Chapter Seven: The Lonely Bard

The sun was just beginning to rise. I’d already been walking for over an hour. It was the best time to start my journey, as I was slow and clumsy with heat exhaustion later on. Traveling by the hot sun was inescapable and inconvenient; sweat glistened and dribbled down my face and I often grew weary during the days. I plodded along though.  

The dirt paths were scarcely traveled on even as I passed through the closest town north of the inn, Yondrin; the capital was in central Caligeria, about a week’s walking distance, yet I was already starved for human contact after two days. I kicked up dust from the road, sputtering it out. With a heavy sigh, I took a small swig from the water skin that the Jones’s had given Papa for me. Though my pack was fairly light, my shoulders were stiff from sleeping on the ground. “This is torturous,” I muttered only to hear a sound that was not chirping birds or scurrying rodents.

“You are a bit lonely, I see? Perhaps, a song for thee?” Next to me was a man about a decade my senior dressed simply in a white shirt, collar down and black trousers flowing into a pair of black boots. Strapped to his back, was a small stringed instrument, a lyre to pair with the flutes that hung around his next. “You may call me William.”

I studied him. “You’re a bard,” I stated more in the manner of an inquiry.

“Precisely, Miss Stone! Do not even ask how I know. It is the hair and the confusion. My word, those are Eric’s ears! Great man, your father is. Great man.” He spoke faster than I could listen. “Close your mouth. Do wish for flies to mate in there?”

“I hadn’t realized it was open. How do you know my father?”

His eyes widened. “The real question is why hasn’t your father mentioned me! Those two swore for ten Gold Tyans that they would name their tavern after me!”

“You’re the ‘Lonely Bard’?” I wondered excitedly. Then I became confused. “You’re too young. You could not have been more than a child when he traveled.” I allowed the bard to walk past me. All noise stopped, even the gentle clop of boots. Squinting, I studied the way the sun just barely glittered through him. I walked to him.

He was translucent. With the horror my face, he winked. “Something just clicked. I’ve been twenty-seven for a long time…what was that name Eric told me…his mother’s name…Virginia, Genet, Genesis, Lisa…Genevieve! There it is, Genevieve Stone! Jen Stone! Gem Stone! Ha! Anyway, let me tell you a story. I did a bad thing. I was young and in love, what else was I supposed to do? I wasn’t just in love; I was in love with the queen! Lizzie and I would’ve been perfect together. We were friends. I made her laugh. She invited me to all her dinners. It was beautiful. I was a good bard though. Damn good one. I roamed the streets making people hum. One day, Lizzie starts fooling around with this earl, so I sharpened up my flute and stabbed him in the heart. Needless to say, the poor b*****d died. Lizzie was so mad at me that she chopped my head off publicly. You see though, Lizzie had some connections with the ‘forces’ and because of our past friendship; she didn’t really think I was cut out for damnation. So I became a ghost telling my story to some travelers in need of company. It’s how I got the nickname.”

“With that story, I’m surprised you didn’t shoot an Albatross.”

He chuckled, a deep hardy sound. “Where’d you dig up that fossil of a poem? Christ, I haven’t heard that one in centuries! So where you headed, Gem Stone?”

“I’m looking for my mother.”

“Eric, sleeping around? No kidding? I’ll always admire him. What’s her name? Maybe I’ve met her once or twice.” He nodded his head curious, black curls tumbling.

“Papa thinks it’s a pseudonym, but the name I have for her is Alia Pallas.”

He mused on it for a second. “I’ve never met her. You’re looking for a darker woman. Actually, you get the weird lighter ones sometimes. Anyway, you just look for dark hair and anywhere from dark brown eyes to light green. Are you making a little mental note of this? Alia Pallas. I wonder if she’s smart. You know who Pallas is?”

I nodded, grinning at the mention. “Greek mythology. The name that the goddess A-I forgot to return Professor Hort’s book!” I realized suddenly.

“I’m sure your father-what’d you call him, Papa, will return it. Aren’t you a little old to call your father, ‘Papa’?” He raised an eyebrow at me.

I shrugged. “Old habits die hard. I tried to call him father when I was ten, but it was too cold and formal. That’s not really the relationship that my father and I have.”

“Then why did you run away?” He questioned, bewildered.

I replied, “I didn’t. Papa- er, my father wanted me to find her and some cloaked dream figure named Sleepwalker. Wait, if you met my father when he was with Uncle Evan, how did you know which one was my father?” I wondered.

“I told you. You have Eric’s ears! Do you have a dagger on you?” He searched.

I shook my head. “Actually, I did not think to bring a weapon. Should thieves come, they will rob me blind. Why did I not think of it sooner?” I cursed myself. Through my boot, I felt a blunt drop. First I thought it was a fallen nut or a fruit from the trees, but it made such an impact. Intrigued, I peered downward to sight a dagger. After picking it up, I cocked my head at William. “Did you do this?” I gestured to the dagger.

“Part of the whole ‘be a ghost, tell your story’ thing, is that I have the fortunate power to bestow a gift on the worthy travelers I encounter.” His eyes clouded for a moment. “By about midday, you will reach a white birch tree right in the middle of the road. It will be dying. Veer off the road to the east. There will be a pond. Go to it.”

I stared, disbelieving “That is really all that I need to do? I do not need to name my first born son after you or anything?” I grimaced at the simplicity of it.

He mused on it. “It would be nice… no, no, just go to the pond. Take a drink. Take a bath even! You might want to.” He gestured to the heavy perspiration on my brow. “Sweat isn’t so charming on a lady,” William murmured to me.

“And brutal honesty isn’t so charming on a gentleman,” I retorted, but still I swiped at my forehead. I became timid again. “Thank you for the dagger.” I pulled the long leather strap down to where it rested on my hip. The strap connected to the sheath.

“Genevieve, I must say you are splendid when you are well-equipped, but you must learn to use it.” While we continued to walk, he held his flute to instruct me on how to properly handle it. Following that, he taught me a few quick thrusts and jabs. “Most importantly, you must know how to pull it out stealthily and inconspicuously. Cross your arms in defiance. Grip it with you index, middle, and ring finger. Pull it up to your thumb. Then you have your grip. Pull it out quickly. Give them no time to think. If you’re bound, knock it out of the scabbard, and cut yourself free provided, whoever bound you does not disarm you.” Physical demonstrations accompanied his words as well.

As I tried to nonchalantly remove the dagger, I either dropped it on the ground or back into the scabbard, once on my foot. Soon I became frustrated. “This is worse than arithmetic!” I shouted angrily. Then I cleared my throat and blushed, remembering that I was not alone.

“Please, Genevieve, nothing is worse than arithmetic.” With a flick of his wrist, the dagger flew back into my hands. “Once more, let’s go, Gem Stone,” William commanded. He urged me along with an impatient hand gesture.

I stared at the dagger confused as to just how far his powers extended.

“Is this a dagger which I see before me?” He mocked. “Let’s get on with it, Jen! Put it back in the case and try again.”

Carefully, I slipped it in. Then I crossed my arms, slowly pulling it out. When I extended my arm, the blade flew from my hands, through William, and stabbed a tree.

“Definitely, closer.” He noted with a thumbs up. “Just think of it like a kitchen knife. Surely, you know how to use a kitchen knife.”

“Yes, but not well. It is far too often that I cut one of my fingers.” I displayed my hands lightly scarred with faint white lines running in all directions.

“In which case, do not think of it as a knife.” He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

After walking over to the tree, I roughly yanked the dagger. With the force from the pull, I slammed into the ground, landing on my back. The dagger clattered to a halt beside me. “I wasn’t made to wield a weapon.”

“Look, Gem Stone, it’s this big. Imagine if I had given you a sword… Try again.”

I repeated the process a final time. Swiftly, my dagger was at William’s throat.

“Eric would be proud. You know, your father is very good with a sword. Never in my life have I seen someone slice so near a man without hurting him. An entire band of thieves chased away without so much as a drop of blood.” We shared a grin at this.

“He told me that story once to tell me anything can be solved peacefully.” The memory was poignant though it had only been two days since I’d last seen him. “I already miss him. I’ve never been away from home before.”

“Being on your own isn’t so bad, Jen. Sometimes, it’s lonely, but you have to leave home at one point or another. Heck, kids apprentice at ages younger than yours. Some people study under professors at your age. Going to find your mother? Shouldn’t be a problem for a bright girl like you.” His beam widened, displaying white teeth.

My own smile dissipated. “This sounds like a departure.”

“My apologies, Gem Stone. I cannot stay with you the entire way. I wish you the best of luck on your travels though. I hope someday we shall meet again.”

I nodded. “Thank you, William for everything, mostly the company.”

“It was a pleasure all my own, Genevieve.” He sauntered ahead of me. With each step, he faded into the sunlight until nothing remained, but the light streaming between the branches of the lively trees.

I grinned to myself. Being alone wasn’t so bad after all. In the new silence, I took in all of the sounds, the scuffle of my feet, the still slightly agitating repetition of birdcalls, and the rustling of branches. Even the weather wasn’t too awful as a gentle breeze ruffled me. For the noon meal, I merely pulled a few dried fruits from a pouch in my knapsack and kept walking.

The paths were mostly flat and very untraveled. The dirt had settled in its place without carriages running over it. I had been lucky enough to travel without rain so far, hoping for more of the same weather. I was better drenched than the ground. The most that would happen to me as I sweated was an unsavory scent and an unkempt appearance. The sky sweating would lead to viscous mud, a pain to everyone.

In these thoughts, I spotted a white contrast to the ruddy dirt, a tall lean tree: a birch tree. I touched my hand to the hilt of the dagger. Before stepping closer to the tree, I pulled the dagger out to examine it.

The blade wasn’t entirely straight. It was rhythmically jagged. It glistened in the near noon sunshine. The hilt was sturdy metal cushioned into a soft leather grip wrapped with a thin string of animal hide. There was a black stone at the bottom, smooth and rounded, with enough sheen to make a reflection.

I stood at the foot of the tree, definitely dying.

Its leaves were sparse. A thick moss had begun to grow at its base. One of its branches was cracked off; it hung down.

Remorsefully mourning for the tree, I pulled out my father’s pocket watch, checked that the time was about right, twenty-seven past thirteen, and then I clicked the hidden switch to check the compass. The thick brush of bushes separated the road from the woods to the east. Prudently, I clambered into them.

The thistles stuck to my dress and lightly slivered my forearms. The canopy of trees shrouded the path in the thick shadow causing a significant temperature difference. Tall grasses brushed against my skirt in greeting.

Silently, I exhaled in the mystic quality of the forest. I kept wandering strictly eastward. Tangled in a vine, I tumbled into a clearing. First I noticed a gentle burbling noise. Ahead of me was the pond William had told me to search for.

The water was a clear tinted blue and overhead was a drop-off with a small waterfall constantly pouring into the lake. In an attempt to maintain the serenity of the beautiful clearing, I noiselessly slipped off my knapsack.

The sun streamed through here, relentlessly beating down on my already reddened forearms and face.

With the return of the heat, I sweated against the already soaked back of my dress. Once I groaned from the sweltering heat, I filled the water skin with the pond water. Then I splashed my face. The cool relief relaxed me. Digging into my pack, I pulled out my thin ratty towel. I closed my eyes and leaned against the bulk of my knapsack. Soon enough with the blaze of the sun streaming down, I fell asleep.

When I awoke, I cursed the elapsed time and reached for my watch. Eighteen minutes before the sixteenth hour. I peeked around to check that no one was in the clearing; there was not even an animal. After undressing, I slipped into the pond with a bar of soap in my hand. My throat went tight as I checked the pool’s depth. “Jenny, you idiot, you’re not going to drown. It’s not even that deep,” I muttered under my breath.

The cool water eased my violent sunburn. I sank into the water further and scrubbed all of the peeling skin off the back of my neck and arms with the rough soap.

A quiet rustling startled me as I prepared to explain my actions to a stranger. It was only a deer passing through. It gnawed on the cloth of my dress.

“Stop that!” I shooed it away, suddenly paranoid. “What was I thinking? Bathing in an open pond…” I finished lathering my hair. The bubbling waterfall entranced me. “It would be so much easier to rinse my hair. And I would not have to go under the water.”

The water surrounded me as I brushed the soap from my hair. It pounded on my sore shoulders. It chilled me in the most relieving way. I opened my eyes and spotted a tall human figure. I wasn’t sure which one of us screamed first.

“I-I’ll come back later!” Then he ran away.

Author's Note

Ladies and Gents, I'd like to introduce Protagonist Number Two. We'll learn more about him in the next chapter...