This is part of Warrens series and follows Fitting a Kote. Mostly, this post is just a bit of fun.
Two cloaked figures walk into a crowded Inn. One has his hood up. The others too clever eyes quickly take in the whole room. You would have to be seven kinds of drunk to not notice the clientele was different. The horns and tail on the waiter might be a hint. Or it could be the Minotaur smoking a long wooden pipe, seated across from satyr who was intent on a Kaen board. The newcomers don't warrant a glance as they casually weave their way to the bar where a young faen looked like her shifted ended four hours ago.
"What will it be then" her hands move from tap to mug and back with a motion so fluid it belonged on stage.
"Me and my partner Bast, were looking for someone." The rich dark voice of the hooded figure reaches just as far as the brightly colored bottles. The bartender doesn't say a word but a cup slips from her hand and shatters on the floor. "Mary, love, would you help with that?" Her voice is calm as river water but she darts a glance at the young man, then her eyes flit past the hood of the other, as if she knows what a look would entail.
"everyone's looking for someone love, w-who might this be" Her tone is friendly, but her eyes are thin and strained.
The shorter figure nudges Bast and he rolls his eyes. "Felurian... we're looking for m- the lady of the quiet" His face is sour, like someone just asked him to clean his room.
"Why?" The question is a relex, like a gentle tap on the patellar tendon. Her hands are just circling the same glass with a rag, over and over. Over... and Over.
Bast grins. "Were on a mission from Aleph. We're getting the Troupe back together." He says the last with such a weight of certainty and charm that it seems to snap her out of herself. Her hips tilt and sway in a motion older then the sea and she leans towards the handsome young man, exposing a delightful expanse of freckled rounded skin. Her eyes gleam, sensing the opportunity for coin and maybe a bit more.
"I'll see what I can do, a name might help..." As the words leave her lips, she leans back a bit too much. Just enough to take in both customers. Her brow furrows, as her mind races too late to remember that she already knew the dark haired faens name. As the thought strike home, she suddenly knows from her skin to down to her bones she could not have asked a worse question. She stands motionless, like deer in an open field who hears the thunder and now waits for the lighting. She looks at everything in the room except the hooded figure.
The hood tilts upward as if the Inn ceiling is of no consequence and he is looking directly at the stars. Daring them to look back. "me?" The music is still playing in the background, conversations keep their beat. But there is a sudden silence that seems to cut through the room like a glass dagger. "You may have heard of me".
Hows it going Imreeeee ? I can't hear you! I see we got a lot of fine looking lords and lovely ladies and the Eolian tonight. Get your hands in the air. That's right, Kote got the Troupe back together and were on a mission from Aleph to rock this house!
We got Denna on the Harp, shes out of boxes for tonight only. Can I get some love?
let the music hit you hard
Makes you say "Oh, my Tehlu"
Thank you for blessing me
With a mind to rhyme and two hyped wings
My homeboy, Bredon freestyle dancing.
Fresh new shaed and
You got it like that
Now you know you wanna dance
oh, move outta your Inn
And get a fea girl
Give it up for Cinder on the turn tables. and don't forget Devi doing business on the piano.
And catch this wind
While it's rolling
Hold on
Tehlu burning some mad beats on the Tabor.
Ring the bell, The king is dead, like a tree he fell
Break it down!
_Stop Hammer time!**
Felurian making love to the Sousaphone.
You can't open this
You can't open this
You can't open this
My girl Auri tending those pipes.
with others making music
They just don't hit?
I toured around the world
From earth to The sky
I just won't quit
Taborline on the vocals, lets take it home with Kote on the Lute!!! ... ok, maybe not... Bastas back him up!
Boot to stirrup!
Hand to mane!
Kote will ride without shadows hame!
It's "Hammer! Go, Hammer! X Hammer! Yo, Hammer!"
And the rest can go and play
It's worth taking some time to do something silly, go roll down a hill or see if you can grab a leaf high in the tree. A lot of our endless bustling about and worries comes from wanting too much. What is my word though? Let's move on and take a hint from a group that seems to knoweth quite a lot, the tinkers.
