Off In A Memory

JP with Bandorchu, Omni, and LucianNepreen

Greyriver Steading

Voah leaned in to share her tale. “I suppose I’ve got a memory that’s shaped me… You might not know this, but I grew up in a traveling troupe of pilgrims and entertainers… The Grand Revelry.” she smiled wistfully, her eyes somewhere far off in a memory. “My Maja was a renowned dancer, and my Dah, a singer and musician. We were members of a traveling troupe, and I grew up amidst songs, dances, and a… let’s say a rich tapestry of performance. We would make a circuit around Mizar. From shrine city to shrine city, and small villages in between. Until a was about 10 years old.”

Voah smiled, a true smile that reached her eyes as she continued, “It may come as no surprise that I was a curious and mischievous youth. Always getting myself… and others into trouble. It was always something, I suppose it still is. Whether it was stealing a pie from our troupe's vendor and inadvertently framing a notorious little bully, or setting up one of our papier-mâché prop animals with moonstones for eyes in front of my aunt’s caravan to spook my cousins, only to have an adult stumble across the thing in the night,” Voah continued, her grin widening, “they screamed, thinking it was a real beast that had somehow wandered into the camp. The scream woke everyone up, and there was a half-bell of absolute pandemonium.”

She gave a chuckle and sighed, “Those were some fond memories. One of my fondest memories was during a particularly vibrant celebration of Hoi’s fall festival. It was tradition for each family in the Revelry to perform a piece, and that year, my parents decided it was time for me to join them on stage.

The piece we chose was a simple folk dance meant to charm. I was to dance with my Maja, the two of us styled like clockwork dolls, while my Dah accompanied us on his lute. I must have been about six years old, and oh, how I practiced! I wanted to match my Maja’s grace, capture her joy in every step. I had even sewn my own dress for the occasion.

When the night arrived, I was bursting with nerves and excitement. As the music began, we twirled and stepped in sync, my Dah’s music guiding our steps. Until… I completely blanked the next bit and just stopped. My parents knew me well enough to expect that things didn’t always go as planned and of course they didn’t. So my Maja stopped in her steps as well and my Dah walked over to me and whispered in my ear to just trust him and improvise as he played. I was terrified that I had messed everything up. Then he pretended to wind me back up like a music box dancer. When the music resumed, it adopted a silly, drunken rhythm, and my maja began to mirror my movement as if we had both come unhinged from our wind-up boxes. She followed me, and I followed her and together we danced in a wildly erratic yet enthralling manner, my Dah’s jaunty music speeding up to match our chaotic choreography."

The crowd was delighted, cheering and clapping along. It was enchanting, truly. In those moments, I wasn’t just a child dancing with her mother; I was part of creating something beautiful that touched everyone who watched.”

Pausing, Voah took a slow sip from her cup, her eyes reflecting the fire’s glow. “That festival, that dance... it taught me to improvise… that every moment is a chance to turn around the mistakes you made… I suppose I’m still learning more lessons from that night. That life doesn’t always go as planned, and you can make your own way.”

She snapped back to the present with glossy eyes, “Sorry this was supposed to be light, wasn’t it?”

Alexis smiled gently at her.

“I think we can give a pass for wholesome, a thasgaidh.”

Tarmen nodded, more solemn in the cheer he shared. He wasn’t going to spoil the mood, but he had never had such a connection growing up. Every lesson taught by boot and bottle.

It was…nice… to know that the once hardened Arbiter had known such kindness. His response lacked the tenderness of Alexis’s comment, something the booze glossed over for him.

“Especially after Ekero’s harrowin’ tales of women and goats. Ha! Though I guess that leaves me.”

He stood tall, pondering what story to pick and doing his best to look stoic. Between the light swaying and the odd features his face made in thought, it didn’t quite do the trick.
With a quick clap of his hands, he gathered himself as only a true Kru’ll could.

“Alright, got it.”