North Sea Dungeon

[Saprya]

The little bell above the door jingled as Saprya left the shop, having stocked up on enough incense, candles and chalk for her next few dungeon dives. She was well supplied now, the only thing still missing from her travelling backpack were some rations. But she would get those fresh, or as fresh as rations could be, once she actually knew when she would be diving into the dungeon. And with what party.

These last few months she had gotten used to travelling alone again. The quiet on the road, and in camp at night, had stopped unsettling her after a while. She had even begun to sleep again, after much longer. She had learned to be fine on her own, maybe even grown to enjoy it. But now her only way forward was down into that newly discovered dungeon and that one of the things she could not do on her own.

Lingering on the narrow cobble stone street Saprya considered. She had seen a tavern on her way here. That seemed as good a place as any to get to know some fellow travellers and adventurers. With some luck she could join an already existing party. Maybe one that had already been down in the dungeon at least once. She was far from one of the first to arrive on the island and there were bound to be people with more experience and knowledge about this place that she could learn from.

She had already turned down the street to head towards the tavern when an airy, jaunty tune caught her attention. On a whim she followed it the other way, until the cobble stone street opened up to the town square. It was more crowded than the first time she had passed it earlier this morning. Now there were people bustling about, quite a few of them gathered at one end of the square, and Saprya was quick to spot why: This was where the music was coming from! Musicians (three of them!) stood on a simple wooden stage, barely more than a few boards nailed together and propped up a few inches above ground. The tune of their lute and drum and fiddle carried across the square, luring anyone eager for a distraction. Saprya could use one of those.

So she allowed herself to be drawn in, already a spring in her step as she crossed the square. She had not heard music like this in so long! By the time she had reached the crowd she was swaying to the tune, clapping and twirling in ways that made her skirts flare out wide. She winked at a little girl hiding behind her mother's legs, then spun the other way with a laugh.

[Az']

The musicians were having fun, enough that any wrong note felt more like warmth and humanity than a mistake. They seemed familiar with their instrument in the same way one is familiar with a friend's pet, something they coo at and play with more than they care for. Maybe they had switched instruments for the hell of it. The ease between the three of them certainly would allow it. That was a nice thought.
Swaying softly to the tune, as close to the stage as he could, Az' listened.

He listened to the joyful melody, rising and falling like a breathe. A cold balm over his tired body, distracting him from the tightness taking root in his leg after being on it all day.

He listened to the hubbub of the busy town square, almost enough to drown out the incessant rumbling of the sea that made him uneasy. Almost.

He listened to the best instruments of them all. A laugh, sweet and airy, from somewhere behind him. That was a nice laugh.
And entirely too short-lived. He had had barely enough time to turn around and begin scanning faces before it faded out in the hum of the crowd. It didn't take too long for his eyes to land on the waves of a skirt, rolling hills of golden meadows, and the woman wearing it, spinning and smiling, a radiance of her own. And then, she did it again. Delighted chimes as she watched a little girl attempt to copy her.

Declare his interest piqued.
A grin breaking out on his face, he made his way to her, hips swaying and feet light. He reached her just as she was finishing a twirl. Using her momentum to his advantage, he let her close the rest of the way. He could feel the hem of her skirt brush his shin as he took a hold of her hand.

"Would you do me the honour of a dance?"

[Saprya]

It took a moment but after watching her twirl with big eyes the girl came out from behind her mother's legs, taking a few wobbly steps before trying a pirouette herself. Saprya laughed again, cheering for her little dance partner, before her attention was suddenly yanked away from the girl when a warm hand grabbed hers. The sudden touch had her stumbling over her own feet towards the stranger, a squawk of surprise leaving her.

She caught herself before barreling into his chest, if only barely. Looking up, bewildered, she met the dark eyes of a young Tall-Man. Handsome and with eastern features. Curious to take in the whole picture her eyes flicked down his body, noting the dark clothes and especially the prothetic metal leg that attached below his knee. Her eyes lingered there for a moment, then flicked up to the hand that still held hers, firmly but not uncomfortably so. Then further up again, back to his face.

There was something about his smile she could not quite place. It was wide, maybe a bit too much so. But there was no malice in his expression. Nor did it hold the arrogant dominance some men, especially Tall-men, approached her with.

So after a moment of breathless consideration her curiosity won.

She gripped his hand back, just as firmly as he held hers, and did a curtsy. A clumsy, playful imitation of what she had once seen noble ladies do when asked for a dance.

"The honour would be mine."

[Az']

It took her a bit before agreeing, healthy suspicion Az' guessed.
Letting out a chuckle at her antics, he pulled her towards him, backing more fully into the middle of the square.

"You will have to excuse my rustiness, I haven't danced since I came here." Now grabbing her second hand as well, he could feel her warmth emanating from her palms. Invigorated both by her presence and the music, he let himself be carried by the joyous air, uncaring about his uneven gait and clumsiness. "Not that there have been many opportunities, can you believe that this is the first time I've heard good music in the last 3 weeks?"

Pulling, pushing, being pulled in return, Az' could have sworn dancing with this lady felt like dancing with the sea herself. Something wild about it. Something fierce. Contrasting entirely with the gentleness on her face.

"I have to say, I am glad for tonight. I missed it, this giddiness."

[Saprya]

Already having agreed to the dance Saprya allowed the man to pull her onto the square where they had more space to move. He was not very graceful in the way he tried to lead her but what he lacked in skill and balance he made up for in enthusiasm, radiating an honest glee that felt infectious.

"Oh really?", she laughed back, keeping up with his motions and meeting them in turn. Pushing and pulling, gliding and turning and spinning. "Well, I haven't danced in...", she trailed off as a memory stirred from the edges of her mind.

The last time she had danced with someone, not just swayed and twirled by herself in some corner, had been before. A crowded tavern, a musician, more drunk than he was talented, a calloused hand in hers. A smile she would kill for. A smile she had killed for.

She squeezed his fingers, focused on her footing, spun away from him in time so he would not see the shadow passing across her eyes. Afterwards she stepped close again, meeting him with a bright smile.

"I'm so glad they have some music here, I mean..." She leaned close, then, as if to share a grand secret with her new acquaintance.  He smelled of leather and sweat and some kind of oil, maybe. Not unpleasantly so. "Most adventurers get awfully serious if they don't have some good entertainment now and again. I swear it's like we forgot how to be giddy if we don't get enough chances to practise..."

[Az']

As she spun back towards him, something caught Az's eyes. The flower she sported in her hair had seemed open a bit wider just a second ago. Now that he gave it more thought, he hasn't seen this kind of flower anywhere on the island. Or anywhere at all, for that matter. Before he could question it, she leaned in close, leaving him to distractedly shove the thought in a corner of his mind. He will ask his boyfriend about it when he next sees him, that sort of trivia is right up his alley.
For the moment, there was a pretty smile demanding his attention.

"Is that so?" Resting an arm around her waist, he twisted her around to match a swirl in the melody.
"A shame, really. What good is training the body if we leave the spirit to rot. Besides..."
Finishing in a dip, he grinned up at her.
"I find that a good dancing sharpen the senses."

Her weight a comfort in his arms, Az' reveled in the buzz leftover from their dancing. In his mind he saw himself, months ago, in her place. Not letting himself get sad, he snapped back to reality.
There was a lull in the music. He let her back upright. Leaving a hand on her waist to use as an anchor, Az' shifted his weight to his good leg. Now that the warmth of dancing was ebbing away, the pain was coming back with a vengeance.

[Saprya]

As the music swelled and picked up the stranger spun her faster, leading her from a twirl into a spin until he dipped her low, without warning. Her feet almost slipped on the cobble stones as she stared up at him, wide eyed and heart racing. He looked smug, self satisfied with having caught her off guard for just a second. 

Maybe that was what he meant by sharpen the senses. Did he like to challenge all of his dance partners like this? But his arms were steady, the one wrapped around her waist strong and dependable. Safe enough for the moment.

Then he pulled her back up, deftly placing her onto her feet as the music slowed. The world was tilted back into perspective and Saprya found her smile again, a giggle bubbling up from her chest.

But before she could say anything she watched something in the stranger's expression, in his composure, shift. The arm still wrapped around her waist was now more leaning than holding, bracing some of his weight against her. Saprya supported it readily, if not without effort, reaching out to steady him.

"Is everything alright?", she asked, eyes flicking back down to his legs and the way he shifted his weight onto the good one. "Do you need ... I mean, do you want to sit down, maybe?"

Gaze wandering across the square her attention landed on the well in the middle, the brim just high enough to sit comfortably for a few minutes. She nodded her head into its direction, a soft, questioning noise at the back of her throat.