Closed Light Fingers (Riluc)

[Baran]

2nd Summer 516 AV, The Tent City

F

The Tent City's walls were flapping, the streets branched in any and all directions, and the residents didn't take kindly to strangers. But Baran was already feeling like he fitted in. It was strangely comforting to be so distrusted. But today was a day to make money, hopefully. He'd been larking around for far longer that he'd meant to, and the people of Sunberth were never going to desire him as a player if they never heard him play.

Like usual, his gamba was strapped to his back. But he'd found a place to sit, a propped log outside of what seemed to be less homely tents and more merchant-y tents. Merchant tents meant money, and money meant food. Food meant Baran wouldn't starve, and maybe he could afford to buy some decent meals, live a little.

He pulled out his gamba, and strummed the strings. He always found it interesting how different the instrument sounded when he played it outside as opposed to practising inside the tent. He tightened the bow hairs, and searched for rosin that didn't exist, having used the last of it some time ago. As was customary for his gamba, he gave it a tune before starting to play.

He listened intently to the correlation between the pitches of the strings, adjusting the pegs as he did so until it was as close to being in tune as he was going to get it. Then he stopped, perched on the log, wondering what to play. As was customary for him, he had a stock of tunes and the occasional song that he'd play. He didn't have a crowd here, it was foot traffic that walked past. He needed to play happy songs, lift the spirits a little.

He drew his bow across the string, and started playing one of the most familiar pieces he'd learnt in Alvadas. Duskies Lament, which despite its name was almost ridiculously cheerful, if somewhat simple. The tune danced along leisurely, and he repeated until for a few goes until the tune naturally morphed into Hamraiser.

His fingers twitched a little as he stumbled over a couple of notes, but he carried on smoothly, trying not to let the mistake show on his face. He hoped it worked, and it seemed to. Nobody was telling his to shut-up, at any rate. He cleared his throat, and started to sing rustily, the words to Hamraiser. "Fine young fellow was he,
Hamraiser, Hamraiser,
Fine young fellow was he,
He who raises ham."
The lyrics were dark, but he continued singing, his voice cracking and out of tune on many occasions as he played.

[Baran]

F

Baran broke the song off, and continued playing his gamba. He was enjoying the sunshine on his fingers, and the feeling of the instrument warming in his hand. That was, he was enjoying it until the few coins he'd managed to scrape from half a bell playing were stolen from underneath his very nose.

A mere boy-child had snatched the coins before he'd had chance to even kick out, what he usually did to deter thieves.
"OY!" Baran yelled, rather ungracefully, but it drew attention. Not that anyone seemed to do anything- a few people looked up from whatever they were doing, a couple half-heartedly tried to grab the lad, but for the most part, it seemed most people didn't give a shyke.

The man wasn't having it. If it became known that he was that easy to steal from, then he'd never get anything done. Of course, it was highly likely that the lad would disappear into the veritable maze of corridors that was the Tent City, but Baran had to do nothing but try.

He started to pack up his gamba, as fast as he could, which wasn't very. Fortunately his belongings were mostly on his person. In the space of one chime, he was packed up. He didn't have time to tie the gamba to his back, so instead he hugged it to his chest and ran, in the direction he'd seen the boy go.

Running with a musical instrument was more difficult than it first appeared, and he soon was running out of breath, from having to run awkwardly clutching the bundle. The boy was also nowhere to be seen. Baran was having a hard time seeing where he was going, too.

Which was why he ran smack-bang into a man, one he couldn't see, and didn't even know was there, as he'd been obscured by the long neck of the gamba.
"Petch." Baran cursed, and looped his instrument to rest it against his side so he could give the stranger a dirty look. Battling down more curse words and the desire to yell at the stranger for stopping his search, he chose instead to ask a question, "You haven't seen a filthy brat carrying some stolen money have you? I was playing, he stole my money..."

If he was perfectly honest with himself, he was glad for the breather and the chance to readjust his instrument. The chance he was going to find the petcher that stole from him was slim to nothing, so the potential conversation was also welcomed.

[Riluc Lorrani]

The day hadn't been the best hunting day, only one trap had caught anything and the actual hunting had been some lost trails. Riluc was used to days like this as hunting was a patient process, and at least now he wasn’t cold, or hungry. Those had always been the worst days as hunger tried to hinder your hunting. The world wasn’t ever going to let you win easily. You had to fight against it each day. The young man though as he walked through the “streets” of the tent city.

Riluc was dressed in his normal fashion, his beloved leather boots. His comfortable, and covering, loin cloth, and the layer of dirt from his mornings hunting. While dirty Riluc wasn’t disgusting. The dirt on his body was from today, and maybe a bit from yesterday as he wasn’t all that through in his washing. He did wash though, and made sure he didn’t smell of anything other than dirt and the forest. The human smells warned animals of his presences more than dirt warned them. All around he was used to dirt especially obtained by honest hunting.

He had delivered to the Inn his catches of the day and now wandered walked through the streets of the tent city. He was here to learn more and become a better follower of Caiyha, and he suspected dealing with people was one of the areas he needed to work on. He also knew that he needed to learn more. Riluc was smart enough to know how much he really didn’t know about the world. For example he loved music, but couldn’t tell you anything about it. Didn’t know how it was made besides using your voice, which he was actually to scared to try outside of secluded place were he sang quietly.

It was at that time that music came barging into his life. Riluc himself had been distracted by the crowds. In reality the crowds weren’t all that pressing where he was, but for him it was a crowd. He wasn't paying attention that the crowd had partered slight to allow the man holding some type of instrument to speed through and crash into the wildman. Riluc was forced to take a step forward to keep from finding himself flate on his face. He turned to look at the man who had crashed into him. Riluc's hunter expresion was in place vefore he had finished turning around. His green eyes were flat. They were neither angery or upset. They were judging. His lips were in a straight line neither smile or frown. He was watching his attacker like he would watch a wolf he had just found hunting the same prey.

Riluc was actually slightly amused to see the man running throught the crowd with some wooden object in front of his face. No wonder the man had ran into him. Riluc was also silently cursing himself for being so distracted. He remained standing there. His musclar form at ease and causal, his face blank of any emmotion. He could see the man was angery with him for being there, but Riluc wasn't going to be cowed by someone who ran through the streets with something blocking his vision. Riluc was surprised though when the man reasonable asked about something called a brat steeling his money. Riluc wasn't sure what a brat was, but the odds were it was long gone.

"I haven't seen anyone else running by and I haven't see anyone who liked like they had just stolen some coin." Riluc said, his voice was a surprisingly pleasent baritone. He didn't speak loudly, but his voice carried clearly. His lips were still expressionless, but his eyes showed some curiosity espeically ask he spoke again. "What is it that you play." He nodded his head towards the instrument indicating he guessed that was it but that he really didn't know anything about. Riluc was fairly sure the man wasn't going to retrive his money as in Sunberth you either retrieved your stolen goods immediately or you had to have some ability to track the thief down. Based on the man's recent run through the streets Riluc assumed he lacked the tracking skills. So instead he asked about the instrument.

[/quote]

[Baran]

F

Nope, thought not. The stupid petching child was probably long gone, more agile than Baran with his gamba. He was a sitting duck whilst playing, one of the many drawbacks of busking on the street rather than playing in a tavern or at a bar. He sighed, and 'umm'ed a little as the stranger opposite spoke, asking a question.

"Oh, sure. I play the gamba." He didn't stop to elucidate on what a 'gamba' was, if the man wanted to know more, then he would have ample opportunity. It was as if Baran had a nose for the unusual, and he glanced over the strange man. He wore hardly a scrap of fabric, and was dirty from mud, or soil or simply just from dirt, Baran couldn't tell. He refrained from brushing himself down, figuring that a bit of dirt never hurt anyone.

"Looks like I'm not going to catch the petcher. Aah, well. It wasn't like I'd made a great deal of money anyway, so it's not a loss. Where are you heading now, stranger? And may I enquire your name?" In all honesty, Baran didn't have anywhere else to go today, and didn't feel particularly in the mood to continue busking, his rhythm somewhat upset by the thief. So if the stranger seemed willing, then he would walk with him until they had to part ways.

"I'm Baran, by the way. Musician, sometimes adventurer. Just arrived in Sunberth." He slung his gamba onto his back as well as he could, and looked about their surroundings. The man was beginning to grow thirsty, and wondered if he could direct their walk, if indeed that's what they would do, to a tavern. Or a tent-tavern, if such a place existed.

He spoke up again, saying, "And if you know of anywhere to drink around here, then lead me the way and I'll gladly pay you with an ale!" He grinned, smiling almost too widely in a semi-stubbled face, before proclaiming, "Lead on, my friend!" Whether the other man was indeed a new friend, Baran didn't know. But he would never, ever drop the opportunity to meet someone new, and learn some new stories from the world. If he turned out to be a mad-man, then Baran could cut his losses and leave. If he turned out to be an ally, then, well... the encounter would pay off.

[Riluc Lorrani]

Green eyes looked at the young man in front of him. The musicians was clearly irritated about the lost of the coin. Riluc could appreciate that frustration, having grown up on the streets and had things stolen from him and had stolen his fair share as a child. Riluc waited thought to hear if the man would answer his question.

The man did actually answer Riluc question, but with the bear minimal information. Instead he was looking over Riluc which didn't surprise him. His clothing style caused people to stare, but Riluc didn't care he was comfortable. He also knew views on the dirt it had driven his second mother and her family crazy but once again he didn't care, it was part of who he was. Riluc disn't have any clue what a gamba was supposed to be. He nodded his head to acknowledge that his question has been answered. The man returned to his original subject about the thief. Riluc didn't say or do anyting as the man comment about not being able to catch the thief, since Riluc agreed and so no reason to restate the obvious, and especially since he doughted that his thoughts on the subject mattered little to the man who was talking to himself.

It was then that the man's conversation actually started to includes Riluc. He spotted off a series of questions in rapid succession and an introduction. Riluc's green eyes meet the man's. He couldn't tell what this man's intentions were. Did he want something, most liekly, but Riluc like living dangerously and he would either walk out of this with a friend, maybe a ally or possible even an enemy any of which options would brin a challenge to life.

"I am known as Riluc. It is a pleasure to meet you Baran." He said in his baritone voice. "I really didn't have any more plans for the day. I had all ready returned from checking my traps for the day."

Riluc paused at the offer to go to a tavern. It was a first, during his growing up years in Sunberth he hadn't intereacted with many people, and when hissecond mother had taken him to mura well no one asked him to taverns either. He was up for a new experiences. "The nearest tavern is the Drunken Fish. A lot of sailors go there, you just have to be careful you don't find yourself signed up for a ships crew or there is the Pig's Foot Tavern which is father away but not as many sailors." He would wait to hear Baran's choice then start leading the way. So what exactly is a gamba. I really like music but kniw nothing about it."

[/quote]

[Baran]

F

The man was thankful that his companion seemed to know his way around, and he thanked fate that he wasn't lumped with a simpleton. Baran nodded at the two choices offered, and answered, "The Drunken Fish it is. The closer the better, right?" Riluc started forward and Baran followed, pushing a hand briefly through his tawny hair. He was parched now, for a drink, even though he hadn't been before.

When Riluc asked about his precious instrument, Baran chirped up. Always glad for an excuse to talk about his greatest passion, he launched into an impassioned speech. "Well, as you can't see what it's like, my gamba is a beautiful instrument. Have you seen a fiddle? Without wanting to demean my instrument, the two are a little similar. The gamba is larger, lower but played the same, I suppose."

"If you like, I can play a few tunes when we get to the tavern, and you can have a go yourself if you're interested. Although if you've never played one before, the experience might not be what you'd expect." Baran smirked, without malice, wondering what the man thought of him. A musician was a tenuous profession, and although many people enjoyed his services, a lot of people also thought it was a waste of time, when other more important jobs could be done. However, he would always contest that.

The two men rounded a corner and walked down a narrow alley before emerging in front of the inn Riluc had mentioned. It was large and towering, but he was hardly interested in it's outwards appearance, simply wanting to know the quality of their ale inside. He strode in front of the other man and pushed open the door, to be greeted with the usual hubbub of an inn anywhere on the face of Mizahar.

Baran turned to speak to his companion again. "What'd you like, friend?" He slapped him on the back with a jovial smile, and approached the bar to ask for their beverages. Once they had them in hand, he waited for Riluc to find them somewhere to sit, or stand, depending on his preference.

[Riluc Lorrani]

Riluc watched as the man in front of him rebound from the earlier theft of his coin. Riluc wasn't the kind who clung to an emotion but even he didn't rebound that quickly. The wild man began to lead the way towards “The Drunken Fish”. As he lead the way he listened to Baran talk. Riluc didn’t want to really think about the fact that they were going into a tavern. Riluc hide it very well, but he was uncomfortable in crowds. The crowded streets made him uncomfortable, but places like taverns really messed with him. On the streets people were going places so usually he could move with the crowd. Taverns were a bunch of stationary bodies, and one that talked and laughed. Riluc likes people, individually, but his upbringing had taught him to avoid large crowds. As a child he had been able to slip between people, but now he was to big to do that anymore. In taverns though it was hard to be overlooked as no one moved, and people looked around and saw the people in the tavern with them.

Riluc walked along listen to the explanation about the instrument. In reality he couldn’t have told you what a fiddle was any more then this man’s gamba. He had heard music many times, and in Mura occasionally seen instruments, but he hadn’t ever learned anything about them. He would like to have learned about singing as it was music you could take with you, but he hadn’t ever been able to ask him second mother.

Riluc glanced at Baran with panicked eyes when he suggested that Riluc try out his instrument. Riluc could only imagine the damage he would cause to the beautiful instrument of he held the thing in his massive callused hands. "I wouldn't want to damage it, but I would like to hear you play it. Do you also sing."

Soon they were at the tavern Baran ask Riluc what he wanted to drink. Riluc looked at him and said, "I will have what ever you are having." Riluc then walked over to find a place to sit it was early enough that they could find a place to sit, but it was in the middle of the room and Riluc could feel all of the rooms eyes on him.

Once Baran had settled down Riluc took his cup and sipped at the drink. "So where did you learn music."

[Baran]

X

Baran took a deep glug of his ale before replying, to moisten his voice, but mostly because the ale was a good one. "Well! I can play you a tune or two, and perhaps sing, although my voice is not as good as my playing." He hrm'ed doubtfully to himself for a fraction of a tick before exclaiming, "Ah!"

"Don't worry, I've thought of a song to play to you. But as for where I learnt to play, well, that was the fair city of Alvadas. Heard of it? It's a beautiful city of the god Ionu. Full of tricks and surprises. I learnt from a good friend there, and I've been forever grateful for it." With that, he knocked back his beer, before wiping the froth from his upper lip.

"Right, a tune!" The man drew forth is gamba, and tightened the bow hair slowly, gazing around the tavern with a critical eye. Then he slowly tuned the instrument, ignoring Riluc for a few chimes whilst he did, trying to concentrate and hear the nuances over the sounds of the tavern. It was difficult, and he didn't get it quite in tune. But to an unpractised ear, it would sound fine.

"This song is called 'Ionu's Face'. I'll let you glean from that what you will!" And with that, he burst forth into a fast jig, the pace of the song perhaps a little too fast as he'd forgotten the effect of alcohol on his brain. The lyrics danced along, and his voice cracked and wavered dangerously, but he didn't care. He'd heard worse during his years in Alvadas, and in every tavern he'd ever been to. A voice that didn't practice singing never got better- he would practice on this crowd, whether they wanted it or not!

The end of the song twirled to a finish, and he sang loud and proud, "'A-la-la-la-la!'" With a grin, he placed his bow down, and rested his gamba in the crook of his arm. "There ya go, what did you think?" He was quite interested to know what he thought, it wasn't often that he got feedback, and usually the only feedback he got was negative, from the people who didn't appreciate his musical culture. The heathens.