The Sister of the North: Flora

The Masked Ones.

   Lief stared at the woman siting on the chair. 

   Bede, my son? What?! Lief thought. 

   Someone from behind pushed him forward and Lief fell over and looked up at Bess. 

   Kyoya groaned and looked at another masked figure. It was a woman, with a face of a fox, who was staring at him in a suspicous, or maybe, curious, way. Kyoya huffed and looked away. Viva huffed herself, sending smoke coming out of her nostrils and mouth. Cora just stared at them for the longest time, not knowing what to expect. Jasmine stared at them. 

   Lief was grabed by the large woman into a embrace and Lief could feel her braclets and charms crush Lief's back. Lief groaned in pain, not know whether to fight or do something else. 

   "Bess, tat as nat Bede! Ha as a spa!" The bird man said. 

   Kyoya growled at the bird man. Lief felt the woman let go and he stumbled back. Her hands were shaking and Lief looked at her. She was shaking so much. Viva looked at all the strange people. They were all wearing masks! Just a bunch of masks. 

   "If I may not be to say anything, allow me to introduce us!" Jasmine said. "We are a family that is heading North. My siblings and my uncle and I are heading torwards Tora. I am Jay." 

   "Our Uncle is Berry, as I am Crane" Cora said. "My two other brothers are Lewin and Krew. And out sister is Victoria." 

   Lief stared. Those were better names then the ones Barda gave them in Rithermere. Lief looked up and saw Bess's eyes closed. 

   "Tay la, Bess. Tay ar ta kang's spas!" Said the bird man. 

   This ticked Lief off so he blurted out. "We are not spies!" 

   The whole crowd went silent and they all began to murmer to each other. The bird man steped forward. "Then how do you know our tongue, spy!" He spat. 

   Lief looked at the people then back at the bird man. "I used my ears. You language sounded different to me at first, but then I figured out that you were only taking away letters in your words." Lief said. 

   "Admitt it! You are a spy, sent here by the tryant King Lief!" The bird man growled. 

   Lief seemed surprised by that. Now it was Cora's turn to speak. 

   "No! We swear! We are from Broome, traveling to Tora. We wish to seek suplies there before we head out to the ocean to fish." She yelled. 

   Bess opened her eyes and looked at Lief. "Is it true?" She asked. 

   Lief nodded. "Yes.......I am sorry." He said. 

   Bess then clapped her hands together. Viva moaned. They were going to join the masked ones. 

  The friends sat at a table near Bess's wagon and they began to discuss on what talents each friends had. The first she looked at was Viva. 

   "Victoria, I bet you have a wonderful voice, like maybe Lewin here." Bess said. 

   Lief and Viva stared at her in surprise. Cora cleared her throat. 

   "Lewin isn't good at singing at all, madame. Though, he does play the guitar pretty well." She said. 

    "Care to give a example?" Bess asked, asking Lief, Cora and Viva to play them something. 

   Lief and Cora looked at each other and they both nodded. Lief smiled and grabbed a guitar that was given to him and he got ready to play. Cora gave her thanks to someone who handed her a flute and she held it close to her lips ready to play. Viva stood in a clearing close to everyone that all of the people could see her. Cora began to play a tune and it filled the air with the coolness and sweetness of the air. Cora played the song the Manus taught her and she closed her eyes as she played. 

   Lief waited for Cora to finish the first part, then began to strum the guitar along with Cora's flute. His music filled the calmness and cleared everyone's mind from their task. Lief only focused on his guitar. 

   Viva stood there for a moment, then began to sing at first low, then she began to sing along with Cora's flute. She began to dance around on the clearing and everyone watched her. Viva's song filled everyone's ears, her spell calmed them and she healed most of the land around her. 

   Kyoya, Jasmine, and Barda stared at them for the longest time. Spyro, who was in a form of a sword at the side of Cora's belt, stared at them through the blade and he stared. Their music filled the air and they all listened for the longest time. Viva dances more, so gracefully that it looked like her feet weren't touching the ground. And her voice was so clear, that it sounded like Cora's flute. 

   Cora and Lief ended the song, but Viva sang on until she ended her dance at the last few seconds. The crowd that was watching applaud and nodded and they murmered about Viva's voice. 

    "Wonderful! You sing just like a bird, Victoria! You and your brothers are like birds!" Bess said. "And your uncle! He looks as strong as a Ox. And your other two brothers, they look as agile as cats! You six will do perfectly! Everything is set! You will have Otto's wagon. Now, go get comfortable in his wagon, while I...............tend to things." 

   

   Lief and his friends looked around in the big wagon and they all agreed that they were going to need more space for places to sleep. Lief stayed awake that night and he listened as the crowd sang a sad song to say farwell to their long gone friend. 

   Lief woke up to the sound of the door opening and he saw the fox woman come in and toss a bag in front of the friends. 

   "Bess has asked me to give this to you. Your faces must not be seen. Wear the masks and you will know much more to being one of us." She said, then she turned and left. 

   Barda took the bag and dumped it on the wagon floor. Masks came out and they all stared. Lief looked at them. Kyoya wasn't paying attention, he was looking out a windor to see the people wandering around. Lief picked up a cat's head and smiled. 

   "Look, Kyoya. You're becoming a reall cat now." Lief joked. 

   Kyoya shot him a glare. "Shut up!" Kyoya growled. 

   Viva was holding a red bird head and she kind of stared at it. "I never thought I would wear a mask in my life." She said. 

   Cora was sliding her mask on. "It will help us, Viv." Jasmine explained as she helped Cora. "They will hide us from any enemy wanting to hurt us along our journey." 

   Viva stared. "Now I wish so much that I didn't sing in front of Bess." Viva said. 

   Kyoya looked away. 

   "Kyoya, you need to wear the mask!" Cora protested. "They will not help us if you do not." 

   Kyoya sighed and muttered to himself. He then picked up his mask and put it on. 

   When they all had their masks on, they all looked at each other and they left for the outside. Kyoya and Jasmine stayed close to each other and they both ended up meeting a group of people with all dog faces on them and they urged them to join the act. Kyoya and Jasmine looked at each other and stared. Time to show what they could do.