The next day, Mariel, Saya and Casindire joined up just outside the temple doors. Having spent the early morning grooming themselves and taking with them what they needed. Saya appeared last, and her appearance was back to normal. Her hair was freshly washed, combed and she had a fine scent of soap and cleanliness about her, a stark contrast to her previously unkempt appearance.
The streets were filled with people, all making final adjustments to decorations, clearing away dirt and getting things into place. On their way to the tavern, they passed by a large procession forming up with gigantic rolling wooden platforms. Upon the platforms stood impressions of common farm animals, baskets of fruits and dedications to the gods. Musicians and performers were rehearsing in a strange cacophony of voices, music and the beating of hammers.
Arriving at the tavern, they found it too decked out for the occasion, with an extensive menu covering most harvestable crops, and some choice seasonal meals. Flags and drapings of many colours and patterns swayed in the gentle wind.
“There you are! Let’s hurry! We want to be at Grindstone Plaza early to get some good spots!”
They headed inside and up the stairs. The storeroom had been cleaned, and three tall mirrors had been brought in, along with a strange crate.
“So, who wants to get dressed first?” Welidia smiled and looked at them in turn.
“I’ll go first.” Saya stepped forward. “If I should scream, you’d do best to run.”
“Pff.. I’m not going to do you any harm… But hey, this is fine by me.”
Mariel and Casindire hurriedly went back outside the room and shut the door behind them. Immediately they began listening in. Some muffled arguments were exchanged. Followed by a strange whistling noise, and some shuffling. A long silence followed. At last, they heard Welidia’s voice from inside. “Ah… It’s, done! Come on in!”
Mariel pushed the door open to find Saya standing behind Welidia, with a sharp knife placed against her throat.
“Let her go!” Mariel hurried over and took the knife.
“She did… Unseemly things!” Saya growled. “I should slay this… Deviant!”
“No. Please. Let her go.”
“Keep your hands to yourself, or you’ll find out what it feels like to lose them.” Saya whispered before releasing Welidia, whom immediately made for the door, only to be blocked by Casindire whom smiled, shook her head and turned her gently around.
“I… It was necessary… How else would we get your shirt on?” She stammered.
Mariel shook her head and sighed. “Okay. I’ll take Saya outside now.”
As soon as they got outside the room, Mariel could take in Saya’s appearance in full: the dress fit her perfectly, and she had by appearance left her ranger look for one of a refined young noble daughter.
“You look, wonderful in that.” Her words made Saya’s anger disappear in an instant.
“I… Normally don’t wear this… The cloth is heavy, and hard to move in… These shoes too… They have heels. I hate heels.” She looked away in embarrassment. “But, I’m happy you think I look nice… I ‘m sure you’ll be absolutely stunning.”
Just then, a burst of laughter emerged from under the door. The usual shuffling of clothes, and some muffled exchanges of words.
A short time later, Casindire emerged, looking refreshed, very happy and wearing the dress like she had done so all her life.
“So? How does it look on me? Is it nice? It feels really nice!” Casindire spun on her heels, giving a slight flutter to the skirt.
“If you were to move past a group of ten, all would turn to look at you.” Mariel nodded approvingly. Her comment made Casindire’s face turn a shade of red, and she tried to hide her skittish smile.
“That’s sweet of you to say! But, now it’s your turn! Go on!”
Mariel entered the storeroom with Welidia, and removed her clothes. The cold room caused her skin to reveal goosebumps. A tinge of shame made her cover herself up, but to her reassurance, Welidia remained completely unfazed by her appearance, focused more on making last minute touches to her dress. She was ordered to stand still while Welidia flew around her, putting on the individual garments, checking for faults and appreciative nods. The cold she felt gradually disappeared, and she soon felt slightly warm. Welidia finished up the last bits of her outfit, and then began picking out some choice silver finery from the small lockbox. The result was nothing short of stunning: The outfit sat neatly on her body, though somewhat heavy, she appreciated immensely and felt fantastic wearing it.
“I admit… I was expecting nice, but you’ll certainly draw a lot of attention… What do you think yourself?”
“I’m… I don’t have the words… I’ve never worn anything like this before… Sure I know some nice dresses, but…” Mariel kept turning around, taking in her appearance from every angle while her face glowed with her impression.
“Heh, stunned to silence… I like that.” Welidia nodded, smirking with satisfaction. “Now go show yourself off to your friends while I put on my own.”
“Need any help?”
“No, but thanks for asking… Just wait outside, and I’ll be down in a little bit… Oh, and by the way…” She fell silent, wanting to say something but resigning herself to silence. “Nevermind.”
Mariel took a deep breath, and opened the door. The surprise was visible on Saya’s face, and Casindire appeared very eager to hear an appraisal. Saya thought for a moment of her words.
“Cassy, think of her… As the most beautiful thing you have ever seen… Standing alone among a vast field of green, with the sun reflecting off drops of morning dew, causing a sparkle, with a gentle breeze causing but a faint flutter of her dress…”
Casindire’s face lit up, and she very eagerly leant forward, doing everything one might expect of an appraisal, of only for the sake of appearance. “It must look absolutely fabulous… Do you like it Mariel?”
“I absolutely love it! And thank you for relating my appearance Saya, you make me blush!”
Saya nodded and looked away, trying to find something on the wall to fix her attention on.
“And your friend?”
“She’s putting on her own and told us to wait outside.”
The three exchanged meaningful nods, and headed outside to the noise of merrymaking. The street in front of the tavern was packed with people, all displaying dresses of the same type, but with an endless amount of variations, finery and colours. The festive mood continued as strangers made acquaintances, ladies shared gossip and young children kept dragging their parents along with an impatience for play that only a child could find.
A group passing by in matching clothes talked loudly, but as they passed by Mariel and the others, they lowered their voices. In hushed whispers and glances over their shoulder they walked away.
“We stand out… Mariel, I think you’d be better off leaving us on our own… This is your chance to experience what it’s like to blend into a crowd…” Casindire nodded to Saya’s comment, and they both turned to her expectantly for her thoughts.
“I’m not going to abandon you to fit in… What’s wrong with you two?”
“We didn’t really think you would, but we decided we owed you the option.” Casindire smiled. “We meant no offense.”
“None taken, but I’m surprised you would even suggest it? With the whole not leaving me alone thing going on?”
“I didn’t like the plan one bit, but Cassy persuaded me you deserved to be offered the chance.” Saya placed her hand gently on Casindire’s shoulder.
“Hey! You were supposed to back me up on this!” She began pouting.
“Sorry Cassy, but you know that I can’t back such an awful idea… Not that I would let you go on your own either.”
They spent a moment looking at each other before sharing a friendly laugh. At that moment, Welidia emerged from the tavern in a dress different from theirs, with different patterns and colours.
“Okay, you look about ready to run out of here, let’s go!”
They continued down to the end of the street, and turned the corner, zigzagging through the crowd. Everywhere around them were inhabitants, talking and enjoying the moment. They followed the flow of the crowd, until they emerged out onto a big, but equally full square. From the top of the steps overlooking the square sitting in a small depression, they could see the sea of people. At the back of the square, before a huge statue of a knight wielding a fiery sword was a large wooden stage. Along the edges of the square were areas divided out by ropes and each dedicated to some form of activity or competition. At a distance, Mariel could make out amongst other things, spaces dedicated to spear toss, various measured-up tracks for races, and even a pit for wrestling, and a big wooden pole, with strange bundles at the top.
“Seems like we’re late… We could stay here and watch what goes on, or we could move closer if you want to hear?” Welidia summed up their options and looked at them each in turn for their thoughts.
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“What’s to hear?” Casindire was first to speak.
“You know, the usual stuff like welcome, how do you do? Vysanneh’s blessings on you… Oh! And not to forget, enjoy the festivities?”
Just then, a booming voice resounded through the square, calling all present to silence. Upon the stage, a wealthy-looking male stepped forth.
“Welcome citizens of Bleirenvasten!”
“Oh, nice… Seems like they finally figured out how to amplify speech.”
“Now, I would like to take a moment to reassure you all! This year, our harvest is the largest ever! Thanks to that, our stores are full and we’ll face the coming winter, better prepared than ever before!” The crowd began to cheer and applaud. With a wave of his hand, the speaker quieted them.
“But! I want us all, to take a moment… For some of you in this crowd today… The festivities are tinged with red… Some of you, have lost family or friends, to the menace haunting our countryside! I would like us all, to offer a moment of our time in honour of those who have been murdered!”
Silence fell over the square, barely the rustle of falling leaves could be heard. Around them, people were offering up prayers, or remaining silent.
“Thank you, friends. I have spoken to some victims, and they insisted it should not put a dampener on our celebration… I decided to call you to silence despite of that. For now, feel free to have a look at our stands, join a competition, play games and eat good food! When the city bell tolls, there will be entertainment here on stage, and as soon as the sun has gone down, join us for the grand fireworks display! Also! Please consider leaving a donation for oHHur ever-valiant city guard, who are out in strength to ensure a safe and happy occasion! Please, enjoy!”
The crowd began splitting up, seeking out whatever personal fancy prevailed.
Mariel and company walked down the steps, and entered the crowd. Out of interest, Mariel directed them all towards the strange wooden pole. Approaching the site, they found the massive wooden trunk was standing in the middle of a large basin dug into the ground. The hole was filled with water, with a small wooden plank extended out towards the pole.
“First contender! Step forth!” An announcer shouted, and a young, fit male with blue hair stepped forth wearing nothing but a simple set of cotton pants. The bystanders began cheering as he stepped out onto the plank and took hold of the pole.
“So… What’s the… Point?” Mariel whispered to Welidia, whom smiled.
“Wait and see.”
The young male gripped around the pole, and began to climb it with slow, measured movements. The plank beneath him was retracted and he was left on his own, working his way slowly up the pole.
Two-and a half meters up the seven-meter pole, he began to slow down, and suddenly began slipping. With a gasp from the crowd he let go of the pole and fell into the water, creating a large splash which drenched the front rows of people, to loud screams.
“Mm, not bad…” Welidia nodded.
“What happened?”
“He fell… You see, the point is to climb the pole. But, it’s been thoroughly sanded and rubbed in some potent grease… You see there at the top? Each of those bundles contain a small cache of silver, and a receipt with a random number. If a contestant can climb the pole and untie a bundle, he can exchange the receipt for something.”
“Such as?”
“Expensive clothing, high-quality food, bundles of tools, or even farm animals…” She looked towards the top. “But it’s not like it’s simple to climb it… The awards are, worthwhile.”
“You’ve done it before?”
“Once. Didn’t quite make it.”
They watched as another contender stepped up to the challenge. After roughly two meters, he too took the plunge into the water.
The third contender whom stepped up was a young boy. To a deepening silence, he grabbed hold of the pole, and began the climb. The first meter went, then the second, up, and up he went. The crowd was quiet, but tense with anticipation. As he neared the top, the silence was replaced by a growing amount of cheering. Finally, the boy reached the top, and using his legs, he secured himself tightly before starting to undo the binds on one of the bundles. The onlookers roared with applause and shouts of praise as the boy threw one of the bundles down, and with one look to the sky, jumped into the water. The cascade of water caused a splash that even Mariel, at the very back, could not avoid, catching a few drops herself.
Saya, who had been relating to Casindire the dramatic scene in detail, sighed and suggested they move along. They continued walking between the various areas, taking in the sights, and watching the many competitions. At the small racetrack, the others talked Welidia into participating in an egg race. After an exciting run, she ended up second, and chose a small collection of thread for her sewing kit as a prize.
The next visited site was a singing contest. Despite some initial hesitation, Casindire rose to the challenge. The judges were all raising their eyebrows upon seeing her signing up, but she convinced them to let her participate, to please her mistress. One song later, and Casindire won by a solid margin, even the most hard-faced judge had drawn a curt smile. Her right to choose a prize was forfeited to Mariel, but she merely deferred the decision back to Casindire. In the end, she went with a small, unassuming leather-bound notebook after some consideration of her options.
Having just finished watching a duelling competition which Mariel had desperately tried to convince the others to partake in. They heard the city bells tolling. A red curtain had been drawn across the stage, and to a fanfare of trumpets the curtains were pulled apart to reveal an orchestra.
As the orchestra began to play, the hushed whispers returned, and the crowd began to form a semi-circle in front of the stage. The main instruments lined up were fiddles, droned zithers, goat horns and mouth harps. The tune being played was a merry one, but strangely had a mystic feel to it, as if steeped in traditions and honed for generations. In the open space formed, three pairs of dancers entered, and put on a performance for the crowd, which soon clapped their hands in unison to the tune.
“It looks fun.” Of the three, Saya appeared to be the one most interested.
“You like to dance? Want to try it?” Welidia grinned.
“No! I mean… I imagine you need a lot of practice for this.”
“Eh, a year maybe?”
“Shh, quiet you two, Cassy is enjoying herself so turn it down.” Mariel pointed to Casindire, whom stood perfectly still. From her posture and intense concentration, it was clear to them all she was absorbing every note in the music.
They remained in place until the music ended to a roaring applause from the crowd. The dancers disappeared into the crowd and the open area slowly began to fill with couples. The music resumed, and the dancing resumed.
“Hey, why don’t we go get something to eat? You should give the local cuisine a try.” Welidia gently began dragging Casindire and Mariel along with her, with Saya tailing close behind. She dragged them towards a small side street furnished into a big outdoor café. As they came closer, the smell of rich stews and fried meat and fish filled the air. Lined up along both sides of the street were stalls heavily laden with jars of jam, fine dried meats, a myriad of pastries and bread. Big barrels of ale and wine were tapped regularly to serve the many thirsty throats having taken seat near one of the many tables. A cacophony of conversation mixed with the clatter of eating utensils and shouts for refills.
After a while of waiting, a table opened and they hurriedly occupied it. Immediately, one of the waiters came over to them at handed them each a piece of paper with the available food and drink written on it.
“I should have enough, so just pick something! My treat!” Welidia smiled.
“I’ll pay too for my friends; it would be unfair after all you’ve done for us to take the whole bill.”
“If you insist, I’m not going to say no.”
They each chose from the menu and placed their order. Mariel decided on a soup with meatballs, mutton, carrots and potatoes. Saya requested a small serving of wine and an assorted selection of cheese, bread and jam. Welidia spent some time explaining the menu to Casindire, and the two finally decided on fried fish with potatoes and vegetables.
In due time, the food arrived, and they began eating, while talking about their experiences. The discussion was mainly dominated by Casindire, going on about minor details and how many sour notes the musicians had made during the performance. Saya kept eating in silence, sampling everything she had ordered before finally settling on wheat bread, spread with cloudberry jam. Intermittently, Welidia and Mariel got to discuss dancing and sharing some experiences with dance.
The sun was just about to set when they finished eating and paying for the experience. Upon the city wall they had seen guards carrying crates and cylinders. They began to head for the steps, to find a place to sit and watch the fireworks together. A small squad of guards passed by, and one of them broke off and approached them.
“Oh, hi Charne! Still on duty?” Welidia hurried over to give him a hug.
“Watching you is a duty in itself… Ah, Mariel! You’re here too. You look stunning!” He smiled, and she returned one of her own.
“And you two are?” He cast a suspicious look in Casindire and Saya’s direction.
“They’re friends! But officially they’re Mariel’s handmaidens, so that you won’t get any trouble.” Welidia interjected.
“Okay, I won’t even ask… Oh, and by the way Mariel, in six weeks’ time we’re having the duel, I just settled the time and date for it. We’ll discuss it in more detail later, so make sure you enjoy yourself.”
Just then, one of the other guards requested some backup, and Charne hurriedly excused himself and left them.
“And now good people! We draw to the end of the festivities!” The announcer’s voice boomed once more, as the first stars began to be visible on the steadily darkening night sky.
“I would like to thank you all for turning up and celebrate with us, in a short time, the fireworks display will begin! We ask your patience and understanding as we make the final preparations!”
“Hey Saya? Could you do me a favour?” Casindire asked out of the blue, producing her small leather-bound notebook.
“Sure, what do you need Cassy?”
“Ink… And a quill… Or maybe some charcoal.”
“Ah, sure… I’ll go see if anyone’s selling some.” Saya stood up and headed back down the steps after being given a few coins from Mariel.
“So, I’m curious… No offense, but what do you need it for? I mean… Do you write?” Welidia asked, trying to avoid any snarky undertones.
“You’ll see… Hopefully.”
Saya soon returned and were handed the notebook. She sent a worried look to the others, before opening the notebook.
“What do you want me to write?”
“Ah, no. Please draw the fireworks in the notebook… Watch it, and then draw it from memory in it. Would you do that for me?”
“Sure thing.” Saya shrugged.
Just then, a fanfare announced the start of the fireworks display. Loud screeching was followed by an explosion of light in the sky, followed by a spectacular bang. Explosions of a multitude of colours and nuances contrasted the sky. Depictions of flowers, of animals and even a sheaf of wheat flashed up and disappeared. Sparks of rain, a flash bright as sunlight formed into a rapidly fading image of the stylized sun. After a while which felt like mere moments, the show ended to thunderous applause from the crowd.
In the following murmur, they turned their attention to Saya, whom was sketching a spectacular collection of the finest fireworks in the leather-bound notebook. After some adjustments, and some fitting embellishments, she announced the completion to Casindire and handed over the book.
Casindire held her hand over the open page, and a strange, teal glow began to pulse from the drawn page.
“This… Is it! I finally found one! After one hundred and eighty-three fakes…” Tears began to trickle down her cheeks. “It is beautiful… I remember now what it looks like…”
“What’s happening?” Mariel whispered to Saya whom thought for a moment before answering.
“I, can only guess, but I assume that is one of the vision notebooks created by a lunatic named Kaldrian… Kalrian’s epiphanies people call them back home… He made about sixteen of them before disappearing for good.”
“Yes, before you make a grimace Mariel, my master did make those.” Siah, whom had remained quiet throughout the day, whispered to her.
“I see… So, she can experience things with her mind?”
“In a way… But the pages are limited, so to a blind person, each of them are precious beyond measure, and act as anchors to remember particularly wonderful or memorable moments.” Saya shook her head. “To think that she would buy that many fakes… She must have really believed.”
The teal glow slowly dissipated, and a peaceful, quite moved expression settled in on Casindire’s face.
“Thank you Saya… And all of you. I finally found one… I can’t believe I had to go through this much, but being here, in this moment and being able to remember the beauty of fireworks… It’s all worth it.” All four joined together in an embrace, Welidia hesitated but was dragged into it by Saya whom for a moment stopped considering her a liability. People who walked past stared and mumbled but in that moment, they all felt a budding friendship, bridging doubt and suspicion, heritage and birth.