Music For The Dead (Rynda Please/Invite)

[Nya Winters]

Timestamp: 50th of Fall, 509 AV
Location: The Stone Garden
Mood: Pensive and a little sad
Thread Status: PM for Invite

The Stone Gardens :

For each struggle there is a sacrifice. In the case of the Syliran Knights, great sacrifices were made to accommodate the task of rebuilding civilization. With Sylir dead, there was little left of the world after Ivak's fury was spent. It took hundreds of years for mankind to even emerge from where they'd taken shelter and withdrawn from the cold of the world that happened once the volcanoes filled the sky with dust and debris. Strong men and women existed, rose above the wailing and grieving of the masses, and discovered the Windoak, a fragment of their god still living. Through the Windloak's guidance and the leadership of these brave individuals, the Syliran Knights were formed. They were able to pave the way for civilization to take root, at least in Sylira, and start to rebuild what they'd lost. But with each and every movement forward, there were steps back. Lives were lost, hundreds of them, in the struggle for survival. Many times there were no bodies to recover, no graves to dig, no remains to mourn over. So rather than dwell on this, the Stone Memorial Garden was created, where round wave-tossed cobbles are selected to represent fallen heroes and planted all together artistically for people to walk among and reflect on the sacrifices of the fallen. Not everyone is selected to grace the gardens with a name on the stone when they perish. It is considered a high honor indeed. Because of the violence of Mizahar, the Syliran Knights more often than not burn their dead in large funeral bonfires, rather than bury them which can attract predators and invite disease. The Stone Garden in a way to remember the fallen and acknowledge the sacrifices.

While her bondmate had duties, Nya couldn't follow him everywhere. She was with him a great deal of time, but there were other times when he needed privacy, space, and the freedom to talk to his own people in a way that Nya could never really be part of. Unlike the Benshira that had history stretching back through to forever, the Kelvics were something less in that regards. They existed because of one man's whim, for a purpose that had no place in the contemporary post-valterrian era. It was a struggle that Nya dealt with as she grew older, as her mind sharpened, and as she started to realize just how out of place her people really were. It was no wonder they were treated as pets, caged, made to fight in pits, and treated as something other than human.

It was exactly what they were.

And so sometimes Nya wandered. She wandered because she was looking for something, answers perhaps, or maybe a justification of why things were the way they were. And in those times that Abashai was busy, she'd take her instruments and work a little on learning to play them. She didn't want to tell him she had them until she had some sort of competence in them, and the ability to play without embarrassing herself. One of the places shed stumbled upon in her wanderings was the Stone Garden, a place as far as she could understand, meant for remembering the dead. There was presence there, a sense of the gardens being crowded, for all that no one ever went there unless there was a death or someone was really sad. Nya thought it was suitable that she found refuge in the space the gardens provided, and use it to learn to play.

Her first human love was always the flute she'd bought, though she didn't exactly play it first. Music needed a certain mindset, the ability for her to set aside the beast and simply be the woman for a while. So she took out the drum, which was indeed the beasts first love, and tapped its skin a little. It's sound was firm.. its voice Sina had called it... and more than ready to play. So she took out a little stick padded with rabbits fur, and began to tap it thoughtfully, looking for a rhythm... a beat... a way to sooth the beast and put it aside so she could be the woman for a time and then take up the flute.

Nya had no idea she wouldn't be alone that day... not on the quiet bench she found overlooking the row after row of cobbles representing fallen knights. Nor had she any idea she'd learn the mournful sound a violin could make as well.

[Ryndra]

Ryndra was pleased that she’d taken the time and money to buy her delicate instrument. Although she hadn’t really played anything other than a few practise pieces in her home. Ryndra had put a lot of work into learning the violin but she yearned for somewhere out of the way. Her home didn’t feel like home right now. It was still bare and there were no emotional bonds between her and the building yet. It was just that, a building. But there was one place that she could feel the emotions of. One that was secluded.
It was strange that she had felt such a connection with the gardens. Ryndra had few experiences of the deaths of those close to her; yet, there was always a feeling of respect that fell upon her heart as she entered the gardens. Each one of those stones represented a soul who had fought for the same beliefs she had. A soul who had stood against the foes threatening to destroy what they had worked so had to create. Souls who had given themselves to protect their cause and beliefs. The garden stood as a reminder to all that these brave souls had given their lives so that they were protected from the harshness of a savage land.
Ryndra entered the garden, violin hidden away, safe in her satchel. She wore her simple white dress once more. Stopping in front of the vast arrangement round stones. One day, maybe there would be a stone for her here. She crouched down, clasping her hands together in prayer. She spoke in a hushed whisper, quiet enough not to be heard by human ears.
“Tyeth, these warriors fought with valour and honour to protect those who you watch over. They fought, as I have and will continue to do, for the good of the people, for Syliras and for my family. May you watch over their souls as they pass on to where fate leads them next.”
Ryndra could hear a soft drumming even as she prayed. She thought it was her own heartbeat, but as she returned to her feet, she realised the beat was not a heart at all. Was someone else here? Or was it something else?

[Nya Winters]

Nya had perfected the art of sitting still. But from across the Stone Garden, with only her hand flicking to make the drum sound out its voice, she watched the quiet young woman enter the park and study the surroundings. She seemed, somehow unreal, in the place of the dead that felt crowded already with spirits. Nya never stopped beating the drum. She never stopped watching the girl step in time to the music and then finally crouch down by the center feature. The kelvic admired the way the dress swirled around the woman's legs, and the interesting way she bowed to pray. Nya assumed that was what she was doing, though she couldn't hear the words above the voice of her own drum. The beats were rough, nicely timed, but awkwardly struck because Nya had never before actually played the drum.

When Ryndra rose and looked around, Nya rose too, taking her drum with her. She carried it over to the woman where she was kneeling and kept tapping it awkwardly but methodically. She halted it only when she was standing before the woman, the centerpiece of the Stone Gardens between them. "I feel the spirits in this place. Are they they dead that are honored here or something else?" Nya asked, eyes wide as she glanced around. "I was playing for them, but I am not very good. Do you think they mind? I thought since it was so quiet here, they might enjoy a disturbance in their day... something to cheer them up." She admitted shyly. "I'm Nya Winters. I did not mean to disturb you, if you were praying. I pray too, but when my God speaks back, his voice is fierce so it is not something I should do here, where it is quiet." She looked thoughtfully at the stranger. Nya inhaled deeply, taking in the woman's scent to better understand her - and determine who she is.

"Did my drumming bother you?" She asked, hopeful that she hadn't. "I am not sure if it is allowed to play here, but it is such a beautiful place...." She left it at that, inviting the woman to respond as she would

[Ryndra]

Ryndra’s eyes flicked to the figure moving towards her. So it was this woman that was banging the drum. Ryndra couldn’t help but notice the startling grace that Nya moved with, almost cat-like in her actions. It was a strange but admirable sight to see someone move so fluently. Ryndra watched the woman move towards and simply smiled at the questions. So many questions, Nya seemed to just speak what was on her mind without, no, not without thought.

“I would imagine they are the honoured dead that you feel. I am no spiritseer but I would imagine that even in death, the heroes still watch over the lands they protected in life,” Ryndra kept her eyes on the girl. She seemed to be her about her age, maybe younger, but there was a youthful streak about her they said that this woman seemed almost knew to the world. “Your drumming was fine. I didn’t bother me and I imagine the spirits do not mind. For you see, I came to play for them as well.”

Ryndra slid her satchel off her back, opening it to reveal the violin it held inside. She careful pulled out the small instrument and placed it on her shoulder. “I’m Ryndra Stormwulf, it’s a pleasure Miss Winters.” Ryndra took a cleansing breath as she brought the bow to the strings of her instrument. There were small notches along the fingerboard that Sina had helped her make to guide her fingers while she learnt.

The bow moved along the strings and the violin spoke. It was nothing complicated, just simple notes played one at a time. The violin spoke a song of sorrow even in these few words Ryndra gave. The enclosed courtyard containing the sounds the instrument made. After playing a few moments, Ryndra stopped, blushing slightly.

“I’m sorry, I’m still learning the instrument.”

[Nya Winters]

Nya was surprised the woman patiently answered all her questions. That was rare in her life, as most people simply picked the first or last one to answer if they answered any at all - especially strangers. The kelvic was surprised that Ryndra had come to play too. Was it common then, a human thing, to be compelled to play to things that only existed in memories? Nya had no idea who all the stones were for, and since they weren't marked, it was impossible to know why or how the death had come about that resulted in a stone being placed. She wondered if Ryndra knew, or if the knowledge when all grouped together in a place such as this would be horrifically overwhelming if it was somehow all that clear.

People were so fragile.

"You play? Oh... a violin!" Nya grinned with delight. She wasn't exactly well versed in the stringed instruments, but she had seen people playing the mournful and lovely things on the streets sometimes near the market, busking, as one once had explained to her. They played for profit, for the coins people would toss into the containers they set at their feet. After that, Nya had taken to leaving coins as well, when she heard something fascinating or lovely. To her, it was a rather exciting thing... like buying permission to stand and stare at someone, studying every angle of their existence.

"It is very nice to meet you Ryndra Stormwulf. I like your name. It seems somehow noble." She said, settling at the girls feet to listen for a few minutes to her playing. The girl pulled a bow and danced it along the strings held taught and tucked up under Ryndra's chin. Nya watched fascinated, though she knew she would not be able to match the dexterity required easily, if not ever. But the sound was pretty, and even if Ryndra missed a note here and there or squeaked the bow oddly, Nya still enjoyed it.

"Do not worry. I just got my drum and flute. I am learning too, trying the drum because it seems easier. I do not mind that you are learning. I am too. Would you like to play something together? We can stop and start as often as you want or need too. I think drumming might be a little forgiving in that way while your instrument is not. Besides, I would like to see how a drum sounds with something else... with hands, the stick, even rubbing it... which I did not know was really playing until today where Sina showed me. She gave me a little book about drums and how to play things... so maybe we should practice together." She said, getting more comfortable and sitting her drum on her lap once more. She stroked the skin, and tapped it thoughtfully, just enjoying the sound as they spoke.

[Ryndra]

Ryndra visibly flinched at each note she missed. She had become used to being skilled at what she did. Most of her time now was taken up by training for the Knights and most of that she could manage with a certain degree of skill. But she was determined to better herself with this instrument. After all, despite the notes she missed, she loved playing the instrument. It was strange and yet somehow humbling that such a little thing could remind her of home, of what she wanted to achieve.

As Ryndra finished, she let Nya speak once more. Once again, she spoke almost without breathing. It presented Nya with a certain amount of youthfulness that just made Ryndra smile to see someone so curious about the world around them. As she suggested playing together, Ryndra’s smile widened. In truth, music always sounded better when there was more than one instrument they tended to compliment each other.

“I’d like that,” Ryndra gestured to the bench that Nya had vacated. “I’m more comfortable playing sat down right now, it lets me focus on moving my fingers more and getting them in the right place. If you don’t mind of course?”

[Nya Winters]

"No.. of course not. I am not sure if I know any songs... so we will have to figure this out as we go." Nya said softly, then picked up her drumstick, a thick short little wooden mallet that one could play by tapping the skin back and forth with both ends. She set a beat that seemed very close to what Ryndra had been playing - a sort of double taptap, tap, taptap, tap and looked expectantly at the violinist. Truth be told, both were in a beautiful setting, alone, with only the stones that might or might not hold the ghosts of fallen knights. They could practice for hours and disturb no one but themselves in their attempts to make music. And the echoed acoustics of the gardens created a natural sound chamber because of the hedges and stone walls surrounding it. They could hear each other talking clearly, without even raising a single voice.

"Truthfully I've never played in my life...." She said softly in rhythm to the beat of her drum. "But I love music so very much. My bondmate plays an ode, a very pretty stringed instrument. I never touch it, because it seems so fragile, but I love it when he sits by the fire and plays it. It has a sad mournful voice like your violin, but in an exotic way that makes me think of hot places and starvation." That's how Nya had started thinking of Eyktol. There was no food to be had and water was very hard to come by. "When I play the drum, I want to think about lots of food, running deer, stalking lions, even knights on their proud horses. I want to think of Syliras and how bountiful it is here." She said softly, still tapping her drum.

"Sitting is fine... I do not mind at all. Can you play your violin and make it talk about things you love too?" Nya asked, naively... thinking music was all about emotion and likes or dislikes, not about real technique. Nya would probably never play with real technique unless she ran across someone who was skilled enough to teach kelvics such things. But she could feel music, and see it in some ways in her mind.. .and knew what it should sound like verses what was bad... and she was willing to try.

[Ryndra]

Ryndra smiled at Nya’s words. In truth, Ryndra hadn’t taken the time to learn any songs yet either. Ryndra had spent time learning where each note was and although it wasn’t the best way to go about it, she needed to learn where each was. She had played a little but not committed anything to memory. As Nya set the beat, Ryndra closed her eyes, getting a brief feel for it and setting to playing something simple, a few select notes over again.

“Music always sounds better when played from the heart,” Ryndra replied, she was focused on the violin and moving her fingers. Every so often missing the notes she had picked. She winced each time but kept playing, too stubborn to give up, as was her way. “I think of my home when I play. I think of my parents and my village. The times we spent in front of the fire, singing and laughing. We had a violinist there, I always thought he was brilliant.”

Ryndra changed the notes she played slightly playing a few more and the sounds the violin played became more upbeat and happy as she thought about the times long past. Her technique was lacking in many areas but Ryndra was enjoying making the music.

“Is there a man in your life, Nya?” Ryndra asked, briefly looking to the woman. The moment she did she missed a note and had to look back again.

[Nya Winters]

Nya smiled at Ryndra, liking her already. The woman was gentle but there was something fierce lurking under her surface like a kelvic though quite a bit more masterful. She listened when Ryndra said that music reminded her of her home and the Forest Cat wanted to immediately interrupt her and ask her where home was. But she was polite, and knew the timing wasn't quite right for it. She would ask though, sometime before they were done playing... and find out what Ryndra's birthplace was like.

Nya listened to the music Ryndra tried to produce and didn't even mind the missed notes or occasional awkward bowing. She instead concentrated on trying to picture a place made up of the notes from both the drum she played and the violin the other woman played, and found herself tapping her foot in time with the music. Though they were just beginners, Nya decided they weren't half bad... and so when Ryndra asked her question, the forest cat smiled.

"The best man.. yes. My bondmate. His name is Shai and well... he is someone special." Nya said, her eyes sparkling. She didn't notice really, but her drumming changed as her thoughts changed. It became stronger, more pronounced with a reserve that reminded her of Abashai's quiet diligence. In a way, it was like she was telling Ryndra about Abashai through her drum instead of filling the music with unless words that would never do him justice anyhow. Ryndra could tell Nya really felt strong feelings for the man who's name she gave... for the girls heart went into her drum and came out a changed complex beat. It was a beat of honor and love and friendship and trust. It was tightly interwoven with a slightly feral sound confined by peace and security.

Nya played on until she could no longer think of ways with the music to describe him and her own words reached across to Ryndra - bridging the violin and drum notes. "And you... where were you born that was not here? I heard your village in your playing... your home and your parents, but I did not recognize the sound. I am not from here. " The forest cat said, muting the drum a bit so Ryndra could answer.

[Ryndra]

Ryndra wasn’t sure if Nya’s drumming variation was made consciously or subconsciously but the words she used to describe her bondmate were echoed in the way she played. It was obvious to Ryn that Nya cared for this man and that he was a strong individual. She imagined he would have to be to keep up with her.

“Wait, did you say bondmate?” Ryndra looked to Nya, her mind ticking over. She’d heard of these Kelvic beings but had never come across one. She knew they bonded with people but knew next to nothing else about them. Ryndra’s curious streak kicked in. Is that why she asked so many questions? What was it like being able to turn into an animal? It seemed like an odd but amazing prospect to be able to change into a bird or maybe a fish.

Ryndra’s violin began to make joyous sounds again as she thought of her parents and of her birthplace. “I was not born far from here. About a day’s ride away from the gates. I was born in a small village where we tended to the farmlands to support the city. You are not from here either? May I ask where you are from then and what brings you here?”