Music Warms the Soul (Robyn)

[Dristan de Archer]

Dristan de Archer puffed out his cheeks, and plucked a few strings on his lute before deciding that his ideas to be productive today had completely failed. He was a little irritated in himself for having not done more to enhance his day, but then the other side of his brain tugged at him, and reminded him that there was no one to tell of what he had done, even if he had done anything. The drunks in the tavern below him would believe anything he said, and if he had told them that he had gone up to the Queen of Caerleon that morning and kissed her square on the lips then they would probably believe him. Perhaps he could think of something a little more plausible to tell them all, instead of the truth, which was that he had been sat up here nursing a hangover for most of the day, the other part of his day had been taken up by sleeping off said hangover. It made no difference though, he would know he hadn’t done anything but sit up here all day, so it wouldn’t make him feel any better.

He had been ‘travelling’ now for months, and still he had not crossed the border. He had made up his mind to go back to Camelot, but he would do it in his own time. Dristan wasn’t even sure he wanted to live there any longer, what was there for him in Camelot? Well, there was more than in any other kingdom, but other kingdoms offered the opportunity of a fresh start, but without his noble title. Dristan plucked the strings at his lute, his nobility was a precious thing to him, and he would never let it go. His grip on the instrument tightened a little, and he breathed out to relax his body, setting his lute aside for the moment. Both his hands ran over tired eyes, he needed to go back, at the moment he was in limbo, and it wasn’t doing him any good sitting here watching his life go by. Nothing would change the past, if the last few years had taught him anything it was that. Life went on, and his needed to start again, even if that did mean going back to Camelot.

There was the fear he supposed as well, would his father even want him back? He might even be dead, it was a thought that Dristan had exercised a few times in his mind, after all, Camelot was not the safest place to live. Then again if he had died then someone would surely have come to fetch him, unless his father had really disinherited him then he was still heir. He didn’t even want the stupid bloody house; he had never really wanted it. Breathing out again, he groaned, he was getting angry, and he didn’t want to get angry, not tonight anyway. There was some talk of music and dancing and some group the landlord had hired for the evening. Dristan intended to take his lute and enjoy himself for the first time in quite some while and forget himself within his music. Yes, that was what he was going to do. He was going to lose himself in every chord, and tomorrow he would actually do something productive. Maybe. Grabbing his lute, he put it in its case and made his way downstairs, ordering himself some dinner, whatever they were serving, and an ale to wash it down. Taking his seat, he could see the group was already setting up, looking outside, Dristan was surprised to see the sun was already setting in the sky, Jesu, had he really wasted all day? Well, perhaps now was the time to turn things around somewhat.

Tagged: Robyn Lester
Timeline: Late series 4
Time of Day: Late afternoon/evening
Location: A tavern on the border of Caerleon and Camelot[/color][/size]

[Robyn Lester]

It had been quite a succesful day, and Robyn was actually looking forward to a nice and jolly evening to complete it. The weather had been nice and sunny for days in a row, which meant they could count on large audiences and excited faces once they pulled up on the village squares and announced breathtaking and tearjerking entertainment. Their purses were comparably full, but that didn’t mean they would let other engagements slip through their fingers. The luck of the streets could turn its face on you in a matter of minutes and you better were always prepared for hard times. After sun came rain, after peace came war, it simply was the way of the world, and the Raven Pack had learned this lesson often enough to not underestimate it and grow lazy when things were looking up. So, even though they had had a few good days and would like an evening to themselves, they had agreed on another engagement in this little village, entertaining the tavern guests as best as they could.

They had all assembled already, preparing whatever they intended to do: Raven, his wife Madla and their son Jerome, then Robyn’s brother Tybalt who would probably have to refrain from most of his fire tricks tonight as they were indoors, and finally the third woman of the Raven Pack, Tess, with her son Alfie, who would be juggling later the evening and already seemed a little nervous. Ruffling his hair affectionately, Robyn grabbed her lute and walked over to the landlord, asking him a few questions under her breath with a smile. “If you would be so kind as to tell me your first name, Sir, and also the name of that charming young barmaid over there?” He looked a little confused, but grumbled. “Name’s Jim, but most call me Jimmy. And she’s called Kim. Now what would you need those names for?” Robyn just gave a mysterious smile and turned away to rejoin her friends. “You’ll see…”

She had her reasons for these questions of course. There was a song she intended to start the evening with, a song that could be adapted to their surroundings. The name of the tavern she already had registered, just like the name of one customer in the corner who was surrounded by friends and apparently playing cards, even though the whole group already turned their heads towards the Raven Pack. Giving an almost indiscernible nod to Raven, Robyn sat down and prepared for the start of the song. Raven himself, as the leader, now took it on himself to welcome the tavern guests to this little event, promising them a wonderful and diverting evening. When he had finished, Robyn started up the song almost without a pause, smiling widely, while the other Raven Pack members provided the background voices and rhythm with tambourine and . Soon enough, she hoped, the audience would start to sing along.

” Down at the Olde Mill Inn
We'll laugh and dance and sing
We'll drink all day and Bill will pay
Down at the Olde Mill Inn”

Roaring laughter brought the first success for the Raven Pack as the man called Bill jokingly raised his finger in warning to all those who would dare to write the bill on him! Grinning widely, Robyn immediately followed with the next verse:


"Down at the Olde Mill Inn
The ships are sailing in,
We'll drink a toast to Jimmy, our host
Down at the Olde Mill Inn”

And while everyone in the tavern raised their cups in a cheer to the laughing landlord, Robyn changed the tune to a little bridge, her fingers moving quickly over the strings. Like always, she had to compensate for the loss of her little finger, but after so many years of practice, she hardly thought about it anymore.

"The moon is full, the bar is too, when we come to town
We'll have a beer, cause Jerry's here, so spread the cheer around....

Down at the Olde Mill Inn
The bartmaiden’s name is Kim
And with a smile she'll serve in style
Down at the Olde Mill Inn.”


This time the cheer was raised for the young barmaid, who actually blushed at the surprise of being mentioned in a song. Robyn saw Tybalt winking at her, which made her blush even more. Aha… maybe her brother would be lucky again tonight. As long as he didn’t bring the girl to their shared wagon and made her sleep out under the starts because he wanted to have some fun, why not?! Deeply satisfied with their success, Robyn got ready to bring the song to a slow close, just repeating a few of the verses, when suddenly a small popping and ringing sound could be heard and on of the strings of her lute snapped, making her fingers burn with the impact. Oh great… every player’s nightmare just had come true…

[Dristan de Archer]

Dristan was already on his second ale by the time that the entertainment had arrived. His lute was now strung across his back again, he had been plucking at an old tune for an elderly man who had requested the best song that Dristan knew. Of course, as a performer, Dristan knew better than to pick his own favourite, so instead he had picked an old folk tune, passed down from generation to generation. It had brought a smile to his face, and that was all Dristan had been hoping for. The man had slipped him a gold coin and set off from the tavern, leaving Dristan on his own with nothing but his newly bought ale. It was a hard life sometimes. Dristan sunk his lips into his ale, and took a few gentle sips, He couldn’t afford to get drunk tonight, well, he could in the monetary sense, but he was actually going to try to leave here tomorrow and move on. He had made up his mind about it now, though he wasn’t sure whether he wanted to go straight back to Camelot. He’d heard Mercia was nice this time of year.

Another sip of ale passed his lips, and he sighed out softly, watching as the musicians got up on stage. Dristan noticed that the woman who was lining up to sing was carrying a lute; not as extravagant as his of course, but you would have to search high and low for a finer instrument. In Dristan’s opinion only of course. Taking in the last of his ale, he decided that he wanted a better look at this. He had seen troops like this all over Caerleon’s kingdom, but this one was probably the most professional looking. The others looked half drunk before they even got up on stage. The young lady holding the lute was certainly a beauty to behold, with long blonde hair and a beautiful gown. Dristan had always had a soft spot for blondes.

He stood up and walked to the side of the tavern, so he could observe from the shadows in the corner of the room. He wasn’t that far away from the singing and suchlike, and his eyes watched the woman’s fingers darting across her lute with a talent that could only be matched by his own. He began to tap his foot, and grinned to himself, half wishing he was up on the stage himself. That was until disaster struck of course. The string of her lute snapped and Dristan watched it happening, as if it were in slow motion. He blinked a few times and then looked round at the awaiting audience. Without a second thought, he pulled his lute out of his case and walked up to the woman, stood in front of her and handed her his lute, taking the other from her hands before quite realised what had happened, “Bring it back to me later.” He said, and bowed to the woman, before returning to his place at the side of the room.

He was sure he had a spare string somewhere...

[Robyn Lester]

It spoke for the closeness and the blind trust between the members oft he Raven Pack that Robyn didn’t even have to look and make sure to know all had realized her problem in a split second and would now all strive to overplay it. They were used to have to wing things, and most of their plays or things they performed didn’t go without small mistakes that had to be covered up. So while Robyn’s voice wavered a bit in surprise after the string had so unexpectedly snapped, those of Madla and Tess did not, taking the lead for Robyn until she had caught herself again. The lute wasn’t unplayable, but the string that had snapped played a key part in the song’s tune and so the song had to be finished without much elegance and without many repeats of the last verses. Unfortunate, but not the end of the world, since the rhythm was still kept. They had planned on a few more songs of course, and now had to rearrange their plans. More tricks and jokes then, and less music, until her lute was repaired.

But then something really unexpected happened. There had been a young man sitting in the corner, Robyn had registered subconsciously before. Something about his ways had suggested he wasn’t one of the local peasants, and she had also seen a very familiar shape in his hands. Since she had been focusing on her song however, she hadn’t realized it for real, until he suddenly stood before her and presented her with – a lute! And a fine one at that, not really comparable to the one Robyn had learned to play on and which was probably in the Raven Pack’s possession for more than a generation. How nice! And what a peculiar twist of fate it was as well, to have someone with a lute sitting in the same tavern. But Robyn wasn’t one to question things when they were given to her so readily, and so she took the lute with a surprised but warm smile and left her own in his care for the time being.

Then she turned to the waiting audience and gave a small shrug. “You must excuse my humble lute, I think she didn’t see herself able to perform before such an illustrious and expert audience and therefore took the easy way out, as long as this little jewel here was in the same room. Now, let’s give her the audience and attention she deserves.” Well-meaning laughter rippled through the room and Robyn caught Raven’s wink, telling her she had made the right choice. That made the mistake seem a little less grand in her eyes and she could feel a small weight lift off her shoulders. The instrument was excellent, and her fingers played it with care as Jerome started a new drinking song, leading the men in the tavern into the well-known, slightly juicy adventure of ‘Seven Drunken Nights’. After that song, it was Alfie’s time to shine with juggling, and Robyn saw this as a wonderful opportunity to slip into the background, handing the lute back to its owner.

“Thank you for your quick mind”, she murmured with a smile. “I can call myself quite lucky you were there to help me out. And it was a pleasure to play on such a fine instrument.”

[Dristan de Archer]

Dristan had been worried, for an awful moment, that the woman in front of him was going to refuse his offer. After all, they were performers weren’t they? It could have been part of their act, and Dristan could have just barged in and ruined everything. He was almost urging her on to take his lute for that last song with his eyes, if anything to make him feel like he wasn’t intruding, and that he was just doing a good deed. The weight he had placed on his chest lifted straight away when she took the lute from his fingers, exchanging it for hers. Dristan slipped off into the background as quickly as he had slipped from it, and watched as the young lady in question began to explain away the lute, and complimenting its beauty. Without wanting to sound big headed, Dristan knew that his lute was far more exquisite and beautiful than the one he now held in his hands. Even with all its strings intact, it wasn’t as graceful as his instrument, but then, it had cost his mother enough when she had gifted it to him. His lute was old, yes, but it was in near pristine condition as he had kept it that way.

He found himself a table at the back of the room, so he could still hear the music but so that he could work undisturbed. Opening up his lute case, he searched the pockets for the strings and the little iron instrument that allowed him to pull and cut the string where it needed it. He got to work restringing the lute almost straight away; it was almost second nature to him now. Dristan wasn’t really doing it for any other particular reason than he hated to see a broken lute, and he did want his own back regardless. The singing was still going on while he worked, restringing lutes took years of practice to do with this much ease; he was confident that he wasn’t going to wreck the instrument, or have the string recoil and bite into his hand. Both were possible, but this was Dristan, so neither was going to happen obviously.

After some tweaking and prodding and pulling with the string and the lute, it was fixed excepting tuning. Dristan joined in the applause as the troop finished their song, though he was too engrossed in trying to retune the lute to notice the woman who he had leant the lute to in the first place coming over, probably with the intent of swapping lutes once more. Dristan grinned at her and took his lute as he was handed it, and placed it back in its case before picking hers up again. “It’s no problem, I wanted to hear the end of your fine song after all.” He flashed her an easy grin and gestured for her to sit down, “I restrung your lute, I hope you don’t mind, I just have a soft spot for musical instruments.” He winked at her and continued to fiddle with the tunings until he was satisfied, and handed the lute back to its owner, “Good as new.” He declared with a satisfied smile, “My name is Dristan by the way, what may I call you?”

[Robyn Lester]

Robyn couldn’t have been more surprised to find that she wasn’t only presented with her lute, but it was restrung!! Just a moment before she had already planned to sneak away to the wagon, hoping to find a spare string in all the mess she usually surrounded herself with, and there he was, having done it without even having to. It was long since she last had witnessed such an act of spontaneous kindness, since usually the world wasn’t like that. Not the world of the street Robyn belonged to at least, there usually you were always bound to look out for number one, because no one else cared. It gave you a maximum amount of freedom, but Robyn had also learned to trust no one outside her little group of family and friends that was the Raven Pack. That was why such spontaneous and surprising shows of goodwill and consideration came as an even greater surprise for Robyn, and she was more than ready to welcome this. “You… you restrung it!” she exclaimed, a little needlessly, but her surprise just had to find an outlet.

Taking her lute back, she moved her fingers over the new string, noticing also it was of a much better quality than the other three. This string probably wouldn’t snap so soon again! All she had to do now was tuning it, but that could wait for a little, they would probably go with the flow and do some other things next, like dancing or acting a quick scene, whatever the crowd called for. Meanwhile, while Alfie had his great moment to shine, tossing first three, then four, and in the end even six balls into the air and catching them. Over the years he had perfected his skills, and once again Robyn felt incredibly grateful for him being able to do such a thing, to still have two intact hands he performed such wonders with.

But then she tore her gaze away from Alfie and nodded with a smile as Dristan told her to sit down. Lowering herself on the chair she placed the lute on her lap and then leaned a little forward to understand him better over the cheer the crowd was gladly raising right now. One part of her heart and mind was always with the Raven Pack, even feeling a little bad for focussing on something else right now, but the other part of her deemed this notion completely stupid and was more than happy to give her ‘saviour’ the attention he deserved. “It is an absolute pleasure to meet you, Dristan”, she said, smiling broadly. “And you may call me… Robyn. Though I have many names, some of them pleasant, some of them not so much. Those who fear my tongue call me the Mockingbird, those who have witnessed me putting my nose into things that should not be my concern call me Lady Justice.” It was typical for Robyn to get a little into a carney role while she spoke those sentences. It didn’t make her less natural, but rather the other way around: it was NATURAL for Robyn to turn even a normal conversation into a little play, and make the best of it.

[Dristan de Archer]

There was nothing quite as satisfying as the sensation of a freshly strung lute. The instrument sung to him at the best of times, but when it was fresh, and new it was even more beautiful. There was an air of potential about the instrument, and Dristan was sure that it’s actual owner would fulfil its needs. He grinned to himself, he would never voice most of these thoughts of course. Most, if not everyone, would think he was completely mental if he started talking about the personality of lutes and how their needs should be fulfilled. It was a little thing that Dristan kept to himself, but he felt quite emotionally attached to his lute. After all, it had been his only companion throughout the years, well his only constant companion. People came and went, he had moved kingdoms, yet it had always just been him and his lute throughout. Hmm, he had never really thought about it like that before. Dristan smiled to himself, wondering what his dear old father would think when he turned back up at the estate still armed with the lute. His father had never really much cared for the instrument, it had been his mother who had given him the one he now played. It reminded him of her sometimes, with its strength and beauty. He had only been young when she had died, and though he still missed her, he preferred to look back on their time with a smile on his face rather than by drowning his sorrows in an ale.

The look of astonishment on the young woman’s face as he handed it back to her was quite touching. Performers, in Dristan’s experience, could be of one of two minds. Either they were genuine kind hearted folk, or they were proud, cocky people who were so full of their own self importance that they couldn’t see past anything other than themselves. Dristan was happy that this lady appeared to be in the former group. He followed her gaze to the performer that was now enchanting the room, and gave a soft smile. He had never come across a troop before that seemed to appear so much like a family, and it came across despite the fact he barely knew them. Turning his attentions back to her lute, he wondered if he should have tuned it, but then, signers always had different preferences, so that was better off done with a personal touch by the owner. Dristan would hardly like to take over.

Dristan placed his own lute on the table in front of him, deciding not to put it in its case just yet. “Robyn, what a pretty name.” He said with a soft smile, “It’s a pleasure to meet you as well my Lady.” Dristan didn’t really care if she was of noble blood, she deserved to be treated as such so she could correct him if she wanted to, until then he would treat her like he would treat any lady at court. He chuckled a little as Robyn told him of her little nicknames, “Should I fear your tongue?” He asked with more than an amused smile, wondering what had earned this nickname. Dristan had a feeling he was going to enjoy Robyn’s company.