The day didnt look so bad. He was not in the best of the moods when he started to fly out from his nesting cave.
Reason he didnt notice the settle hints of the upcoming storm. Flying low over the sea watching his own shadow as it raised over the calm waters, he was thinking. There was a reason for his bad mood, his friends teased him for not really managing to find a partner, like they always did. But he just didnt want to get any good looking bird. He wanted to feel it in him that it was the right choose, that feeling that creates the most beautifully song that can echo the whole cliff. A song born in their heart played by their feelings. He frowned harder as he attempted to fly higher. Why didnt the others got it that he wanted something stronger. That he wanted to really feel it in his heart.

He failed to fly upwards as he intended it, as a strong and cold wing made him lose balance. He flapped his wings fast to catch himself in the air. His feathers feeling to raise up to hold the warmth onto his body, his skin getting goosebumps. Wishing he went out in something beside his shorts. His head snapped up making his hair swing with the sudden motion. A curse sliding of lips as his brain processed what he was getting himself in. '' Grab of mermaids hands, that is a big storm. '' It moved fast he turned around starting to fly back home as fast as possible. Sadly, noticing the strength of the wind that made the waves reaching up he was getting harder and harder to keep his courses against the winds, and the home cliff was far away, too far too reach. On his back he felt the first drops of water from the skies. The rain, the storm already catch up at him.

'Was I done?' He wondered as he took a deep breath and tried to fly even faster hoping to reach at least something to land and cling too. HIs eyes only spying the violent waves who were getting higher and higehr and pushing the bird to fly even higher up to avoid their touch. The rain at this moment was pouring and he had problems flying with his slowly drenching feathers. His eyes were big maniacally searching for any life line anything to save him.

He didnt find it, he knew avoiding the waves he started to feel disoriented he could have just as well been flying in circles. Just thinking that made his heart drop in his legs, crawls and palms clenching in fist. He was slowly sinking thougth the air the rain pushing him into the hug of the sea. His legs touching the waters and from the fear he used the last of his strength to force himself to get more amplitude. It worked and a small hope started burning, but his ears twitched and he made a mistake he turned took behind himself. A wave as all reaching as a wall was facing him now. He didnt even scream, his brain didnt want to waist the air on that. As the water wall, the wave pushed him into the sea, that was it. He knew they couldnt swim, and even if he hold his breath there will be no other of his race to trow him a rope to grab on and save him that way. No one would fly at that strom out.

His eyes closed, he forgive his idiotic friends and family, feeling sorry that he will make them scream their pain out very soon. The pain of losing him. At least he himself will not have to listen to those heart ripping screeching. It started to hurt, a pressure on his chest, like a hand that grabbed him pushing the air he was trying to hold in, the water filling his lungs. Did he sunk that much already to feel that ghostly pressure of the water? His mind felt light and darkness creep into his mind, his words thought became just single words echoing thought his skull, as the last fighting back for keeping his life.

A dreamless dream accepted him.

Araile loved storms, she loved the way it riled up the water making the blue greenish tint of the water turn a dark black. She swam contentedly through the water, feeling it caress her skin, the most amazing feeling in the world. She paid no heed to the flashes of light above her as lightening flashed and thunder rolled. She loved to look at the world above her, wondering what it was like to breath in the harsh air of land. She swam upwards against the current, it was easy enough on her to do so, she always was out during storms, because she didn't have to be worried about being seen by a harpy or something worse. Her head broke the surface and she flipped her wet hair back off her forehead, she felt the rain drops on her face and she closed her eyes, letting their cold wetness drip over her. She opened her eyes to take in the beauty of such a powerful storm, she saw a flash of something that she knew wasn't rain nor lightening. She squinted looking harder, was that what she thought it was? A harpy?? For real? What in a storm? She watched in horror as the poor unsuspecting harpy tried like mad to get to their safe haven atop the cliff the mermaids just happened to live under. She watched as finally his wings folded under the pressure of the rain and he fell. She watched as he hit the water and sank.

Her thoughts warred against eachother, she couldn't let him drown. Never once had she brought harm to a harpy. She tried to stay away from them so she wasn't forced to bring harm upon them. What could that harpy do though? He/She was unconscious and dying most likely, no harm could come of her. She certainly couldn't drown, not like the harpy could. Her thoughts of saving the harpy outweighed her thoughts against it and she dove under the water, heading for the spot she saw the body hit. She found the harpy within seconds, swimming up to it she noticed it was a man. She stopped short, men harpy's were dangerous. Well she would save him, and make sure he was okay and then swim away to deeper waters so he couldn't grab her. She grabbed him and began swimming towards where she knew a little alcove was where he would be safe from wind and rain, so that he could dry while he awaited the end of the storm.

He looked almost peaceful in his water slumber, but she knew that peacefulness would be deadly to him, she hurried along as fast as she could manage while dragging him. She burst out of the water inside the alcove and drug him out of the water. She pulled him out as far as she could get him and sat there. She touched him, he was beautiful in a way, for being a harpy. She had a fleeting thought that maybe he wouldn't be dangerous to her. She pushed it aside and slid into the water, retreating away from him but not leaving. She would wait to see if he would make it, then she would flee at the first sign of aggression.

He felt sore and a heavy painfully feeling in his chest. His fingers twitching, sensing the grains of sand under them. A fast feeling of wonder passing thought his head. Death was lot more painfully then he awaited. His lungs contracted pushing ,the water he swallowed, out. His body turning to the side as a strong cough ripped thought his neck.The air feeling cold, sharp and beautifully feeling his chest up.
Breathing in gulps, and still weakly coughing his hand went thought his drenched hair. He was wet, but what happened? He was sure that the fall into the sea. He was sinking...How...?
Then he turned around his eyes opening to see where he was. A alcove, how did he came here? He sat up some more trying to spot someone. He couldnt have came here on his own.
Did maybe the sea trow him out? No he didnt believe it. His ears peeking up the sounds of the storms, even when he stretched his neck he could see it outside. Confirming his ears, that the sea was still violent. His arms felt sore but he still flapped them hard to shock some of the water off himself. If the waves would have thrown him out it would be with force, which would be bad for him. Broken bones if not death would be for sure. Which neither he had.

His breath calming a bit down holding his head to not feel as hazed and dizzy as he did. How did he came here? As a answer to his question and confusion he noticed dragging marks. His hunter eyes focused on those, reading it that someone drag him out the water. It couldnt be more then a few short minutes from then. Wobbly he stood on his legs and stepped closer to the water. Being on the edge of it, he looked into the sea. Trying to spy anything out. His eyes born for spying fishes who swam close to the surface out for the next meal, did notice something.A shadow deeper and bigger then the fish the harpy hunt.

''Is there someone?!'' He called out his winged hands flapping again for balance. Even if he was right and there was someone it could be only a merman or mermaid? But those would only drag him deeper. ''Did you save me?!'' He called out, one leg raising and the feet curling in, standing on only one foot. He was afraid, ready to fly up if something reached out for him. Thats how he was raised, but if any of those did drag him out of the water..saving him. Then there was one thing he at least had to do. Even if it was just toying with his life for fun. Even if they would for fun drag him back into the sea, playing some sick game. His leg lowering settling down on earth once again. ''Thank you!'' His voice echoed several moment of silents after his question.

Tiredness was lingering there in his body the whole time, and pulled him down on the sand to sit again. He would slept but he couldnt let his guard down. Watching the water he started to brush his hair with his fingers feeling the water still drop of him. It will take a while before he could fly again. A thunder making him shudder as if telling him that flying was indeed out of question.

Araile watched the harpy struggle as he started to get his wits about him, he was looking for her, she could tell by the way he was stretching around scanning the water. She floated there half in shadows and half in not, she was scared to alert the harpy of her presence for fear that he would harm her. He looked awful scared too, now that she looked closer, her eyes were already adjusted to the dark and she could see him trying to shake the water out of his wings. She ventured a little closer as his voice rang out around the walls of the alcove. He knew that someone was here obviously, but she knew that he wasn't certain of what. She heard his thanks echo around her, and she thought to herself that maybe he wasn't so bad. Maybe he really was grateful that someone hadn't left him to die, and she knew that she would be the only one of her kind to do that for someone of his kind. Their kinds hated eachother, mermen and mermaids would drag harpy's under to drown and harpy's would grab up mermaids and leave them in the middle of the cliff in the hottest part of the day so they died in pure agony.

Araile wasn't quite sure of the story about the hatred between their two very different kinds but she knew that her father would have her locked up for good if he ever caught her this close to one and she wasn't trying to mortally wound it and/or kill it. Araile ventured ever so closer, and spoke "Your welcome, harpy. I saw you fall out of the sky, and I couldn't swim back and let you die."

He didnt really await a reply to his words of thanks. Looking towards where the voice came from. A female voice, the now somewhat closer shadow showing the figure of a mermaid. The one who saved him then. He stayed for a while silent.Mostly wondering what should he answer to her words? why did you save me? Would the answer to it make any sense to him? His eyes focused at her, still being underwater. Was she scared of him? He knew sometimes his race would look at meeting a mermaid as a challenge of bravery. Pick them up in folks and leave them, drying out. His eyes looked at his own feet, the claws clenching softly from his nervousness.
He felt awkward for the silence.
Shifting somewhat away from the water, sitting on his own legs. The claws on his feet, stuck under his feathery tail. Hidden away from the other eyes. It was a small gesture. But he couldnt bring harm to someone who helped him. That was not in his nature. Well if she put him in danger he would react, he told himself so he could relax a bit.
'' Can I know your name?'' He asked, seeing her staying there waiting, wanting himself to cut the silence that settled around them. '' I am known as Humhum'' He introduced himself too. wondering what anyone from his family and friends would say hearing him introduce himself to a creatures of under the sea. They would probably declare him to not have all of his feathers on number.

Araile watched and smiled at the his actions, she recognized him sitting on his feet as a small gesture of thanks, and that no harm would come to her by him. She swam closer this time, coming all the way to the edge of the rock which she had pulled him to safety on. She put her elbows on the rock, being modest enough to hide her nudity from the harpy named HumHum. She looked at him questioningly and titled her head checking him out, she was rather surprised at herself when she caught the thought He is rather attractive isn't he? running through her mind. "My name is Araile. Araile Triton. I'm a daughter of the sea, and I am pleased to make your acquaintance." She held out her hand, slowly so as not to make HumHum think that she was going to pull him in the water with her if he trusted to take her hand. "I'm glad that I was out swimming, because if I had not been you would not be going home to your family tonight once this storm blows over." She knew that what she was doing was extremely dangerous to her life, her father was a terrible being at best, and she was deathly afraid of him. He would never venture to the surface though, not even to look for her, and surprisingly enough even if he sent someone to look for her they wouldn't think to look for her here. They all knew that she was afraid of harpy's, one had killed her mother and baby brother, and this alcove would have put her to close to their habitat on a normal day. She floated there, watching HumHum for any signs of aggression, harpy's were known for it, but so far she didn't sense that he was dangerous to her.

He watched her slowly come closer and swim out, showing now her face, which Humhum carefully looked at. The red hair was quite nice looking, he noticed for himself. watching her hide her chest with her hands. Oh...
He was staring with out even noticing that she wasnt having something to cover her. He had not the smallest idea what for mermaids counts as showing too much? It was just a small blush that appeared on his face, but he ensured to not look too low. Not wanting to embrace someone who saved him.
"My name is Araile. Araile Triton. I'm a daughter of the sea, and I am pleased to make your acquaintance."

She stretched her hand, for the first moment making Humhums feathers stand up ready to attack, but as the hand just stand there open, he relaxed. Reaching over with his own to meet it. Slowly wrapping his own fingers around her palm. Its wet and soft. It was the harpys first time touching a mermaid hand. His heart did speed up, but he didnt pull it away.

"I'm glad that I was out swimming, because if I had not been you would not be going home to your family tonight once this storm blows over."

'' I am glad too you were. I really would have hated the last words I exchange with them to be words of a disagreement. '' The hand shake ended and she floated away a bit, now he could tell that she was looking at him. He placed his hand down in his lap, eyes scouting the weather. it was looking weaker, but still too strong.
Moments filled with silence passed again and he broke it first.

'' Say, do mermaid use hand shakes to greet each other? We usually bow or call each other names out.'' He asked, being somewhat curious. Thinking when was the last time in their history that individua of their races actually spend time so close together with out spilling each others blood? Not that he thought of himself as some great peace maker, but learning a bit about them cannot hurt...Right?

Araile was surprised how nice feeling HumHum's hand was, she smiled at him and floated away once they let go and looked at him. "Arguments between family members is never a good thing, my father and I argue quite a lot. He thinks I'm too....free spirited." Araile laughed a little twinkly laugh and turned her face towards the alcove when HumHum did, "This storm will last another 2 or 3 hours, it'll get much stronger within the hour then drop to a slow steady sprinkle in an hour and a half or so. And we greet eachother a number of ways, the hand shake is a traditional one when you meet someone new. I've never had to use it. Till now anyway." She smiled at HumHum and dipped her body under the water, she loved the water in this alcove it always was nice and cool and the way it moved made it seem like it was caressing you. She decided to do something she had never done before, she moved forward towards the rock, slowly so as not to frighten HumHum. Then she planted her hands on the rock and pulled herself up, till her tail was planted firmly on the rock and she was sitting upright in front of HumHum. The rock was nice and smooth and felt cold under her scales, she flipped her fin happily and smiled. "I've never sat on a rock before."

Listening to her answer of his question, his curiosity grow stronger then his fear. It was quite interesting, he hummed a bit to himself watching her drip underwater before, she swam out and closer to him. he tilted his head as he watched her place her hands on the rock and pull herself up on it. Sitting down on the rock now in front of him.

"I've never sat on a rock before."

That made Humhum chuckle softly. '' I suppose for both of us this day and storm has given us something we never done before.'' He smiled eyes going to her fishtail that sparkled from the water nearly as it was a shiny stone. He stretched his arm out letting his feather that grow over and along it, letting them move stretch before folding along his arm again.

'' Would you mind.... to stay and exchange some questions we both may have still? '' Humhum stated, driven by his curiosity somewhat. '' I would like to hear more about you and your folk Ariel~'' He sung her name with his voice, make it sound even more melodic then it was before. Smiling back at her, just imagining how panicky and scared his family and friends would have been on his place now. They would kill before asking. Who knew, maybe he would have killed with out question asked too,if he didnt wondered what happened before anything. But what ever fate it was that lead him here, he felt glad it did. Glad that he could talk and learn.

Araile nodded and looked at her fingers, water glistened off of her everywhere, even though the only part of her that touched it was her tail fin. She flapped it at little splashing in the water, and glanced at HumHum. "Yes the storm certainly did bring me something I have never encountered. I have never been this close to a harpy before, and I have to say you don't look too terribly scary close up like this. My mother and baby brother were both killed by a harpy long ago, if he had lived he would be 16 now." Araile looked off into the distance, past the mouth of the alcove and out into the pouring down rain of the storm.
"I don't mind a bit to answer any questions....ask away." She smiled as he sang her name it sounded beautiful when he did that and it made her heart swell up.

'' I am sorry for your family...'' Humhum said in a sad whisper. He wondered what caused that incident, was it plain fear? A misunderstanding of some kind? Or just the will to show how the harpy are stronger?

''But You dont look like a sharp tooth shark man ready to rip someones feathers and crash their bones, swimming in the blood of their victims... well, at least thats how our scary children stories go.When describing mermaids and merman... You are quite the opposite, with that nice hair and far away from scary.'' Humhum told remembering how much that story scared him that he didnt dared to fly lower then 20m over the sea for quite some time. When he grow older he learn to hunt and fight.... now he wondered why he learned to fight so much...

He was wondering about questions, not that he didnt had any it was just he didnt know what to ask first.
'' Say...what do your folk actually eat? Is it bird meat? '' He said looking extremely seriously, to a point his face show he wasnt really believing it at all. But still wanting a conformation of the situation. His lips going into a pout, making his serious face be just a bit funny.

Araile laughed at HumHum's comment, "I assure you, that is because I am simply being calm and nice to you, but if I were trying to rip you to shreds I would take on the look of a sharp tooth shark, my teeth can elongate and my mouth opens wider when I am trying to kill something. But I have never used that on a Harpy, you must understand this, not everyone of us has killed your kind. I have good reason to hunt down the one that I know killed my family, but I wont, I don't believe in reacting to violence with violence. Even so, if I did that, it would just keep this violent circle we have going between our kinds and we would never see an end to it. I seek to end that, I want our kinds to coexist." Araile stopped herself from talking, she had already said too terribly much that if her father ever heard her speaking like that he would lock her up and make sure that she never saw the light of day. "We eat fish, and calms. As far as I know, none of our kind has actually ever ate a harpy's meat...."

Listening to the explanation it did made him shiver at the image. He supposed his folk could get scary too feathers arching up, screeching that hurt the ears. His ears twitched, as her words continued. Hi tilted his head towards her, his own hair sliding a bit along his back and shoulders.

'' Neither did I killed one of yours...and many do not even see a mermaid in their whole life. But there still someone who would look at meeting a merman as a test of courage.'' He said taking a deep breath and stretching his arms, flapping them to make his wings stretch. The feathers nearly dry at this point.

'' Seeing the end of the violence....it would be nice....But what can I do to actually stop it? I am just one of the many harpy that sing. hm....I dont think the leader would even listen to my words.'' His arms closing redsting in his lap as his head hung. He really didnt know how could it ended, her words sounded so inspirational so true the melody honest.

''Araile~'' He sung her name again. A Soft smile on his lips. '' You are a honest singer. Directly from your beliefs and heart. Its enjoyable to listen to it. '' Would you consider to tell me much more? So at least we two can understand each other? Maybe it can be like a ripple on the water surface. One small drops comes to the most far part of the waters.

Araile looked at HumHum and smiled, "I would very much like for this battle between our races to end. I hate to see us fighting when we could help each other. We could bring you fish, and you could bring us...well honestly I have no idea. We are not taught much about the good of a harpy, rather than the bad. I am sorry, my words can seem so harsh at times and I am not intending to be." Araile moved herself more out of the water and on to the rock closer to HumHum. Mainly she wanted to show him that she trusted he would not hurt her, and that she herself would not harm him. "Together we could a force against our cultures, to turn them around, to see through someone else's eyes for once. My father is the king of the sea." Araile ran a hand through her wet hair and flipped her tail fin in and out of the water, making little waves. The storm outside was raging still, so she knew that she had a good amount of time to talk to HumHum.

He hummed hearing her say about her father and how they could work together. Work together, Humhum thought what could they offer the mermaid folk? After a bit a few ideas came to him. One of those were quite sweet idea.

''Have you ever tried the little red or blue berries? We harpy like them to eat as they are really sweet, they grow high on the cliffs inner side....I could pick them for you. '' He offered smiling, seeing her move closer to him. So in return he moved a bit closer to her. Now his feathery arms brushed over her skin as they sat there. He didnt mind it. He enjoyed the company and silently wanted it to last for a very long time.
''We consider it rude to talk about oneself when not asked to..but I will allow this myself as I want to tell you more about us. '' He hummed a happy tune before he continued.
''There are two things that are important in out lifes. Two so to say fests. The annual fest of love. Where the harpy that courted each other for days weeks mount or even years decide to make eggs together. In those 10 days the fest last, most eggs get lay. So most children hatch around the same time too. Growing up together and when the times comes to all together make their first leap off the cliff flying for the first time. The other is happening every four years, when the one who sing the strongest and greatest becomes the leader. Their voice is what the colony does. And the colony sings when there are meetings about our problems and wishes. What the leader hears form the singing of everyone is what he accepts or decide about.''

He explained with a silent fire in his eyes. Wondering how it all sounded to her. And wondering if her folk had something like that? A fest where the...he stopped wondering how mermaids get their babies. He will have to ask her that at one moment he noted.

Araile smiled at the thought of the Fest of Love, "I wish we had something like the fest of love, it sounds so romantic! We have a choosing ceremony, where my father picks the matches of the kingdom based on personality and compatibility. He has chose no one for me yet, because I am to take over his kingdom and he has to have the most PERFECT match for me before he will settle. Which will be never." Araile laughed and listened to HumHum, his humming and singing was absolutely beautiful. "The berries would be great, but they sound dangerous? Are they poison berries that is all I have ever heard of in the tales..."

'' You saying you cannot choose your own nest lover? I would be extremely irritated and revolting if someone would attempt to command me who should I have children with.'' A much lower shriller sound leaving as his feathers right themselves up and he looked more than angry. Poofing even his chest out, before he let the air out. Visible calming down. He didnt want to scare her with getting angry. He looked in a apologetic manner over at her.
'' Forgive me...its just unfair to hear something like that happening to you. Even if you to become the next leader of your folk, its ... A harpy would gorge your eyes if you would attempt to command where his or her heart shall go. Regardless if you are his brother or mother. '' He let a sad hum, before picking again the question about the berries.

'' You dont eat the poison ones. Arent there in the sea poisoned weeds or fish you just do not eat? Like that it is with the berries too.''