Kari paced the length of her room in the Healers' Collegium. She
itched to get out and explore the rest of the famed Collegia, which she had
believed to be fictional until now. Actually, she itched to get out and do
anything, even go and groom every single Companion, paired or unpaired, in
Companions' Field. Kari wasn't the type to sit around and do nothing, and
just waiting around for the 'secret' Council to pass judgement on her was
maddening. Saivryl had taken pity on her and told her about the Council,
giving her a reason to wait, but she was still lonely and missed her home.
Kari wished fervently for her script and music. Studying them would give her something to do, at least. She began humming her solo song, "Mona's Moaning Low" (A/N from the show "Flapper!" by Tim Kelly). Her character, Mona, was the owner of a bankrupt nite-club. Without realizing it, she slipped easily into singing it softly, her mind automatically translated it into Valdemaran.
"Mona's moaning sadly,
Don't know what to do,
Mona's moaning all night long,
Mona's feeling low-down blue.
Mona's in hot water,
Mona's in a stew,
Mona's moaning up a storm,
Yes, Mona's feeling low-down blue.
"Hi-di-hi-di-hi-di-hi!
Hey-di-hey-di-hey-di-hey!
Ho-di-ho-di-ho-di-ho!
Mona's moaning low.
"Mona's moaning softly,
Mona's moaning loud,
Mona's just one lonely face,
Lost in a ruthless crowd.
"Hi-di-hi-di-hi-di-hi!
Hey-di-hey-di-hey-di-hey!
Ho-di-ho-di-ho-di-ho!
Mona's moaning low.
"Mona's feeling lonely,
Best be passing through,
Ain't no man ever done me wrong,
Yet Mona's feeling low-down blue.
"Hi-di-hi-di-hi-di-hi!
Hey-di-hey-di-hey-di-hey!
Ho-di-ho-di-ho-di-ho!
Mona's moaning low,
Mona's moaning low,
Mona's moan-ing low."
Somehow, the song seemed very fitting.
Someone cleared their throat. Kari whipped her head up to see Firesong standing in the doorway. She blushed realizing that he must have heard her singing.
"That," Firesong said, his voice choked with emotion, "was a very sad song. You have at least half the people in the Healers' Collegium in tears." That was surprising; the song was supposed to be sad, but not to that extent. Kari didn't know what to say. "I believe this belongs to you." Kari realized that he was holding a bright blue folder.
"My script!" She took it and flipped through the contents, giving Firesong a moment to compose himself.
"Queen Selenay wishes to speak with you. I am to escort you there."
Kari looked up, dismayed. "I'm supposed to meet with the Queen like this?" She was still wearing her pajamas; the only thing that had changed was a Healer had given her a pair of shoes to wear.
Firesong studied her face. She wasn't beautiful, as he had first thought, nor was she even pretty. 'The purple hair must have blinded me,' he thought. She had just been exotic, which amused Firesong, since he was used to being the exotic one. Her face was expressive, so full of character that beauty wasn't sorely missed. She wasn't ugly, either. To Firesong's mind, she was the line bordering between plain and pretty: really neither one.
"It matters not what you look like. Unless I am very much mistaken, you will be wearing Trainee Grays soon enough," he assured her.
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As the two walked to the Palace, most people they passed had very melancholy expressions on their faces. Some were weeping like they had just lost their best friends. Kari and Firesong shared a surprised look and quickened their strides.
Selenay was dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief when they arrived. "Selenay! What sorrowful thing has happened that everyone we pass has tears in their eyes?" Firesong cried.
"I do not know what happened to the others, but heard someone singing this sad song about someone named Mona. It was just so heart-rending that I couldn't help my tears," the Queen replied.
Firesong looked at Kari. "But I wasn't even singing that loudly," Kari muttered. "How could everyone have heard me?"
"How indeed," Firesong agreed.
Selenay looked at Kari also. "You were the one singing?"
"Sing just the last verse, Kari," Firesong urged. "Then we shall see if it was your voice the Queen heard." Kari complied, but Selenay stopped her before she finished the first line.
"It's the same song and the same voice, but how did I hear you? This is strange indeed."
Firesong nodded. "Neither did I feel the same wave of emotion as I did before."
Selenay had a thoughtful look on her face. "Kari, I wish to try something. Sing a song that has to do with the way you feel right now."
Kari stared at the Queen in amazement. "You don't think... why, that's impossible!"
"So is a teenage girl appearing quite suddenly in the Collegium, without a trace of a Gate." Selenay smiled reassuringly. "It's only a guess. Come, Kari. Let us hear your lovely voice once more."
Kari thought hard. To her chagrin, the only song that kept popping up in her mind was Cher's "If I Could Turn Back Time." She couldn't figure out why- she didn't much care for the diva- but she couldn't think of any other songs at the moment. It was really rather frustrating.
She shook her head. "This one song keeps popping up in my head, but it has nothing to do with *anything.* I'm sorry."
Before Selenay could say anything, Firesong put his arm around Kari's shoulders in a brotherly manner. Kari started, surprised. "It's quite all right, I would think," he said with a glance at Selenay. "You've had a tough time, and I doubt that we should try to push you anymore today."
:Firesong's feeling protective,: Saivryl mused in Kari's head. :I wonder what brought this on. Aya doesn't know, either.:
:Good thing he's not normally like this.: Awe tinged Kari's "voice." :It's *quite* unnerving.:
Selenay hid an amused smile. Kari was certainly bringing out a side in Firesong that no one had ever seen before. "Of course, Firesong. Kari, we're going to admit you as a trainee, but first, do you have *any* idea as to you came to be in Haven so.abruptly?" Kari shook her head, eyes on the slippers that a Healer had lent her. "That's all right," Selenay said gently. "Firesong, please take Kari to the housekeeper for her Grays, and then you'll need to see Teren for a room. See if he can't get her something on the ground floor for visits from Saivryl, hmm?" Kari visibly brightened at this. Selenay smiled and ushered the two out, then sat back and brooded.
Saivryl. Huh. If Selenay had been much younger, she would have thought the Companion *was* Grove-Born. He was definitely not shy, always put his gruff copper in when he thought it was necessary, but normally kept to himself. 'Vryl was *old,* there was no other way to say it. He had been fully grown when Elspeth had been born. Had he been waiting for Kari for *that* long? What would have happened if he hadn't lived until Kari came? Or was he just the first, unpaired Companion that reacted to Kari's presence? If Saivryl hadn't been so old, Selenay probably wouldn't be bothering with these questions. But he *was,* and Selenay had no idea why this troubled her so.
Kari wished fervently for her script and music. Studying them would give her something to do, at least. She began humming her solo song, "Mona's Moaning Low" (A/N from the show "Flapper!" by Tim Kelly). Her character, Mona, was the owner of a bankrupt nite-club. Without realizing it, she slipped easily into singing it softly, her mind automatically translated it into Valdemaran.
"Mona's moaning sadly,
Don't know what to do,
Mona's moaning all night long,
Mona's feeling low-down blue.
Mona's in hot water,
Mona's in a stew,
Mona's moaning up a storm,
Yes, Mona's feeling low-down blue.
"Hi-di-hi-di-hi-di-hi!
Hey-di-hey-di-hey-di-hey!
Ho-di-ho-di-ho-di-ho!
Mona's moaning low.
"Mona's moaning softly,
Mona's moaning loud,
Mona's just one lonely face,
Lost in a ruthless crowd.
"Hi-di-hi-di-hi-di-hi!
Hey-di-hey-di-hey-di-hey!
Ho-di-ho-di-ho-di-ho!
Mona's moaning low.
"Mona's feeling lonely,
Best be passing through,
Ain't no man ever done me wrong,
Yet Mona's feeling low-down blue.
"Hi-di-hi-di-hi-di-hi!
Hey-di-hey-di-hey-di-hey!
Ho-di-ho-di-ho-di-ho!
Mona's moaning low,
Mona's moaning low,
Mona's moan-ing low."
Somehow, the song seemed very fitting.
Someone cleared their throat. Kari whipped her head up to see Firesong standing in the doorway. She blushed realizing that he must have heard her singing.
"That," Firesong said, his voice choked with emotion, "was a very sad song. You have at least half the people in the Healers' Collegium in tears." That was surprising; the song was supposed to be sad, but not to that extent. Kari didn't know what to say. "I believe this belongs to you." Kari realized that he was holding a bright blue folder.
"My script!" She took it and flipped through the contents, giving Firesong a moment to compose himself.
"Queen Selenay wishes to speak with you. I am to escort you there."
Kari looked up, dismayed. "I'm supposed to meet with the Queen like this?" She was still wearing her pajamas; the only thing that had changed was a Healer had given her a pair of shoes to wear.
Firesong studied her face. She wasn't beautiful, as he had first thought, nor was she even pretty. 'The purple hair must have blinded me,' he thought. She had just been exotic, which amused Firesong, since he was used to being the exotic one. Her face was expressive, so full of character that beauty wasn't sorely missed. She wasn't ugly, either. To Firesong's mind, she was the line bordering between plain and pretty: really neither one.
"It matters not what you look like. Unless I am very much mistaken, you will be wearing Trainee Grays soon enough," he assured her.
*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*
As the two walked to the Palace, most people they passed had very melancholy expressions on their faces. Some were weeping like they had just lost their best friends. Kari and Firesong shared a surprised look and quickened their strides.
Selenay was dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief when they arrived. "Selenay! What sorrowful thing has happened that everyone we pass has tears in their eyes?" Firesong cried.
"I do not know what happened to the others, but heard someone singing this sad song about someone named Mona. It was just so heart-rending that I couldn't help my tears," the Queen replied.
Firesong looked at Kari. "But I wasn't even singing that loudly," Kari muttered. "How could everyone have heard me?"
"How indeed," Firesong agreed.
Selenay looked at Kari also. "You were the one singing?"
"Sing just the last verse, Kari," Firesong urged. "Then we shall see if it was your voice the Queen heard." Kari complied, but Selenay stopped her before she finished the first line.
"It's the same song and the same voice, but how did I hear you? This is strange indeed."
Firesong nodded. "Neither did I feel the same wave of emotion as I did before."
Selenay had a thoughtful look on her face. "Kari, I wish to try something. Sing a song that has to do with the way you feel right now."
Kari stared at the Queen in amazement. "You don't think... why, that's impossible!"
"So is a teenage girl appearing quite suddenly in the Collegium, without a trace of a Gate." Selenay smiled reassuringly. "It's only a guess. Come, Kari. Let us hear your lovely voice once more."
Kari thought hard. To her chagrin, the only song that kept popping up in her mind was Cher's "If I Could Turn Back Time." She couldn't figure out why- she didn't much care for the diva- but she couldn't think of any other songs at the moment. It was really rather frustrating.
She shook her head. "This one song keeps popping up in my head, but it has nothing to do with *anything.* I'm sorry."
Before Selenay could say anything, Firesong put his arm around Kari's shoulders in a brotherly manner. Kari started, surprised. "It's quite all right, I would think," he said with a glance at Selenay. "You've had a tough time, and I doubt that we should try to push you anymore today."
:Firesong's feeling protective,: Saivryl mused in Kari's head. :I wonder what brought this on. Aya doesn't know, either.:
:Good thing he's not normally like this.: Awe tinged Kari's "voice." :It's *quite* unnerving.:
Selenay hid an amused smile. Kari was certainly bringing out a side in Firesong that no one had ever seen before. "Of course, Firesong. Kari, we're going to admit you as a trainee, but first, do you have *any* idea as to you came to be in Haven so.abruptly?" Kari shook her head, eyes on the slippers that a Healer had lent her. "That's all right," Selenay said gently. "Firesong, please take Kari to the housekeeper for her Grays, and then you'll need to see Teren for a room. See if he can't get her something on the ground floor for visits from Saivryl, hmm?" Kari visibly brightened at this. Selenay smiled and ushered the two out, then sat back and brooded.
Saivryl. Huh. If Selenay had been much younger, she would have thought the Companion *was* Grove-Born. He was definitely not shy, always put his gruff copper in when he thought it was necessary, but normally kept to himself. 'Vryl was *old,* there was no other way to say it. He had been fully grown when Elspeth had been born. Had he been waiting for Kari for *that* long? What would have happened if he hadn't lived until Kari came? Or was he just the first, unpaired Companion that reacted to Kari's presence? If Saivryl hadn't been so old, Selenay probably wouldn't be bothering with these questions. But he *was,* and Selenay had no idea why this troubled her so.