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I look around an unknown landscape as I start trudging over the next hill. This one the same as the last - with lots of grass and tall trees. Idlely strumming on my modified guitar and looking for any type of civilization. "So far I've seen ruin after ancient looking ruin but no towns or villages." I muse.
Hearing the sound of a bubbling creek I decide to rest a bit and head that way while huming the lyrics to a song, slowly tapping the strings on Beauty.
" This place is rather quiet," I mumble to myself.
The sun is high in the sky as I sit and nibble a bit of jerky, " Where the hell am I?" I ask the air, trying to think back on how I got here. I shrug and hum Where, oh where while eating my jerky.
After refilling the waterskin I walk along the river north - humming 'Give me a home'; I put Beauty away to give her a bit of rest. The sun has reached its zenith by the time I spot anyone; A human female crouched at the rivers edge collecting water in a bucket.
I raise my hand in greeting and shout," Hey there! " the human jumps, clutching her bucket close and turns my direction, " No need for alarm," I chuckle and hold my hands out, fingers spread wide, " I mean no harm, just looking for a town or village, or something..?" I shrug my shoulders.
The bucket lady still looks uncertain but speaks, " Why are you not with your clan?"
I smile widely, " Ain't got one, doll. I'm an orphan." She looks surprised as I continue, " Also, a bit lost — where am I? "
I stop in front of her as bucket lady relaxs a little, " The Emerald Graves.." she puts the bucket down and folds her arms. "How do you not know what this place is called..." bucket lady tilts her head," your people..."
"Stop right there darlin'." I smile as charmingly as I can and copy her tilted head, " I may be an elf but I ain't got no people. Grew up an orphan and all, so no people. But thanks for tellin' me the name to this place. " I reach into the pocket of my leather trench coat and pull out a lollipop slowly as I watch her shoulders grow tense for a moment. Popping the sucker into my mouth I smile around the stick as she relaxes again and I ask, " Where's the closest place of civilization?" She picks up her bucket and looks uncertain again, " I'm just lookin' to restock my supplies. Won't stay if I'm not welcome." I reassure her while trying to sound as harmless as possible.
The lady struggles internally for a moment then nods and gestures for me to follow her to the refugee camp. I meet Fairbanks and learn of the Freeman of the Dales; deserters of the armies fighting in the war taking place between the Queen of Orlais and Duke Gaspard.
" What a right bunch of tripe.." I gripe, " So you and the refugees are all caught in the middle, eh?" I roll my honey sucker back and forth in my mouth as I think, watching Fairbanks out of the corner of my eye.
Fairbanks nods and clenches his fists together as he stares at the table. "We're not equipped enough to keep getting raided and attacked like this." He sighs, " We've managed so far, but I'm running out of time, and men." He grips his hair," We might not be able to fend off the next raid."
I nod to myself, " Ahright, tell me whatchu need and I'll help." He looks up slowly, his eyes filled with suspicions and a smidgen of hope, " And don' think of payin' me. Ya all have let me stay here and helped me get resupplied. Is the least I can do." I grin widely, " specially since my money be worthless here."
Fairbanks chuckles, " Indeed. Well, a trade then, is that what your suggesting?"
I take the sucker out of my mouth with a soft 'pop', and nod, " You tell me what needs done, I'll help. Protecting camp, gatherin' supplies, huntin' - enemies and animals alike. You name it, I do it." I put the candy back in my mouth, " In exchange, I get free room and board. " then hold out my hand," Sound good?"
Fairbanks thought for a moment then nods and shakes my hand firmly, " Sounds fair."
I grin and take back my hand, " don' know about fair. You definitely gettin' the better part of this deal, chief." I stand and walk toward the exit. " I'm gon' take a look around, see what I see." I say and whistle while walking out thinking about what a little adventure this is gonna be.
The next few weeks are a blur of living amongst the refugees and fighting off the freemen. The first time I use my bardic abilities in battle shocks everyone ( scared some people shitless) but the effect of my song and illusions caused the tide of battle to shift drastically.
Fairbank's fighters are losing to the Freemen, ( he wasn't kidding when he said they weren't prepared) they weren't in dire straits yet but I could tell that only Fairbanks' knights were the ones specifically trained for battle.
I swing Brauty to the front on its strap and holster my short sword and dagger.
I strum the strings on Beauty once and summon my drums to start as I jump on top of a rock. The drums begin beating one of my favorite battle ready songs as the amp built into Beauty make the music loud enough to echo across the field.
I raise my antler horn and give a loud blast as the rythum is joined by my voice.
"Ships on vigor of the waves are skimming
Barren summits to the verdant plains
Each horizon is a new beginning
Rise and reign;"
An illusion of golden light spreads accross the field as I sing the first few lines. Images of an army in various styles of armor appear amongst Fairbanks forces, fierce and battle hardened faces stare menacingly at the Freeman. Fairbanks fighters are frightened but stay as the ghostly figures raise their weapons and start beating the sides of their shields along to the beat of the drums.
"Far from the fjords and the ice cold currents
Ravens soar over new frontiers
Songs and sagas of a fate determined
Shields and spears;"
Two black birds soar overhead as the new force raise their weapons and roar at the Freemen of the Dales. This song always riles me up and I smirk as the Freemen flinch and some turn to run.
"Vows of favor or the thrill of plunder
Pull together for the clan and kin
Clank of hammers and the crash of thunder
Pound within;"
I pound on my chest and raise my fist into the air with the beat; a feeling washes over the men, it starts as goosebumps and grows to a feeling of courage and excitement. Adrenaline pumps in wild abandon through the veins of the soldiers as I sing. A rush of determination flares from within them and they roar along with the imagined warriors.
"Oh-ho-oh
The echoes of eternity
Oh-ho-oh
Valhalla calling me
Oh-ho-oh
To pluck the strings of destiny
Oh-ho-oh
Valhalla calling me;"
I strum beauties strings adding her glorious sound to the drums; it reverberates across the field and the ghostly warriors charge.
"Sails a' swaying on the crimson rivers
Blood and glory in the fighting fields
Shields a' shattered into splintered timbers
Iron and steel;"
The fight continues as shouts of determination and fright echo over the battlefield and I'm overjoyed at how they slowly dominate their opponent.
"Fires are rising and the bells are ringing
Glory take us into Odin's halls
Golden glimmer and the sound of singing
Asgard's call!"
Bells sound as golden angels adorned in armor and carrying a shield and spear on each arm fly across the field and aid the injured. Each injured soldier is bathed in golden light as the angelic warriors sing sweetly and provide the injured with enough cover and time to rest and rejoin the fray.
As the battle winds down - the last opponent having fallen or fled - the song comes to an end. The music slowly fading with one last low and long note and the misty warriors fade away with a salute in my direction and I salute back, whispering a thank you. A hush falls over the soldiers of Fairbanks army as they come to grips with what had just transpired. Slowly, as the adrenaline passes and the feeling of danger disappears, a shout of triumph spreads, quietly at first, through the crowd and soon everyone is cheering.
I jump down from the rock and lots of people avoid me calling me a mage, but others clap me on the back and celebrate the victory. I pop a sucker in my mouth and contemplate for a moment why being a mage would cause such discontent while following the crowd back to camp.
Once we arrive and the injured are safely settled, Fairbanks runs up to me, " What happened on the battlefield?," he is gasping for breath, " people are calling you a mage and are describing magic I've never heard of."
I smile around my lollipop and pat beauty, "Bardic magic, chief. Made to inspire. Can turn the tide of any battle." I say and wrap an arm around Fairbanks' shoulders and we walk together deeper into camp, " Not a mage, tho. I would like to know why that thought fills some with such fear tho."
Fairbanks nods and begins to explain the reaction some had to seeing magic of any kind; which sparks another discussion about the differences between my bardic magic and a mages as the victors start setting up for a small celebration.
Later that night, I sat on a picnic table nursing a mug of ale and watching people drink and celebrate the victory. A drunk soldier walks up and asks, " Got any songs you can sing for us to celebrate this victory?" He grins swaying slightly on his feet.
I laugh and nod, " Sure, fella. Want something with a bit of a beat, or something slow?"
He smiles back and leans on a wood post," Dont be somber, we're celebrating!" He yells loud enough to get a "yea!" from his comrades in response.
Grinning like a mad woman, I stand on the table; turn a few dials on the back of Beauty and begin to sing and dance.
"I got no ball, I got no chain, Nothing can hold me down! I got hard knocks!
I'm the King of Shock, It's written on my crown!"
"Never crawl!
I'll pass you all!
Calling all the shots!
Never crawl!
I'll pass you all!
I'm something you can't stop!"
I point to the crowd, raising my fist in the air with each line. Rilling them up and repeating the lines, " Sing with me!" I shout and repeat;
"Never crawl!
I'll pass you all!
Calling all the shots!
Never crawl!
I'll pass you all!
I'm something you can't stop!"
They all join in as I continue shouting those lines loudly and with vigor.
"Blood -Guts, Your back's against the wall;
The winner takes all!
Blood -Guts, Your back's against the wall;
The winner takes all!
I'm on fire! I watch you fall! The winner takes all!"
They echo the last line as I play Beauty and dance from person to person getting them to sing and dance with me.
"They're gonna see, I'm the one!
Ain't no giving up!
Enemies, here I come, Watch me turn it up!"
We partied well into the night, I sang and performed for them til I could do it no more. I laugh as a couple people stumble and fall drunkenly when I sit on that same picnic table I started the night on and watch them celebrate their victory while eating a lollipop and drinking more ale.
It was quiet for a while after that and we spent the next few days recovering and gathering what everyone needed to survive.
I spent a lot of time playing with the littles, walking around the trees, hunting, and singing to myself.
When I wasn't out hunting or battling; the children in the camp took it upon themselves to appoint me their official caretaker.
It started the day after the battle; I had fallen asleep on that picnic table with my hat over my face and a good amount of my candy stash and fallen out of my coat pocket.
The little urchins decided to help themselves and when I woke, it was to giggling and tiny hands digging through my pockets.
" Hey! You little hellions!" I shout as I chase them through camp. Their parents just laugh and watch in a amusement as my chasing them turned into them chasing me. Which turned into a game of tag; then hide and seek; and finally all of us collapsing around that same picnic table.
One of the littles tried to be sneaky and reach for my pocket again but I stopped him and said, " You got manners?"
He looked dumbfounded and scared - just sat there staring at me. I sigh dramatically and put my hand on my heart, "oh! if only you would ask!" I say as I wink at him.
Giggles erupt all around me as he flushes and quietly asks for some candy. I dig in my pocket taking out a handful and begin passing them about. This starts a friendship between me and several of the kids in the camp. They sought me out whenever boredom struck, or just to get candy.
I got some fun out of it too. I taught them little songs that stuck in their parents brains and taught them how to make honey suckers.
We always had fun, we often danced thru camp singing, "This is the song that never ends!" At the top of our lungs, or pulling small pranks. I always have a grand time with the small ones, but I run out of suckers fast because of those tiny bottomless pits.
So I found a grove close by that has a large hive in it. I had been getting my honey from there and the walk allows me some time to contemplate the last several months.
A place called the Emerald Graves tends to have a history and after learning that history I became inspired. Standing amongst the trees, the solemn atmosphere and the calm surrounding me; I began to hum a song softly to myself. My humming puts the bees to sleep long enough to gather what I need, so I slowly walk back camp.
I look around and laugh to myself when the the pull of the nomad strums my heartstrings, " Soon, soon it'll be time to move on. I'll stay and help a little longer, but soon we'll wander agaaaain!" I sing to myself and pick up the pace as I put a lollipop into my mouth and continue to hum.