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Lyric

The Minstrel closed her eyes and nodded. She would play, but she would do more than that. If there was no melody in this place, then she would give them that, and offer them a way to feel the music and make it their own.

Music was the soul's way of expressing itself. And those of Home, these ForestKin once forged for grim purposes, had been imbued with a soul now. It was as though a kinder and gentler Mistress of the Forge of Life had taken up these 'tools' and given them a new purpose and the means to achieve it. No longer just 'tools', their souls could now empower them to be everything their rules, laws and aspirations guided them toward. And those souls had to be fed, nourished, and nurtured.

Lyric finished that nod with a direct gaze in Soft's direction. She smiled and then glanced sidelong to Tomomi and winked as she knelt beside her pack and let slip the knot that tied her mandolin secure.

With the instrument in hand she made a gesture for those nearby to gather more closely. She sat upon the end of a bench and made the gesture again for those who might be timid and shy.

"Then we will share this together, and let your hearts and souls be filled with emotion and melody. This gift to all, once received, is yours forever..."

She tuned her mandolin in the same way she had done before. She held the instrument still and silent and it was as though she were 'listening' to it through her hands. Then, with a single pluck of each string she twisted the tuning key a bit in one direction or the other and nodded again.

"This first tune has many names, as many tunes do. For today, in this place... we shall call this The Dirkwood Lasses..." She winked again at Tomomi.


The Dirkwood Lasses

As dance tunes were inclined to be, the song was upbeat and quickly paced. Jig time to be exact, but that might be a lesson for a later time, if there was such a time to come.

"Friend Keiko... join me with the Ocarina. I am going to play a tune I leaned some while back. I think I heard it known as The Talantal Faire... and for those of you gathered. Listen and feel, most importantly... feel the rhythm of the song. I want you to join me as well. When you feel the rhythm, and it touches your heart. I want you to clap along."

Lyric demonstrated the 'clapping' in a silent rhythm. She did it slowly and made facial gestures as if there was a tune in her head to which she was hearing and feeling and acting upon. She turned a little for others to see her more clearly. She continued to clap as she spoke, matching the cadence of her words to the rhythm of her clapping.

"Perhaps Friend Keiko, and any of my other companions, can also help you find it and join with it... This is a 'kay-lee'... a party of song and dance... where a village gathers and shares in happiness and joy. It doesn't matter if you have rhythm, it doesn't matter if you can play a tune, or even whistle one... all that matters is you have fun and you try... If I may be so bold, let that be the Rule for this night. Have fun and try..."

The Talantal Faire

Lyric let out a 'WHOOP' as she finished one tune and went right into the next without preamble or description. That sound she made somehow signified the changing of the tune and it 'amped' up her own energy as she stood up, with her mandolin and started to move around a little. Her steps were light and lively, like the music itself were taking her away and dancing her about.

A few bars into the music, she called out, "This is Toss the Feathers... and I want everyone up... everyone... Yes, even the Guardians... Dance and strut. Who cares if you know how... clap and holler. Have fun."

Toss the Feathers

Lyric wasn't done. In fact, she had only just begun. She was determined to have her audience participating in whatever ways they could and would. She moved around the forestkin and through their little collectives, stirring them to join, to pay attention, to be moved, and to feel the music in their new souls.

The Dawnview Reel

and she would play many more, as many more as was needed...

But there came a point where she paused, and like any proper Ceili there came a time for a song of reflection. As she had been playing and performing, and giving life back to her own beleaguered soul, she was taken by a remembrance of a song she had written some time ago, not In the Now, but not in the Way Back Ago either. It had particular poignancy for her after leaving her own home to make her way across the High Tarn and along the Rhoni Trail along the Dirkwood's edge. It was a song of hope for those who felt lost and broken, for those who needed to know they were loved... It was something that Lyric didn't realize how much she needed until she too had been stripped of Home and sent away... She had been broken and needed someplace to call Home. Sometimes Home was a place and sometimes Home was a people... or a Person.

Just one friend could make all the difference. She glanced first at Pietro, who had found her and cared for her when he certainly didn't have to do so. He endured her quirkiness and even found amusement in it. He fed her and gave her company. Little did he realize how important that was to her. She felt an immediate attachment to him, as if she had real kin for the first time in her life. He offered safety and acceptance in a world that might not otherwise be so kind. He was all Order and Law and Honor and Strength and might have every reason to shun her in all her weirdness and chaos, but he didn't. He was the first sign of Hope.

Then there was Keiko. The Rhoni girl who accepted her without question, who probably saw more of her than she dared admit in words or let show in self. She too was on a Journey of Self, and Lyric sensed there was more of a common bond between them in how these journeys began, and that was evidenced in how they had been brought to meet each other. The path of her Cards might blind Keiko to her own Destiny, and Lyric might find the Cards a strange curiosity, as she did this girl who could read them, but one thing was clear. They were drawn together for a purpose. For better or worse, the Rhoni Card reader was stuck with Lyric now.

Bekkah, whose selfless kindness didn't cloud a keen sense of wisdom. They hadn't spent many words together, but Bekkah accepted all who came to her. There was confidence and strength there. Bekkah hid herself within her trappings though, for she served a Divine Being and wanted everyone to accept that she was simply a servant and a messenger. But, Divine Beings chose or created their servants carefully and Bekkah was anything but simple, by the design and purpose of her Goddess no doubt.

The Rhoni Boy, whom Lyric found so attractive... and yet so forbidden. Where an attraction to Dommi might be something for amusement, the Rhoni boy stirred her more deeply. But she had not had more than a few words exchanged between them. She was dangerous to him though, and she knew it. He was kindness and honor... brave and true. His heart held a quest... it was a fire that Lyric could see in his eyes.

Kadri, aloof and proud. It was in her nature not to be cowed before anyone. She was brusque and defiant, but that was a mask for a soul who tried to wrestle the bindings of both the Order and Chaos within her. She was royalty that longed to be common, for her heart carried the weight of the needs of those less fortunate... and yet, she was quick witted and sharp tongued and that caused her troubles. She knew this as well... And because she knew it, Lyric knew it... Lyric could read it.

"Gather 'round again, have seats, on benches or the floor."

Lyric returned to the end of that bench from where she started the 'kay-lee' and rested the mandolin's bowl in her lap, against her belly. She gently held the neck and smiled something of satisfaction. Music eased her own soul. The trip to Home had deeply affected her, but,as Soft had told her would be the case, she found the peace here amidst the darkness that hope held at bay.

"I would like to sing for you now... It is a song that I had written in the Before. But never finished it. It was a song that spoke to feelings in my own heart, back then, and more so recently. I thought this song was about Who I Was when I didn't understand Who I Was Meant To Be. But coming here has shown my heart that this song was not just for me. What I didn't understand in the Before, has become so much more clear now. I want to share this song with you... This song is for YOU, the People of Home. I want to share it with you. From my Heart and Soul to yours. I would be grateful and honored if you would listen."

Lyric bowed her head, closing her eyes, and slowly began to strum the mandolin and when she sang, her voice was haunting and powerful despite the quietness. It was immediately clear that this song was different than any song she had played and maybe even any song that her companions had ever heard before.

Like a gravity well, that power in the quiet drew energy toward the center. The ethereal nature of her voice was layered and natural sounding. There was also an earthiness to it that carried the personal nature of this song as though the words came right from personal experience.

Wrapped up, so consumed by all this hurt
If you ask me, don't know where to start
Anger, love, confusion
Roads that go nowhere
I know there's somewhere better
'Cause you always take me there

Came to you with a broken faith
Gave me more than a hand to hold
Caught before I hit the ground
Tell me I'm safe, you've got me now

Would you take the reins
If I lose control?
If I'm lying here
Will you take me home?

Could you take care of a broken soul?
Will you hold me now?
Oh, will you take me home?
will you take me home?
will you take me home?
will you take me home?
will you take me home?

Hold the blade to my heart, count 1, 2, 3
If you walk away then it's what I need
Every minute gets easier
The more you talk to me
You rationalize my darkest thoughts
Yeah, you set them free

Came to you with a broken faith
Gave me more than a hand to hold
Caught before I hit the ground
Tell me I'm safe, you've got me now

Would you take the reins
If I lose control?
If I'm lying here
Will you take me home?

Could you take care of a broken soul?
will you hold me now?
will you take me home?


And time will make it heal
I won't be lost forever
And soon I wouldn't feel
Like I'm haunted, oh, falling

You say space will make it better
And time will make it heal
I won't be lost forever
And soon I wouldn't feel
Like I'm haunted, oh, falling

Would you take the reins
If I lose control?
If I'm lying here
Will you take me home?

Could you take care?
will you take me home?
will you hold me now?
will you take me home?
take me home?
take me home?
take me to Home.


*** Take Me Home ***

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Cesare

The music starts behind him somewhere but his foot picks up the beat almost of its own accord.

"Pietro, Rat, I think it would be rude not to join in. We can continue this important discussion just a little later."

With a grin Cesare turns towards the music. Rhoni can rarely resist music, particularly where there is dance involved. His feet light he starts to dance on his own, weaving around the folk so gathered. He will happily dance with anyone, companion or kin, even showing steps or just accepting what each contributes. Keiko, in particular, would be a target as she would know the dances he is also familiar with. More probably as she has spent more time and with a larger group of Rhoni. For him, it takes him back to his small Rhoni family, to the happy times they had, bringing those memories back to the here and now.

Joyful laughter bubbles from within as he abandons himself to the music and the rhythm, encouraging others to join in. In some ways these are the only times he truly feels free.

And when the dance music subsides, he sinks to the floor cross-legged and listens as Lyric sings from the heart.

At the end, eyes bright, he seeks out her gaze, holds it for a moment.. and mouths 'thank you'.

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Pietro


The squire frowned for a moment and then shrugged. He was not much of a dancer and the ones he did know were of the more formal, Talantal variety which he did not think would fit with the mood or the music.

So he moved in closer to the frolicking group and clapped his hands in time with the music.

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Kadri:

"Oh, I have no intention of not trying to know anyone better - including Broke. I thought it only fair however that you knew the source of any tensions I have - and that they are limited to that one thing. If I never tried to get to know further anyone who had once annoyed me, then my circle of acquaintances would be narrow indeed - I merely wish that Broke had been able to try to know my friend better - because I think she would have found much in common. For now though Lady - the dance and the music calls. A language I think we all speak."

She says, as the music plays.

"And when the dance calls, I must answer."

She removes her cloak and throws herself into the music, whirling, ducking and moving - releasing tensions and stresses into the motion, moving and twirling with the music. Definitely nothing formal. The lithe almost boneless grace she shows while riding and fighting translates well to dance as well.

She also sits when Lyric starts to sing her final song - and listens.


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Bekkah

Most of her friends had seen her at the celebration in Talantal, so it was to nobody's surprise when she began to dance. She moved from partner to partner both big and little, smiling and laughing as she went. She made a point of taking Pietro by the hands, moving him about, hoping to help him relax a bit more. She only stopped when the music stopped.

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Pietro


The squire smiled and nodded as the Lady of Attera took his hands and moved him into the steps of the local dance.

While Pietro was not an accomplished dancer, he was lithe and agile and moved well enough not to look foolish.

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The Heartwood
The Dirkwood Forest
Home
Hasday, the Seventh Day of Yrick


Bekkah, Cesare, Kadri, Keiko, Lyric, Pietro, Dominic Korie, Miss Emerald, Lady, Soft, Miss Tomomi, Wuff-Wuff, That Rat and Others

“Names are a gift, given but never asked for.”

Lady had walked up behind Cesare and Pietro, looking over That Rat’s shoulder.

“Wrath, Broke and I were named by the Dwarves. They were not kind names, but we made them ours. Renyard is the word for Fox from the Dwarven tongue.

“So is it acceptable. Of course, it is. But don’t expect any of us to ask.

“Emerald’s and Tomomi’s names were given out of honest love.

“The Mice named Soft. It’s the only thing they have all ever agreed on.”

She took a step backward.

“He’s a good Rat. He deserves a good name.”

Next to them the Rat wrinkled his nose. He just shook his head at Lady’s kind words, grumbling a bit.

“Lady has always been too kind. But to answer the other question...”

Rats, it seemed, were utterly pragmatic.

“Breaking the pipe would be temporary. The dwarves would just repair it. Stopping the flow of sap? It would probably harm the Forest more than it already is.

“As for the Forges, the problem would be not only to break the Forges but to prevent them from ever being used again. That is a question we have never asked. It may not be a question that can be answered here. It is like talking about mining Darksteel without ever having seen a dragon bleed.”

Perhaps there would have been more planning but then, across the hall, one of the small company of visitors asked those around her to gather close.

For a moment there was absolute silence, a silence that was filled with the notes of a brightly plucked melody. It took a moment, it took two moments before the smiles started. Even Bekkah was set down at the onset of the music, strong hands on her shoulders, as Lyric became the center of attention.

Except perhaps for Tomomi, who tugged on Keiko’s sleeve very gently. She looked up at her friend with an imploring smile. She echoed Lyric’s request.

“Please... your magic potato? It sounds like sparkles.”

Eventually, Lyric had a circle of Forest Folk around her, lil’uns and bigg’uns both, watching and listening. It was very different from her previous audiences. Large or small, those she previously sang for all knew what a minstrel was, knew that music and beat could be something more than marking the rhythm of hard labor, knew that tales romantic and mysterious could be woven in notes and harmony. Here, in Home, either they didn’t know or it was something very rare.

And thus, without a breath of power, without gifts divine, Lyric brought a bit of true magic to Home.

When it came to dancing, however, things were much less magical, and it was something their own little group had much more skill in than any individual Kin. Pietro and Bekkah, once Bekkah was freed from buck and mice, cut the most graceful path across the rustic hall — be it a fast-stepped court Pavane or a country Branle — so much so that their hosts gladly cleared a circle for them, clapping to the music’s beat.

For Kadri, it was something rare and unexpected. She had never danced with a Rat before but it was kind of nice not having to partner with someone two heads taller than she. The Rats were surprisingly light on their feet and, for some reason, they made her also feel a bit bouncier.

Cesare found himself in the instructor’s role for perhaps the tallest mouse he had ever seen and a second lass with a raccoon’s mask across her eyes. Now this created two problems for the Rhoni lad. First, it kept him away from Keiko and second, it was a major juggling act dealing with two partners at the same time — not that they seemed to have any problem at all with sharing.

The surprise, however, was Dommi and Miss Emerald. They crossed the floor with a country grace to challenge Pietro and Bekkah, all twirls and quick steps. But mostly, it was because they seemed to just fit together — black cloak and travel cloak, a dashing matched set. Of all those on the floor, they were not just dancing to the festive music but were actually dancing for each other. This lasted until the Dawnview Reel when Broke cut in.

And that was something that just could not be explained in words. It had to be seen, an absolute calamity of misdirection, poking and conflicting steps.

“Hey, that’s my foot!”

“Wuff! I lead!”

“Who says!”

“Me!”

“I’m the GUY!”

“Shorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrt!”

“So! I’m the.... Hey! Put me down!”

“I’m Pack Leaderrrr!”

“Careful furrball... I’ll say it...”

Now by then, Miss Emerald was sitting down in the middle of the floor, her hands over her mouth trying not to giggle. Lady had her face in the palm of her paw and the rest of the Pack, well, they were less subtle. Even Flower and Snow had stopped playing to point and laugh.

“Don’t darrrre!”

“I will!”

“Don’t even think it, shorrrrrtstuff...”

MOUSE!

And the mismatched pair immediately vanished beneath a horde of Mice. It was a pile of Forest Folk, Guardian, and Noble with Miss Emmi sitting on top looking very satisfied.

...all before Lyric made it to the reel’s final chorus.

Which left her last song.

Could you take care of a broken soul...

The words brought quiet across Home because they struck so close, so deep, into the hearts of these crafted people.

At the end, when her melody fell silent, there was a shadow at Lyric’s shoulder. Someone was standing at her back.

She had never had that before — someone watching her back. It was something unheard of in her small village.

It was the dark gray wolf, the archer, and he offered her two things: a goblet of cool water... and a single word.

“Ja.”

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Pietro


"Then we will have to think of a suitable name for Master Rat, Cesare and I," Pietro said with a slight bow and smile for Lady. The smile disappeared to be replaced with a frown of concentration as the Rat discussed strategies.

A question occurred to him.

"Can the dwarves be defeated... dissuaded, convinced without the necessity of killing them all?" he asked but, before the Rat could answer, he was drawn into the dancing.

He found Bekkah a pleasant armful and a skillful partner in dance, but, in his opinion, they could not compare with the antics of Lord Dominic and his Little'un partner.

Pietro had been to many parties, but they all had one thing in common when compared with this one...

Proper and lavish and... dull.

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Lyric

Lyric, eyes wet, smile soft, heart young as a new day, soul as old as time itself, accepted the goblet as she stood to reveive the gifts from the 'Wolven' Archer.

Goblet in one hand, she set the mandolin down where she had been sitting. Her eyes had never lost contact with those lupine orbs. Once her other hand was free, she reached upwards to his face and leaned in to place her cheek against his... well, his snout for the want of cheek. hand to the far side, face to the near, she 'trusted' that he would accept this gesture as a kindness and that 'trust' itself was what she offered for the fierce Guardian after he showed compassion.

"You offer me a kindness beyond compare, beyond measure, beyond price, and you do this without knowing who I am. Or anything about me save from what you see before you, save for what your ears hear about me in the words I sing. Please know I can not return to my Home. I am banished. Oh Gentle Heart, my path is still before me. And I can not stay here... my path is still before me."

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The Heartwood
The Dirkwood Forest
Home
Hasday, the Seventh Day of Yrick


Bekkah, Cesare, Kadri, Keiko, Lyric, Pietro, Broke, Dominic Korie, Miss Emerald, Lady, Soft, That Rat, Miss Tomomi, Wuff-Wuff, and Others

The small pile of Mice suddenly collapsed a bit as if the inside suddenly become less. A few breaths later, the top of the pile was shorter as Miss Emerald took her leave, vanishing on a personal hunt. They might not be predators, but they were very good at finding things in hard-to-find places.

This, of course, left a black ex-Coven Wolf still under assault. Broke’s response was to simply lean back and try not to be seen smiling as she became an impromptu piece of furniture. The Mice certainly enjoyed the opportunity to clamber over the Guardian. At times, there was a certain benefit to being one of the biggest of the bigg’uns; she could hold a lot of Home’s smallest. This was reinforced when a pair of smaller black wolves decided to join their pack leader in the informal gathering, and fewer Mice found perches.

If there was any contradiction in the after dinner company, it was one particular Forest Folk who did not partake in the dancing — that was their most elegant. Lady preferred to watch from the back wall, sipping her drink from a simple clay cup. However, she genuinely seemed to enjoy the music as much as everyone else did. And every so often, she’d snare one of her kin, walk them across to another, and push them both out to dance.

For Pietro, it was definitely pleasant as he swept and, in turn, swept away with the fair Lady Yurisdotter. And while there was something right about two Imperials dancing together, he was correct: Dominic Korie and his partner shared some secret ingredient that set them apart. He wasn’t the only one who noticed, either. The shyest of the Forest folk were also transfixed as if their dance was a promise of something just as miraculous as waking up with a soul.

If the Executioner could find someone to care for, maybe they could too.

Lady’s smile was a knowing one as she watched. Off to the side, Tomomi didn’t look up. Instead, she just reached out, not even looking, finding Keiko’s hand as they twined their fingers together.

Perhaps one day Pietro and Bekkah would also be dancing in the same manner as the Young Master. Perhaps it would not be with each other. But that was somehow still a very good thought, not a melancholy one. Even if it turned out that way, would it be a stranger occurrence than being in a treehouse full of reforged forest critters?

These were all thoughts that might have occurred before Dominic had summoned the horde of Mice and subsequently vanished. It was also well after That Rat’s pragmatic reply to his question.

“That would be very clever — to destroy the forges and the mines without taking lives.” His reply followed him as he joined the festivities. “We are taught that our lives are precious. It is a hard lesson to learn, and even harder to unlearn when necessity demands it.”

Now, however, the music had ended and Lyric’s mandolin had been set down. Cesare found himself between a dark-haired Mouse and her companion. The companion’s hair was bound in a ponytail by a red ribbon that was tied in a bow. The companion’s hair, streaked dark and light in descending rings, was bound in a ponytail by a red ribbon that was tied in a bow. Of course, they didn’t have names, but that didn’t seem to be a problem for either of them.

“I saw him first!”

“And you stepped on his feet many more times than I!”

“Just proves I was closer than you!”

“Hah! There’s nothing of yours that I can’t take!”

“Speaking of which...” The dark-haired one reached over and playfully tugged at the other’s ribbon. “That’s mine.”

“Bah. What’s yours is mine...”

They both laughed, each of them eyeing the Rhoni lad. Now, one had to consider that if these Forest Folks were unique and exotic, then it would be reasonable that he would be equally exotic to them.

“...and what is mine, yours.”

They sounded like sisters, although they obviously weren’t. There were many ways to find one’s worth — Tomomi had a friend, the Guardians had their Pack, Lady had... Well, all the Forest Kin were her children. These two were their own little family.

The Forest Folk didn’t have much, but they made the most of what little they did have.

Kadri ended her dance with a twirl and a spin, her cloak flaring out playfully and dramatically. There was food and drink still to be had. Lady watched her with curiosity, delicately sipping at her drink and looking over the top of her cup at the Amber princess.

On the other side of the room were Lyric and the Guardian. His muzzle was softer than expected for such a rough appearance. Perhaps the Mice did know something that others didn’t when they used the Pack as furniture.

“None of us can ever go back to what we were.”

Those dark lupine eyes met hers, both bright and soft.

“You can’t even go back to where you were before your first song. So it’s easy to get lost.

“Your path goes elsewhere? So what? That’s not what Home is about. Go. Shoo. But guess what? You can’t get lost. Not anymore. If you think you are, just remember... you know how to come up the river.”

How they finished the night was up to them. Morning would come far sooner than one would like. And come morning, they would need to move forward with Lady Yurisdotter quest.



Somewhere high up in Home, on one of the many balconies that looked out over the swamp and beneath a starry night there was the soft whump of air being displaced.

“Caught you, Shadowlord.”

Where there was one, now there were two, all wrapped together beneath silver moonlight.

“Ja. You have. And I think for once, for you, My Lady doesn’t mind.”

The wind rustled through their hair not playfully, but softly.

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Pietro


He smiled, nodded and gave a half-bow to Bekkah, pleased and not a little bit surprised at how well they had moved together. The squire looked around and, once Lyric's entertainment had ended, moved over to the where the repast had been laid.

Never one to gorge, he picked over the food, eating lightly but enjoying the meal.

While he ate, Pietro looked around and enjoyed the interplay between the Forest Kin and their guests.

He wished that Djinni was with him.

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Kadri turned to her rat partner and essayed a deep sweeping flourish.

"... it is good to have a partner who can keep up with me. I find not many who do."

She moved and acquired both some food, and a cup of drink, paused for a moment, and moved deliberately towards Broke.

"Broke. I have been thinking, as I often do when I am not trying to.. You are protective of your pack. I am protective of mine. I do not think either of these things will cease to be true. With that in mind ... "

Her voice still was not warm, however it was also not frozen.

She raises a cup briefly in her direction.

"Freedom and life's great chase. May they ever be to you and yours."

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Cesare

He laughs at the antics of the mouse and raccoon.

"No need to fight. There is enough of me to go around."

It is very easy to feel protective of these kin. Their attitudes are delightful, especially considering all they have been through. He feels more at ease here than he has for some time. They have a way of easing the soul.. and the music helped too.

He sees Pietro at the food table and is reminded of their earlier conversation.

"Need to eat now."

He holds out a hand to each of the two creatures in invitation.

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Pietro


Eating bread, fruit and cheese, Pietro slowly turned, his gaze moving across the group as he took in the activities of the varied group. He caught Cesare looking his way and lifted a drink in a toasting gesture toward the Rhoni lad.

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Lyric

Lyric stroked the muzzle of the Guardian Archer, looking up at him with gentle eyes.

"I will always know where Home is, just up the river, and a part of Home will be with me wherever I go now. No matter where I go I am never really lost though. Because wherever I go is where I am. One day, not this day and probably not the day after, or even many more to come, maybe I will see my own home again. I will save my people, even if they don't want to be saved... This place, your home... Home... has given me a renewed strength... even when the world around you seems bleak and broken, there is always hope."

Lyric would spend time wandering around Home, following the bridges and imagining new songs for all the feelings she had. However long this might take was of little concern to the Minstrel though. As long as there was something to see and thus something to feel, she would explore.

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Keiko

Keiko had played her ocarina when Lyric had asked, playing along through the first two pieces after that — because Lyric had asked, and even more, because Tomomi had asked... because Tomomi thought the sounds of the little instrument sparkled. But watching the festivities was not as easy to do when she played, and so she put the small object back in her pouch to sit perched beside her friend and to watch the others dance. Lyric was a joyful sight, and the Rhoni always appreciated joy. There was considerably more enthusiasm than skill on the part of the Forest Kin in their dancing, which was an absolutely fantastic way to enjoy an evening.

She could certainly appreciate the skill Lady Bekkah and Squire Pietro showed; some of the country dances were not nearly as easy to execute as they made it seem. But it was Dommi and Emmi who held her attention the longest. They had a grace and beauty that went far beyond the skills they possessed. There was certainly something more here; it was plain to see for anyone who recognized what they saw. It brought memories of the Festivals from her childhood to mind — watching Dommi and Emmi was like watching her mother and father dancing together.

Keiko smiled softly as they glided and spun and twirled around and then across the room. Some people had that sort of connection, be it two Rhoni of the Nakano Caravan... or a Noble of the Korie House and a Mouse Person once known as the Executioner. It was beauty in motion. And it was so much more.

With an arm draped lightly around Tomomi’s shoulders, she watched the Mouse and Raccoon girls dancing with Cesare. Giggling softly at the show they put on, Keiko had to admit to herself that, while he might be Lost, he displayed the good humor and patience a true Rhoni lad would at a party such as this. But like Lady, Keiko was content to simply watch the dancers. Few Gaija would know the Rhoni-style dances — although if anyone at Home would be familiar with them, Keiko would have guessed Renyard would and he was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps the young Tone-Deaf Lord would know them, as well, but she would never consider coming between him and his Emmi.

The solo dances she had been taught would not really be appropriate in this place, at this time. They were for performances, for coaxing coins from the Gaija — they weren’t a celebration as much as an exhibition. And, of course, the Dances... well, she wasn’t sure those would be well-received even if they were nothing more than practice sessions. They might be playing, but they were too close to fighting for this space. No... it was better to simply enjoy the joy of Home.

Keiko had no idea there were so many Mice here! They completely buried Broke and the Young Master. It was fun, it was silly, and it was wonderful! When the gathering sunk in on itself, it wasn’t difficult to imagine that a Shadowlord might have some magical way of disappearing. It wouldn’t help him hide from Emmi, however. The self-satisfied look on Emmi’s face before she, too, vanished was a good clue.

Tomomi’s goings and comings — one moment here, the next not, and suddenly back again — were still startling for Keiko. Perhaps one day, she would become accustomed to the way Mice traveled. Perhaps she would not. Either way, Keiko did hope it was something that would continue to fascinate and amuse her. They nibbled cheese and different kinds of bread and whatever else Tomomi brought. The fact that her friend was disinclined to let Keiko fetch anything for herself brought out more giggles from the young Rhoni.

A comment of, “Honest, Tomomi... I can fetch something for us,” merely caused Tomomi to disappear again, leaving behind only her light laughter.

The residents of Home — mostly the lil’uns who came to market each week, but some of the others as well — came by to chat, some sitting a while with Keiko and Tomomi and some dancing in place with excitement. From moment to moment, the conversation flowed like a mountain stream... twisting around bends, leaping over rock, and rushing ever onward. For a Rhoni, this was peace.

Eventually, though, Keiko was yawning — not from boredom, that was certain! — but from weariness and what seemed to be a longer than usual day. Tomomi was still trying to hide her yawns but was becoming less and less successful at it. Finally, one of the Mouse boys said, chuckling, “You two ought to find your nook. Tomomi could probably get there in her sleep, but we don’t want our Keiko falling out of Home, now do we?”

When presented with such a sensible argument, how was one to object?

Still giggling, the Rhoni and the Mouse made their way to Tomomi’s little space off the stairway. They laughed themselves silly as they tucked themselves into the window seat — blanket here and cloak there... no, no! Cloak here and blanket there! Then cloak here, blanket there and here. But between one breath and the next, both had fallen asleep.

If anyone happened by, something not unlikely given that they were just in a nook off the stairway, they would see a Mouse’s small paw-like hand curled lightly around human fingers. The human girl’s sleeping expression could only be described as serene.


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The Heartwood
The Dirkwood Forest
Home
Hasday, the Seventh Day of Yrick


Bekkah, Cesare, Kadri, Keiko, Lyric, Pietro, Broke, Dominic Korie, Miss Emerald, Lady, Soft, That Rat, Miss Tomomi, Wuff-Wuff, and Others

“Ah’ost.”

As with the other members of his Pack, the grey wolf speaking with Lyric had troubles pronouncing his Ls. This made the word ‘lost’ have a breathy air to it, adding a touch of loneliness to its sound.

“Forrrr us, lost is not when you do not know which tree you stand next to, not knowing which way you have to turn or where the bridge over the creek is. It has to do with where you are in here.”

Reaching out, the Forest Kin tapped a finger upon Lyric’s chest, directly above her heart.

“Lost and alone are companions. When you are lost you are alone. When you are alone you are lost.”

He smiled, a very fierce and wolfish smile, showing off a perfect set of sharp canines.

“I’m One Fang.”

This was an odd name for the tall archer, because he obviously had all his fangs. He then explained.

“It grew back. “

Still grinning, One Fang continued.

“Now, there we were, sitting around, the pack of us, trying to chose our names. I should have figured something was up, because Broke, - who had been given her name by the Masters after they had beaten her - had already nipped the twin’s ears so we could tell them apart. So she looks at me, cuffs me so hard one of my teeth pops out and proclaims me One Fang.”

One Fang shrugged his shoulders in a very philosophic manner.

“Fine, it sounds bad, but it was actually pretty funny. What it means is that every time I think of my name I can’t forget Broke giving me to it, the fact that I then bit her tail so I could call her Bob, which obviously didn’t work and she just bit me right back and we didn’t stop playing until Wrath sat on both of us. It means I’m not alone and not being alone makes it real hard to get lost.

“I have been on long hunts deep into the Forest, all by myself. Never lost, never alone because I know my way up the river. ”

Looking across the commons, as the dancing ended and the Forest Folk settled into their dinner, what One Fang spoke of could actually be seen. There were as many Forest Kin within this sprawling tree house as people living in a small or middle sized village. While there were definite groupings within their numbers, not only were the Forest Folk a single community, it was certainly a matter of the whole exceeding the sum of the parts.

Home was truly well named.

Lyric’s subsequent wanderings only reinforced that feeling of belonging. There were many private places scattered throughout the rambling structure, but these places were created by the turn of a hall, an offset of a room or just the way the space had been shaped. There were very few doors. One could be by one’s self, but if one needed to be with others there were few, if any, barriers. Until yesterday, they had not had souls. Even in Lyric’s small village that single truth would have branded them as things without worth. But there was none of that here, not even a hint of that manner of darkness could be felt.

They had found their worth. They found their worth with each other. This is where their hope came from.

Lyric often found herself turned around and misplaced as she explored the chaotic arrangement of balconies, nooks, overhangs, stairs and rooms of Home. But she never once felt lost.

Elsewhere, beneath a pile of Forest Folk, there was a stirring. Being very careful not to dislodge those piled atop her, Broke sat up and stretched. Eyes narrow, ears perked forward, she listened to Kadri’s words. The Guardian was silent, for a long while, until she answered a now all too familiar gruff manner. The wuffess reached out, snared a Forest Kin by the scruff of the neck – actually the collar of a sturdy travel cloak – and lifted the lill’un up and unceremoniously plunked her at Kadri’s feet.

“Herrre. Have a Mouse.”

Considering how much Broke seemed to secretly enjoy being used as a piece of furniture, it was definitely a peace offering. It was also very beneficial. All Kadri had to do was ask and her new companion would scamper away and reappear with a drink, a bit of food and she was an excellent guide for finding a little bed niche for sleeping. Of course this Mouse did not have a name. She was smaller than the rest and a bit shy in her movements. She had short brown hair, near black eyes and except for ears and tail almost indistinguishable from a lass from a poor village. She seemed quite happy guiding Kadri around, as if being given such a task actually helped build the Mouse’s confidence. The niche she eventually chose was higher in Home and one of many that opened to a single room with its own central fireplace.

For herself the Mouse claimed a pillow and a spot of floor next to the small bed nook. The quilt there was sufficiently large to fall out of the nook and cover them both. The communal nature of the room was strange to the Amber princess, where sleeping was always done in some manner of privacy, even if it was a tent shared by her sisters.

“Oh. We always sleep together like this. Well, except when someone has the sneezes or the shakes.”

The Mouse’s statement was completely innocent.

“Well, except for Lady. And that’s because the Masters hurt her differently than the rest of us and because she’s a Fox and usually stays up all night watching over us so we’ll be safe.”

Bekkah understood this from her previous stay at Home. Once again she was offered Lady’s bed, in that special room. Lady’s room was one of the few with a door. Lady made sure the Atteran Priestess was settled before going off on her evening rounds.

Back in the commons, of course Cesare’s invitation was accepted. His two companions helped pick out a good dinner selection. Perhaps even too good, piling his plate with more food than the three of them could eat. Fortune smiled upon him, however, as Pietro invited the three over and thus the feast could be shared. The two lasses settled themselves down quite happily, making sure the men were between each of them in a boy-girl-boy-girl circle.

“Nothing’s wrong…”

The Mouse spoke first.

“… with sharing.”

The Raccoon lass finished her friend’s sentence.

This went on until That Rat joined them. He stood just outside the circle, nibbling on some bread and meat from a plate he carried.

“You two. Don’t keep them up too late. They have work to come in the morning.”

The two girls pouted, but they didn’t interrupt. Rats were not just pragmatists, they were also, most often, correct when it came to making sure things got done.

“Your map is a good one. Come morning, we can take you to the lake. Finish up your planning tonight and we’ll take you wherever you wish to go. If it’s a place where the Forest is a danger, let us know exactly what you want to see and we’ll send someone that way to look for you.

“If you can get that straight, and we can move just after dawn, we should be able to get back around noon and decide how to carry out a Rescue of this size.

“Be wary. Usually we are happy if we can rescue one or two of our Kin.

“There are many of our Kin in the mines.

“Enough, maybe, to fill a second Home.”

Talking was something that could easily finish off the night. In that way Home was like any other village. After dinner and when Her light was gone, for most it was time for sleep. In pairs or in little groups the Forest Folk made their way to bed. It was a very informal matter. Any little corner could become a place for sleeping.

Eventually Home was quiet. Very few stirred. One of the few of the restless was Lady.

Lady made her way through the sleep filled tree house. Her pace was silent, it was serene, it was graceful, like an angel come to the mortal realm. She’d grin, seeing the Pack sprawled together. They were always accompanied by a collection of lill’uns. Once the lill’uns learned that the fierce wuffs were there to protect them, those that were having nightmares or needed to feel safe were always welcomed by the Pack come sunset.

Lady held a small conversation with The Rat That Watched The Stars, both of them enjoying the Forest’s night. She giggled and watched as a pair of raccoon Kin investigated Lyric’s mandolin while the minstrel slept. She waggled a finger and they blinked innocently. They didn’t need words to know what Lady meant. Look but do not touch.

She tarried at an upper balcony. Beneath the midnight sky two slept, buried in a cocoon of blankets and quilts. The Executioner was the first of the Forest Kin to be given a name out of care and kindness. The young Korie Lord was the first completely blind to their heritage. Nodding to the black shadow that watched over the two, Lady continued on her way.

She paused at a window bench, head tilting at two clasped hands.

The vixen hugged herself, smiled and continued up and down the stairs of Home.

Home had never been filled with so much hope.

Attaday, the Eighth Day of Yrick

Home woke to yawns and stretches. It wasn’t much longer until the yawns turned to bustle. The fires in the hearths were stoked and the task of creating breakfast began. Breakfast, it seemed, was a communal matter, everyone helping in some way or another.

Well, to tell the complete and actual truth, almost everybody.

Keiko woke to the sound of sizzling, that and the delicious aroma of potatoes and vegetables. A pillow had been stuffed in the Rhoni lasses arms, so she’d have with something to hold.

The sizzling was proceeded by the telltale whump of a Mouse returning. Tomomi appeared on the window bench, settling down in their blankets and cloaks quite comfortably. She held two breakfast plates in her small, simple hands. The potatoes had been very finely cut, along with the vegetables and had been pan fried into a delicious and warm breakfast. In addition Tomomi brought a couple pieces of bread – also still warm – as well as two small pieces of cheese.

“Good morning!”

Tomomi smiled and when she did it was bright, clear and honest. Just as Keiko hoped she would never get used to the coming and goings of Mice, Tomomi felt the same way about saying good morning to her forever-friend. She offered one of the plates to Keiko. For herself, she looked down a bit, just nibbling at her breakfast.

“Down in the commons they are talking about going on a Rescue.

“It sounds very scary. Scarier than going to Marketday.”

She looked across, and shyly wrapped a paw around Keiko’s. She closed her eyes.

“I remember getting lost. Being Homesick. I remember being in the Little Home.”

The Mouse girl then smiled the softest of smiles. She squeezed Keiko’s hand tight.

“I got saved.”

She then turned her head to look Keiko in the eyes.

“Being free is the hardest thing in the world. I am so scared, Keiko-friend. There will be so many of them. They won’t understand, there will be more than Soft can hold and tell them things will be all right, there will be more than Lady can talk to and we won’t need Mister Renyard to tell us what they are thinking.

“They will be all alone, they won’t have anyone to tell them what to do. And if they remember who they were they’ll get lost and not want to be us anymore.”

Tomomi swallowed.

“I’m scared, Keiko. This is scarier than when I was in the mines. This is scarier than Weasels.

“I’m so scared I want to run away, but I’m also so scared that I know I can’t.

“But I don’t know what to do to help. Except know that I have to.”

It took a moment to untangle Tomomi’s words. Then it became obvious, that there was a subtle but so important difference in what the Mouse was trying to say.

She wasn’t scared for herself.

She was scared for all those working in the Mines.

“I’m just one little mouse.

“Keiko … what can we do?”

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Pietro


By nature and habit an early riser, the squire was among the first to wake. He sat up, stretching right and left to loosen any tightness which may have settled into his neck and back, yawned and looked around.

Pietro wished Djinni was here. One of his favorite morning activities was to feet and groom the mare, murmuring softly to her and settling his mind for the needs of the coming hours.

There certainly were a lot of these Forest Kin. He smiled to himself as he watched the smaller ones - the Mice - scamper around, attending to their busyness, and the larger ones moving around in slower, perhaps more stately steps.

There was much to be attended to today, but Pietro did not want to worry about that. Not just yet.

He'd start worrying when Cesare and the others woke up.

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Kadri:

"If you have no name to speak of, I think I shall call you Nou'Sha, unless you have another name you like. Means 'nice ah - pleasing'."

She smiles.

After a good sleep, she too is up early to greet the dawn, disentangling herself. She straightened her clothing and moved up behind Pietro in near silence, for when she wished and often when she was not thinking about it, she moved as quietly as, perhaps, a mouse.

"Good morning, Pietro."

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Pietro


He started slightly, hand reaching instinctively for his battle axe, but managed to calm himself as he recognized her voice almost immediately. Pietro got to his feet, turned and nodded a polite acknowledgement.

"And She smiles on another lovely lady," the squire said, trying out a bit of the gallantry more often heard among the nobles where he'd been raised long ago than here in more rustic surroundings.

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Cesare

"Morning."

The Rhoni appeared from just around a corner, a smile on his face.

"You know I think I could live here myself.. but it is likely to become more crowded if we have any success. Seen our Planning Friend yet?"

He refers to that rat they talked with last night.

"Sounds like we have an early start today."

He sniffs appreciatively.

"Hopefully time for breakfast first though."

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Bekkah

She knew better than to argue with Lady and accepted the offer of her room once again. She slept well, falling asleep once again after replaying the interaction with her Goddess in her mind. That amazing experience led her to a peaceful sleep.

She arose, and did as best as she could to find a quiet spot where she could spend time in communion with her Goddess. Once done, she rejoined the others. There was so much activity and as soon as she was spotted, she was dragged, smiling and laughing to a table for breakfast. She ate, but couldn't eat anywhere near as much as she was given.

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Pietro


Cesare's smile was infectious and Pietro returned it in greeting the Rhoni lad.

"Haven't seen him yet, but I could handle a bit of breakfast myself."

He turned to Kadri.

"Would my lady wish to join us to break our fast?"

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Kadri:

"Morning to you, Cesare."

"... I think I could eat a mountain right now. And Pietro ..."

She winks at him.

"Perhaps if you have the time later you can introduce me to whomever this lovely lady is."

A wide grin.

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Pietro


"I would be pleased," the squire said with a grin.

"The first mirror or piece of polished silver I run across."

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