The Festival of Coll
"Oh, ow," moaned Tassy, letting herself lie sprawled across the practice room floor. It was the afternoon break of the first session; six hours they had worked, and the seniors had just picked up the basics of their arduous routine. It should be alright, Kyo had tried to assure herself the night before. I've worked for six hours and not felt a thing. But now, stood, back curved in fatigue next to her roommate, an hour break just didn't seem like anywhere near long enough.
"It's ironic that this is supposedly the town of enjoyment," she said, a little fainter than she meant to. "A real treat."
"You two should get some refreshments," said Aravis nonchalantly from the other side of the room. "You only get an hour, and we have a lot of singing to go through."
"We obey, oh embodiment of all that is wrong and evil," murmured Tassy, struggling to her feet. "And while we're there, we should probably ask a professional of some sort to look at our spines."
Kyo grinned; her back wasn't hurting so much, but Tassy had decided to get the most horrible looking gymnastics part of the routine out of the way as quickly as possible, and had spent most of the six hours doing back-flips. Kyo, on the other hand, had only being working through the basics, and her spine felt OK; unfortunately, the rest of her was aching horribly. Her legs pounded with every step, and she couldn't think of anything better to do than lie down and sleep. She was yearning for a bath, running the back of her hand over her glistening forehead.
"I don't think I've ever felt so disgusting in my life," she grumbled, letting her thoughts leak out of her mouth.
"Same," replied the other, walking hunched over.
"And who would like to bet that we'll all wake up tomorrow stiff," said Leo, walking over to greet them. He hadn't done nearly as much physical work as the dancers, but the bards had been hard pressed to perfect their instrumental parts.
"You? And what makes you think you'll wake up stiff?" spat Tassy incredulously.
"Do you have any idea what it's like playing a violin for more than two hours at a time? The fingers on my left hand are on the verge of bleeding! My right elbow will not move!" As proof, he held the fingers of his left hand, the tips of which were red, and had sore-looking channels carved into them by the strings.
They made their way out to the caves; no one could even think of the heat outside. The wave of cold that swept over them was more than welcome. A lot of them had just thrown themselves into the freezing water that lapped peacefully at the cool sands.
"Have you seen the score we've been given?" the bard went on.
"No. But I think that maybe I should consider myself lucky," replied Kyo, placing her warm hands over her clammy cheeks. She felt her legs begin to ache when she sat down. She spotted Kura making her way over, and with her was Taiken and Draco and… Oh my, Hawk? She felt her cheeks flush more, and immediately felt embarrassed that he should see her like this. She lay on her front, making a pillow with her hands, and pretended to not see them.
"Kyo, stay where you are please," she heard Kura's voice say after a few moments. She was about to lift her head and question her friend, but Kura just quickly laid her head on Kyo's back and lay down. "Oh, my poor aching feet."
"Taiken, could you put on a red wig and go in there instead of me at the end of the break?" asked Leo on his hands and knees. "I can't take anymore…"
"You big wimps," was Taiken's teasing reply. "So, are you actually going to eat something, or what? I've heard Tassy thinks she's fat."
"You're a fine one to lecture on eating habits," said Hawk with a frown. "The other day, I saw you put sugar on bacon."
"What kind of performance is it?" asked Draco, with a slight snigger in her voice.
"Morrocan style, the first one is," replied Leo. "Very fast, very rhythmic, very full of hip shaking, which would probably be why Kyo's here, and well… you know… you're from Morroc. You know what I mean."
"Indeed I do. How could you tell?"
"Well, um… you know assassins tend to ah… come from there… and there's a rumour that the thief's guild is there and all… so you had to at least have been there, right?"
"I wouldn't be too sure about that rumour; most thieves are thieves because they have no choice, so they couldn't be as organised as to be called a guild. There is a band of rogues who travel in gangs; I guess that must be what the rumour's about."
"Ooh, would you look at that. Leo can think," said Tassy. She was in quite a foul mood at the moment.
"Yep," he said proudly. "It's 'cause I'm not a bimbo."
"I can't wait until Leo has to get onto learning his part of the dance; I'd like to see him in some real pain."
"Steady, Tassy," interjected Kyo sternly.
"Yeah, Tassy," laughed Leo boyishly.
"I don't know about anyone else, but I'm a little tired of listening to Kyo's stomach rumble; I'm getting something to eat," stated Kura.
x-x-x
The second session was no less difficult than the first; the first two hours were spent singing. The song was sung in the Language of the Making, and it told of some weird story about… something. Taiken got Ruriko to translate it, but there were names in there she didn't know. Of course, everyone knew the name Odin, but Balder was a new one. She kept complaining that the word "volva" was the verb to see, but it was used in the song as it was used as a noun. The basic idea of the song, however, was that Balder was having nightmares, and Odin went to this "volva" to find out what it meant.
Thankfully, it was a girl called Cleo who was doing the solo singing parts in between the choruses. After about an hour of practicing, she was complaining that her voice was going to crack. She had a clear, strong, feminine voice, and her solos sounded wonderful.
Fortunately, for the next dance, Kyo was only one of the background people. Unfortunately, it wasn't any easier than being at the front. Also unfortunately, this was the main part for showing off the students' gymnastic capabilities, and unfortunately again, she was partnered with Leo. It wouldn't have been too bad, but unfortunately yet again, they were depicting a battle.
Aravis needed to tutor the leading dancers alone, so the five pairs were sent off to different studios to practice.
When Leo opened the practice room door, he stepped in, scratched his head, and said, "Hey, you're supposed to be here?"
"Well, Kyo's our guild mate," replied a voice, which Kyo recognised as Ruriko's. She felt a little wave of relief, possibly happiness, at hearing herself confirmed as a member of the God's Cry.
The musicians walked in, the dancer a little daunted by her own reflection in the walls of mirrors. Taiken, Ruriko, Chisel and Draco were sat on one of the benches, Hawk was leaning casually against the wall at the other end of the room and Oshi stood, still and silent, in one of the corners.
"Nice daggers," said Draco, with a slight frown.
"Thanks, they're not ours," replied Leo. "We're supposed to be depicting a battle. These things are blunt but they still hurt. I mean, watch…"
Leo raised his weapons over his head, and turned to Kyo. He brought the weapons swooping down through the air, aimed straight for her. She raised her own to block the attack, and the weapons met.
There was a loud clang, and a painful shock shot through her arms, shaking every bone and every joint. She let out a yelp of surprise and dropped her weapons, and heard Leo do the same.
"See? They hurt a lot!" he stated, shaking his hands in an attempt to ease the shock. "I don't know why they didn't give us fake weapons or something. I mean, we are a performing arts school, you'd think they'd have a few lying around…"
"Was that really necessary?" interjected Kyo with a bite of irritation in her voice.
"Well… no, but-…" She didn't bother letting him finish; she leapt into a crouching position, and swung her leg in a deft half-circle. He flew off balance, and landed heavily on his back.
"Revenge."
The rest of the practice didn't go so badly, but it was most certainly exhausting. By the end of it, Kyo ached horribly all over, and sitting down provided little relief. She felt incredibly clammy, and her legs were too tired to support her weight. Just as the stitch in her side was ebbing away, Aravis came in and announced that it was time to do it all again, but this time with everyone else.
Chisel frowned incredulously first at the headmistress, then at the exhausted students. Taiken quickly asked why she was leaving this so late.
"It's a long story," she sighed. "And I don't have time for it right now."
The rehearsal with the rest of the group also didn't go too badly. Kyo didn't know what the other pairs were doing, but the glimpses she caught of them looked remarkably similar to hers and Leo's in terms of difficulty. The instrumental group seemed to be having it rough as well, and the main performers… oh, how she pitied the main performers. For a start, it looked as though they actually needed to know how to handle their weapons properly. But also, their routine was no less difficult than that of the rest of the class, in fact it looked much more difficult, and in addition they were carrying incredibly weighty looking weapons. They had a heavy blade that was at least a foot long mounted to the end of a pole, but the performers had to swing them as though they were as light as air.
Kyo was intensely relieved when she dragged her aching, tired body back to her dormitory. The process of putting on her nightclothes seemed like an arduous task in itself, and she could Tassy muttering, "Never again…"
x-x-x
"Wow, I really love Comodo," Ruriko exclaimed, leaping up and hugging Chisel around the shoulders.
"OK, calm down, shorty," he laughed, giving her a gentle squeeze back before prying her grip loose with one hand and setting her down. She smiled. The blacksmith prided himself on being the only member of the God's Cry to be able to tease Ruriko about being short and not be glared at. In fact, he found he got on with her incredibly well.
"That routine yesterday… phew!" she went on, making a swooping gesture with her arm. "I never realized Kyo was that good! I could never do that."
"Yep. Despite being one of the shyest dancers on Midgard, she's also one of the best. Hey, what are you doing about this festival? It would be easy for you and Draco to get dates, but you could just go with me and Oshi."
"I don't know. I guess I'll go with you and Oshi. I can't think of anyone who I would go on a date with, except ma-…"
She stopped, her eyebrows drawn into a frown.
"What?"
"Huh? Oh, just… well, you know, Sis on a date. Can you imagine that?" she replied nervously. She was lying, of course, but Chisel didn't push it.
"Oh yeah. That would be one for the history books. And my poor rumbling stomach demands lunch. Let's find the others."
x-x-x
After the seemingly impossible first day of rehearsals, the second seemed twice as long. There was, however, the intense relief and assurance that this would be the last time Kyo would ever have to do this. Ever. The thought kept her stable. Endure, she would whisper to herself as her limbs began to sag with fatigue.
Tassy was in a quirky, snappy mood, which Kyo had noted happened when she was tired. Though tiredness showed in his limp stance and tired face, Leo didn't cease in his cheery ways. Kura fell completely silent under the strain.
"We get to sleep up until midday tomorrow," Leo assured them. This brought a slight smile to Tassy's face, Kyo noticed.
The day slugged on in a haze of music and rapid movement, and by the end of it, everyone struggled to the mastery of their parts. The sky was a rich, inky black when they were finished, and they were limping back to their rooms.
Tassy perked up considerably when she was lying in her bed. "It's your first date tomorrow, isn't it?" she asked keenly, bright blue eyes fixed on Kyo.
The other looked away, feeling the heat rise in her face. "No." She didn't know if she was lying or not. Did Hawk think it was a date? If he did and she didn't, wouldn't he be offended? And vice versa?
"Yes it is," Tassy said, wagging her finger at Kyo.
"Well, I… um… I don't really… entirely… I'm just… not sure…" Oh my, now I'm stuttering about a simple question? Just how serious is this? she thought after listening to herself.
"I suggest you find out. Flirt with him a bit. See how he reacts. Honestly, you're so shy…"
Kyo drew back, and buried herself beneath her duvet, despite being already far too warm for her liking. She grimaced to herself beneath the covers, trying to ignore the smouldering heat pressing into her skin. Flirt with my friend? It all sounded quite tarty. Oh, I just don't know… this is so stupid…
I don't know… is it stupid?
When she next peered out from her bed, mid-morning light was reaching in golden rays into the room. Tassy was just beginning to stir; she rolled over with a slight groan, her eyes creeping open. When she saw Kyo was awake, she leapt up and hoisted her roommate out of bed.
"OK, first, big breakfast. We need it. Secondly, sit down while we can. Thirdly, take baths and make ourselves look fabulous. Any questions?"
"Do I have a choice?"
"No."
x-x-x
Midday painted itself a glorious blue against the sky. The warmth of the day didn't quite reflect the bright silvery sun. There was a distinct breeze on the air and a sparse few clouds, fluffy and white, creeping through the sky. The caves of Comodo were decorated glamorously with silken scarlet ribbons and banners, draped luxurious and lazy over the cold rocks. The large stage stood prominently in the centre with thick clusters of violently sweet-smelling blazing crimson flowers. In small makeshift shelters around the ridges of the mountain were the fireworks, and there had to be at least twenty people managing them, Hawk decided. The beach was left bare and golden.
The hunter stared nervously at the red decoration, ignoring the milling crowds pressing onward to the cafés, instinctively raising his arm for Alder to land on. The falcon did so, crooning reassuringly, one golden eye fastened boldly to Hawk's face. He quickly wondered why he needed reassurance, to which the bird replied with what could only be a smirk, and the image of Kyo floated into his head. Hawk replied sharply that there wasn't anything to be nervous about. He jerked his arm up in a great, swooping movement, forcing Alder to take off. The falcon still carried the superior, smug aura, but gave its partner the usual affectionate nip on the ear.
The "conversations" between a hunter and his falcon were… odd, to say the least. There were no words exchanged. It was emotions that passed between the two, which meant both the bird and the human were confined to the truth, and it was because of this that the relationships were so surprisingly easy to maintain. They retained their own feelings, but they were both able to feel the other's emotions as though they were their own. Hawk had never been able to totally block out Alder, and vice versa, but he had often found that he dreamt of being a falcon, and Alder and he had often been roused by the same nightmares. Hawk, however, was still obstinately trying to get around the fact that he couldn't hide anything from the bird.
"Hey, is that what you're planning to wear?" asked a familiar voice.
Hawk tore his gaze from the retreating falcon, and found, as he expected, Taiken stood with him. The bard sought him out everyday at this time for some reason, insisting they have lunch together. Hawk thought he would've found this gratingly annoying, but he was actually quite flattered.
"There's something else I can wear?" he replied curtly.
"What were you planning to wear?" Taiken asked with a knowing frown.
Hawk frowned also, and gave a nonchalant shrug to his hunters garb. The bard gave a dry snigger, ruffling his golden hair awkwardly.
"It's OK; we have a few hours. You: bathe. Me: find pretty clothes for Hawky-p… What? You can't go to your first date dressed as a hunter."
"…I am a hunter, Taiken."
"Yes, yes, a pretty hunter who goes romping through the woods, hurling pointed sticks at unsuspecting porings and becoming incredibly scruffy."
"I am not incredibly scruffy," he replied stiffly.
"Then you'll have absolutely no problem with making yourself look reasonable. Come along, Hawky-poo."
The hunter frowned, and turned, rolling his eyes, to make his way back to the dormitories. Something important suddenly occurred to him, something that he was vigilant about keeping at bay, something Taiken had mentioned that he… forgot to argue with.
"It isn't a date, Taiken!" he called behind him.
It was only when he was actually stood in front of the bath that he slapped his forehead with a groan, realizing he forgot to argue about Taiken calling him "Hawky-poo."
x-x-x
Kyo kept her eyes on the floor, frightened of what she would find if she looked in the mirror. Tassy was stood behind her, tying ribbons around her hair. Some thin locks had been twisted into delicate braids, fastened with gleaming silver beads. Her hair had been bundled up and tied tightly into a ponytail, then tied loosely into a bun. The result was that her hair came in short, velvety tufts, messy and wild over the back of her head, the little plaits swinging gracefully with the strands and the beads shining. Where she normally would have worn her "cute ribbon", as she and Chisel had taken to calling it, a scarlet ribbon was tied like a band, and the shorter strands of hair still fell forward to frame her face.
She sighed inwardly when she saw that her outfit still showed quite a bit of her legs. She peered glumly at the silken deep red skirt; it was long, and at least covered the back of her, but it was tied at the top of the thigh, leaving a slit in a perfect, delicate V shape, the entire leg exposed. She wore heavy silver earrings, and a scarlet halter-neck, a little more covering than the one she had with her dancers garb, the ribbons overly long and flowing down from the back of her neck until they were brushing uncomfortably against her bare back. She'd been given red gloves, that left her fingers visible, but covered the back of her hands and all of her forearms, and silver bangles glittered and clanged like little bells at her wrists and ankles. Her sandals were thin, and a deep black colour.
"There! Other than the slightly insane looking over the top black and red make-up which I don't think we'll subject you to, you're all done," announced Tassy with undisguised pride.
Kyo nodded. Her roommate was wearing the same as she was, but the blonde girl seemed to know exactly how to hold herself to best flatter her figure and the clothes. Her hair was arranged messily into place by thick, very black hairpins, and she had a silver dragonfly ornament which pulled back a lock of blonde that had been carefully plaited.
"I don't think I can do this," murmured Kyo without thinking, instinctively reaching for her braid, which was normally hanging airily around her waist. Then she remembered that her hair was up, and distracted herself with the silver bands adorning her wrists.
"Honestly, look at yourself," replied Tassy indignantly, pouting slightly, grabbing Kyo forcefully by her shoulders and whirling her around to face the mirror.
Though she didn't want to admit defeat, her mind approved of the reflection thrust before her. The blood red against her pale skin was a flattering contrast, and it seemed to make her hair look a more reddish colour. Her eyes looked more violet now than she had ever seen them, and she noted quietly the curves of her figure. She'd thought the idea that Tassy had about doing her hair was a little stupid, but it looked good. She felt a little flushed, and tried to find something to say.
"See? You look great!" Tassy assured her, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek.
Kyo smiled at her friend, still trying to simmer down the boiling worry in her chest. She tried assuring herself that she wasn't horribly nervous about this… meeting, but also that she was almost girlishly excited about it.
As sunset was beginning to blare red and gold across the sky, the bards and dancers proceeded to the stage, where they may or may not be able to perform their routine without any mishaps. The bards tuned and checked their instruments nervously, and the dancers were stretching out their muscles, some of them doing the occasional cartwheel. Kyo kicked her right leg out, quickly testing her manoeuvrability in her skirt. She was so nervous, her head was beginning to throb. All the mistakes she could make seemed horribly evident and more than possible.
x-x-x
"First part is the school's performance. Then the poor students are free to go, and Kyo and Tassy will meet up with us," explained Taiken, ruffling Hawk's hair lightly. The hunter frowned at the affectionate gesture, and stared wistfully at the bow and arrows left in the corner of the room. He couldn't remember the last time he hadn't been carrying them around. But when he had seen both Oshi and Draco discard their armour, silent and movement constricting bandages and katars, he had sighed and conceded to leaving his weapons also.
He felt odd; his life had been played in two parts: the first half was when his mother was alive, the second was spent fighting. So now, he was a fighter. But now he was discarding his weapons and falling in love. The soft, unworn clothes felt odd against his skin. He missed the extravagant helm, which normally served to keep his hair out of his eyes. He looked at his arms and found linen sleeves, not wristbands that stopped his grip on a bow slipping. He diverted his gaze quickly over to his companion, who watched the hunter impatiently for a reaction.
"Me and Tassy will double date with you two if you want," he said with a smirk.
"It's not a date," Hawk shot back instantly. He suddenly cringed outwardly when he remembered the words "falling in love" had flitted across his mind. Oh, great, a voice in his head grumbled, when he saw the bard's face lighten with laughter. I wasn't supposed to do that…
"Hey, whether it's a date or not hardly matters now; the fact is you're nervous." Taiken said it in an annoyingly boyish singsong voice. But unfortunately, he was right, and Hawk wanted to throttle him.
He made no attempt to lie about it, and instead evaded the statement, walking straight for the door of their room. He caught a sideways glance of what he was wearing, but he refused to see himself in the clothes; only the clothes as they were. The main colours were red and black - much too bold for his liking. He wore a reasonably long black muffler, which seemed to flatter his broad shoulders, and black trousers. The boots covering his feet were comfortable, and felt new. The deep red long-sleeved shirt was slightly baggy, and looked expensive. His hair was now… floppy, and smooth, now that it wasn't constricted by either a bandana or the golden head adornment. He quickly wondered if it looked like he'd made too much effort.
Taiken followed him, wearing a smirk no doubt, and they found Oshi waiting silently outside of their door. The assassin looked quite a bit less menacing without his katars and armour. He looked almost… "normal" - a little scruffy, and a little reluctant to go to the festival - but… like a man who hadn't killed someone for money. But the sharp, expressionless grey eyes still scowled darkly.
Chisel was with him, but he wore a jacket over his plain white shirt, which he'd buttoned up. His cart wasn't with him, which, to Hawk, looked odd. He wasn't wearing the boyish cap he usually wore, but he still wore jeans, just not with the heavy, hardwearing blacksmiths shoes. He actually seemed a little relieved at the arrival of Taiken and Hawk; he'd never been very good at managing Oshi's silences.
Thankfully, Ruriko and Draco were ready to go - Ruriko could be in front of a mirror preening herself for hours at a time, when she thought she had the time. Draco was wearing a simple sleeveless dress in a deep violet colour. Ruriko was adorned in a black dress that dragged across the floor, and had wide sleeves of silken shreds. There was a bold red ribbon tied around her waist, making the fabric cling to her figure, and she kept her witch's hat.
The school was empty as they made their way through it; the younger students went to the festival quite early.
As soon as they were outside of the school, they found themselves almost instantly stood in a wild, milling crowd, the buzz of constant chatter booming around the caves. Hawk noted with a feeling of both disdain and insecurity the proximity of lively strangers and the wide-eyed, shining stares directed at him. The stage was clearly visible, now adorned with glowing black lanterns that cast an autumn red glow over the cave. Through the barrage of energetic speech came the sound of various musicians tuning their instruments or testing their percussion with a deft thump.
He stared, a little anxiously over the heads of the crowd, hoping for a glimpse of Kyo. He was disappointed and a little bitter not to find her. He sighed inwardly, and turned to Taiken, hoping the bard would have something to say.
He stood silent, however, tugging irritably at a stray lock of blond hair. Suddenly, the ringing of violins, all playing the same note, streamed through the atmosphere: the instrumentalists checking their tuning. The audience fell to expectant hush, and the tone of many instruments merged into a complete, perfect sound.
They swung back into complete silence, the audience still and filled with anticipation. Then their tune began: suddenly, a metallic, heavy drum pounded into the air, furious, loud and steady. Six dancers, dressed in flowing black, cartwheeled and somersaulted smoothly and rhythmically onto the stage, and applause exploded over the crowd. The drums hammered on, the dancers scuffing and stamping in perfect sync with the sound, twirling abruptly and clapping their hands strongly. Their sharp, deft movements seemed random and wild, exotic. But they began to move with each other, a subtle merging of motion, as an echoic, haunting sound shuddered beneath the percussion. It swelled and cackled sinisterly.
The tune leapt in, a shivering, mournful sound. The dancers responded instantly, their flow becoming more graceful and deft, arms moving in swift swooping circles, and their sandaled feet stamping furiously.
A hollow, ferocious shaking instrument boomed in, and the main performers entered, dressed in luxurious red. Their hips shook and flowed in a wild frenzy, both exotic and incredibly beautifully, scarlet skirts swishing in a blur of silk. A light, soft guitar skewered through the harsh wooden instruments, soft and energetic. Hawk's heart skipped a beat as he stared at the dancers in crimson: one of them was Kyo.
The entire sound of the tune was coarse and beautiful. The solid pounding drums blitzed through the cave, rattling and amazing. The dancers moved fast and precise, black and red silk fluttering behind them. Hawk's attention slipped from them, however, and he found all human speech had left him, caught again in Kyo's dance. As far as he saw, there was nothing and no one around him; no crowd screaming its appreciation, no stage, no decorations, no black-clothed background dancers… just Kyo, dressed softly in her red silk, her dance beautiful, exotic, wonderful, so filled with swift and graceful movement.
He thought of her; her bright violet-blue eyes, the slender figure and soft skin, her sweet nature and silent humility, how she smiled at him always, the subtle timidity and charming kindness to her beauty, the admiration and affectionate reliance she carried for him…
The finale of the music poured in, and the absence of the pounding drums and the appreciative, applauding roar of the crowd brought the hunter roughly back to his senses. He followed suit and cheered with the audience, a little sullenly, confused and agitated by where his thoughts had been leading. He allowed his gaze to focus on her again; she stood tall and beautiful, a smile filled with relief and joy over her delicate face as the final chord, strummed elegant and strong on the guitar, rippled sharply through the atmosphere.
The second performance was a song, fast, striking and bizarre, a tambourine ringing ominously through the chorus and a ferocious drum. The chorus would fall to complete silence, and a girl would sing a slow, smooth verse in a clear voice, peaceful and doleful, resonating the walls of the cave and stirring tears in the eyes of the singer's audience. Few, if any, understood the words sung wonderfully by the choir and the soloist, but the sound lifted the very souls of its listeners, filling them with melancholy and serene sadness, not knowing the effect the tranquil, heartening and sombre music.
The next dance was entirely rhythmic; the pounding of the drums seemed to shake the caves and shatter the rocks. Hawk almost felt his ribs shuddering out of place beneath the mighty sound. Kyo was forced to the background for this dance, but she was easily distinguished from the intense flurry of movement. He had to concentrate sternly to keep his focus on the main performers, dressed in bronze, but he allowed his vision to flit back to her frequently, usually to make sure that she did the parts of the routine he'd seen her practice and knew she had difficulty with. She did them all perfectly. He allowed himself to smile when he saw this.
The applause flooded the area again. The dancing girls dressed in black stepped forward and took a bow, smiling sweetly at their more than appreciative audience. The other groups of musicians stepped forward to the sound of cheers and golden approval. When Kyo came to the front of the stage, along with Tassy, the soloist from the song, and the bronze clad gymnasts, the crowd exploded into new levels of delight, shouting themselves hoarse and pounding their hands together. It was deafening.
The caves occupants bustled noisily out and became eventually spread in chattering clumps of people across the beach beneath a deep velvety blue sky. Rapid music had begun; sweet violins, a solid drum and the furious strumming of many guitars. Fireworks were beginning to rocket away, whistling shrilly before exploding into a riotously bright array of colours, glittering fiercely.
Hawk looked to Taiken, possibly for an explanation, but the bard was silently scanning the crowd.
"That was awesome!" Ruriko yelled over the din.
"Yeah, let us take a moment to be incredibly proud of our Kyo," declared Chisel.
Taiken found who he was looking for, slipping polite and smiling through the crowd and drawing the stares of those she passed by. "Aha! My favourite bimbo!"
Tassy nudged him with her elbow, then Hawk directed his attention to Kyo, who had her eyes fixed on him apprehensively. She quickly looked down, blushing slightly, when she saw he'd noticed her; he smiled to himself and pretended not to notice.
"Most impressive," said Oshi with what sounded like traces of admiration, which was extravagant praise from him. It was possible, Alder informed the hunter, that he had noticed the slightly awkward exchange of glances and sought to remedy it; he was, after all, an assassin, and more than required to notice what went on around him. Hawk frowned at the falcon, scoffing at the idea of Oshi speaking on his behalf. He then went on, lying, insisting that it wasn't awkward.
It certainly was for her, the bird concluded, with a smugness so very similar to Taiken's.
"Truly," concurred Draco, smiling warmly at Kyo. "What kind of music is this?" she asked, cocking her head slightly in the direction of the caves, where the music rang merrily from the entrance.
"Just a lot of old folk tunes," replied Tassy casually. "Very old; the lyrics are in the Language of the Making. We tried translating some of them once, and we got something along the lines of the counsel in the well; that's kind of strange, but it was either that or something about porings and shoes. Since porings lack this little thing we call feet, we decided it must have been the part about the well."
Ruriko scoffed and frowned, then smirked. Hawk didn't know any of the runes for the words Tassy mentioned, and they probably did sound the same, but that wouldn't matter to Ruriko. As difficult to grasp linguistically as it was, to her, the Language of the Making came as naturally as speaking in common-tongue. Her aunt had taught her, she'd said, and she would have become a wizard, but she and Draco severed their attachments to their parents before anything could be done to secure their futures.
"Do you think you could get the lyrics to some of these songs?" she asked.
"Sure. I'm betting Taiken's forgotten them all."
Taiken frowned as several pairs of eyes fixed on him, then pretended to be incredibly interested in a firework that fell in a glittering rainbow above them.
"Come on, bimbo," he said, snapping out of his "daze". "Dance time."
Tassy smirked, and she and Taiken strode further up the beach, where a rather large crowd had bloomed into existence out of seemingly nowhere. In fact, it seemed to spread itself in a whirling, furiously energetic bulk across most of the beach, comprised entirely of enthusiasm, people blitzing joyfully over the dark sand.
Hawk began to feel nervous again, remembering with a worried ache in his throat that at a festival, he would be expected to dance. He tried to assure himself that Kyo was probably equally nervous.
"I was supposed to ask Taiken why I'm here," murmured Oshi, frowning at the exit the bard had just taken, but he didn't carry the snide irritation that would normally accompany such a phrase from the assassin.
"Food!" exclaimed Ruriko, perking up without warning. There was a bemused and benign exchange of smiles, and Chisel, Draco, Ruriko and Oshi filed away into the crowd. Hawk watched them leave, and when Kyo made no kind of move to follow, neither did he.
Of course, he was scared this would happen; just the two of them, left alone, in a rather uncomfortable silence. This is Taiken's doing, I bet, he thought grudgingly to himself, his teeth grit together. His thoughts directed at the bard, he quickly spotted Taiken dancing exuberantly with Tassy among the crowd. He'd never seen him enjoy himself; it was true that Taiken did get a bit of a kick out of stretching peoples emotions (mine especially...), but that wasn't a game, and he knew it. But to see the wise-leader of the God's Cry really letting himself relax... not having to manage his guild mates, have any decisions to make, no battles to fight, and Hawk further up the beach and not within annoying distance...
Well, I was able to tell him about my father...
Another firework spread itself in a glittering montage of bright colours, the sudden boom making Kyo jump. Hawk watched her curiously from the corner of his eye. She heaved a subtle sigh, and spoke up. "Um... Hawk? Sir?"
"You don't need to call me sir," he replied quietly, the heat rising in his face slightly. However, he forced himself to look at her directly.
"OK, Hawk," she said, faltering slightly as though about to add "sir" to his name again. "It's just... well... Tassy's been quite annoying about it... well... she says that... this is a date and... I didn't really know how to answer."
He blinked a few times, waiting for the message to sink in. She looked frightened for perhaps a second or less, before averting her gaze, blushing furiously.
"I mean, if it is a date," she murmured quickly and quietly; he had to strain his ears to hear her over the music and the incessant babble of the crowd. "Then... I'm OK with that, but if it isn't, then-..."
"Well, do you... want it to be a date?"
She pretended that a lock of her hair was bothering her, and made a subtle movement that was distinctly a nod.
He took a still moment to feel flushed and pleased with himself before replying, "A date it is."
She nodded again, her expression happy and relieved, a little dazed even. She continued to tug self-consciously at her hair.
"So what do you want to do then?" he continued, not wanting them to fall back to an awkward silence. He was determined to make this work.
For some reason, he quickly added.
The question took her by surprise, it seemed. She looked flustered for a second, then answered, "I guess we should go and get some drinks. But I'm... well, if I act really weird, it isn't my fault."
He laughed, and extended his hand out to her, with Alder's assurance ringing through his mind. Of course, he had no reason to think she wouldn't take it, but that didn't stop him from being nervous.
She clasped her hand around his within a second, and they wove their way through the crowd, and, much to his annoyance, drew slightly awed stares from the people they passed. But her being close at his side was more of a comfort than he thought possible. She was most definitely leaning into him and almost clinging to him. If she were standing any closer, it would have been more than tempting to pull her into his arms. But he contented himself with her affectionate presence.
The wine served was mastela wine, a sweet, purple liquid, something that Hawk had never tasted before. Kyo had never tasted it either, as her eyes widened considerably when she swallowed it. He laughed, to which she tapped him lightly with her foot. She sniffed the mixture childishly, before shrugging, and swallowing the entire glass in one.
"Wo..." she murmured, her eyes glazed a little and staggering slightly. He suppressed a laugh and gulped down his own drink, and almost immediately saw his vision blotch slightly and his posture relax; mastela wine was apparently quite strong. "Oh... no, I'm going to go all giggly now," she continued, a smile clear and her at ease.
"I don't remember the last time I got drunk; I think it made me smile vaguely then collapse."
It took a few more glasses before he could really begin to feel the effects of being drunk. It seemed he set his glass down, a smile fell over his features and his vision swayed precariously in front of him. The world sloshed, deepened in colour and softened around the edges; it was a pleasant feeling. Suddenly, some of the things he would've considered ridiculous became fine; there were still lines he had drawn for himself, everything was light, and all consequence were removed from action. Light and easy was the world, and he didn't need a care in the world.
She must have caught the vague expression in his eyes, with interest judging by the smile and clear shine in her eyes. "Since you're suitably intoxicated, can we dance?"
"I can learn," he replied, with an inward casual shrug. He told himself it was casual, but there was still the niggling nervousness threatening to creep back into his system, and Alder's sharp, sober presence was still audible and unmistakably amused.
She allowed herself to giggle slightly, then seized his hand, gently, and led him back through the crowd. He watched the people and places around him slip by in a blurry haze of movement, the sound of the music in the background became woolly and not as clear. He was free of trouble. He didn't need to be alert. He didn't need to be able to draw a bow or fire an arrow. He wasn't troubled.
Within a few seconds, he stood with Kyo in front of Taiken and Tassy. Taiken was more than amused.
"Wow, Hawk knows what wine looks like?" he laughed.
Hawk looked benignly at the bard, and felt no annoyance. "I'm just as surprised as you are."
"And he really mellows out!"
"Hey, they teach archers basic grace don't they?" Kyo asked suddenly. Hawk turned to her, and blinked in what must have been surprise. He recalled being taught how to dance, but the memories were groggy and blackened, not remembering if he liked it or if he was even any good at it. He shrugged, deciding to find out.
His nervousness was gone. There wasn't any reason to be nervous, not in this state of mind. He took her hand, and listened vaguely to the music, and pulled her to close to him. She stared into his face, expectant, intrigued, and flattered it seemed.
With a final assurance from Alder and a shock of resolution (and since Taiken had decided now would be a good time to yank Tassy back into a dance), he slid his loose hand around her waist. He walked forward to the tune, and she moved back. They did this a few steps, before he caught her ankle, and gave her little push upwards with his foot; she responded by kicking her leg around in a full, perfect circle, spinning around, stood on one pointed foot, and she brought her leg around as though she were sat cross legged, and he caught her against his chest, his hand still holding hers.
She inclined her head to his briefly, so briefly that he wasn't sure it had happened, before turning slightly to face him to smile. Their faces were almost dangerously close to one another, and he let himself see her as the beautiful young woman she was.
She swung back around to face him entirely, and their own little dance continued. Not only was he enraptured in her dance, he was part of it. The feeling was wonderful. It was a fast, whirling dance, and he found it surprisingly easy to adapt to her rapid movements. Her proximity was more than welcome, and he savoured the brief moments when their bodies were pressed together and their faces were close. And this was most certainly… fun. He could most certainly see why the people of Comodo loved their parties. For fragments of moments at a time, he could almost the feel the amazing release from reality that made the residents of the town let themselves go and enjoy themselves as much as they could. There wasn't any need for sadness.
He couldn't remember the last time he'd been so happy; he spent as much time as he could dancing with Kyo. He found his favourite movement was during a slow, sweet tune; he didn't know he moved first, but he found her in his arms, staring fondly into his face. He gazed back, smiling softly, allowing himself to feel the way he felt about her. He couldn't believe how much he cared about her. He couldn't believe how much he depended on her to make him feel… good. She was his best friend. But now she was more.
The rest of the evening passed in a fog of contentment and motion. He spent every moment with Kyo. Taiken and Tassy joined them, "suitably intoxicated", the effect being that Tassy's speech was slurred and irregular and Taiken couldn't stop laughing. Hawk couldn't believe how much he was enjoying himself; he could laugh aloud, he could relax, he didn't need to worry about anything. The night etched itself into his fondest memories, and he would keep it forever. The night when he was truly happy. He stared at the full moon, silver and glorious, casting a white stream of light over the deep black of the sky, and the echoes of reds and golds from the fireworks that blitzed from the mountain.
He was quite sullenly disappointed when the midnight bell signalled the closing of the festival. The musicians in the cave played their last chord, and were gone. The crowd began to disperse, their faces shining with joy and their bodies sagging with fatigue.
"Anyone else a little… pooped?" asked Kyo.
"Indeed," laughed Taiken. "Time for bed, kiddies."
They started to make their way back to the dormitories, Hawk halting to look one last time at the full moon spread bright and amazing across the sky. Kyo stood with him as he did this, and held his hand as they entered the school. They walked a little way behind Taiken and Tassy.
"I'm really glad you enjoyed yourself," she whispered.
He squeezed her hand lightly, and threaded his fingers through hers. "I'm glad you asked me to come."
He couldn't say anymore, however, as they stood in front of the dormitory doors.
"Well, good night then," he said, a little bitterly. Under Alder's instruction and the vague, content feeling still sloshing merrily around his mind, he leaned forward. He hesitated to check her reaction, and was relieved to see her move closer to him. He closed the gap between them, and gave her a kiss on the cheek, and felt her do the same.
"Good night," she replied, a little flushed. He gave a little wave, before turning and departing to join Taiken. The bard regarded him with a strange look, smiling incredulously, both amused and curious.
"So how was your little meeting? Did you enjoy it?" he asked.
Hawk frowned, and he found an odd little feeling rise in his chest. He couldn't decipher it, and he didn't bother trying. He just replied, with a smile and the exact words he meant to. "It's called a date, Taiken."