Chapter Six: Alone

Her sisters and the nymphs stared at her.  Randilyn burst into tears and started wailing that it wasn't her.  Mother looked sad.  Relena edged off the chair and started to swim up to the ocean, her home.  She didn't like everyone staring at her like she had done something wrong.  She swam up through the air until she breached the magical barrier.  She was relived to feel the water slid over her body.  She heard the sounds of her sisters following.  She did not turn, she just continued swimming back to Siren Rock.
"Lena?"  Rose asked quietly.  "Lena please talk to us!"

I stared at Lena's back.  She continued retreating slowly.  I could feel the tension in the water around us.  Fish darted quickly out of her way.  Mother looked a mixture of being pissed at Lena and sad that Randilyn was going to die.
I wanted to comfort Lena badly.  She reached the rock first and pulled her beautiful dagger from its sheath.  She started to sharpen it.  I was the only one who climbed on the rock next to her.  The others stayed in the water like the fish they were.
"Lena, what's wrong?"  She turned and looked at me.  Her face was pale and salty tears were running down her cheeks.
"I'm scared Rose."
"Scared?"  I asked.  "Why?"
"I'm scared of what Mother will do to me!  You saw her face!"  I put my hand over hers and squeezed lightly.
"Do you plan to use your dagger against her?"  Lena put the dagger away and shook her head.
"I'm so scared."  I pulled her to me and let her cry into my chest.  She sobbed and I stroked her hair.  I could feel her body shuddering and heaving against mine.  I didn't like to see her so weak.  We had always thought her to be one of the strongest of us, in all the pods.  She quieted and looked at the others.
"I guess we had better head to Mother's."  Sally muttered.  I could see that Lena was scared.  Regardless of what was going to happen, she was going to go through with it.  I slid in the water next to her and we swam in the back.
It seemed as though no one was in a hurry to get to Liber Rock.  We reached the rock and the sounds of nymphs crying reached us.  Relena stopped all of us and swam in alone.  I felt a sense of dread come over me.  It felt like I was never going to see her again.

Relena looked around.  The nymphs had gone silent when she had entered.  The nymphs parted on a clear path to Mother.  Relena steeled herself and swam forward.
"Mermaid Relena, how could you do that to me?  After everything I've done for you and your wretched sisters?"

I stared in shock.  It sounded like she hated us!  I looked her in the eye and said bravely, "I did that because I would never lie in front of the gods."
"Bring him in."  I turned as a few nymphs led a small centaur child.  It was Orion!
"Orion!  What have you done to him?"
"Questioned him.  He did not comply."  I felt an unknown rage come over my body.  The only time I had ever felt anything like this was when humans killed Noin.  I drew my dagger and grabbed the nymph that was nearest to me.  I put the dagger against her throat.
"Anyone moves, I kill her."  No one moved; I slashed her throat anyway.  The nymphs around me were screaming.  I paid no mind to them.
"Mermaid Relena!  For the death of two of my daughters, I banish you!  You may never come back!  And if you do, I will destroy you all!"  I sheathed my dagger and calmly turned.  Inside I was sobbing.  I was losing my only home, my only family.
As I swam out into the light, I saw Rose.  I wanted to swim to her.  I wanted her to comfort me.  I didn't want to be alone.  As I swam past my sisters, I heard them calling my name.  I blocked the sounds of their voices out of my head and continued swimming.
I knew as I swam past the rock, that I was what every mermaid feared.  I was alone.  I was ultimately alone...