Don't Hesitate (Dristian)

[Sir Alex]

Alex was now on his way to the kingdom of Caerleon. He was going to do some perfomances there in a tavern. He didn't usually play in taverns, he preferred performing for the royals in their kingdom. Though, that was some years before. He just had a fight with his father about his freedom to be a professional violinst. He will never forget that his father locked him in his bedchambers, not allowing him to go outside and play for the others. His father wanted him to become one of the best nobles in Graecia and to marry the princess. But Alex had no desire for his father's plans for his future. If his grandmother couldn't help him to make his dream true, he had to make his dream come true himself.

His plan was to play his violin in the lower town so every people could hear him play his amazing and magical instrument. Maybe he was some rude with the lower class, but when the music was there, he forgotten all about it. The plan was for him to stay there for three nights and in the morning travel to the city. There where he would be playing for the people in the tavern at night. It wasn't his first time in Caerleon. He was there some years before, but he performed in the castle. So he hasn't had the oppurtunity to meet the city and its people.

He made his way to the tavern to set up his violin, when he suddenly heard someone whistling a lovely melody. He stood up for a while, shocked that there was someone like him, someone who enjoyed the simple joys of a beautiful melody. His decision made, Alex walked his way in the direction of where he heard the whistle.

[Dristan de Archer]

Dristan had finished most of his chores back at Thomas and Grace’s estate. Today he had been selling some of the produce that Thomas had been buying in recently. The spices that he had imported from beyond the sea had proven a hit with the locals. Thomas himself had been too ill to go to market today, so Dristan had been picking up the slack for him; he had even bought them a pie home to have for their dinner that evening. Dristan did enjoy staying with his Aunt and Uncle, it did truly feel like his home away from home. It felt strange that the coins in his pockets were earned by his own hard work. Back home his father’s pockets had just been lined by his workers efforts, rather than his own. It was all too easy to criticise that way of life, but it had been all Dristan had known, and he would probably ease back into that way of life again when he went back home. He was a noble after all.

Now though, having finished his jobs, and with a belly full of pie, Dristan had set off to the local tavern with his lute slung across his back. He was a well known face now in the tavern, given that he had been playing here for quite a few years now. The innkeeper nodded to him as he entered and gestured towards the back of the tavern, which had a raised platform where Dristan usually played. First of all though, he needed an ale to warm his vocal chords. He never really sung, aside from when he was doing chants, so he only needed his fingers to work really. It didn’t take him long to drain the tankard and when he was done he took his lute out of its case and headed to his usual spot. Dristan was quite happy with his little lot at the moment, and he didn’t want to change anything.

Dristan had song after song shouted at him, and he struggled to hear some of the requests. Eventually he settled on an old song that his mother had taught him, some bits were in a different language, apparently one that was spoken by the highlanders. Dristan only sung a little, and very badly, not that his audience seemed to mind though. He began to have a little banter with the crowd, who on the whole were quite merry, until he spotted a young lad he had not seen before with a violin strapped across his back. Whistling to him, Dristan gestured to him, “Fancy a duet?” He shouted over the roar of the tavern drinkers.

[Sir Alex]

Alex didn't have the opportunity to take care of his clothes or to see his room, and could hear the resentment of the listeners. But why?! They have listened him to play, and he was playing very well. He could not accept, that someone could be playing better than him. He was somewhat selfish. But now he could distinguish a man's voice singing. The song did not require anyone to sing, so why was he singing? So he decided to go by himself to check out who was singing.

He was a young man, a bit older than him, and was singing with a bad voice. Jesus, surely this man needed some vocals lessons. When the man saw him, he smiled and invited Alex to play with him. Alex was at first a little skeptical and then he laughed. "Sure," He answered, smiling before he opened the case and pulled out his violin. He the proceeded to sit next to him and asked "You want to play any specific song?" Now was the time to play and have fun. The man seemed to be very nice. He noticed the musical instrument in his hands. If he was going to suggest playing his instrument, he wasn't going to approve of it.

[Dristan de Archer]

Dristan was quite enjoying the roar of the crowd as ballad after ballad reamed off his tongue. It was quite simple to play half of the folk tunes in Caerleon’s kingdom, and Thomas had taught him a few of the more simple rhymes that were well known in these parts. He knew the ballads from Camelot of course, but those either weren’t popular here or they weren’t known at all. It wasn’t exactly helpful when Dristan was trying to rouse a crowd into song. He had gone for simple tavern tunes tonight, just to cheer the drunken crowd. Some had even pressed coins into his palms, and Dristan was incredibly grateful. Most of the money he gained went to Grace and Thomas anyway, as they had given him a home when he had left Camelot.

He had expected the young man to greet him with enthusiasm that only a musician could own to. Dristan’s expression didn’t change, but he felt a wave of relief when the man gave him a smile. It would have been incredibly embarrassing to be stood up. Dristan stepped back, and allowed a little applause for his new guest, which the drunken rabble obliged with. He strung a few notes on his lute, as the man didn’t give him a suggestion. Dristan hummed for a moment, before starting to pluck the first few chords of a tavern favourite, all about a jilted lover finding comfort in the arms of another. There were a few faces that lit up at the familiar tune, “Do you know this one?” Dristan asked, sure that the violin and lute would compliment each other. They were different instruments, yes, but still, they would work miracles together.