I was only planning to do a couple of chapters on this to get started, but it took off on it's own so I'm posting the whole darn thing, well enjoy.

Ch 1 Caught in Wonder

A Bard at song

I see your face

And comes my shadow

To steal your grace.............

Rannel walked down the corridor with a slight limp, he ached in every muscle but he was happy. He had finally decided. The weaponsmaster had helped him join the mercenaries guild. With his recommendation they had excepted him. He grinned, his helmut under his arm as he walked back to his rooms.

The group of young women running down the hallway almost knocked him down, but he fell back against the wall and watched as they fled giggling and laughing as they went. More than one sneaked a peek at him as they passed. He heard a murmur of voices and a louder laugh around the corner before they were completely gone. Great, more ladies looking for marriage he thought with disgust.

That evening as he joined his other brothers at the lower table he heard his younger brother's voice "Ran, did you hear the latest".

He turned to see Merrol "Heyla brother, what's gotten you so excited".

"Father's sent for some Bards, from Valdemar" he said excitement threading through his voice.

Rannel grinned, his brother was crazy for music, much the way he was crazy for weapons work "Yeah I heard, they should be here soon" he said.

"They're here now" the fourteen year old said almost jumping in his excitement.

"I bet they're tired from their trip" he said hoping his brother wasn't expecting too much this soon.

"No. I heard them, they'll be playing tonight after supper. I can't wait" he said.

He tried to distract Merrol but it was a lost cause. The boy only picked at his food and fidgeted in his seat, sighing and quieting when his brother nudged him with his elbow only to fidget some more as another exciting thought came to mind. Rannel was just glad their mother was distracted with getting everything together for the party. He felt sorry for Joran, he knew he didn't enjoy all the attention he was getting. Rannel was just glad it wasn't him. He couldn't see himself tied down to a piece of land, not for all the gold in Rethwellen. The group of musicians setting up near the high table caught his attention.

He turned back to Merrol "Looks like you were right" he said, laughing at the look on his brother's face. He nudged him "Don't let father see you like that, he'd ban you from the hall for the duration".

Merrol sighed and tried to calm down, they all knew their father was strict and had no time for crazy notions like being a bard or mercenary, his sons would work the land like he did. Rannel sighed at the thought, he had hoped that the excitement of his brother's coming of age party would make things go a little easier for him when his father learned what he had done. One can always hope he thought to himself.

The music brought him out of his musings and he looked up, there was something about the flute, the music called to him and he started studying the musicians carefully. He froze when he came to the woman on the end, the one with a flute to her lips, she played her eyes closed caught in the music and Rannel felt something, the world changed. Her soft blond hair shone softly in the light of the lamps. Her eyes flew open and she stared barely holding on to her music. Their eyes were caught until one of the other musicians nudged her and said something in her ear that caused her to stiffen and look away. She ignored him for the rest of the performance and left before he could come to her, but he had the feeling that she was as aware as he was.

Graella sighed and stretched her fingers "Tell me again" she said to Jess. "Why are we playing so soon after getting here".

"Tis good relations" the man said. "Be a professional" he said to her pulling out his own instrument.

She sighed and sat to one side watching the others prepare for the evenings entertainment, she hated working with highborns, but they paid well she thought. She had been born on a farm in southern Valdemar and hadn't come into contact with many until a passing bard had heard her playing and whisked her away to bardic for training.

The first song for tonight was an instrumental, actually one she had written. She smiled thinking there was no way that they could complain about them playing the same old songs, she was sure this one hadn't been played in Rethwellen yet.

She got lost in the music as always, then something began to drag her back. She had the feeling someone was watching her, dragging her back to the present. She also felt a little echo as if her gift was being sent back somehow, her eyes flew open in surprise and she was drawn to a young man at the lower table.

She only got the sense of dark hair and a handsome face before she got caught in his eyes, gold in the candlelight. 'What' she thought to herself, it was only her training that kept her in the piece. A nudge in her side broke off her trance and she heard Jess hiss "Stop that, get yer head out of the clouds, Professional remember". She flushed and turned herself back to the music with an effort, she made a point of not looking back, though she felt the pull of his will.

Once they were done she left as quickly as she could her heart beating fast and her face flushed. She didn't know what was the matter with her, she had never reacted to a stranger like this before.

"Ran" a voice spoke at his side.

"Huh" he asked, still bemused.

"Ran, I said let's go people as starting to look at us strangely".

He looked up and saw that most of their cousins and the fosterlings had left and the servers were clearing the table, one stood by the two of them looking at him pointedly. "Oh, sorry" he said and moved out with Merrol.