Certain Skills Speak the Heart

Picking at his claws with his other fingers, Pushok padded through Casa's core seeking out a familiar face. The fort walls were high around him. They were eternal and safe. By his birth and his youth he took them for granted. This was the place where all Cavaliers came to be, to work, and to do their part for Casa in any way they knew how. Pushok, on the other hand, was weary from training in the aspects of the body. His mind, however, wondered, about the training of other things.

He'd been reminded about the words Lucia spoke. About how she knew his mother and what she had to say. It was all, very, very kind, and it built a strength In his heart for who his mother was from an opinion that wasn't of his father. To be fair, the man worshiped the ground that she had walked on, much more, was buried on. Lucia, on the other hand, was an outsider, and still had nothing but great things to say. It was inspiring, as was her voice when she came to song.

It was well known enough that Aldora, the brotherhood member that wasn't only a tactician and an archer, also had a mastery of her own voice that Pushok might be able to learn a thing or two from. Hiking himself up on the fountain and covering his eyes with a dark fingered palm, he narrowed his eyes to survey as far as he could see. Maybe, if she was free today, she could give him something of a lesson, or even just some tips to help him with notes that he couldn't reach, or keep for a time. Of course, there was certainly more to it than that, but he'd have to hit the basics before he could even think about perfecting a skill like that. Not just everyone could sing, he as finding out. He'd asked Darkness for some pointers and boy was that a nightmare!

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Cinzia was so close, so close. Aldora would have to keep an eye on her; it would be any day now that she would go into labor. The Lionheart was beyond excited to see what the foal would look like, and also for her steed to finally be relieved of her long burden, so that she could fly again.

Aldora was coming back from the stables, a halter in her hand that was very worse for wear; she was going to take it to Leoris in his shop to see if he could mend it. Halters were in short supply, especially here in Casa where there were so many horses; they were worn out easily and quickly.

Halfway through the square, she saw a figure near the fountain; it was Pushok, one of Hartt’s last sons. She smiled, and waved at him, and then, seeing the look on his face when he spotted her, figured she might as well go say hello.

Far off, still over the ocean, a thunderstorm threatened, the sound of low drums rolled over the Fort walls; it would be some time until it reached them, here the sun still shined.

Aldora went to sit on the cool, slightly damp edge of the fountain, which was flowing now. The trickling, watery sounds were very pleasant; the entire Fort was alive with sound now that it was spring.

Hello, Pushok! She said brightly.

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Much to his surprise, rather than taking the rest of the day searching for the woman, she just happened to appear from the direction of the stables. Her smile and her wave brought brilliance into Pushok's expression, and he waved back,” Ahldora!” He chimed out, and was thrilled that she started making her way over to him. It didn't take her long to find a seat next to him, his tail fluffing behind him with excitement,” Hiello, Lionhaert Ahldora!”

“Ahre yeu doeing viell?” The question was sweet and innocent enough, but the look on his face wasn't hiding anything at all. He was delighted to have her here and for her to hopefully have the time to spend with him,“ I waes woundering if yeu haed soemthing? I doen't knoew if it viell taek loeng, dhough,” While he wasn't the best at common tongue, it was becoming clear that he was developing an accent far different from his father's pure Russian lilt, especially with the influences of the Cavaliers around him and the Svinka which he spoke as well.

“I haerd dhat yeu coeuld sing rielly viell? Cahn yeu... Cahn yeu show me? Cahn yeu taech me teu?” As he continued, his voice moved from a sure fire confidence to something a little less so. Admitting he didn't know how to do something was very unlike him, but he was more than willing to admit it for the sake of learning everything he could about it,” I heard soemohne sing, ahnd I rielly vhant teu be geud at it, teu! Me ahn' Temnota sing, beut.... It soeunds... noet as geud.”

Crossing his legs at his ankles he looked down at his feet for a moment. Working to use a sword was certainly an easier method of training than anything he managed to muster up for singing. His voice didn't sound much better, no matter how much he used it, but truth be told, he was comparing unskilled ability with a master's perfection. While he could sing, and very well so, his voice didn't have the instruction it took, nor did he know the proper ways to use it or train it for growth in the skill.

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Pushok was a bright eyed youth, just out of pup-hood, with a sweet Russian accent. He'd grow out of it eventually, it was extremely thick right now; she wondered if Ovidiu might like to come converse with him sometime (the big cat did not get to speak his native-tongue often, and had been surprised to learn the Hushhowl clan spoke it).

She smiled at him, I am doing very well, thank you for asking, Pushok. Very polite young man. His next words, while she had to pay very close attention to understand, came as a surprise to her. Her lavender eyes widened with glee and she slapped her hands on her lap, Well, now, I could certainly help you learn how to sing better! But let me hear something first, so I can see what we can improve on. He seemed shy to ask, and she could understand why.

As Aldora had gotten older, and fallen more into a mentorship roll to the younger generation, she realized that there seemed to be a stigma in Casa against those who did not want to fight. She first noticed it with Arlen, in a fashion; he was much more interested in his animals then his rapier. Rumpa had brought the feeling completely out into the open, and even Theodora, an adult, seemed challenged to focus on physical abilities rather than her plants.

The Lionheart did not want anyone in the pack to feel they didn't have worth, just because they would rather pick up an instrument than a sword, or study rather than train in the ring.

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Dipping his head, he smiled brightly when she told him of herself. He was genuinely glad for it, and wouldn't have asked for the lesson if she was doing poorly. The boy would have been more eager to cheer her up than have vocal training were that the case.

Aldora didn't hesitate at all, as a matter of fact, she seemed just as excited about it as he was to learn. Pushok's face lit up like the morning sun as she clapped her hands against her legs and he bounced to his feet with a exuberant quickness. Now, the boy was confident to say the least, but when Aldora asked to hear him sing, he couldn't help that his ears folded back. He didn't think he was very good at it, even if it were fun, and he didn't want her to think less of him. Twisting his finger in his own hand, a sheepish eye looked around to spy any Cavaliers that were in listening distance. He'd like his failures to remain on a one on one basis, if at all possible.

With a deep breath in, and the coast as clear as it could possibly be, Pushok's voice murmured up under his lips as something small,”Солнце и небо, трава и облака,” Eyes looked around a bit more before a crooked little smile grew on his face and his voice found some strength,” Желтый и синий, зеленый и белый," Finding a stopping point at that part, with really nothing more on his mind than to sing what he usually sang with his brother, he looked up at her. As soon as his smile had come, it had faded. He had run out of options on his own to work his voice. Pursed lips tried to remove that frown, because it was something he felt silly to be sad about.

He couldn't tell why he sounded different than others that sang beautifully, but he knew that his own sung words did not match the notes that he wanted them to exactly. Though the vibrations in his voice were soft, if not playful, there was little control that he had over his own tune and it was obvious that, if he knew what he was doing, his voice would certainly be something worth investing in. Very little emotion carried on his notes, but the notes themselves were nice. A little shaky and a little winded, as well," Deu yeu knoew what I'm doeing wroeng?" Eagerly, he twisted around and sat down again beside her, a bit defeated. No matter what he tried, it didn't sound heavenly at all.

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When she asked him to sing, his ears flattened and he looked nervous, but she gave him a sweet smile to comfort him. Performing in front of others was one of the hardest things, especially with a skill as nuanced as singing. Even those who did not understand its intricacies could tell when something was… off, he did not want to embarrass himself.

Pushok found the courage though, and began to sing, in his birth-tongue. The words were tilted and raspy, but also deep and flowing. The tune he sung was hard to pin-point, perhaps one he had made up himself. But Aldora could tell he was having trouble matching pitches to compliment each other; his voice was breathy and unsure.

When he finished, he asked if she could tell what he was doing wrong. Aldora shook her head, You’re not doing anything wrong. She said, You just need some help understanding the basics. Aldora stood and dusted off her backside.

The Lionheart clasped her hands in front of her and took a deep breath, and then sang out loud and clear, Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So, La, Ti, Do! She looked down at him, This is what I will teach you. It’s a step of sounds created by humans, to help understand music.

She tapped her clasped hands against her stomach, When you sing, you use the muscles here, in your stomach, just as much as the air in your lungs. Here, feel. She requested he touched her abdomen as she sang again, Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So, La, Ti, Do! See, do you feel?

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Even as he thought he did poorly, Aldora showed no sign that she may have heard a bad note or a sour tune. He couldn't tell if it was out of kindness, or maybe she was afraid to tell him what he was doing wrong? Pushok was unsure until the Master Tactician answered his question with a warm and friendly tone that brightened his lacking confidence in his novice skill,” Dhiere ahre baesics teu sienging, teu?” Training, sure, but the art of a beautiful voice seemed like a born skill rather than a trained one.

Rising from her feet to further explain, the image she portrayed of herself while she sang brewed a good-natured envy in the boy's heart. He wanted to be there, singing as she could, right beside her as she sang with him. What a dream that would be! Her words, however, were a language he didn't understand and he felt like something was missing in the translation. Did these sounds make for a better singer?

A tilted head spoke his confusion for him, furrowed brows and crooked lip a sign the gears were turning in there, but his direction wasn't where it should be,” Yeu haeve teu uenderstaend?” From what he and his brother knew of it, it just came from their heads. A natural thing that he couldn't imagine there being a greater presence to. As she gestured to her hands, he looked at where she had them placed and reached out as he was told to do. When she sang, he felt her chest rise and her stomach tense. His eyes widened,” Yies!” He spoke boldly and hopped off of the fountain again.

Finding his place beside her, he eyeballed where her hands were one last time before folding his fingers together and putting them on his abdomen. A deep breath in brought a bounty of notes forward, less airy than before, but also shaky. He wasn't used to controlling his voice this way,” Doe, Mee, Faer, Tea, Doe!” His energy outlived his memory, but he thought best to focus on this new idea of a tense stomach for singing. From inside, he wasn't sure what to do with himself and that was clear in his voice, but from outside, he was looking the part.

When his notes did not come so bold and bright as her own, he turned to her,” Liek dhat?” Pushok was very clearly puzzled,” It doesn't soeund rieght... It iz haerder teu sieng liek dhis, teu.”

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He seemed absolutely dumbfounded by what she was telling him, which was not at all a surprise. She had been born with natural talent, but it had been with training, and learning these basic steps, that she had improved and had achieved musical prowess. The things she was telling him about were only loosely based on what she had read in a single book; the rest had come from her own mind.

Aldora realized, to someone like Pushok, coming into this with absolutely no experience, it probably seemed the strangest thing.

The youth was in awe as he felt her diaphragm rise and fall, spurring her voice. He then tried himself, though he did not quite remember all the notes, and his voice shook with nerves. Still, she smiled brightly at him, That’s alright, it already sounded better than before. All you need to do is practice. I’ll help you remember the words.

Aldora was not quite sure if Pushok could read or not, but she fetched a nearby stick and drew in the dirt near the fountain the words; each only two letters long. As she spoke, she pointed to each, Do, like a female deer. Rey, like the sunshine. Mi, like what we call ourselves. Fa, like running far. So, like sewing a piece of fabric. La… well… not sure what to relate that too. Ti, like tea, and then finally, another Do.

She took a breath and sang again, Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So, La, Ti, Do! It’s a step of sounds that will help exercise your singing muscles. She hoped she was making any sense, it had been some time since she had taught anyone how to sing, and this was a new technique.

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Her compliment coursed through him like a wave, pride and confidence welling up from his stomach and lifting into his chest. He could feel the excitement growing in his throat, where there was once a squealing pitched shriek of joy in his youngest months, it had been replaced with a bubbling laughter. Brilliant bi-hued eyes brightened up as she offered to help him remember the words better, but at this point he had already forgotten the one's he'd omitted.

The stick in her hand scrawled in the dirt below them, twisting and curling around as she plotted out the noises in the shape of letters. While Pushok wasn't well versed in common reading, he did recall the basics that he'd been shown as a puppy. He mouthed out the letters she wrote out as she worked away at them, but certainly he wasn't a natural when it came to reading it.

Sound by sound she explained them and what they sounded like. Rapidly, he nodded and absorbed everything she had to say like a sponge. He'd have to remember, just in case he couldn't recall how to read them, or if the letters were swept away by wind, feet or horses alike,” Doe iz Deir, Rahy is suen, Mee iz... Me,” He turned up to her and giggled before following back with the lesson,” Fah iz Faer, Seu iz seuing, La iz,” His echoing halted as he laughed again when Aldora couldn't make a reference to what she could explain La as,” Tea iz tea, and anoether Doe!”

Raising his arms up to celebrate the completion of Aldora's reciting and the woman carried on to sing it after an inhale. Pushok,” Exzorsize dhe siening meuscles,” He echoed again and proceeded to attempt the words again, for Aldora's ears to listen for other opportunities he might have. It certainly wasn't an easy fix, but it was a start to something Pushok could do when his whole body ached from training. He could always breath,” Doe, Mee, Fa-” He hicced and looked at the list of noises with narrowed eyes as his mind calculated the languages in his head. This was basically like when he learned Svinka, or even the common tongue. Pushok knew he could do it. Another deep breath in, hand on his stomach, he tried again,” Doe Rahy, Mee, Fah, L... Seu, La, Tea, Doe!”

His tune carried higher and at it's final note, his voice cracked. The boy couldn't help but laugh at the silly sound that came out of him, after a startled expression of course, and found Aldora in his sights again,” Liek dhat?”

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Pushok absorbed what she as saying like a sponge, reciting the words she had just told him. His accent made them sound funny and odd, but he definitely understood what she had tried to convey. He tried again to sing them as she had, reading the words in the dirt to remind himself as he went. Already he sounded more confident, though his voice cracked at the top of the latter of sounds. Aldora could not help but laugh a little alongside him when he was startled by the breaj in his voice.

Through soft chuckles, she spoke, Very good Pushok, I don’t doubt that you’ll be a fantastic singer in no time. her words were full of earnest confidence, You may notice too, as you get older, that your voice changes and that’s okay. Continue to practice and you will learned what you can and cannot do in singing. Find your strengths, and focus on them.

Aldora touched him gently on the shoulder, Why don’t we call this training done for today; if you’d like, we can meet here again in a week and we’ll see how you’ve improved with practice, how does that sound? Aldora didn’t mind continuing to train Pushok in singing, but she realized that she would need to find or create new material for him to practice, and for that, she needed time.

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