Daniel's face lights up when he sees that I've brought a guitar with me.

"So you do play?" He asks, rather enthusiastically. I incline my head to him.

"Well enough." I answer.

"May we hear?" He gestures to the mostly empty tavern around us. I glance around at patrons who're interested but trying to look like they're not, and sigh. Stars know I love performing.

"Fine." I say, striding to a table in the back by the hearth. Hook a chair with my ankle and drag it out to face the room. I place my open leather guitar sleeve on the floor in front of me and give Daniel a saucy, daring wink. What can I say? Performing for a crowd fills me with a heady, almost intoxicating feeling, kind of like battle does to Fal.

"I never perform without encouraging donations." I say, grinning. Daniel smiles widely back. There's some trepidation in his eyes, which I can understand. He's never heard me play before that I know of. For all he knows, I could be really awful.

Fortunately for him-- and for everybody else here, including me-- I'm good. Very good.

"Pick a song," I tell him. "Any song."

"Daisy in the Dell." He answers immediately.

I nod, smile, and start picking out the melody on the guitar strings, humming along quietly.

Oh, it's been too long since I last played. I've forgotten how much I love this.

After a minute, I start strumming the chords. Then I open my mouth and sing.

"Oh, the Daisy in the dell,

She's the girl I love so well,

And I'm hoping to build a home for her someday soon.

'Til then she canna be my bride,

So I'll roam the wildlands wide,

Gathering gold for th' brideprice as I sing her this tune.

When home I come, she greets me,

Embracing, kissing me sweetly,

As I wrap my arms about her waist and swing her joyfully 'round.

And there we lay in fields of green,

As we laugh and talk and dream,

And watch the timbers of our home rise as our spirits leave the ground.

Oh, the Daisy in the dell,

So long ago for her I fell,

And I vowed when we were children that this lovely lass I'd wed.

So home I come, and singing,

As the required gold I'm bringing,

And I swept her into my arms and I told her what I'd said.

And now she's dressed in white,

And its a beautiful, star-lit night,

As her daddy walks my Daisy down the aisle in the dell.

And I watch her coming toward me,

And they say the rest is history,

All I know is that I wedded my lovely Daisy who I love so very well.

All I know is I wedded my lovely Daisy in the dell."

What little crowd there is starts clapping not long after I start into the bouncy tune. One couple, a Dwarvish chap and his wife by the looks of it, get up and start dancing to the beat. Two other couples join them. For a few priceless minutes, the tavern rafters ring with the sound of music and laughter and whoops and feet tapping and hands clapping. Sheer joy, all of it. It wells up in me, nearly splitting my face off with the force of my grin. At the same time, I feel Fal's rush of pleasure. My joy grows.

The song ends, the last chords rippling out from my fingers on the strings.

Daniel leads the applause. I flush with pleasure, bow awkwardly in my seat.

"You are good!" The paladin says, grinning.

"Thank you." I tell him merrily.

"Another!" Someone shouts. I bow my head in acquiescence.

"Fine." I reply. "Any special requests?"

There are many. I play a lot of the songs I know, and some that I have to learn. But I've always learned quick, especially when it comes to music. The stuff is almost like lifeblood to me. It's one of the two things in my life that keep me sane.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

Riverman's Daughter, The Orcish Jaunt, Merry Lily, Dragon's Bane, The Ballad of Sir Alin, and Mireth's Bride are all plucked from my strings and voice, and before I know it, three more hours have passed, and the supper hour is upon us. The crowd has grown exponentially. My guitar case is heaped with copper and silver coins. I even see a gold winking up at me.

Well, my way is paid for the next month.

I lay aside my guitar and walk to the bar with Daniel. Order a venison steak and fried potatoes. Go to pay, but the barkeep waves away my coin.

"Ye've well earned it, ma'am." He says, smiling. It appears he likes music almost as much as I do. Daniel orders as well, and we sit together and eat, content in amiable silence.

Until three newcomers walk in the door, silhouetted in the westering sun.

An black-haired half-elf, a bronze-skinned tiefling, and an ash-blond elf the likes of whom I'd expect to see in the courts of the High Clan Chief, Hyrym himself. Armed all of them. The half-breed and the high elf are clad in leather armor, and it's scholar's robes for the horned one. They stand there for a moment, letting the door swing closed behind them. Survey the tavern slowly.

Daniel sees them, stands with a wide grin. He waves an arm.

"Over here, Raeldon!" He calls over the noisy hubbub of a taproom in the evening. The tiefling turns his head in our direction, nudges his companions and says something, then walks over trailing two stony-faced pointed-ears. Daniel stands as they stride up to us.

"Well met." He says, wrapping the tiefling in an embrace. The paladin clasps forearms with the high elf, and gives a courtly bow to the half-breed, who smiles, laughs, and embraces him instead. I watch them all, calm and neutral. Silent in the background. Observing. Assessing.

Calculating.

My well-trained mind is swiftly memorizing their weapons, armor quality and material, aura of confidence and power. Making plans accordingly just in case I have to take one or more of them down. Inside of the five minutes it takes for them to notice me, I have already formulated ten different ways I could kill each of them.

It's the high elf who finally locks eyes with my cool gaze.

"Who art thee?" He asks. Yep, definitely from the court of Hyrym. Though, he's maybe not been there in a while. His words are very High Court-ish, but his voice twangs with a bit of a rustic accent. It's amusing. I smile.

Daniel grasps my arm, pulling me to my feet and forward to meet his friends. This paladin is seriously happy. It's a bit disconcerting, to be frank. I've never seen anyone this overjoyed except over relatives and lovers. I wonder who these people are to him that he loves them so.

"This is Avalon." Daniel introduces us. "Avalon, the sage is Raeldon," he gestures to the tiefling, "the jewel among warriors is Eliana," here he gives a little bow in the half-elf's direction, "and this dashing rogue is Antony."

I give them all a polite nod.

"Charmed." I say. They all nod back.

"Avalon will be joining us in our quest." Daniel tells his group. They all narrow their eyes at me, but no one complains or protests. I'm impressed.

"Avalon saved my life last night." Daniel continues. "Killed a man to do it to."

He's lucky my orders weren't to kill him. If they had been, I would have stood aside and let the tiefling gut him. But, of course, I don't mention any of this.

Raeldon seems relieved at Daniel's safety. The other two look impressed.

"Thank you, my girl." The sage says, bowing in my direction.

"It was nothing." I brush off his thanks with a smile and a duck of my head. "I know what it is to be in the situation that Daniel was. I couldn't stand by."

Further threads of that conversation is aborted when Eliana catches sight of my guitar. She gives a little gasp and steps over to run her fingers down the neck of my instrument. Antony mirrors her. He seems just as happy with my simple guitar as Eliana does. Which is to say, very happy indeed. Elves and their music. I could almost shake my head, but for the fact that I love music just as much as they do.

"Dost thou play?" Antony asks fervently, handling my guitar with care. He picks it up and strums a chord.

"She plays very well indeed!" Laughs Daniel. "You should have been here when she had the whole tavern rollicking to The Smith's Reel!"

"Will you play again tonight?" Eliana turns to me with shining eyes. I can't help but grin in reply. But before I can answer, Daniel says,

"Not here. I mean to move out, get out of the city before dusk. Maybe around a fire when we make camp for the night."

Eliana groans. "We just got here, Daniel. I was looking forward to a real bed tonight. We've been on the road for days."

"And we will be for many more." Daniel is unrelenting. I admire him for that. "War waits for no man, Eliana. Or elf."

"Very well." The raven-haired half-elf acquiesces. Antony and Raeldon have made no comment yet. I think they knew they would not be staying here tonight. I get the idea that they have traveled extensively with Daniel before.

"Eat, quickly." The paladin tells his friends. "The sun lowers, and I do not wish to have another experience like last night." He shoots me a meaningful glance, and I smile.

"There is safety in numbers." I reply quietly. "Armed numbers."

We are all ready to leave within the hour. I heft on my knapsack, handling my guitar gently. Make sure my newly acquired stash of coin is out of sight and reach. Then I step outside the tavern with Daniel and his friends. The last rays of the setting sun shine into my eyes, and I lift my hand to shade them. Daniel reaches back behind me and flips my hood up. It works better than my hand.

"Thank you." I murmur in surprise.

It turns out, we will not be walking out of the city, even though I was prepared to do so. But Daniel's companions have brought horses. Or maybe Daniel already had one? Whatever the case, there is even a horse for me: a beautiful black mare with white socks a white blaze down her nose. I rub that blaze and cannot help but coo in delight despite myself.

Antony watches me with the animal, pleased.

"Does she have a name?" I ask him.

"Aelenoth." He replies. "'Tis means 'Shadow Friend'."

It suits her, and me.

We mount up and ride out, racing the sun out of the city.

We barely make it. We make camp for the night in a forest just three miles from Vezgaxur. Per Eliana's and Antony's requests, I treat them all to a round of songs before we sleep. Laughter abounds, even from Raeldon. Even from me. It's the happiest I've been among strangers in a very long time. A pang of grief strikes me as I think of how short-lived this will probably be. Of how it definitely would be if they knew who I really was.

I push the grief away, almost succeed. But not quite.

Morning is a gentler affair than the previous one. Through our bond, I can tell that Fal is almost deliriously happy. I wonder what about. Perhaps he's riding off of my emotions? I have no time to really wonder however, as Daniel passes out breakfast rations and we quickly get back on the trail.

It's midmorning, and I'm walking, leading Aelenoth behind me, when a burst of searing pain shoots through the twin bond. I gasp and clutch at my chest. Daniel, ahead of me, turns and steps to me, concern etched on his face. Antony, just behind me, does the same.

"Are you alright?" Daniel asks. "Blood and stars, I knew you were wounded last night!" He reaches for me.

It's not me who's wounded.

I drop my horse's reins and back away from Daniel's hands. He follows. My eyes are wide, my breath coming in gasps, pain pulses through my chest.

There's no time.

"I-- I'm sorry," I say. In an instant, my slate stone is in my hand.

"Home." I say, and my companions' astonished, worried faces fade to white.

I pop into the huge main courtyard of my brother's palace, smack-dab in the middle of a raging battle. I am just in time to catch Falkirk as he collapses backward into my arms, his face contorted in pain as his color bleaches. He's clutching at a short knife blade buried in his chest.