William, happy at Alpha's request (though not surprised), leaned in and lowered his voice, as if wanting to keep the story a secret, even though Alpha and Arco weren't the first ones to hear it.

"Well, it all started three years ago. You see, I wasn't around much during Victor's younger years. Being a traveling minstrel, I had to, well, travel! Although I did pop in from time to time, his mother took care of him for the most part. Around his fifteenth birthday, I felt that it was about time that he learned what it was to be a bard. So, I took him under my wing. We traveled to lands far away, and Victor would listen from the audience as I played."

Then, changing his voice to a more solemn tone, William continued.

"But, around the end of the last year, tides turned towards the worst. It seemed that, after all my travels, I had exhausted my choice of audiences! Most people were tired of listening to me play; they wanted fresher, new music. So, unfortunately, the next year was quite a dry spell. We often had to sleep in a tent on the outskirts of the nearest town! No clean clothes, no beds, hardly any food! Dreadful, quite dreadful"

Victor made a quiet, though audible, snorting sound. His father was obviously exaggerating a bit. Though it was true that they had to sleep in a tent a few times, there was usually an abundance of food and clothing. William, however, went on without pausing.

"So, late one night, I feigned sleep until Victor himself was quite deep in it. Once I was satisfied that he was sound asleep, I stole away into the darkness. We were camped outside a small, scarcely populated town. It had only a few houses and shops, but these were not my destinations. I was heading towards the temple. You see, this town was too small to have a temple for each of the goddesses, so the inhabitants simply worshipped them all under one roof. I entered the sacred place, and was lucky enough to find it empty. I gave a small sacrifice and began to pray."

William was now quite submerged in his own story, on the brink of getting up and acting it out. But he stayed in his seat as he continued.

"I prayed that I would find a new audience. One that would listen and enjoy my music. When I had finished praying, I rose to leave. But before I could reach the door, a cloud of smoke appeared. Out of this mist stepped the three goddesses themselves! Now, you can imagine that I was quite frightened. I didn't exactly have a clean slate, if you know what I mean."

At this, William winked, while Victor released a soft moan. William didn't seem to notice:

"First, Nayru pointed in my direction, and spoke: 'Are you the bard called William?' At a loss for words, I nodded instead. Satisfied with my answer, she turned to her sisters. 'He is the one who pleaded for an audience. Shall we test his skills?' The other sisters nodded, and soon Nayru was facing me again. 'It is decided, then. You shall play for us, and we shall be your audience.' "

"Well, of course, this was a great honor for me. An overwhelming one, actually. I began to regret my choice of prayer, but before I could think twice, I had already taken my flute out. Before I could think to put it away again, I felt it against my lips. Realizing that my hands knew more than my mind, I simply decided to play. To tell the truth, I was in quite a daze. You would be too, if you were playing for the goddesses! I can't even remember what song I played! All I know is that it seemed like I had played for hours. But when I finished, there was still darkness outside the stained glass."

"I must've played well, though, because each of the goddesses had a tear in their eyes. When I had finished, Nayru spoke once again: 'You have played well, William. You are deserving of our help.' Then, to my astoundment, she reached up to her face, retrieved one of her tears, and changed it to glass. Then she handed it to Din, who used fire to blow it into the shape of a harp, and then used her powers of the earth to change it to gold. Finally, the finished harp was given to Farore, who placed a magic charm on it to keep it safe. Finally, the harp was complete, and Nayru spoke once more: 'This will be your new instrument. We will each give you one strand of our hair. With these three hairs,' she said as she took one of her own, 'you will be able to play countless melodies.' Her sisters had already gotten their own hairs, so Nayru collected them and attached them to the harp."

"Handing it to me carefully, she said: 'These strings hold powerful magic, so be forewarned. Do not let them fall into the hands of evil...' And with this, she and her sisters stepped into another cloud of smoke, and were off."

Pausing for effect, William surveyed the eyes of his listeners. Then he continued:

"The next day, as soon as Victor was awake, we went into the town. I asked for an audience with the local governor, and it was granted. Ten minutes into my playing, he himself was overcome with tears. In his clear ecstasy, he granted us quite a large sum of rupees, and Victor and I were off on our journey once again..."

Finally finished, he leaned back into his chair.

"And that's how I came to own this beautiful harp."

Alpha simply stands there, mouth wide open. If anyone else had told him such a tale, he would have immediately dismissed it as nonsense, and its author as a lunatic. And yet even now his gaze could not leave the proof of William's encounter: the golden harp. 'I wonder,' he thinks to himself, 'what sort of powers it holds; the goddesses themselves told the bard to protect it from evil, so there must be something there that would be useful outside of the entertainment realm...'
He finally closes his mouth, and looks William in the eye. "Incredible...what were the goddesses like? Or can you even describe them?"

OOC: To answer your question, Alpha, I'm gonna use the Minish Cap as my reference. That's the game with the clearest depiction of the three goddesses.

IC: William turned in the direction of Alpha and answered:

"Well, I can't describe them perfectly, as it was quite some time ago. Plus, as I said, I was in quite a daze when I was in their company. The only detail I can really remember were the auras surrounding them. One was red, I beleive it was Din; the other was green, Farore I think; the last was blue, and I am sure this was Nayru. Otherwise, no, I can't really discribe them. Though last I heard, Din was somewhere here in Hyrule..."

William then turned toward Arco, and pushed the harp towards him once again.

"Please, Arco, have a go with it! All I ask is that you be careful. I would be honored if you would grace us with you talent"

William then flashed an assuring smile in Arco's direction.

My word... he met the goddesses?

Lost in thought as he ruminates over William's words, it takes Arco a moment to wake up to the older Bard's speaking to him. He starts, blinks, and almost jumps backwards as he sees the harp pushed at him again.

"Nn! Nn--I, I... I ca--", stutters Arco. But a second look at the encouraging look on William's face forces the Sheikah to summon up all of his calmness and take the harp, ever so gingerly, with both hands. He glances at Victor before placing it in his lap, where he stares at it as if expecting it to say something. And indeed, Arco turns one ear down to the golden instrument as a draft breezes in over the strings, giving them the subtlest vibrating stroke.

Play, Arco. A pause.

Finally, he sits up with his back straight and rests his left hand on the strings, which lay perpendicular to but just above his legs, which cross at his ankles. Giving each note ample time to fully sound, he uses his left hand's middle finger and thumb to pluck two of the strings simultaneously, in long, slow voices that sing a duet in minor thirds.

One string begins the melody, low, in a dark baritone voice so steady it sounds almost synthetic, yet sounds distinctively like a vocal part, singing in some ancient, mountainous language. The surreal beauty of the measured walking bass part is layered under a matching soprano singing line, leading with the same steady sound, but with an entirely different timbre. It is the combination of the two that allows each individual chord to move to the next in a romantic, mourning series of chord progressions.

Accenting a final pair of notes, Arco looks up at the ceiling, as if watching the notes float off and die away. He then lifts his right hand, and peers at it as if seeing it for the first time. Then, he smiles shyly, and resumes the patterned song as before, bringing his right hand in range of the remaining space on the harp.

Dropping his pointer finger on one side of the center string, the Bard strums it with a quick triplet pendulum-motion, as if playing a mandolin. This voice trips over the others in a complicated dance, like a young, energetic girl singing cheerfully as she skips through an army of pallbearers. But impossibly, her dance-steps create an immaculate counterpoint with the contrasting song of mourning, scattering the ricegrains and flowerpetals of an unblemished wedding day among the dead grays and drab, pale helmets of the mourners.

It doesn't quite match, doesn't quite work, thinks Arco. He reddens again and looks up at William, showing a mix of embarrassment and awe of the instrument's unreal responsiveness.

Victor, his jaw ever so slightly ajar, stairs blankly at Arco. It seemed as though he had lost all senses but that of hearing, his eyes unseeing; his fingers touching but not feeling his glass; his nose not smelling the soft aroma of his Ale. He was completely entranced in the bard's song.

William, though not as awed as his son, listened intently to Arco's playing. He enjoyed the sound of an amatuer at his harp; he himself had been the same way. The gentle cacophany of the melody, the different stories it told, all at the same time. It was noticable, but not in a bad way. It was what intrigued William so deeply.

When Arco had finished his song, Victor's mouth still hung open. It seemed as though the entire tavern was quiet, if not for the few patrons still holding conversation. For quite some time the bar was silent, until a slow clap could be heard. It was coming from William, who looked quite enthralled. Victor then regained his senses, and began to clap as well.

The two men stood up and began to clap louder and faster; that was when the entire tavern erupted in aplause. Several people were standing, even whistling; all due to Arco's magnificent performance...

OOC: You know, weienw, your description reminds me of Scarborough Fair, the old Medieval song that was redone by Simon and Garfunkel. If you've never heard it, then you should. The lyrics have a similar feeling: it's a pleasant love song mixed with a story of war. It's really good, you should definitely check it out.

Arco flushes, his normally gray skin turned to an odd off-bronze. Looking up and staring at the pads of his fingers, he sits in mute wonder, for some time--a minute? Two minutes? Even after the applause dies down, he seems to have been obvlious to it, until he looks up at the father-son Bard pair, gazing somewhere at the wall between the two.

"But it's like the goddesses..."

I couldn't have done that, myself. Is this how the harp works?

Eyes still forward, a slight change in their look asks this question of Wiilliam.

OOC: Sorry about how extremely late this post is... this past week, culminating in the PSAT's, has been crazy. Sorry also about the lack of length, but I know that if I don't post now, I won't be able to for a while and for now, I have to run ><.

'Wow,' Alpha thinks. 'That harp sure is something. Now I'm really going to have to look into getting some musical abilities for myself...maybe someday William will let me play it...'
Once the clapping dies down, Alpha continues to stare at the harp, along with the three goddesses' hair. "Well," he begins, before realizing that he doesn't really know what to say after that performance. "That...that was really amazing, Arco."
He turns to Victor and his dad. "I can't tell you how much joy it brings me to see that. In times of fighting and troubles such as these, something beautiful like your music really relaxes me, and gives me hope that someday, maybe, the fighting will cease. Thank you, thank you very much." He reaches his hand out, hoping to shake the hand of the one who has played for the goddesses.

William smiles and reaches out towards Alpha. Grasping his hand and shaking it firmly, he says:

"Well, Alpha, that is the life of a bard. Our very occupation, in fact; our job is to make people happy. Times like these are when we flourish. Though I would easily give up my life's work for peace..."

Then, turning to Arco, he saw the look in his eye. He laughed inwardly; he knew how Arco was feeling. It was how William had once looked, when he had first played the harp. A look of wonder and disbelief. William remembered that part of his life, when he had wished there was someone to explain the harp to him, teach him how to play it. But there was no one, and he had to learn on his own. He saw all this in Arco's eyes, and knew what he had to say:

"Yes, Arco, you did play that! Don't be surprised; you're an exceptional bard. I know this, simply from the harp itself."

William then leaned forward again, something he often did when about to explain his statements.

"You see, the open-ended nature of the harp makes it a tool of music. A kind of.... meter, you could say. You see, when you first play it, the song you perform is to the best of your ability. The harp's flexibility allows this; it is as if it knows what you can and can't play. Of course, there will be some discrepancies, as you are a beginner to the harp itself. But once you've mastered playing the harp, you will learn the level of your skill. Then, and only then, can you begin to make new pieces with the harp; pieces that could never be played on just any instrument. Entire orchestras could be at your command through the magic of this harp..."

William then leaned back into his chair, signifying the end of his lecture.

"And that is how the harp works. Now, you can go back to your own instrument knowing your own capabilities. Not too shabby, if I do say so myself!"

Suddenly, the tavern door flew open. In the light of the sun you could see a fairy. It flew drunkenly into the bar, and as it came nearer you could see what caused this lack of balance-- a letter, strapped to its back. The letter was a heavy load for the tiny fairy, and it collapsed onto the table that was its destination. It just happened to be William's table...

William quickly relieved the fairy of its burden. The fairy, happy to be free of its cumbersome load, made haste towards the door, without even waiting for a word of thanks-- let alone a tip-- from William. Without thinking twice, he opened the letter.

Reading the contents quickly, he proceeded to read it aloud:

"William:

You are to come to the north-east peninsula of Parapa Desert. Bring your harp.
You will play facing the ocean; you will not see me, but I will be listening. Once
you have finished playing, you will wait there for the rupees.

P.S.: Come alone."

With a bewildered look in his eye, Victor stared at his father. "He must realize it," he thought, "He can't be that stupid."

William, too, had a puzzled look on his face:

"Hmm....it would seem that they forgot their signature. Strange. And this P.S.; why must I be alone?"

He pondered this, thoughtfully staring at the letter. Then, the cloud of confusion seemed to shift away, and William's smile lighted up again.

"Of course! How could I be so blind? This person is obviously very greedy, and he doesn't want anyone else listening to the music he payed for! How very rude..."

Victor slapped his forehead and began to shake his head. William continued:

"Well, it would seem that I am to take my leave. It was pleasant meeting you both. I hope to see you again soon. Well, until then, goodbye!"

And he was off, walking in long strides towards the door. A flash of sunlight briefly came from the town square outside, and then the darkness of the tavern ensued once more. Once he was sure that his father was gone, Victor stood up.

"I've got to go follow him. It could be, nay, must be a trap."

He began to walk towards the door, but stopped short. He bowed his head and spoke without turning:

"If you want, you can follow, but keep your distance. I may need help, but...I don't know. I mean, what if this meeting really is legitimate? I wouldn't want my father to lose his biggest client. He could think of an excuse for me, but you guys will stick out."

He paused.

"I would appreciate it if you came to help, though. Consider it a request."

And then he was off, like his father, in long strides towards the door. Another flash, and he was gone...

OOC: Ok, this is it for me. You guys can keep talking if you'd like, and of course more people can come in, but Alpha or weienw would have to relay the message. The next post should be on the peninsula, so keep a sharp eye out. Sometime this weekend, hopefully. Hope to see you there!

"Thanks Alpha, William," croaks Arco in a sort of off-baritone. Doing his best to match the latter's eyes, the eyes of the veteran Bard, the Sheikah sees scars of invisible wars, where the only weapons are instruments, and the best fighters are the most skilled musicians, who learn by teaching, and teach to save lives.

The harp shows me my level of skill?

When William leans back and mentions the hurdy-gurdy, Arco instinctively reaches down, and touches it. It feels slightly cold; he shivers. But the feeling of obsoleteness it so momentarily gave him is replaced by a deep warmth, a nuance of song that says that his instrument will be all the more meaningful after having met William and played his harm.

Thank you, he says again, silently.

What happens next is too quick for the dull Sheikah to react. As William reads aloud, Arco stares at the back of the parchment as if trying to read it from behind. And almost before a minute had passed thereafter, both father and son were gone.

"Let's go, then," says Arco, absentmindedly, as he moves towards the door.

Alpha nods as Arco makes his way to the door. "Right behind you." Muttering so that no one else will hear him, he adds, "I only hope that he really won't need our help..."