Pianissimo
By Catherine LaCroix
Description:
In the second installment
of The Silent Note, Tobias and Ara's love continues to grow through their
shared adoration of music and each other. Tobias struggles to create the
perfect song for Ara, seeking assistance from those closest to him. An
unexpected source leads him in the right direction, and his composition for her
transforms into more than just a sweet melody.
~~~~~ Excerpt ~~~~~
I knew I'd arrived to the clearing early, but I found it
difficult to stifle my excitement. The few days without my evening visits I
spent counting down the seconds until I'd see Ara again. Even so, I slept
soundly those nights, something I hadn't been afforded recently. My days spent
with my father and grandfather seemed to move a little faster, and I tackled
whatever faced me with my heart a little lighter.
The moon hid her face that evening, but the light of my
lantern was plenty for me to see by. I lay out a blanket I'd brought over the
soft grass and set up a few plates of foods for us to enjoy during our time
together. Perhaps I'd overdone myself a little, snatching anything I could from
our kitchens including a few bottles of ale. But Ara was special, and I wanted
to create more evenings for her to remember. When I was pleased with my
arrangements, I leaned back against the boulder that usually served as my
seating place, and took my lute from its case. Strumming a few casual notes, I
fell easily into a pleasant melody, experimenting with different rhythms and
chords as I went.
Before I saw Ara, I heard her flute, matching perfect
harmony and rhythm with my seemingly random tune. When she stepped into the
clearing, she drifted into her own melody, still keeping in tune and pace with
my playing. Within it I could feel her excitement and happiness, her passion
and pleasure. Ara displaced her silence with music- her songs were her voice,
and it was beautiful.
She danced the few steps from the edge of the thicket to
my blanket, and knelt before me, holding one long, pure note before ending her
piece- a clear sign for me to stop playing.
"Hello, Ara," I greeted her, unable to mask my grin.
She gave me a tiny bow, her smile just as wide. Shifting
to a cross-legged position, she gestured to my display of foods with a questioning
look.
"I thought since we were out here for so long last time,
we could do with a little something to eat."
Lifting up her fist, she held her thumb and her
forefinger a few inches apart before narrowing her eyes and cocking her head. A little?
"Alright, maybe it's more
than necessary, but we don't need to eat all of it," I laughed.
Keywords: romance,
coming of age, renaissance, medieval, fantasy, drama, anthology