Hey there! My exams got over and I fished this out. Haha. Only two more to go! I am super excited for this. You can consider this as a filler, but it is like a closing statement for them(They will appear in the upcoming series).

Let's jump into this!

Tune of Soul

**********

She wrung her fingers as the image burned a picture in her mind. Biting her lips, she lowered her gaze and tended to the cakes Katrina had asked her to make. The moonlight flushed across her backyard. As much as it was lovely to see, her heart tore open.

This was the exact reason why she never let her guards down. Trystan was smirking and Amara was blushing slightly as they emerged from the stable. He whispered something in her ear and she laughed brightly. At least, her friend was happy.

The cakes were never so perfect. The aroma of chocolate and the white cream came flawlessly.

Feeling a scrutinising stare on her back, she took the cakes and turned slowly. "What is it, Aeron?"

His red eyes softened. "I wonder why."

"Why what?"

"Why do you keep hurting?" he asked.

"Who said I was hurting?" she said. The red cherries on the cake smiled brightly.

"You can lie to them, Chavva," Aeron sighed. "But not to me. I can quite literally see your aura. It is all gloomy and sad."

Without answering, she walked out of her house with two trays, each in one hand. Answering those questions would no doubt hurt her more. Her cheeks contracted, but she willed it to relax. She bit her lips hard and blinked her eyes fast. The pain on her lips made the ache in her heart to disappear.

Caralea came out, wearing a grass green dress, fussing over her sister. "Hello, there, Chavva!"

Stretching her lips into a smile, "Hey to you too! Can you do me a favour?"

"What is it?" Caralea asked, holding her sister's hand.

"Could you get a bunch of dill from your garden? Einad asked for it," she said.

"Sure," she said. "Is that the last batch of cakes?"

"Yes," she smiled. "Others have gone to the square already."

Two children ran past them, the younger boy trying to catch the older girl who was darting on her nimble feet.

Raven came out of her house and the children stopped when they saw her. She whispered something in the girl's ears as the girl smiled and ran to do what she said. Confused, the boy followed her.

"Oh, Chavva!" Raven's eyes softened. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Can you help me with this?" Chavva motioned to the tray she had on her left hand.

Before Raven could come, Trystan materialised from nowhere and took the plate from her. "I got it!"

Raven eyed him and sighed. Without a word, she left.

Swallowing hard, she said, "Thank you."

"Do you see me thanking you every time you help me, Chavva?" he asked, walking beside her. "You cannot thank in friendship."

She smiled outside, but at his words, she was crying crimson inside.

The silence stretched for long as they made their way. The awkwardness was evident even to a leaf. His body relaxed a little next to her, as though he was getting accustomed to her for the first time. The air in her lungs was burning. She had never felt how fragile the heartbeat of an Immortal would be until she heard her own now.

His breathing rhythm settles in hers and she fell in pace with him. He was walking slowly for her. The night breeze made her jumpy heart to flutter even more. As though he sensed a change in her, he looked at her curiously.

Her lips started a smile of its own, and he returned it whole heartedly, his pearly white teeth flashing at her. His eyes lit up and all the sharpness with which he saw others lost its vigour when it landed on her.

"Where is Amara?" she asked, shifting the tray on to her other hand.

He frowned. "She wanted to wear a dress tonight."

The laughter of people became distant. Her lips parted and her jaws dropped. She faltered for a second. Did she really know Amara?

"I know," he nodded. "I asked her the same question. But she was pretty adamant on it."

She shook her head to chase away the thoughts. She had to divert her mind. The noise erupting from the gathering was not enough.

"Aeron is leaving for Katanagia," Chavva said. "Did you know that?"

"Yes," Trystan said, his eyes dimming a little. "As much as I do not want him to go, I understand why he needs to."

"So he said you?" she asked. By the next turn, the square would come.

He blinked at her in surprise. Then the understanding came on his face. "Who am I talking to! It's you. Of course, you will know about it."

She caught herself with his pace. "Wait. You mean you are not going?"

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"I... I just assumed that you would be going with him," she whispered, her face was hot.

"I did plan on going. But he convinced me to go to Anthyse," Trystan smiled, the life coming back to his malachite eyes.

She smiled fondly, hoping she had covered her pain pretty good. "I take it, you want to go to Anythse?"

"You have no idea," he grinned. "I spent my summers there when I was young. I loved it. It is my only connections with my mother. Have you visited there?"

The commotion brought the life to the night. Despite a war in the west, the north was celebrating with all the vigour it could muster. After all, the winter was reaching its end and Acracia hailed winter like no other.

"Once or twice," she replied. "Once a woman had so many complications with her pregnancy that the healer there could not do anything. He called for me."

Light from the cressets and the hanging lamp, lit the night like a day. Everyone had gathered there and the music was going to be played. Some old people from other village sat on the market square to sell trinkets, clothes and old parchments.

"Of course," he said. "Who else would they call?"

She playfully glared at him. "If I don't have the tray in my hand, I would have hit you."

He feigned a scared look. "Then I am grateful for the tray in your hand."

Shaking her head, she led then where Katrina was arranging the food. "Here!"

"You are a life saver, Chavva," the woman breathed and took the trays from Trystan and her.

Raven was talking to an old woman about the snow storms in the extreme north. Risar was laughing and playing with his daughter. Anoya squealed and tried to get away, but he held her tight.

The younger women were getting the work done for the festival. Children were left free and the old people had taken the work of spinning tales. Naola was smiling at everyone and was drawing a huge portrait of Earendil on the floor with colour powder. Her face was brightly coloured with the colours and Ruth was helping her.

When Naola bent to get back to her work, Hyveryn or Ruth threw colours on her. She glared at them, but her face was supporting a smile.

"Not a problem," she smiled back. "Where is Sapphire?"

"With Siferay," Katrina said. "You said that woman not to come, so I left my daughter with her."

"She is eight months, Katrina," she reprimanded softly. "Of course, this would stress her out."

"I definitely would," Katrina murmured. Then seeing her son, she called, "Zane!"

Seeing his mother, the boy ran away further.

"Zane! Come here!" she shouted.

The boy shook his head and continued running. Katrina gave her a guilty look and chased after her son. Chavva chuckled; kids were so refreshing.

The stars came alive as though they were mourning and celebrating at the same time. Some were dim to a point where without her Immortal vision, she could not have seen.

But some were bright, so bright so that they could be seen as thousand suns lighting up the night sky. Like the Hoshi were consoling Earendil of his lost love by painting the welkin with their smile.

Zuria was smirking from heaven. That star of love had uncanny ways of getting things done. After all, she was the love child of Iphis, the Spirit of love.

Something was going to happen. But what it was she did not know.

Trystan stood next to her. "So beautiful, is it not?"

"Yes," she whispered. "The winter is ending."

"I know," he said, his voice losing their cheer. "I hate the fact that it is going to end."

"You love winter?" she asked, lacing her words with surprise. "How very odd. Many hate it."

"Yep." He bit his lower lip and nodded. Why did he have to do that? "I love it. And I do know many hate it. What season do you like?"

She cleared her thoughts. "Spring."

"Spring comes after winter," he jested.

Aya, a girl of eighteen, shouted, "Let the night begin! Dance we shall!"

At her words, everybody shot forward, grabbing their partners. Naola glared at everybody as they stepped over her art, but in the end, Hyveryn grabbed her and pulled her to dance. She sighed and smiled. Few men stayed behind, playing the drums and the instruments, bringing a flavour to the season.

Chavva and Trystan moved to the periphery of the circle of dance.

"Spring brings life to snow, Trystan," she shot back, enjoying the dance.

He gave her a deadpan stare. "Why do you like to kill my happiness?"

"Am I amazing at that?" she asked.

"Pretty much." He scratched his head. "I have heard how much of a kind-hearted person you are, Chavva. But I think they have not met you with me."

"What can I say?" she sighed. "You bring out the worst in me."

A comfortable silence cocooned them. Somewhere, very far away, rain sang a sonnet and the winds played a sad tune. The sky wept and the earth breathed to life.

She did not trust her voice nor words. She might say or do something she would definitely regret.

He broke the silence. "Aren't you dancing?"

She stilled. "No."

"Why not?" he asked, as though he was stating a fact. "You are the best dance I have ever seen."

"N..no," she shuttered. "No one knows."

He frowned deeply at her. "You know what?" He pulled her and went to the direction opposite to the dance.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked, but her heart trusting him more than she did.

"Away."

As if he knew her speed, he pulled her with a speed she knew only Immortals could ever achieve. How did he possess it?

The eastern edge of Rixihy was deserted. The crickets chattered not bothering to see them. The stars groaned in the sky and the pale blue light filtered the huge tree he was leading them to.

The tree was lifeless, without a single leaf. But she knew when the spring came, the tree bloomed purple.

He finally stopped when they were underneath the tree. The clouds gathered above them and Zuria smiled.

He pulled her closer towards him, his right hand wounding over her waist and he placed her right over his shoulder with his other hand.

Her breathing stopped short. She was an Immortal was she not? Then why did her heart felt like it might stop anytime? A warm fire lit up in her stomach and her skin was prickling, needing his touch.

She was sure it was the cool breeze that made her throat parched and not his heated green eyes. He pulled her even closer.

"Let's dance," he whispered low, his voice shivers down her spine.

"There's no music," she protested weakly. Though she wanted to leave, her body refused to compile to her wishes.

"How did you dance that night?" he asked, doing a circle. Now she stood where he was standing.

"I found a tune inside me," she said.

"Then let's find our tune," he smiled, flashing his pearly white teeth.

Our tune.

She nodded and closed her eyes. The music from the drums was nothing compared to the melody their souls were singing. The notes rose and fell like the ocean waves. The cadences fluttering smoothly like an eagle's wing. It was shapeless like the clouds yet it was defined like the ranges of Varalene her eyes could see. When she found that peace in her, she opened her eyes.

It was a music like no other. It was theirs and theirs alone. No one could ever copy it nor could they be heard by anyone else. Her soul thrummed with his.

He must have felt it, as his eyes went wide. His lush lips parted and his cheeks were flushed. "Is...is that...?"

She nodded and shot him a glare. He nodded and he swayed her. She would be lying if she said they did not fit perfectly together. Deep down she knew his heart belonged to another. Her friend. Amara. As much as she did not want to intrude, she wanted this kind of intimacy with him even though it was only for one night. Or better yet, a few hours.

They were a pair of reeds pirouetting, slowly and steadily each finding the rhythm within each other. Their music rose and rose and so did their steps. He lifted above the air and twirled.

When the tune slowed down, he brought her down. Slowly. Pressing her body with his in every way possible. His heart was beating calmly like he found his peace. As did hers.

Zuria's rays blessed them. But she knew how cruel Zuria could be. She had to be wary of that star.

As her face came down, their eyes met with a fervour she had never experienced. His eyes flicked to her lips and then into her eyes. She licked her lips; why was it dry only at times like this?

One hand went behind her head and weaved through her hair. She drew in a sharp breath. Would he...?

He brought her face closer and she closed her eyes. She felt his long eyelashes soothing her cheeks. They were just a whisper apart.

Another second, she would know what it was to be kissed by the man she loved.

"Trystan!" Aeron's voice broke the spell.

She opened her eyes and tried to wriggle out of his arms. He lowered her slowly despite knowing his friend could be behind them. He did not let her go until Aeron called again. "Trystan!"

Aeron entered the streets and Trystan let her go. Her heart was beating fast. Her senses returned to her. Had they kissed, could she have resisted it again or could she have controlled herself? Going behind her friend's back was not her. She would rather kill her feeling to see them happy.

"Amara is ready and you should really see her!" Trystan's eyes did not match Aeron's excitement. But after a few second, guilt came in his eyes.

Aeron saw a sister in Amara, a sister whom he never had the chance of meeting, it seemed. His mother fled when his sister was a baby.

"I am sorry," Trystan broke off and strode towards the centre.

Aeron's eyes trailed Trystan's retreating figure.

"I told you would get hurt, Chavva," Aeron said. "Both of you will."

His words were deaf on her ears.

"I wish I could be as happy as your both auras were five minutes earlier."

Her eyes followed his fading figurine.

"I had to break you both."

Her heart went along with him.

"I am leaving tomorrow morning, Chavva," Aeron said. "I am leaving for Katanagia tomorrow morning and I will meet you all in Anthyse after my work is done."

Zuria lowered her gaze and turned her face.

"Take care of your heart, Chavva. You are worth more than you think."

A lone tear slipped from Chavva's eyes.

"You are not listening, are you?" he asked.

She bit her lips to withhold the sob.

He sighed and hugged her.

She did not want to see her friend being beautiful and stealing the spotlight.

She did not want to be jealous of Amara. They were good friends, she did not want to spoil it. Trystan was anyway happy with Amara. How could she spoil his happiness? She would rather live with a bleeding her heart if that meant seeing him smile for another.

But none of those thoughts could prevent her feeling.

Her lips were still tingling with that almost kiss. 

I did not mean to write this heartbreaking. 

So... what do you feel of Trystan, Aeron and Chavva in this chapter?

Do I regret writing this sad? No. :)

Last chapter from Cahira's pov. I am excited! *squeals*

~Quill