Shiv was practising his knife skills while Sirius steered the ship when the voices first started up.

If one was paying enough attention there was always a small gap between the first note and the full effects of the siren’s deadly song. Enough time for the experienced to fill their ears with something. It didn’t need to be perfect but it did need to be close to the ear. It was said that a siren’s voice could penetrate lead and had been know to drive men mad who were locked up on shore and could not reach them. This, Sirius knew, was untrue. There were many myths when it came to the creatures of the sea. Sufficient soundproofing would work but it was a lot easier to plug the ear canal than it was to soundproof a entire ship and the wind tonight blew just hard enough to penetrate the lower holds quite well while the wood amplified the echos.

At the first sign of song, Shiv looked up sharply, met Sirius’s eyes. They shared a knowing look as both men quickly plugged their ears. Then they continued on as if nothing was amiss.

But as the sounds grew louder and more potent Sirius sensed movement behind him. He turned to find Shiv staring glassy-eyed toward the sea.

The quartermaster took a hesitant step toward the door.

In a flash of remembering Sirius reached for a pocket on the inside of his jacket. Then he pulled out a pair of spare earplugs.

“Forgot I had these,” he mumbled as he made a grab for Shiv.

Shiv didn’t object or even seem to notice Sirius. He just pulled toward the door.

“I knew those rags wouldn’t be good enough,” Sirius told Shiv as he pulled the fabric from his ears and replaced it with specially designed earplugs.

Sirius kept a hold of the man until he saw awareness flash back into Shiv’s eyes. His next words were not what Sirius had expected.

The first thing Shiv said, as he looked over Sirius’s shoulder and suddenly became aware of their surroundings were, “What’s she doing?”

Sirius turned around to see what he was talking about. There was Amanda, out on deck holding on to the railing and looking like she was about to climb over it.

The ship began to tilt slightly and the unattended wheel behind Sirius started to softly spin as the waves crashed into the ship from the side instead of behind.

“Shit!” Sirius took off toward the deck. “Shiv, grab the wheel!” he called out.

Shiv did as he was commanded, even though he could not hear the words his captain shouted.

Outside the wind had since picked up and a light rain had started to fall. The fresh water mixed in with the spray from the sea giving everything a salty taste.

Amanda stood on the railing now, her red hair whipping in the wind like a flickering flame that fought back weakly against the surrounding darkness, almost swallowed by it.

Sirius rushed across the deck, grabbing the loose end of a rope tied off to the mast he hoped would be long enough. He twisted the rope around his forearm as he ran.

She took a step out and over the edge.

Sirius leaped after her.

He never would have made it in time to reach her had he slowed to grab her and pull her back, so instead over the railing they both went.

He was just close enough that he could grab her as they fell.

With one arm he reached out around her waist and pulled her in close, tucking her against his own body, tight enough to hold her there but not so much as to squash her. He hoped it would be enough for the inevitable sharp stop when the rope went tight.

He hoped the rope was the right length. Too long and they’d be sucked in against the side of the ship, pushed under and drowned beneath the bow.

He’d shifted his body so it wouldn’t snap his arm off. He could take the strain if it was angled right. He was a strongarm.

The rope went taut and he gritted his teeth as it’s rough surface dug in and ripped at his flesh. But he had angled things right and the force was bearable on his joints even if the friction stung his skin.

Amanda struggled with all her might against him, without thought, just a singular purpose. To get to the sound.

Out there in the waves he could see them playing, dancing dangerously, in and out of the water. At a distance they looked beautiful, with long shining hair and pretty angelic faces. But up close they were a nightmare, with slimy fish-like skin and rows and rows of sharp teeth. Their tails could rip though bone like a steak knife though butter. They called to the sailors, lured them in, and then they’d hold them down and kiss them with a mouth full of teeth. It was a face Sirius had seen up close once and never wanted to again.

Amanda and Sirius dangled from the ship metres above the water. Low enough for the spray from the waves to quickly soak them. They swung back and forth, Sirius holding on with one hand as Amanda struggled. Her struggles did little to loosen his grip however for she was much smaller and weaker than he. But with both his hands occupied he did wonder as to how he was going to get back on board.

As they hung there for several minutes Sirius tried different things. If he had not wrapped his arm so tightly perhaps he could have jumped that hand up an inch at a time but as it was he was stuck so well that he was starting to lose feeling in his fingers, and out of the corner of his eye he could see the sirens moving ever so slowly closer to the ship. The creatures were wary for seasoned sailors sometimes turned the hunt on them but dangle around long enough and the sirens would grow brave. Sirius and Amanda would be fish bait if he didn’t manage to figure a way out of this.

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Luckily a captain does not sail alone. Sirius’s rule of there always being two crewman in or near the wheelhouse, especially when the deck was otherwise abandoned, finally paid off.

It had taken Shiv a few minutes to tie off the wheel, to peer over the edge of the ship and see that Sirius was safe. He could have pulled them up then and there but without an active driver at the wheel the waves were in danger of pushing the ship and rolling her over. Shiv had run for help first and because he could not shout, for all were wearing earplugs, he had to actually find a crewman. Once he had found one he sent that one in search of others and quickly returned to deck.

Sirius felt the rope suddenly start to move and he looked up to see Shiv staring down. Less than a minute later more faces appeared.

“Get some earplugs,” he yelled up at them. But he knew they could not hear.

Eventually hands pulled him up and over the railing. Amanda still struggled but he held her tight, knowing if he gave her half the chance she’d leap over the railing and into the sea, never to be seen again.

As they dropped to the deck, soaking wet, he loosened his hand from the rope. Still numb to the touch he reached out and clapped both hands over her ears, holding her in place by tangling his legs around hers.

He was surprised to find that the crew who had a moment ago encircled them had now all run off in some other direction. It wasn’t until later that they told him that Michael too, unaccustomed to the speed at which one needed to apply the earplugs, had also gone overboard. Unfortunately they managed to rescue him, ensuring that every man and woman on the ship got to hear about the wretched event not only once but several times over, until each and every one surely wished they’d left him in the sea.

But in that moment Sirius’s attention was almost completely on Amanda. Eventually she stopped struggling and went still apart from the rapid rise and fall of her chest, which at this point was so close to his he wasn’t sure if it was his heart or hers that he could feel beating so fast.

She glanced up at him with awareness. Her red hair was plastered against the side of her face. Her brown eyes were open wide. Her lips slightly parted.

“What happened?” she mouthed.

Sirius was adapt at reading lips but he wasn’t certain how good she was so with exaggerated lip movements he mouthed back, “Sirens.”

He watched as she repeated the movement with her own lips and then as recognition flashed across her face followed by confusion. She glanced toward the sea, where they had just gone over, and then back to him. Her face was inches from his. For several moments she just looked at him as she got her breath back.

Then someone tapped Sirius’s shoulder. Sirius turned to find Neko holding out some earplugs. He indicated for Amanda to take them and put them in her ears. She did so and then Sirius helped her to her feet.

Once standing Sirius’ gaze followed Neko’s where further down the deck several crew were helping to pull a soaking wet, and very unhappy Michael back on board the ship.

“I’ll get some blankets,” Neko mouthed to Sirius.

Sirius nodded and then Neko was gone.

He turned back toward Amanda. Their eyes met once more.

“Thank you,” she mouthed.

He nodded, captivated by how red her lips looked against her wet skin. For a moment he thought about leaning down and kissing her. He noticed her gaze grace his own lips.

He dropped his head slightly and started to lean in. She raised her chin, moved up to meet him halfway. They were so close that he could feel warmth of her breath, and then she shivered.

“Shit!” he pulled back. He hadn’t even realised how cold he was until then, and the poor girl, she was wearing even less then he. She must be freezing. Moving fast he took off his coat and he wrapped it around her and then pulled her in tight to try and get her warm.

She shivered again and then he felt her fingers on his forearm. He glanced at her face and saw a concerned look. For a moment he was worried that she was hurt or that he had hurt her, but then he followed her gaze and found it was his own arm that she was looking at and that it was very slowly dripping blood all over the deck. She turned it over and they could both plainly see the ripped skin where the rope had left its marks.

She gave him a sort of horrified look. He shook his head and then pulled her in close and directed her toward the inner part of the ship.

He caught a look from Griff as they passed by the wheelhouse then he nearly ran into Neko in the doorway who handed them some blankets before rushing past to go and attend to Michael.

Sirius took Amanda to his own room, took his coat off her, and from neatly folded pile on a nearby chair he handed her a towel.

Amanda dimly took the fluffy piece of fabric and for a moment wasn’t sure what to do. The last thing she had remembered clearly before everything had gone all topsy turvy was sitting on her bed in her own cabin and the loud crash that had startled her from her story. She had vague memories of going over the railing and of dangling about the water, of trying to fight her way out of Sirius’s arms to get to the source of song. She had seen them out there, swimming alluringly in the ocean, Singing with those sweet voices and calling to her. She had wanted to join them, right up until the moment that Sirius had covered her ears. And then there had been a moment of complete clarity where she had been keenly aware that he had just saved her life and then after they’d almost kissed she’d seen that he was hurt. She thought maybe that was why he had pulled away and they’d come inside, but now they were down and out of the wet her mind felt muddled, almost like she’d been drinking.

She stared down at the towel not remembering what she was supposed to do with it. She didn’t feel cold. If anything she was too hot. She threw the towel aside and started to tug her shirt off but she found her fingers getting caught in the fabric. The world around her felt slow and blurred and the whole thing took on a funny feeling. She giggled as she struggled with her shirt.

Sirius came to her rescue. She felt his hands extract hers from the fabric and then pull the shirt up and over her head. She took off her pants while Sirius retrieved the towel from where she’d thrown it. He seemed to be avoiding looking directly at her and a moment later she found herself being wrapped inside the towel again. She tried to push him away. She didn’t want that. Didn’t he understand that she was too hot? And what about his injury?

“But your arm,” she mumbled as he led her toward his bed.

He pulled back the covers. The next thing she knew he had another towel and was drying her hair for her. She felt confused and so very tired.

So tired that when he pointed to the bed and commanded her to get in she obeyed him without debate.

She lay down and closed her eyes. “But…” she started. But she was too weak to finish her sentence. She felt him pull the covers up and over her and the lay several more blankets on top. Vaguely she was aware of him lying down next to her. Even with all those blankets between them she could feel the shape of his strong body. He pulled her in tight. Eventually she felt herself start to shiver again and she wondered how everything had suddenly got so cold. Then things slowly started to get a touch warmer and a little while later she drifted off to sleep.