Secrets Best Kept

Shakily, I rise to my feet and walk over to Ignacy. I pull a lighter from my pocket and indicate the bottle of rum, raising an eyebrow questioningly.

i look at him in a strange way and throw the bottle at him.

Turning away from the boys in disgust, I pull my wallet from my satchel, checking what we can afford for food. Opening it, I stare. I had two hundred pounds in here when we headed off. Now only five lonely pound notes sit inside. I curse in three languages. We're skint. I sigh. Looks like I need to spend a good few hours singing at the very least.

with a cry of "alcohol abuse" I dive for the bottle only to discover the bottle is empty as it shatters against my shoulder. "Pryo that was just wrong." i rummage in my pocket and hand djehuty a flask that is sweating blood "hair of the dog"

"Dog?" I say, glancing at the flask, "That Venom acts more like a dire wolf in your gut. I’m never drinking Vallhalla Venom again.Or apple martinis. Or Scumble, for that matter.”

I raise the flask in solute and take a short sip before handing it back. Fire burns its way down my throat. I hand it back to Liam and walk to the sink, pulling a large glass from the cupboard and filling it to the brim with water. "And to make sure it doesn't bite again."

"Once you lads are semi-sentient again," I say in a carrying voice to get over the general bickering, "I'm headed out, if anyone wants to tag along." I say, pulling on my coat, "I'll be needing to sing tonight a good bit, if any of us want to be eating."

I shrug on my coat " I am more then willing to tag along." am still smiling "besides if Kaija doesn't get up soon she is going to miss the whole day" I look confused "you would think she hadn't drunk before"

I sigh. "She's used to drinking beer, Liam. You gave her a great many drinks of hard liquor. What did you think would happen?"

with a flash of mild annoyance "I thought, and still think that she is a tough girl and can handle it" raising my eyebrow to Liv's answer "shall we?" Bowing towards the door

I snort, shaking my head at his foolishness. "Djhuety, you coming?" I call.

Sighing, I walk back to my room to retrieve my coat. Coming back, I whisper to my breakfast and pick up the bar that is now lying on the plate. Pointing it at the door, "Right behind you, mistress."

"hey i want to come too!" i say as i run after them out the door falling over a chair in the process.

Stepping through the gateway into the Nightside, we pause for a moment to let a herd of bawling minataurs out on a stag night go past. You really don't want to get in the way of drunken minataurs. Then the four of us turn down Victoria street. In an empty lot, an impromptu circus seems to have set up shop, a mix of performers all acting out their crafts. To one side, a Phouka shapeshifts from a rabbit to a hat, before rising into a great two legged goat that turns a soumersalt. A mermaid in a hovering water globe flits and displays her flexibilities, and a ten armed man plays card tricks. We pass the circus by, and find a place where three streets intersect. There's a throng of people passing into Uptown and an equally large following headed for the Street of the Gods, throngs of gawping tourists going by. I smile. I drop a cloth cap on the pavement, and call out to the crowd, infusing my voice with excitement. "Would you have a tale? Would you have a song? Then gather round!"
And with that, I drop into a song, fast, cadanced and flirty, perfect to catch the ear and put a smile on all faces.

"A lady sits at her own front door, waiting on her man
by there came a lusty smith, with his hammer in his hand

Saying,"You are such a maiden fair, all in your robes of red,
will ya take me in yer arms, and have me in your bed?"

"Away, away you coal black smith, what you do say is wrong,
Does thou think a lass like me can be had for a song"?

So the lady she took out her wand, held it high in her hand,
she turned herself into a cloud, said "Catch me if you can!"

So the blacksmith shook his hammer, turned to a magic stick,
he became a lightning bolt for to zap into her quick.

He sang, "Bide, lady bide, your lust for me don't hide,
this dusty smith will be your love, so lay aside your pride."


So the lady she turned into a fish, a-swimmin' in the brook,
So he became an otter sleek and after her he took

But the lady she turned into a fly, flew up into the air,
So he became a hairy spider for to drag her into his lair

So the lady she turned into a fiddle, hid amidst a song
So he became a rosined bow and played her all night long

Singin', "Bide, lady bide, your lust for me don't hide,
this dusty smith will be your love, so lay aside your pride."

Then the lady she turned into a rose, rosebud in the wood,
So he became a bumble bee for to sting her where she stood

And the lady she became a house, a house all by the way
And he became a robber bold to enter her by day

But the lady she turned into a horse, dark as the night is black
So he became a golden saddle for to climb onto her back

Singin'"Bide, lady bide, your lust for me don't hide"

I wink and mimic the shapes whatever I describe, fueling my voice with the image of a woman coyly winking at her suitor and a dark man panting in pursuit, putting into it all the excitement of flirting. People are grinning, clapping along, laughing as I twirl as if turning away from an approaching suitor, my voice lilting, laughing over the verses.


"So the lady she became a cup, cup of the finest wood
So he became the finest wine to fill her well and good

So the lady she became a glove, a glove all made of fur
And he became himself again to put his hand in her

So the lady she went into a room, turned into a bed
He became a coverlet and so won her maiden head

"Bide, lady bide, your lust for me don't hide,
this dusty smith will be your love, so lay aside your pride."

So the lady and the smith were wed, and will be together long
For he’s proved he can keep up with her, and so here ends my song

"Bide, lady bide, your lust for me don't hide,
this dusty smith will be your love, so lay aside your pride."

I bow, and people laugh, calling out their own ribald suggestions and clapping loudly. I smile. Something dirty will always find a place in the Nightside.

I first begin to chuckle, then blush as the song continues before laughing with the crowd and clapping along with the music, when her song ends I clap Djehuty on his back "your turn my friend" I grin slightly urging him foreward. " you are the tale weaver so spin a story for the fine folk."

I turn with a smile. "Yes, come on, Djhuety. I'd love a hand up here."

Nodding I take a step to the center of the story ring...

Gather round and listen close, I'll not repeat my tale... Dreams tell us where we are, where we're from, and all to often, where we go... Think back; each of us has had the vision. You stand in a place both familiar and alien. Forests of dream become hard and black, while the solid lines of urban life decay and falter, becoming soft beneath your feet. You're walking somewhere, to meet a person you've always know and never meet. You stay the path; you are pulled at from all sides to abandon the road, but in your heart of hearts, you know that she is at the other end...

The door looms before you, recognizes you. This seems right, but in the pit of your stomach, all seems amiss. you continue and find the empty place where they lie, waiting for you; the velvet prison in which you have held them...

Now question... Are they the monster in the soul? Or are you? Unspeakable things occur in that room...

And you are awake! You rise and see that the world is brighter, and turning over, you see your love at your side, a peace over their face. The dream is important, but when you look at them, you know that you must forget it, or you may loss this world in which you are so happy...

I take a step back and bow... "When walking in dreams. remember; It is an illusion... and much heartache comes of weaving them to mach your reality."

For a moment, the crowd is silent. There's a smattering of applause, and a few coins are dropped into the cap, but below it is a muttering, and the crowd begins to move on. I stride to the fore, and call out, "Now, speaking of dreams, do let me tell you..." I tell a wild, rollicking story full of puns, then launch into a fun sing-along, followed by a Coyote story that filled all the minds of the crowd with hot sun, warm winds and singing coyote laughter. After two more songs, one a lively tune and one a strong battle song, I bow and gather up my earnings, and gesture to my friends.
We turn a corner, and the warm lights of the Starry Night beckon. I stand out of the way as a female faun drags her mate out by one horn, scolding, then step inside. We take up a booth, ensconced with teas and coffee. Once we're settled, I look up at Djhuety, puzzled. "You know lad, the point of busking is to entertain the folk, not to disconcert them. Why did you choose that tale? It didn't fit the mood too well."

A look akin to shame crosses my face as I think back to my dismal failure on the plaza. "I don't know... It seemed right at the moments..."

"What brought it to your mind?" I ask, sipping my tea.

" lighten up Liv, it is his first time, he will get the hang of it eventually" I smile hunting around for a small wooden flute so that I can contribute to our enterprise

"No, it was a good tale...just odd." I say quietly.

"I think it mirror of my dream..." I say hesitantly... "So much of it's still a blur after everything that happened this morning." I rub my forehead pointedly.

"What do you remember of it?" I ask, sitting forward, "Was it a message, like the other dreams?"

"Well, I put a lot of it in the story... It didn't feel like the others; if anything, it felt threatening." I shudder at the final memory.