88th day of Winter
Alija hurried into the Armed Scholar humming a little tune from the night before. She had visited the bar to celebrate the freeing of the ships, and it was full of sailors with the same idea. They had had the most joyous of times: one man had brought out his fiddle and the sailors had sang a good amount of songs. Alija too had joined in when she knew the words, and on that night, only laughter and music filled the air.
The good mood lingered among the streets the next morning, the warmth of Spring breaking through. Little signs were coming quickly to announce its arrival, and the mood was lightening like the weather. Winter had been a hard time, but that day it wasn't too bad. The thought of a new year brightened everyone's spirit.
When she arrived at the blacksmith, Alija noticed that Donovan too had a fiddle like the man in the bar, and was plucking at the strings gently, the soft noise echoing slightly. He smiled at her when she came in, holding up the instrument with a face of enjoyment. "Found a man with this, and he wanted to sell! I couldn't say no to that good a offer, and now I'm a musician!"
Alija smiled good humouredly, tying her apron on with one quick movement. Donovan seemed to love buying all things strange or unnecessary. It was one of his little quirks. "Having an instrument doesn't make you a musician," she teased him, "But maybe if you wish hard enough it'll play itself!"
Donovan laughed, mouth stretched in a smile. "You don't think I'm that stupid, do you? When I got it, I searched for an instructor and I managed to get someone to teach me. Which reminds me to ask, can you be out front now, and go help Rals in the forge later? So I can be there when the man comes? This afternoon?"
Alija nodded reluctantly, hating having to greet the customers. Her shyness exteneded to all strangers, of which the customers were. Only rarely did she have the courage to start up a conversation, or say anything at all. She pulled off the apron and took her position behind the counter, allowing Donovan to enter the forge.
No one entered the forge for a long time, and despite her pleasure that there was no one to greet, she grew bored of the waiting. She had nothing to do and her usual activities didn't appeal so she started to hum very quietly, before adding words to the tune. Alija spoke them at first before trying to mimick the pitch of the tune. Her voice sounded gravelly and coarse, but it entertained her to see how many lyrics she knew.
The door seemed to swing open as soon as she had started to sing, although in actual fact it was much later, and a tall man dressed in clothes of the highest fashion walked in. He nodded politely, taking his hat off in respect, revealing coarse grey hair and a silver polished monocle. "I am looking for a Master Donovan Smith. Does he work here?"
Alija hurried into the Armed Scholar humming a little tune from the night before. She had visited the bar to celebrate the freeing of the ships, and it was full of sailors with the same idea. They had had the most joyous of times: one man had brought out his fiddle and the sailors had sang a good amount of songs. Alija too had joined in when she knew the words, and on that night, only laughter and music filled the air.
The good mood lingered among the streets the next morning, the warmth of Spring breaking through. Little signs were coming quickly to announce its arrival, and the mood was lightening like the weather. Winter had been a hard time, but that day it wasn't too bad. The thought of a new year brightened everyone's spirit.
When she arrived at the blacksmith, Alija noticed that Donovan too had a fiddle like the man in the bar, and was plucking at the strings gently, the soft noise echoing slightly. He smiled at her when she came in, holding up the instrument with a face of enjoyment. "Found a man with this, and he wanted to sell! I couldn't say no to that good a offer, and now I'm a musician!"
Alija smiled good humouredly, tying her apron on with one quick movement. Donovan seemed to love buying all things strange or unnecessary. It was one of his little quirks. "Having an instrument doesn't make you a musician," she teased him, "But maybe if you wish hard enough it'll play itself!"
Donovan laughed, mouth stretched in a smile. "You don't think I'm that stupid, do you? When I got it, I searched for an instructor and I managed to get someone to teach me. Which reminds me to ask, can you be out front now, and go help Rals in the forge later? So I can be there when the man comes? This afternoon?"
Alija nodded reluctantly, hating having to greet the customers. Her shyness exteneded to all strangers, of which the customers were. Only rarely did she have the courage to start up a conversation, or say anything at all. She pulled off the apron and took her position behind the counter, allowing Donovan to enter the forge.
No one entered the forge for a long time, and despite her pleasure that there was no one to greet, she grew bored of the waiting. She had nothing to do and her usual activities didn't appeal so she started to hum very quietly, before adding words to the tune. Alija spoke them at first before trying to mimick the pitch of the tune. Her voice sounded gravelly and coarse, but it entertained her to see how many lyrics she knew.
The door seemed to swing open as soon as she had started to sing, although in actual fact it was much later, and a tall man dressed in clothes of the highest fashion walked in. He nodded politely, taking his hat off in respect, revealing coarse grey hair and a silver polished monocle. "I am looking for a Master Donovan Smith. Does he work here?"
