Mill (#13694)
The Mill is starting to take shape. The walls are almost completed. Darken ams of skybroom for the interior still can be seen. The windows are still being roughed for shudders. The huge front doors lay on the ground ready to be mounted. The worn cobblestones has been swept clean and gathering tables laden with food and drink awaits for the hungry workers and their guests.

The tempo may be challenging for the dancers, but the harpers have plenty of experience in the field of fast songs. Ambar on her gitar keeps with the strumming baseline with ease, changing chords left and right to move the music along its course.

Sparkling blue eyes scan the crowd, taking everything in quietly before Kaeryn finds a place to settle and people to socialize with. Nervous fingers run down the fabric of her dress, over the still a little pudgy stomach, and smoothing out every single imaginary wrinkle.

Nherys' arrival is heralded by...well, not a whole lot, the fairly nondescriptly clad journeyman unexpectedly appearing near her fellow harpers. Nher's her name, percussion is her game, evidenced by the fact that even before she's halfway there, out comes her drum...even playing one-handed she matches the tempo...Rianys appears to have been left in the ever so capable hands of her mentee, so Nher's free for the night, at least. Swiftly settling down with the other players the second of her drums is retreived from her ever-present rucksack, and soon the's keeping time on one, improvising on the other...

Marius grins, a mean feat with a fiddle under his jaw. He nods as Nherys joins the group, then turns to the other fiddle player, tossing him a wink. The two plunge into verse once more, the second violin taking the melody while Mar's instrument weaves in a sweet harmony. He turns out to the dancers, silently urging them on.

Now unaccustomed to having *two* hands free at once, Kae's arms move from position to position: crossed over her chest, clasped behind her back, hands on her hips. After locating the harpers, which wasn't a difficult task, for one that can hear, she moves carefully through the crowd and finds an empty table near them, and slips down into an empty chair.

Ambar then decides to take the tune into the gitars, opening another section of the song as the strumming slips over the violins. She is joined by the other apprentice on gitar, as they work together to pull together complex rhythms that weave through and around each other.

Nherys flashes a grin to Marius, then whistles a greeting to Kaeryn, the sound oddly accenting the tune. Idle hands...are idle no longer, for how can they be, with drums to be played? With a slightly devilish grin she modulates the rhythm, not enough to be noticeable at first, though it soon becomes apparent that while her right is still playing with the rest, her left has begun to play counterpoint, the slightly higher tone of the drum creating...an interesting effect, at least.

Marius steps back a bit to let the guitars come to the fore. His fiddel tones down to match, changing to a background thrum that fills in for the absent bass. He nods appreciatively to the Evanorah as the pipe joins then, adding a low trill to the bass to welcome her to the group.

Kaeryn's toes tap along to the beat of the music, as those of any harper do, and her fingernails click along the surface of the table as well. *Click click* *Click click*. As the breeze blows, her curls of gold bounce around her face, and she pushes them back with her fingers, tucking them, once again, behind her ear.

And the song moves along, building and building as it pushes its way to its climax. Then, with a stylish little flourish, the music comes to a close.

Kaeryn's hands come together, clapping in appreciation for her fellow harpers. She gets to her feet and moves over toward the group, a small case in her hands, which, upon arriving by the chairs and stands, is placed beside the other cases, out of the way. "I've my flute, if I'm needed to take a turn," she notes quietly to the ensemble as a whole. Standing there, waiting, she shuffles her feet on the ground, acting as nervous as a brand new apprentice.

Ambar puts aside her gitar and stands up, stretching after having sat around playing. looking about and hearing Kaeryn's greeting, she smiles. "Well, some of us might be taking on off turn."

Evanorah smiles at Kaeryn's nervous shuffling. So it's not just her, this feeling is universal. "I'll stay up a bit..."

Marius grins and gives Kaer a half-bow, "Thank ye kindly." He looks to the others, "I think we've enough Harpers about." He nods to the other violinist, an apprentice named Mayfair, "All yours." He replaces his fiddle in its case.

Kaeryn's skirts swirl around her legs as she twists her upper body slightly, apparently dancing to the music that's playing in her head. The corners of her lips curl up into a warm smile, and her blue eyes sparkle brightly, reflecting her good mood. "Wonderful playing, as usual, dear Marius," she compliments him quietly, giving her fellow journeyman a playful wink.

Ambar looks behind her as the music starts. And here she is, a cute harper-girl, all alone, with a dance starting.

A somewhat small, entirely too bouncy apprentice runs up to the group assembled, gasping for air. "Am I late? I had to go back and get my pipes! I know it's my turn to lead...what's up next?" He glances around the group, looking a little nervous and deflated, but hops into a nearby chair, lifting his pipes to his mouth, and begins to play, expecting the others to follow along. A soft, smooth harmony begins, the deep notes being laid for the melody to join in. His fingers move quickly over the holes, creating a rhythm for the drums to follow.

Marius looks between Ambar and Kaer. A wry smile twists his lips as he moves over to Kaer, his voice dropping slightly. "Glad you came. Care to dance?"

"I thought you'd never ask," Kae replies to the request with a sweet smile, and she lifts her arms to wrap them around his neck in a hug, planting a kiss on his cheek as she does.

As she's had a bit more time to prepare for this round of playing, Nher actually has drumsticks out and ready. Dancing isn't really her strong suit for only the second time in her life, pregnant harper preferring to leave the dancing to more nimble feet and bodies. Terun, for that's the apprentice's name, receives a bit of a grin before the journeyman follows his lead, head cocked as she finds the beat. After a moment she nods to Mayfair, signalling him to begin on fiddle. A faint smile haunts her lips as she eventually becomes absorbed in her drumming....ahhh, now /this/ is what she truly does best.

Mayfair grins to her fellow apprentice as she belatedly joins the group. She lifts her violin and bow, adding a soft backing tune that joins the low pipes. A wink is sent to Evanorah as May invites her to join in.

Evanorah's foot taps lightly to the beat, and the pipe is raised to her lips. She follows the low pipes in counterpoint, a few octaves higher and a few extra trills, just to dress it up a bit...

Marius chuckles low in his throat and holds Kaer close, moving the two of them out onto the newly finished floor. His twinkle a bit a he taps out a a quick sixcount before launching the two of them into the dance.

Terun leads the song by driving it's harmony in large patterns, low arpeggiated notes slipping up and down the scale, meeting time and again, an unending circle flowing around the melody. His foot taps in time to the beat of the drums, and fingers begin to move opposite the beat.

Kae's smile turns into a happy laugh as she's moved to the floor and spun outward into the beginning of the dance. As the dance begins, her arms slip from the hold around his neck, and into a somewhat better dancing form, one of her hands finding his, and the other resting against his shoulder.

Nherys' smile shifts to a grin, content for now to stick to merely providing rhythm. Though merely isn't quite the right word, lips pursed but for a moment before her attention shifts to her fellow journeymen out on the floor. Grinning, the drummer changes the rhythm just a bit, shifting it just enough to match the pair's timing perfectly. She can do that, you know...*wink*

Marius grins and whrils them around the floor, just avoiding this couple, spinning around that couple. His eyes dance, then he gives Nherys a brief glare as she changes the rhythym. He adjusts his steps to account for it, leading Kaer in a quick spin that ends then up on the right beat.

Kae can keep up, really she can, but prove it, she still must do. Fortunately, she is rather light on her feet, and with Marius being a great partner, it isn't all that difficult for her body, and feet, to follow his lead. Each time she is spun, she laughs, the dimples in her cheeks appearing for a flash here, another there.

Mayfair executes a brief run up the fiddle, then takes over the melody from the pipes for a moment, adding her own dramatic flares here and there. She adds her own little 'skip-stomp' as the rhythym changes, then dashes onward with the melody.

Evanorah is greatly enjoying the intricate run Tenur is making on the lower pipes, and the challenge... She can't smile over her own pipe, but her eyes do a good enough job of it. Fingers flying along a twinkling addition to the song, she is lost entirely to the music.

Tenur turns his head to look at Nherys, and stumbles in his playing, losing the beat for a moment, but quickly slipping back in, only the red of his face leaving proof that any err was made. His harmony slips from a patterned rhythm to smooth, simple tones that echo the melody.

Marius openly laughs as he twirls once more, then settles back into the dance, moving smoothly with the music. He leans down and speaks, just over the music, "It's been too long since I last danced." With her. But that last part isn't vocalized. He adds a little flare to the dance to cover himself, and when they move back together again his smile is back in place once more.

Nherys responds to Marius' breif glare with a giggle, sticking out her tounge as she drums on defiantly, eyes sparkling with mirth. An intricate tattoo of sound is produced, though she doesn't actually change the beat, merely...accentuates it. With a flourish. A slightly apologetic grin is flashed Terun, though the journeyman is having far too much fun to be truly repentant.

Mayfair grins to Tenur and steps into the melody that he'd just relinquished, covering for the other apprentice. She moves over enough to give him a brief knock withhis elbow and a wink. Then she's off again, leading into another melody line that has such speed that it challenges even the drummer to keep up.

"Waited long enough for you to ask," Kae replies just loudly enough to be heard over the music as they are moved back together and her hand slips along his shoulder until it rests against the side of his throat. Missing a step, or just having trouble keeping up, she wrinkles her nose, and shuffles her feet until she's caught up with him again.

Evanorah almost falters at then sudden change in the other pipes, which she was following. Alright, she can just slooow down a bit, that's doable. She slides downward in pitch as a minor cover and continues to smoothly complement the other pipes.

Satisfied that the song isn't going to change dramatically on him in the next bar or two, Tenur settles into the rhythm, his long notes being accented with a trill here, an accent there, a turn... his notes rise in the scale to twist around Evanorah's, creating a soft counterpoint.

Now it's Mar's turn to miss a step. He /almost/ blushes, but settles for clearing his throat. He quickly recoverd and wrinkles his nose right back at the other Journeyman, "Well, you were unavailible for so long." He shifts his weight and sends her whipping by him in a semi-decent imitation of a swing-out, then brings her back in again, "So it's not /my/ fault..."

"But.." Kae begins to reply, before she's whipped out into a quick swing, and slipped back in. "That was then, and this..." she tosses a glance in the direction of the harpers, and shakes her head in confusion at the often-altering music. "This is now, yes?" she finishes, as her fingers pinch at his ear.

Challenge? Oooooh...Nher does love a good one of those, stepping up the pace to match Mayfair with ease. Eight turns in the hall tend to do that for a kid, especially one as nimble-fingered as Nher still is. Rakish grin makes an appearance as she winks once, one stick coming down harder on an accent, journeyman using the resulting bounce to twirl it with a flourish before continuing on.

Marius starts to reply, then stops in mid dance and cocks his ear as he listens to the changing tempo. He casts a disparaging glances toward Nherys and her assembled Harpers, then he raises an eyebrow to Kaer, "Up to it?"

"I'll try, just don't let me fall," Kae replies with a nod of her head, "otherwise, you'll have to *carry* me home." With a girlish giggle, she moves a little closer into Marius' arms and winks.

Mayfair's lips split in a grin as she continues the breakneck pace, hurtling into the melody once more. The strings on her bow seem to snap one after another until she finds a particularly heavy gauge. Then she's /really/ off to the races. You think growing up in a Hall is rough? Try keeping up with /this/. She signals for a break-time, then sends her fingers running down the neck of the violin in rough triplets.

Evanorah is mildly surprised by the sudden uplift in the melody. An eyebrow arches, and she gladly rushes headlong into the new pace. Slender fingers zip along the length of the pipe, resulting in a very interesting sound.

Marius's lips spread in a grin, then he leads Kaer into the dance, whirling across the nearly empty floor. They separate for a moment, and Mar playfully spins around one of the only other remaining couples. He reconnects with Kaer, and throws her into another swing-out, adding a slight jazz kick in to spice things up.

Tenur's eyes open wide and he tries to keep up. He is only an apprentice, not a master, after all! A few notes are dropped here and there, before his harmony settles back down into a nice, smooth set of tones.

"Oooh!" Kae exclaims as the music gets faster, and Marius attempts to keep them caught up, and she tries desperately to follow, not being /quite/ as graceful as she should be. Finally, she matches his movements, and actually looks comfortable doing it. A wink is flashed his way to show him how much she's enjoying herself.

Nherys can't resist a skeeeee-oop!! as she not only takes the challenge, but runs with it. Triplets? Nooooot a problem, as she demonstrates with ease. You wonder how she manages to stay sane while pregnant? Well, let's just say that earplugs would be a very lucrative investment, indeed. Down goes the stick, bounce, twirl, mid-air catch, and down again. Three times in succession, never missing the beat. Eyebrows wiggle at the 'prentice, the challenge clearly evident.

A whoop of over her own comes from Mayfair's lips as she recklessly follows the Journeyman and he fellow Harpers. For one of the first times in her lift she actually /feels/ the music. She almost bounces out of her place with the force of her playing. But just as she seems to run out of the notes on the bridge of the violin, she ends the verse with a sharp trill and covers Tenur's harmony, making /that/ the new melody line. She winks to Evanorah and nods to encourage her to take the lead.

Marius grins and spins in closer to Kaer. He catches his breath for a brief moment, then they're off once more. This time spinning and whirling together. Mar spins away for a moment and comes to an abrupt stop, taking the chance to flick a bead of sweat from his brow (in time), and then moving back to Kaer.

Pale blue eyes flash brighter as the music rushes through her veins, the thrill of playing taking complete control of her consciousness. Staccatos, accents, trills, and subtle changes in meter are thrown in, almost at random, but with the sound of careful planning...

Kaeryn's breathing causes her chest to rise and fall quickly, and with any pause, she gasps for breath. "Been too long!" she exclaims through her tired breathing and quick movements. Her slipped feet slip easily, maybe a little too easily, on the floor, allowing her to be spun around by her partner with much ease.

Tenur gains a little courage, and he finally manages to catch up with the others, moving from the slow, easy harmony he'd been playing to a teasing tune that dancing around the lowest register of his pipes. A gasp of air here, another there, allows him to continue playing with a semi-decent tone.

"That's the spirit, Ten!" is called out over her drumming, Nherys continuing to attempt to challenge the apprentices. C'mon, don't let an 'old lady' show ya up...though she's far from old, but the principle still holds, right? Breath is caught for a moment, though the reason is not the one most readily expected, for soon it seems a....tinwhistle? has joined in. Or should that just be whistle, as Nher's hands are still rather occupied with keeping the beat, and then some...

Mayfair resolutely follows the drums, then catches the bit of a...flute?...with a wince. She shrugs, then notices that the dancers seem to be tiring a bit. A significant glance is sent to the other as she enters the final phrase. She sends her fingers scampering up the neck once more, but leaves the melody line unresolved. Eyes flick to Eva as May deflty hands her the coda.

Marius laughs and shakes his head, but his own breath seems to be coming a bit quicker. Red-faced, he simply grins to Kaer as they glide across the floor. He won't admit it, but he actually feels a bit of relief as he feels the end approaching. Just as the music ends, the sends Kaer into a final spin that ends with Mar stepping up and gently dipping his partner.

Evanorah slows the song down on its last leg, the notes rolling softly, drifting like leaves that had been shaken in storm winds only to be left to find their own way to the ground. Lightly meandering, maneuvering to a sudden...but trailing...stop.

Kaeryn laughs softly as she's spun one final time, to find herself in Marius' strong embrace, dipped nonetheless. Her breathing is heavy, but she grins anyway. "I think being a mother has softened me," she notes softly as she's lifted from the dipping embrace and slips her arms around his neck in a tight, affectionate hug.

Evanorah, ruddy cheeked from dedicating her breath to the pipe, lets her arms droop. She has to be as tired as anyone who ever outran Thread! But azure eyes retain their glitter from the playing...

Pipes slip from Terun's mouth, and he almost drops them to the floor from his exhaustion. He takes slow, deep breaths, trying to just get his heart rate to slow down. "Wow," is all the apprentice has to say.

Evanorah smiles at Terun. "Yeah, that was..." Breathless chuckle, words are hard to place there...

Marius laughs and then turns to the Harpers, letting out a piercing whistle of appreciation. His breaths come rather quickly and he spares a hand to wipe the persperation from his forehead. "Oh, but that was fun!"

Mayfair just sits back and laughs. She gives Terun a friendly clap on the arm and a wink, "It's better than more things than I'd care to mention."

Kaeryn leans back against Marius, using him for support as catches her breath once again, and tilts her head up to look back at him, "I don't remember ever dancing quite so hard before, or ever having such a great dance partner."

Nherys...pants. It's one of those things where she would've been fine, as long as she kept playing. After a moment or two she manages to catch her breath and make it to her feet, grin spread from ear to ear. "Ooooooh-eeeeee! Jays, that was /awesome/..." The journeyman turns to offer her hand to first Tenur, then Mayfair, grin broadening (if possible) with her words. "Well done, well /done/...haven't had a 'workout' like that in...turns! Well done..."

Marius looks down to Kaer and winks, "Feeling's mutual, love." He regroups, calming himself after that last number. Another nod is sent to the assembled Harpers, then he leans down and gives her a quick kiss on the cheek, "One moment. I need some fortifying..." He makes his way over to the table with the drinks and pours out two glasses of the sparkling redfruit juice. He returns to Kaer and offers her one, snaking on arm around her again, "We should do this more often." [repose]

"Much appreciated," Kae gives her thanks for the juice by giving Mar a bright smile and taking a *long* drink from the glass. "You'd think I'd be tired of redfruit juice by now," she comments conversationally as she leans her head back against his shoulder in an easy pose of relaxation.

Marius mms, doing in half of his glass before responding, "Never happen. After the bitter stuff that we had back at Nerat while I was growin' up, redfruit seems like th' sweetest juice ever." He looks to Nherys, "Mayhaps we could proposition you for a slower one?"

Nherys sits a moment or two, merely watching her fellow journeymen before gathering her things, instruments carefully put back in her rucksack. The green-eyed harper soon lets her gaze wander, finally settling on Marius' violin, behind his now empty chair. Making her way to her feet, she cocks her head and once again looks to the pair before venturing forth to pick up the instrument and settle herself in the chair. At Marius' query she chuckles, eyes sparkling. "Already one step ahead of you, Mar..." The instrument is tucked under her chin, fingers curled over the neck. As the bow is poised, her eyes slide shut in concentration...or is that to give the pair a bit more privacy? Whatever the reason, she starts playing, a soft, sweet melody...oddly familiar, yet hauntingly not...

Kaeryn's breathing has finally slowed to normal once again, and she takes a moment to drain the remainder of the juice from her glass. "You haven't been drinking juice, juice, and only juice for almost a turn," she teases him, as she turns enough so that her cheek is pressed against his shoulder and chest. With a wiggle of her fingers, she motions an apprentice over, who takes their glasses so they can enjoy the new, slower song. "/This/ is what I've been waiting for," she whispers softly, lifting her chin so she can look him in the eye.

Marius manages to finish off his glass before the apprentice can snatch it away. He throws Nherys a grateful smile even though she can't see it. His calloused fingers interlace with hers as their eyes meet, his widening slightly at the intensity of the contact. A very slight smile tugs at the corner of his mouth as he moves closer to her once more, their bodies moving as one to the soothing music.

Kaeryn's blue eyes sparkle brightly in colorful light of the now setting sun, her cheeks flushed slightly still from the previous dance, or from the closeness with her partner that is so new for her. She gently squeezes Mar's hand, and leans in closer to him so that she can rest her cheek against his shoulder once again, and her eyes drift closed.

Nherys continues on, the quiet melody drifting through the air. The mood is set, that's all that really matters...notes themselves matter little at this point. It's an old tune, something pulled from a memory of early childhood. There were words, once...some of which she actually remebers. Though it's not really necessary, she starts to sing softly, dusky alto catching on the words for but a moment. "The miracles in life astound...fantasies, they seem - abound....emitions though, they resound....and somehow, only truth is found." Her fingers move deftly, the sound varying slightly as she searches her memory for the next verse. "Knowledge of a life that's led..." Her voice trails off as her memory fails her, the harper instead focusing on the music, not realizing that tears are slowly making their way down her cheeks.

Marius closes his eyes as he brings Kaer in close to him. He moves as the music tells him, soft and subtle movements, but most the sensations are now less about dancing than they are about his partner. His hand reaches up to stroke her golden locks as the two of them move to the music. His eyes flicker open for a moment, and look to Nherys as she begins to sing. He acknowledges her voice, and tears, by simply bowing his head and fully losing himself in the sounds and smells of holding Kaer next to his heart.

Kaeryn's flutter open for a moment and she lifts her head enough so that her soft blue eyes can gaze upon Mar's face, the look in them showing the disbelief in what is now reality. She parts her fingers from his and lifts her hand so that the fingers brush along the back of his neck. Previous pose is reclaimed, with her head leaning against his chin, a pose of security and loving. "Who ever knew.." she whispers softly enough for only her danc partner to hear.

Marius sighs and can't do anything but smile slightly, "Not I, that's for sure." His hands gently run over her back, leading the two of them into a very small turn in time with the slower music. While they're separated, Mar keeps his movements minimalistic and smooth. As they return together he simply wraps Kaer in his arms, almost all pretense of dance and grace forgotten.

Nherys wouldn't have heard, even if Kaeryn had been shouting it out to the world. As the song modulates slowly her expression lightens...the tune repeats itself, fortunately....for when the appropriate point is found, her voice is once again heard, quietly at first, but gaining confidence as some long-ago memory surfaces, along with another bit of the song... "Knowledge of a life that's led...fears better left unsaid...reassured by you instead....As if you're there, inside my head..." Through tears she smiles, though her eyes remain shut...she's in her own world now, the only sign of her presence the continued background of soft, slow music, as the words surface, achingly slowly.

Kaeryn feels a single tear slip down her cheek as they dance, after all these turns, in each other's arms. It falls silently to land on Marius' shoulder, where it's soaked up in the rich blue cloth. As the song goes on, she manages to get closer and closer to him, now nuzzling her head against his neck, where she inhales deeply, and then lets out a soft sigh of contentment. "It's like..." she whispers, but her voice trails off as she listens to Nher's words.

Marius nods, stopping all real motion except the gently swaying to the music. An, "I know," , hardly whispered loud enough to reach Kaer's ears escapes his lips. He breaths in, inhaling her sweet scent with all the luster of a man who's been living on a deserted island for turns and turns.

"Times have changed, and so have I...since I first caught your eye...still I love you, it's no lie...as I will, until we die..." Nher's voice fades for a final time, the violin carrying the melody on its own for a time, before it too, fades away...She doesn't move except to lower the bow to her knees and sigh, eyes closed as they have been the entire song. Silence reigns for a time, broken finally by a soft murmur from the player. "My mother...used to sing that to my dad..."

Kaeryn stops moving altogether, just allows herself to hold and be held in an embrace that she had longed for for so long. "That was perfect, Nher," she whispers softly, not moving her head or opening her eyes, but giving appreciation all the same.

Marius just stands for a moment. Not even breathing so that he won't shatter the moment. Finally, he turns to Nherys and looks upon her with shining eyes. His mouth works for a few moments without producing a reply. Finally, he just gives her a wan smile and nods, "Aye, perfect. Thank you..."

Nherys' eyes open and she lowers the violin, head shaking from side to side. "No, thank /you/...for giving me the opportunity to play...for letting me finally find that song..." The instrument is set down slowly, and only then does she realize that she's been crying, and that her hands, now that she's stopped playing, are shaking.

Kae opens her eyes, which are now damp with tears, though from the song or from the moment is unknown. She licks her lips, and gives Nher a warm smile before closing her eyes again. "If we could just keep this moment..."

The scene dim, gets darker, then....fades to black.

Back