A Voice on the Wind

Writers: Aaron, Heather
Date Posted: 6th February 2024

Characters: Suynie, Wirnan, Lucyien
Description: Wirnan accidentally witnesses a special moment between Suynie and Lucyien.
Location: Sunstone Seahold
Date: month 13, day 10 of Turn 10
Notes: Mention: Lucyien's song is a little sea shanty I found online and modified to fit Pern. Yay sea shanties!

Suynie

Wirnan

"Mama! Mama! Mama!" Lucyien piped excitedly as he danced around Suynie's legs. On a rare day off from looking after the Lord and Lady's children, the foster mother and her son were enjoying a nice, calming walk along the seaside.

"What, Luc?" she asked, seeing that her son was about to burst.

"I learned a new song today!"

"You did, huh?"

"Yeah! One of the ladies in the kitchens was singing it and she taught me the words."

Suynie arched an eyebrow. "What were you doing in the kitchens?"

A guilty glint crept into Lucyien's eyes. "Nothing."

"Mmhmm," she intoned, the sound of a mother who knows her child.

"Mamaaaaaa," he groaned.

"Okay, okay. Sing me the song," she smiled indulgently. Lucyien had always been a little singer, and like any mother, Suynie thought he was uncommonly good but then.... She recognized that she might be a little bit - scratch that - a whole lot biased!

Lucyien yipped, sending sand spraying as he slid to a halt, pushed his shoulders back and began singing into the wind:

"We're going away to leave you now
Good bye, fare thee well
Good bye, fare thee well
We're going away to leave you now
Hoorah, me boys, we're homeward bound

Ah, give me the girl with the bonny brown hair
Your hair of brown is the talk of the town

So fare you well, we're homeward bound
Homeward bound to Seastone land

So fill up your glasses for those who were kind
And drink to the girls we're leaving behind

We're homeward bound I hear them say
We're homeward bound with a Lord's pay

Our anchor we'll weigh, our sails we will set
The friends we are leaving we'll never forget"

Suynie froze, staring at her beautiful son as he sang, his words carrying on the breeze made by the waves. She'd heard this song before. Lucyien's father, Laxiver, would hum and sing it for days each time he was about to head out on another voyage. The last time she'd heard him sing it was before he'd left and then gotten lost at sea during the River Bluff tsunami.

She blinked tears as Lucyien looked up at her expectantly.

"Are you crying, Mama?"

"No, I, uh," she cleared her throat as she wiped at her cheeks. "Some sand blew into my eyes."

"What do you think about my song, Mama?"

She reached out and cupped his face between both of her hands. "It was beautiful, my bonny boy."

Hide quoted text
Wirnan had not meant to spy on Suynie. In fact, he had done his best to stay away from her such that she never had to see him after what he had done to her.

But there were few places to hide by the shore. He should knowâ€" he knew all of them, in case he had to hide from any of those who were still after him.

The song brought tears to his eyes as well. The boy had a beautiful voice, more than Wirnan had ever noticed before. He had been searching for something, anything he could do from the shadows to support Lucyienâ€" not because he thought he could buy back Suynie's affection, but because he loved her, and he was fond of the boy, and he wanted the best for them.

And now he knew what that would be. He had met a journeyman Harper during his days on the lam, and he was fairly certain he could still get in touch with him. A voice like Lucyien's on an eight-Turn-old was rarer than gold.

Last updated on the February 10th 2024

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A Voice on the Wind