Alright! Totally forgot I was sending a part of my wip to you but here!!! 1k of a scene I like in the thing I'm writing.
The crackling campfire is the only noise that sounds from the camp after those ominous words. Nobody quite knows what to say, so after a few minutes of silence quieted chatter fills the area, and Sophie can only see glimpses of her companions’ faces when the dim orangle light flashes on their faces.
She can see Biana bury her head into Tam’s shoulder, his arms automatically swamping her in a comfortable hug. She can almost hear the faint murmurings of Edaline and Della on the other side of the camp, the frantic way the whites of their eyes shine. The light soaking their profiles make them look tired and hagred from loss.
The voices only quiet when a clear low hum pierces through the idle noise. Everyone’s head seems to snap up at the sound, recognizing the melody. Most surprisingly it comes from where Prentice and Tiergan were sitting, suddenly standing atop the ginormous stum of the fallen tree providing them shelter.
Sophie’s head whips around at the change of mood, the way that the tension that was just so thick cleared out in a matter of seconds. Everyone seemed to understand what was happening, standing up in clear space.
“What’s going on?” She mutters to Keefe, whos still seated beside her. A smirk makes it’s way up his face and Sophie’s heart flutters a bit at the expression.
“You’ll see.”
“The fallen creeks and restless winds,” Prentice’s voice rings about the clearing, low and crackling like the campfire in front of him.
“Plague the world around me.” He launches off the stump, Tiergan following soon afterward, and both of their hands intertwine, and Sophie registers that they’re about to dance.
And it doesn’t just seem to be them either, the rest of the elves in the clearing are standing, looking prepared to dance, and a low thrum of energy splits open like a bolt of lighting during a storm.
Because the slow, sad song fades off with Tiergan and Prentice’s sorrowful voices, as everyone around them starts clapping to a rhythm foreign to Sophie. First it starts slowly, then getting faster and faster, until the couple is dancing in front of the fire light at full speed, the whites of their teeth flashing in the night as they smile and sing.
“Ghosts rise from endless tides, and yet I’ll keep on fighting,” More and more voices join the chorus, their joyous singing reaching the stars.
From where she sits Sophie can see them all, laughing and stomping and spinning. Marella and Linh trip over one another, while Tam and Biana dance gracefully. Della and Livvy link arms and look like one, along with Prentice and Tiergan, Dex and Edaline join hands even, laughing at each of their missteps. From where he’s standing, Wylie has a grin on his face, shining bright as even the moon comes out to join the celebration.
“I thought elves didn’t have music,” Sophie hisses to Keefe, who’s bouncing along to the song.
“We don’t! This song was banned by the council for centuries.”
He laughs at Sophie’s confused expression. “It was a song that soldiers used to sing, before we were a peaceful species, so they deemed it inappropriate.”
“How does everyone here know it, then?”
“Well, I’d think you’d’ve learned by now, Foster, but the people you’re with don’t follow the rules all that often. Especially if the Council decrees it. Many couples danced to it at their weddings.”
Sophie turns back to see the overwhelming happiness, bouncing off of every face, every hand and foot that’s moving and twirling.
“I know you don’t remember this,” Keefe says, his voice dropping a bit. “But I believe you owe me a dance.”
Before she can complain, Keefe drags her out of her seat, linking their arms and patiently going through the steps. Sophie’s reluctance fades as she spends longer and longer in the circle, a laugh bubbling out of her chess before she can help it.
“The sun will set, and waters rise, but I will be right by your side.”
Keefe twirls her around, in sync with everyone around them, and Sophie’s mouth hurts from smiling.
“For a world I hold so near, I’ll fight, oh fight for you my dear.”
Everyone slows, and each pairing shows off a quick move, taking turns cheering for the other ones around them.
“Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!”
Keefe does a quick little jig, and Sophie scrambles to try and follow him, only somewhat succeeding.
“I’ll build this land, from the ground, and stand right beside you.”
Sophie’s heart thuds in her throat as she locks eyes with him, staring into the amusement, the pain, the sadness, the fondness. She stares at Keefe Sencen, really looks at him, for the first time.
“When the time turns, and our ears grow long, I’ll stay with you.”
Everything slows around them as Keefe dips Sophie toward the ground, a heart-melting smile appearing on his face. It’s so very small, that if they weren’t this near in proximity, Sophie would’ve missed it. She would’ve missed the way his eyes shone in the fire light, the freckles that dappled his skin, and the way he saw her. The way that Keefe Sencen is looking at her sends chills shivering down her spine.
Even when the world seems to move in slow motions, Sophie can barely see the moment he lets his eyes glance down at her lips. It’s so fast that if she’d’ve blinked she would’ve missed it. But she doesn’t blink.
Instead she just stares into the depths of those icy blue eyes, and wonders what were we?
The thought almost puts everything back to normal, like someone hit play on a remote, Sophie’s pulled upright, and all the voices go quite except for the two that started the song in the first place.
But everything is not normal. Because without even waiting for the song to finish, Keefe rushes away, eyes wide and panicked as he all but runs to his tent. No one notices, no one but Sophie Foster, who’s eyes are glued to his back as the melody closes with a bittersweet ending. Tiergan and Prentice’s voices fill the clearing, low and sad, full of mourning and grief.
“And we’ll sing this song with pride and love, and reflect on our journey.”
Sophie’s eyes follow Keefe’s back as he retreats to his tent, the euphoria of their dance all but forgotten, whipped away by the night breeze.
SIR I AM GOING APESHIT THIS IS GORGEOUS- THE WAY KEEFE SAYS SHE OWES HIM A DANCE AND HOW THAT TIES INTO CANON?? THE WAY THAT THEY DANCE AND SOPHIE'S NOT A KLUTZ BECAUSE THEY BOTH KNOW SHE'S NOT AND HOW THAT'S ROOTED IN CANON?? THE WAY THAT HE FUCKING GLANCES AT HER LIPS AND SOPHIE DOESN'T MISS IT???? THE PACING?? THE FUCKING DESCRIPTIONS AND METAPHORS AND LITERALLY EVERYTHING ABOUT THE PROSE???
ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME WITH EXCELLENT CONTENT?? BECAUSE IF YOU ARE IT'S FUCKING WORKING HOLY SHIT-
