enveloped them. When she remembered, belatedly, that he couldn't understand her, she repeated herself in mime, her hands going through the motions of wrapping an invisible belt about her hips. She wanted him to wear the belt, to have the cutlass. It was his now.

His head jerked up from his admiration of the sword as he heard strange sounds coming from her, not unlike those of dolphins. He furrowed his brows in a look of confusion before finally understanding what it was she was trying to tell him. She wanted him to strap the cutlass about his waist, but wouldn't that weigh him down" Trusting her with this as he had with everything else up to this point, he pulled open the belt and drew it around his waist, clasping it closed, moving with slow deliberation through the water.

The Syreni beamed happily once more, flipping herself over and under the nailed down desk close by in another exuberant display of her pleasure with his acceptance of her present. Obviously giggling with playful delight, she swept close once again to share breath with him, flicking away to drag a lobster pot from the farthest corner of the cabin. Inside it were caught one lobster, and a pair of crabs. Dinner, apparently.

It would be his job, apparently, to make a fire - a task that wasn't as simple as one might think, but he'd manage. Finding a mirror or anything he could use to reflect the sun's rays off would make things easier, but if worse came to worse, he might be able to use the blade for that purpose. He laughed as her tail swept out behind her and she flipped herself around in a display of joy and playfulness, and he found himself a bit envious of her obvious ease in the water. The laughter cost him precious oxygen, but he was relaxed enough now to trust her to replenish his supply, gliding toward her and reaching for the pot as he deliberately pressed his lips to hers.

Innocent enough not to even consider that his boldness might be in part because he wanted to kiss her but wouldn't allow himself to, Leilani was only too happy to reform that seal mouth to mouth, filling his lungs with air that tasted of her. Relinquishing the pot to his hand, she swept around him, tucking her arms about his chest, hooked under his shoulders, and began to draw him out of the cabin, this time via the windows open to the sea. With him conscious, she did not struggle so much to keep him with her, and she wanted him to be able to see everything below them even as she retraced their route, back toward that rock sheltered pool so close to the cave he had so recently slept in.

His boldness was in part a desire to kiss her and in part the need for air, too shy and wary to admit his own attraction to her, even to himself. She was, after all, an entirely different species. What could she possibly see in him' What kind of future could there possibly be in that' Even so, he lost himself to that intimate contact for a moment, startled when she pulled away from him, only to tuck her arms around him and drag him along with her, the way she had after the ship had capsized into the murky waters. He made no protest, pulling the pot along behind him, using his legs to help move himself through the water so that he was not dead weight as he head been before. He once again took in the wonders that were part of her undersea world, marvelling at the beauty and serenity of it, so unlike that of the world overhead.

Their return to that sheltered pool was swifter than the journey to the ship, though still Leilani had to pause to turn Cian's face toward hers and fill his lungs once more before resuming their way. She deliberately passed through shoals of brightly colored fish purely for the fun of having them scatter all around, dragging Cian through the reaching fronds of the sea grass that covered the bed of the pool she had first brought him under the water in. With a last powerful flick of her tail, heads and shoulders broke the surface, and he was free of dependency upon her. Moreover, he had something he could feed himself with, once he built up the fire left smouldering in the mouth of the cave.

He caught the sense of frivolity from her, that she was enjoying showing him her world, revelling in it really. This was her home and this was where she felt most comfortable and most at ease, and he found himself yearning for such a place himself, though he'd always been too restless to remain in one place for long. He had considered settling down once, but that dream had been shattered, and he'd left home once again to fulfill a promise made a long time ago, set aside but never forgotten. Cian broke free to the surface, heaving a deep breath of air, struggling a little with the weight of the pot now that she was no longer helping him, but there was little threat of drowning so close to shore.

Her arms hugged for a moment before letting him go, hands reaching up to brush her wet hair from her eyes as she circled him, taking the pot from his arms and pushing it up onto the rocks where they had left his boots and the dress he insisted she wear. "Do you need help?" she asked him in her soft, lilting tone, knowing that he must be bleeding energy and strength now he was responsible for keeping his head above the water.

He laughed as she echoed his own predicament when he was in the water and set about tying the laces of the bodice so she wouldn't slip out of the fabric, leaving them loose enough so that she was covered but comfortable. "It's not that hard, Leilani," he started, in an attempt to explain how the chemise worked. "See the hole around your neck" You just put your head through that, and then slide your arms through the sleeves." He gave a light tug to each sleeve to indicate what he was talking about.

Her face was open and trusting as he explained all this to her, barely glancing downward to see what he was doing with the strings she couldn't quite comprehend yet. The explanation did go over her head somewhat, though. She was too distracted by his laugh, the way his face and demeanor lit up and shone in the brief moments when he indulged a sense of humor, her own mouth curved in the sweet smile that was beginning to become familiar. Her hand rose to touch her fingertips very lightly against his lips. "I like your laugh," she told him with burning honesty. "And your smile. Why do I have to wear this" You didn't mind under the water."

There had been a time in his life when he laughed frequently, when life was a joy and every day an adventure, but that love of life had abandoned him after the tragedies of the last few months. He didn't flinch at her touch this time, instead stilling beneath it, though he was felt that strange sense of awkwardness come over him once again, flushing with embarrassment at her compliment. "Because..." He tried to find words for an answer that she'd understand, as his previous explanation had apparently gone over her head. "Because you're too beautiful, Leilani."

Evidently this did not stand as much more of an explanation to the innocent little woman standing a little too close to him for comfort, proven by the small frown that furrowed her brows in renewed confusion. Eyes the color of the rarest emerald searched his intently, looking for some understanding to glean from this blushing presentation of reason that made sense only to him. "Too beautiful?" she echoed, her hand falling from his mouth to gather the folds of her skirt in her small fist. "I don't understand. If something is beautiful, don't you want to look at it?"

He mirrored her frown, trying once again to find the right words to explain without frightening her or being too blunt. "Yes, but..." He reluctantly took a step backwards on the rocks to put a small distance between them. "You don't know much about men, do you?" he answered her question with a question.

"What do I need to know?" she asked him innocently, her shoulders moving in a way that made the beauty he was so keen to keep covered rise and fall in an eye-catching manner, even with the bodice laced closed. "I know that mother needs males to make more of us, and that the black ship is full of evil men who talk about doing horrible things to my sisters if only my sisters were like me. But you are a man, and you have been nothing but nice and gentle with me. I like you. Do I need to know more?"

His hand fell to rest against the bejeweled hilt of the cutlass that hung from his hip, sensing her innocence, reluctant to shatter her view of the world, but needing her to understand how dangerous men could be to one like her. "Men covet what they find beautiful. They want to possess it and keep it for themselves." He wasn't talking about himself necessarily, but about men in general. He didn't personally want to possess her. He had no desire to cause her any harm, but like any man, he not only admired her beauty, but felt a sense of desire for her, even as he struggled to resist it. He reached for the string of pearls about her neck, lifting it gently with his fingers. "Like this. It's something rare and beautiful, something to be treasured, but there are men who would take it, who would kill for it, who have no care for anyone but their own desire. Men like those on the black ship. Bad men, Leilani."

"And you would not kill for something beautiful?" It was a question he could answer or leave, take offence at or accept in the ignorance it had been offered with. She didn't mean for a moment that he was anything like the bad men he described to her; he was a good man, though she could not truly say how she knew that. "Don't you want beautiful things?" Perhaps he was being too vague. She hadn't realised that she could be classed as one of those things bad men would take and possess without a thought for her wishes.

"Yes....No..." He sighed, shaking his head. He had killed for something beautiful once before and would do so again, but in the end, it had only earned him a broken heart. He settled the pearls back against her neck, letting his hand fall away, frustrated by his inability to make her understand without being cruel. "Why do you think your sisters hide you here" It's not just because you're special, Leilani. It's because if the pirates find you, they will hurt you. They won't care what happens to you. They will break you and take what they want, and you will never be the same, don't you see" That's why your sisters drown every man who comes near this place. Because they're protecting you and themselves from the cruelty of man."

The ignorant innocence in her face faltered as he spoke, understanding blossoming in harsh reality, accepting everything he told her with a trust she would never ask him to earn. Very slowly, comprehension of the actions taken by her sisters, even by her mother, began to take shape, finally making sense. Tender-hearted, she had no way to stop the tears that formed in soulful green eyes, her lips trembling in frightened distress. "Because of me?" Leilani whispered, drawing away until her back hit the rocks behind her hard enough to shock the breath from her body. "All those people ....they're dead because of me?"

Her breath was suddenly staggered, too quick for comfort, her hands shaking as she wrapped her arms tight about herself, damp golden hair falling forward to hide her face as she ducked her head, rocking gently against the stone at her back. "The men in the black ship want me, don't they' They put my mother in a cage because she wouldn't tell them where I am!" Her voice rose in a sudden wail, tears spilling down her cheeks in her childlike horror of the blood and pain that was on her hands.

He saw things from an entirely different perspective, but he was not the one whose life was at risk here, whose life was as precious and valuable as the rarest gem. He was just an ordinary man, or so he thought of himself, though as unlike the men on the black ship as night was to day. Something in him broke at the sight of her tears, and he thought he'd gone too far, hating himself for what he'd been forced to tell her. "Don't cry..." he told her gently, closing the distance between them again, but too afraid to dare touch her. "I'm-I'm sorry. I shouldn't have told you. I just....I don't want anything to happen to you, and I..." He swallowed hard, his voice thick with tears of his own. "Please don't hate me."

"But ....but we didn't used to kill anyone," she protested, tears streaming down her cheeks, heartbreak clear in her eyes as she looked up at him. "Not until they came, not until they took our mother. And they took her because they want me, and she won't let my sisters give me to them, and all those people, all those ships, it's all my fault!" Her hands fell from her sides, clenched and rising to push weakly at him, as fearless of touching him as he was fearful of touching her. "I could have stopped it," she sobbed, shaking her head. "I can stop it, I ....I should go. I should go now." She turned toward the water once again, intent upon throwing herself in, to present herself to the men of the black ship in exchange for her mother's freedom.