An entire day passed since Ryn's encounter with the strong rock creature, and to say it messed with her mind would be an understatement. She couldn't wrap her head around what she saw, living stone human-like creatures made their way to her home. Ryn didn't know if she should tell her sisters what had happened, however she didn't want to her in trouble by revealing she'd gone above the water line. So she kept quiet, trying to forget what she saw.

"Where have you been running off to, Navi?" A shrill voice screeched in Ryn's ear, causing the girl to drop the skeletal remains of the fish she'd skinned.

Watching as the bones began to slowly sink Ryn gave her sister a sheepish smile, her sharp canines poking out. "I don't know what you mean, Sybil." Ryn said truthfully, confused by what her sister was implying.

Watching as her sister, Sybil, grabbed the shell tray from the rocky counter Ryn shrunk her head down in obidance, knowing her rank was lower than that of the brunette in front of her. In her pod things where ruled by ranks and Ryn was in a lower ranking group than her sisters, and in order to gain power she would need to duel one of her sisters. However, Ryn has never been able to completely best her sisters, every battle ending with her gaining new scars.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about." Sybil hissed, her upper lip twitching in annoyance. "Uma is very upset. You know that you're not allowed to leave the caves unsupervised!"

Uma, otherwise known as Amara was the pods leader, as well as being Ryn's biological grandmother. Despite her lower ranking amongst the sirens she was expected to uphold the power and reputation of those before her. Uma was very harsh towards the girl, striving for profection in everything done within the pod.

Biting the inside of her cheek Ryn raised her head, looking Sybil straight in the eyes. "I was playing in the tunnels." She 'confessed', it wasn't like she was lying completely. In order to get to the 'shallow' (what Ryn and the others consider shallow) part of the lake where the shores laid one had to travel through the tunnels.

It wasn't a secret that Ryn often wondered from the pods main groups, but she'd been caught enough times coming out of the tunnels to pass off the lie. Besides, no one in the pod knew the tunnels eventually led to a secluded lake, not even the elders. It also helped that no one could go in and prove her presence seeing as the tunnels were never ending twist and turns. If the sirens weren't carefully in remembering what turns they took they'd be trapped and eventually starve to death.

With a tired sigh Sybil shook her head, balancing the shell tray of fish meat in one hand whilst the other went to Ryn's shoulder. "You know how we feel about the tunnels. If you're not careful you could end up like Nyra." Sybil spoke tightly, her voice strained. Removing her hand from Ryn's shoulder, Sybil replaced her soft, caring look with that of indifference. "As a punishment for missing training and ditching your watcher, you will be denied feasting for three moons." She declared, swiftly turning her back to the girl and swimming away.

"What?" Ryn cried out in shock, swimming after the female. As fare as punishments go this was bad, usually she'd get a single night were she'd be excluded from feasting but never three whole days, especially with the food shortage. "Three moons?! Don't you think that's too harsh?"

Sybil ignored her clawing hands, continuing to swim in the direction of a higher ranking group of sirens. "We've told you many times about straying from the pod. The previous punishments have been too light, hopefully this will make you grown up!"

Grabbing on tightly to Sybil's shoulder Ryn forced the girl to stop swimming and face her, her sharp claws digging into the woman's skin. With a vicious hiss Sybil swung her tail to the side, knocking into Ryn and causing her to forcefully spin a few feet away. She groaned in pain as she held onto her side, where a shallow piercing make laid, made by Sybil's tail.

"Know your place, Druma!" Sybil snarled, flicking her tail side to side roughly as to rid it of crustaceans.

"Uma won't stand for this! She'll back me up!" Ryn croaked, still winded from the sudden attack.

Laughing, Sybil shock her head, a taunting smile on her lips. "She is the one who decided your punishment. She too grows tired of your foolishness." She sneered. And with that she began swimming again, leaving Ryn to float in confusion.

She knew of her Uma's indifference towards her but she had hoped that the paternal love was there to save her. Swishing her tail angrily Ryn turned and headed straight towards the tunnels, swimming furiously in doing so. Once she'd reached the cave opening to the lake Ryn immediately headed towards the rocks, where she often found solitude. However, in her anger she'd forgotten to look for land dwellers, resulting in her coming face to face with the same rock creature as before.

Ryn was frozen in fear. Had he come back to kill her? Chop her in half and hang her tail as an example?

"There you are!" The big brute exclaimed excitedly, confusing Ryn even more. "I've been waiting all day for you!"