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It's been far too long since I've posted any new fiction here (or anywhere, really) and all the stories I have almost-finished are a) not finished, and b) too long to finish quickly and post tonight.

Given that, I figured I'd start something new, officially. alarin612's done something similar, posting unfinished bits of story to have a record of it, but it hasn't had its own category...

This is a scene that's been bouncing around my head for months, and is actually the reason I decided to tie The Wayferer in with Hammer & Axe & Anne.

Inspired by the Heather Alexander tune "Healing Chant" off the Merlin's Descendants album.

It contains spoilers for what will happen to my Mystic Frontiers gang (Hammer, Axe, Wayfarer) so don't read it if you don't want spoilers for something that will be in a longer story sometime between "soon" and "later." Also, there's singing.
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The half dozen monks gathered in the high ceilinged chamber, their hooded robes muffling the sounds as their feet shuffled through the thick dust on the stone floor. They were joined by a small elven girl, and a very large man, standing three heads taller than any of the monks. The eight figures gathered in a circle around the raised stone slab in the center of the room, upon which laid the body of a man, his traveler's cloak had been lain over him as a death shroud.

The monk standing nearest the man's head pulled back his hood, and spoke solemnly. "We gather here to remember this man, the nameless traveler, who gave his life in service of our town ship. Let us bow our heads, and honor him in silent prayer." He replaced his hood, and all present bowed their heads.

Barely a moment passed when the chamber was filled with a low, rhythmic humming sound. The elf girl looked up at the big man next to her, and realized the resonating sound was coming from his meaty throat. He opened his mouth and began to sing.

"Come to me Lord and Lady
Heal this spirit, heal this soul.
Come to me Lord and Lady
Mind and body shall be whole.

Beast of the burning Sunlight
Seal this wound that pain may cease.
Mistress of watery midnight
Hold us fast and bring us peace."

After the verses repeated, the girl felt the urge to sing well up within her, and she added her lilting harmony to the big man's bass resonance.

On the fifth refrain, a third voice joined the chorus as the melody tapered off. The new voice came from beneath the cloak on the stone. As the echoes of song faded, the elf ran to the slab and threw her arms around the traveler before he had a chance to lift the cloak more than a few inches.

"You're back!" she exclaimed, throwing the cloak aside. "How?!"

The traveler coughed softly as he laughed, hugging the girl and nodding to the large, once again silent, man.



Later, once the Wayfarer had donned his cloak and the three had left the town, the elf spoke again. "Hammer?" she looked up at the big man, tugging gently on his arm, "What was that, back in the room? How'd you know to start singing to bring him back?"

"I don't know, Kid," Hammer shrugged his massive shoulders and glanced at the traveler. "Just seemed like it had to be done."

"I believe I may have an explanation," the Wayfarer offered in his slightly stilted English. "I have been researching the past of the one you call Anne, our mistress. When she was younger, she was a skilled Bard, able to access the hidden magics through the use of music and song. It is my belief that it was not you, Hammer, singing, but Anne singing through you, casting a healing spell using our voices though the links she established when she named each of us."

Hammer nodded thoughtfully, staring down the path ahead.