Two Snowsongs in a Tavern (Kain Snowsong)

[Berus]

Berus was smiling broadly all the way through up to Kain’s stunt. Right up until his cousin ran face-first into the wall and bounced backwards onto his back. Berus suppressed a laugh despite the sheer hilariousness of the whole thing, and rushed forward in case his cousin was hurt. He dropped his lyre and knelt down at Kain’s side, to see the mad flutist wasn’t too hurt. He grinned and offered him a hand to help him back to his feet. “Nice stunt there, Kain! Did you realize there was a wall there?” he teased.

The crowd around was filled with mixed expressions. Many, who were too drunk to care, laughed heartily and banged their mugs upon the table. Others, who were more sober, had concerned looks and several were even crowding around him. Some looked rather disappointed, for it looked as if the real entertainment for the night, the magnificent flutist, was down and only his second man was left standing. Berus was acutely aware of this fact, but he shrugged it off with a smile.

Looks like the show’s over for tonight. Better make sure he’s well, collect any tips that lay about, and help poor cousin drink his pain away, Berus thought, satisfied with tonight’s performance.

[Kain Snowsong]

Kain took his cousin's aid and got to his feet. He tried to stand on his own but started falling one way or the other. Finally he got his arm around his cousins shoulder and let Berus guide him to a table.

"It seems easy when you do it," Kain half yelled "I figured worse comes to worse I could just go through it."

Kain placed his hand over his face. He knew he was drunk, but he just couldn't keep his mouth shut; or control his volume for that matter. As they found a table Kain laid his head down in shame.

"Looks like you win this one Berus." he mumbled.

[Berus]

Berus shook his head as he grabbed himself a drink of his own. “Now cousin, that’s not how we decide the winner of our contest! You must remember that artists always exaggerate successes or failures, and must rely on their audience to give proper judgment.” He leaned in and winked, “Though I’m certain that I did win, tonight at least.” His eyes sparkled bright green, though they showed a bit of concern for Kain’s apparent hurt pride.

He climbed up onto the table and tapped his glass to get the attention of those still able to concentrate on anything longer than a few seconds. Then he raised his voice loudly as he proclaimed, “We two cousins are in a contest! We need to know who it is that was the better tonight! Would you ladies and gentlemen assist us by cheering for the one you thought was best?” He paused for a moment as a couple broke out in premature cheers.

Then he took a deep breath and crossed his fingers. “Was I, the player of the lyre, the winner!” To this, several people in the crowd raised their glasses and cheered. Berus eagerly counted every one of them, trying to remember the number in case the contest came close.

Then, once again crossing his fingers, though this time for bad luck, Berus proclaimed, “Was my cousin the flutist the winner?” To this, almost all of the people of the crowd, including several of those who had cheered for Berus, roared out their praise. Berus shook his head and stepped down from the table, shoulders sagging.

However, when he returned to his cousin he grinned boyishly, eyes flashing blue. “Well done, Kain, you win tonight! Though don’t expect this to happen again, I was having an off night,” he teased. He reached down, grabbing up a small cup in which the coins they had earned rested. He set the cup next to the drunk man and whispered. “To the victor go the spoils, but don’t think it all in one place!”

Laughing, Berus retreated to a corner to practice his lyre.

[Kain Snowsong]

As the applause and the cheers came to a rest Kain lift his head. He stared at the small cup of coins. They gleamed in the light and held Kain's attention. Kain raised himself slowly, carefully and took the glass in hand. He staggered to the bartender and dumped the coins before him.

"Fill it up," Kain half whispered "and I'll buy the glass too."

With glass full he wandered through the crowd. Weaved his way too and fro until he found his cousin, lyre in hand. Kain stared at Berus until the gaze was returned. His eyes slowly shifted from a deep sapphire blue to a dark crimson red. Back he tipped the glass and forcefully the contents he ingested. And with a whip of his arm he launched the glass into the wall to the left of his cousins face. It shattered and the room fell silent. The glass settled on the floor at their feet. And their eyes locked yet again.

"Why do we do this cousin," Kain said calmly, "I know you, I know me, we do these petty shows and for what? This chump change, these meaningless little coins. No we are not performers, you and I both know this, we are bards, we are nomads; and yet here we remain. The crowds grow more and more familiar with every show. And the competitions are growing old, we know each other too well to actually be surprised by the stunts we pull. No, we should be out there, you more than anyone. Why don't you chase those hero's, chase those legends and create your own? I will follow you, anywhere, I just want something new. But if we remain here we will gain nothing, no new stories of our own, no new songs..."

Kain fell silent, he traced Berus's face and watched how his words struck. The Tavern silent. Kain grinned, he barred his teeth and started laughing. But it came across eerily throughout the room, it was not joyous, nor sad; it was mad. It rang off the walls and danced madly upon the ears of the tavern patrons. And then just as quickly as it had began it stopped. Kain turned from his cousin.

"Ultimately this is your decision cousin, and I will follow. But please remember, it's the deed that makes a man a hero, but it is the bard that makes him a legend."

[Berus]

Berus stood for a moment with his face blank, his mind milling about as he tried to find a way to play off his cousin’s rather sudden outburst. Everywhere he looked he saw staring faces. What had begun as a little performance and had evolved into a contest between two bards attempting to best each other was now becoming rather odd as one of them seemed to go mad right in front of him. Berus was used to outbursts such as this. They weren’t exactly mad, incoherent ramblings as many thought, but rather his feelings and thoughts bursting out all at once as if Kain couldn’t even control it. And he probably couldn’t.

Berus put one arm calmingly around Kain’s shoulders after he turned away and gently steered him out of the Tavern and outside, being careful to collect his lyre and not leave it to the drunken patrons who might think they know a thing or two about music. He’d made that mistake once and came back to find it stained with beer and missing several strings. Though Kain had been so full of energy and even thrown a glass against the wall a minute ago, he didn’t resist Berus’s gentle touch very strongly as they came out of the nice, warm Tavern and out into the cold. Once outside, though, Berus let go of his cousin and looked him in the face.

“Kain, I know you’re tired of performing here, and I am as well. But we have to work here, have to hone our skills and earn a bit of cash so that when we go those places, we won’t just die of starvation. We’ve got to learn, got to train, so that we can defend ourselves out there. Our frosty city is a very nice and easy place, but the rest of the world is not. Here we have the Icewatch to protect us; out there we will have only each other.” Berus sighed, looking into Kain’s excited, red eyes with calm green ones of his own. “Stay here, in Avanthal, with me for one more season. Then we can set out and see the world when Summer hits. We can see that outside world and write our own tales of heroics.”

Berus stepped back from Kain. “Go train yourself Kain, learn to fight and learn to survive. You have a season, will you be ready by the end?” Berus smiled at his cousin, though he questioned even his own words.

[Kain Snowsong]

The cold air felt soothing to Kain after his outburst. He could not help himself sometimes, his emotions uncontrollable like a dark storm. But his cousin calmed him, his green eyes balanced Kain. One more season, Kain thought, only for Berus.

"Alright cousin, one more season. I will learn what I must for our journey in this one season." Kain grinned wide, eyes shifting back to his mellow blue; "But I'm holding you to this, and you better be ready come the first day of summer, because I will."

Kain left his cousins hold and started straying into the night. "And you know, it doesn't have to be just us. There could be others; you never know." Kain stopped and looked back at his cousin. "Until our next show," taking a deep bow "Take care."

[Cheshire]

. Character: Berus Experience: Instrument (Lyre) +2, Acrobatics +1, Singing +1, Philosophy +1 Lore: Praying to Rhaus, Tuning a Lyre, Climbing on People Character: Kain Snowsong Experience: Instrument (Flute) +2, Dancing +1, Acrobatics +1, Philosophy +1 Lore: Getting Lost, Getting Competitive, Drinking Alcohol Through a Flute, Being Drunk Ledger: -1 CM for Ale, 5 CM+2 SM for tips. Equals out to 4 CM and 2 SM Additional Note: Very interesting thread guys. PM me if you have concerns.