Music from the Wind
By: Gibson22
Off in the distance a wolf howled. A beautiful woman smiled as she stared off into the fire that kept burning throughout the night. If you have ever slept in a desert setting you would know how uncomfortable it usually was. It was insanely hot during the day, yet when the sun would hide behind the mountains and darkness began to creep across the sky, turning the weather chill. A fire would be enough to keep you warm, yet there would occasionally be a wind that sent plumes of smoke in your face, hurting your eyes and choking you. Also, when you finally went to sleep, you would find your mattress or the folds of your blankets uneven as you lay across brambles and rocks.
Despite all these annoyances, this young girl continued to smile.
It had been a few days since this young woman left a quiet town known as Little Rock to travel once again across the wilderness. Although the common person would object to such unpleasant travel this was no longer a challenge to her. She had her share of painful experiences. For a few years these people traveled side by side with her throughout the hardest times in her life. They were there when she became a drifter, when she accepted the power of a guardian, and when she discovered the truth of her father. As for the harsh conditions of the wilderness; this was only one night from the thousands of other nights they spent in the desert. She would have no trouble going to sleep if she wished it.
However, she was wide awake at the moment.
This night was not like most nights in the desert. The moon was full that night as it had been yesterday. A gentle breeze was blowing so that the fire was hardly disturbed and trees around rustled gently, swaying with the wind. Have you ever been out in the desert while the warmth of the day was still about and a cool wind was blowing? It is perhaps the most calming thing that makes you thankful for all the many workings of nature. Being in such a time and place feels as if your whole body was being caressed in a massaging manner. You could feel a sense of excitement build within your chest that would make you want to run and jump, yet awe would overpower you insomuch that the excitement was still in your heart coupled with that carefree disposition.
It was not only the wonderful night that kept her awake. It was something that kept running through her mind for the last few days. She had discovered something that caused her whole being to burst with charge and happiness. The way she discovered something so incredible is simple enough that it could be said in a brief sentence; but in order for the reader to feel the charm of her happiness to a certain degree it is best if the whole thing is told.
The way the girl feels at the beginning of this tale is quite the opposite of how she felt before (or later if we were to be exact). I imagine that everyone among us have felt the pangs of illness one time in our life or another. It is the most uncomfortable thing you can experience because no matter what the temperature was outside your insides were like burning coals. Once again, despite the outside temperature, your skin felt cold as ice compared to the burning coals inside your body. When that happens it feels as if your head has been slammed into the ground and your vision has become distorted. It becomes hard to stand and walk. Your fingers jitter and your feet become sweaty.
"Virginia, are you okay?"
The woman turned to the large man who rode beside her on a black horse, its hair shining underneath the glow of the sun. The man was not nearly as dark as the horse, but his skin was much darker than his companions. His hair was long and hung in long strands that were bunched together in haphazard places. He could be best described as an Indian, but he held a double-barreled shotgun by his side. His clothes were different from a typical Indian style. They were made of animal skins like tribal clothing, but the design was just like a settler or a pioneer, except for the fact that his shirt was open so that you could see his chest and stomach. The woman admitted that sometimes it was hard to look at him without blushing since seeing something like that was so foreign to her. However, as she felt the grinding crush of sickness, she did not care.
"I'm fine, Gallows." She said softly.
"I have to say I disapprove of your dishonesty."
She turned to another voice that was sharp in contrast to the former man. The large man had a deep, rich voice that seemed to beam with humor, but the voice of this one was calm and dignified. Listening to this man was like listening to a sage. He rode atop a brown horse that seemed just like him; a little wiser than the average horse. His outward appearance adequately described his inward qualities. He was smaller than the previous man, but he was still rather tall and lean. He wore spectacles which made his eyes look piercing. He was a handsomely groomed individual with a long green hair that he kept tied in a ponytail. He wore a trench coat which he insisted kept him cool when there was a good wind. Along his back was a long rifle which he kept polished to a mirror-like sheen.
"Who said I was being dishonest, Clive?" said Virginia.
"Your countenance speaks of your falsehood." The intelligent man replied.
"Yeah, you look horrible." Another voice said.
Virginia turned to the other voice with a slight frown to contradict his diminutive smirk. This last drifter was not taller or bigger than those other men, but he was still physically fit and it showed in his appearance. He was very much like a wolf in his manners. He was very quiet, hardly speaking more than a few words at a time. Usually, when he spoke, it was typically a criticism or a suggestion. However, as with a wolf, he was far more loyal than any of Virginia's companions. He had saved her life many times and she had never saved his in return. There was a particular time when he saved her, but she never thanked him, yet there was no reason to do so. Something underneath his stoic exterior was kind and gentle. These features did not exist at the start of their journey, but it had developed over the time they had spent together.
His hair was light gray, almost so that it could be mistaken for a very light blonde. His mouth was always covered by a red scarf which prevented him inhaling air-born dust. Little was known about this man; despite the years they had spent avoiding a religious order that demanded their capture. Although their banter suggested otherwise, this man was probably the closest to Virginia.
"Thanks, Jet." She said with a contemptuous growl.
"Hey, don't hate the messenger."
"The messenger sure does make it hard to like him at times." Virginia retorted.
"That's enough." Clive interrupted.
"Virginia, you are sick and you need to admit it." Gallows said with crossed arms.
"Don't be ridiculous!" Virginia said with as much mirth she could muster, which was very little, "I'm as healthy as-"
She meant to say that she was feeling as healthy as an ox but she didn't have a chance to finish before she nearly fainted off her horse. There was a hushed silence of urgency as Clive caused his horse to trot hastily towards Virginia, catching her by the shoulder before she fell. He righted her by the shoulder and shook her gently until her eyes lulled open, "What, what happened?"
"You are sick." Jet said quietly, "You need to rest."
"But if we rest we'll be late for the delivery!" Virginia protested. This was true, because this group took a job to deliver a package to someone in Little Twister which was had a town along the way, but if they wasted any more time they would be late. This caused the group to think for a moment before that same voice which taunted her spoke very soothingly. In fact, it seemed the first time Jet had spoken like that.
"Hey, we just took the job because we were planning on going there anyway. Besides, your health is more important than some package."
I would like to say that sometimes life can be very much like a continuous song. There are times when life seems to spring to life with orchestrated overtures, or when it is suddenly calm like the steady strum of a guitar, or when it reaches a very low point that seems to play a slow melody that is very dull and repetitive. What could this strange new melody mean? Out of no where, and for no particular reason, a calming sound much like a guitar rose from amongst the dull repetitive tone that came with her sickness. It stirred something within her that seemed to have been there all along, but lay dormant as if there was no perfect time to come forth than this moment.
This new emotion or this new song seemed to plague her mind until they finally arrived at Little Rock.
Before she knew it she rested at a beautiful inn that seemed to be the most impressive part of this small town. She had been here on numerous occasions in the past but never came under such circumstances. She would have to say that it took out all the joy from the visit. The only joy she got now was the comfortable bed which came along with the dreariness of her weakened state. Any other person would say that watching the townspeople from the window was another but it only seemed to make her feel more resentful. She watched children run about while Clive rested underneath a tree and wrote in a journal. She watched as some stray children watch Jet with great interest while he only put on that cocky smile of his. Gallows was out of sight because he was drinking the day away in the bar just like any other time he was bored.
That strange song came about again but it was slightly louder than before and even a little familiar…
The recounted tale is not complete and we still find ourselves at the town of Little Rock.
The streets of this small town had become empty, along with the many mines. A solitary lamp that was just outside the inn was lit for any other weary travelers who needed rest. A cool wind blew underneath a bright moon which was still shaped like a crescent. The cool wind felt very relaxing to Virginia who lay on the slightly damp bed. She weakly turned over and allowed the wind to dry her back and her sheets.
"Are you okay?"
She turned and saw a tall figure standing in the doorway. It was a dark silhouette except for a pair of spectacles that reflected the moonlight which lay on the floorboards of the room. Virginia looked up at Clive and nodded in reply. Clive nodded in return (she knew because the spectacles moved up and down) and she heard the door close behind him.
Hour passed (or it seemed like hours) and she regretted telling Clive that she was well. She felt the pains welling up her aching muscles and it caused her to kick in an annoyed fit. She rubbed her stomach where it seemed the most prominent, wanting nothing but to find a way to relieve the pain. At that point, a much stouter shadow filled the doorway and went to the nightstand that was next to Virginia, leaving a small vial of medicine, before leaving her again without a sound.
"Thank you Gallows."
"You're welcome."
The night continued to drag on and she grew restless. Anyone who had ever been incredibly sick would know that even though you were weak it was hard to sleep with pains and a head that seemed stuffed with cotton. She rolled back and forth constantly, trying her hardest to get comfortable. I imagine that you had the very same ideas whenever you were sick or restless: lay very still until you grew tired, lying on your stomach, trying every sleeping position, counting sheep, (which I affirm to be the least effective exercise by far) and staring at the ceiling. With each experiment that failed, she grew more and more frustrated until she felt large tears welling up in her eyes. It was at that point that she heard a door creep open.
"Are you still awake?" A slightly sardonic voice asked.
"Leave me alone." She said as she let an arm drape over her eyes, shutting out his frame that stood in the doorway.
"Fine." Jet closed the door behind him.
The story still continues and unfortunately we still see that it is the middle of the night.
Virginia felt as if she were powerless and could not close her eyes anymore. Her head burned like a furnace and even though she was only wearing a light nightgown it still felt as if it were most stuffy of coats. By this time her eyes were well adjusted to the dark and she went about certain tasks to help her sleep, such as observing the tiny grains in the hardwood floor beneath her, or the futile task of whistling herself to sleep. She moaned exasperatedly as these last few ditch efforts still did not ease her into peaceful submission. By this point, she was honestly exhausted and could not sleep. At this point, she heard the last thing that she wanted to hear.
A door squeaked open and a pair of heavy boots crossed the floor.
Virginia pulled a pillow over her face as the light from the hall blinded her, "Jet! I'm trying to sleep! What do you want?"
The door closed behind him, allowing the soothing darkness to seep back into her eyes. She noted that Jet, although his eyes were not adjusted to the dark, had no trouble finding his way close to her bed and a chair which sat right next to it. He noiselessly pulled the chair from its spot and situated himself in front of Virginia. She looked at him as he looked at her. He simply said, "We could hear you squirming from down below. I thought I should check on you."
"I'm fine!" she said before turning her back on him.
"What's the matter? Why are being so huffy about this?"
"I can barely stand your sarcasm when I'm healthy!"
If she were not sick she would have laughed at the look on his face: a face that was full of honest surprise. "I annoy you when I'm sarcastic?"
"What? You thought that I found it funny?"
"Well, yes."
"Well, if you are being sarcastic now, leave me alone! It's hard enough to sleep right now while talking to you!"
"Why can't you sleep?"
"I ache all over, what does it matter to you?" she said with a cough.
"Sit up a moment."
"What?" she sat up regardless, being thrown off guard by such a strange request.
"Turn around so that your back faces me."
She did so with a queer expression on her face. What happened next was the most surprising thing that he had ever done. His fingers began to massage her neck. She shivered in surprise and she tensed instantly, but she slowly began to relax as a strange yet familiar melody began to play in her mind. His fingers continued to press against her as she slowly began to feel the aches and pains in her back go away. She was very surprised, because this man had barely ever touched her, let alone gave her a massage. He began to work on her shoulders when she asked, "Where in the world did you learn this?" Her voice had sounded very mellow and relaxed by this point.
He answered very casually in the way he usually did; with a grunt and a shrug. She only chuckled and sighed in content while she said, "A man of few words. I always liked that about you." Jet said nothing but kept working on a particularly frustrating spot. She flinched as he pushed against it, moving in fast little circles, and within a moment she felt a warm sensation across her shoulder.
"I'm sorry if I offended you earlier."
"What?" Virginia asked.
"When I came in earlier; I shouldn't have been so rude."
Virginia giggled, "It's no problem."
"If it was no problem, then you wouldn't have been upset." Jet said with a sense of hurt in his voice.
She felt something mournful inside her for being so sharp with him, even though she felt a part of herself justify it. She felt her eyelids close as she began to lean back down towards the bed. She said nothing as Jet covered her with sheets and walked out the door. She waited for the door to shut before she opened her eyes which seemed to water very slightly. The peaceful music continued to play in her heart as she realized that he had changed so much over the years. This had not been the first time that he showed a sweet side to her. In fact, he had become the closest person to her.
She sighed happily as she realized how great her back felt. She could still feel his strong fingers on her back and hear the strange steady strum of a guitar as she fell asleep. She dreamed that night. She dreamed of Jet sitting on that same chair, keeping watch over her while she slept. It was the best dream she had in a long time.
I suppose that I can tell you how great she felt the next day. I believe that god allows illnesses so that we may appreciate our good health, because at that point she felt as if she could move mountains. Not only that, it continued to affect her throughout the days until we reach the point where I left off. The music that she had felt had suddenly made sense to her as she reflected on a story that she heard once before about a wonderful princess.
It was a story about a princess who heard the most serene music whenever she was around her hero. She was stranded in a forest one day and could not find her way, but above the gale that ripped throughout the forest she could hear a steady sound, which she followed. The branches tore at her and plants scratched her legs, but she emerged from the forest, realizing upon sight that her lover's song was what guided her to freedom.
That song was her love for him.
She sat up as she stared into the fire, her eyes occasionally looking at the sleeping forms of her companions. However, there was one among them that was absent. She rose from her bag and began to walk away from the camp. As she walked she thought of Jet and a wondrous sensation filled her heart, and with it came a strumming guitar that came with every gust of wind.
Perhaps it was the little girl inside her that longed for that fantasy, but she let the music guide her in the direction of the music. She did not expect anything of it, thinking that the music came from her own thoughts, but imagine her surprise as a great voice was soon audible with that guitar. It sounded very familiar…
She pressed forward, seeing an orange flame flickering in the distance. As she went further she could hear a few words that went a bit like this.
-better when we're together
We'll look at the stars when we're together
Well it's always better when we're together
It's always better when we're together
The music which echoed in her heart seemed to flow in the same tune of this song which was sung by this unseen minstrel. Already her heart began to wish for the singer to be the same person that occupied her thoughts endlessly as of late.
I believe in memories they look so pretty when I sleep
And when I wake up you look so pretty sleeping next to me-
"Jet?"
The beautiful strumming of a guitar came to abrupt screeching halt as hands hastily glided across the strings. The voice that sounded more like an angel suddenly stopped as a pair of deep eyes looked up from the instrument only to drop back down sheepishly. "Virginia" Jet began, trying to sound as calm as he could, "I was just practicing."
"Where did you learn how to play?" She asked, having a seat across from him so that she watched him over the fire.
"Well, I always knew, but Gallows taught me a few things." He spoke very softly as if he were ashamed.
"What's the matter?" asked Virginia, smiling as she always did.
"It's just that I am still not that good yet, so I was-"
"It was fantastic." Virginia said assuredly.
"Really?" He asked, sounding more vulnerable than he ever sounded in all the time she knew him.
"Really. Please, can you play it again from the beginning?"
"Well, okay."
His fingers shook with nerves, but they found their way to the necessary strings and his other hand began to grace the guitar and his nerves went away. Underneath the moonlight night, while the stars twinkled in the endless sky, amidst the prancing shadows of a flame, a heavenly sensation filled the desert and it almost seemed to dance to his words…
There is no combination of words I could put on the back of a postcard
And no song that I could sing but I can try for your heart
And our dreams and they are made out of real things
Like a shoebox of photographs with sepia-toned loving
Love is the answer at least for most of the questions in my heart
Why are we here? And where do we go? And how come it's so hard?
It's not always easy and sometimes life can be deceiving
I'll tell you one thing, it's always better when we're together
It's always better when we're together
We'll look at the stars when we're together
It's always better when we're together
It's always better when we're together-
Virginia smiled sweetly as she rose from her spot, Jet oblivious to her movements as he sung a ballad that was so close to him that she could see why he was so embarrassed when he was heard. She went a little closer so that she sat just a few feet away from Jet.
And all of these moments just might find their way into my dreams tonight
But I know that they'll be gone when the morning light sings
Or brings new things for tomorrow night you see
That they'll be gone too, too many things I have to do
But if all of these dreams might find their way into my day to day scene
I be under the impression I was somewhere in between
With only two, just me and you, not so many things we got to do
Or places we got to be we'll sit beneath the mango tree now
Virginia scooted a bit closer, but did it so quietly that Jet was still undisturbed as his song went on.
It's always better when we're together
We're somewhere in between together
It's always better when we're together
It's always better when we're together
At this part of the song, her heart began to beat wildly yet she felt as if she were in a peaceful dream as she looked into his eyes. It was then that most wonderful sensation filled her insomuch that it seemed nothing else seemed to matter except for one thing…Even then, a certain fear kept her from doing what she wanted most. She scooted even closer so that she was almost right by him…
I believe in memories they look so pretty when I sleep
And when I wake up you look so pretty sleeping next to me
At that moment she realized something. He returned to her that one night and fell asleep in that chair, keeping a vigilant watch over her long after she fell asleep, only to wake up early in the morning so that she would not know. At that moment, the fear she felt was made known to her. She feared that he did not feel the same way as she did, but now that fear was gone and she held no reservations to do what she yearned for.
But there is not enough time
And there is no song I could-
"Jet…"
The guitar stopped. The voice stopped. The wind stopped. The whole world stopped as Jet felt a soft hand caress his cheek. He looked at Virginia who smiled so sweetly that her teeth and lips seem to glimmer in the twilight. He felt a cool sensation around his neck as she lowered his scarf and for the first time she saw his whole face. To her eyes he was the most handsome man she had ever seen. She looked into his eyes, and she suddenly leaned forward, letting her lips touch his. There was no music, there was no sound, just him and her together.
They pulled apart after what seemed to be the most wonderful dream, still looking into each other's eyes. For the first time, Jet smiled as he returned her kiss so gently that she was almost unaware, still being overcome by her own. They looked at each other once again and she whispered so softly while wrapping her arms around his shoulders,
"Please? Can I hear the rest of your song?"
They smiled even brighter as the guitar began again with the sounds of the world as he finished-
But there is not enough time
And there is no song I could sing
And there is no combination of words I could say
But I will still tell you one thing
We're better together
The End
Author's Note and Disclaimer: Wild Arms 3 is not my creation and the song used was a great song done by Jack Johnson, and I suggest that you all pick up his newest CD "In Between Dreams". It was his song that inspired my story which I hope you all enjoyed. I will review the stories of those that review mine. Thanks for reading.