Post by The Entertainers of Holodrum! on May 25, 2011 13:40:52 GMT 10
The rabbits raised their heads and fled as the sound of wheels and hooves entered the air above their homes. The sound was quickly followed by the presence - a board-sided wagon, loudly decorated with brightly painted words.
... it said.
It was pulled by an angry-looking pony who was encouraged by a sweet-looking blonde girl.
"$%@ you stupid-faced brute! You just keep walking until we get there, you HEAR??" Her hair was somewhat awry and her face was sweaty. Next to her sat an old man playing a hurdy-gurdy.
The covered wagon was followed by an open cart pulled by another pony, happily plodding along. The skinny, dark-haired young man holding the reins seemed to be dozing, but he was able to keep his sword at an easy angle. Next to him was another old man, expressing himself through outright snoring.
Inside the open cart, crates and ambiguous, canvas-covered objects were stacked high above the sides. Perched on the top of that, a tiny runt of a dark-haired girl was playing cards with another blonde girl, identical to the first driver. A brown-haired kid was the third participant, but he seemed more intent on trying to hit the running rabbits with his slingshot than trying to win the game.
The hurdy-gurdy player stood. "Pull ouUUUT!!!" He called. A sharp jerk on the reins nearly caused him to fall. "Rom! Stay focused!"
The open cart followed the wagon - apparently without a motion from it's driver.
The wagon and the cart stopped shortly before they reached the walls of Tempra. The swordsman driver jumped down and began to remove the harnesses from the ponies. The runt-girl started untying the security ropes from the top of the cart, and the twins and the kid started unloading materials for the curtains, their tents, and seating for the audience. The hurdy-gurdy man dove into the back of the covered wagon and handed signs out to the no-longer-snoring man, and they set the signs up in various locations - at the sides of the wagon-and-cart arrangement, at the back of the seating area, at the edge of the road, and even one sign nailed next to the map by the gate.
The swordsman and the runt-girl rubbed down the horses and grass-picketed them off to the side, near the tents that the twins had laid out, and they got started with setting up the troupe's campsite. The twins were laying out tools, toys, and costumes, and the kid had gone off with a pail for water as the old men came back and began taking apart the cart to transform it into a stage.
In less than an hour, dinner was bubbling on the fire, the backstage stuff was put away, the water was being drunk, and the stage was set for their first performance.
Finally, between the rows of benches, the non-snorer turned to the hurdy-gurdy man. "Johvan, don't jyou teenk we chood dhave ask perrmeeseeon beforre seeting ap leek dees?"
"Oh, it'll be fine!" Johvan replied, plopping down and nearly upsetting the bench. "We're not exactly newcomers to this city, after all."
"Yeah, but it's been a long time since we've been here." The angry driver wiped her face with a towel, standing by the bucket of water, which had been placed on one side of the cart-stage. The kid still squatted above it. "They may not even remember us."
"I think you're right, Rom." The runt-girl had sat on the edge of the stage away from the bucket. The silent swordsman leaned against the brightly painted wheel-hiding boards, by her feet. "Seren and I are willing to go into town to try to find the mayor or the king."
"Thank you, Lena." Said Johvan. "But it's getting too late tonight. I'm sure it will be fine."
"You said that before," said the kid. "Remember the town of Gregla?"
"We don't talk about Gregla, Rishu." Seren said with a smile. "Remember?"
Rishu nodded soberly.
Rom turned and looked over at the fire, and her twin bending over the stewpot. "Mel! How's dinner coming?"
"Rabbit stew! Smells delicious! Almost done! I've got enough here to feed an army, I feel like we're going to have a visitor for dinner."
"I doubt they would be coming for dinner," yelled Rishu. "No one likes rabbit stew!"
"I like it," said Lena, with big eyes.
"You like anything that even remotely appears to be food," Rom said, arms on hips and mock-glaring. "I don't know how you stay so thin!"
"Maybe it's because she actually moves around, instead of sitting on her ass all day." Rishu stuck his tongue out at Rom, who tried to smack him. With an easy back roll, he got out of the way.
"Mr. Barott, will you play us a song?" Lena smiled at the gentle old man, Seren's friend. He grinned back and nodded. He went to the wagon and in a moment returned with his violin. Standing in the place between the raised stage, the side of the boarded wagon, and the first benches, he played.
Johvan, sitting in the audience, felt his tension release. Even though Barott wasn't playing for him, Johvan was still affected by his power to make the violin speak. Lena closed her eyes and listened, just content with the restful feeling of being done with traveling for the day, and the feeling of her protector by her side. Even feisty Rom and twitchy Rishu were calm, listening to the music of a forgotten land. Mel, by the fire, hummed quietly along, stirring the pot of stew in time to the beat of the song.
Soon, Barott's beautiful voice filled the air - a song about the wind, and how it travels over the sea.
O wind, where have you gone
Have you left this lowly man
O wind, are you over the sea
Have you forgotten your promise to me?
Tell me softly, o wind
whisper of the sea
wand'ring away from the land
flying underneath the stars
O wind, where have you gone?
Have you left this lowly man
O wind, are you over the sea
Have you forgotten your promise to me?
Tell me gently, o wind
stories of the sea
tell me how you ran from the land
and curled around the stars
How is it that the sea can roar
How is it that the tide can pull
How is it that the sirens call
and I can not be there?
O wind, where have you gone?
Have you left this lowly man
O wind, are you over the sea
Have you forgotten your promise to me?
O wind, where have you gone?
if it's to the sea, take me along -
O wind, are you over the sea?
if so, that is your promise to me.
The violin continued, and then it fell silent.
THE
ENTERTAINERS
OF
HOLODRUM
ENTERTAINERS
OF
HOLODRUM
... it said.
It was pulled by an angry-looking pony who was encouraged by a sweet-looking blonde girl.
"$%@ you stupid-faced brute! You just keep walking until we get there, you HEAR??" Her hair was somewhat awry and her face was sweaty. Next to her sat an old man playing a hurdy-gurdy.
The covered wagon was followed by an open cart pulled by another pony, happily plodding along. The skinny, dark-haired young man holding the reins seemed to be dozing, but he was able to keep his sword at an easy angle. Next to him was another old man, expressing himself through outright snoring.
Inside the open cart, crates and ambiguous, canvas-covered objects were stacked high above the sides. Perched on the top of that, a tiny runt of a dark-haired girl was playing cards with another blonde girl, identical to the first driver. A brown-haired kid was the third participant, but he seemed more intent on trying to hit the running rabbits with his slingshot than trying to win the game.
The hurdy-gurdy player stood. "Pull ouUUUT!!!" He called. A sharp jerk on the reins nearly caused him to fall. "Rom! Stay focused!"
The open cart followed the wagon - apparently without a motion from it's driver.
The wagon and the cart stopped shortly before they reached the walls of Tempra. The swordsman driver jumped down and began to remove the harnesses from the ponies. The runt-girl started untying the security ropes from the top of the cart, and the twins and the kid started unloading materials for the curtains, their tents, and seating for the audience. The hurdy-gurdy man dove into the back of the covered wagon and handed signs out to the no-longer-snoring man, and they set the signs up in various locations - at the sides of the wagon-and-cart arrangement, at the back of the seating area, at the edge of the road, and even one sign nailed next to the map by the gate.
The swordsman and the runt-girl rubbed down the horses and grass-picketed them off to the side, near the tents that the twins had laid out, and they got started with setting up the troupe's campsite. The twins were laying out tools, toys, and costumes, and the kid had gone off with a pail for water as the old men came back and began taking apart the cart to transform it into a stage.
In less than an hour, dinner was bubbling on the fire, the backstage stuff was put away, the water was being drunk, and the stage was set for their first performance.
Finally, between the rows of benches, the non-snorer turned to the hurdy-gurdy man. "Johvan, don't jyou teenk we chood dhave ask perrmeeseeon beforre seeting ap leek dees?"
"Oh, it'll be fine!" Johvan replied, plopping down and nearly upsetting the bench. "We're not exactly newcomers to this city, after all."
"Yeah, but it's been a long time since we've been here." The angry driver wiped her face with a towel, standing by the bucket of water, which had been placed on one side of the cart-stage. The kid still squatted above it. "They may not even remember us."
"I think you're right, Rom." The runt-girl had sat on the edge of the stage away from the bucket. The silent swordsman leaned against the brightly painted wheel-hiding boards, by her feet. "Seren and I are willing to go into town to try to find the mayor or the king."
"Thank you, Lena." Said Johvan. "But it's getting too late tonight. I'm sure it will be fine."
"You said that before," said the kid. "Remember the town of Gregla?"
"We don't talk about Gregla, Rishu." Seren said with a smile. "Remember?"
Rishu nodded soberly.
Rom turned and looked over at the fire, and her twin bending over the stewpot. "Mel! How's dinner coming?"
"Rabbit stew! Smells delicious! Almost done! I've got enough here to feed an army, I feel like we're going to have a visitor for dinner."
"I doubt they would be coming for dinner," yelled Rishu. "No one likes rabbit stew!"
"I like it," said Lena, with big eyes.
"You like anything that even remotely appears to be food," Rom said, arms on hips and mock-glaring. "I don't know how you stay so thin!"
"Maybe it's because she actually moves around, instead of sitting on her ass all day." Rishu stuck his tongue out at Rom, who tried to smack him. With an easy back roll, he got out of the way.
"Mr. Barott, will you play us a song?" Lena smiled at the gentle old man, Seren's friend. He grinned back and nodded. He went to the wagon and in a moment returned with his violin. Standing in the place between the raised stage, the side of the boarded wagon, and the first benches, he played.
Johvan, sitting in the audience, felt his tension release. Even though Barott wasn't playing for him, Johvan was still affected by his power to make the violin speak. Lena closed her eyes and listened, just content with the restful feeling of being done with traveling for the day, and the feeling of her protector by her side. Even feisty Rom and twitchy Rishu were calm, listening to the music of a forgotten land. Mel, by the fire, hummed quietly along, stirring the pot of stew in time to the beat of the song.
Soon, Barott's beautiful voice filled the air - a song about the wind, and how it travels over the sea.
O wind, where have you gone
Have you left this lowly man
O wind, are you over the sea
Have you forgotten your promise to me?
Tell me softly, o wind
whisper of the sea
wand'ring away from the land
flying underneath the stars
O wind, where have you gone?
Have you left this lowly man
O wind, are you over the sea
Have you forgotten your promise to me?
Tell me gently, o wind
stories of the sea
tell me how you ran from the land
and curled around the stars
How is it that the sea can roar
How is it that the tide can pull
How is it that the sirens call
and I can not be there?
O wind, where have you gone?
Have you left this lowly man
O wind, are you over the sea
Have you forgotten your promise to me?
O wind, where have you gone?
if it's to the sea, take me along -
O wind, are you over the sea?
if so, that is your promise to me.
The violin continued, and then it fell silent.