I will begin in the center of it; the beginnings would take too long, and worse they bring me sorrow still.

Was mud-coveréd and roadsick when I wandered into Treriver. Over the northern of the two eastern bridges, going-by the gently glowing forge; as I passed the Mare’s massive manse and the little general store, I approached the bleached-wood building that hung over the western wall of the middle Island; Riverwatch, the roughly hewn sign decreed.

Shoulderin’ tru the door, I was greeted by warmth and firelight. Five or six o’th town’s rangers sat at a great table, wi’ a couple warhounds at their feet and the one of ’em a hawk on his leather cuffed shoulder.

Double handful of what ye might ken regular working folk were arrayed along the bar and amongst the other tables, as a slight, leathery man with the shortest of silver hair and cheerful crinkles at the corners of his eyes wiped the bar down, and a pretty red -haired halfling girl carried drinks and food out the back; where a door stood open to the night air.

givin’ the rangers the briefest o’ respectful nods I sat me down at a small table in the corner neatly tucked behind the bar; pulling a pouch of oiled leather from my shirt, and therefrom tobacco, paper, and a little bit of reed to act as filter. I took my careful time about the rolling of three quite nice cigarettes, takinng one betwixt my lips and the others ‘tween my ears and horns.

In many ways, I look just like any other man of decent height and fighting frame. My skin is leathered, tan, and ruddy from the wind and rain, my hair bleached gold by sea and sun. Ten fingers and toes each have I, no claws or wings or tale.

But Planetouched I am, and if ye were to look me in the eyes, about the glimmerglass green of my iris there is a corona of true gold…. and very well before that there are the horns… Curling, back, from just behind-and-above my eyes to arc smoothly about my ears before then spiraling back down to narrow into faintly rounded points just outside the corners of my jaw.

The horns of a ram, rather than the hooks of a bull the prongs of a goat, or the rack of a hart. Though I learned to hide them well when I was but a boy, I was neither proud nor shame filled to show them to the world this night; only tired.

While the rangers made little of this, being both travelled, and of a uniquely diverse organization. There were stares from a few of the more regular townsfolk, but nobody was spitting on the floorboards or throwing out signs against the evil eye. Perhaps things have settled since last I passed through I thought.

The barmaid found her way over to me as I was using the cherry of my first smoke to light the next.

“what’ll you be having then?” she asked, raising an eyebrow at my filthy boots “You look a proper mess. Have you any coin? I’ll speak to old Wilhand and have one of the lads fix a room, maybe draw you a bath even? I know I’d be wantin’ one, in a state like that.”

I looked down at myself. Mud completely caked my boots, all the way up my trousers to mid-thigh. Where it was thinnest, some was starting to dry and flake off to fall between the wide-spaced floorboards. The remainder of my person was only moderately spackled with the muck, but every inch of me was sodden, from my thick wool cloak all the way through my leathers and undercloathes.

I cleared my throat a bit, and smiled ruefully “A bath would be absolutely wonderful, yes. I have coin, and if the landlord is amenable I might sing for my supper once I’m cleaned up?”

Now she nodded, taking in the little case hung alongside my pack “Thought you had the look of a minstrel of sorts” she said “Do ye ken ‘Bonny Maid from Eversummer?”

I laughed a little; a staple pretty much anywhere there was drinking and flirting afoot, but it made a lot of sense that this particular lass would like it.

“One of my very favorites!” I said “and you would of course be from that sunny isle? Florton, if I had to guess?”

She grinned “Born and raised m’lud! Now I am off to have Wilhand draw you that bath, and I’ll fetch you a tall mug of cold ale while I’m at it!”

My gaze could not help but to follow her a bit as she flounced off, and in doing so I caught the eye of a salty looking old dwarven gentleman who winked and raised his glass to me.

“Damn pretty barmaids eh lad?” he chortled “may they be the death of me yet.”

I sketched him a sloppy salute, and settled back into my nook.

Sometime later, much cleaner, and in plain (but blessedly dry) clothing, I rattled down the stairs, dropped into a barstool and caught Wilhand’s attention. “Have you a taste for music uncle?”

He chuckled as he slid me a beer “Girl said you might try that. Tell you what; this one is on me, and once I’ve had a listen of what you can do I’ll let you know how far your credit runs.”

“Perfect then.” I took a long draught of crisp, cool ale “these floors up to dancing?”

“Ahhh, dont you worry about that lad” he said “Riverwatch has stood through storms and fights and floods all; I reckon she’ll hold up to yer voice just fine.”

I shrugged and set about the tuning of my fiddle, pausing periodically to refresh myself, as the instrument acclimated to the pleasant smoky warmth and humidity of the room. This particular fiddle was nary the nicest I’d sawn sussurus from, but is a poor craftsman blames his tools. Finding the last high E (which delightfully matched the chiming of cutlery in the back), I finished my beer and winked at the barmaid afore launching into “Bonny Maid From Eversummer” The song is ever so simple, but for all that it is a lovely piece to toy with, add colour and flourish as it rolls and lilts;

“Ere the revels even started,

I’d been drunk a pint or five

And tho’ my head was cravin’ slumber

Somethin’ sweet had caught my eye.”

“Silver buckles had her boots,

‘an dress was slit all up the sides

The lad’s’d crook their necks to watch

Whene’er the lass were walkin’ by.”

“She come t’me said how’re ye now

“I tried to smile but woe betide

My head awash from heavy draughts

Tipped off the bridge into the brine”

“And as I sunk down to the bottom

Thinkin’ of her amber eyes

I found a necklace, long-forgotten

Amidst the silt its stone did shine.”

“The bonny lass from Eversummer

Never let her catch your eye

For if she does you’re bound to slumber

Softly, sweetly, by her side.”

“All roarin’ I could hear about me

Heartbeat poundin’ in my skull

When sommat seized me by the trousers

Firm and forceful did me pull.“

“Was cheerin’ as I broke the surface;

By my saviour bein’ drug

Afore me was the bonny lass

Who’d spared me from the muck and mud.“

“I straightened up upon the shore,

An’ tried to still my rushin’ blood

I muttered thanks all, flushing red

And gently held, the trinket up.”

“A single massive opal, in a band of copper broad,

Draped careful oe’r her collarbones to lightly lift her pretty jaw. “

“The bonny lass from Eversummer,

Never try to win her love

For come to worst ye may succeed

And find she never gives you up.”

“The collar clasped, I smiled now,

And “Thankee kind” began to say

But when she turned her eyes on me

My every thought did flee my brain.”

“Her auburn hair about her coiling

Surroundings all began to fade

‘Til she, and I, enclosed by light

And all around us mist and shade.“

“Her smile grew secret as an echo,

For nothing would I look away

And gripped by forces unrelenting

Fell to my knees, began to pray.”

“In worship shined her silver buckles,

Hymns I whispered up her legs,

My troth I pled so hoarse and earnest;

Had she not dove, I would be dead.”

“The bonny lass from Eversummer,

Hammered copper ’round her throat.

Voice as bright and dark as opal,

Song that never lets you go.“

“The bonny lass of Eversummer,

Flowers braided in her hair,

She dredges us from winter’s dark,

And lets us breathe the summer air.”

“Bonny lass from Eversummer,

Laughing in the willow trees,

Her ember eyes will heat your heart,

Her rosy lips will set you free.”

“Bonny lass-oh Bonny lass-oh

Won’t you put your hands on me;

I burn with wanting yearn so fierce

Oh take me as your lover please.”

“The bonny lass from Eversummer,

With her skirts in disarray;

She slid the body, down the bank,

And-watched, her-lover wash-away….”

Most days the song is simple enough, in general form; light and fair, speeding you along as you roll though’t. That is not the way I sing though. When I give myself to music it is like the lights about me fade and a spirit moves through me; several verses here are to my knowledge, in no other version of the bonny lass, but nor do I recall writing them myself… sometimes, the words just come out.

Finishing the last line I paused for a long four-count, slowly inhaling through my nostrils, drinking in the utter stillness of what had been a bustling pub moments before. Then I let the frog of my bow tap the body of the violin, a single sharp sound to break the spell of silence. The barman and rangers cheered heartily, joined by perhaps a third of the townsfolk, and the girl brought me another drink, this time watching me cautious through her eyelashes.

“That was not at all the way I remembered it” She said “You made it so sad, so scary!”

I took a long drink and shook my head “gotta let a song sing itself sometimes, and all the best and truest stories have bits that are sad and scary about ’em.”

She nodded and looked up, meeting my gaze properly “It was still proper good. I don’t want you thinkin’ I dont like it.” She flushed a little “You have a lovely voice. I hope you dont think all the bonny lasses of Eversummer are such monsters.”

I grinned wicked as anything “monsters need love too my dear, but I see at least one bonny lass who I don’t reckon will drown me till at least our third meeting. Tell you what; I’m going to just play some good proper dancing music, get the people movin’ and drinkin’, but then I should very much like to take a moment to eat something before I get back into it because once I’m caught up in a room its rare I’ll think to stop until my voice is well past worn, and I reckon by that time your cook wont want to be making anything up.”

She curtsied “I’ll get you some rolls, a big bowl of broth and a half chicken. And the geezer said you’re drinkin’ on the house so I’ll top you up as I can as well.” she paused, “an’ I’m Addie, by the by.”

“Temperance” I said simply, before placing bow to string and beginning to play again.