The beautiful music of the elves came to a halt as Benji and Abbi stepped into the clearing. The eyes of all the fey folk in the grove were turned upon the two. This made Abbi a bit more nervous and a little less enthusiastic, but Benji didn't expect anything different. He gave a polished bow, and came up with a solemn smile upon his face.
"Greetings. My companion and I were planning to make camp for the night when we saw your fire. We wish to know if we may join you for the evening."
The elves continued to gaze upon them, and their piercing gazes made Abbi feel that they were looking right into her insides and deciding based on what they found there, not their external appearances. It was unsettling. After a moment, one that seemed to last much longer than it did, a tall elven woman rose to her feet and returned Benji's bow. Her musical voice sounded clear as a bell, and Abbi thought that it might have been that same voice that sang earlier.
"My brothers and sisters welcome you to join with us tonight. Please, take a seat."
Her voice, though gentle, also held a subtle command, and the two travelers sat without a word. Indeed, they remained silent for several minutes, for the elves began to sing again. Several voices seemed to join into one in a chant that called to stars and moon. Neither Benji nor Abbi understood the language of the elves, but they understood the meaning and feel of the song. Looking up, Abbi saw the stars begin to gleam from the heavens as the sun vanished entirely and the sky dimmed. It would be some time before the moon rose, and until then there was nothing to diminish the brightness of the stars.
Perhaps a few minutes, or perhaps an hour passed, and the elves seemed content to sing the night away. Their song had changed, now, and it held a note of sadness. Benji recognized it as an ancient tale, a great tragedy that occurred in centuries past that had caused heavy sorrow to the elven race. Abbi listened, half awake and half asleep, until the song wound to a close. Then one of the elves produced a glimmering chalice, which was filled from a small bottle and passed from hand to hand. Abbi expected that it would be passed to her in a moment, so she sat up. To her disappointment it was handed past her and Benji, given to another of the elves who sat around the fire. She supposed it was some sort of ritual that was exclusive to elves, but she still felt left out.
After the cup had been handed around, the female elf who had spoken to them before pulled out a small, disk shaped instrument that reflected the firelight. She blew a few notes, and several of the elves rose. As she moved into the flowing tune, the others began to dance. Their movements were fluid, and the fey folk twirled gracefully from one side of the clearing to another. Midway through the dance, Abbi was surprised to hear the notes of a lute joining in with the elven melody. She turned her head to see Benji, plucking at the strings with a strange intensity on his face. His music joined perfectly with that of the elven woman, the notes joining perfectly, harmonizing and occasionally acting a counterpart.
The song slowly came to an end, and most of the elves turned to look at Benji. The woman who played the rounded flute stood, and her eyes settled upon his lute.
"You played well, and matched the song nearly to perfection. Yet it was unbidden, and it is against etiquette. I must bid you to remember this."
Benji grinned. He strummed a quiet chord, but nodded. The elf was silent, as if waiting for him to speak. Finally he responded.
"May I, then?"
"You may."
"I'd like to see you match this..."
He looked confident, and his statement was a not-so-subtle suggestion that he wanted the elf to replicate his musical feat. He had matched her music; now he wanted her to match his. She perceived this, narrowing her eyes and clenching her fist.
"Do not challenge me."
He merely smiled and began to play. The song was a ballad, the tale of a legendary hero who returned from the brink of death to stop a villain. It was fast and energetic, a tale of battle and determination. Even though he knew the song well, Benji made a slip once or twice. The elf, though, had not heard the Ballad of the Hero's Spear in many years, and while she did fairly well it was easy to see that she hadn't done as well picking up a song as Benji had.
For a moment after the song ended, Abbi thought things might become hostile. Instead, the two laughed and began to play, sometimes dance tunes, sometimes ballads, and sometimes just emotional melodies that tugged at the heart. The fire died low, and soon it was time to rest. The two humans laid down, and the elves looked up into the stars, dimmed by the moon that had risen two hours into the sky. They would spend the night in the elven trance, a state between sleep and meditation peculiar to the fey folk. Abbi and Benji hardly noticed, though, for they were asleep nearly as soon as their heads came to rest.
"Greetings. My companion and I were planning to make camp for the night when we saw your fire. We wish to know if we may join you for the evening."
The elves continued to gaze upon them, and their piercing gazes made Abbi feel that they were looking right into her insides and deciding based on what they found there, not their external appearances. It was unsettling. After a moment, one that seemed to last much longer than it did, a tall elven woman rose to her feet and returned Benji's bow. Her musical voice sounded clear as a bell, and Abbi thought that it might have been that same voice that sang earlier.
"My brothers and sisters welcome you to join with us tonight. Please, take a seat."
Her voice, though gentle, also held a subtle command, and the two travelers sat without a word. Indeed, they remained silent for several minutes, for the elves began to sing again. Several voices seemed to join into one in a chant that called to stars and moon. Neither Benji nor Abbi understood the language of the elves, but they understood the meaning and feel of the song. Looking up, Abbi saw the stars begin to gleam from the heavens as the sun vanished entirely and the sky dimmed. It would be some time before the moon rose, and until then there was nothing to diminish the brightness of the stars.
Perhaps a few minutes, or perhaps an hour passed, and the elves seemed content to sing the night away. Their song had changed, now, and it held a note of sadness. Benji recognized it as an ancient tale, a great tragedy that occurred in centuries past that had caused heavy sorrow to the elven race. Abbi listened, half awake and half asleep, until the song wound to a close. Then one of the elves produced a glimmering chalice, which was filled from a small bottle and passed from hand to hand. Abbi expected that it would be passed to her in a moment, so she sat up. To her disappointment it was handed past her and Benji, given to another of the elves who sat around the fire. She supposed it was some sort of ritual that was exclusive to elves, but she still felt left out.
After the cup had been handed around, the female elf who had spoken to them before pulled out a small, disk shaped instrument that reflected the firelight. She blew a few notes, and several of the elves rose. As she moved into the flowing tune, the others began to dance. Their movements were fluid, and the fey folk twirled gracefully from one side of the clearing to another. Midway through the dance, Abbi was surprised to hear the notes of a lute joining in with the elven melody. She turned her head to see Benji, plucking at the strings with a strange intensity on his face. His music joined perfectly with that of the elven woman, the notes joining perfectly, harmonizing and occasionally acting a counterpart.
The song slowly came to an end, and most of the elves turned to look at Benji. The woman who played the rounded flute stood, and her eyes settled upon his lute.
"You played well, and matched the song nearly to perfection. Yet it was unbidden, and it is against etiquette. I must bid you to remember this."
Benji grinned. He strummed a quiet chord, but nodded. The elf was silent, as if waiting for him to speak. Finally he responded.
"May I, then?"
"You may."
"I'd like to see you match this..."
He looked confident, and his statement was a not-so-subtle suggestion that he wanted the elf to replicate his musical feat. He had matched her music; now he wanted her to match his. She perceived this, narrowing her eyes and clenching her fist.
"Do not challenge me."
He merely smiled and began to play. The song was a ballad, the tale of a legendary hero who returned from the brink of death to stop a villain. It was fast and energetic, a tale of battle and determination. Even though he knew the song well, Benji made a slip once or twice. The elf, though, had not heard the Ballad of the Hero's Spear in many years, and while she did fairly well it was easy to see that she hadn't done as well picking up a song as Benji had.
For a moment after the song ended, Abbi thought things might become hostile. Instead, the two laughed and began to play, sometimes dance tunes, sometimes ballads, and sometimes just emotional melodies that tugged at the heart. The fire died low, and soon it was time to rest. The two humans laid down, and the elves looked up into the stars, dimmed by the moon that had risen two hours into the sky. They would spend the night in the elven trance, a state between sleep and meditation peculiar to the fey folk. Abbi and Benji hardly noticed, though, for they were asleep nearly as soon as their heads came to rest.