"Kurikaesu ayamachi no sono tabi hito wa
Tada aoi sora no aosa wo shiru
Hateshinaku michi wa tsuzuite mieru keredo
Kono ryôte wa hikari wo idakeru"
What was this strange language? Ande more important: why had he never heard it before? Where could it come from? It definitely didn't sound like Elder Speech, nor like the dialects of Skellige, not to say anything about the Lingua Franca. So what were this words, what did they mean, and where they in any way the sign of a danger to come, monster or otherwise. Geralt raised and eyebrow.
A child, no older than eight, had immediately come to sit in front of the singing bard. A big smile on his face showed his appreciation of the performance. Three or four children soon joined him, cheeks as rosy as they must be in front of a big piece of cake. And truly, the voice was beautiful, and the song quite soothing. Kind of a sad thing that the woman couldn't see the effect of her singing. Her hand was travelling on the frets of her instruments, pinching the strings, creating the sweet melody that seem to enchant the children around her, and maybe some of the adults customers. The conversations had resumed, quite low, but most of the assembly listened to the melodic voice.
"Sayonara no toki no shizuka na mune
Zero ni naru karada ga mimi wo sumaseru
Ikiteiru fushigi shindeyuku fushigi
Hana mo kaze mo machi mo minna onaji"
Jaskier huffed on his sit. The bard was quite unhappy. He caught the innkeeper when she was on her wy with an empty tray, having delivered its order to a thirsty table.
"Tell me sweet lady, am I so miserable to have competition tonight? Who is that?
- My, I couldn't really tell! answered the jolly woman My boy met the woman at the entrance of the forest, it seems. Brought her back her, said she had an instrument, that she could sing in the inn, might make the customers happy. I think he wanted to help her, since the poor thing is… Well you can see for yourself. But well, the customers semm happy, and my, yes indeed, she can sing!
- Humph. Others can do that too."
The slightest smile started to form itself on the witcher's lips, obviously amused at his companion's annoyance. Meanwhile, the hostess was quite chatty, and happy to comment on tonight's event.
"I'm happy to help someone in need. The poor thing seem a bit weary if you ask me. Must not have had a decent meal nor a good night sleep in a while. Immediately said she couldn't spend the night, since she had no money to pay for the room, but I told her she could pay with her music."
"Yondeiru mune no dokoka okude
Itsumo nando demo yume wo egakô
Kanashimi no kazu wo iitsukusu yori
Onaji kuchibiru de sotto utaô"
Tojiteyuku omoide no sono naka ni itsumo
Wasuretakunai sasayaki wo kiku
Konagona ni kudakareta kagami no ue ni mo
Atarashii keshiki ga utsusareru"
Then, the strangest thing happened. As the delicate hand played the next note, a small ball of blue light emerged from the neck of the lute, and started to dance around the playing hand, leaving a blue trail of light behind it. From it came a second voice, completing the singing of the song in an eerie duet…
"Hajimari no asa no shizuka na mado
Zero ni naru karada mitasarete yuke
Umi no kanata ni wa mô sagasanai
Kagayaku mono wa itsumo koko ni
Watashi no naka ni mitsukerareta kara"
The children seated in front of the musician opened large eyes full of happy surprise. A second, red, ball of light, and a third green one, came to join their voices to the choir of the cheerful, warm tune.
The assembly was taken aback. The innkeeper gasped in surprise. Jaskier jumped on his seat.
"Now that's unfair competition if I ever saw it!"
Thanks to the amazing Kate Convington, whose rendition of this song inspired me the beginning of this story. watch?v=qXXbTwL79R0
