The Custodian Chronicles: Finding Dragons

Farm Boy Etiquette

Five days later they were finally able to stop in a village – instead of camping on the side of the road or attempting to sleep inside the carriage (never a fun idea when you have five people.) It was a pleasant change they were all looking forward to: most of all Drake who woke with a crick in his neck most every morning, which made Aleph laugh and call him old. Cedrick would then start defending Drake until the topic was all but forgotten. Most of the others were already asleep as they rode into the quaint little village.

Cedrick was gazing out the window, enjoying the breeze when a magical sound met his ears: a sound like he'd never heard of the like of before. He couldn't find words grand enough for it. He froze as it struck his ear and started to sink into his heart, making him feel happy and pleasant just like the sound. "What... what is that?" Cedrick asked, captivated as he tried to find where the sound came from.

Elphacena lifted her head and looked at her husband, brows furrowed in confusion. "Sound? What do you mean; what sound?"

"I don't know; just that sound. That amazing sound." Cedrick tried to explain, as his eyes scanned for the source of the noise. He spotted what he was looking for and pointed excitedly. "There. That sound they are making." There was a troupe of players that had a diverse collection of instruments: a violin, drums, flute, and other wind instruments, and a young woman singing and dancing to the tune. "Those people are making that sound; what is it? It's amazing; like nothing I've heard before."

Elphacena stuck her head out to see what Cedrick was pointing at; and her jaw dropped as she saw what it was. "You don't mean that music, do you?"

"Music? That's music, really?" Cedrick had heard of music before, but he'd never really thought about it other than hearing birds sing, and this sound was almost as pleasant, but in a distinct way from the birds' song; was this human song? "Is that like a people song?"

Elphacena burst out laughing, unable to believe what she was hearing her husband say. "You've really never heard music before, ever; your father or sister never sang to you or anything? What about the trumpets at Roxorim's coronation?"

"That was music? I thought it was how people howled to show pride and power, you know like wolf." Cedrick explained, and Elphacena lost it to laughter again. Cedrick frowned. "Am I doing something wrong?" He asked.

"No, no, Cedrick. You're not doing anything wrong; it's just," she paused to laugh a little more, "Your farm boy is really showing; that's all." When Cedrick displayed his lack of formal education or lack of social experience, Elphacena lovingly called it his 'farm boy' and warned him it was showing. It must be showing severely now by the way she was laughing. Cedrick never knew if she meant it as a compliment or an insult, but he paid attention to it nonetheless. Elphacena finally managed to get herself back to normal. "Well, do you like it?"

Cedrick's eyes lit up as if they were struck by dazzling fireworks, and his nod was as enthusiastic as a child accepting candy, which made Elphacena laugh again. Once she was calm, Cedrick beamed. "Yes, I like it; I love it, and I want to hear and see more of it."

"Good, you'll hear a lot over the next few..." Elphacena suddenly stopped as if a rather startling revelation overcame her, "Oh dear, Cedrick, do you know how to dance?"

Worried by Elphacena's expression, Cedrick slowly shook his head. "Cena, I don't know what music is, and you ask me that?"

"Sorry." She admitted his point. "So you haven't danced or seen anyone dance?" She made sure.

Once again, Cedrick shook his head. "Maybe, I wouldn't know; can you tell me what it is?"

Elphacena scooted closer to the window and pointed to the woman who was singing and dancing in the troupe. "You see that girl? The movements she's making to the music is one form of dance or dancing, if that makes more sense. You're going to need to do partner dancing during a lot of the parties; it's traditional and you may offend someone if you don't at least do something, but don't worry. I'll be with you the whole time. I'll have to find a way to teach you in time."