Dane looked at the tomb. Llyra hadn’t told him how sick she had gotten. This wasn’t where they had been going. The song was ready enough, and they were supposed to be playing it tomorrow at The Crowned Chestnut. All summer she had been nothing but encouragement to have it ready, helping him create one of the greatest duets he had ever written. He looked at the polished maple in his hands. The instrument he had so long devoted himself to. Oh, how the past year had given him something else to finally give his heart to. And now his guitar felt cold, lifeless in his hands.
He brushed the strings. The sound was hollow, giving the crows something to call at. He welcomed their mockery. He read her name again. He touched the notes that sounded best with each syllable. His fingers stopped on the first note of their song. His teeth gnashed into a grimace of lament. He struck the note and began playing. The accents were harsh and raw, releasing his feelings into the music. It was meant to be softer, but tonight it had never sounded better. The notes put forth meaning of how he felt better than anything he could say to her. The crows and the gravekeeper were silent, listening to the music. Dane’s eyes blurred, his heart heavy that they would be the first to hear the song finished and not her. The notes fell with his tears, the song pouring out everything that he had been wanting to say, every word that would never be said. He squeezed his eyes shut tight. Only two weeks ago they were practicing this very part, working to make it better. She had changed notes with casual creativity. This one song still felt as if it wasn’t enough, she had needed an entire concert to bring all of her creations to life. In a moment of wonder, he had spoken one of the few honest strings of words out loud.
“Oh, Llyra I love you!”
She had looked at him with those deep blue eyes and a smile, “That’s everything I’ve ever needed to know.”
The most challenging set of notes were at the edge of his ability but she had patiently taught him how to succeed. With minimal stumbling, he struck the final note of his opening solo, letting it hold back the silence that would now be her part. The only additional sound as the note faded was the tap of tears against the empty wooden instrument.
His eyes opened and she was there, sitting just inside. She beckoned him. He looked to the gravekeeper who only silently nodded and motioned towards the tomb with a hand. Dane lifted a foot to step forward, the final note dying away.
Then a chord struck his heart.
He couldn’t face the source at first. It was pure and perfectly played. The song continued. Llyra’s part answering his lonely solo. He turned and faced the gate. Ellyn stood with her sister’s guitar in hand. Her face was red but dry of tears. She had no more left.
The notes rose, familiar and passionate. It sounded almost as if it was a new song that had come out of nowhere. Dane joined, his part complementing and blending with the new music in a way that only Llyra had known. Slowly the chords shifted in tone and the parts merged into the same song. Dane was hearing it as if for the first time. All those practice nights to include Ellyn, the edits to better suit Ellyn’s ability, changes to the song itself. Llyra knew this had been something to work on, not something to recover for. It was her goodbye written for the two who were meant to stay and play it.
The parts of the music hit another counterpoint and the parts diverged again. Danes’ notes fell quiet as he came to rest and let Ellyn carry the melody. To his confusion, she too fell silent for a moment. Then, slowly, she picked a melody. A new stanza of music, beyond what Llyra had shown him. The end of the song that she had made. It was far greater than what he had put together on his own. Ellyn played it for him and he could hear Llyra’s guidance leading her. The message within the song. He realized Ellyn had stopped playing as his mind raced. She nodded at him and played the first chord again. He needed to start playing again. He stepped away from the doorway and matched Ellyn, leaving Llyra to rest. Dane walked toward the sound of her song, reaching the gate as the final notes sounded together.
Vas watched them slowly turn away and begin walking back towards town, having nothing to oppose what he had just witnessed. He had been mistaken that this would be an easy taking.