Step Two

Writers: Leigh M-F.
Date Posted: 16th October 2017

Characters: Eionen
Description: Your move, Harper.
Location: Harper Hall
Date: month 1, day 12 of Turn 9
Notes: Mentioned: A'kua, Firelloa and Tinate

The dark blue fire-lizard with the lighter splotch on his forehead was a surprise. So was the hide-wrapped package he was perched on. At first, Eionen thought it might be word about his placement in the Hold proper, so he gently shooed the little animal aside and picked up the delivery, checking it over for official seals and finding none. Nothing about his placement, then. Doubly curious, Eionen untied the strings and unfolded the packet, finding two creased pages of good quality paper. He opened them with care in case between had made them brittle, tilting his head in confusion at the sheet music that was revealed.

The handwriting within the score was blocky and unfamiliar, but the lyrics and notations made a lump grow in Eionen's throat as he read. Only one person could have written the song. Eionen looked for more, but the other page was empty. Wondering how it would sound, he took the one with writing, coaxed the fire-lizard into heading home, and left the room again. A lot of journeymen and masters were busy at this hour, but he could think of one person who would be available; someone he had known before he went wandering.

Master Maerin made instruments; he could play them beautifully, but his true passion was building and maintaining them, and he was damn good at it. It was how he'd made his mastery. He was in his workshop when Eionen found him, munching a sandwich while sorting some tools with his other hand. "Oh, good day," Maerin greeted the other harper when he came into view. "How can I help you?"

"I need a favor," Eionen said, holding out the page. "This was delivered to me at some point today. I was hoping you could play it for me."

Maerin nodded tolerantly, knowing of the redhead's limitations. "All right," he said, taking the paper for a once-over. "Huh. Unconventional, but powerful. Which instrument is this meant for?"

"Gitar, I believe."

"Hm." Maerin set his sandwich and the page down, took a gitar off the wall and sat back on his stool, giving the instrument a tuning. When its sound pleased him, he leaned forward slightly to read as he played and sang.

It was indeed powerful. Eionen shivered when the last note trailed away.

"Is there more?" Maerin asked, cocking his head quizzically.

"No, that's it," Eionen said, taking the paper back. "I- I think the composer wants me to fill in the blanks."

The instrument-maker frowned. "Why would they expect you to do something you can't?"

Eionen almost smiled. "He's challenging me."

The frown deepened. "Eionen, who wrote that?"

"Oh, that's right. I didn't tell you." The harper looked down at the words again. "I have children. A son and a daughter. I didn't know they existed until a year or so ago. I tried to reach out to my son, repair the damage I did, but he wouldn't have it. Now he's written this to me, and I don't know why."

Maerin was gobsmacked. "Then for Ancients' sake, man, pretend you _can_ compose and come up with something even if it's lousy. Get to the bottom of this."

Eionen actually did smile at that. "I'll try," he promised. "Thank you, Maerin." He inclined his head and went back to his room.

It took time to think of anything even remotely passable, especially with his work schedule, but come the eighteenth of the month, Eionen thought he had it. It was shaky, given his failings as a composer, but it fit the beginning of the song. Another harper's fire-lizard was borrowed and the pages were sent back to Dragonsfall.

On the twentieth, he got a short letter: *I haven't forgiven you. I never will. And I'm so much like you I can't stand it. But I'm tired of hating you. So let's do something about this.*

Eionen wasn't sure how to feel about the idea of a cease-fire; his emotions were too jumbled. But he was more than willing to try it, so he wrote back, *If I invited you to the Harper Hall next week, say on the twenty-fifth in the evening, would you come?*

Initially, there was no answer. Eionen began to think perhaps he had pushed too hard. But then, on the twenty-eighth in the afternoon, a coppery-bronze dragon appeared in the sky above the Harper Hall, coming to land carefully in the clear space between the North and East Wings.

Last updated on the November 2nd 2017

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