Completed Music of the Heart

[Ethan Terran]

Location: Traveler's Row Time: 8th Bell (8 AM) Date: 20th of Spring, 513 AV Unlike most it was not the light of Syna that awoke Ethan, but the sounds of the world. The chirp of morning birds, the warmth of the sun's light, the activity in the kitchens below as bodies began to move about. All of this and more brought to Ethan the understanding that morning had come, and slowly he sat up in bed and rubbed sleep from his sightless eyes. The sheets felt rough on his skin, itchy almost, and so Ethan was, in a way, more than happy to toss them aside and turn his body so that his bare feet touched down on the floor. Ethan had lived in this same room for 15 days now, and so the layout was well knitted into his memory. Without bothering to pick up the walking stick beside his bed Ethan stood, stretching his arms high over head as he yawned and walked around the bed to the dresser. In his mind he counted each footstep, being certain that each step was the same distance as the last, and he paused just before hitting the furniture. His hands quickly found the brush that sat in the very center of the dresser, and just a few quick strokes through his hair and Ethan replaced the brush in the exact same place. Turning, he counted 5 paces until he reached the water basin, having filled it last night, and splashed his face a couple of times, the cold water shocking the rest of the sleep from his body. Washing beneath his arms and the rest of his face, Ethan dried himself with a towel that sat to the left of the basin, and when he wsas finished he neatly folded the clothe and returned it to its original resting place. Turning once more, Ethan counted five steps to stand before the dresser once more, and then another four to stand beside his bead again. Sitting down on the matress he reached to his right, at the foot of his bed, and took the trousers from where they lay folded, slipping them on before laying back on the bed once more. A yawn struck him again as he scratched his chest, "Well then... I wonder what I shall do today. I am not due at the Tavern till later this evening after all." Sitting up Ethan shrugged, content to spend the day in his room till he had to leave, though perhaps he would go down and get some breakfast while the rest of the inn was only beginning to stir. Leaning to his left, Ethan took the simple cloth case from the nightstand, feeling the fabric with his fingers as he let his mind wander. Gently he sliped the cloth over its contents, removing from it a simple wooden flute. The wood was smooth, not a crack or marring anywhere to be seen, and as Ethan put it to his lips the sound was nearly perfect pitch. Ethan played a few notes, letting his fingers glide over the familiar object as he thought of his mother. Only a season before she had been alive... only a season... Ethan's eyes closed as he continued to play, producing a slow, almost mournful melody that resonated from his heart. It was a simple tune, one that perhaps even a novice could have played, yet for Ethan it was not about his skill level at the moment, but about the mood he wished to project. OOCEthan is sitting only in his trousers on his bed. The door to his room is closed as well, and it is directly in front of Ethan and his bed. Let the scene commence!

[Sigrun Dominic]

A variation of noises began to seep into the worn-out wooden planks that formed Sigrun's appartment. The young blonde was a heavy sleeper, however, and despite the noise that grew down below and outside of the Traveler's Row, she was blissfully undisturbed. Snowe had somehow wound up on the other side of her mattress, his head tucked behind his master's legs and his stomach pressed over her hips as she slept soundly in a fetal position. A soft smile played upon her face as she smacked her lips, a myriad of images streaming within the recesses of her mind as she dreamed. Snowe stirred. The canine's acute sense of sight and hearing was a bane to him in the mornings, as he was easily awoken by the noises outside and throughout the apartment complex. Gently, the dog raised its head and scanned the apartment, and his movement caused Sigrun to squirm quite a bit. The birds outside began to chirp and sing, and the voices downstairs began to increase in amplitude, but the young blonde was already accustomed to all the sounds of her home that none of it bothered her slumber. A foreign sound wormed its way through floorboards, eventually tickling the ears of the girl. Sigrun furrowed her brows and pursed her lips. The sound became louder and louder, and soon enough it caused the blonde to jolt out of sleep and bring her widened eyes to face the room. "Ugh, stupid," she muttered, running her hand through her face as her head throbbed. "Am I late for something? Am I supposed to deliver a bouquet today?" she turned to Snowe, who had hopped off the bed when the blonde sat up. The dog sat on the floor and gazed up at his master silently, tilting his head to the side as if to say he had no idea. Sigrun looked to the side and stared into space, listening intently to the sound. It continued. "So it's not my imagination, not my... mind telling me that I am to be up this early..." she trailed off. It was music; beautiful, sweet music that she was only used to hearing at the taverns. Flute music that brushed against her ears like a soft feather, producing a warm, fuzzy sensation in her stomach that made it difficult for her not to smile. It was a simple tune, one with an emotion that she could not place precisely. Immediately the young girl replaced her white chemise with a plain tunic, slipped on a pair of stockings and her boots, and made for the door. "Stay, Snowe," she said to the Inganu as she left her apartment and jogged down the stairs to the lower floor. The music grew louder and louder, and soon Sigrun found its source. She pressed her ear against the apartment door and smiled. "Acting on impulse has never gotten you anywhere," she scolded herself, but did not retreat back to her own room. Instead, she gave a gentle knock on the door, unsure of what to expect from what was behind it.

[Ethan Terran]

The knock rang through the room, and Ethan paused in his playing, tilting his head at the unexpected interruption. Replacing the flute in its clothe case and setting it back upon the night stand Ethan quickly found the shirt folded neatly at the foot of his bed, slipping it on as he stood. Walking with his hand out, Ethan ran his fingers over the door until he found its latch, undoing it and opening the door wide so that there was no obstruction. He kept one hand on the edge of the door, so that he could always be aware of its placement, and he tilted his head toward what he thought the person would be. His eyes were closed, and his head was angled so that he could better hear the woman before him, though at the moment he was unsure if it was a woman. Simple cotton clothing, rough stubble on his chin, hair that was somewhat combed but not quite, and feet bare upon the wood. Ethan was sure he was quite the sight. "Who is there?"

[Sigrun Dominic]

Gulp. Sigrun's widened eyes scanned the young man before her. His eyes were closed and he looked as if he'd just gotten out of bed, his eyes still shut, even. Immediately, the blonde felt guilty for the sudden intrusion. She scanned what little she could see of his apartment from where she stood outside his door and found nothing of interest, until she noticed an elongated cloth case sitting on his nightstand that she assumed held his flute. "Uh, I'm sorry to... wake you," she said reluctantly, looking at him with confusion, "I just, I... I heard music, that's all."

[Ethan Terran]

A woman's voice greeted Ethan's ears, and suddenly he felt more aware of how he must look, freshly from bed and certainly not the cleanest he had been. Clearing his throat, Ethan turned his head toward the voice, "Oh, no please do not apologize. I was well awake, and I promise you have not disturbed me in the slightest." Ethan carefully pushed the door back against the wall, fully open, and slowly stepped back, his fingers lingering on the latch for just a moment. Turning, Ethan made slow steps to his bed once more, measured steps as his hand found the mattress and he turned to sit upon it once more. Then, reaching with his left hand without looking, or opening his eyes, Ethan took up the covered flute once more, showing it to the woman, "Yes I was playing a bit of an old tune from my past. I did not disturb you did I?" He thought for a moment, and then waved a hand to her, "Please feel free to come in. I am not of the mind to leave a woman standing outside my threshold. Can I offer you anything? Water perhaps?"

[Sigrun Dominic]

The young girl stood by the door with her mouth slightly agape, her aquamarine eyes shifting from side to side. "Yes I was playing a bit of an old tune from my past. I did not disturb you did I?" he said. "Well no, well, you didn't, I..." she stumbled with her words and eventually trailed off, unable to explain herself. "You see, this is what happens when you get out of bed and run down the stairs without thinking straight," she scolded herself. She was acting so much unlike herself, but seeing as the man appeared to be harmless, it was alright to let her guard down quite a bit. "Leave, just make a run for it," she thought, as she observed the young man move in such an incredibly measured pace, his hands constantly attempting to grip things, and his eyes perpetually closed. She furrowed her brows, troubling herself with the possibilities as to why he seemed to move so strangely. "Please feel free to come in. I am not of the mind to leave a woman standing outside my threshold. Can I offer you anything? Water perhaps?" she heard the young man say. "Alright," she said softly, taking slow and gentle steps into the room and closing the door behind her. It was when she approached his bed that she noticed the cane that rested nearby it. "Oh," she breathed, her knees giving in just in time for her to sit next to the young man on the edge of his bed. "Don't say anything, don't bring it up," she warned herself repeatedly, "don't, don't..." "Uh, no, nothing for me, thank you." she added swiftly, "you uh, you play the flute quite well. It's, uhm..." she trailed off, looking at her fingers as she laced them together. "It's a nice thing to wake up to."

[Ethan Terran]

The sound of the latch closing caused Ethan's ears to twitch slightly, and he turned his ear to follow the voice as she spoke. Feeling the bed dip slightly as she sat down, Ethan turned his head to smile in her direction, opening his eyes for the first time to gaze slightly to the left of her, "I am glad you think so. I find that the music aids me in awaking as well. Its much gentler than having the linens ripped from your bed and then having another roll you onto the floor." he laughed, setting the flute back in its place. Standing Ethan made his way to the dresser, hand gliding over the smooth wood as he turned, then, toward the wash basin. Counting each step he stopped just before the table, taking a pitcher and a single glass that sat near the basin. Placing his finger on the rim of the cup he filled the cup with water until he felt the cold lapping of the liquid on the very tip of his index finger, and then he replaced the pitcher in the exact same spot it had been in before. Then, turning, he walked with more confidence back toward the dresser, running his hand along its surface as he leaned against the wood, sipping from the glass himself, "I cannot claim to be the best, but my mother has taught me well enough to put food on my table." he smiled kindly in her direction, though his eyes never really fell on her, "I am Ethan by the way. Ethan Terran. Forgive my manners but I have not entertained a lady in quite some time... ever in fact." he chuckled, "And what can I call you?"

[Sigrun Dominic]

Sigrun let out a soft gasp as the young man opened his eyes, revealing milky gray irises that were quite astonishing. Somehow, however, she found them quite beautiful. Alluring, even. She stared at his eyes intently, watching them as they barely moved, almost rock solid in their sockets as he gazed at her, although not directly at her. He rose from the bed and poured himself some water, and she watched him quietly from the bed. She smirked when he spoke of the alternatives to waking up. "Yes, well, I've never been woken up that rudely," she raised her eyebrows and gazed at the floor with a grin. Suddenly, she felt incredibly safe; he had no way of seeing her face or her expressions, which somehow made her feel more comfortable. "I have, however, been kicked out of bed by my dog. If you've ever heard a thud from upstairs, that would be me." She smiled sweetly at him as he leaned against his dresser and spoke of his mother. "At least it's something you love. What puts food on my table is a job at the Flower Stand," she chuckled, "not that I... dislike it. Atta's a wonderful woman to work with. The flowers, too, are quite nice." She blushed briefly as he sipped from his glass and looked at her, asking for her name. "Sigrun, or Dominic? Sigrun, or Dominic?" she furrowed her brows and wallowed in her inner turmoil. Without missing a beat, she looked up at Ethan and said, "Dominic. It's nice to meet you, Ethan."

[Ethan Terran]

"That was you then?" Ethan smiled in return to Dominic, "I had wondered what could have made such a noise so early in the morning. To think that what I thought were the sounds of an animal were not, in fact, some of the more barbaric guests within the tavern." Ethan took a few sips more from the glass and then set it upon the dresser, crossing his arms in a relaxed fashion, "A flower stand? I cannot say I have ever personally understood the fascination with flowers," he waved a hand in front of his eyes with a smile, "But I know of many women who are quite fond of them. Men as well in fact, so your job must be an important one, at least to some people." he shrugged, But then any profession is a good one, if I must speak of my own personal opinion. They can be quite difficult to come by." Ethan thought for a moment on his own troubles in obtaining his current job in the Tavern. He remembered the struggles he went through to prove himself, time and time again, simply because he was seen as handicapped in nearly everyone's eyes... he did not dwell long however. Straightening, Ethan would offer Dominic a rather flourished half bow, trying to sound as knightly and honorable as he could, "It is a pleasure my lady Dominic. You voice is truly beautiful, and that speaks much of the soul you carry as well." he straighten, pressing a hand over his heart, "And the pleasure is all mine, I assure you." He fell silent for a moment, wondering how he should continue the conversation... Though soon his words came without his meaning as he blurted, "Would you care to spend the morning with me? I have little to do otherwise until evening, and to spend the day with a beautiful woman would certainly be a good change of pace." Ethan could have kicked himself, as he was certain he sounded completely idiotic. Already he could feel the heat rising to his face, which he quickly hid by turning his head so that his ear was angled toward Dominic once more.

[Sigrun Dominic]

Sigrun laughed. "Yes, that was me," she fondly glanced up at the ceiling, "It didn't hurt as much as it sounded, though." She observed Ethan as he spoke. His lips moved fluidly and his words were quite flowery despite the fact that he was only speaking casually. She unknowingly smiled to herself, finding subtle hints of musicality in his vocals. She lost herself momentarily in a daze, wishing suddenly that she could play an instrument and have the ability to create sweet sounds from merely speaking. "Yes, well," she snapped back into reality and looked away from the young man, "I suppose flowers really brighten up a person's home, and it adds a nice touch to a room's ambiance, so to speak." She watched with astonishment as Ethan gave her a quick bow. "This man could be a Syliran Knight for all you know," she told herself with a slight chuckle. "It is a pleasure my lady Dominic. You voice is truly beautiful, and that speaks much of the soul you carry as well." The ice that enveloped Sigrun's heart thawed and melted in mere seconds. She blushed, and found herself incredibly speechless. "Lady," she mocked herself silently, "look at you, a lady." "And the pleasure is all mine, I assure you." "This man is all for the formalities," she thought, looking away as if to hide her red face, when she remembered that he was blind. "It's, well, my... thank you." "Would you care to spend the morning with me? I have little to do otherwise until evening, and to spend the day with a beautiful woman would certainly be a good change of pace." "How do you know I'm beautiful?" she blurted with a grin, until she realized what she'd said. Gasping, the young blonde recoiled and cupped her mouth with both her palms. "Don't move, don't, say a word..." she told herself as she froze in her seat.