Sing a Song of the People We Once Were [Attn: Soldier Asan]

[Bella]

Dai would have thought that, after having been here at the Tower for some time, things would get easier. That had yet to prove to be the truth, although he wasn't sure he could say that they had gotten harder. Just that the novelty of it certainly had worn off, and life was more rote by the moment. Not that he was always adverse to that, but he did have his moments.

He at least now had one of his moments of free time and, as per the usual, he chose to spend it in the gardens. This was his favorite place in this whole Tower, and no one section of it was favored over another. He loved every spot and corner of it.

Today, he was sitting on one of the many stone benches dotted along one of its many paths. This one was under a tree, and the weather was growing cooler. The season was changing and he could feel it like a tingling in the air, and see the way the trees were shifting hues and getting ready to drop their leaves. Soon he would be joining the other Soldiers, Novices, and Drin who were tasked to rake them up.

With his attention drifting off into the clear air, blankly gazing between trees on the other side of the path, he began to hum. He didn't fully realize he was doing it, nor what song it was. He did not realize it was a song that his mother--his Tuatha'an birth mother--used to sing to him when he was very young. The tune just came to him and he released it without thought.

[Percy]

Asan was mostly asleep. It was a delicious feeling, on a day that wasn't absolutely suffocated with lessons and chores, the Tuatha'an was sprawled out under a shade tree- swimming in and out of consciousness, completely unaware of the time that passed by. It was a wave of calm amid a torrent of work- Asan was feeling a bit more at ease with things, however, weathering what was thrown his way without much fuss.

It was almost as if he belonged. Almost.

His father's face was hallowed in golden light as he spoke, his lips clearly moving without sound. Asan strained to hear him, strained to make out what the man was saying to no avail. Light pulsed around him, and strangely Asan could look no other place but his Father's face. His soundless lips hinted at words, or perhaps Asan believed he read snippets of the man's intent. He imagined the words were of wisdom and warmth. His father's eyes were twinkling in the way they did when he sung- Asan wondered how long it had been since he'd seen that twinkle in the man's eyes. He wanted to reach out to the man, to join him in song. He found he wanted this more desperately than anything.

It was then he heard the humming. Asan sat up quickly, and lo and behold, on the other side of the tree, seated on a stone bench was the source of the familiarity. Feelings of home washed over the man. It was a jumbled mix of sorrow, regret, joy, and sweet safety. Nothing was quite as powerful as his father's voice.

He hadn't thought about how much he missed that voice in a long time. He hung on to that melody, it shook the cobwebs of his impromptu nap out of his mind. The melody tugged at his memory banks, and he stood, peeking around the tree. His baritone picked up the melody easily:

"So many pieces of life to touch, your hands are eager to feel,
So many smiles, so many songs, so many dances through the years.

Now you have been blessed, blessed with life, don't spend your time in fear
Dance with the fires, kiss each sunrise, cherish the time you are here.

Keep company with those, who Seek the Song
The Words made muse to keep us strong, until we remember, we drift along.."

He couldn't help it- not really. Regarding the gentleman with a warm smile, he started with an apology. "Sorry friend, I was taken by your melody. My father sung that to me years and years ago. How did you come by it?"

[Bella]

So surprised as he was when someone sang along to the song he hadn't even realized he was humming, Dai almost fell off the bench. He stopped humming by the second couplet and turned to stare at the young man who had began to sing along. The words had flowed through his mind and brought back snippets of memories he had somewhat suppressed in his youth.

There were so many things he didn't remember, but knew enough that he didn't want to remember them. He knew how dark they were, and he had been told the state he was in when he, as a young boy, had shown up on the doorstep of his adoptive parents.

This other man, though--a fellow Soldier by his dress--had features that were familiar to him. Not that he knew him personally, but that he knew where they had both come from. He had heard of other Tuatha'an people--though he as much considered himself not of the people as he considered himself part of them--in the Tower, but had met none and struggled to imagine it.

"I..." he began and then faltered, hastily standing to face the other and bow slightly in respect. "My mother sang it to me," he finally said, quietly, as if more confession than answer to a question. "When I was very young."