Timestamp: Summer 29 515 AV
The door buried a splinter in Kayuqtuq's finger as she she slid her oak coloured hand slid down the door. It stung. She pulled the splinter off with her teeth. Open it. Open the door. Kayuqtuq was dressed for what was to come, a simple white dress and sandals. Her necklace was on, and her lute by her side. She was ready.
The door of the Rearing Stallion slid open, creaking, as it revealed a crowded, busy inside. Kayuqtuq pushed through the mess of people and mumbled to a nearby person a question. "Is you of knowings owner where is?" The person, not looking up from his drink, pointed at a man, and Kayuqtuq made her way through the crowd towards him. He looked up as Kayuqtuq tapped him on the shoulder, her eyes glittering a milky, nervous, yellow. "Name is Kayuqtuq Snowsong. Was told you are owner. Sorry for bad Common. Looking for job singing and storytelling and playing the lute." The man grunted. "Yes, I'm the owner, Kevith Aargon. So, you want a job? You better be decent. We don't tolerate laziness here. Follow me." The man grabbed her hand and led her into a different room. "Play me a song. Tell me a story. Just show me exactly why I should hire you." Kevith said. "Fine." She replied. And then she told a story.
"Once there poor hunter. He always out went but never anything got. One day finally saw polar bear. As crawled toward it ice on, bear to him said, "Don't shoot me. If follow me and do what say, will make it so you always be get whatever animals think you about."
Bear told man to climb on back and close eyes. "Do not open until tell you to." Then, man and bear went down in the sea long way. 'Do not open eyes,' bear reminded him. Finally, came back up and man saw an igloo along the edge of pack. Went inside and man saw other bear with a spear in his haunch. First bear said, "If can take spear out of bear and make him well, you become good hunter." man broke off shaft, eased spear point out bear's haunch, and wound began heal. Then first bear took off bearskin and became man.
After wound was healed all, bear-man put back his on bearskin , told poor hunter climb onto back and close eyes, and together went back into sea. When bear finally stopped asked he the man to open eyes. Looking around, man realized he been returned to spot from he began journey. He thought he only been gone day, but arriving home he found had been away a month. From on, man was always good hunter." Kevith looked deep in thought for a second and then spoke. "It was good enough, I guess. You really need to work on your Common, and something more lively would be better for a tavern, but it was a good story. Could you play me a song? It's fine if it's in your native language, which I assume is Vani." Kayuqtuq took a deep breath, and slipped her lute into position. She knew the song she would play. It was something she had learned as a young girl.
"I saw a bear rise,
From the broiling waters,
at the port of Avanthal.
He brandished his paws,
and cliffs of claws.
A dream of an ice-bear,
means a gale from the east.
Battering Ice Wall Gates came the windy beast.
Growing swiftly it hunkered down,
Threatening Morwens icy crown.
Craven and unwilling to rise,
Avanthal knelt,
Not to Morwen that day.
Jedara came,
bathed in night sky hair.
Wielding the moon,
She brought it to halt.
Too late is her action,
For so it is settled,
From the faring I turn, the going is fixed.
Craven and unwilling to rise,
Avanthal knelt,
Not to Morwen that day.
Jedara came,
Bathed in night sky hair.
Wielding the moon,
She beckoned Avanthal.
Then bright shone the morning
The Ice guards heeding,
They said they would charge as one mighty shield,
Yet each held the other back, eyes shifting.
If one were to sway, to stumble, or fall
For certain they would all.
Jedara came,
Bathed in night sky hair.
Wielding the moon,
She beckoned the bear.
Jedara rose.
A new path they pave,
Together.
All we, fight against the east gales
Armed with only companions
At the hearth we join together
To die, only when our friendship cease
Our enemies actions shortened, muted
abbreviations in the snow.
our army, together a ballad,
a trampling ocean flow.
Avanthal knelt,
To Morwen that day..."
She sang the ballad with simple strums, just to accent the music. She felt the free feeling she felt when she sang and played and told stories, and Kayuqtuq loved it. Kevith nodded. "It was good. A little solemn sounding for a tavern, and of course I don't understand the words, but you have a nice voice and that was a nice song. You can have the job." Kayuqtuq nearly squealed. "Thank! What pay is? Any rules? When start?"
Kevith seemed to ponder for a second. "I'll give you 4 gold mizas a day. The rules are simple. Don't slack off, do well, and for you, work on your Common. You start now." Right now? "Where do go I?" She put on her best smile, but inside her stomach was churning. "There is lots of perks to working here. Free drinks, shelter from the weather, good colleagues, we've got it all. You can follow me for a place to perform, and maybe later, after you are done for the night, I can get you a mug of ale and a chance to meet my wife." Kayuqtuq took slow steps towards the door and followed Kevith to a raised spot clearly meant for performing. A chair sat there. She sat down.
All eyes turned to the young Vantha girl sitting with the lute. She fingered her necklace, and she sang the first song in Common she could think of. Thank goodness she had the words to this one memorized. Her brothers had taught it to her.
"Oh, late at night with a glass of ale,
And a pretty lass at my side.
Oh, no place is more delightful,
No place more delightful.
Drowning all my troubles in merry things,
making myself truly happyyyyyyyyy!
THERE IS NO BETTER PLACE FOR MEEEEEEEEEE!"
As the song ended, Kayuqtuq groaned at her choice of song. It was an awful one, loud and way too catchy in a bad way. Even the lute accompaniment was a bellowing, loud, noisy, and awful song. The audience seemed to enjoy it though. Anyone have choice of song next? Or story?"
(OOC: The story is a traditional Inuit story called The Man and The Bear. It is completely copied from where I found it, with a few minor adjustments to suit Kayuqtuq's speech. The song she sings to Kevith is one from the Avanthal Lullabies, Tall Tales and Ballads thread. The last song I wrote myself.)