Frost patterned the sod around the fire and the flames
flickered in a mischievous breeze. The
owls ruffled their feathers indignantly and the Northwind and his lady
chuckled. The ice dragon puffed out a
cloud of ice particles. This time there
was a sense of merriment around the fire, remnant of an earlier entertainment
or subconscious of some other undercurrent they couldn’t have told, though some
of them had an inkling. Still, they
settled into admirable quiet when the bard took up his lyre. “The Voice that sang so hauntingly had set
off a quest unwitting, and so it falls to me now to introduce the main characters. One you have met already, the Voice. Next I shall bring to you, Jarel Frost.” Many of the audience suppressed a smile as
the bard set finger to lyre, and this time he played as he spoke.
As the voice twinkled into silence
Disappearing note by note
Leaving the memory of aching beauty
Such as stars giving way to day will
Jarel Frost released his own tune leaving the air unspun.
He was born ages past to an unusual pair
The North Wind incarnate, and
A mortal bard of tundra and wood
Her lovely dark skin and midnight hair surpassed
By the beauty in her voice,
No fickle fancy or fleeting whim
Their love was true and lasting
A warmth to wrap around their son
Whose fair features and long sweep of pale hair
Bore the mark of his immortal father,
Likewise, his ice blue eyes
The wind and frost that danced to his command
And the semi-eternal flame of his life
Whilst from his mother came
Nimble fingers and breathtaking voice,
The gift of music
A mortal creation of art worthy of gods
Marked by a streak of black in his hair
By a vibrant desire for life
Courtesy of the knowledge of endings,
This dual heritage left him neither here nor there
Too mortal quick for the gods of old
Too striking and powerful for his mother’s kin
Though beloved by both for his art
He was doomed to wander alone.
Alone he felt the silence wrap around him
Waiting, expectant, to be filled
But at last, not by him
A vibrant curiosity was awakened
He uncurled, taking his first step north.
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