'Twould be dawn...

Stifling a great yawn, Louise closed her eyes and came to a halt where she stood. Her only free hand shot to cover her mouth as she was no longer able to keep her mouth closed, and once her mouth was completely covered with her hand, she let the yawn unleash itself. It took a couple moments, in which her mouth stretched as wide as it could, before the yawn calmed down, allowing her to relax once more. Her eyes remained closed for a couple more seconds, exhaustion obvious on her features as she remained rooted to the spot. She wished she could sleep like that; like horses do. It had always amazed her, really.

Reopening her eyes soon enough, Louise narrowed them after having had them wide open, and she continued on, her strides short, as was her body. She was very small for a woman her age, and that was usually used against her. However, her small stature gave her the agility and flexibility needed for her daily performances. They lasted all day, from dusk 'til dawn, and some days, she was rewarded for it with enough gold for her to stay in a semi-decent pub or inn. Hopefully the same good will would befall her this day.

Now using that same hand, Louise lifted it to her left eye and rubbed it slightly, trying to get the sleep from it. She was so tired, and to be honest, not sure if she was ready to perform this day. Maybe she was coming down with something. Wouldn't surprise her, really; the travelers here weren't looking very ravishing neither.

Letting loose another yawn, Louise grimaced slightly before coming to a stop. She looked about, making sure that this was the place where she commonly performed, and when she was positive, she slid her cloak off of her shoulders and head. Her long, brown hair fell into her face as she kneeled on the ground, piling it on the ground before her in a way where an audience could toss gold ontop of it. Well, potential audience.

Once that was done, Louise straightened back upright, her harp still in her left hand. She now looked upon with the look a mother beheld for her precious newborn. Her harp was all she had; it gave her the money and will to live day by day, even if it was barely just enough to keep her going.

"Should start soon...People will be scourging this streets soon..." Louise said softly to herself, even though it appeared to be that she was talking to her harp. She shook her head before letting a soft sigh escape her gentle lips, her fingers tracing the strings on her precious harp. Occasionally she played a soft note, but that was only to make sure the thing still sounded good.

Now all she had to do was wait.

The streets of Lomedor were often quiet at the time, dwan was a peaceful time were most decent folks were walking to attend to their daily deeds, farmers would wake to tend to their livestock and crops, house maids would be preparing their masters breakfasts, hunters would be flexing their bows or sharpening their swords, ready for the day ahead, shopkeeps would be checking their inventory.
However Arlen Elderson, was already awake and walking the streets of Lomedor, he had slept that night in a reletivly upmarket tavern, the food and ale was excellent and the rooms had a nice feel of homeliness about them, unlike some of the threadbare Inns he had stayed at during his time here in Arda, much like that one in Estolad.

As he walked down the streets Arlen could feel the stone beneath his feet, a sign that he should be looking for some new walking boots sometime soon, after all, he had covered a great deal of Arda's land during his travels, even braving the desert of Anfauglir.
The smell of fresh bread wafted down the street, he could see a man preparing his stall, ready for the hustle and bustle that was about to become Lomedors center of commerce, as he approached the stall, his eyes fell over many varieties of bread, some plain, some with seed and others with herbs in it,he had not had his breakfast after rising to early this morn, so producing four small gold coins from the depth of the pockets in his robe, he handed them to the shop keep and took with him a freshly baked warm loaf.

He continued down the street, tearing off bits of bread and placing them in his mouth as he surveyed the spleandor that was Lomedor, his eyes however fell upon a woman, knelt on some cloth, folding it out, she held in her hand a harp which she plucked at intervals, Arlen assumed she must be checking the tone from her notes.
Of course, Arlen stopped infront of the woman, eager to hear here play some of her songs.

"How much for a song my lady, for i have not heard one played from an instrument for quiet some time, lately i have been listening to the birds sing or the wind whistle"

She had begun to hum by then, her eyes narrowing to slits as if she were in some sort of trance. She would've closed her eyes all the way if she hadn't been tired of getting stuff stolen or her getting hurt whenever that seemed to happen. You would think she'd be paranoid at night, but she wasn't so bad then. It was mainly just in the mornings and daytime, especially in the middle of the day when everyone seemed to crowd the streets.

Her humming and tune playing came to a stop when she heard footsteps on the ground. Her eyes fluttered open and flickered about, looking for the source of the sound. It was a couple minutes before her gray eyes finally landed on the man that approached her, one hand grasping a fresh loaf of bread whilst the other was in use of tearing off pieces and sticking it into his mouth. Her stomach churned hungrily, but she ignored it as she watched him closely.

"Pay as thou see fit, m'lord. Does thou care naught for what song is played?" Louise asked curiously, a small but warm smile playing itself across her lips. "If thou truly cared naught, then I will find pleasure in playing a favourite of my own from when I was much younger, when the song was originally sung by my blessed mother."

Her weight shifted just slightly from one foot to the other, not in uneasiness of the situation, but merely for the fact that her feet and legs were already beginning to ache. She always wished for a stool of some kind, and that bread looked so good, besides. She could only hope he wouldn't eat it before her, but then again, she truly didn't mind. If today went very well, as she hoped, she would luckily have enough money to buy a fresh loaf herself -- if there were to be any left to sell. That would only be luck.

"Madam, you shall have ten gold peices if you would play me a favourite of your childhood, and i shall buy you bread too, for i see the way you look at this loaf of mine" He replied as he tore off a peice for the woman and handed to her in his open palm, Arlen was a kind man at heart, truely he was, no sooner had he arrived at the street he had spotted the way the woman was looking at the bread, here eye's fixed upon it with utter desire, though not a desire of want but necessity, as if she needed it to keep her body going through the whole day.

"You may play me what ever you heart desires, here see my gold is now yours and you have freedom what to do with it." he rumaged through his pocket, small change rattling as he did so, grabbing what he could find in his pocket, he held it all within one palm, not exactly rich himself he counted out the equivilent of ten gold peices and tossed it down onto the womans cloak.
"Play away bard"
He stared at the bard, waiting for her to begin her song, though as he waited he could hear the street begin to pick up all around him, in particular the creaking door of the inn begun to swing open and many unhappy grumbles from would be drunkard soon stifled as they were let into the ale house.
The sky seemed to lighten and as the sun rose, peaking from behind the skyline of houses that littered Lomedor, it was a beautiful morning and indeed worth paying tribute too with a song.

She had no clue whom this man was, but she wasn't going to be rude and ask for his name, neither. He was a very kind man, and she was completely grateful for his gratitude at his words and actions. He had offered her ten gold pieces, which was a rare amount she ever got from crowd, as they would throw a coin per two or three people, and he also offered to buy her bread. Her eyes widened slightly in nonbelievance, but as he continued to rip off a piece and offer it to her, Louise's cheeks flushed shyly as she took it gently, nibbling at it.

Once the bit was consumed, Louise tucked a strand of her hair behind an ear before her warm smile grew, showing her uttermost gratitude towards him. "Thou are kind, m'lord, but the gold shall be enough. With the gold thou has given, I should be able to get a good night's sleep tonight. I give much thanks," she said softly before clearing her throat, closing her eyes for a very brief moment. "The song I will play is one of which I rarely play. However, for thou's kind nature, I believe thou deverse it."

With that, she began. He fingers remained light on the instrument's strings and her voice was lower than the average female's, but still rich and carefully articulate all the same.

"Beyon' the cerulean waterfalls,
The crystaling lakes a'glore,
Rests a bea'tiful lady 'pon her bed,
With diamonds and saphires a'dorned.
The king an' queen of the faraway land,
The land of beauty and mystique,
Choose wisely a young, willful lord to marry,
Not one o' miserable fatigue.
The two wait an' wait an' wait,
For the perfect one t'come,
But never shall they know,
The proposal for her hand is already done."

[Ha! I just spent about...10 minutes of my time thinking up those little verses, so NO STEALY.]

[im not gonna steally, im a writer not a poet, go check the arts section for my whole 9 pages of tale =p, steal that and ill break you =p ]

Arlen listened to the bards song, as she stood on the streets, he watched her fingers flick across every string, se played the harp beautifully and accuralty too, there werent many great harp players, or even accomplished harp players in Arda, most pretended to flick their hands across the strings, at the odd occassion they would some times make a tune that could pass for something cleverely written, however most folks these days were too ignorant too listen too the music that was played before them, however Arlen was different, although he was a book worm of sorts and enjoyed burying his head deep within the pages of an ancient tome however he appreciated the difference between actual music and some of those half witted bards that plagued the streets of Arda.

Some would often try to pass off their meagre skills as something worth listening too, however most of the public listened to only a verse or two of a song before ignorantly throwing down their coins and leaving, this giving the rogue bard perfect reason to keep repeating the same lines over and over again all day long.
However Arlen listned to a full song,those that played well earned their money those that kept repeating themselves got nothing.
However this woman earned her bread.

Turning on his heels, Arlen made his way back to the bread stall, within moments he returned and offered the woman a whole loaf of bread.
"Do not stay on the streets when there is no need, spend the gold wisely and eat this bread. As a thank you for the wonderful song"

The song continued for a good minute or so, the tune not being a rather large one as it had to be short enough for her mother to be capable of singing it to her, and when she finished, Louise froze for a moment, letting the moment linger between them. When she finally lowered her hand from her harp, her eyes on him once they had reopened. They stayed on the man as he turned and walked away, and Louise tilted her head, blinking as she tried to watch after him still. However, he soon went out of her line of vision, and so she only grimaced slightly, fearing that her performance hadn't been so great for one such as himself. He had been so kind to her, too.

However, her eyes widened again when she saw him return. In his hands was a new loaf of bread, and she pondered curiously about his intentions. She didn't expect for him to offer it to her, though. Once again, her cheeks flushed shyly, and she bowed her head, shaking it a little.

"The streets are all that I have, m'lord. Thou are very kind; the kindest I have seen for such a time. However, I cannot get myself to take the lovely bread thou offer me; 'twas with thou own money. The gold thou have so kindly gave me is more than enough." Her head lifted and she smiled warmly at him once again. She truly felt as if she didn't deserve the bread, as he had bought it, and so he should be given the privilege of enjoying its taste.

"I thank m'lord highly. There needs to be more m'lords like thou."

Arlen looked at the woman with a disapproving frown, his eyebrows slanting.
How could the bardess turn down his offer of Bread when she claimed that she could not afford it, it seemed stupid to Arlen as he thought about it, shaking his head.
"You would not want to make a Wizard angry would you? For that is what i shall be if you do not take the loaf" he said placing it down in her cloak next to the gold he put down there prior to the song.
He smiled though when the woman thanked him, he was being overly nice for the womans efforts, though there was a more personal touch in the song for her, it being one of her old childhood favourites.

"Perhaps you can find it somewhere in you to play another for me?"
He said with a wry grin on his face, after all the morning was dawning and the streets of Lomedor seemed to be much more pleasent when there was a note or two played down it, for a street notes echoed rather well in it, due to all the vast stonework.
"You can name a price and i shall strive to meet it?"
Arlen saw the state of this bard woman, it was all from the look she gave something so simple as bread, she clearly craved it and was obviously lacking in proper nutrition if she yearned so much for simple bread.
"Tell me Bardess, what else do you require that you would never have singing for your life, as you seem to do on this very day?"
He meant it too, he had not been here for very long, however, he would not have this woman, who plied such an honest trade, you pay her gold and she sings you a song, to die on the streets, though she looked far from death he knew that f one fateful day should pass where she cannot house herself in the comforts of even the worst inn, then she may succumb to anything from disease to the evil that men do.
Arlen would not allow that.