Caladhiel walked slowly through the forest, humming a tune quietly to herself.

Her red dress glowing in the starlight. She had always walked out to the secluded area

in the forest to think, it was the only chance she had to clear her mind a write her

thoughts down to create a song, or she practiced magic. She felt that there was a being

following her, "Who is there?" She called out,

Finally finished reading over the nightly reports, General of the Guards, Ancalë Varnoi had picked up his cloak and draped it about his shoulders. After he took the sheath that contained his dagger, Threnody's Spite, and belted it at his back, Ancalë had also taken his broadsword in his scabbard and belted it at his left hip. He contemplated taking his spear or not and decided in the long run that he might as well. He slung the weapon over his shoulder and started out the door. His feet made little noise in his boots as he descended the familiar spiral staircase to the more familiar forest floor. A little tired from the relentless abuse his eyes had taken, straining to stay awake reading his reports, he decided that a short walk would be best. As he let his spear hang in the baldric that held it, Ancalë caught wind of a noise. It was faint, almost a flutter of a sound, but he started towards it anyway.

As he walked he began to notice that there was in fact a person there. A flash of red fabric and a little soft humming struck Ancalë's senses first, but then the humming stopped and a voice called out.
"Who is there?"

Ancalë had his sword out in a flash, as he stepped forward to answer the call.
"I might ask you the same question ma'am." he replied
"I am checking that the perimeter of the forest is clear from those who shouldn't be here. My name is Ancalë, but for the sake of giving your tongue a bit of a break you can just call me Ancal. I'm of the forest cities Guards." there was a little white lie in the statement he had made. He was of the Gaurds alright, but he was not out in the woods for the sake of duty.
"Now you have a name and small description to go with this face, I would like one returned." Ancal said. He didn't want to be rude, but there was no proof that she should be in the forest, and she might be an intruder for all he knew.

Caladhiel glanced at the sword reluctantly and spoke up, "Ancal, I am Caladhiel, just a simple bard in need of a quiet place of thought, nothing more," She smiled as she pulled a strand of hair behind her ear. Caladhiel glanced down, "Am I suspected of being an intruder? Or have I come here at the wrong place at the wrong time?"

Ancal listened to the red-dressed stranger's question.
"You were suspected of being an intruder upon contact, but if you are causing no harm and just wish to compose some music, I will not bring you any threat, not bear you malice." he told her.
"However..." he said slowly,
"One might wish to listen in on a performance." he told her with a faint grin.
Ancal brushed his cloak open with his left arm, and with his right, took his sword, spiraled it once and shoved it back into the scabbard at his hip. She had no doubt taken note of his spear, and now knew of his sword, she did not know of his knife. If she were still a threat, he always had that surprise, or the surprise of knowing how to use some magic. But Ancal believed her tale, and so he smiled when the last words he spoke left his lips. His deep brown eyes took in the surroundings, and what she carried.

Caladhiel smiled as she lifted the cloak beside her to show a harp, "If you must," she said with a sly grin, "I haven't any lyrics, thus my reasoning to venture in the woods at this hour." Caladhiel picked the harp up and began playing a song, gracefully the notes flowed into the still night air creating a musical picture of a lost tale and a history that was told to her by her mother. Not paying attention to anything but her song, she hummed along with the harp. After many minutes she ended her song and lay her harp on her lap. "It's nothing special, just a simple song." she let a nervous laugh out, and still stared at the ground.

Swishing her cloak to the side like Ancal had his own when he sheathed his sword, she revealed a harp. "If you must," Caladhiel said as a grin crossed her lips, "I haven't any lyrics, thus my reasoning to venture in the woods at this hour."
That made sense to Ancal. The forest definately had the ability to calm thoughts and stir emotions.
She lifted the harp out of her cloak and began to play a rather intricate melody. Some time throughout, she took to humming along with the melody. Ancal found his fingers tapping to the melody as she played. He was reminded of an old story when the music played, and he could feel that she had greatness in her potential.
When she finished she looked at the ground.
"It's nothing special, she announced, "Just a simple song."
Ancal looked at her as she kept her eyes on the ground.
"Whatever it was, milady, it was wonderfully performed." he assured her.
"You have some talent that you didn't show when you played, however." he said seriously. "You made that look too easy for that not to be true."

Caladhiel kept her eyes focused on the forest floor, feeling a rush of heat to her face, "You are too kind," She looks up, "It was a hard art form to learn." she gently rests a hand upon the strings of the harp, "As it is to become a master of any instrument, Countless hours of work. I have found myself in those countless hours, I found myself in each song I have made." A smile spread across Caladhiel's face, her eyes lighting up.

"You are too kind," Caladhiel said, her eyes still on the forest floor,
"It was a hard artform to learn." she told Ancal as she gently rested her hand across the strings of the instrument,
"As it is to become a master of any instrument, Countless hours of work. I have found myself in those countless hours, I found myself in each song I have made." she said, her eyes coming to life and her head raising.
But the General looked at her directly, a faint look of curiosity and amusement twinkled in his eyes.
"Pardon me Madam Caladhiel, but were you just blushing?" he asked her. It was more redundant than anything, but it was sort of hard to tell in the darkness, the complexion of one's face. Ancal took the time to reposition himself against the nearest tree whilst he awaited a response from the lady in red.

Caladhiel laughs, her voice echoing through the tree,s "I s'pose" She raised a hand to her cheek to feel it's glow, "Yes," She looks down,"I uh-am,eh heh" She laughs again out of nervousness, and out of habit she picks her harp up and begins playing another song, to cover her babbles.

She laughed, her voice carrying in the night air. "I s'pose" Caladhiel replied, her fingers feeling the warmth of her cheeks "Yes," She turned her face twoards the floor again,
"I uh-am, eh heh-" she stuttered a bit. Without saying another word, she turned her head, picked up her harp again and played another song. Ancal found himself drumming his fingers on his sword hilt to her music.
"What is there to be embarrased about?" he asked her with one eyebrow cocked.
Her behaviour obviously had Ancal confused and slightly concerned. He had no idea what the fuss was about simply playing some music. There was nothing, for him to see, that could be so humiliating.

Caladhiel sighs and lays her harp back on her lap, "Everything. I have never been told I would be good enough for the halls of kings," She laughs, "Never will I be able to, But that is just a childhood dream, from long ago" She laughs again, "When all seemed possible."

The shady canopy of dark leaves above quietly hissed as the wind passed through them. It had been many years since Farienthiel had last visited the homeland of her kin. It had likely been close to 100 years ago when last she had laid eyes upon the lovely forest of Yomeniampa. A sight to behold as it was, she found herself captivated by it, to the point where she was rather unaware of her surroundings as she walked.

She wore a long pale green dress, with flossing sleeves, silver trim, and criss-crossed satin lace up the front. The sheer white scarf she drew around herself waved in the wind like a flag.

The only thing that was able to break her out of her almost hypnotized state was the gentle flowing sound of harp notes. However, through her own experience with a harp, she could tell through the tone of each note that the player was nervous or in a bashful state at the moment. Farien felt herself grow curious.
“What could there be in a forest of such loveliness to make one nervous, or bashful for that matter?” she thought.

The fair elf changed her path and began toward the music. But as she neared the sound, the notes stopped rather abruptly. Farienthiel peered around one tree with a particularly large trunk, and her eyes fell upon two dark-haired elves sitting in the soft grass. One was male and the other, with the harp in her lap, was female. The male elf appeared to have been listening to her song.
“Perhaps she was nervous to perform in front of him? That could be the reason why the notes carried such a tone…”

Farienthiel wished to get a better look at the harp without disturbing the two. She moved her foot to change position when a brittle stick snapped beneath. She winced, hoping that the sound would go unnoticed.

Caladhiel smiled to hear an interruption other than Ancal. She looked to an elf standing in the clearing, she looked as if she would rather go unnoticed but Calad smiled and motioned her to come closer, "Welcome, I am Caladhiel. Do you care to join in this night of song?" She spoke clearly, finally over her bout of nerves. She smiled as she began to play another song on her harp and she began to sing an original song of hers:

"The young knight is fallen
As his kingdom dwells
Left, I am,
The estranged lover
of your beloved leader

The hollow drumming drowns
In this sea of brown
The War has begun
And this song sung

Too few went
too few lost
The kingdom gone
Lovers drawn to the wind

I have seen the end of time
Death and Crime
They roam the land
Believe me,. We are all damned

Honor within death shall be yours, young knight
We cry, cry out for you in starlight

Rage holds steady in this land so wild
Hang onto my hand young child
So you may find life once more
King you shall be
As the young knight was before.

My son you shall rise from this fallen city and start new
Raise your sword, my child and gather the once few.
The Damned are now gone.
The age of the blessed has dawned.
And they take you as their leader

Risen is your land.
Broken bonds now will mend
And the sword of old lay
In it's old haze

My son you shall rise from this fallen city and start new
Raise your sword, my child and gather the once few.
The Damned are now gone.
The age of the blessed has dawned.
And they take you as their leader

Now begins the age of new."

As she ended her song, she looked to the ground hoping that would not know that this song was of her past.

Farienthiel stepped out from behind the tree, coming into plain view beneath the moonlight.
“Welcome, I am Caladhiel. Do you care to join in this night of song?" said the female elf, Caladhiel.

After Caladhiel's song was done, Farienthiel gave a small curtsy, trying to mask the embarrassment she felt from being discovered in such an ungraceful manner.

“That was lovely!” she said with a gentle smile. “I am Farienthiel, but please call me Farien. I’m terribly sorry to have disturbed you two, but I simply couldn’t ignore your beautiful music. You see, I myself play the harp, and I sing sometimes as well. I must say, it’s quite a pleasant coincidence.”

As the warm breeze picked up, it blew her light hair about her, as well as the fabric from her dress. Her fragrance was of sweet honey and fresh blossoms in spring.

Farien walked towards the two and proceeded to kneel down in the grass. She looked to her right to the male elf, and she was unsure of his reaction to her sudden intrusion. Politely, she inquired about him.
“And, if I may ask, what is your name, sir?” she asked with a pleasantly sweet tone.

Calad lays the harp on her lap once more and gives a sort of bow to Farien, "Thank-you, Farien, It's a song very dear to my heart, it is wonderful to hear nice feedback" She smiles with a small twimkle in her eyes, "Would you grace us with one of your songs?"

"Thank-you, Farien, It's a song very dear to my heart, it is wonderful to hear nice feedback" Caladhiel said with a smile. "Would you grace us with one of your songs?" she asked.
Farien nodded and untied a white bag that had been hanging from the sash around her waist. Out of it she drew her own elvish harp, carefully polished and shimmering in the moonlight.
“Why of course, Caladhiel. It’s the least I can do for the both of you” She gently placed the instrument in her lap and closed her eyes for a moment, deciding on a song.
“Ah yes…” She said softly as she opened her eyes and positioned her hand on the strings. At once, her hand began to flow across them, creating a melody that seemed to paint pictures in the mind, illustrating the emotions of the music. Farien then began to sing:

“Tis the last rose of summer left blooming alone
All her lovely companions are faded and gone
No flower of her kindred, no rosebud is nigh
To reflect back her blushes and give sigh for sigh

I'll not leave thee, thou lone one, to pine on the stem
Since the lovely are sleeping, go sleep thou with them
Thus kindly I scatter thy leaves o'er the bed
Where thy mates of the garden lie scentless and dead

So soon may I follow when friendships decay
And from love's shining circle the gems drop away
When true hearts lie withered and fond ones are flown
Oh who would inhabit this bleak world alone?
This bleak world alone…”

As the last sustained note of her song faded, a bird flew up from the underbrush, piercing the hushed silence for a moment. Farien smiled at the two elves in front of her.