“I have a question.” That’s how many of their conversations started. Except, it usually wasn’t Quartes that asked it. They were sitting around the campfire. Earlier in the day they had come across an aenesi caravan heading out onto the Greenway. Quartes had intended to pass them, the wary glances of the guards at the top of the wagon’s masts seemed to confirm his unwelcome presence. Keto had pointed out that such moment were what a bard was for, producing her lyre and hailing the caravan drivers. She had started playing and singing right there, lyre tucked into the crook of one elbow and fingers dancing across the strings. Tactfully blank faces had turned to smiles, curtains had been pulled back and face young and old has looked out from inside the wagons.

What had followed had been a pleasant day where she had eventually been invited up onto a wagon where she could sit next to one of the drivers. Enjoying the rest for her feet, Keto had continued with songs. As the day reached on towards the amber hues of dusk, the caravan had pulled off the Greenway and set up a camp. A pair of fires had been made and even Quartes’ help was accepted as the landian went about securing the wagons and caring for the pack animals. When he had returned from the later task he had found Keto regaling the aenesi with songs, had noticed the firefly like orbs dancing above them, the sway of the caravaneers long necks as they moved with the songs. She had taken only a short break to eat, some shorter breaks throughout the evening for water or a tankard of cider that the aenesi had opened up. Her cheeks were flush with her craft, her smile wide and from the edge of the campfire’s light Quartes had smiled.

The landian had volunteered to take the first two watches of the night, and the aenesi had accepted without pushing back on concerns for their safety. So it was that each of the members of the caravan had slipped off to sleep and the landian and the bard sat together, Quartes cleaning one of his bracers and Keto sipping from a final tankard of cider.

She had straightened, surprised at his statement and looked over at him now. The landian took note of her attention and put her cleaning aside. “You’re lyre, where did you get it.” Keto looked over where the instrument rested against her pack, sitting on its case. “Instruments are one of those things that I’m surprised survive through Cycles.”

Keto continued to look at her instrument, considering before finally turning back to Quartes. “I think people are always bound to look for a good song and I don’t think it takes much to hear a bowstring’s twang and think that maybe you can make a more pleasant sound.” Quartes inclined his head to her point. “My father took me to Verken on a trip specifically to get it. He knew a craftsman there, one who had made some of my father’s instruments.”

Quartes nodded, “It’s very beautiful, I can only imagine the time it took to make.”

Keto looked back over at the instrument, smiling before she got up to pick it up. “Not bad for a city of squares,” she commented before sitting back down. She placed on the tankard on the camp bench next to her and began to play. “My Sol string is nearing it’s end. I was worried it would break sometime tonight.” She pluck out a short series of notes, one which Quartes saw skipped the aforementioned Sol string. “You know, you should be good at playing a instrument. I’ll forget the songs if I don’t recite them every so often, you’d avoid that problem.” Keto looked up from the lyre to Quartes. “Would you like me to teach you how to play?”

Quartes opened his mouth and Keto could already see the polite decline. She expected him to maybe admit that like cooking there were some skills an Heir to Lehn didn’t get to master. He stopped himself though, his head tilting and his eyes getting that faraway look of a memory. After a moment he nodded, “That…I would enjoy and would be very kind of you.” Keto smile excitedly but Quartes did a give a shake of his head, one softened by his own smile. “Not tonight, it’s gotten late and I’m already dreading waiting for you to wake up.”

“They said I could dose in one of the wagons,” she countered proudly. Quartes smiled, gave another shake of his head, before he picked back up his bracer and the rag.