One step (Solo)

[Reima]

7th of Frost, 119 AS
Location: High Hopes Tavern

The room in which Bellmari stayed was modest, if not small, and well kept. There was bed, a small dresser and a chair in one corner. What few possessions she carried all fit in her backpack which was propped against the end of the bed. A small lantern burned on the dresser, casting flickering shadows around the room. Bell moved in the center of the room, twisting and contorting her body in a series of stretches that were meant to loosen her body and prepare it for the performance that was to come.

A breath in expanded the chest, filling her lungs with oxygen and sending a tingling rush down her spine as she tilted backward. Her arms reached over head, fingers twining through the air as her tail brushed gently against her own palms. Then with an exhale she bent forward, sweeping her hands around to grasp her ankles and letting her tail curl around her body. The exercise was something of a meditation for the Rathari. In the moments between breath her mind felt light as it emptied of worries and stress that had built through the day, and for a short time she did not feel the pull of uncertainty that blanketed most of her life.

What am I even doing here? the thought came unbidden, but with another inhale Bell brushed it aside and continued on into another form. This time her legs spread wide and she leaned to one side. There was a light soreness as she did this movement, and with several more inhales and exhales she began to loosen those taunt muscles.

I should have left a season ago.

Breath and motion, a slight pain as her body bent into another position and she rested her hands upon the floor.

He was right. I'm aimless.

Eyes closed Bell felt the tremble of the floorboards as someone two rooms down moved around. From below she could hear the sounds of music and laughter. The nightly crowd had already begun to gather, and drinks would be flowing. This place, the High Hopes, it was a place of contentment. People who came here did so to forget the worries of their day to day life, to lose themselves in drink and song for just a few hours.

There was a scraping sound as the claws on Bell's feet dug into the wood floor, tension flaring up her body before she managed to restrain it once more. Breath... just breath and move. Her body shifted into another position that twisted her back, pressing the air from her lungs as a sudden and sharp pain arched up her back. It was an old injury, one that for the most part had faded and healed though the scar there had not quite vanished.

I want to run away. The strength of that thought crashed against her mind, and with a sigh she pulled herself up from the ground and sat upon the bed. Her tail wrapped around her her body even as she hugged herself, arms folded tight to her sides as she pressed her eyes firmly shut. It was there, deep in the back of her mind. Shoved down and buried deep, deep within. Again she was a frightened youth, helpless, terrified. The pain lanced up her spine and set the hair on her body to rise. She wanted to run, to hide. Her body responded and began to fade, its coloring beginning to match that of the room around her. Just hide and they wont find you. Just...

The sound of cheering below snapped Bell's attention back to the present, and her eyes blinked open. The room, small and dimly lit suddenly felt far too confining. With a sigh, knowing that the stretching was done one way or another, Bell stood and made her way to the door. She glanced back to the bed, and to her bag where it still sat. Her hand lingered on the doors latch as she stared at nothing, but with a shake of her head she opened the door and left, making her way down the stairs to begin the nights performance.

[Reima]

There was a certain serenity that came with the motion of dance. In those moments that Bell performed the world around her seemed to fade. Music filled her mind as her body moved to the rhythm of the beats, the clapping of the crowd becoming her heartbeat as fire filled her veins. When she smiled it was a full, toothy smile, that was suddenly not ashamed of the large fangs it contained. The music tonight was good. Whoever Rein had hired were true professionals, for as she moved they adjusted subtly to her rhythm and she with theirs. The stage was set, the night cold but the tavern was warmed by fire and drink. Life in its purest form, free and unrestrained.

The wood trembled with the vibrations of stamping feet and slamming mugs on tables, and Bell felt as if each beat propelled her farther into the performance. Her tail swung and spun with her motion, a living ribbon that shifted colors from blue, to green, to yellow and red. Her hands reached out to grasp at the air with every bend, and she felt at times that she was flying as her feet rarely seemed to touch the ground. Amazing, breath taking, intoxicating. The dance might have been enjoyed by the crowd, but the motion was for her. She was motion, she was breath, she was alive.

With a final note and a loud bang upon the drum the music halted and Bell froze in place, one foot raised with finger like toes curled, her hands outstretched as her chest heaved with exertion. Her eyes were lit with energy and excitement, and though she could make out only blurred shapes in the crowd she could feel them as the clapped. It wasn't her that they clapped for of course, it was the performance as a whole. The music was perfection, and in many ways Bell felt as if she were simply the support. That, however, was perfectly fine. The smile never fade, and she bowed along with the other performers.

As she exited the stage Bell paused and looked toward the performers who were beginning another song. One of them, a younger woman, seemed to glance at her before returning to her playing. She played a stringed instrument of some kind, and it hummed pleasantly with each cord she struck. For a short time Bell simply watched them, swaying slightly with the beat of the music before turning and finding a place near the back of the Tavern to rest until her next performance.

"That was a good show." the barmaid, Tellina, said as she placed a warm mug on the table before Bell. "Probably one of your best yet."

With a laugh Bell took the mug, "That is what you always say. I think my tempo was a bit off, and I missed my footwork there in the middle." The Rathari's tongue snaked out over her lips and tasted the drink. It was sweet, with a slight burn to it that warmed her from the inside as it traveled down her throat. "Oh, this is good. Is it new?"

"Yeah," Tellina nodded, "Old Hebb made it, down in the Low City. Calls it Figfire Mead."

The grimace came unbidden as Bell eyed the drink, "The same Hebb who made Snailoat Ale?"

The barmaid laughed, "Thats the one! Though I don't think he put anything slimy in this batch."

"I should hope not." Bell said with a frown, but she notably did not stop herself from taking another sip.

As Tellina walked away Bell's attention turned back to the stage, specifically to the girl with the string instrument. She watched and listened, contentedly nursing her mug of ale and wondering what she should do for dinner after the evenings shift. She still have two more performances to give tonight before she was done, but with the way the musicians were performing she thought it might be some time before her chance came again. When they at last went on break Bell stood and stretched, massaging her muscles to remove the building tightness, and began to make her way toward the stage. She was stopped by a hand brushing over her back, and reflexively Bell flinched and drew away in surprise.

"Oh, I'm sorry." A small voice said, the hand having been retracted in alarm, "I didn't mean to startle you."

The touch had called a soft pain to crawl up her spine, but she suppressed the wince and squinted her eyes at the person the hand belong to. It took a few seconds for her to realize that it was the musician girl. She was shorter than Bell had expected, at least a head shorter than the Rathari, and her hair was cut short and the color of straw. A line of freckles crossed the bridge of her knows, and the woman's eyes were such a pale green that for a moment Bell almost thought they were grey. The musician's expression seemed apprehensive, perhaps she thought she had offended the Rathari, though she couldn't know the real reason.

Bell let herself smile and she touched the woman's arm, a gesture of familiarity that took the girl by surprise.

"It is alright," Bell said softly, "You simply took me by surprise. Did you need something?"

"I..." there was a slight hesitation in the girls voice as she clutched her instrument to her chest, "I just... wanted to say you looked beautiful when you were dancing. I haven't seen anything like it before, or you." She stopped and blushed such a deep red that the freckles became even more prominent on her knows and cheeks, "That is, not because of how you look or..."

A silence began to form, and after a few seconds Bell took mercy on the girl and patted her shoulder, "I think I understand what you mean, and I appreciate the compliment." This wasn't the first time someone had said similar words to the Rathari. Her appearance, she knew, was a bit... odd even for others of her race. The Chelvine were by their very nature more suited to remaining unseen, and to see a Rathari bearing their features could be a bit unusual were you not expecting it. Often people from the crowds would compliment her dancing and say how unique she was, intending it a compliment. It wasn't like it hurt Bell's feelings or anything, but at times she did wish she had been born a more majestic Rathari. Something like her friend Alyssum perhaps.

Uncertain, the girl seemed about to speak once more but Bell gently interjected, "I need to be about my next performance, but really thank you. I have to say I was really impressed with your playing as well. You are very talented." Then with a wave Bell turned, heading to the stage to begin her next performance, unaware of the look in the girls eyes as she watched her leave.

[Reima]

At the end of the night there was a noticeable sigh from the tavern as its patrons began to disperse, like the building was releasing a sudden contented breath having finished its work. The creak of wooden planks was like a final applaud to the performers this night, and the people left with a smile on their face and a sway in their step. For Bell there was a pleasant sense of exhaustion as she stepped off the stage for the last time. Her muscles trembled from the nights exertion, and her motions were slow and measured as she made her way to the stairway. It was time for a good meal, a bath and then bed.

With her attention directed inward Bell did not notice the figure sitting on the first step leading to the rooms above, and she would have tripped at the girl from earlier not stood quickly at the Rathari's approach. After a moment of confusion Bell swept her tail forward, letting it snake up and around the girls figure as she drew closer to confirm what she thought she saw. For the girl's part she managed to hold herself still, though she eyed the tail with wide eyes as it came close to her cheek before being pulled away.

"It is you," Bell said, the tiredness evident in her voice, "I thought your troupe had left for the evening. What are you doing here?"

Squirming slightly under the scrutiny the girl shook her head, "They did leave, but I am not a part of their group. I was just filling in."

Bell waited for her to continue, but when it became apparent that nothing more was to come Bell cocked her head to one said and asked, "Why are you still here then?"

"Well..." her fingers danced across the strings of her instrument, plucking a few soft notes before continuing in a softer voice, "I just... wanted to talk with you, a little bit at least."

What is with this one? Bell thought bemused. Once again she looked the girl up and down, really looking at her for the first time. Her clothing was clean but certainly not new, and her frame was perhaps on the thin side. Her instrument, however, was immaculately well maintained. The wood was buffed and polished to a brilliant sheen, and the strings were not even slightly frayed. It was clear that she took very good care of it. What did that mean though?

With a sigh Bell made to go past her, the girl moving aside quickly with a look of disappointment. As she past Bell rested her hand on the girl's shoulder and squeezed slightly, "Follow me. We can talk in my room.".

Disappointment shifted suddenly to eagerness and the girl smiled and followed quickly after the Rathari, being careful not to step on the other's long tail.

*****

Closing the door softly behind them Bell turned to find the girl looking around the small space with curiosity. Her grip on the instrument had not lessened in the slightest, and she simply stood at the center of the room slowly turning. With a shake of her head Bell motioned to the bed, telling the girl to sit while she poured them each a small glass of tea. Then Bell settled into the single chair in the room, bringing the still steaming cup to her lips and silently blessing Tellina for her kindness and forethought. The woman had even brought a small loaf of bread, cut in slices and coated with butter.

The warmth was pleasant, and a sigh escaped Bell's lips. With a thought her body began to ripple, bones shifting and rearranging even as her skin shifted and reformed. Hair sprouted from her head as her ears retracted, features becoming more and more human until a woman with dark skin and currly black hair sat where the Rathari had once been. Across from her the girl stared wide eyed, the cup loose in her fingers.

"What?" Bell asked with an amused smile, "Have you never seen a Rathari change before?" She sipped the tea again, and suddenly the flavor washed over her. It was with some difficulty that she suppressed a groan of pleasure, but she did close her eyes to better savor the taste. Like her eyes, when she was in her True form her sense of smell was greatly diminished, which also meant that her sense of taste was not quite as sharp. Though most of the time she did not mind it, after a while one did get tired of everything tasting bland.

"Uhm, well... No actually." The flush was back on the girl's cheeks then and she looked down into her drink.

With the change into her human form Bell could finally see in a level of detail that escaped her in every other form. Now when she looked she saw that, yes, the girl was young but not quite as young as she had thought. Mid 20's? Her hair was ragged at the ends like she had cut it herself, and her skin was not just light it was pale. The fingers that now held her cup were calloused, and not just from working the strings of her instrument. Then there was her shoes... Bell eyed them with dissatisfaction. They were nearly worn through.

"What is your name?" Bell asked, lowering her cup and crossing her legs.

"Keen." she said, leaning forward as she did so, "Keen Delinar. I am from a small village south of here."

"Keen..." Bell tried the name, and nodded in satisfaction, "It is a good name and I think it suits you, specifically your eyes."

"My... eyes?" Keen asked, one hand going to touch beneath one eye. Her brows knit together in confusion.

With a laugh Bell waved a hand, "It's nothing. Just a joke that was a little terrible." Again the lapsed into silence, Bell staring at Keen while the girl looked back down at her teach. Her legs just barely touched the floor where she sat at the edge of the bed, a fact that Bell noted with another smile. "So, what is it you wished to talk to me about?"

The question, though surely expected, made the girl start to fidget once more. She set the cup aside, fingers lingering near the warmth a moment before she gently touched the instrument that sat on the bed beside her. When she looked at the instrument something seemed to soften in her gaze, and the edge of nervousness seemed to fade slightly. Keen seemed to take her time to collect her thoughts before saying in a low, earnest voice, "I wanted to see you again. I wanted to thank you for... for saving my life."

[Reima]

Bell stared at the girl, her eyes having gone wide as she tried to understand what was just said. The tea, having been forgotten, tipped slightly in her hands and a hot droplet of the liquid fell onto the Rathari's knee. With a yelp of surprise and a faint curse Bell stood and set the cup down on the dresser. Rubbing the still burning spot she looked at Keen with confusion, "What do you mean? I do not think we have ever met before this."

The girl shook her head, raising a hand in apologize as she quickly said, "Oh, no I'm sorry I didn't mean," the embarrassment on her face was strong Bell could almost feel it herself, "It isn't that you saved me directly or anything, and no we haven't met before today." Her eyes showed a story that her lips struggled to tell, and she stuttered out another apology before going silent once more.

Curiosity was quickly replacing the surprise that Bell felt, and she stepped closer to Keep and knelt slightly so that they could be on eye level. Tilting her head one way and then the other, she tried to catch Keen's eye but the girl stubbornly kept her gazed locked downward at her cup. With a look of annoyance Bell took her by the chin and tilted her head up until their eyes met. Her expression softening Bell tried to speak encouragingly as she said, "It's alright. Just tell me what you mean?"

Their eyes held for a time until Bell released Keen's head, and the girl very quickly looked away. Another sigh and then Bell found herself gliding to Keen's other side and sitting upon the bed next to her. Here, once more Bell's odd mannerisms took over. Though she was in her human form certain quirks of her true form tended to transfer, and so it was that she gently ran the fingers of one hand up the girl's side and lightly griped her shoulder. The suddenness of the contact made Keen jump and look at Bell, who smiled and pressed the palm of her other hand against the other woman's cheek, "Go on, it's ok."

Keen, the poor girl, seemed at a loss for what to do with Bell acting so familiar, though she did not realize the gestures were not meant to be so. She fidgeted, hands gripping the cup with nearly white knuckles as she looked into Bell's eyes as if she were searching for something beyond them. In time, however, her muscles began to relax and she spoke with a slight tremble in her voice, "Your caravan used to come through my village several times a year. I remember I used to watch the performers, the acrobats and dancers and wish I could run away to join them."

A frown tilted the corners of Bell's lips as she moved her hand from Keen's cheek, leaning back slightly, but as she did the girl caught Bell's hand in her own and gripped it with a strength that belied her size. Her hands were rough from the callouses, and Bell thought that the girl must have had a difficult life.

"My parents died when I was young, and my aunt and uncle took me in. They were nice enough, but their sons didn't really want me around." There was pain in those pale green eyes now, something unspoken that sent a shiver up Bell's spine as the twinge of phantom pain echoed in response. Keen seemed as if she would elaborate, but suddenly pressed on with the story, "It was about 10 years ago, and I thought I would rather... End things than to keep living like I was."

Bell drew back slightly at the force of the emotion she felt from the girl, like sudden frost of a blizzard or the searing heat of a fire, but as quickly as it came it was gone again and Keen looked back up into Bell's eyes, "And then I saw you. I think you were with the troupe for a while, but that day was the first time they had placed you at the front of the state. I watched you dance, and I thought 'how beautiful she is and how free'." Pausing, Keen looked down at the hand that she clutched in a fierce grip and gasped, letting go and shuffling back a few inches. She set the now cooled tea on the dresser and reached back to touch the instrument at her side, glancing down at it before continuing, "Watching you I felt something I had never felt before. I wanted to be like you."

A swirl of emotions began to well inside of Bell as she listened, her free hand going to her chest where it pressed against her collarbone as if to feel her own pulse. She knew that feeling, knew it intimately, but to hear it spoken aloud from the lips of another was like a bolt of electricity being lanced through her very soul. This girl...

"I was horrible at dancing," the girl laughed, and wiped what Bell thought might be a tear from her far cheek, "So I had to find something else. There was an old bard that lived on the outskirts of the village. I convinced him to give me lessons, and I hoped that, one day, I could... I could play beautiful music for you to dance to."

The silence stretched nearly to an uncomfortable level before Bell realized that nothing more was to come. She looked at Keen, not quite sure what she was supposed to feel after such a confession. It didn't make her feel warm inside, nearly the opposite in fact. She felt a chill as she realized that looking at this girl was like looking at a mirror that reflected far too much back at her.

"I..." the words caught in Bell's throat, which she cleared and tried again, "I see."

Once more the silence stretched, but this time it was Keen who broke it with an uncomfortable expression, "I'm sorry, I know that is kind of a weird thing to say to someone." she seemed to brace herself, and then took Bell's hand once more in both of hers, "I don't mean to be a bother to you. I just wanted to say, thank you." She squeezed Bell's hand once and then stood, taking her instrument in her hands and giving a small half bow, "Thank you for the tea, I know you must be tired so I will leave you to rest."

Before Bell could do or say another word she had bolted for the door, quickly slipping out into the hallway beyond. Bell suddenly realized that she had half stood from the bed, one hand reaching out after the girl as she fled. It had happened so fast that her mind took several seconds to catch up. Her fingers curled slowly into a fist and she chided herself and her own awkwardness.

After that girl had worked up her courage to speak with me, I couldn't even answer her back? She shook her head and sat back down onto the bed, pulling her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. The pain had returned, like the lingering heat after a branding that raced all the way up her spine.

For a short time Bell entertained the idea of going after Keen, but she found she could not force herself to move. What was she supposed to say? Thanks for calling me beautiful and I am glad you didn't 'end it'? Even to Bell that seemed way too inappropriate. What did she even seen in Bell anyway?

A knock at the door made her look up, and Tellina stuck her head in the door, "Did you have a guest over tonight?"

Blinking slowly Bell shook her head and stretched, letting her feet touch the floor once more, "Not really. She was one of the performers tonight. She just wanted to talk a little bit about the show."

"Oh, I see." The woman glanced at the two cups sitting on the dresser, "Did she like the tea?"

That made the Rathari smile, "Yeah, I think she did, but I will be sure to ask her when I see her again."

There really wasn't much else to do about the situation. Bell thought that Keen would show up at the High Hopes again, and when she did Bell would be certain to respond to her properly.

[Paragon]

Bellmari

XP: 5/5
Magic? No.

Lore
Dancing: Moving footsteps in time with rhythm
Dancing: Gauging tempo of music to determine dance flow
Meditation: Finding serenity through dancing
Location: High Hopes Tavern

Notes: Figfire Mead and Snailoat Ale are drinks I want to experience now. Thanks! An insightful look into Bell as a character. Thanks for sharing! Please reach out to me if you have questions, comments or concerns!