Moving on

[Alegretto]

Jacob sat heavily on a nearby stump, resting his weary legs after hours of travel in the forest. He looked about at the expansive trees and densely packed undergrowth. "Well that does it, I'm well and truly lost." he said out loud. His voice went out into the forest. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the forest did not respond. "And I'm talking to myself." he mumbled. "That's just what I need to do." He considered his options, and they were not pleasant. He could wander about a few more hours, or just turn in for the night. The first option appealed to Jacob's guilt, but the second went right to his tired legs. The legs won out, but it was close. However, even as he lay his cloak out upon the ground, the voices started. In his head, Jacob knew that the calling, haunting voices of his dead comrades weren't real, but that didn't really make it easier to fall asleep. Guilt welled up inside him like a wave. Why had he left them? Why hadn't they listened? Why? Why? Why? Clearly he wasn't going to have any rest until he stopped wondering. So Jacob dispelled the voices and the guilt and the unpleasant curiosity in one of the only two ways he knew how. He pulled his lute out of the box that held it. He looked over the instrument lovingly, and and tuned the thing a little bit before launching into his old standby. He knew the song as "Death Visits" but he was well aware that there were more versions of the song's lyrics than it had notes.

"I sat down in front of the hearth
To sit and think and ponder
When I heard a clatter about
Of the noise I grew not fonder

I stood to see just what it was
It came from my front door
I walked over to the noise
My mood extremely poor

I threw the portal open wide
To behold a frightening visage
Of skull and black and scythe and cloak
Death had come to visit

I closed the door as quick as I could
And ran for the one out back
But by the time I reached it
He was there holding a sack

I turned again to flee once more
When my neck went cold
My sight went black
my thoughts collapsed
My soul was cruelly pulled

Freed from my body
I saw Death
Put my head in his bag
Then he turned and went his way
Sealing his sack with a tag

As my soul fell apart
I couldn't help but wonder
I thought of all the things I'd done
To deserve this cruel sunder."

Jacob's words drifted out into the forest. He released every ounce of raw guilt and torment into the lyrics. The tones he used were dark, and they brought his deep melancholy out for the world to hear. As he finished his song, Jacob slowly relaxed his fingers and loosened his singing tone. He ended the last few lines with much less tension that when he had started. Jacob smiled at the hush that rang out among the trees following his song and reveled at his isolation. No more voices to haunt him tonight. He made ready to go to sleep when he heard a rustling behind him. Jacob immediately whirled to identify the source of the noise. Maybe he wasn't as alone as he thought...

[Kratesis]

The low notes and mournful voice carried through the forest until it reached the ears of the traveling mercenary. Deep and low the music touched a note inside the veteran.

She had already made camp as the sun had slipped low in the sky; it grew dark early in the forest. Even her stallion seemed wearied by the long day of navigating over roots and around fallen trees. Still, she wanted to meet this solitary singer.

Gathering her blade, Brannrokkor she hung the sword and ornate scabbard over her right shoulder, taking her langseax in her right hand. Hacking through the underbrush she tracked the singer by the sound of his voice until she cut through the underbrush behind him.

Holding up her empty hand in a gesture of peace she spoke in her level soprano. "Hail traveler. Might you be the singer?"

[Alegretto]

Jacob eyed this tall stranger, taking in her friendly gesture, but also the long knife in her hand. Her metal armor stood out against the wooden bark and green leaves of the forest, and Jacob could only shake his head in wonder that his mercenaries' senses were so dulled that someone wielding a knife could sneak up behind him like that. Her armor and weapons suddenly brought up unwelcome memories in Jacob, and the voices always followed memories like that...

In an attempt forestal them, he addressed his new acquaintance. "A singer yes, and a lute player as well. But what is it to you stranger?"

[Kratesis]

She drew a rag from her belt and wiped the sap from the blade before sheathing it at her waist. Both hands rested upon her sturdy leather belt, which had pouches for miscellaneous equipment, her langseax, and potions or drinking water.

Deep blue eyes flickered up and down him before she replied. "I heard your tune and thought I would come and see who was singing." The well traveled warrior inclined her head toward him, the iron rings in her braid clattering against her maile armor. "You have quite the voice."

[Alegretto]

Jacob slowly lowered his guard. By now she must have realized that Jacob had nothing worth stealing, which greatly improved his survival chances, and besides she seemed too well equipped to be a brigand. Jacob definitely got a "mercenary" impression from this woman. He was certainly familiar enough with the type to make an educated guess anyway. Plus she put away her weapon. Jacob decided to suspend his suspicion, for now anyway. "Thanks for the complement," he responded to her comment. "I'm Jacob the Minstrel. To whom do I owe the pleasure?"

[Kratesis]

"Quite welcome." Her tone was gracious; Julia enjoyed music, and possessed a particular fondness for the bardic variety.

"Julia, Julia D'Audarius." A little nod. "Pleasure to meet you Jacob." Her gaze roamed over the small camp, taking note of the sparsity of his possessions. Were he a wealthy man he was doing a good job hiding it. "What brings you this far out into the forest, if I might ask?"

[Alegretto]

The question surprised Jacob. Why did he go anywhere? He just wandered. Sometimes, on the lonely nights, Jacob thought that the voices of his comrades were egging him on. Leading him somewhere. But if they were, they were doing a crappy job of it. He had been wandering for six years. "I just kind of, found myself out here. You know, just meandered my way." Even as the words came out of his mouth Jacob realized how unconvincing they sounded. Great, he thought, that wasn't shady sounding at all. He was wondering how to rephrase his statement when he heard something. Though, not so much heard as felt. Ms. D'Audarius' presence had alerted his fighters senses, and they told him something wasn't right in the forest. He looked at his newfound companion, wondering if she'd noticed anything.

[Kratesis]

"Its a long way to meander." Much like Jacob she could feel something at the back of her neck; some intuition or gut feeling that told her something was off. Was it Jacob, she wondered? Or something else? Perhaps it was nothing but a feeling, but Julia had not survived for a decade by being sloppy.

"Anyone else here with you?" She asked as her left hand slipped across her belt to rest against the hilt of her langseax.

[Alegretto]

"No, not with me." Jacob mirrored her motion, reaching for the knife hanging on his belt underneath his cloak. He tried to keep his voice as calm as possible. "Anyone with you?"

[Kratesis]

"No.. just my horse." Paranoia sized her mind. Who could she trust? Had she been lured into an ambush? Was this sweet voiced bard the bait for an old enemy or opportunistic bandit?

Once Julia would have exploded into a berserk fury and lashed at out the nearest target. Constant stress, drug addiction and traumatic brain injuries had once worn away at her self control and rationality. She could feel that murderous rage boiling inside her; the old dragon still raised its head at the slightest hint of provocation.

But she had it on a leash now.

"Alright.. What would you say to us taking a look around? These woods do not seem so safe."

[Alegretto]

Jacob considered his options. He was pretty sure that if this mercenary woman wanted to kill him she would have done it herself, which meant that something else was out there, something not related to her. In this part of the world, bandits weren't too uncommon in the backroads or in the forests. Most left wanderers like him alone, but some waylaid folks just for the sheer joy of it...

That thought brought Jacob's mind full circle to the memories of his comrades. Jacob shook his head in disgust. It seemed as if everything brought him full circle back here, where the voices could start anew. The last thing he needed in a combat situation was the cursed things or his own guilt and wondering. Better to take action now before they returned. And he knew just what action to take if there were bandits.

"A look around yes, that sounds good." Jacob said as he walked closer to the woman. He stopped at a distance to avoid provoking her, and whispered, hoping the sound would carry across the span "I've heard that there are brigands in this forest. Be on your guard." That said, Jacob walked past her into the woods, dagger now fully in hand. If there were bandits nearby, Jacob would be very interested in knowing about them. Maybe the voices had lured him here. Maybe it was time to join them.