Whatever Jigano's retort might have been - something charming, no doubt - was quickly lost as their attention was drawn by soft brown eyes and glowing antlers. It didn't seem afraid of Isla as she made a tentative approach, but it watched her. It seemed calm, if a little cautious, for which Jigano couldn't blame it. Him. He was pretty sure it was a him, though he couldn't see the hindquarters from his angle. Something in the eyes, though...
"Thank goodness for that. Glowing deer are one thing - flaming deer, quite another! I'm not sure the forest would recover from a herd of such creatures." Unless, of course, their flames were as harmless as the volcanettes' had been. He tilted his head, looking from Isla to the deer as she tried to recall what she'd seen on the notice board. He really should have checked it, too, but he'd been so busy lately it had kept slipping his mind.
Thankfully Isla had at least caught the gist of it. He blinked in surprise, then grinned back. "Lucky indeed, your grace!" He sketched a slow, careful bow so as not to startle the deer - the luxere, he corrected himself - and looked around, humming softly to loosen his vocal chords up.
The stone he had sat on to study the volcanettes still poked above the snow, and the bard made his way to it, settling down so he wouldn't stand quite so tall. He smiled to Isla, beckoning her to join him. "I wish that you could match me in a full duet, but I doubt we've any songs in common yet," he apologized sheepishly. "But you should be able to pick the refrain up pretty quickly, I think. So please, when you do, join in."
With that he cleared his throat, closed his eyes - and then tilted his head back. His voice emerged in a clear tenor, sweet and warm in spite of the bitter cold around them.
"This is my winter song to you.
The storm is coming soon,
It rolls in from the sea
My voice; a beacon in the night.
My words will be your light,
To carry you to me."
The luxere snorted at the first verse, then perked its ears forward, curious as the bard's voice filled the clearing. He wasn't singing loudly but he was good at projecting without needing to shout.
Slowly, tentative at first, the deer took a few steps towards the pair, drawn by the music - and, perhaps, by their peaceful intentions.
"Is love alive?
Is love alive?
Is love
They say that things just cannot grow
Beneath the winter snow,
Or so I have been told.
They say we're buried far,
Just like a distant star
I simply cannot hold."
"Thank goodness for that. Glowing deer are one thing - flaming deer, quite another! I'm not sure the forest would recover from a herd of such creatures." Unless, of course, their flames were as harmless as the volcanettes' had been. He tilted his head, looking from Isla to the deer as she tried to recall what she'd seen on the notice board. He really should have checked it, too, but he'd been so busy lately it had kept slipping his mind.
Thankfully Isla had at least caught the gist of it. He blinked in surprise, then grinned back. "Lucky indeed, your grace!" He sketched a slow, careful bow so as not to startle the deer - the luxere, he corrected himself - and looked around, humming softly to loosen his vocal chords up.
The stone he had sat on to study the volcanettes still poked above the snow, and the bard made his way to it, settling down so he wouldn't stand quite so tall. He smiled to Isla, beckoning her to join him. "I wish that you could match me in a full duet, but I doubt we've any songs in common yet," he apologized sheepishly. "But you should be able to pick the refrain up pretty quickly, I think. So please, when you do, join in."
With that he cleared his throat, closed his eyes - and then tilted his head back. His voice emerged in a clear tenor, sweet and warm in spite of the bitter cold around them.
"This is my winter song to you.
The storm is coming soon,
It rolls in from the sea
My voice; a beacon in the night.
My words will be your light,
To carry you to me."
The luxere snorted at the first verse, then perked its ears forward, curious as the bard's voice filled the clearing. He wasn't singing loudly but he was good at projecting without needing to shout.
Slowly, tentative at first, the deer took a few steps towards the pair, drawn by the music - and, perhaps, by their peaceful intentions.
"Is love alive?
Is love alive?
Is love
They say that things just cannot grow
Beneath the winter snow,
Or so I have been told.
They say we're buried far,
Just like a distant star
I simply cannot hold."
