Pamela Freeman - Castings 02 by Deep Water

Author:Deep Water [Water, Deep]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Orbit
Published: 2010-04-14T17:06:07.631000+00:00

Bright flowed the blood of the dark-haired foe

Red flowed the swords of the conquering ones

Mighty the battles, mighty the deeds

Of Acton’s companions, the valiant men.

Ash wondered about Bramble. He kept his mind on the drumming, but the lower level of thought had to be busy with something, and he didn’t want to think about Flax, about how perfectly he sang, about how he was exactly the son Ash’s parents had hoped for. So he thought about Bramble instead, and wondered what was happening to her. They came to the first section where he had to drum alone and he cast everything out of his thoughts except the rhythm, determined not to disgrace himself in front of Flax. Flax came back in exactly on the beat, as precise as Swallow, and Ash increased the pace, as he was supposed to. It felt as bad as drumming for his parents. Worse, because he had been in constant practice then. He hadn’t played this song for more than three years. But the music was clear in his head. If nothing else, he knew the songs. Except the ones his father hadn’t taught him.

That thought made his hands falter, although he corrected himself immediately. Flax didn’t appear to notice, but Ash was sure he would have. His face burned red. But the drinkers hadn’t noticed. They were banging their tankards in time with his drumming, so that he could ease off a little to protect his hands. When Flax sang the first words of the chorus again, the drinkers joined in enthusiastically. They sang the last chorus three times and this time, when the song ended, coins came flying through the air to them.

Then the innkeeper came out with a small beer each and invited them to move to the inn garden.

“I guess that’s not exactly in a tavern, is it?” Flax said, grinning.

Ash moved to a table, which was better for his back and gave more resonance, but still hurt his hands. Flax stood beside him, and they performed another half-dozen songs; war songs and love songs and, at the end, when the innkeeper nodded to them to finish up, a cradle song that everyone present had always known.

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