Whisper Thornpaw's Arc

Chapter 2 of 9

The last orb drifted up toward the dark towers of the castle, and Whisper kept playing. The crowd swayed near her caravan. Coins fell into her bowl. A faint purple trail of stardust glittered along the ground where the orbs had passed. Inside the small stone guard post, the night watch saw the glow. She knew that color. Music had drifted from the castle's west wing before, and people who heard it came out wrong. She lit her lantern and followed the shimmering trail down the path. She found the cat merchant mid-song. The tambourine rang bright. Orbs rose from the campfire. Strangers stood close, eyes soft, listening. The guard's ears flattened. Beautiful, yes. But she had seen beautiful things turn minds before. "Stop playing," she said. Whisper's paw froze above the tambourine. The note died. The crowd lowered their heads. "No mystic music at these gates. There is a permit fee. And a fine." She held out a slip of paper. The number on it was large. Whisper read it twice. Her debts had been shrinking. Now they swelled again, heavier than before. She paid what coins she could from the bowl and signed for the rest. The strangers drifted away down the purple-dusted path. Whisper sat on the step of her caravan, tambourine quiet in her lap. The road felt farther tonight. But she folded the fine into her pocket, not the fire. She would play again. Just not here.