“Heart, are you better now?” He tilted his head, looking down at Erhart, with curious eyes. He's seen the same look on sparrows who debated whether the snack he offered was any good. Not only that, but he was non-threatening and put Erhart at ease. Being able to feel his body now, the weight of his new dog tags bouncing on his chest, felt weird but reassuring. Everything did happen to him, the good and the bad. 

“Could I have some water, please?” Erhart's body had lost it numbness, he sat up with ease. More ease than he felt in a long, long time. “Not that one!” Erhart stopped him with a hand reached out. He received another head tilt in return. “It was here, with her...” Erhart let his words drag out, he pulled his lips in a rough smile. He didn't want to take a chase with it.

“Ah,” He nodded his head, Erhart assumed he understood. “I'll check,” He picked up the pitcher and slugged back a gulp, and slammed the pitcher down. “It's fine.” He turned and gave him a quick nod, with his eyes sparking with confirmation that he had done a good job. 

“Bring him a new pitcher of water, Ali.” Erhart eyes shot to the door, he hadn't heard him enter, but there he stood. He wore a white robe type jacket that fell to the floor. Like the other guy, Ali, he had brown eyes, and rich brown skin. Unlike the other man, he had a full beard, and his left eye had a scar that curved around it. He also had an air about him, he held himself upright, and Erhart couldn't put a finger on his feeling. There was only something more about, compared to the one carrying the picture out. 

“Are you bearskin too?” Erhart coughed into his elbow, in an attempt to clear his throat. His dad gave off that type of energy from time to time, he was a relative to Bearskins? That would be nice, because the man clearly wasn’t cursed. 

“No, Heart.” He shook his head and came to the bed's side. Kneeling down for, he was eye level with Erhart. “I am Rushdi, of the Roc tribe. Friend of your father, Klaus the Bearskin.” He placed a hand on up in the air, palm out like he was making a vow of some sort, finishing his words. 

“You're a friend of my dad?” Erhart questioned it, his dad never had visitors, but he was quick to pass it off. Did this man know where is dad was? “Is he here? Is he hurt? He has to be, otherwise that snake wouldn't have made it in.” Erhart fired off his questions, he tossed back the blanket, ready to storm off and see him. He tried to swing his legs off the bed. Rushdi took his hand and placed it on his leg. “I need to see him!” 

“We didn't find your father.” Rushdi said, trying to get him back under the blanket. “Please, Heart, settle down. I'm sorry about Fella, but a representative from each clan needs to be present-”

“What do you mean you didn't find my dad?” Erhart tossed the blanket back off, “What's this Heart business? Sounds like that Leonhard guy.” Erhart glared at the blanket that Rushdi had back around his legs. “What's a Roc anyway?” Erhart glared hard as he could at the Rushdi guy. “Where's my dad?” Erhart demanded again, before his dry throat caught off to him, causing him to cough; yet again. Tears built up in his eyes, he was coughing so hard.  

“Your dad sent out a distress call, all we found was you. A Heart is, well, I'll explain shortly. A Roc, is an enormous eagle clan that dwells in the desert.” Her voice came across like a singer dropping into the chorus. A glass of water came to his lips and he reached up, and grateful, drank it down. Clearing his eyes, he looked straight up into a pair of sea green eyes. 

“Better?” Erhart nodded, and she turned away to speak to Rushdi. Erhart nose twitched with the unmistakable mix of salt, seaweed and iodine. She must be a sea based being, and that meant her hair was not a dye job. A mix of blue, purple and green twisted around in her undercut. She was wearing nothing more than black swimming trucks, strapless top, and a track jacket. Barefoot and popping gum, she gave the air of a sporty chick from his one of his books.  

“I'll take it from here, Rushdi.” She hooked a thumb over her shoulder at Erhart. He frowned, he didn't like all this coming and going of people. He had met more people in the last hour, than he had talked to in his whole life. Bearskins were people who like isolation, and Erhart was no different, still if she knew about his dad... he could tolerate it some more. 

“He's a bit more like his mother than I can handle, I'm afraid.” Rushdi gave her a quick nod, and bow toward Erhart; he was gone before Erhart could even say goodbye.   

“Don't mind him. Not being able to find your old man has left his feathers ruffled.” She plunked herself down on the bed, and snapped her purple gum. “I'm going to explain some shit for you.” Erhart opened his mouth, and she placed a finger on it. “No talking until I'm done.” He closed his mouth. “Good boy, now this is the basics, but I reckon you want to find your old man, so...” She crossed her legs, and blew a bubble. 

“Let's get started.” Erhart took a deep breath, it rattled around in his chest, but otherwise he felt fine. He needed this, and at least the woman in front of him seem willing to answer, or tell him something, anything. “Name is Marina, I'm a Siren; meaning I usually rock a tail.”  Lifting a foot, she wiggled her toes. “I knew your folks, we all ran in the same circles back in the day.” 

“Okay,” Erhart nodded, and the finger came back to his mouth. Was that really necessary? Erhart kept his mouth shut, but it really wasn’t something he was enjoying. 

“No talking,” She snapped her bubble again, “I hate being on land, and I know you didn't choose the siren clan.” There was that choosing again? “I don't want to waste any more time here.” Erhart's eyes narrowed to angry slits. “I am offering answers, hold back those feisty instincts your mother left you.” Erhart sighed and leaned back against the headboard, arms crossed. Doubtful, she even knew his mom. 

“Okay, a Heart is the centre of its clan.” She crossed her arms across her flat chest, tipping her head to one side. “It grounds everybody, and helps the clan prosper?” She tipped her head and shoulders to the other-side, blowing a bubble while she turned. “All clans are supposed to have one, but they almost got wiped out a century ago due to a certain asshole.” Bending herself backward to star at the ceiling. 

“It was how we all met. It's also no wonder your old man took you and ran; given the state of things.” She snapped, snapping her back straight, and looked at him. Causing Erhart to squeeze the inside of his elbows tight with surprise. 

“Male Hearts, never existed before now.” Her eyes became a storm of green. “There are only a dozen Hearts known, and the clans guard them with their lives. Revealing almost nothing about them, those without one know very little about them. It's all on instinct. How we seek them out.” Marina shook her head. 

“It's how I know you're not ours.” She pulled the gum out of her mouth. Watching it with great interest as she stretched it out and sucked it back in like spaghetti. “ Without the clan, a Heart can become very ill, ring any bells?” 

“Yes...” Erhart's whole childhood was a progress of him getting sicker and sicker. It did make sense. Erhart couldn’t disagree with her words. “Did dad know?” A chill swept across his chest. Marina shook his head, and didn't shush him from his question. 

“Heard his family claimed that you were at birth, but there are no such things as male Hearts.” Marina shrugged, bringing the warmth back in his body; enough for him to sag against the wall with relief. “Couldn't have known for sure until your eyes changed colour.” 

“My eyes changed colour!” Erhart brought his fingers to his face, like it was going to let him see what had happened to them. 

“Be quiet!” She snapped, contradicting herself, from when she let him talk to her moments ago. “Gold eyes, symbol of a Heart. I don't mean cat or wolf gold, either, but pure gold. Like that shinny metal shit.” Marina said, pulling her knees up to her chest she shot them back out, to jump off the bed. 

“That's all I know. Your clan might know more; some divine power shit will tell them something, or something like that.” Marina waved her hand in the air, like his whole world view was shattering. “So, whose your clan?” She asked, placing her hand on her hip, waiting for him to hand out the answer. 

“I don't know?” His head was swirling with more thoughts than questions. Hearts, death, a certain asshole... It was a bit much for him to keep up with! And she mentioned nothing about his dad. 

“Come one,” Marina rolled her eyes and flicked her head back to join them. Snapping her gum between her teeth, she turned back and looked at him. “Any weird dreams, about anything? Something had to stand out, give me something! Anything, come on kid. I'm drying out here!” Marina tapped her bare foot on the tile floor. 

“I did wake up from a weird dream.” Erhart said, watching out for Marina's reaction, while moving to the back corner of the bed. Marina seemed like the kind of women who would snap without warning. 

“Okay...” Marina tapped her foot harder. Her voice still sounded rhythmic, but it was getter harder by the minute. Erhart was getting a bit worried about what she might do to him. “I can work with that, what showed up in your dream?” 

“I don't know,” Erhart thought back to the little white creature that showed up in his dream. “It was cute.” It was all he could offer her. 

“What!?” Marina snapped at him, the water from the pitcher on the table came flying out at circled around her. Her eyes turned a deep black green, her short hair stood up on end. A fairy tale sea witch came to mind, but he chose to keep that comment to himself. With the air around her turning black, she appeared to be devouring all the light from the room. Erhart took his only defensive item, the pillow, and placed it in front of him. A huge broken mast, was that too much to ask for? Erhart wondered, but already knee his answer. 

“They said they would send my Wing?” Erhart added as fast as he could, lifting the pillow in front of his body. Damn, women were scary. “Whatever that means.”  

“Ick, fire breathers.” Marina was back to normal, and so was the lighting in the room. If not for the waters drops on the floor, and on Marina herself. The water in the pitcher made it appears as if nothing happened. Whatever a Wing was, Marina seemed to know; and it calmed her down. Erhart was not asking her what a Wing, or what breed of fire breather she was talking about. He did not want to set her off again. “Well, they should be helpful in finding your dad.” 

“They can get my dad back!” Erhart shot out of his corner, the pillow tossed to the side. Now, this clan business sounded a lot better.

“Would you be happy without him?” Marina asked, flicking the water off her hair. Erhart shook his head, his dad saved him, and he would do anything he could, to do the same for him. “Then your clan will help, happy Heart, Happy clan.” Marina went to the door, kicking it open with a snap of her leg. She looked over her shoulder at him, forming and popping another purple bubble. “Are you coming, kid?” 

“I don't have my walker?” Erhart hesitated at the end of the bed. He felt better, that was for sure. He didn't feel any pain, but he had days like that; few and fair between. Could he trust it now? 

“It was that bad, huh?” Marina shook her head, sighed and cracked her neck to one side. “Don't worry, if ya fall before we reach your clan... I'll catch you.” Marina's lip curled like she wanted to do anything but what she offered. “I owe your mother that much, but hurry up!” Erhart jumped off the bed with her shout. 

“I'm drying out here. Ugh, damn land lovers.” Marina snapped on her gum faster. Erhart's legs didn't tremble once, while he made his way between the bed and the door. He could do this. He had to, he could picture her slinging him over her shoulder, or dragging him by his foot. Erhart was too scared to stay behind, and nervous for what lay ahead. This clan, Erhart was hopeful, was someone who could help him