>>6081979The ceremony continues into the wee hours of the night, with the two performer women playing out another part of the story of Kishirra you did not know. You feel moderately sick at the idea of watching more heretic representation, though. But the music is nice and the actresses do look incredible in their costumes, especially the one playing the Elf.
For a moment you feel like you could be back on the shoreside hills of your homeland, spotting a tall dark-skinned figure in prayer, her golden tresses flowing in the eventide wind…
And that tangy smell of grapes ever-present.
One day you will go back to your home. You will let silver flow through your fingers for just once in your life, buying it back from those who stole it. Better yet, you will find them and you will cut their profit margins by the white edge of your sword.
But you will reclaim what was yours — with your family now safe in the Holy Land.
So caught in these thoughts, you almost miss Soralisa’s gasp as she cups her hands around her mouth in surprise. Her brow eyes widen so much she looks like a doe caught in torch-light as she watches white and blue ribbons flow about the performer who plays the reedsmith, the so-called… companion.
She dances about them as they try to flow around her body, as if attempting to ensnare her, to tie around her wrists and her svelte ankles as the bonfire behind her roars and rages, caught in her hair like flowing gold.
“Do those mean anything?” You whisper in Soralisa’s ear. Rubida sharply nods. She has understood what had Soralisa so excited about the companion.
“It’s tradition in plays — these ribbons represents ties to the outer spheres! It means that Kishirra’s companion and lover was… a Strander.”
[cont.]
