The man sounded amused, but he also sounded like he was picking his words carefully.
I felt a sudden surge of fear. Tally didn’t look much calmer. But then she straightened up to her full height of about 4’11 and hobbled confidently around the bend, leaning heavily on her cane. As she went, she pinched me on the arm and shook her head. I got the message and stayed hidden.
“Ah, hello, Grandmother. Won’t you take a seat?” He sounded polite. His use of the word grandmother threw me off briefly, but I figured it was probably a term of respect or endearment.
“No, thank you. What’s your name?” Tally was clearly trying to hold back some of her usual bluntness and failing miserably. He laughed, and it was the kind of laugh that makes otherwise level-headed folks like myself reach for words like ‘scintillating’.
“Ha! Well, you can call me Denisto, but if you like, you can call me by my other names. 'The bard', 'mother’s little boy', or even 'the criminal'. For the record, the last one is actually inaccurate. People just see sharp teeth and assume the worst. What’s your name? And secondly, what’s the name of the other who’s still hiding in the tunnel?”
His accent was the first thing I registered. Somehow both posh and lackadaisical. Then I noticed the actual content of his speech and froze where I stood. His back had been to me, I was sure of it. How did he know I was there? Tally spoke again, voice wavering.
“My name is Tally. I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.”
“What?” He sounded genuinely confused .“You mean you didn’t know you had a kid tagging along right behind you? I mean, they can be sneaky little bastards, sure, but-”
It would be silly to stay hidden and he seemed nice enough, so I stepped around the bend. The warmth of the fire struck me immediately, and I could practically feel my clothes steaming. Tally just looked resigned. The man grinned brightly at me.
He did, indeed, have a full mouth of gleaming sharp teeth like a shark. He also had crimson locs that fell to his shoulders and little black horns. His eyes were almost the same shade of red as his hair, but his skin was just a medium brown- somewhat lighter than mine.
“Hi,” he said gently. “Would you like to sit by the fire?”
I relaxed a little bit. He seemed genuinely sweet, and the fire was wonderful. I looked at Tally, and she shrugged. I sat down next to the instrument he was carrying. It was like a guitar, but heavier and rounder, made from unfinished wood. There were a few floral carvings on the side of it. It looked old.
“Lute,” he said. “Care to hear a song?” I expected Tally to dismiss this, but instead, she nodded eagerly.
“Um, sure,” I said. His face lit up like a little kid’s.
“Great! Are you more a fan of ballads, lullabies, mystics, dancing music, or theatrics?” His hands flitted about in the air as he spoke like little brown birds. “You can tell a lot about someone by what music they like. Personally, I love all of it.”
He lowered his hands and grabbed the lute in a way that was both impatient and tender, propping it up on his knee.
It all sounded interesting. But I couldn’t ask him to play everything, so I chose the one that sounded the best.
“A mystic.”
Denisto’s smile somehow grew even wider, and he tapped on the wood four times before playing the first note.
I didn’t know quite enough about music to describe what was happening, but it sounded weird. The notes he was plucking out sounded discordant on their own, but his voice slotted them together just enough to make a coherent melody. It sounded like a plaintive wordless cry and the wail of wind all at once.
His fingers started to glow a deep purple on the strings, showering sparks on the ground around his feet. The sparks turned into butterflies. He didn’t react.
His eyes were closed. Surely he had to know his eyelids were turning translucent? There was a flurry of scented rose petals taking flight from his arms, whipping about as if on a breeze.
I looked at Tally. She was watching him with curiosity, but not fear. This settled my nerves a little, and I turned back to him. His hands moved up and down the neck of the lute.
“Pause,” Tally commanded. He immediately stopped, looking up with wide eyes. The firelight made them look like living pools of molten rock. “Introduce yourself properly.”
I felt a little twinge of second hand embarrassment.
He grinned. “You first.” The last note petered out, and the resulting silence was tense. Tally’s shoulders were hunched and she inclined her head towards me.
She said nothing, but I suddenly felt something like armor coat my skin, heavy and cold. I looked down, but there was nothing there. A spell, maybe.
Denisto let the moment stretch until it was just about unbearable before relenting. “Well then. I guess a host should be forthcoming, hm? I’ve given you my names. I don’t know what else to tell you,” he said.
That annoyed me, and I sat up straighter. It didn’t seem fair to me that he should be so tight-lipped, considering he was probably more of a threat to us than we were to him. At least that’s what it looked like to me.
“Don’t hedge,” I interjected. The protection spell had perhaps bolstered my confidence. Both of the adults looked at me, somewhat surprised.
“Alright. I’m Denisto Fraghrant. I’m a traveling musician and I tend to make friends with the wrong people.” He gave us a pointed glance. “I have a little magic. Now it’s your turn.”
“Not quite. Why are you here? A quest?” Tally asked.
“I wander. Saw the mountain, got caught in the storm,” he replied, not missing a beat. Tally looked satisfied with this, but I suddenly remembered the deer creature in the forest and squinted at his neck.
“And how do we know you’re telling the truth?” I asked. It was hard to see in the dark cave. He huffed.
“Gods, you’re awfully suspicious for a kid. I won’t deny that I could lie to you if I really wanted, but I don’t even know who you are.” Denisto paused. “A tragedy that I’m still waiting to hear rectified, by the by,” he added.
“Alright then. I’m Amara Colano.” I hesitated here, unsure what to add.
What even was I? Certainly not someone who fit into this world. An impulsive kid who liked books? An average student? A daughter?
“Go on,” he prodded, leaning forward eagerly. Tally looked seconds away from throttling him.
“I’m a freshman in high school- wait, is that not-” I cut myself off, realizing rather belatedly that they probably had no idea what that meant. Denisto opened his mouth and I spoke again hurriedly. “I mean I’m fourteen. Uh…” I searched frantically for something to say that would distract him.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
“A freshman? What school? Are you a wizard or something?” he asked. Tally’s lips were pursed tightly and her fingers tapped on her leg. Her claws were out.
“Um, I’m not a wizard,” I clarified, beginning to sweat. “It’s… a term. Where I come from, that is.”
“And where do you come from?” he pressed.
“Far away,” I said, unable to give a better answer. Unwilling. He watched me.
“Why are you wearing someone else’s clothes?” he asked. “What journey are you on?”
I sighed and decided to just be forthcoming. He didn’t have a knife, at any rate. “I’m… from a different world, I guess. I just woke up here with no possessions. Well, in the moss fields. Tally’s been taking care of me. We’re trying to find Death, whatever that means.”
“Yep,” Tally added matter-of-factly.
Denisto smiled again. “Ah. Death. She’s a difficult one to find nowadays, isn’t she?” He strummed reflexively on his lute, and the fire leapt higher for a split second.
“Would you know anything about that, then?” Tally asked.
He faltered. “I… I suppose not about the magic binding her, no. I have as little idea as anyone else as to what happened. Not much stake in the matter either, if I’m being honest. I just let the wind decide where it wants to take me.” He drummed his fingers restlessly, and a discordant noise fell from the muted strings.
I thought for a moment. This is a story world, right? I think I know what to do here.
“I know your type,” I mused. “Blown by the wind, right? Probably willing to help us if you have no other commitments.”
Denisto looked startled for a moment, and then a wide grin spread across his face. “Well, I’m certainly interested now!”
“Amara, that was rather forward,” Tally said.
I felt a little smug. We were gonna have a magician’s help! “Well, it’s either forward or backward.”
Denisto’s laugh was loud and ringing. “You little smart-aleck! Gods, if there wasn’t sufficient incentive before, that would do it right there. Obviously, I want to tag along. I’ve got magic enough to be of some help if that’s what you’re looking for. If you just want company, I’ll be happy enough to provide that too,” he said happily.
Tally gaped for a moment. “What, do I not get a say?”
“Oh, of course you do,” I hastily amended. “Sorry. What do you think?”
Denisto’s eyes darted between the two of us, his knuckles going pale around the neck of the lute. That was the only outward sign of anything other than utter confidence. His back was straight and his smile never wavered. Tally sat quietly for a second, drumming her fingers (paw?) on her thigh.
“Well. He seems harmless enough, and willing to help… if he can make himself useful, then I guess I don’t see why not. But Amara, you’ve gotta slow down a little. You can’t just invite people along willy-nilly, you hear me?” she said.
“But it wasn’t willy-nilly,” I protested, feeling stung. “I did the same analysis you did, just faster!”
Denisto poorly muffled a snort. I wasn’t sure whether to feel proud or embarrassed at his amusement.
“Oh, all right,” Tally said indulgently. “Say, how about another song? I want some dancing music, or a ballad if you’ve got one.”
“I’ve got everything, grandmother. How about I play something I’ve been working on recently?” He shifted his left hand halfway down, animated fingers twitching at the strings. Tally nodded, and the music started.
This song tasted like cinnamon. I had no other way to describe the warmly spiced sequences of notes that he coaxed out of his instrument. This time his singing had words, and they went thus:
Oh, there was a medicine girl
She longed to go and see the world
When it came to her instead
The world she courted, then she wed.
And they danced all night
and they danced all night
and they danced till the sun came home.
And the world, when he came to her
Had a crown of fire
He glowed and swept her off her feet
Gave her his love entire.
And they danced all night
And they danced all night
And they danced till the sun came home.
A wandering man was this world
He gave her stolen gold and pearls
They married in secret in the night
Under his halo-fire-light.
And they danced all night
And they danced all night
And they danced till the sun came home.
And the world’s name was the devil-king
But his smile was warm as a human man’s
And his child she knew that she would bring
So that is why they danced.
And they danced all night
And they danced all night
And they danced till the sun came home.
Now the father left, and the son did too
The woman in the village knew
The boy, he was a wandering man
Doomed to float
As half-breeds can.
And they danced all night
And they danced all night
And they danced till the sun came home.
His playing stopped. There’d been no magic other than the magic of a good song, and his head hung over the instrument, cradling it with his arms. He looked almost sleepy, his eyes fluttering shut. For a long moment, there was quiet broken only by the sound of the crackling fire.
“So. Yeah. That’s what I have so far,” he said sheepishly.
Tally breathed out. “That’s real pretty, there.” He gave her a quick smile.
I was barely paying attention. I was feeling quite sleepy myself, the exhaustion in my bones, the warmth of the fire, and the lulling song combining as a powerful sedative. I made a suggestion.
“Can we sleep now?” I whispered to Tally, not wanting to offend Denisto. She nodded.
“I think it’s about time to turn in, but thank you for the music, young man,” she said to Denisto.
“Oh! Of course. I didn’t mean to keep you up,” he said apologetically, putting away his lute. “And I don’t know how well they’ll fit, but I’ve got some extra tunics if you want to let your clothes dry by the fire. That can’t be comfortable.” He loosely indicated our still-damp clothing.
“That would be great, thank you,” I replied, already tugging at my shirt, which had gotten the worst of the deluge. The chemise underneath hadn’t fared much better, and I was freezing despite the warmth of the cave. Tally followed suit as Denisto tossed two tunics in our general direction and turned his back.
What he’d said was true enough. The garment was ill-fitting. But his lankiness made it more like a loose nightdress than anything else. The shoulders were barely wider than my normal clothes. And most importantly, it was clean and dry.
“Thank you again,” I said since Tally wasn’t bothering to, yawning widely instead.
“No problem. You guys done?” he asked. Tally hummed in affirmation. Denisto turned around. “Anything else you two need?”
“I think we’re good,” I replied sleepily, already scoping out the cave to see if there was a comfy piece of rock to lie on. With a warm smile, Tally gave me a blanket. I nodded and set about making some sort of bed.
“Goodnight, and sleep well. Don’t let in the fig-feeders,” Denisto said pleasantly. Tally chuckled. I lay down and got as comfortable as I could, deciding I really didn’t care what fig-feeders were.
In the minutes before I finally fell asleep I heard whispers. I was too tired to wonder what they were.