Aurora informed him that the key was only a part of his birthday present; there was still more pieces to the day. She bid him to go change into something appropriate for casual company before herself disappearing into her rooms, no doubt to work some female magic. Once he'd changed, Suzaku sat on the stairs, slowly fingering the key she'd given him. With reverent interest, he traced the ridges and dips, thoroughly memorizing the tiny notches. The little thing made him hungry – hungry for home, hungry for stability, hungry for reality.
The key itself sated nothing; only whetted his already razor sharp appetite for things he could not have. For a moment, it even made him angry. Suzaku imagined racing to the pond he'd found last week, heaving the key into it with all of his substantial strength. And so burying the representation of that which tempted him in the murky, peat-heavy waters.
Aurora had never intended her gift to hurt him like this. Never imagined that this show of support and understanding would slice into his heart and mind like slivers of glass. It was the implication of the thing – the symbolism attached to the small piece of metal. In the end, Suzaku merely sighed, tracing the pad of his index finger down the spine of the copper key. It was too precious to rid himself of – after all, he was accustomed to pain. He could bear it, for a worthwhile enough cause. At the sound of a door opening upstairs, Suzaku stood, and slid the key into the pocket of his jeans.
He knew her beauty too well by now to be stunned; instead, he drank her in, this thirst a solid, clenching pair to the key's hunger. The peach of her filmy blouse brought incredible color to her cheeks. It stopped just after her elbows, well clear of the bright clinking of the golden bangles around her wrists. Her skirt was a deep lavender, silver scrollwork and sequins winking in the light as she moved. Gauzy fabric floated and rippled, bringing to life the peacock feathers woven into the pattern. Suzaku's breathing accelerated as his stomach clenched, and yet he managed to wait for her at the bottom of the stairs like a proper gentleman. When she stepped down next to him, he offered his arm, managing to smile even as he wanted to run his teeth along the tendons of her throat.
"Where to, my lady?"
She smiled a little mysteriously, taking his proffered elbow with the smooth calm of a woman accustomed to being escorted.
"Some friends are having a bit of a celebration. Over by the standing stones. Are you ready?"
He nodded, and with one final smile, they headed out, into the warm, early evening light, Ban dancing around them like an eager shadow. Much of the moisture had lifted from the ground, and instead hung in the air like the warm press of skin. Aurora had anticipated the dew in the grass, choosing her nude patent flats, enjoying the swish of her skirt against Suzaku's leg as they walked side by side, arms still entwined.
She steered them north, a direction largely unexplored in their time here. Aurora was glad for it now, savoring the awe that moved over Suzaku's face as they crowned a hill, the dark stones spearing up before them in the flat of a small plain. Bathed in golden light, they were unapologetically primal, fierce and solid. Several of the crown stones had tumbled from their grand state over the centuries, leaving some pillars lonely in their thrust up from the rich earth. The two of them slowly drew closer; there was something in the air here, something sparking with ancient power and eternal strength. This was a place of ceremony and worship, calling to Aurora more truly than any church.
She reached out to touch one of the stones – perhaps it was her imagination, but for a moment, it felt hot as freshly spilled blood. Something instinctive had her stilling instead of retreating, and then the stone was simply sun-warmed, rough and pitted by time under her fingertips. Suzaku mirrored her, running his fingers along the stone near hers, a calm stealing over his eyes that seemed almost sacrosanct.
"It's… sacred," he said softly, the hand that had passed over the stone stealing over the one she still kept on his arm.
"It is," she agreed simply, tipping her head to his shoulder as they absorbed the quiet, humming with history and thick with magic. Ban felt it too; instead of cavorting around in his usual juvenile fashion, he kept close, even leaning against her leg with the occasional quiver. Finally, Aurora drew them away, skirting around the circle of stones instead of moving through it. He went willingly, with no desire to tread over holy ground. For it was, indeed, holy.
A little farther along, and Suzaku could make out an encampment. Even from some distance away, he could hear the laughter and singing, smell wood smoke and something rich and meaty. Colorful tents had been pitched, and he couldn't help but ogle at the horse-drawn wagons that circled all that activity, painted in a bright, rustic rainbow. As they approached, they were hailed – Aurora raised her hand in greeting, and slowed. Ban made low cooing sounds, looking up at her with pleading eyes, almost quaking with his desire to go meet new friends.
"Wait until you're invited, like a gentleman," she murmured to him, smiling when she caught sight of a large man tramping towards them. Maintaining her expression, she leaned over to whisper into Suzaku's ear.
"This particular group is an amalgam of Romani and Pavees, with more outsiders than a usual Irish Traveler band. They are something of a hybrid, and go on a pilgrimage every summer to multiple stone circles across Ireland from Beltane to Samhain. They're Catholic, but observe the old Celtic holidays. Just don't call them Gypsies." With those tips, she stepped forward, warm and open, to receive the greeting of the man who approached.
He was broad as a bear, with dark shaggy hair and gleaming black eyes. When he spoke, his voice seemed too big even for his large body to hold.
"Aurora! Little dawn child, you're looking fine, indeed. Lucky you, you caught us just before we moved on to the next circle. And who's your friend?" His words tumbled over the tails of each other, leaving no room for interjection in the midst of his jolly speech.
"This is Suzaku, Maloney. And today is his birthday."
Instinctively, Suzaku's guts clenched. Even as he leaned over to hiss reprovingly at Aurora, this Maloney beamed like a child on Christmas.
"Then we're doubly lucky at your visit. Come, come. You'll join us at the stones, of course. There's food to be had, and music! I'm expecting music from you, Aurora."
"I'd hate to disappoint," she replied cheerfully, and Maloney made triumphant noises with a happy grin before turning to lead them into the heart of the camp. Helpfully, Aurora would occasionally lean over to murmur tidbits.
Maloney was the equivalent of a rom baro, a tribal leader. He traded largely in scrap metal, but his family group was also well-known for its dog and horse trading. Even as she said it, a pack of dogs descended on them. They looked like pure bred greyhounds, with the occasional mix peppering the population, all distinctive with enormous liquid eyes and insanely long legs. Ban was a little broader, a little bigger in comparison, but he trembled as if terrified as they intently sniffed him all over. Aurora stood back, quietly watching as the dozen dogs investigated her hound.
Eventually, one, a creamy fawn, licked Ban's ear, rooed, and the entire group, Bannock included, raced away in a single stream of canine movement. Maloney noticed her worry, a grin dancing in his eyes.
"Your lad will be fine. A lurcher like him fits right in. Now let's get you some food. Suzaku, you could use a little more meat on your bones."
Both of them silently thought that Maloney had no idea.
Suzaku carefully listened as Aurora explained that Maloney's tribe were not strict observers of the customary itinerant lifestyle. Between the economy and old, ingrained prejudices, it was not an easy culture to maintain without some flexibility. Still, for this journey, especially, they liked to use the traditional wagons and tents, show off their handsome, bi-colored cobs. The horses were small, compared to the royal Britannian herd left over from Charles' day. They bore splotches of color like puzzle pieces, their lower legs garnished with long, flowing hair. As one cropped grass, the white mane draped along the ground, it was so lengthy.
They were handed steaming bowls of hearty stew amidst a familial chaos; Suzaku was a little surprised by his enthusiastic appetite as he observed his surroundings. There seemed to be people everywhere. Children raced and squealed, playing in circles or tumbling with puppies. Teenagers flirted and batted eyelashes, the occasional peacocking display by a boy making Suzaku wince in embarrassed sympathy. The woman chattered like birds, discussing the merits of scarves or spices, their multi-layered skirts swirling around them with bleeding colors. The men mingled or stood in small clusters, a serious discussion about a horse's bloodlines or a dog's racing potential sometimes audible.
There was an obvious and sincere deference paid to Maloney – he may be outrageously cheerful, but there was an underlying sense of power that demanded respect, even if it was demanded kindly. His wife, Cojini, reminded Suzaku a little of Kendra, with her dusky skin and thick, curling black hair, although hers was streaked with silver. She cooed over Aurora's skirt, nimble fingers tracing the patterning in the calf-length chiffon. Upon his introduction, she chucked Suzaku under the chin, even as she pressed a kiss to his cheek, leaving behind the scent of cloves and wildflowers, along with her wishes for a happy birthday.
Word spread quickly. People wished him happy birthday before they knew his name, or he theirs. As the sun slipped below the horizon, though, and the sky was set aflame, order was gradually instilled. Then, as a group, the entire band, Aurora and Suzaku enfolded in their midst, made their way to the standing stones. Elders were helped out carriages, some mounted onto the sturdy horses. One such horse, a black and white mare, walked by Maloney at the front of the pillar of people, bearing a tiny old woman, her hair brilliantly white, her skin intensely lined and beautifully gold.
Suzaku's hand found its way into Aurora's, and there it stayed. The vivacity of the people had quieted a little, but the air wasn't quite somber. More… reverent. Children still giggled, but quietly, flitting throughout the people like fireflies. Dogs returned, threading through the crowds like the children to find their masters. Ban appeared, panting happily and leaning a little against Suzaku's leg. As they walked, old-fashioned lanterns were lit, flames dancing like fairies within their glass walls.
The Pavees circled round the stones, looming and ancient in the dimming light. While the majority of the people remained around the perimeter, five made their way through the crowds, stepping over the grass onto the hallowed ground. Two men and two women carried instruments, while one young woman was empty-handed. Suzaku guessed her to be related to Cojini, perhaps her daughter, as the resemblance was striking.
"Tiena is the best singer in the band. It is her honor to lead the stone song," Aurora whispered quietly, a warm presence pressed to his side. Finally, the sun only a memory and the clouds bronzed and golden, the first vibrating notes slid through the air, drawn from a fat, guitar-like instrument – Aurora breathed that it was a hurdy-gurdy. A bodhran drum followed, then a violin, before an acoustic guitar joined with its more recognizable strums.
A soft note rose from the people, both within and without the stone circle. Aurora pitched in as well, her familiar, lovely voice a soothing swell beside him. When that wave fell silent, though, a voice then rose alone, the central thread in a tapestry of sound.
It was… incredible. Pure and bright, it seemed almost inhumanly perfect. Tiena sang of trees and leaves, of a burgeoning, celebrated springtime. Of owls in a blue night, and lantern light holding back shadows.
Her voice surged, telling the stories of night ramblings and offered garlands. Quietly, the rest of the band joined her, contributing to the sound, but unable to overwhelm Tiena, her clear voice was so powerful. She knelt, resting a bundle of yellow star-shaped flowers tied with twine amidst the grass at the center of the circle. When she straightened again, she turned her eyes out to her people, and Suzaku was struck by the power swirling in those dark depths.
She continued, singing of ribbons tied to branches that marked the season, and birds singing eternal, even as the world spun. This time, when she returned to the chorus, only the women sang, and in its echo, girls, from those barely old enough to stand to those around Aurora's age, stepped into the circle of stones, joining hands in a ring around those weaving music in its center.
It made sense when Tiena sang of dancers clasping hands, her words marking the moment when the girls swayed and stepped, a gentle, easy dance even the very young ones could manage gracefully. Again, Tiena knelt at the center, this time offering a bundle of lavender, its spears dark in the gathering night. It was a ceremony done at the gods' door, in honor of beautiful work wrought in a dark world.
The girls danced; the women sang. In the final chorus, the entire band joined in again, Suzaku even daring to hum quietly along. After that, the music dipped and swirled, slowly drawing to a close. As the plain grew silent, every man, woman, and child moved to brush appreciative fingers over the nearest stone. Aurora and Suzaku respectfully followed suit, the flickering lantern light casting a golden, shifting circle as night more truly fell.
Honor now paid, everyone turned back towards camps. Aurora and Suzaku still remained in the midst of them, hands linked as the chatter slowly resurged around them. The both of them were content to listen until someone appeared at Aurora's side, having wended through the crowd. It was Tiena, who bumped hips companionably with Aurora, half a dozen flower rings looped around her neck.
"Long time no see, lassy. We were wondering when you'd deign to visit us again."
Now that she wasn't the shifting figure amidst flames and ancient stones, Suzaku could see that she was actually quite small, almost delicate. Her small size seemed at odds with her voice which, even when she wasn't singing, held a peculiar power. Rings glinted from most of her fingers as she gestured, flashing in the flame light.
"I pick my moments, Tiena – tonight was a good moment," Aurora said with a pleasant shrug. "Nice work tonight, as usual."
Tiena just smiled in response, an expression of feline pride.
"You'll be joining the singing later, of course."
"Of course. I don't think your father would let me leave before I've paid my due."
So Maloney and Cojini were her parents, Suzaku reflected idly as he listened to Aurora's laugh.
"Good. Now, who's your handsome friend here with the birthday today?"
Suzaku was a little startled to be drawn into the quick repartee between the two women.
"Suzaku. He already knows your name. I'm sure you're used to that," Aurora tossed back with a wink. Tiena just made a humming sound similar to her father.
"It's good luck to be born on a night of a stone ceremony. Not quite like a birthday on Litha or Mabon, or, in this one's case, Ostara," she continued with an elbow nudge in Aurora's side, "but still. It's the feast day of Saint Etto, a fine, hard-working saint. You married yet, Aurora?" Tiena suddenly asked, shifting the subject with blunt alacrity.
"No. Are you?" Aurora threw back just as fast. Tiena colored a little, but her answering grin was wide.
"No. Just the same, then. That's a relief. Wouldn't want you tamed."
Someone snagged Tiena's attention, and she looked back with a wave.
"See you kids later. Be sure to say hello to Grandmama, Aurora!"
Left in her wake, the sound around them seemed a little dim.
"She's… something," Suzaku carefully ventured after a few moments. Aurora chuckled.
"She is that. Tiena's quite a firebrand. In another life, she would have made an excellent diva."
They laughed together quietly, content to drift along with the current of people around them as they arrived back at camp.
Food was distributed, fires lit. Suzaku deferred the mead passed around, but accepted a sweet cider and another shallow bowl of the spicy stew, this time accompanied by a thick slab of brown soda bread. Once Aurora was similarly equipped, they made their way to the logs circled around a blazing fire, seating themselves to eat and watch.
There was an air of finality to the festivities; when Suzaku commented on this to Aurora, she mentioned that it was because tomorrow afternoon, the band would move along to the next stone circle. This was their last night beside the Camhaoir Stones, at least this year.
Cojini came to sit by them for a while, a sleeping baby cuddled in her arms as she gave them a sort of running commentary while taking a break away from some of the bustle. She knew everyone, in ways much deeper than name and parentage. Eventually, though, her duties as a sort of matron to the tribe called her away. Before she left, however, Cojini smoothly traded Suzaku his bowl and cup for the baby, which he was forced to take with terrified caution, like he was handling a live bomb. When he tried to pass the baby to Aurora with barely restrained panic, she turned towards him, but didn't take it.
"I don't know, I think she likes you. There now, support her head. Just like that. Bring that arm up and… perfect."
Suzaku knew that pattern of exhalation from her was disguised laughter, but he was too petrified of the sleeping infant to comment. Ban, who had flopped at their feet earlier, now stood, inching closer, staring at the baby with rapt attention.
Aurora struggled against giggling, the way the two males were held in utter, unnerved awe by a sleeping nine-month old girl. She'd bet a great deal of money that Suzaku had no idea his hands could be that gentle, that tender, as they were now holding the baby. He made quite a picture, she mused; handsome in red plaid rolled up to the elbows and a black t-shirt, tucked into jeans that now fit him beautifully well. Jenna knew her stuff.
His hair curled a little in the humidity, and once he forgot to be nervous and scared, he began to smile down at the little girl with a goofy warmth that made Aurora's heart tear into quietly weeping pieces. Briefly, the little girl's eyes blinked sleepily open, the two of them caught in each other's gazes before she gurgled, wriggled, then fell back asleep.
When the infant's mother came to collect her, it was all Aurora could do to hide the laugh as a cough into her fist at the affronted look on Suzaku's face. He relinquished her with distinct reluctance, the infant stirring discontentedly when she left his arms, but remaining steadily asleep. Aurora leaned over to murmur under her breath.
"Little Femi has no idea how good she had it. To be under the watch and care of the preeminent knight of the empire; no one could ever claim a more impressive babysitter."
Suzaku just looked at her askance, his nose wrinkling a little until he realized she was just teasing. Then his brow lifted, and he took a regal sip of cider.
Much of the camp, those old, or young, enough to enjoy a bit of late evening festivities, gathered around the roaring fire in the middle of the circle of wagons. More instruments were produced, and strings were rosined and plucked, the occasional testing whistle of a flute or quick series of thumps on a drum setting the tone of anticipation. Maloney moved through his people like the chief he was, eventually entering the round of light circled by the logs. He lifted his arms in an encompassing gesture.
"What songs shall we have tonight?"
Suggestions were shouted out, vetoed or agreed upon with equal zeal. Aurora just straightened her legs and crossed her ankles, cuddling a little against Suzaku's side. Finally, a tune was decided upon, and the first drumbeats moved through the air, quieting the talk and drawing attention. A guitar soon joined in, followed by a pair of airy flutes.
When Maloney began to sing, Suzaku could see that Tiena came by her skill inherently. The drama, the flair, and the incredible voice. Whereas his daughter's had a high purity, Maloney's voice was deep and rich, a baritone that reached into the bone. His subjects might have been prosaic – tapestry threads and mountain stones – but Maloney moved with a theatrical grace that held his audience rapt. Quick, tricky flute notes carried him to the value of a life and the perspectives in which to see it when sound and movement suddenly exploded.
A dozen young women, apparently waiting for this very moment, shot to their feet, sinuously dancing with scarves as the rest of the audience began to chant and clap in time. Aurora was content to sit until Maloney turned his eyes to her, beckoning for her to join. It took only a moment before the temptation overtook her. She launched up, snagging the royal blue scarf thrown to her as she moved to the pounding beat.
Suzaku was left to clap, and revel in the sight of her. Her curls bounced and whirled, her skirt rippling and swirling as she danced with sensual abandon. The scarf was a lithe extension of herself, the flames behind Aurora throwing her into shadowed relief. And yet, somehow, her smoky eyes seemed to burn, to tempt. For a moment, she didn't look real. Like some fairy come to steal hearts, or a siren to steal souls. Whatever she was, Suzaku would be hard-pressed to find any man able to resist.
Then she was back, dropping down beside him panting, laughing a little as Maloney resumed his song. The only proof of transformation was the scarf that slithered through her hands. With a grin, she looped it over her neck, then brought her eyes back to Maloney as he sang of golden lakes and lost sheep. Suzaku managed to drag his attention back just in time to catch the question if a man's worth is irredeemable upon his loss of everything, or if it was the start of something new entirely. It struck a little close to home, and it took him a while to fall back into the spirit as he sang of the true value of a man, the magnitude of generosity, and the truth that no one escapes fate's pitfalls.
It felt deeply personal, but Suzaku knew better than that. Still, it was a challenge to drag himself back out of his head. He suddenly didn't have a choice, however, when Aurora stood again, no doubt to return with the other dancers. What Suzaku didn't expect was her snagging his hand and try to tug him up to join in.
"Come on," she cajoled in a whisper.
"Aurora, no," he said woodenly, the thought of dozens of eyes landing on him turning Suzaku into concrete.
"Come on. Trust me."
He gazed into her eyes as she said it; that was why he knew he could trust it, and her.
Slowly, he came to his feet, grasping the other end of the scarf like a lifeline when she offered it. He tried to ignore the fact that the firelight lit them up, that strangers were staring at him, just waiting for him to make a fool of himself. Suzaku tried to just look at Aurora, to just focus on those blue eyes.
For a brief moment, the beat seemed to oblige, slowing enough for her to show him a few intricate steps he was apparently meant to copy. Then, the music was moving, them along with it. The dance was less structured than anything they'd practiced in the studio, and, after a moment's panic, Suzaku just let it go.
He spun and danced with her; it wasn't perfect, it wasn't polished, but it was exhilarating. For a moment, the drums slowed, and they circled, each on either end of the scarf. Then, Suzaku wasn't quite sure why, he tugged on the scarf, bringing Aurora into his arms as the music quickened like a heartbeat – his heartbeat. The fire and stars began to meld as they twirled and tightened, wrapped close as they became each other's balance. He was utterly taken by the feel of her in his arms, and when the song ended, Suzaku wasn't quite ready to let her go.
It took a moment to realize they still held each other like their lives depended on it. When they reluctantly parte, the firelight managed to hide most of the color that bloomed in their cheeks. The pair of them returned to their seat, still panting a little. After all that heat and energy between them, Aurora was a little reluctant to brush up against Suzaku – she didn't know if she could handle the sparks. Dropping down, she wound the scarf around her throat when the woman who tossed it to her told her to keep it, laughing a little as Maloney swung his wife into an extravagant circle before dipping her back and pressing a lavish kiss to her lips. Suzaku and Aurora joined the applause, clapping with abandon.
One of the younger women – Nareli was her name – approached, touching Aurora's arm lightly. The firelight danced on her raven hair, a baby just starting teething riding her hip.
"Aurora. Charani wishes to speak with you."
She felt a soft smile steal over her face. Charani. It had been a long time.
"I'll be right there."
Nareli nodded and turned away. Running her fingers through her hair, which had been thoroughly disarrayed by the dance, Aurora heaved a fortifying breath before glancing over at Suzaku, who tilted his head in question.
"Who's Charani?"
"She's the elder of this clan. She's very wise, and very old." Standing, she brushed at the seat of her skirt. "She also one of the few Seers left."
"What do you mean?"
"Charani can see the future, Suzaku." Grinning at his awestruck expression, Aurora made her way to the wagons.
It is at this point that I'm going to the claim the leniency of writing in a universe that doesn't actually exist, because I've been wanting to write about this night forever. There are aspects that are absolutely true (Irish Travellers and the Romani) and some that I completely made up (the ceremony at the stones and the pilgrimage of the family bands to the standing circles). I merely intend this to entertain, and wish to insult absolutely no one.
With that said, I decided to split this night even further. At this pace, you guys can expect updates for the next three days. They're not terribly long, but the next part is a little dense in dialogue and explanations, so I didn't want to wear you out. So far, we are 2 for 2 as the Birthday Bash continues. Any guesses on the two songs mentioned?
Hope you like it!
Love, Tango