Late Night Music

[Elessar]

Elessar sat at the piano in the main hall. Sitting on the piano was a lit candelabra and an empty bottle of Arabellan. He couldn't sleep. In the past few weeks the Elf had become quite the insomniac, all because the memories of his imprisonment refused to fade. He couldn't close his eyes without seeing the grime covered walls of his previous cage closing in. Had he spoken to anyone of what had been going through his mind? Hardly. Armandeus was off enjoying his newfound relationship with De'Ryanna, and it was foolish Elven pride that kept him from speaking to anyone else.

How he had come to be at the piano was a mystery. The last truly coherent thing the Elf remembered was getting the bottle of Arabellan and after that it was a welcomed wine-induced haze. Elessar was not a stranger to the piano, it was one of the rare mortal things he had an appreciation for. Though, years had passed since he had last played.

Experimentally he ran his fingers over the keys, listening to the notes being produced. It was the same as learning to shoot a bow, the skill never left no matter how much time had passed by. Letting the melody of those few notes wash over him, Elessar began playing in earnest. Soon the hauntingly melodic Für Elise filled the main hall.

[Casandra Lightheart]

Cas wasn’t sleeping much either, she was sleeping more then she had been but it sill wasn’t enough. She was wearing a simple cotton dress. With her hair worn lose.

Her children were asleep in the room, Cas had left Kjay with them. People might find that odd; but she trusted her wolf with her children more than most humans.

She was heading down to the kitchen looking for a late night snack; that was when she heard the piano. She changed her direction to the main hall. Seeing Elessar she smiled.

"It is nice to see you up and about; you had us worried there for a while."

[Guest]

Tasha was not dealing with things well these days. And a consequence of keeping it all bottled up and not dealing with it was the uncontrollable nightmares. That was one of the reason's she stayed in her room so much. She slept when she could and ate when she remembered. Which right now, she could not remember the last time she had done either.

There she was in her bed alone tossing and turning from yet another nightmare. The subject of this one? The same as all the others. Gareth. Well, usually when she awoke from a nightmare, the music stopped. But this time, the music, it hadn't stopped. Why was there still music playing. It was so faint that she barely could hear it. Had she not been a lycan, chances were she would not have heard it.

She sprang from her bed and grabbed up a pair of sweat pants. Pulling them on she grabbed up a shirt, but this wasn't just any shirt, it was his. She pulled it on and ran from her room not even closing the door behind her or putting anything on her feet. It was louder now that she was in the hallway.

As she was headed down the stairs it kept getting louder. She hit the bottom floor at a full run and headed for the now very distinct and loud playing of Für Elise. It wasn't overly loud, but it wasn't like you could tell a grand piano to whisper. As she approached the sounds of a song that she and Gareth had played for each other several times one word escaped her throat in an almost panicked tone. "Gary?!?"

But as soon as the piano was within her sight her heart sank a little, for a moment at least, and she stopped running. It was Elessar, and Casie was there talking to him. "Oh, I'm sorry, I thought it was someone else. I am glad to see that you are healed Elessar." She moved to the bar for a glass of water. She was highly embarrassed for her mistake. But hearing someone playing that piano was her worst nightmare coming true.

[Elessar]

Elessar was the type that once they focused their attention on something, they blocked everything else out. Which is why he hadn't noticed that anyone else had even came into the hall. It was when Casandra had started speaking that his concentration wavered and his fingers began stumbling along the keys.

Once lost it was hard to regain that same rhythm back and in his current intoxicated state Elessar was unable to grasp it again. His fingers finally continued to stumble ungracefully across the keys before they finally stopped.

Tasha had perfect timing, for she entered the room at the same time Elessar lifted his head. He looked between the two women, focusing to keep his expression blank as he tried to figure out who they were. He couldn't recall ever meeting them before, but they both seemed to know him. It clicked then; they must have been part of the group that had healed him. Smiling, he looked from one to the other. "Thank you, but if it weren't for your help I would not be here."

[Casandra Lightheart]

She smiled at Elessar and Tasha, she knew something was wrong with her, she would tlak to her later.

"I'm Casandra."

She held her hand out to the elf.

"I play a little some, but more often then not I sing, would you like some company?"

She just really didn't want to have to try to go back to sleep.

[Guest]

Tasha returned with three glasses of ice water on a tray. She set the tray down and lifted one of the glasses to take a drink. "And I'm Tasha. I'm glad I could help." She looked at the piano. "I used to play, but ..." She wasn't going to say anything else on that subject.

[Elessar]

Leaning forward, Elessar reached out to shake her hand. "It is a pleasure to meet you Casandra," At her offer of company he smiled. Just like her, the Elf was in no great hurry to retry embracing sleep. "Company would be welcomed."

Looking up when Tasha returned from the bar, he gave her a smile. "It is a pleasure to meet you as well Tasha." Turning his attention back to the piano, he pulled the wooden cover down over the keys. "It has been a very long time since I played."

[Casandra Lightheart]

Cassie shook his hand and sat down as she took a glass, of ice water.

"I thought Tasha and I were the only ones with insomnia problems."

She thought of the nightmares and forced them to the back of her mind. It seemes like the only time she got a peaceful nights sleep was when she was in Amadeo's arms. The nights they got to spend like that were few but tresured.

She smiled at Elessar.

"What, made you decide to open an Inn?"

[Guest]

Tasha smiled as she found a place to sit and talk with the pair of fellow insomniacs. "You play very well Elessar." Tasha wasn't sure she would ever be able to touch those keys again. She curled up in a chair. She heard Casie's question and smiled as she waited for the answer. She was now curious too. Hazard of being a cat.

[Elessar]

"There are many who suffer the same inflictions, yet bare them in silence." The words were true, who knew how many at the Inn suffered from troubles sleeping and did not mention so.

Why did they decide to open the Inn? The question brought a brief smile. "The decision to open the Inn was not my own, but Epiphany's. You could say she drug Armandeus and myself along for the journey."

"Thank you," This was said in response to Tasha about his playing. "I had a skilled teacher."

[Casandra Lightheart]

Cas noded.

"That is right, not many speak about what bothers them."

She took another drink of her water.

"Epiphany painted a picture of me to give to some one I care for. She is different but I like her."

She looked at Tasha; Cas knew why she was down here and she was sorry that she was hurting.

[Guest]

When Casie looked at her she wanted to climb under the piano. She nodded to Elessar. Piano was one thing that Tasha hadn't learned from Venis. Oh, Venis could play, but Tasha could play better. Which made it all the more sad that she had swore to never play again. "Epiphany is good people. I met her when I was first here. I thinks she and I can be good friends." Epiphany did seem like the kind of person that Tasha could hang out with. Tasha just needed to get out of her room more.

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