She was half tempted to walk back down the hall to see if the others remained and slip casually through the hall to get a better look at them… but she had left Penelope alone long enough. Besides, she hardly knew what they were talking about… only that her Master was involved somehow… maybe… and that the overheard snippet had left her with an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach.
But then it was all so vague… it might be nothing at all…
She sighed and took a deep, settling breath before pulling herself to her full height. First things first. It was no use fretting about what she had no control over… not when there were more imminent things to be fretting about.
She settled the instrument in her arms as best she could, and adjusted her veil one last time.
Here went nothing.
She briefly considered her options and decided to play it by ear, opting for flexibility rather than any set plans. There were too many variables for set plans.
She paused at the door and noticed that a few eyes glanced in her direction. She realized instantly that the veil was making her conspicuous. No one else went veiled… not when most of the women were trying their hardest to have their beauty appreciated. Every inch of it in some cases…
She decided to feed the curiosity it a little and remained where she was, standing dead center in the door way, like some ghostly statue… a ghostly statue with an instrument in her arms. It seemed to be having something of an effect. Eyes began drifting toward her, and flickered curiously. She was half tempted to allow herself an internal moment of triumph… but she knew she hadn’t gotten to the hard part yet. A flicker of interest was a start… but that’s all it was. The real trick was keeping that interest.
So she stood… until she felt the interest begin to wane. It was then she moved. As slowly and smoothly as she could manage… imagining she was balancing slates on her head as she had as a child… her elder sister snapping a switch at her back every time she began to stoop. Strange how such lessons could eventually become useful, despised as they were.
She found herself at the bottom stair of the sunken stage a moment later, watching a young male dancer bend himself so far backward his head nearly grazed the ground, and his stomach undulating in an unending wave as he rose back up, seemingly effortlessly to his feet. It was an impressive display of flexibility and control. Especially considering the undulations were keeping perfect time with a pair of enthusiastic drummers. She could see Thelios off to her left, out of the corner of her vision… but dare not look in any direction but ahead. She prayed the veil hid her adequately.
Patiently she waited at the foot of the stair, still attempting her impression of a statue. Even the dancer cast a furtive look at her, his eyes filled with a mixture of curiosity and annoyance. So far so good.
Eventually he finished, made his bows and his leisurely way off to the surrounding steps. Calliope was about to compose herself and continue to the center when she caught sight of two women moving forward… clearly intent on taking the stage. Well, that would be the day.
Instead of making her way to the center as planned she stopped where she was, whirled around, and struck the strings in the most god awful way. They screeched in a high pitch whine which made her wince.
She stepped backward toward the center… and struck the cords again again. The second time, however, she added a hint of an actual melodic cord. The third time, it almost sounded like music. She could see the women who had been vying for her position. They were frozen on the top step looking confused and unsure… as were the rest of the eyes on her. At least, those she could see.
She plucked a few nearly random notes, clearing her throat as softly as she could, and bowed her head like a penitent. She picked a song, a strange little country tune she’d always been fond of, and began to sing.
It was a melancholy song, and the rural dialect made it difficult to understand for many, so it was not something a gathering like this would be expecting-but it had an interesting variance to it which made her rather like it. It seemed to do the trick and the room became subdued and for the most part attentive to the strange scene.
She continued to walk slowly backward as she sang until she found herself nearly at the other end of the rectangular space. At the same time she spotted Penelope making her way to the stairs.
At the end of the short song, she pulled the bracelet from her wrist and tossed it into the center of the room, not waiting for any sort of response from the audience.
Penelope was there in a flash, and as per their plan was now kneeling over the bracelet. Calliope settled herself quickly on the floor, and was grateful to have the awkward instrument in her lap instead of having to hold it and play it at the same time.
On the first few notes of the new, sweeter song Penelope rose up slowly, slipping the bracelet over her wrist in a long and luxurious movement, extending her arms before her, like an offering, her whole body leaning into the movement. Her gestures were light and airy as she rose to her feet, buoyant even, and Calliope attempted to play to that, and make her notes crisper and more playful.
Calliope was no expert, but it seemed to be the correct choice. Once on her feet Penelope kicked high, held it in an obvious display of her strength and agility, and as a promise of more to come, then fell into a series of dainty skipping steps that carried her across the floor in the blink of an eye.
As the song progressed the notes came more quickly and Penelope responded in turn, quick stepping and swaying in time with notes. It was in this, Calliope could see, the dancer excelled. Her slower movements, while graceful enough, were filled with tension… a desire to be moving. And as the song quickened it became clear that it was speed which best suited her.
So faster she played, and faster the dancer moved, responding wonderfully to the tempo. She had agile feet and she was able to spin and trip with remarkable ease, keeping her lines and her control even when she seemed so close to losing it. Or rather, when she gave the illusion of losing it. Calliope didn’t doubt for a moment that Penelope was in complete control, and like any good dancer, she made it look far easier than it was.
When the girl literally lept into the air in a high split, one which gathered a murmur of appreciation from the crowd, it was obvious why the other women would want her out of the running. She was good… very good.
But at that point, Calliope could give little attention to anything more than her playing. For the most part she ignored the flamboyant performance, except to keep an eye on Penelope’s responses. She did her best to remain focused, and on keeping her fingers moving and doing what they were supposed to do.
Calliope pushed, picking up the pace, and letting the whole room and performance fade into nothing, allowing her fingers to fall automatically where they should, praying to her favorite Gods that they continue to do so.
To her relief they did, and the end of the song came upon her almost as a surprise. She exhaled with a relived sigh as she struck the final cord definitively, and slid her hand over the stings to still them. Her heart was pounding a little harder, and her breathing a little strained, but it was nothing compared to the sight of Penelope. When Calliope glanced up, she could see the woman on her knees, her arms held before her in a reflection of that first offering pose, her chest heaving. Even through the veil it was clear her skin glistened with a fine layer of moisture from her exertion.
For a beat.. or two, or even three.. silence hung heavily in the air around them. She held her breath again, then let out a second exhalation as applause erupted around them. Thank God for that. She’d been so caught up in what she was doing, she’d lost track of whether or not it was any good. The enthusiasm of the applause was a sure sign Penelope had made the impression she had wanted and was back in the running. Calliope beamed.
Instinctively her eyes darted to Thelios. It was a terrible mistake as he was looking in her direction. Directly at her in fact. Her heart jumped up into her throat and she froze… then realized what she’d done, and looked away to the other side of the room, desperately hoping her glance had seemed random. Unfortunately her eyes landed on the ‘firey’ haired sister she’d seen in the hall-and overheard-and the uneasy feeling she’d pushed away before returned with a vengeance. Especially since she too was also watching her.