Deedrit sits at a table, alone, drinking a warm ale.
Hamish pushes open the heavy door of the inn and pokes his head inside, dark eyes blinking as they adjust to the dimmer light inside the room. He closes the door behind him and takes a long moment to become accustomed to the interior light, eventually wrenching his gaze from the short skirts of a passing serving girl to cock his head at the bouncer by the door. He offers the man a sly wink and holds out his right hand to offer his staff,'Do we check our weapons at the door, my good man? Or is a weary traveller allowed a staff to lean against?' The bouncer smirks unhumorously and gestures for Hamish to pass. Hamish makes a sharp rap of his staff against the floor and a quick nod at the bouncer before moving along towards the nearest empty table.
Deedrit's dark eyes look up from her ale and her expression is dour, one of seriousness as she studies the newcomer. Her gaze is lingering, almost a stare before she realizes what she's doing and blushes lightly while quickly looking back down into her ale.
Hamish slips his bags and cases off his shoulder and drops them into the seat of one of the chairs. The bags are dropped unceremoniously, but the cases are treated with care. He leans his staff against the chair and pulls another over next to the first. After folding his long frame into the chair, he gestures for the attention of the nearest serving girl, whistling sharply and calling,'Lass, could you be so kind as to fetch me your largest drinking container filled with your best ale? The trip from Aringill is quite a stretch of the legs and leaves one with a powerful thirst.'
Deedrit tilts her head as she looks towards Hamish and the cases. She nods to him and says with a soft voice, "What's in the cases?" Her tone is the sort that she probably expects the other person not to hear her, and her dark eyes are almost penetrating to the soul, that is how deep they are.
Hamish watches the serving girl scurry away with a twinkle in his dark eyes. Suddenly his forehead furrows in thought and his gaze scans around searchingly. Slowly, his eyes settle upon Deedrit. A smile slowly blossoms on his lips and he asks in a warm, cordial tone,'Beg pardon, miss, but did you say something?'
Deedrit nods and offers an almost shy smile. She says in her soft, very quiet voice, "Yes, I asked what was in those cases you treat so delicately.."
Hamish nods,'Good, thought I might be imagining things for a moment, there.' His expression and tone go very serious and he taps the top case with a long, thin finger,'Zeb, my pet snake is in this one. I tend to be careful with him. Last time I jostled him, he bit three tavern patrons and killed them when I let him out.' He sighs sadly and shakes his head,'Even tried to bite me when I went to catch him. Me! After all I have done for him!' He looks into Deedrit's face to determine whether or not she is buying it, then winks slyly,'Or it could be a flute, a small harp and what's left of my bittern after I used it for a shield on my way out of the troubles in Aringill.'
Deedrit's dark, almost black eyes go wide at Hamish's words then her lips spread into a bright smile as he finishes his jest. " Oh you jest.. you never know, I know some people with snakes and other animals...", she giggles softly before saying louder, in a more relaxed manner, "So, are you a gleeman?'
Hamish nods, smiling with a merry twinkle in his eye,'Aye, or at least when I'm well rested I like to think of myself as one.' His long-fingered hands begin patting about his cloak pockets while he speaks, eventually producing a pipe and a pouch of tabac. He shrugs his shoulders slightly and continues,'Old man Laneal preferred to call me an insolent wastrel with way too little musical ability and way too much love for his own voice. 'Course, he never shut up long enough to actually hear my voice, so I am not real sure how he came to that judgement.' He holds up the pipe and the tabac and asks,'Mind if I smoke? Oh, and I am Hamish al'Mirin, but you may simply call me Hamish.'
Deedrit inclines her head and leans back in her chair. "I'm Deedrit, Deedrit Laisheyn, Gleegirl extraordinaire.", she finishes with a grin. "So Laneal was your teacher? Or did you teach yourself?", she asks. "How many instruments do you play?"
Hamish doesn't hear any objections, so begins filling his pipe,'Pleased to meet you miss Laisheyn.' He pulls the drawstring closed on the tabac pouch with his teeth and slips it back in his pocket before fishing out a small piece of carved wood he uses to tamp the leaves down in the bowl of the pipe. As he works he continues to speak, the pipe work seeming a very well-practiced activity not requiring his full attention,'And yes, I apprenticed under Laneal, grouch that he was. Man could actually make you -see- his words when he was telling a tale, though.' A far off, dreamy look crosses his eyes for a moment, before he shakes it off and moves over to the fireplace. Picking up the tongs, he fishes out a small coal and holds it over the bowl of his pipe as he sucks on the stem, coaxing the tabac to burn. Then, he tosses the coal back into the fire and sets the tongs aside. He puffs merrily on his pipe as he crosses the room, speaking around the stem,'I play mostly just the harp and the flute. Although I can use any stringed instrument somewhat given a short while to familiarize myself with it. I prefer the stringed... Laneal may have been right about my love for my own voice.' The last is said with a quick wink.
Deedrit chuckles as she listens, her dark eyes following you as you get up and walk. She nods as she takes a sip of her ale. "Most excellent gleemen I know are very longwinded." She then looks down to her own lute before murmuring in her soft tone, "I play the lute, and any other stringed instrument. I also sing..."
Hamish folds his lanky frame back into his chair with perfect timing just as the serving girl returns with a very large mug of ale. He rummages in his pockets again, holding the pipe in his teeth. After much digging, he ends up paying the girl all in copper and even manages a bit of a tip. The wink he throws in free. As the serving girl scurries away, he takes a long draught from his mug and then sighs with content, before returning his attention to Deedrit,'Matters little if I am good or not. I love it too much to give it up.' Another small sip of his ale and he adds,'If you sing as your speaking voice would suggest, then remind me to not try and make a living while you are working the same area, though.'
Deedrit blinks, then double blinks at Hamish's words and she looks down, very shy again, "What do you mean, my voice?" She fixes her dress, making sure it's covering her and plucks at the long sleeves of her dress, making sure they're down to her wrists, covering herself.
Hamish arches an eyebrow questioningly,'Why, it is much more pleasant than mine. Sure to draw a much better crowd.' He leans forward and takes the pipe out of his mouth with his left hand. He gestures towards the bouncer at the door with the stem and says in a hushed tone,'Although I doubt any bad crowds could make it in here, anyway.'
Deedrit snickers softly and her cheeks flush regardless of what she tries to hide. She looks towards the bouncer and says, "Oh, Jarn? He's a kitten, but you're right, he doesn't tolerate anything else... from people who want to start trouble.." She pauses, then looks towards the stage, "How good are you at the flute? Do you have any songs?"
Hamish leans back and takes another puff on his pipe and shrugs non-committally,'I am passable on the flute. I have a new song I have been working on with the harp, though, if you would like to hear it?'
Deedrit nods and smiles brightly, causing her entire face to light up. " Yes I would love to... "
Hamish takes another large draught from his mug and then pushes it aside. He absentmindedly wipes his mouth on the back of his sleeve as he places his pipe on the table. He leans forward and carefully, almost reverently opens the harp case and takes out the small harp. He plucks one of the strings and winces slightly, then tightens the string and tests it again. He goes through the slow process of tuning his harp, apparently absorbed to the point of being totally unaware of anything else. Eventually, he finishes tuning and smiles very slightly as he begins to strum the instrument. His fingers move lightly on the strings almost as if caressing the music from them. He begins to sing softly in a rich baritone, o/` Sheila, like a melody, you play inside my head until the thought of you is more than I can stand o/`
Hamish closes his eyes, his fingers dancing across the strings as he sings,o/` Just to think of having you is music to my soul, you make me feel as though the world is in my hand o/`. With his eyes still closed, he begins to sing louder, seemingly absorbed to the point that the song is all that exists, o/` Sheila, like a melody, you warm me and then leave me with a chill o/`
Deedrit's dark eyes close slightly as she listens and she looks very intently at you, almost staring. She doesn't seem to be looking at you though, more like just past you, through you.
Hamish's voice takes on a deeply sad tone as his baritone voice expands to fill the room,o/` I can't believe the sun will rise without me looking in your eyes and knowing that your love has made me strong o/` One observing carefully will notice a single tear streaming down his left cheek as Hamish pours his soul into his music,o/` why you left I'll never know, the fire you built will always glow, I only know I woke to find you gone o/`
Deedrit's dark eyes open and stare penetratingly at you now. Her expression is one of sadness as well and she lets out a soft sigh as she listens.
An interlude of pure music ensues while Hamish bows his head, long, limber fingers moving lightly across the strings of his harp. Then he raises his head and finally opens his eyes as he begins to sing again, o/` Sheila, like a melody, you warm me and then leave me with a chill o/` His eyes finally focus on Deedrit and tears are now streaming down both cheeks. Several of the serving girls have stopped their rounds to watch and listen, leaving their patrons unattended, although no one seems to notice. o/` Sheila, I can't keep my thoughts about me in the daytime when your memory is enough to make me blind o/`
Deedrit's smile is shy, soft as she watches with her deep black eyes. She inclines her head at your music and meets your gaze with an inner strength that is rather rare, she does not look away from the pain you portray.
Hamish's voice fills the room, his mournful tone and lyrics beginning to affect some of the serving girls who are watching with tear-filled eyes. o/` And late at night I lie awake and wait for you to come, and when you don't you know I almost lose my mind o/` Hamish slowly rises from his chair, gradually becoming aware of the rest of his surroundings. His gaze sweeps over the patrons then back to Deedrit as his fingers coax sound from his harp and he sings the last line. o/` Sheila, like a melody, you warm me and then leave me with a chill o/` His voice gradually trails off the last word, his playing becoming softer so that the song seems to just fade away instead of actually ending.
Deedrit's smile broadens somewhat and she inclines her head again, "Lovely..", she murmurs quietly, as if afraid to break the magic. "you bring a lot of emotion to your melody, which will make you great one day."
Hamish looks away, as if embarrassed. Quickly, he tries to cover it by busying himself putting his harp back in its case. He murmurs softly,'You are too kind, miss Laisheyn. I am a simple travelling minstrel.'
Deedrit smiles and then grabs her own lute, "I am never too kind, unless I think it will give me something.. perhaps i can play for you sometime..", she murmurs as she heads for the stairs, " but for now, it is time for me to bed.."