Moonlight danced off the water, casting shadows that danced behind her. Tamilyn, lute in hand, perched on the rail of the ship, legs dangling down and kicking gently back and forth. Her hair was piled atop her head, a mass of waves, curls, and beads, each indistinguishable from the other in the darkness. She wore nothing but a slip, and the wind tugged at it, but she did not seem cold.
Her fingers plucked idly at the strings of her instrument, each note sounding clearly through the air. She struck one and paused, reaching up to tighten the string and plucking it again; this time, she seemed satisfied with the note that rung out. Staring wistfully out over the sea, she heaved a sigh, the random notes beginning to form a song. For a time, she merely played, the mournful music a whisper on the wind that was carried out to sea and toward the other continent. The romantic in her believed the tune would make it all the way across, perhaps to New Thalos, perhaps even to Torregiano. She coddled the thought as she began to sing, voice hushed and melodic.
"A hundred days have made me older since the last time I saw your smilin' face. A thousand lies have made me colder and I don't think I can look disappear now when I'm dreaming of your face..."
She took a breath and let it out with shuddering slowness, allowing the music of her instrument to rise and fall with the waves. She began a chorus, paused when she choked on the words, and began again when the music came around.
"I'm here without you, baby, but you're still on my lonely mind. I think about you, brother, and I dream about you all the time. I'm here without you, my dears, but you're still with me in my dreams – tonight it's only you and me."
The song continued, the night silent, the stars listening to the melody carried up to them. Tomorrow, they would be away from the sea's calm, comforting presence. Even now, in the moonlight, she could make out the silhouette of Port Llast, and they had set down anchor to wait for sunrise to approach. Emalia was doing better, her energy restored and no lasting harm done from her flight. It had been nice, a part of Tamilyn reflected, for the men's attention to be on someone other than herself.
Tomorrow. A trip to Waterdeep, a journey with a new companion. Tonight... Tonight she sang.
