The womanly figure stared at him. He squirmed a bit and asked, “Ma’am, please don’t be offended, but what are you? I…I mean, who are you? I mean…I know your name is Maranna, but…I’m sorry!”
Maranna laughed and answered, “That’s a fair question. I am a Siren. You rest in Cragmore, my home. I take it you’ve never seen a Siren before, Boton Jhundi.”
“Actually, I’ve read of you. Siren. Huldra. Harpy. I thought you were hideous, without a backside. The texts say you have no heart and are like a hollow tree,” the youth answered ashamedly.
“Well, let us disprove that now,” she answered whimsically.
With that, she turned slowly and Boton saw that the skin of her back was as pearly as that of her chest. The full wings were beautiful. The only other odd thing otherwise was the thick brushy red tail. She was foxy, figuratively and literally.
“Satisfied?” she asked.
“Yes, ma’am,” he replied timidly.
“You need rest. I’ll fetch more nourishment. Please don’t try to leave the cavern. Unless you can fly. Oh, I almost forgot, you are a sorcerer, aren’t you. You probably can fly,” she teased.
“I cannot fly. That Magick is beyond me. Besides I don’t have a feather,” the young sorcerer replied.
“Well don’t be coveting any of mine. I don’t relish being plucked,” Maranna said and laughed again.
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