Flashback Foreign Music

[Xiani]

29 Fall 511 Xiani had heard of the great city of Avanthal once before, one of the slaves was a woman who had studied alchemy there. It was said to be the coldest place in all of Mizahar, and already, she believed it. The headwind had forced her to her feet two days ago, and immediately the chill had threatened her life. On instinct, she had found a sheltered area and built a fire, spreading her wings over it to shield it from the wind, and warm the small veins within. Drawn by the heat and light, a rather young, foolish bear had snuck up on her, and would have had a nice meal - for Xiani heard scarely a sound above the howling wind - had she not been just an instant faster than the assailant. Now, she doubted that she would ever make it to the first city she had attempted. Yes, the bear's skin protected her torso, filthy as it was, and her wings broke most of the wind as she had them wound about herself tightly. But it would not be enough for much longer. Already her limbs were growing numb, her feet heavy and ungainly, face set in a scowl of determination that had faded hours ago. Perhaps this night will be my last. She coughed and fell to the ground, automatically placing the pelt beneath her and pressing her limbs as tightly together as was possible in her near frozen state. A change in the wind carried a new smell to her nose. Fire? She lifted her head weakly and squinted, searching for any source of hope. To her surprise, she could just make out a dim glow, not too far off. Fire? The mental question repeats, more hopeful than was dared before. Steeling herself, she stood and gathered the last reserves of her energy, the ones that lay untouched except for the moments when one was sure of the imminence of death. Fighting the wind with renewed fervor, she bolted through the storm, toward that wavering hope. After what seemed to be an eternity of racing across the shifting snow, she came to a stone entrance, a cave. It radiated heat and light, and howled as the wind raced across it, not into it. Who would have started this fire? The shadow of Xiani's intelligence asked just as the beast of self-preservation that she now was pushed into the cave, seeking the source of heat. After rounding the corner, she found that there were two sources... and one caused her mouth to water.

[Inessa]

Inessa sat deep in the cave, having taken a moment to practice her lute in solitude. A bedroll laid next to her side, as well as her backpack full of rations. Pulled about her body was her white sabretooth cloak, keeping her warm and toasty along with the roaring campfire. Fortunately fire was enough to keep most beasts at bay, so the girl was relatively safe. She was sitting on her knees, toes bent towards one another beneath her romp. Her lute which she idly strummed was on her lap, and one of her music books was open on the ground before her. Her deep blue eyes were affixed to the pages as she did her best to perform what was written upon their white surfaces. As far as her playing was concerned, it was nothing special at the moment. Obviously she was trying to play a very fast-paced song, her fingers flying up and down the strings, but she was having difficulty. For every mistake she made, she would repeat the section until she got it right, and then move on. The girl wasn't paying too much attention to her surroundings, but was cautious enough to take a glimpse at the entryway to the cave every now and then. If something (or someone) stormed its way in, she would notice.

[Xiani]

When the strange, humming notes hit the ears of Xiani, she was taken aback, rationality forced to the forefront of her mind. What... is this? She watches the girl for a moment, head tilted and face unsure. It sounded akin to the music they played in her colony during the mating rituals, but faster and more complex. But more than that, it was not beat upon a skin, but flicked delicately across some strange, thick spider webbings. The more she watches, the more perplexed she becomes. The girl would play a succession of notes, then play them again. But... it was not a monotone beat, or such... The more she listened, the more it came to resemble the chanting songs of her people, a custom taught to them by humans to make their drumbeat more complex, to coax the best from each female. Perhaps she, too, could learn something from this odd human, something to take back with her to the colony. Lowering her wings and averting her eyes as a sign that she means no harm, Xiani steps sideways along the edge of the cave until she finally comes into sight of the girl.

[Inessa]

Inessa's playing came to a gentle stop as she caught a glimpse of the newcomer in her cave. She saw little more than the silhouette of Xiani due to the flickering light of her flame. Fire was the only source of light within the cave, and there wasn't much of it. "Hello," she said in the Vani tongue. "Taking shelter from the sto-." She paused, eyeing the other woman over once more. There was something... odd. Something which she couldn't quite make out. Inessa leaned forward slightly to get a better look, only to pull swiftly back with a hand over her mouth to keep herself from shrieking in horror. Her eyes quickly turned a bright green, shaking as they tried to focus on the winged humanoid standing between her and the cave's exit. She whimpered quietly behind her soft hand, lute laying on her lap as she looked to her backpack. Though she had never used it for a situation like this, she knew of the dagger laying within. ... Could I even reach it in time? Her eyes narrowed slightly in thought, as she looked back to the Zith woman, trying to make eye contact with her.

[Xiani]

"Stop!" Xiani says, perhaps too harshly, noticing the woman's eyes flicking to her pack and knowing that a weapon of some sort must be inside. Speaking to humans like misbehaving younglings had become too strong of a habit, she realizes. Xiani takes out her blade and tosses it aside, holding her open palms up to the woman. "I... do not mean harm." She droops her wings further, pressing them together, trying to make herself seem less of a threat. "The storm is... rough. I needed warmth," her voice has just a slight rumble to it - almost a seductive purr- hinting at its natural subsonic tones. "What... is that?" She motions to the wooden creation in the girls lap, surely the source of such strange melodies. She silently curses, wishing she would have spent more time learning to communicate with the humans. Suddenly, her stomach rumbles, and she places a hand upon it, once again aware of her body's needs. She eyes the girl once more, this time with a hunter's keen glance. If she does not prove to be useful, she will make a nice meal.

[Inessa]

Inessa did as asked, body stiffening as she refused to move a muscle. She eyed the Zith woman up and down again and again, trying to get a good idea of what she looked like. "I do not mean harm," she heard the Zith say in the common tongue. Truth be told, Inessa was incredibly relieved to find out the predator knew how to speak. Though the natural tone of the Zith woman's voice certainly confused her, she slowly nodded her head to Xiani. When Xiani stated her need for warmth in that almost erotic tone of voice, Inessa's head tilted to the side. ... Well at least she's not eating me, she thought to herself. And as the woman asked about her instrument, Inessa blinked her eyes in shock. Why would such a creature even care about music? Regardless, she held up her lute, playing a quick chord on the string. Hesitation carried her voice, as if the wrong word would mean the end of her life. "... 'Tis a lute. An instrument. Made of wood and string, I practice my trade with it." As she tried to keep eye contact with the Zith, she tried to very subtly use the magic of Manipulation. Nothing too overt. Just an attempt to help Xiani feel slightly calmer, trying to put the suggestion of not eating Inessa into the Zith's subconscious.

[Xiani]

The way her fingers manipulate the sound intrigues Xiani and she takes a step forward, too quickly she realizes too late as the girl reflexes away ever so slightly. "I... apologize if I confuse you..." Xiani attempts, furrowing her brow as she tries to formulate the proper words. "My kind do not often speak with yours. And when they do, it rarely ends well." Her stomach calms ever so slightly, as if she had just eaten a small snack. She runs over the female's explanation in her head once more. "Lyoote..." She mispronounces with a shake of her head. "You... make lovely sounds... and... trade them?" She asks, sinking to her knees before the girl,across the fire, eyes flicking from the device to the girls eyes and back. Her mind spins and yaws over the possibility of trading something as insubstantial as air for something necessary as food.

[Inessa]

Inessa winced slightly. "Sort of. Consider it more akin to providing entertainment for another, and being paid to do such. Like... ah. Poetry. Or song. Or painting a picture." She idly plucked at the strings of her lute, playing through a scale as they spoke. "People pay me to play because they can not play themselves. Just like you'd pay an artist to paint because you can't. Or pay a dancer to dance because you can't." She looked to the other woman's belly, frowning slightly. She looked absolutely stiff from the cold. "... I've some food in my backpack if you want a bit." Slowly, carefully, she reached for her pack, pulling it right in front of her. Her hand went within to retrieve a stick of dried meat. She then held out the jerky to the aviary humanoid, a weak smile on her lips.

[Xiani]

Xiani considers the woman's words. "So... if I knew how to dance... others would pay to watch? That truly works?" She seems to be forming the idea as she says it, considering all the possibilities of such. When offered the strip of meat, her stomach seizes control of her hand and takes it, somewhat roughly, tearing off a mouthful an instant later. Only after chewing for a moment does she remember this girl is not her slave, that offering was one of kindness. Swallowing, she nods towards the girl and whispers, "Thank you." She ponders for a second longer, then smiles, hoping this gesture will lessen the girl's fear. For moments solid Xiani had noticed her accelerated heart-rate and worried the fragile human may die. Gently, she take the bearskin from where it had been wrapped around her furred torso and uses a foot to push the item around the fire and to the girl's feet. "Will you play more, for me?"

[Inessa]

Inessa did indeed ease up slightly as she was asked to play. She looked to the bear pelt, shaking her head slightly at it. "Thank you. But... you seem to need it a bit more than I do right now." With those words she began to strum her lute, humming quietly to the tune. There were no lyrics to her song, but her voice played a duet of sorts with the strings, rising up and down with the gentle merry beat. It took roughly thirty seconds for her to actually speak again, though her voice stuck with the melody of the song she played. "How's this?" She picked up the tempo slightly as she looked down to the strings, focusing on her fingers as they flew up and down the strings. Her brow furrowed in concentration, applying all of her being to the music.