From owner-CRYSTAL@duke.poly.edu Tue Aug 15 23:11:32 1995
Received: from duke.poly.edu (duke.poly.edu [128.238.2.92]) by mail.eskimo.com (8.6.12/8.6.12) with ESMTP id XAA25005; Tue, 15 Aug 1995 23:11:22 -0700
Received: from localhost by duke.poly.edu (8.6.9/1.34-032891-Polytechnic University)
	id CAA28283; Wed, 16 Aug 1995 02:07:11 -0400
Received: from mail.eskimo.com by duke.poly.edu (8.6.9/1.34-032891-Polytechnic University)
	id CAA28260; Wed, 16 Aug 1995 02:06:43 -0400
Received: from eskimo.com (root@eskimo.com [204.122.16.13]) by mail.eskimo.com (8.6.12/8.6.12) with ESMTP id XAA24124 for <crystal@duke.poly.edu>; Tue, 15 Aug 1995 23:08:08 -0700
Received: by eskimo.com (8.6.12) id OAA27540; Tue, 15 Aug 1995 14:49:20 -0700
Message-Id: <199508152149.OAA27540@eskimo.com>
Date: Tue, 15 Aug 1995 14:49:20 -0700
Reply-To: CRYSTAL@duke.poly.edu
Sender: owner-CRYSTAL@duke.poly.edu
From: "A.S. Korra'ti" <dewshine@eskimo.com>
To: crystal@duke.poly.edu
Subject: LOG: Kevlan and Berni's Trip to Estenar, Part 10
X-Listprocessor-Version: 7.1 -- ListProcessor by CREN
Status: RO

Archive-Name: estenar-trip-10.log

[Intro]:
Continuing on their impromptu quest to rediscover Kevlan's ability to 
sing, Kevlan and Bernadette have ventured in a remote corner of the 
Farann Province wilderness on Estenar. Warned by Kevlan's small niece 
Fanna that they would find flowers in a "secret place", the two Singers 
on their trek have seen Fanna's warning come true in a disconcerting 
fashion: the wood into which they've ventured is full of tiny but 
powerfully-scented flowers, and prolonged exposure to them has left 
Bernadette groggy.

Kevlan has been less confused by the flowers than Bernadette, and has 
striven to keep his sweetheart on her feet. But Bernadette's 
unsteadiness has made the two of them go tumbling down a hillside into a 
secluded nook among the hills in this place.

There, Kevlan has made a discovery: a delicate sculpture half-hidden 
among the blossoms, with a symbol of a crescent moon, a tree, and a 
single star engraved in its top....

----------
"It's... it's a symbol for the Lady," Kevlan says very softly.

Bernadette blinkblinks again and looks at the sculpture with some 
  degree of reverence. Then, the last tendrils of flower-induced
  sluggishness dissipated, she straightens and begins untying
  the gitar from around your chest.

"Ask her for your voice back, Kevlan," she whispers, her hands
  shaking, fumbling with the knots ineffectually. "Please, honey,
  you gotta sing...." she pleads, "...*WE* gotta sing..."

Kevlan blinks at Bernadette, as her shaking hands do little for the
  knots. He moves to handle them himself, and murmurs huskily, "You
  feelin'... up to it, honey?"

Bernadette's fumbling hands get more in your way than assist you and she
  nods quickly, muttering "Gotta sing again, Kevlan...after all this
  time..."

Kevlan closes his hands around Berni's, and gently holds her fingers
  aside as he works, rather more quickly, to untie his instrument. He
  shifts slightly, letting out a faint breath that sounds like one of
  relief, and he murmurs, "Ah... Ah'll try. You're right, honey... "

Bernadette stands, blinking dumbly at the rope before she raises her
  eyes to his. "You can do it. I know the Lady won't refuse you.."

Kevlan's eyes abruptly soften, as he looks searchingly at Bernadette,
  surprised by the earnestness in that declaration. "We-we shouldn't
  stay heah too long... both of us'll git swimmyheaded... " He swings
  the gitar around before him, and looks down at it nervously.

Bernadette murmurs "Swimmyheaded..." with a nod, as she pats Kevlan's
  forearm lightly.

Kevlan considers getting up for a moment, himself, but decides against
  it, turning his attention to inspecting the gitar to make sure it's
  survived the tumble down the hill. It's taken a few new nicks in its
  already battered surface, but seems structurally intact, and the
  strings are whole....

Bernadette blinks and asks tentatively "It...it's okay, isn't it? You
  can play it, can't you?"

Kevlan plucks a single note, sending a C echoing softly through the
  heavy, languidly warm air.

Bernadette lets out a sigh of relief and stands rigidly, waiting and
  listening.

Kevlan plays a few slow chords, hesitantly. He frowns to himself, and
  a nervous look begins to cross his face.

Bernadette watches Kevlan intently, and whispers encouragingly, "You can
  do it..."

Kevlan swallows hard, and breathes, "Ah.. ain't sure how t' do
  this... Ah... " He looks helpless for a moment, before glancing at the
  delicate sculpture half-hidden in the flowers.

Bernadette curls her fingers reassuringly around Kevlan's wrist and
  gives it a gentle squeeze. "Just take a breath and...sing. I'm sure
  you remember how..."

Kevlan half-grins, giving a weak little laugh. He closes his eyes, pulls
  in a breath and immediately blinks, as he gets a lungful of the
  flower-heavy air. "Err... "

Bernadette thumps on Kevlan's back, uncertain what else to do.

Kevlan mutters huskily after a moment, "Ah'm.... okay, honey.... "

Bernadette nods, not looking quite convinced, and moves away, looking at
  the strings of his gitar.

Kevlan opens his eyes again, and frowns slightly. He touches one hand
  towards the sculpture, gently brushing the symbol on its top with a
  fingertip. "If... it has t' be heah... "

Bernadette whispers confidently "It's here..it has to be..."

Kevlan nods, somewhat shakily, and tries a practice hum. The sound comes
  out barely noticeably.
Kevlan after a moment seems pleased to discover that he can still
  produce a note. He tries it a little louder, sliding slowly up a
  scale.

Bernadette blinkblinks and stares dazedly at Kevlan.

Kevlan tries it again, syncopating the notes on the way back down the
  scale.

Bernadette shakes her head, clearing it once more, and watches Kevlan, a 
  hopeful look on her face.

Kevlan smiles crookedly, then draws in a long breath and lets it out on
  as strong and clear a note as he can manage. The low F echoes in the
  tiny valley; the acoustics are surprisingly good in this place, and
  the sound seems to bounce up the open corridor of air to the shadowed
  hillsides high above.

Bernadette closes her eyes and shivers with the sound, a smile curving
  her lips. When she opens her eyes again, she regards Kevlan stolidly
  again, urging him to try some more.

Kevlan starts to blush, but the shy smile stays in place, as he
  tentatively tries his range... notes down on the rumbling low end
  first, then carefully up through three octaves to the high, pure
  notes. His voice cracks a time or two on the higher notes, out of
  practice with sustaining those tones.

Bernadette smiles again,. nodding encouragingly at Kevlan.

Kevlan brightens a bit, and brings his hands to the gitar strings and
  frets. He begins weaving chords into the notes he attempts.

Bernadette whispers "That's it..."

Kevlan's hand shakes a little on the strings. The chords are
  uneven... and all of them soft, as if muted by the languor of the
  flowers.

Bernadette remains quiet, listening intently.

Kevlan finally seems to settle something within himself. He glances
  once at the symbol on the sculpture, then strikes a single chord on
  the gitar, and begins to sing, slowly:

        You're so young
        And beautiful
        And I love you so...
        Your lips so rare
        Your eyes that shine
        Shame the stars that glow...

Bernadette's eyes go wide, her mouth drops open slightly before she
  smiles broadly, her eyes misting over.

Kevlan's voice cracks again on a high note that he hits, but he
  continues through the words, fixing his gaze on Bermadette as if
  perceiving her as a beacon to guide him home through a mach storm.

Bernadette stands tensely, her own gaze fixed on Kevlan in return, her
  hands clasped tightly before her.

Kevlan finally trails off softly, before moving promptly into another
  song. His voice remains mostly soft... the notes gentle, as though for
  some reason he can't quite reach the powerful volumes Bernadette has
  heard him produce in the past.

Bernadette cries happily "It's back! She gave it back!!"

Kevlan stares up at Bernadette in wonder, startled by the exclamation;
  he wavers on a note as he suddenly smiles.

Bernadette laughs hysterically, almost unable to believe it herself.

Kevlan swallows hard, singing....

        ... oh, so gently
        Gentle as the dawn
        Gently, oh so gently
        Our true love was born...

Bernadette sits down abruptly in the grass, smiling broadly at her love.

Kevlan gazes at Berni tenderly, as he trails off on the end of the song.

Bernadette jumps to her feet and practically throws herself at Kevlan,
  laughing giddily.

Kevlan oofs, falling over lightly onto the petal-strewn grass. "Mrmm... 
  careful, honey... "

Bernadette wraps her arms tightly about Kevlan's neck, alternating
  between laughing and crying against his neck, exclaiming "It's back!
  It's BACK!!!!"

Kevlan hugs Berni to him, grinning hugely, humming into your hair.

Bernadette, her grip still tight around his neck, cries "Oh, Kevlan!"

Kevlan starts laughing softly, giddy as well.

Bernadette pushes the gitar aside and sits astride Kevlan, laughing with
  him. She rains a dozen small kisses over his face before she hugs him
  close again.

Kevlan giggles slurrily, humming again, singing out whatever snatches
  of words come immediately to mind.
Kevlan pauses to catch his breath, and his eyes glaze over a little.

Bernadette blinkblinks and climbs to her feet, her hands grasping one
  of Kevlan's as she tries to haul him to his feet. "C'mon...we'd better
  go before these...flowers...do us in again..."

Kevlan looks slightly startled as she tugs at him, and involuntarily
  hums again, his mind still on song. The hum modulates into a "Hmm?" as
  he peers at her.

Bernadette repeats a little more urgently, "Come ON...let's go..." She
  tugs again, leaning back with all her slight weight.

Kevlan trails off into silence, and then awkwardly clambers to his
  knees. "Right... go... "

Bernadette stumbles before she catches her balance and pulls Kevlan
  along.

Kevlan squints blearily at Bernadette. "Gotta sing," he mumbles, but
  makes it to his feet.

Bernadette tugs him along with her as she strikes out of the area,
  intent on putting some distance between them and the flowers. "You can
  sing later, love..gotta go..."

Kevlan, with the singing he's been doing, has perhaps drawn in a lot
  more of the floral scent... for his expression has grown abruptly more
  vague and disoriented. "Wait... " he murmurs. "Mah... gitar. Gotta go
  th' right way... "

Bernadette grudgingly allows herself to be led back to the clearing
  to retrieve the gitar, although her expression and mannerisms are
  reminiscent of the panic of times on Ballybran when symbiont enhanced
  senses herald on-coming storms.

"Hurry, Kev...before the flowers get us..." she mutters urgently.

Kevlan staggers back to grab the gitar; the rope still tied to the
  fretboard drags behind him as he then fumbles back to his
  sweetheart's side. He slings the instrument's shoulder strap over his
  shoulder, trying to settle the gitar back on his back as he rejoins
  Berni. Then he blinks, realizing they've taken a different path away
  from the pool, and he frowns, turning around. "Gotta go back up th'
  hill... "

Intent on trying to get out of the floral scented woods as quickly as
  possible, Bernadette looks aroud at Kevlan's words, picks a hill, and
  starts towards it, her hand firmly gripping Kevlan's, as she continues
  to urge him to follow.

Kevlan protests vaguely, "Berni... honey... hang on... gotta check
  mah datapad... "

Bernadette does not relent and keeps plunging ahead, mumbling "Gotta get
  outta here...gotta get outta here..."

Around the pair, the gloom deepens once more, as they leave the little
  pool behind and Berni's plunge leads them further into the wood.
  Repeatedly shaking his head to clear it, Kevlan lurches after his
  sweetheart, but as she hastens between a pair of the vine-entwined
  trees, he loses his grip on her hand.

Kevlan scowls, not liking the way his head is starting to spin. For a
  moment he stops, leaning against the nearest tree for support; he
  scowls further as it takes him longer than it should to remember the
  compass in his pocket - but once he does, Kevlan pulls it out and
  squints at it. Its luminescent dial glows faintly in the murky shade,
  and after staring at it long enough to allow the display to make sense
  to disturbingly fogged mental processes, Kevlan looks up again.

So intent on getting them out of the woods and away from the heavy
  scent of the flowers, Bernadette fails to notice the lack of Kevlan's
  hand in hers as she plows mindlesly through the trees, instinct
  pressing her to move as far away from the source of the floral aroma
  as possible.

"Berni! Berni, wait!"

The call cuts through the semi-crazed fog of her mind and she stops
  abruptly, the realization that Kevlan is no longer directly behind
  her, let alone holding her hand, finally registering. She spins around
  to look behind her the way she'd come -- or is that the direction she
  came from? The woods look the same no matter which way she turns.

"Kevlan?" A tinge of panicked anxiety in her voice. Again she calls,
  louder this time, more insistent. "Kevlan?!" Bernadette begins
  plodding back through the growth, trying to use Kevlan's voice as a
  homing beacon, but it's just so hard to think clearly...the flowers'
  scent presses in on her oppressively...she's got to get away! She
  argues with herself inwardly...no, she's got to find Kevlan. <<Hold on
  to that thought,>> she coaches herself as she blunders through the
  forest in search of her fiance.

Still leaning against the tree, Kevlan peers stubbornly off in the
  direction he saw Bernadette go, then with careful determination holds
  the illuminated compass out before him to mark the way. "Berni...
  Ah'm... comin', honey, keep talkin'... "

Bernadette, unable to see Kevlan at all, and barely being able to hear
  him...whether due to the distance between them or the flowers is
  uncertain...keeps wandering anxiously, calling his name repeatedly.
  The forest is dark now, nearly as dark as the middle of the night
  thanks to the solidity of the trees' canopy, making it difficult to
  see clearly, even with enhanced Singer vision.

"Kevlan?! Kevlan, where are you? KevWHOAH!!" Bernadette finds herself
  sprawled face down in a bed of moss, her ankle firmly in the grasp
  of a root or a vine... She falls silent as she turns over onto her
  back and sits up, trying to free her ankle...and cutting off Kevlan's
  sound-path to her.

Alarmed as his hearing - sharper than Berni's - catches the muffled cry,
  Kevlan shouts, "Berni?!" Getting no answer, he squints anxiously into
  the gloom, but her figure is nowhere to be seen. He then,
  instinctively, tries to sniff the air to catch her scent - and
  immediately reels, as the flowers overwhelm his awareness. As the
  world tilts crazily about him, he tumbles sideways into the nearest
  bush.

The flowers have begun to work their magic on Bernadette once again, as
  she sluggishly fumbles with the vegetation wrapped firmly around her
  ankle. She pulls ineffectually with her leg, and tries to yank the 
  solid tendrils away with her hands to no avail. "Kevlan?" she croaks
  just as she decides she should conserve her energy...yeah, that's
  it... conserve her energy...by lying down among the soft, soft moss
  and fragrant flowers. Mumbling softly to herself "I'll jus' wait here
  for Kevlan...," she closes her eyes.

Kevlan rolls over, scowls muzzily, and forces himself first to his
  knees, then his feet. His symbiont, responding at last in annoyance to
  whatever pheremone the flowers are putting out, flares into life with
  a sensation like an itch over every square centimeter of his skin. The
  feeling is enough to keep him awake. _Find Berni_, he orders himself
  doggedly. And after several moments of sleepy consideration, he props
  his gitar against a tree - a landmark. Then, compass in hand, he
  totters his way through a rough search pattern out from the tree in
  question.

"Bern' hon? Berni?" He keeps calling her name, slurrily, alternating his
  gaze between the steady glow of the compass dial and the thick shadows
  on all sides. Then, just barely, Kevlan avoids stumbling over the same
  snarl of greenery that has snared Berni's ankle. Startled, he
  half-kneels, half-collapses at Bernadette's side, dropping the compass
  in his haste.

"Bern... 'nihoney... c'mon... giddup... "

(Oh, why can't she just sleep? Why does she keep getting woken up?)

Bernadette groans and mutters "Sleepy..." without opening her eyes.
  She attempts to roll over onto her side, only to get her legs tangled
  up as the greenery still refuses to give up its hold on her ankle.

Kevlan lets out a low moan of distress, then starts fumbling at the
  vines that snared Bernadette's ankle, entreating her all the while,
  "Please, honey... w-w-we gotta git married! W-we gotta go home an'
  cut crystal... an' Ah-Ah-Ah'll sing f'r you... c'mon honey.... "

Whether it's the mention of crystal or not is uncertain, but 
  Bernadette's symbiont decides to finally kick in and attempt to 
  counteract the drug-like effect of the flowers. Berni blinks groggily 
  and sits up, moving in slow motion as she reaches forward to help you 
  release her ankle.

"Thassit... attagirl, Berni... " Grinning waveringly, Kevlan gets his
  sweetheart freed. Getting her on her feet is somewhat more difficult
  - and is halted when Kevlan suddenly frowns anxiously. "Th'
  compass... h-h-he'p me fin' th' compass!" Unsteady even on his hands
  and knees, Kevlan begins pawing at the forest floor.

Bernadette frowns in confusion and lowers herself to the ground once
  more, joining Kevlan in the search. "Don't it glow, Kev?" she asks
  slurrily as she sticks her hands underneath the top layer of leaves
  and debris, feeling around for the elusive instrument and peering
  intently for any signs of its luminous face.

"Ah-Ah-Ah don' 'membah wheah Ah dropped it... " Increasingly 
  frantically, Kevlan fumbles around through the underbrush - and pauses
  more than once, his eyes glazing over, as his symbiont wrestles with 
  the flowers' effects. But his own words make him frown tightly. "Not
  s'posed t' forget things yet... "

Bernadette looks over at Kevlan as he speaks uncomprehendingly, her
  hands stilling in their search for....She frowns. For what?

If anything, the flowers' scent is more powerful nearer the ground,
  where old, fallen petals cushion the forest floor, and the vines curl 
  thickest around the bases of the trees. Kevlan's erratic search for
  the compass begins to slow, and when the instrument fails to reveal
  itself, the urgency of locating it becomes strangely muted. At last,
  Kevlan mumbles vaguely to Berni, "Gotta... find it.... right?"

Blinking confusedly, Bernadette replies "Find what?" even as she
  continues, on hands and knees, to scour the forest floor.

Frowning absently, Kevlan sits back on his heels, rubbing his right
  hand across his eyes. Now that he has paused again, it starts seeming
  a good idea to simply... sit. He doesn't quite, yet, though, as he
  peers over at Bernadette. "The... compass," he mumbles. "Gotta find
  it... go home... " And after a beat he adds almost regretfully,
  "Cain't... stay heah... "

Now it's Bernadette's turn to sit back on her heels, and she does so,
  peering at her dirty hands as if she's trying to figure out how they
  got so dirty in the first place. She looks at Kevlan again and asks
  simply "Why not?"

Kevlan, thrown for a loop by the question, blinks at his sweetheart
  muzzily. For several long moments he struggles to form a coherent
  reply - sure there must be _some_ reason he's so worried about
  remaining here - but all he says at last is, plaintively, "Jes'...
  cain't."

Bernadette mulls over this reply for a few moments, appearing to
  concentrate on it very hard. Finally she shrugs and says "Oh."
  At this point she climbs to her feet a little unsteadily and
  blinks down at Kevlan. "Where are we going now?"

Going? Oh... right... going... Kevlan slowly stands, looking very
  disappointed that he has to get up. And he frowns uncertainly,
  noting, "Ah lost somethin'... " Listing sideways about five degrees,
  he totters around through the trees a little, looking around from
  side to side.

Frowning, Bernadette follows Kevlan around, mimicking him step for
  step as if running on the same, crooked track. After a few moments
  of staggering around in the complete darkness, Berni wonders
  aloud "Are we there yet?"

"Uh-uh... gotta find somethin'," Kevlan answers. He scowls foggily,
  and attempts what should be a determined search pattern through the
  flower-bedecked foliage, but which winds up being random spirals
  through the trees.

*Bonk.* Then, simultaneously, a dissonant *twang* and Kevlan muttering
  "Ow... " He goes crumpling forward, and tries to roll over, staring in
  perplexity at the object that tripped him: his gitar, now lying fallen
  across the backs of his knees.

Sudden relief floods Kevlan's face as he fumbles at the instrument's
  strap and pulls it up to him, reverently. Was this what he lost? He
  remembers leaving this someplace...

Bernadette, somehow managing to NOT trip over Kevlan after he tripped
  over his gitar, stands a few steps away, swaying slightly as she
  blinks at Kevlan and the gitar he cradles to him. 

A silly grin breaks over her face and she flops down onto her knees
  in front of Kevlan and says, in a dreamy, girlish voice, "Sing t'
  me..." while she bats her eyelashes at the other Singer.

Kevlan, lying down among the flower petals, blinks for a moment... then
  smiles, captivated. One corner of his mind offers up the point that he
  can hardly _talk_ straight, much less sing, but somehow that seems
  irrelevant. With one arm curled protectively around the gitar - he
  shouldn't lose it again! - Kevlan unsteadily clasps Bernadette's hand,
  and starts to sing.

The melody is recognizable, "Home is Where the Heart Is," and as usual,
  Kevlan's notes are all perfectly pitched. But his awareness of tempo
  and time seem to have vanished, as he lingers languidly on one note
  just to hear it fade into silence, or patters his way through others
  like a flurry of raindrops on a roof. He hums rather than sings half
  the words, too, and can't seem to manage more than a breathy whisper
  of his best volume.

And all the while, with an adoring-puppy expression, he gazes
  rapturously up at Bernadette. Yes, this is right. He was supposed to
  come somewhere around here to sing...!

Bernadette adds her own voice to Kevlan's song, switching between her
  soprano and alto registers randomly, but never off key as she gazes in
  return at Kevlan, a huge grin on her own face.

Kevlan reflexively giggles at some of the results of the random
  combinations of notes and tempos. "Silly," he gasps out breathlessly,
  at last.

Bernadette laughs as she stands up, shaking her hand loose of Kevlan's.
  "Sing s'more!"

Kevlan blinkblinkblinks. Pleased at Berni's reaction, but still
  nigglingly worried that there's something... else... he should be
  doing, he slurs at her, "Wha... you wan' me t' sang?"

Bernadette twirls around...something she probably shouldn't do judging
  by the way she tips to one side...but she manages to stay upright,
  blurting "Anythin'!" right before she starts singing herself at the
  top of her lungs..."Never found a four leaf clover...t'bring good luck
  to me!"

"Whoa... whoa honey... gittin' me dizzy..." Kevlan tries to stand, to
  stop Berni whirling around, as he starts to giggle at the same time.
  "B-B-Berni honey... w-w-we gotta... g'home..."

Giggling hysterically between sung lines, Bernadette appears to have not
  heard Kevlan's last remark about getting home. She does stop twirling
  though and grabs Kevlan's hands, starting to dance around, instead, as
  she keeps on singing.

Kevlan groans, as Berni swings him around. But she doesn't have much in
  the way of ability to move him at the moment, any more than he can
  resist being tugged... and the two go abruptly crashing into the
  nearest tangle of vines. Kevlan blinks rapidly, disoriented, as
  everything spins crazily around him.

Bernadette lies in a heap of tangles vines and Kevlan-limbs, still
  giggling, but at least she's stopped singing.

Kevlan mumbles, "Oooooooh... swimmyheaded... Ah cain't... "

Bernadette stops giggling suddenly and blinks at Kevlan. "You 'kay?"

"Jessa... l'il dizzy..."

Frowning in concentration, Bernadette leans forward and places both
  hands on either side of Kevlan's head and holds it still, turning his
  face towards her own as she looks straight into his eyes. "Better?"

Kevlan blinks once, very slowly. Now that he is lying still again, a
  slow, languorous warmth creeps over him, softening his expression.
  "Mm-hmm," he murmurs dreamily.

Bernadette grins slowly and places a kiss on the tip of Kevlan's nose
  before releasing him and sitting back. She blinks again and stares
  blankly at Kevlan. "What now?"

Kevlan grins vaguely up at Bernadette, seemingly captivated by the
  tangle of her hair, and her liquid eyes... "Hmmm? Oh... is... theah
  s'posed t' be... somethin'?"

Bernadette blinkblinks at Kevlan's question, shrugs and abruptly throws
  herself forward, landing reclined next to Kevlan. She mutters "I think
  we're s'posed to sleep..." and she starts to close her eyes with a
  yawn.

Kevlan mrmmmmms, and pulls Berni into his arms, cuddling her against
  him. "Sleep... " he murmurs agreeably.

With a happy, content, nearly feline purr, Bernadette snuggles closer
  into Kevlan's side, repeating slurrily "Sleep..." once more.

[End log.]