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 Posted: Sat Dec 06, 2008 6:26 pm
"At ease, Cheshire." The wolf murmured, deciding the title an appropriate name for the bobcat. "In my time, many a good knight and peasant were called by whatever providence they were born from. I am Robin of Loxley, a village located in South Yorkshire in close proximity to Nottinghamshire, just east of your birthplace." he greeted, quite pleased in finding another who originated from Mid-West England.
Robin wiped off the tip of his arrow then licked the remnants of the bird's blood from his paw as he slipped the weapon back into his quiver. "Then tell me, Cheshire. Without anyone to sing your song to, what shall become of you?" He tilted his head thoughtfully as his medieval tongue had him speaking in metaphor now.
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Posted: Sat Dec 06, 2008 6:57 pm
Chesh laid down and curled up with another shrug. Already had there been a slight accent to the mid-range voice, but now it came out with a fervor.
"As I said, find a new profession, until someone wants to hear my singing," Chesh replied. The cat thought back, to home and family, to darker times. Gold eyes closed slowly.
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Posted: Sat Dec 06, 2008 7:53 pm
Finished with his evening meal, Robin rolled his shoulders and gave a lazy stretch before sliding onto the forest floor. Tipping his hat over his eyes to block the sun out, he placed his paws before him and rested his muzzle on his forearm. "If it isn't too much to ask, may I listen, O' wandering bard?"
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Posted: Sat Dec 06, 2008 8:44 pm
Chesh couldn't help the smile that spread, despite the soreness from the healing cut.
"If you insist," Chesh said and softly began to sing, voice a place between high and low. Normally, when the cat sang, it was a song that had little meaning and a plethora of made-up words. This time, however, the song was an old English ballad, of love and betrayal and a new life elsewhere. A song of a hard life, something very deep and meaningful to the young minstrel with the old eyes. A young child, innocent and used until leaving to a happier life, though a lonely one at times, but then growing in happiness, slowly, slowly.
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Posted: Sat Dec 06, 2008 9:44 pm
Robin closed his eyes and listened to the minstrel's song, ears perked attentively as it took on the form of an English ballad. The archer believed the songs of Old English held high importance, and this one was no exception. Why, it had even been the song of King Richard's minstrel that had saved him during the Crusades.
The small wolf listened to the Cat's tale, absorbing the story like a sponge. What a gift it must have been to tell a story through song. Sometimes Robin would be able to hold a merry tune, but never had he sang a ballad such as this.
When the song finally ended, the yeoman traced the feline's golden gaze, searching for some connection to Cheshire and the music. "I take it the tale is a personal one to you... Are you reluctant to share it with others, or has no one ever been willing to listen before?"
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Posted: Sat Dec 06, 2008 10:17 pm
Chesh had to wonder which was more true. Had there ever been anyone who wanted to listen? The cat wasn't sure. Maybe it had been that... Or perhaps it had just been because Chesh was so secretive about the past.
"All tales are personal, in one way or another," Chesh replied, gold eyes opening again to watch the wolf. He was searching for something in those depths. There were things there, things that Chesh had probably forgotten. But everything was locked away, deep inside.
"Did you enjoy it, Robin of Loxley?"
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Posted: Sat Dec 06, 2008 11:20 pm
Robin gave up searching the Cat's eyes and sighed. Trying to understand the Cheshire Cat was like trying to solve a puzzle with missing pieces.
The archer nodded in response. "Yes, noble minstrel of Cheshire. It was a deep tale. There were parts I feel I could relate to, yet there were areas that seemed perplexing... Tell me, Cheshire. The child you sing of who finds a happier life in the end, does he ever find acceptance?"
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Posted: Sun Dec 07, 2008 9:39 am
Chesh smiled. That was how it worked for the cat, smile and everything went away, buried deep where no one would ever find.
"That I do not know. One does not always know then ends to the stories one sings, and I have yet to find the happy ending of that one. Perhaps one day we shall find out if the child ever found the acceptance it had wanted so badly," the cat replied, lying its head back upon its paws. Acceptance. Such an easy thing and yet so hard to obtain when one was so different. To have grown up used by those one trusted, it was a hard thing to imagine. Even harder, to imagine how one would rise above such trauma.
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Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2008 6:38 pm
Robin nodded at the cat's reply. It seemed like this character was full of secrets and was intent on keeping them locked away. It was not in the wolf's place to seek these secrets out. He had always been a thief of things more in the physical aspect anyways. Yawning, the archer slipped off his quiver and rolled onto his back to gaze at the canopy that filtered the sun's light. His ear twitched lightly as a memory came to him, but he kept his facial features schooled at the depressing thought. "Hey Cheshire... have you ever had a family?"
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Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2008 8:46 pm
Chesh's smile fell and eyes narrowed.
"No," the cat replied short and quickly. Chesh knew what a family was, a collection of creatures that cared for one another, no matter what the relation. Chesh had never had that, and that was it. Relations, yes, but there was too much love lost between the cat and its relations for them to be considered a family.
"And you? Has the daring prince of thieves ever had a family of his own?" Chesh inquired, trying to steer the conversation away from painful memories locked tight away.
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Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2008 9:50 pm
Robin blinked at Chesh's blunt response, but didn't question it. Perhaps it wasn't the best subject to bring up... He grinned slightly at the title 'Prince of Thieves', wondering how the bobcat figured that one out. However his grin quickly vanished as the cat steered the question onto him. The memories he had just forced to the back of his mind flooded back into his head. The wolf could feel a hard lump forming in his throat as he sighed and closed his eyes. Several moments of silence passed before he spoke up again. "I did. Once, a long time ago. They were all dead when I came back from the war." He murmured, he dark gaze concentrated on the sky once more. Had the small wolf been feeling any remorse at that point, he was doing an excellent job of hiding it.
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Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2008 10:06 pm
Chesh sighed, realizing that it had been just as difficult a question for Robin. The cat made a soft sound and edged closer, so as to rub its cheek comfortingly against the wolf's.
"I'm sorry. I know not whether its more difficult to have something and have lost it or to have never had it in the first place," Chesh said softly before returning chin to paws.
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Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2008 3:27 pm
It never had occurred to the small wolf that after he had returned from being captured during the Third Crusade, he had been so intent on retrieving what property he had left from Prince John, that he hardly had the time to mourn the loss of his family. But now that there was no more Nottingham to protect the tyrants from and no current evil princes to overthrow in the reserve, the thief was truly at a loss of what to do. Robin was trying not to think of the reason why his father was killed, when something brushed against his cheek. His eyes softened as he turned to see Chesh. He didn't want any pity from the cat, but he did feel comforted in knowing Cheshire somewhat understood how he felt. He shrugged lightly and slowly rolled back onto his side. "I suppose you don't really realize what you have until it's gone..."
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Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2008 3:57 pm
Chesh smiled softly and a bit sarcastic in nature.
"Then he who has nothing is happiest of all, hmm?" the cat asked with a slight tilt of the head. Chesh's spirits rose a bit at the look in the wolf's eyes, feeling a bit better in knowing that the words had helped make him feel better.
The cat hummed and closed golden eyes in thought.
"The world is hard. Happiness is only measured by the strength of the sorrow we compare it to," the cat mused, opening one eye to look at the larger predator.
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Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2008 7:24 pm
Robin chuckled softly as he pushed his hat back. "I guess it all comes down to who you're asking. The greedy will say happiness comes from material items like gold and money. Fair folk like you and I generally find happiness in company, though I guess that also depends on the individual..." he noted. The archer didn't want to make it seem like he was judging the bobcat too quickly. He hadn't used the terms the "rich" and the "poor", because after living between royalty and the common folk for so many years, Robin had learned that while some kings could be deemed fair, greed still lingered through the poorest of peasants. Most stereotypes would consider this to be the other way around.
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