Chapter 5
By XellAn-Chan
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He stared at her. "How...?" She choked back a small sob. "When I saw yeh yesterday...I felt free...like I'd never felt before. I wanted to dance with yeh, to be opened up, to have my spirit released from its prison. I'd give up forever to touch yeh..."
He drew her into his arms. "And I wanted what yeh have; a fancy home, lots o' money. I wouldst I were not poor." She rested her head upon his shoulder. "Yeh wouldna want it if yeh had it."
Dolphin ambled by then, muttering to herself. "I'm a good lass, ain't I Momma? I do what yeh ask of me, I listen to Poppa...No Momma...no, don' go...Momma..." Her voice became rigid, "...Child, I am dying...I am not crying...I am dancing...No Momma! No, don' leave me....Don'...MOMMA!!" She shrieked. Her eyes were glazed over, staring ahead and seeing nothing.
The girl's nephew just sat there and watched. This puzzled Gloree. "Yeh're just going to sit there and let her suffer so?" He frowned. "There be nothing I can do for her. When she be like this, we can do naught but wait for it to pass."
Gloree wouldn't stand for that. She went over to the distraught teenager. "Dolphin? Dolphin, can yeh hear me?" She asked softly. "...Why...?...Why...?...Zelas, where's Momma?...Gaav, what about Poppa?...Gone? How are they gone? I don't understand..." She looked at Gloree. "Why did they hafta go? Why did my momma leave me?" She looked like a lost child, her haunted blue eyes were full of tears. Gloree didn't know what to say. "Sometimes..." She bit her lip, "Sometimes people just have to go." A tear slid down Dolphin's cheek. "They didn'! They didn' have to! I' wasna their time!...I' wa...wasn't r-right!" She sobbed.
Xellos and Gloree led Dolphin back to the inn, Phibrizio trailing behind them. Zelas paid no attention to Gloree, just took her sister in her arms. Dolphin cried on her shoulder, her sobs short and choked. The older girl rubbed her sister's back. She began whispering something, a song that grew louder as Dolphin calmed down and sang along.
"Peace, I ask of thee, Oh River,
Peace, Peace, Peace, Peace.
When I learn to live serenely
cares will cease.
From the hills I gather courage,
visions of the day to be,
strength to lead and faith to follow
all are given un to me
Peace, I ask of thee, Oh River,
Peace, Peace, Peace, Peace..."
Only when Dolphin was back to her normal state of being did Zelas turn to the young lady. "Yeh shouldna be here. Yeh should be off in yehr fancy manor where yeh won't toy with my son's emotions. Go back teh where yeh belong." Gloree looked at her feet. "I understand. I'll go." She turned to leave, but Xellos grabbed her hand.
"Momma, she talked to Dolphin!" He exclaimed quickly. "What, Child, do you mean? When she were in her reverie?" He nodded. "Yes!" Zelas looked at her. "Yeh really spoke with my sister?" Gloree nodded slightly. "I did."
The woman turned, her golden eyes burning into Gloree's. "Perhaps I were wrong about yeh, Child. I have never before seen nobility show my sister any compassion. They always be gawking or laughing, for they know not what she witnessed. She be only truly happy when she be singing."
Dolphin was over in the corner, her lute in her lap, softly singing "Today." Phibrizio was sitting beside her, his head upon her shoulder, singing along.
"Today, while the blossoms still cling to the vine
I'll taste your strawberries; I'll drink your sweet wine.
A million tomorrows shall all fade away
ere I forget all the joys that were mine today.
Well I'll be a dandy, and I'll be a rover;
you'll know who I am by the song that I sing.
I'll sit at your table and sleep in your clover;
who cares what tomorrow might bring.
Today, while the blossoms still cling to the vine
I'll taste your strawberries; I'll drink your sweet wine.
A million tomorrows shall all fade away
ere I forget all the joys that were mine today
I can't be contented with yesterday's glories.
I can't live on promises winter to spring.
Now is my moment and this is my story
I'll laugh and I'll dance and I'll sing.
Today, while the blossoms still cling to the vine
I'll taste your strawberries; I'll drink your sweet wine.
A million tomorrows shall all fade away
ere I forget all the joys that were mine today."
Zelas smiled. "Yeh, Gloree, are welcome any time yeh wish." A grin lit Xellos' face. "Yeh mean it, Momma?" She nodded. "Aye. Child, the days all fly on by like this, and sometimes I forget the truth. What be the world without love?"
Xellos and Gloree smiled at one another. Dolphin was still singing and her soft voice filled the room. Laughing, Xellos took Gloree's hands in his and they whirled around the room together.
Zelas watched with a heavy heart. She knew all too well the pain that came from being young and in love. Xellos obviously cared a great deal about Gloree, but she came from a different world than their family did. It could only lead to disaster...
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AN: sorry about the shortness of these last few chapters...i'm having slight writer's block *sighs* i know what i want to lead up to, i just can't do it! _
the songs included in this chapter are also songs from good ol' Chodeahami. "Peace" is one of our closing campfire songs; "Today" is Gimzo's favorite song. i may have messed that one up a scowtch. i'm not sure of all the lyrics. oh well...
also, i've figured out how old i want Xellos' family members to be:
Zelas: 30 (i know, she was only 16 when Xellos was born. keep in mind they married at youger ages in the Middle Ages)
Gaav: 25
Dynast: 20
Dolphin: 15
Xellos: 14
Phibrizio: 9
and, for the record, Gloree is 13.
By XellAn-Chan
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
He stared at her. "How...?" She choked back a small sob. "When I saw yeh yesterday...I felt free...like I'd never felt before. I wanted to dance with yeh, to be opened up, to have my spirit released from its prison. I'd give up forever to touch yeh..."
He drew her into his arms. "And I wanted what yeh have; a fancy home, lots o' money. I wouldst I were not poor." She rested her head upon his shoulder. "Yeh wouldna want it if yeh had it."
Dolphin ambled by then, muttering to herself. "I'm a good lass, ain't I Momma? I do what yeh ask of me, I listen to Poppa...No Momma...no, don' go...Momma..." Her voice became rigid, "...Child, I am dying...I am not crying...I am dancing...No Momma! No, don' leave me....Don'...MOMMA!!" She shrieked. Her eyes were glazed over, staring ahead and seeing nothing.
The girl's nephew just sat there and watched. This puzzled Gloree. "Yeh're just going to sit there and let her suffer so?" He frowned. "There be nothing I can do for her. When she be like this, we can do naught but wait for it to pass."
Gloree wouldn't stand for that. She went over to the distraught teenager. "Dolphin? Dolphin, can yeh hear me?" She asked softly. "...Why...?...Why...?...Zelas, where's Momma?...Gaav, what about Poppa?...Gone? How are they gone? I don't understand..." She looked at Gloree. "Why did they hafta go? Why did my momma leave me?" She looked like a lost child, her haunted blue eyes were full of tears. Gloree didn't know what to say. "Sometimes..." She bit her lip, "Sometimes people just have to go." A tear slid down Dolphin's cheek. "They didn'! They didn' have to! I' wasna their time!...I' wa...wasn't r-right!" She sobbed.
Xellos and Gloree led Dolphin back to the inn, Phibrizio trailing behind them. Zelas paid no attention to Gloree, just took her sister in her arms. Dolphin cried on her shoulder, her sobs short and choked. The older girl rubbed her sister's back. She began whispering something, a song that grew louder as Dolphin calmed down and sang along.
"Peace, I ask of thee, Oh River,
Peace, Peace, Peace, Peace.
When I learn to live serenely
cares will cease.
From the hills I gather courage,
visions of the day to be,
strength to lead and faith to follow
all are given un to me
Peace, I ask of thee, Oh River,
Peace, Peace, Peace, Peace..."
Only when Dolphin was back to her normal state of being did Zelas turn to the young lady. "Yeh shouldna be here. Yeh should be off in yehr fancy manor where yeh won't toy with my son's emotions. Go back teh where yeh belong." Gloree looked at her feet. "I understand. I'll go." She turned to leave, but Xellos grabbed her hand.
"Momma, she talked to Dolphin!" He exclaimed quickly. "What, Child, do you mean? When she were in her reverie?" He nodded. "Yes!" Zelas looked at her. "Yeh really spoke with my sister?" Gloree nodded slightly. "I did."
The woman turned, her golden eyes burning into Gloree's. "Perhaps I were wrong about yeh, Child. I have never before seen nobility show my sister any compassion. They always be gawking or laughing, for they know not what she witnessed. She be only truly happy when she be singing."
Dolphin was over in the corner, her lute in her lap, softly singing "Today." Phibrizio was sitting beside her, his head upon her shoulder, singing along.
"Today, while the blossoms still cling to the vine
I'll taste your strawberries; I'll drink your sweet wine.
A million tomorrows shall all fade away
ere I forget all the joys that were mine today.
Well I'll be a dandy, and I'll be a rover;
you'll know who I am by the song that I sing.
I'll sit at your table and sleep in your clover;
who cares what tomorrow might bring.
Today, while the blossoms still cling to the vine
I'll taste your strawberries; I'll drink your sweet wine.
A million tomorrows shall all fade away
ere I forget all the joys that were mine today
I can't be contented with yesterday's glories.
I can't live on promises winter to spring.
Now is my moment and this is my story
I'll laugh and I'll dance and I'll sing.
Today, while the blossoms still cling to the vine
I'll taste your strawberries; I'll drink your sweet wine.
A million tomorrows shall all fade away
ere I forget all the joys that were mine today."
Zelas smiled. "Yeh, Gloree, are welcome any time yeh wish." A grin lit Xellos' face. "Yeh mean it, Momma?" She nodded. "Aye. Child, the days all fly on by like this, and sometimes I forget the truth. What be the world without love?"
Xellos and Gloree smiled at one another. Dolphin was still singing and her soft voice filled the room. Laughing, Xellos took Gloree's hands in his and they whirled around the room together.
Zelas watched with a heavy heart. She knew all too well the pain that came from being young and in love. Xellos obviously cared a great deal about Gloree, but she came from a different world than their family did. It could only lead to disaster...
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
AN: sorry about the shortness of these last few chapters...i'm having slight writer's block *sighs* i know what i want to lead up to, i just can't do it! _
the songs included in this chapter are also songs from good ol' Chodeahami. "Peace" is one of our closing campfire songs; "Today" is Gimzo's favorite song. i may have messed that one up a scowtch. i'm not sure of all the lyrics. oh well...
also, i've figured out how old i want Xellos' family members to be:
Zelas: 30 (i know, she was only 16 when Xellos was born. keep in mind they married at youger ages in the Middle Ages)
Gaav: 25
Dynast: 20
Dolphin: 15
Xellos: 14
Phibrizio: 9
and, for the record, Gloree is 13.