Mockingbird.
Yeah
I know sometimes things may not always make sense to you right now
But hey, what daddy always tell you?
Straighten up little soldier
Stiffen up that upper lip
What you crying about?
You got me.
Mockingbird. By Eminem.
Leliana walked into the tavern nestled in the courtyard of Skyhold. Looking around her she saw the 13 year old daughter of Cullen Rutherford and Makah Lavellan sitting alone at a table clutching a silver locket her father had given her. Recently the girl's parents had to leave due to lyrium ingestion that was tainted. Leliana felt sad for her because both of her parents were Templars and lyrium was bad if it was not managed properly. Luckily her parents would return from what Warden Alistair had told the spymaster about the two Templars. They were both recovering from blight-tainted lyrium at Weissahupt at a fast and grand rate. Grabbing a nearby lute Leliana sat down next to the girl and began to sing for her a song that was totally made up on the spot.
Hailie, I know you miss your mom, and I know you miss your dad
When I'm gone but I'm trying to give you the life that I never had
I can see you're sad, even when you smile, even when you laugh
I can see it in your eyes, deep inside you want to cry
'Cause you're scared, I ain't there?
Daddy's with you in your prayers
No more crying, wipe them tears
Daddy's here, no more nightmares
We gon' pull together through it, we gon' do it
Lainie Uncle's crazy, ain't he?
Yeah, but he loves you girl and you better know it
We're all we got in this world
When it spins, when it swirls
When it whirls, when it twirls
Two little beautiful girls
Lookin' puzzled, in a daze
I know it's confusing you
Daddy's always on the move, mamma's always on the news
I try to keep you sheltered from it but somehow it seems
The harder that I try to do that, the more it backfires on me
All the things growing up as daddy, that he had to see
Daddy don't want you to see but you see just as much as he did
We did not plan it to be this way, your mother and me
But things have got so bad between us
I don't see us ever being together ever again
Like we used to be when we was teenagers
But then of course everything always happens for a reason
I guess it was never meant to be
But it's just something we have no control over and that's what destiny is
But no more worries, rest your head and go to sleep
Maybe one day we'll wake up and this will all just be a dream
The girl smiled when she heard her name being sung and looked up at Leliana with a small smile on her face. Other patrons had gathered around the bard and listened to her sing to the Inquisitor's and Commander's daughter. Even Bard Maryam joined in at the chorus making the girl smile even bigger than before.
Now hush little baby, don't you cry
Everything's gonna be alright
Stiffen that upper lip up, little lady, I told ya
Daddy's here to hold ya through the night
I know mommy's not here right now and we don't know why
We feel how we feel inside
It may seem a little crazy, pretty baby
But I promise mama's gon' be alright
Hailie smiled when Leliana and Maryam mentioned her mother. Leliana continued to sing but this time she mentioned her father only as a normal man not the commander of an entire army. Smiling she let go of the silver locket and let it fall to just above the line of her blouse as she smiled and swayed back and forth to the song.
It's funny
I remember back one year when daddy had no money
Mommy wrapped the Christmas presents up
And stuck 'em under the tree and said some of 'em were from me
'Cause daddy couldn't buy 'em
I'll never forget that Christmas I sat up the whole night crying
'Cause daddy felt like a bum, see daddy had a job
But his job was to keep the food on the table for you and mom
And at the time every house that we lived in
Either kept getting broken into and robbed
Or shot up on the block and your mom was saving money for you in a jar
Tryna start a piggy bank for you so you could go to college
Almost had a thousand dollars 'til someone broke in and stole it
And I know it hurt so bad it broke your mamma's heart
And it seemed like everything was just startin' to fall apart
Mom and dad was arguin' a lot so momma moved back
On the Chalmers in the flat one bedroom apartment
And dad moved back to the other side of 8 Mile on Novara
And that's when daddy went to California with his CD and met Dr. Dre
And flew you and momma out to see me
But daddy had to work, you and momma had to leave me
Then you started seeing daddy on the T.V. and momma didn't like it
And you and Lainnie were too young to understand it
Papa was a rollin' stone, momma developed a habit
And it all happened too fast for either one of us to grab it
I'm just sorry you were there and had to witness it first hand
Cause all I ever wanted to do was just make you proud
Now I'm sitting in this empty house, just reminiscing
Lookin' at your baby pictures, it just trips me out
To see how much you both have grown, it's almost like you're sisters now
Wow, I guess you pretty much are and daddy's still here
Lainnie I'm talkin' to you too, daddy's still here
I like the sound of that, yeah
It's got a ring to it don't it?
Shh, mama's only gone for the moment
Hailie frowned at the mention of her younger sibling who had passed away due to the flu she was only four months old. But mentioning her younger sister made her smile because to her and everyone else she was alive in their hearts. Leliana resumed singing the final part but was abruptly cut off by a familiar deep voice behind her.
And if you ask me to
Daddy's gonna buy you a mockingbird
I'mma give you the world
I'mma buy a diamond ring for you
I'mma sing for you
I'll do anything for you to see you smile
And if that mockingbird don't sing and that ring don't shine
I'mma break that birdie's neck
I'll go back to the jeweler who sold it to ya
And make him eat every carat don't fuck with dad (ha ha)
Hailie jumped up and over the table and ran into the arms of her mother and father causing everyone in the tavern to cheer in happiness. Makah looked up at Leliana with the expression of sincere gratitude.