Random writing

Someday, I might actually write this into a story properly. But for now, it's just a random scene that popped into my head.


Haylan swam slowly out to meet them, his dark eyes flickering from Lotan to Harod.
    “Did we scare you so much?” Lotan chuckled. “Did you think we were spirits?”
    Haylan reddened. “Of course not.”
    “But you were scared,” Harod said. “Because we’re humans?”
    “There’s nothing frightening about humans,” Haylan said scornfully. “No, for a moment, I thought instead…”
    They waited a moment for him to continue, before Lotan prompted, “Thought what?”
    Haylan’s voice dropped to a whisper. “I thought you were water women.”
    In chorus, they asked, “Water women?”
    “You don’t know what they are?” They shook their heads. Haylan stared at them incredulously, and then turned and swam back to the bank.
    “Well, what are they?” Lotan demanded.
    Haylan caught at a bush and dragged himself onto the grass. “River demons.” Harod shivered in the water, and splashed to shore. Haylan made room for him on the bank and then continued mysteriously, “They appear as the most beautiful sylphs a man can imagine, with voices sweeter than harps and eyes like the moon on a fair night. And they sing. Whatever it is your heart dreams about, they sing. To a miser, they sing of gold; to a soldier, of fame and glory; to a lonely soul, of everlasting love.”
    “Demons indeed,” Lotan grinned. “I’d give a fair price to have a beautiful woman sing to me of my dreams.”
    “But they’re demons all the same,” Haylan whispered. “No faery dares approach the river when the water women sing.”
    Fascinated, Harod dropped his voice also. “Why not?”
    Haylan smiled grimly. “Because they’ll drag you under the waters and eat you.”