"You're flat."
Annallee jumped at the sound of another's voice, though it was soft as a whisper. Usually accompanied only by the stars, she had found this hour to be the most favorable for her practice. Turning around, she found herself face to face with a young lad dressed neatly in a white collared shirt and black slacks. His light hair reflected the moonlight like a mirror and his eyes were piercingly bright.
"Thank you," she said politely. She tried the high F again, her pure voice wavering slightly. She faltered under the gaze of a connoisseur; she was used to the peasant folks of the castle who always applauded her no matter how tired she sounded or how out of tune she was. The heat of his gaze, though she did not even look at him, affected her strangely.
"Don't try to impress me," the boy said, reading her thoughts. "You're just like those crystals, Annallee. Your sound is unblemished."
She blushed at the boy's compliments. Turning away for a moment, she looked out at the numerous twinkling stars. "I have to be," she said, "even if the people cannot tell the difference. I have to do my best, just like everyone else." She turned to face him, a wistful smile on her face. "So why are you still awake?" she wondered.
The boy, with little emotion, said, "I predict a harsh battle soon. I hear the screams and wails in my head, so I can't sleep."
"I'm worried too," she said truthfully. "But some things are left to fate, I guess. We have no choice but to live on."
"True. Fate may seem harsh and cruel, but we decide our own destinies in a way. That is why we have war and we have peace."
Annallee smiled. "Though we can't avoid the pain, we can soothe it with song. That was what my mother said…before she died."
The boy nodded, somehow empathizing with her. "Songs help us share the pain, to understand things that are fumbled by words."
"Yes," she replied. She sang the first few words of the chorus, the song that strangely enough talked about man and fate. "Il destino è capriccioso…" She frowned for a moment. "Do you think I should use more vibrato?"
The boy smiled a cryptic smile. "A pure tone pierces to the core. It resonates within the soul." He paused for a moment, looking at her confused eyes. "Don't use it. Your voice cuts right to the heart of the people. Your voice is motivation for those soldiers at war, for the people who are fighting for the future, their children."
Annallee marveled at his wisdom even at his tender age. The young boy in front of her united concepts she thought were irreconcilable. Hidden within his statements were words of praise. To her ears they were the most eloquent words that anyone had told her. Suddenly inspired, she began to sing the song she was practicing before from the very beginning, singing loudly and freely as if she was singing for the whole world.
"Anche se grido all'infinito lui non torna
Asciugando le lacrime comincio a camminare
Dall'inizio l'uomo e solo, ma se teme
Se teme l'addio è la morte nulla potrà fare
Il destino è capriccioso qualche volta malizioso
Voglio diventare più forte
Con le mani prederò la felicità"
She finished with a whisper. The silent nod was more effective than the loudest applause she could ever receive. They shared a smile before he turned to go.
"Wait!" she shouted to his retreating back, noticing his footsteps were even quieter than his voice. "What is your name?"
"Connell."
His words echoed in the silent night. "Thank you, Connell," she said with gratitude. "May we meet again."
She remembered a silent wave, a motion of his right hand, before he disappeared as suddenly as he came.