I've written this one as a conglomerate between myself and my friend Lady_Finola. It's a fictional backstory to our online faction on the game perfect world. There will be several chapters of this.

Feel free to let me know what you think.

~Umi

SilentSong
Empty notes of the soul that drift among the wind...

The notes of the simple flute drifted in the wind, beautiful and yet empty, filled with heart yet with something missing. Slender fingers flew across the bamboo that seemed to hum and glow mysteriously. With a sigh the melody disappeared into the trees and all was silent for a moment before the trees began to rustle in the breeze. It was said that if the Flute of the Soul was played by the right musician, all went still and listened to the piercing and majestic notes of the flute. It was said that the notes were the key to every being's soul. This is where it all began, in a hidden sanctuary of a mysterious forest.

I lost myself in the music, listening to the slow trickle of the stream, underneath the cool shade of the ancient trees. I played an old tune that my mother taught me when I was young, before she came. Before everything changed. The notes were weaved together like one does to create a basket and it seemed as if everything stopped to listen to the tune.

The song of a young soldier and a young woman who fell in love and for lived happily for 98 days and nights. The soldier was called to arms on the 99th night so she made him promise he would be back for the 100th day. Fate did not shine upon the soldier, he died at the stroke of midnight, the beginning their promised day. The widow cried rivers of tears and drowned in her sorrow.
There my thoughts were interrupted by a rustle of leaves as something passed my secret clearing. A soft voice, light and young, began to sing in accompaniment to my flute. My fingers halted their movements, and i pulled the flute from my mouth, my eyes searching through the thick trees.
Nothing seemed amiss, the trees would have warned me if there was danger from this voice, surely. However, first one tree, then another began to shake as though in an intense wind, though not a whisper of breeze could be felt. I gathered my flute into my arms and cursed my luck. From the opposite end of the clearing, there was a creature parting the underbrush between two ancient oaks. It's snout came first, then it's pale grey-blue head. I knew immediately what sort of creature this was. A forest wolfkin wasn't a particularly strong Wraith creature, but for an unarmed person, they were surely deadly. I noticed the voice had stopped, which meant a person who could have been a source of aid had moved on. I was alone in the woods.
The creature approached me, it's eyes glinting with an evil light. I shut my own eyes, not wanting to see death as it rushed for me. I heard it leap, but the feel of ripping teeth and claws I expected did not come. Cautiously, I allowed myself to open my eye, just a crack. A tall person-a man- stood with his back to me. He wore green hunter's cloth, edged with a silver stitching. (you know like the dearskin armor in PW) Around his head was a green fabric, that looked like a cloak. I was sure it covered his entire face.
He was carrying a huge pole axe, held in both hands to support its weight. The wolf had backed off, pacing, watching. The man stepped forward, and lashed out with his weapon. He missed the first time, but dodged the wolf's retaliating lunge. His second strike hit home, and the wolf burst into dust, as all Wraith do when destroyed.
The man turned to me, slightly winded.
"Thank...Thank you." I said, "I didn't expect anyone to come."
He nodded. "I heard you play and came to investigate. You are far to beautiful to play such a sad song, you know." his voice was slightly muffled by his head wrap. "Of course, i expect payment for my services." he added, reaching out a heavily gloved hand to me.
I stared at him in shock, taking his hand almost automatically.
"You want a tip?" I breathed incredulously.
"If you cannot pay me, perhaps just the pleasure of knowing your name will suffice." he offered, pulling me to my feet. From the tone of his voice, I could tell that beneath that head wrap he was grinning.
"I am called SilentSong. Who, pray tell, are you?" I asked, peering at his covered face intently. I thought I caught a glimpse of a slitted eye in the folds of the cover, but I wasn't sure.
"My name is Muthyis." he said shortly. "Is your village nearby? I can take you there before I continue on my way."
I frowned at him. "You know, It's really disconcerting to speak to a person when you cannot see their face." I told him, reaching a hand up to his head cover. His hand lashed out, grabbing my wrist. I winced at the tightness of his grip. Immediately, he released my hand and backed away, out of my reach. "I should go..." his voice was heavy with guilt.
"At least let me see your face. Or I'll follow you out of here and take it off myself." I told him stubbornly. He sighed resignedly. "You're a persistent one, aren't you?"
"That's me. Stubborn as a mule. Now take that thing off." I ordered pridefully.
He let out another sigh, before reaching up to untangle his head wrap. As the layers pulled away, realization dawned upon her. Now she knew why he'd kept his face hidden, his body covered.
He was an Untamed.