After cleaning and locking the door to the room that belonged to Sid, S'jira was headed off towards the markets.
Whispers had already begun that a caravan with an artful entertainer was going to dance that very afternoon near the riverbank, near the main stone bridge. The small one enjoyed watching others dance and longed to know how to herself. S'jira hurried through her trade-errands and chores allotted to her so that by the third hour of the after-noon, she was free of tasks to go see the caravan.
A crowd had already begun to gather along the riverbank when the small woman arrived. Breaths were coming still at a rush from having run all the way from the market. Fingers of her right hand lay against her left side where a stitch had formed from running too fast to get there. Sandaled feet were weary and a light sheen of sweat had beaded on her brow. Left hand lifted to steal the moisture from her face as she edged closer to where several wagons and carts of the caravan stood.
Two carts had been backed against one another until the butts of them met. Several planks of wood joined the two to create a make-shift stage. There was no one presently on it. Or anyone that she could see from where she stood.
Short as she was, she had to step back to see the 'stage' a little better, offering at the same time a respectable distance between those of the crowd and herself. A few disdainful look were sent her way and eyes shyed from those men and women. She simply wanted to see the one who was to dance, not cause trouble.
Then a sudden cry came from the crowd, cheering and cat-calling as well as applause. It seemed that some had seen the dancer before, or had heard enough about her that they felt as if they did.
S'jira felt her heart still a moment as the beautiful woman ascended to the platform made of the woodplanks and the carts with the aid of a couple of men lifting her up. The woman was elegant and exotic. From the darkness of her long, layered hair that chaotically covered the length of her back to startling blue eyes that seemed to capture the gazes of everyone there.
The small one moved off to the right to get a bettered look of the dancer. Somewhere to the other side of the crowd, just out of sight from S'jira, drummers took up a rhythm and symbols tinkles merrily. A stringed instrument or two accompanied them. And they were all the music the blue-eyed woman needed.
From where she stood, S'jira watched the dance who moved with serpentine grace. Lithe arms lifted slowly and languidly to enthrall and entrance her audience. Hips drew right and rolled to the left with hypnotic talent. To her slender fingers, the dancer wore tiny symbols and on her ankles, bells.
For what seemed an eternity, a very nice eternity, the Pride of that caravan danced with passion and with courage. It was surely for the effort of coin that would come in the wake of such a splendid sight.
When she slowed to a stop and music with it, S'jira mourned it but with a smile. It seemed to have ended far sooner than she had wanted it to. And so was the same response of those in the crowd who watched the dancer.
There was calling out of fees for watching of the sight, or at least 'gifts'. And before S'jira might have to rub two sticks together in the hopes of coin being created she edged off and headed back towards the main part of the great City.
Lighter on her feet and humming the passionate, very dancible melody, S'jira headed off towards the Red Dragon Inn with whimsical dreams of dance all around her.
Whispers had already begun that a caravan with an artful entertainer was going to dance that very afternoon near the riverbank, near the main stone bridge. The small one enjoyed watching others dance and longed to know how to herself. S'jira hurried through her trade-errands and chores allotted to her so that by the third hour of the after-noon, she was free of tasks to go see the caravan.
A crowd had already begun to gather along the riverbank when the small woman arrived. Breaths were coming still at a rush from having run all the way from the market. Fingers of her right hand lay against her left side where a stitch had formed from running too fast to get there. Sandaled feet were weary and a light sheen of sweat had beaded on her brow. Left hand lifted to steal the moisture from her face as she edged closer to where several wagons and carts of the caravan stood.
Two carts had been backed against one another until the butts of them met. Several planks of wood joined the two to create a make-shift stage. There was no one presently on it. Or anyone that she could see from where she stood.
Short as she was, she had to step back to see the 'stage' a little better, offering at the same time a respectable distance between those of the crowd and herself. A few disdainful look were sent her way and eyes shyed from those men and women. She simply wanted to see the one who was to dance, not cause trouble.
Then a sudden cry came from the crowd, cheering and cat-calling as well as applause. It seemed that some had seen the dancer before, or had heard enough about her that they felt as if they did.
S'jira felt her heart still a moment as the beautiful woman ascended to the platform made of the woodplanks and the carts with the aid of a couple of men lifting her up. The woman was elegant and exotic. From the darkness of her long, layered hair that chaotically covered the length of her back to startling blue eyes that seemed to capture the gazes of everyone there.
The small one moved off to the right to get a bettered look of the dancer. Somewhere to the other side of the crowd, just out of sight from S'jira, drummers took up a rhythm and symbols tinkles merrily. A stringed instrument or two accompanied them. And they were all the music the blue-eyed woman needed.
From where she stood, S'jira watched the dance who moved with serpentine grace. Lithe arms lifted slowly and languidly to enthrall and entrance her audience. Hips drew right and rolled to the left with hypnotic talent. To her slender fingers, the dancer wore tiny symbols and on her ankles, bells.
For what seemed an eternity, a very nice eternity, the Pride of that caravan danced with passion and with courage. It was surely for the effort of coin that would come in the wake of such a splendid sight.
When she slowed to a stop and music with it, S'jira mourned it but with a smile. It seemed to have ended far sooner than she had wanted it to. And so was the same response of those in the crowd who watched the dancer.
There was calling out of fees for watching of the sight, or at least 'gifts'. And before S'jira might have to rub two sticks together in the hopes of coin being created she edged off and headed back towards the main part of the great City.
Lighter on her feet and humming the passionate, very dancible melody, S'jira headed off towards the Red Dragon Inn with whimsical dreams of dance all around her.