~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ Part Four ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
It did not take long to retrieve our horses for we had asked they be ready for us at the end of our performance. We had been in this town now a fortnight, and I longed to be out traveling in open fields and lush forests. Although I left my mask on, my companion was eager to remove the barrier to his identity, and he pulled at the ribbons that tied behind his ears as he spoke jovially about the songs we had sung and the response to them.
A sudden noise caught our attention, and the Swan quickly retied his mask as both of us looked to the building. Out from the shadows came the King of Mirkwood, clapping his hands together slowly and not too loud as he stepped forward. “May I compliment your performance?” he asked.
“That depends…” came the sly reply. The Swan held out one arm, which was taken by the king, and each of them clasped the other’s shoulder. The gesture did not surprise me in the least. “It was an unexpected pleasure to see you. You are well?”
“I am. And you?”
“As always,” nodded the Swan. He let go King Thranduil’s arm and stepped back, motioning me forward. “I believe you are familiar with the Canary,” he said, and I bowed, carefully minding the lute on my back.
“That I am,” the king said carefully, watching me as he continued to speak with the Swan. “I did not know that she traveled with you. She is--”
I began to open my mouth to explain just exactly what purpose I served, but I was silenced as the Swan’s hand brushed against the small of my back. It was a gentle reminder - he did the talking, not me. “My protégé,” he finished rather quickly, and though he might have rightly called me other things, the title he chose made me feel quite inferior at that moment.
Thranduil nodded, eyes still focused upon me. “Excellent.” He looked again to the Swan. “Most excellent.”
“Our horses are ready,” the Swan then said, motioning behind him.
“You’re leaving so soon?” King Thranduil tilted his head. “Pity.”
They stood facing one another for a brief time until the Swan smiled. “Stable our horses,” he said to me, “and see if there are two rooms available for us.”
As he turned to leave with the king, my stomach knotted and I called after him, “Were you unhappy with the room we had while we were here?” I asked, placing a great deal of emphasis on the word ‘we’.
“Stable the horses,” he said sharply, “and ask if they have two rooms.” He looked back once more to see if I dared to defy his order again, but I gave a small nod and took the reigns of our mounts, leading them back to the stables.
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Canary, The by Zhie