Legends of Belariath
Zingara
The Reunion
Tension it runs high when you have large diversity in a small city. The chirot known as Zingara was clearly near her ends, she couldn’t take it anymore, something had to change, to give… but nothing would, nothing ever did save to for the worse. Thus she was forced to do one thing, seek guidance, only one person could do that, and so she an her indri where to leave, someone would be by daily to run the Sirens Call,
Two years had passed, but she knew their route like she traveled every day, and knew how to find them as she flew through the air a faint smile rose at the thoughts of her way, long and yet like yesterday she remembered it…
You scared?” she whispered as she set her hands on Nateshia shoulder
“a little Lissy…” she whispered “I’m not sure I’m ready to play in front of people…”
“oh don’t worry they are all drunk anyhow.. they won’t notice if you miss a note” the Gypsy teased as she patted the young chirots shoulder “show them what you have..”
And as Quizella the flame spitting fae left the stage the eight year old girl slowly took the stage, it caused silence, it was seldom to see a child on a stage in a bar, and in truth down right dangerous, it did help however, to have a large Murg standing in the back corner of the stage…
Eyes, it seemed like unending eyes were locked upon the little girl as she tried to prepare tuning, then the first note came and another, and soon a whole song was starting to emerge from the lute the woman held, she was shaking the room seemed in awe, then it happened,
“boo”
“get her off the stage”
“this a fucking joke!?”
and the bottles were thrown as well as glasses and anything and everything else, including a stool from a drunk wolven. Which hit the chirot hard taking her of her feet and curling her into a ball crying hard to herself the rest acted quickly Murg slamming a wolvens head into a table.. a bar top.. a wall.. a door.. and finally out the room, Ludo shooting arrows at the lights to cut them out, candles wicks being severed to make it darker, the nymph finding other ways to take attention from the crowd, which meant a lot of time on her back, or knees, and the gypsy slide the small girl with the large bruise on her head from the stage
“I’ll never perform again.. I knew I wasn’t good enough.. I’m not good enough at anything… I shouldn’t be here, I don’t deserve this…”
“hey hey don’t say that…” she whispered as she held her hugging her “you know you’ve been a big help to us, you’re like our child….even Ludo… see how he was quick to help?” she spoke cradling the child chirot “see we all have given effort especially Murg, so unless you are saying he wasted all his time on you, and shouldn’t care then I think you need to try again… in a little while, maybe after me and you put more effort into the show…” of course the words had little effect on the pride stung chirot as she cried and muttered and sniffled. “I know.. we forgot your stage name!” the elf smiled “See none of us use a real name, we all took new names when we took to the stage… and you never did… so how about we rename you here and now, and that way the gods will bless you okay?” she whispered softly
“really?” she child asked silencing her sniffles
“uh huh….”
“what…what… should I be called…”
As Zingara landed in the camp, her smile seemed to only grow, seeing familiar face, warm face, welcoming.
“Well I never thought I’d see you again little girl” came the loud rough voice of Murg
“It’s been 2 years to the day” she responded, her voice heart felt, but her smile bright. “She would want me to be here today.” the crowd grew quite as they listened “So when is the celebration?”
“A few hours, when it gets darker.”
The Songstress listened and nodded as she headed out of the camp, walking this time, moving of to where she knew the tree and stone that marked they body of the elf would be. Her steps slowed more and more as she neared, as if only now feeling hesitant. “Hello” only after realizing she was standing in silence at the site. “It’s been a while…” she whispered letting herself sit on the large rock “how have I been you ask?” she frowned finally, feeling tears start to stain her face. “missing you Lissy… missing you so much, and thinking about what happened all the time”
“Very good Nateshia, you are getting much, much better!” Lissy’s voice was smooth and silvery as she let the chirot play on the her lute. “So you like this lute?”
“Oh very much it feels as if it just wants to be part of me.” she grinned as she continued practicing for the performance tomorrow
“make sure you rest tonight, we will be hitting the town tomorrow and we will be busy”
“I know” she laughed some “You have to stop treating me a child”
“hard habit sorry”
The elf rose from the ‘pupil “you know I have nothing more to teach you now…” she smiled “I never dreamed you’d be such an amazing performer” she nodded once to the still practicing chirot and headed for the lead caravan “MURG!!” she shouted out “why are we stopped?”
“la la la laaa laaaaa” she tested her voice verse the notes, when suddenly she realized there was an issue, it wasn’t a scream or a yell, it was the pure silence about her, no people talking now, no animals making noise… nothing. “Lissy?” she questioned sliding the loot down and leaping off the wagon to head up to see what was wrong only to stop instantly in spot “oh… dear goddess”
The Caravan had been taken by surprise and was now half surrounded by fifty plus goblins, “gurlz and coinz now!” one of half grunted as he glared wickedly towards the small party of maybe fifteen people. A sigh was let from Lessy as she looked to Murg, then to the rest, slow nodds made. The Chirot knew what was about to happen, it wouldn’t be pretty.
“You were amazing Lessy.” she felt the tears running down her face. “you saved so many of us… all that me I had thought you were a passive scared woman who feared death and wouldn’t fight.” she shook her head “I never would of guessed you were so well trained in combat, you were beautiful in movement, and that frown, the sadness of taken any life… I was so wrong about you, I’m so sorry”
The songstress felt a hand on her shoulder “hey the celebration will start soon, we want to hear you play a song on her…your… lute”
“Okay Ludo… I miss her so much”
“I know…I know”
after that day the Chirot seemed to loose her other side, perhaps she had forgotten her path, or her life, or perhaps she was so busy fighting herself at what she was and wasn't she was ripping herself apart, no matter the case she was almost a new person that day