A story from Spark

[erynn]

-----------by the masterly penmanship of Master Spark----------------------

This story was written with help from the kind and pretty school teacher at Highmarket school. You should pay her lots of money to teach your children. But first you should read my story because it's good. And it's about famous people too. And there is gossip and scandal. And if you want to show your appreciation for me going to all this trouble and penmanship then please give me the money soon. Food is also acceptable.

So I am writin' because of not havin' my usual lines of work. Usually I is working for Erynn, odd jobs, looking out for news, keeping eyes on peoples, that kind of thing. But she upped and offed to this barding convention thing again, without even a word to old Sparkie. And it had already been lean months what with her always having her head in old books and whatnot or messing with that pretty new harp of her'n. I'd been findin' work in other avenues by of neccessary. A man has to eat...

Funny for me cos one of these people wanted me to be keepin' an eye on Erynn hersel'n. Easy job - Spark never looks a gift horse in the mouth, he watchin' its feet and its teeth and takin' it on... Work bein' terrible poor and me clothes and belly getting all thin like, not that anyone cares, when Erynn upped and offed it wus the best job for me to be followin' her. She'd ha' sent me back I reckoned if'n she knew, so Spark wasn't going to tell her, though his stomach was rumbling so loud as she was cooking each night that if she'd had proper elf-ears, she'd have found him though he was hidden so cleverly up in the trees.

After lots of days travelling and my boots worn through we got to the fair. There was such music and dancing and laughing and good smells of food. I let the bard out of my sight fast, I could find her again easily. My stomach wanted attention. Mostly elves run the show here but these elves are not very helpful to Sparks -- they is posh inportant elves, high elves, city elves, elf elves, not common farmyard elves like poor old Spark here. Lucky for Spark's tummy it is not all snooty elves: I found some nice hobbit cooks and they fed me a lot of lovely food until it became difficult to say that I was starving. They mended my clothes and gave me some new boots. Spark has the charm and the wit as well!! I was pleased with myself that night, sleeping in warm hay under a canvas roof.

The next day I found Erynn waiting her turn in a big smart show-area. Each bard that arrived the day before was taking a short time to introduce themselves and give the important gossip -- I mean news, from their land or to sing a new song. Erynn was talking to two men and a hobbit as she waited. I am keen-eyed like a hawk and I sees that an elf is watchin' our Erynn. Spark is grippin' on his dagger now because the elf is not looking friendly at all. He is tall and grim-looking and showing age, which must mean he is very old because elfs is looking young for a long time. (Spark looks very young and rather handsome if he does say so himself.)

The elf is looking like he is listenin' hard. He is nearer to Erynn that I am and I can't be hearin' what she says. It is easy to guess though as she is showing the hobbit her harp. The elf moves sudden and before Spark can be blinkin' I sees that the elf is beside Erynn, he has taken hold of her arm and is lookin' at her fierce. Spark's heart is beating like it is going to jump out of his throat. I wasn't knowing why I was to be watching Erynn but is is something to do with this? The elf and my new boss has some things in common - they both feel like danger. Spark is holding his breath waiting for what will happen: people is not just going up to Erynn and grabbin' at her arms, Erynn can be awfully fierce...

As Spark would predict she is wrestin' her arm away and facing off the elf, like she can't smell the danger and can't see that he has hundreds of years of training more than her. Spark is quite proud of her, cos he knows she is noticin' but not backing down. We all knows Erynn has a temper and as the elf is questionin' of her in a cross sounding voice, Spark is waiting for the explosions and moving behind a sturdy tree despite the distance. But no explosions come. Erynn is questioning the elf and her manner is becoming one that Spark knows well -- she has heard something new that she wants to know more about. Spark does not envy the elf now because Erynn with a bee in her bonnet about something she thinks you know and she wants to know is as scary as when she's got her fire magic raging about.

I was very curious though and I followed them as they left the arena without Erynn making her presentation. The elf is striding quickly through the crowd, faster than a human could and Erynn is struggling to keep up with him. I lost them for moments but saw them disappear into one of the large canvas constructions that are set up at the west edge of the fair. I go and try to eavesdrop, but strange magic repels me and I consider my work for the day over and return to the most excellent hobbit gormet chefs. It is good that hobbits respond well to flattery, some people are so shy of accepting genuine appreciation for their work.

I sent a letter back to Dapetan tellin' my employer very carefully what I had seen. In the first note I wrote that she had moved in with a tall dark elf but in the morning after the ale had worn off I remembered my sanity. Some people can take jokes and some cannot and it is good to remember which is which if you want to keep the blood pumping round your insides and not all over the floor.

Over the next days which stretches into weeks I is watching Erynn and the elf. She is always askin' him questions and listenin' very hard to the answers, sometimes making notes, and at first I think she has just found a loremaster she wants to get taught by. But he is askin' her questions too, and then she is thinking very hard -- Spark knows that frown and trying to make answers. Spark has a guess that it is about the harp, Erynn seems very careful of it now, hiding it and not playing it though it sounds so very pretty. I like the jolly music of the fair and I have been having fun with the dancing and the hobbits and the ale. But I do think of Erynn's harp music and a part of me is sad to not be hearing it.

Spark is not a genuis and he doesn't know what is going on even though he can write a good story and sing a good song too. And Poppy said his dancing was like nothing she ever saw, which had to be good. But anyway, if Spark had to guess then he'd think there is something funny about that harp and that Erynn is a lot distracted since she hasn't cared to find out if her poor old Spark or any of her other friends are all dead in a ditch eaten up by dragons or anything. But it doesn't be a matter cos Spark can be writing and singing and dancing and earning whatever money she used to earn with her bardin' about.