Canticles

The Never Ending Quest - Episode 1930

The trio continued onwards; Lord Fred in front with sword in one hand and torch in the other, Velus in the middle, and Princess Astra at the rear. The cavern tunnel was cold, very cold, much colder than it had been closer to the Cave's entrance; they had been descending for the last quarter hour. The walls of the tunnel were rough, the floor equally treacherous. The torch made strange shadows upon the surface of the rock and earth. Then the trio began hearing a sound; it was like that of a drum, beating, beating rythmically, slowly, surely.

The sound transfixed the trio, what could be making it? They stood motionless while the beating drum continued its eery tune - and with it a new sound arrived: the sound of a voice.

"....mean, in your love, on bright days, you grew sun-blind, you thought me unkind, to remind you ...how winter kills."

The voice was soft, soothing - the voice of a man. Fred edged closer to the beating drum while Velus followed; Astra, however, remained frozen but for her mouth which had dropped open. She knew this voice, it was the voice of her lost love Sir John! While Lord Fred walked slowly forward, the drum beat on as did the wierd canticle.

"Lost, in day-dreams, you drove too fast, and got NOWHERE, you rode on, how fair, when you got too scared ...how winter kills.

They had me searching for weeks it seems....

Pain, in your eyes, makes me crawl, makes me SPITEFUL, tears are delightful, welcome your nightfall ...how winter kills.

I'll tear at you searching for weeks it seems..."

At that the princess-warrior shook herself free from the trance and ran towards Lord Fred. He turned, surprised at her demeanor.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"What's wrong?!!?" she responded. "That was the voice of Sir John!"

"WHAT voice?" asked Lord Fred. "I heard nothing but a drum."

The warrior-princess looked at Lord Fred and he at she. She was certain that she had heard the voice of the one who had wooed and lost her, Fred was equally certain that the only sound within the cavern was the beating of one lone drum. What they both did not know was that deeper within the Caves a smallish creature was chortling over its fine trick.

Finally the trio began their forward journey and followed the tunnel to its terminus. They entered into a cold, dark cavern. Within was one wooden drum upon a flat rock. The ceiling of the cavern was low, both Astra and Fred had to stoop a bit to enter. The ceiling was also moist with mineral water. The water, led by gravity, slipped and slid towards the left corner of the cavern and dripped down upon the drum: (drip) boom, (drop) buuuum, (drip) boooom, (drop) buuuuum. There was no musician, only a drum and dripping water.

Tired, the trio sat upon the ground and Fred began to wonder what he was doing here. He recalled the dubious honor the King had bestowed upon him - he was, after all, the newest of seven generations of dragon-slayers. He recalled his decision to take the left cave, and his meeting of the dog who was truly a boy. It was this Velus who had taken him through too many tunnels until he found himself with the cursed warrior-princess. Now here he was with a woman who was hearing voices, a dog who could only bark 'yes' or 'no' and a drum in dead-end cave.

"What is your homeland like?" asked Fred of the princess.

The warrior maiden looked upon him as if from deep thought, and answered: "The lands of Aqualaria are grand expanses of lowland jungle and beautiful heights. Our ports along the Bay of Tolomei are unequalled on the western side of the Sea and our inland cities are the envy of all."

Fred looked at the beautiful woman and recalled some of the legends regarding Aqualaria. "It is said that you live mostly in the jungle..." Fred stopped himself midsentence, but the princess would not allow the thought to remain unsaid.

"Finish your words nobleman," said the princess. "In the jungle where we hunt men and kill them upon our night-beds. Yes, 'it is said.' But many things are said. We are of Aqualaria, we respect the land and all that lies therein. You saved me without thinking, and if now you THINK that I shall harm you, do not worry. I am not one of the men-killers, you mistake me for the Oiorpata. They live far from us, in the north, across another ocean. We are NOT Oiorpata."

Fred had not intended to anger the woman and sought to change the mood. "Well, thank you...Astra. That is a unique name, I have never heard it before."

"It is not my true name, but one I have come to wear."

"Really?"

"Yes. My true name is Thessamar ix'latl. It has meaning in my own tongue, meaning that would be lost to the likes of you."

~~The likes of me?!~~ thought Fred to himself. ~~How dare this woman speak to the son of a grand duke so?! I am a nobleman of the Great Kingdom, a Lord in my own right!~~ Yet Fred kept his thoughts to himself, this was not the right time to voice such opinions.

"It is cold here," said Thessamar Astra. "If all there is is some water- logged drum, we should leave."

"And what of your voices, princess?" said Fred in a rather mean way.

"Leave them to me!" retorted the warrior. "If John is in these caverns he will find me or I him, until that time I will not allow ghosts to haunt me. I have a dragon to slay and a curse to banish, that is all I care about!"

With that she rose and walked out into the darkness of the tunnel leading upwards.

  1. Fred ran after her, torch in hand, he wanted to tell her a thing or two about noble decorum, but he also realized she would be a valuable ally against the dragon.

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5/31/1999 1:47:55 PM

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