Nanno
Nanno swam contentedly through the river. Now and then another siren came towards him, but most of them were in the city in their cave of blooming ice. He swam daydreaming between the seaweed and rolled through the sand.
He couldn't get Charlie out of his head. A person who made friends with a will-o’-the-wisp. He had never heard of it. Fairies liked to take care of the lost. At least, as long as they weren't too close to their waterfall... Then they regarded humans as intruders. That's what a nymph had told him once. But will-o’-the-wisps? Never.
Nanno swam to the surface. He was a good distance away from the city. Here the seaweed was denser and the trees taller and impenetrable. Ehlin stood on the riverbank, surrounded by reeds and colorful stones. They had already spotted Nanno and waved at him.
Nanno swam happily to the sylph. "Ehlin! How nice!"
Ehlin put their feet in the water and beckoned Nanno to him. The siren followed the invitation and sat down with the sylph on the damp earth. But he left his tail fin in the water.
"Is there any new gossip from the fairies?", he asked his friend cheerfully.
"I met two of the humans", Ehlin said quietly. "They were nice. Charlie and Joris."
"You talked to Charlie?", asked Nanno happily. "What did you talk about?"
"That they got lost here..." Ehlin shrugged. "Magic of the will-o’-the-wisps. They probably never find their way out of the forest."
"Good." Nanno smiled. But at the same time, he wondered why he was pleased. "And the other person? Jo... Joris?"
"Handsome. And a bit awkward. He was cute." Ehlin smiled. "Sweet. I was at the waterfall and wanted to talk to some fairies, but none came. This was probably due to the approaching humans. And your Charlie? Very friendly. The magic of a will-o’-the-wisp clings to him..."
"Wouldn't the magic stick to everyone? If they were enchanted by one?"
Ehlin shook his head thoughtfully. "No... Not like Charlie... The magic clings to him like a friendly cloud. The little light must like him."
"Wait... Did you say MY Charlie?" Nanno blushed and let himself slide back into the river. "Ehlin! No! No! I..."
The Sylphe giggled. "You like him."
"And you like Joris!" Nanno stuck out his tongue at his friend. Ehlin wanted to protest, but the two were interrupted.
"Nanno? Ehlin?" Elsa appeared on the surface. "What are you talking about?" The siren looked at Nanno skeptically.
"Humans", Ehlin replied, sounding almost indifferent. "How are you? Siren?" Ehlin did not like Elsa very much. She was too unfriendly for the sylph, as Ehlin had once told Nanno.
Elsa grimaced and shooed away a dragonfly, which she looked at curiously. "Humans? I know about them, yes. But they were able to resist the singing. Someone must have warned them..."
"Well, siren! I talked to these humans. Nanno too. They're nice", Ehlin snorted. "Be a dear and leave us alone now!"
But instead of swimming away, Elsa stared at Nanno, stunned. “Did you betray us? Nanno! Humans aren’t toys! They are food! We don't talk with our food! Have you lost your mind? And you, Ehlin? You should know better too. Aren't you thousands of years old?"
Ehlin just rolled their eyes.
"Nanno!" Elsa held him by the shoulders. "No. Eat them or stay away. Humans are evil. The fairies talk about it! Some are back from human cities, and they tell terrible things. I've heard two fairies talk about it. Before I ate them... Humans enslave others! And they are not friendly to other species. We should eat them too! We're even doing the world a favor!"
Ehlin snorted angrily and crossed their arms. "I don't appreciate it when you eat my friends!"
Elsa grimaced. "Friends?"
Nanno shook his head. Slaves? "No. This can't be. Slavery? Why? For what? No. Never! Charlie is so nice." Sirens lived very withdrawn. Unlike the fairies, they didn't know what was going on in other countries. It didn't interest them either. Normally.
Elsa sighed and hugged him. "You know their names... Oh, Nanno. They are food. Don't go to them anymore, yes? For me? We're friends, aren't we? I don't want anything bad to happen to you!"
Read Mads' story in 'WOLF - The two Packs'. <3
