The Calm Before The Storm

[Jasen "Dreamer" Masters]

Dreamer tried talking when she asked him what kind of hobbies he enjoyed when she began talking again. She told him she would visit him at the Ram later, which he would enjoy. It was the particular word, spell, she used that made him look away for a moment. When he turned back, he noticed she was only wearing a nightgown, which made him look away again.

This time, his cheeks were red.

He heard a russtling of sheets, which led him to believe she had either removed them or pulled them up. When he took a peek, he saw she had burried herself deeper into them. He hoped she hadnt noticed him turn red, it would be embarressing.

"You can ask questions about me you know."

For once, Dreamer was caught off guard. She was asking him to question her, a rare treat. He decided to begin simple, "What do you do? How old are you? Do you live here? What were you doing in the storm?".

[Katlyn Isabel Blake]

Katlyn laughed as Dreamere came out with a whole string of questions, he was as nosey as she was!

"Well," She began, "I am Katlyn -as you know- and I help out on the farm. I'm pretty strong really!" She laughed again, flexing her muscles and forming her face into a position that she called "manly".
"I'm 17-just and yes, this is my little old house." She rubbed the dry wall fondly, as if it were an old friend she had come to know well.
"Where are you from?" She asked absent mindedly, "You look different to everyone I've ever seen." Realising what she had said she blushed and flashed Dreamer and apologetic look before answering his last question.
"And I was in the storm because I wanted to go somewhere peaceful, but then it sort of backfired. I have these fits every now and again, its an incurable illness." She smiled, probably shocking Dreamer- afterall she was talking about a terminal illness! But it never got Katlyn down.

[Jasen "Dreamer" Masters]

Dreamer was amazed at how easily Katlyn seemed to handle the idea of having a terminal illness that hindered her so bad. Then again, he hadnt thought that she had years of practice to deal with the problem. He felt like he should do something, use his power to heal her. Even before he spoke the words though, he knew he couldnt do it.

He may have been a mage in the Guild, but Katlyns family would have probably seen one or a dozen before. It saddened him, being unable to help her with her problem. The best he could do was what he had done before, eased her out of her fitful state.

He cast his mind away from the subject and smiled, "I don't have an exact origin of birth, My life was spent on the road before i settled in Camelot".

[Katlyn Isabel Blake]

"Wow really?" Travelling had always intrigued Katlyn and she wished she had been old enough to witness her parents trek to Camelot all those years ago. The again it had been the journey that had made her ill, or so it was thought. When she had been younger, Katlyn had thought that travelling back to her parents homeland would make her better and she had even tried to run away. Luckily her parents had figured her plan out quickly and managed to fetch her back before any harm had come to her. She had grown up though and all fantasies of getting better had faded. Now she lived each day as it came.
But she still wished that she could travel and see the whole of A[bion, corner to corner. It would probably never happen, for she had neither the money or the heart to leave her father behind while she lived an exciting life and she would probably not outlive him.
It was just another reason to add to the long list of why she wanted to be a noble.

"I hope you don't feel like you have to stay?" Katlyn asked, worried that Dreamer might not know how to excuse himself. "I don't want to keep you from anything important!" She smiled.

[Jasen "Dreamer" Masters]

"Oh no no no, its fine..i think" Dreamer began stumbling with his words,"That is if my..you know..im not imposing..i mean..i don't want to make you..Uncomfortable". He figured he had tripped with the words a bit too much there, and decided to just keep his mouth closed. Dreamer wasn't very good with girls, or women in general.

"I'm on vacation you see" Dreamer began, then corrected himself "At least for a short period..i just needed a break and..."Dreamer cut himself off and just lowered his head. He wasn't becoming very accomplished with his word usage. He wanted to crawl in a hole and hibernate.

[Katlyn Isabel Blake]

Katlyn smiled as he stumbled over the sentence and replied, "Don't worry, I like your company."
She spoke the truth, for normally she was left alone when ill, to "rest" and she hated it. She almost always snuck off when her father was in the fields and when she was well enough. But at this stage, the "Not-quite-well-enough-but-getting-there" stage, being alone was torture.

"Well if you dont have work then I don't feel so bad!" She grinned, snuggling further into the covers on her bed. "Will you play for me?" She asked after another few minutes of silence, signalling the mans violin which still rested in his lap.
"I love music, I only wish i could play something...or sing!" She laughed, "You really dont wanna hear me sing."

[Jasen "Dreamer" Masters]

Dreamer nodded when she asked for him to play for her, and said nothing when she said she had no talent. He figured he wasnt in any position to say if she had talent or not, he had nver heard her sing. He lifted his violin to his shoulder and brought the bow to the string.

Closing his eyes, he began to play his emotions into the song. All of his fear, his worry, and his nervousness played out into the song. Each not striking into a perfect symphony of notes.

When he was done, he let the note drag on until it finished. Then he brought his bow from the sting and place his violin down. He then looked back at Katlyn, to see what she thought.

[Katlyn Isabel Blake]

Katlyn closed her eyes as Dreamer began to play. The music of a violin was like no music she had ever heard before. The notes melded together forming the most beautiful melody she could ever have imagined. As he played on she began to hum the tune quietly to herself as she faded into a dream world.

The symphony continued and she remained hooked on every note, be it long or short she loved it all.
"Wow," She breathed as Dreamer put down his bow. He looked like he seeked approval from Katlyn and she brought her hands together clapping wildly.
"You're amazing! I can't wait to come and see you at the Ram!" She truly was enchanted by the music he had played, and even when her father came in and told Dreamer to stop getting her so excited, she barely noticed.

[Jasen "Dreamer" Masters]

Dreamer's cheeks grew red as Katlyn began to clap enthusiastically and spoke nothing but praise. Dreamer was used to hearing a chorus of clapping, but no praise that he himself couldn't ignore. When her father came in, Dreamer noticed he must have also been listening by how fast it took him to walk into the room.

Dreamer nodded his head to the man and laid down both bow and violin in the bag. Taking it, he rested it alongside the chair. All done, he stared back at Katlyn "Sorry for bringing your father in" he said. The man had left them both to themselves again.

[Katlyn Isabel Blake]

Katlyn snapped out of her phase and turned as Dreamer spoke.
"Oh." She said not having noticed her father entering, "Thats ok." She smiled, the memories of his music fading from her ears.
"That really was lovely, you must teach me to play sometime." She yawned. "I think I need to get some rest now though. You will come back and visit me soon though?" She sighed sleepily and snuggled down into her bed. The warmth and soft straw mattress was so inviting that her eyes closed and she was asleep before she knew it. She dreamed of music and a life where illness was unknown.